Key Packing Materials and Supplies Needed for Your Move

Moving often has a lot of small details that have to come together all at the same time, so to have a successful move it is a good idea to be prepared. There’s paperwork to get organized, coordinating everything for a moving date, figuring out a moving company, and more. Depending on your plan, you may also have to pack up everything that’s going with you.

With all the extra things going on during the planning and coordination of a move, many people forget about getting the right materials to safely pack and protect their things. Nothing is worse than getting to your new home only to find that your nice furniture has been scratched, your glassware is broken, and your TV doesn’t work. Avoiding this scenario starts with properly packing your belongings using the right materials and supplies. By thinking ahead, you can avoid being a few days from your move and realizing you don’t have the materials you need.

Based on our experience, the following are some supplies that we think might help your move go more smoothly.

Boxes

Could you imagine moving without using any boxes? We can’t! Boxes seem to be a key material in any move. Using boxes can sometimes get tricky though. Knowing how to pack boxes efficiently can save a lot of time and stress during a move. One big mistake many people make when packing up their belongings is overpacking their boxes. Having boxes that are too densely packed can break or even be too heavy, making them difficult to move. For smaller, heavier items, try to pack in multiple, smaller boxes. It is much easier to carry a small box with some heavy things in it than to try to carry a box with a lot of collective weight.

Packing up your items like this is easier when you have the right-sized boxes for everything. Instead of getting a bunch of awkwardly-shaped boxes though, it can be a good idea to stick to a few different sizes of rectangular boxes. This way, stacking and packing your boxes into a moving vehicle is easier.


Tape, Scissors, Labels

While you’re packing up your boxes, you may run into a few problems if you don’t have these materials.

Not everyone likes to tape up boxes after they pack them, some people prefer to fold the box-flaps in a way that keeps the box closed. Sometimes though, this can be really frustrating. Trying to get the box to fold correctly doesn’t always work, and other times, the box-flaps rip. If this ever happens, there’s an easy solution: tape. Taping your boxes shut isn’t always necessary, but it can save time during packing and will almost always keep your boxes closed tight no matter how far they have to travel.

Having scissors while you’re packing is another item that isn’t always necessary, but that can save you a lot of frustration in case something goes wrong. If you are using packing tape, occasionally the tape dispenser gets lost or broken. When this happens, having scissors is life-saving.

Finally, labels. You may not think you need them, but labels have the capacity to take a lot of stress out of moving. If you are labeling your boxes as your pack them – whether it be with masking tape & sharpie, pre-made labels, duct-tape, or another method – unpacking will go much more smoothly than if not. Labeling by room can make it easy to get your stuff to the right place in your new home, before ever opening a box. If things are labeled as “fragil,” you and the people loading your belongings will know that they need to be careful with that box. This saves you from having your TV stuffed at the bottom of the moving truck, or from having to search through boxes just to figure out where a towel is at your new house.


Packaging & Loading

A couple other items that may be nice to have during your move include materials for packaging your items, and some supplies that might make loading the truck easier.
Having something to keep things from moving around in your boxes can save you from finding any broken belongings after your move. Materials like newspaper, packing peanuts, or bubble wrap are all examples of things you can use to stuff into boxes & between items in order to keep them from breaking in transit. You can use things you find around your home, like towels or even clothes, stuffed-animals, and newspaper, or you can go to a moving supply store for rolls of bubble wrap and other similar supplies.
Some people like to have a dolly and ramp for their moving truck, especially if they are moving heavy appliances such as a dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, etc. Many moving trucks have a loading-ramp or lift already attached, but make sure to double check with your moving company, and maybe consider getting a dolly to make transporting heavy items into the truck a bit easier.

Having the materials you need to move is imperative, and making sure you hire a moving company that’s is reliable and trustworthy is even more important. With our 100+ years of service, Palmer Moving Services is a great choice for an efficient and affordable move. Palmer offers customizable moving plans that allow you to save money by packing yourself or you can let us do all the work for you.

Contact us at Palmer Moving Services for a free moving quote, today!