Imagine moving into your new home after a stressful few weeks and discovering that some of your most prized and valuable items didn’t survive the trip. Knowing how to pack fragile items for moving can help you avoid this scenario and enjoy a seamless transition into your new place. The professionals at Discount Moving, the best moving company in Montreal, understand that moving fragile items safely is a top concern for many clients.
This guide explores several packing tips for fragile items so you can relocate without the fear of unpacking damaged belongings. Use these expert tips and tricks during your upcoming move and protect your delicate possessions to ensure your move goes off without a hitch.
Packing Tips for Protecting Fragile Items During a Move
If you’re wondering how to pack fragile items for moving, you must take several precautions. Whether you’re handling glass heirlooms, precious ceramics, or other delicate objects, improper packing can create irreparable damage during the move. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so invest in the right packing materials for fragile items and follow the tips below.
Gather Sturdy Boxes
A flimsy box that starts to collapse before you even put anything in it isn’t ideal for any type of packing. Clothes, books, and other heavy objects can slip out from the bottom, making loading and unloading the moving truck challenging, if not dangerous. If you pack fragile objects in a flimsy box, the risks become even greater.
Let a trusted moving company supply you with all the necessary packing materials, including durable cardboard boxes that stay secure throughout the move.
Secure the Bottom of Your Box
Even with a sturdy box, you want to ensure your objects survive all handling during a move. Place extra tape strips across the bottoms of all boxes containing fragile, heavy items. This provides plenty of support and keeps the items in place rather than falling through the bottom of the box.
Opt for Smaller Boxes
One of the best tips for safely packing delicate items is to use smaller boxes. Say you have a valuable glass lamp you’re bringing to your new house. Grab a box that is large enough for just the lamp and place it in there without any other objects.
Using smaller boxes for delicate objects reduces the risk of your items becoming damaged from shifting within the box. Fill up any remaining space with packing peanuts or other padding material for optimum safety.
Put Padding in the Box First
Ask a professional how to pack fragile items for moving, and they’ll tell you never to put your items directly in the box without padding. Say you have a stack of fine china plates to bring to your new home. Rather than placing them directly in the moving box and filling the space above them with packing materials, it’s best to put padding on the bottom of the box before anything else goes in.
Putting a protective layer at the bottom of the box cushions the surface and reduces the strain from your heavy objects. The following are some choice materials you can use to pad the inside of the box:
- Bubble wrap
- Towels
- Foam
- Packing peanuts
You can get these items from a professional moving company like Discount Moving to help with packing, assuming you don’t already have some of these on hand.
Use Boxes With Dividers for Glasses
Are you struggling to pack your stemware and drinking glasses? The best way to pack glassware is to use cardboard dividers in the box to separate each glass. The dividers prevent the sides of the glasses from clanging en route to your new home, so you can unpack with everything still intact.
Special boxes may be available to carry all of your stemware. Packing forks, knives, spoons, and other utensils requires the right materials to avoid damage during the move. Ask your local moving specialists for boxes with dividers so you can easily pack up your kitchen items and keep them safe.
Fill Hollow Spaces With Padding
The key to safely packing delicate items is filling hollow spaces with padding. Are you putting all of your glass vases and jars in one box? Be sure to fill the inside of these canisters with packing paper before taping the box shut.
Experts who know how to pack fragile items for moving will tell you that placing padding in hollow spaces like these softens the vibration that occurs during transport. Strong vibrations could cause the glass to crack and put you at a loss when it’s time to unpack. Putting packing paper inside your canisters won’t take long and will give you peace of mind come moving day.
Place Heavy Items First
Packing up your belongings for a move isn’t much different from bagging your groceries. Would you place heavy jugs of juice over a carton of eggs in your grocery bag? Apply this logic to your packing process and place all heavy items inside the boxes first, with lighter ones on top.
You risk fragile belongings breaking before you can unpack them if you don’t place them inside boxes strategically. If you have delicate sculptures and figurines to pack, lift each one to determine the heaviest items. Wrap each in bubble wrap for protection and place them in the box from heaviest to lightest.
Stack Items Whenever Possible
Kitchen items like bowls and plates are fairly easy to pack since you can stack them. Transfer these objects directly from your cupboards into moving boxes with bubble wrap around each one for optimum protection. Be sure to place enough padding at the box’s base to keep all the items secure.
Label Boxes Accordingly
It’s not enough to know how to pack fragile items for moving. Your objects could still be damaged during relocation if you don’t accurately label the box. You and your moving team could mishandle the box containing your fragile objects and cause them to break.
Place large, clear labels with instructions and information on the outside of the box. Labels can include terms like:
- Fragile
- Handle with care
- This side up
Seeing these words signals to you and professional movers that precious belongings are inside the box. Knowing this information will cause everyone to carefully transport the box in and out of your property to avoid damaging the items.
You can go a step further by labelling the items inside the box so you know exactly where they belong in your new home. For example, a box labelled “Glassware” belongs in the kitchen, while a box labelled “Office” won’t end up in the living room.
Use Original Packaging for Electronics
Ask an expert how to pack fragile items for moving, and they’ll tell you it’s best to use small, sturdy packaging for most household items. However, if possible, electronics like televisions and computer monitors should go in their original packaging. These objects are extremely delicate and expensive to replace, so take every precaution when packing them before a move.
If you no longer have the original packaging for your electronics, you can take the following steps:
- Secure a box large enough to accommodate your items
- Remove and label the attached cables
- Wrap the screen in bubble wrap and cover with a blanket or towel
- Keep the padding in place with a cord or rope
The Importance of Proper Packing
Most people agree that packing can be the hardest part of a move. Whether you’re wondering how to pack fragile items for moving or struggling to gather all your belongings before moving day, it’s vital to deploy proper packing strategies for a successful relocation. Packing either on your own or with the help of a professional moving team requires care and precision for the best results.
You’ll have peace of mind when all of your delicate objects have protective wrapping around them and travel in secure boxes. Labelling the boxes correctly ensures that all items end up in the correct part of the house and, most importantly, guarantees safe handling for boxes containing fragile items. Don’t risk destroying precious family heirlooms because of improper packing procedures.
Use the tips mentioned above to safely transport delicate objects, and ask a local moving company for additional tips when packing up your home. If you prefer to let experts handle this task, reach out to a full-service moving company in your area that offers packing and storage services.
Make Packing and Relocating Seamless With Discount Moving
Do you need to know how to pack fragile items for moving? Are you looking to get rid of items but aren’t sure how to go about downsizing when moving? The experts at Discount Moving can help make your upcoming move as simple as possible. We have packing solutions for any homeowner and know how to get your items safely to your new destination. Count on our team to pack and transport your belongings over short or long distances. To schedule service, call (514) 933-3555 today.
