Find out how to pack portable moving containers like a pro
When it comes to packing for a big move are you in the “Love it” or “Hate it” camp? If you are an awesome packer, well done you … maybe you should come work for Buddy Box! If you don’t know where to start your packing up your house though, we feel your pain. In fact, you are like most people who find everything about moving to a new house stressful. There is light at the end of the moving tunnel though and it comes in the shape of Buddy Box portable storage containers and some great packing advice from our pro packers!
So here are our top packing tips for packing your belongings into your portable moving containers:
1. A little planning goes a long way
Many people forget that unpacking when you reach your new home is just as time intensive as packing everything in the first place. It always surprises us that a lot of homeowner’s pack boxes and storage containers with no plan at all, failing to realize that they are making the job of unpacking so much more difficult!
So, before you start packing, make sure that you plan, plan, plan! With portable storage boxes, you can even pack entire rooms into their very own portable storage containers. Can you imagine how easy that will make unpacking? Want to unpack your kitchen first, just open the kitchen container … Need your sofa? It’s in the family room container.
2. Be prepared like a boy scout
This is a pretty obvious one, but you’d be shocked at how many of us forget to arm ourselves with a cool “moving to a new house” toolkit. Don’t even think about placing anything into your portable storage containers before you’ve got the following must-have tools and supplies in your grasp:
Strong cardboard moving boxes
Heavy duty packing tape
A hand-truck or furniture dolly
Stretch film and packing paper
Bubble cushion to prevent damage to fragile items
A sharp craft knife and pair of large scissors
Straps to secure items in the container
Blankets to protect furniture
3. Don’t break your valuables
Now that you have all the packing materials you could possibly need (See “Be prepared like a boy scout “), there’s no excuse for shoddy packing. If you are going to spend time packing, make sure you pack with the utmost care. Pack fragile items, like glassware and electronics in bubble wrap and packing paper, ensuring that you don’t place heavy items on top of them in the portable storage container.
4. Remember – big … smaller … smallest
Have you ever tried the experiment with a glass vase, rocks, pebbles and sand? If not, you should! Basically, if you put the sand and the pebbles in the vase first, you’ll have no room for the big rocks. If you place the rocks in first though the pebbles and then the sand will fit into the small spaces left behind.
The same is true of packing a portable storage box or any type of box, for that matter. Always pack big items like furniture and appliance first, and then fill the remaining space with smaller boxes. Easy!
5. All about that heavy base
Now that you know to load large items into your storage containers first, we also need to tell you to keep an eye on the weight of boxes and other items. As a rule, heavier items should form a strong base for lighter items to sit on. If you were to put light boxes at the bottom of the container, you would end up with quite a few crushed belongings when your start unpacking at your new home.
6. It’s a balancing act
When you’ve finished packing your portable storage boxes, the Buddy Box Team will come to collect them and transport them to your new house. It’s so important that you consider how the weight of your belongings is distributed within the box, so if you place a heavy chair in one corner, please offset that by placing something of approximately the same weight in the opposite corner of the container. This will help to avoid any tipping any potential damage to the contents of the container.