07 May What Packing Supplies do you Need for Your Home Move?
If you’re planning to move to a new home, the real challenge will be the preparation as you sort things out and pack. Your biggest concern at this point is making sure all your items are packed in a way that minimizes breakage or loss during the move. We’ve assembled here a number of must-have packaging supplies that you need for your home move. Let’s start with the three main items you need:
Boxes
You can check if the moving company offers packing boxes or purchase/salvage them at your local grocery store or office-supply store near you. Get a few wardrobe boxes to pack your hanging garments in; and to find out how many boxes you’ll need, the consider the space in linear feet of all your hanging clothes.
For the kitchen department, get boxes that have pre-assembled partitions for storing glassware. You can get different sizes of boxes to fit larger items including lamps, mattresses, mirrors, and even glass tabletops. For books you can get smaller boxes.
Tape
You can do fine with standard packing tape but if you’re looking for something stronger then your best bet is strapping tape. It’s a lot stronger and is practically impossible to cut or tear without scissors. Strapping tape is most commonly used to reinforce the bottom of heavily packed boxes and also for affixing items to protect them from water or moisture.
Packing paper
Use blank newsprint or white tissue paper for packing – newspaper can stain your valuables. Use either of them to wrap fragile items like wineglasses before packing them. You can get packing paper from any packing-supply store.
So what else do you need for your move:
a) Bubble wrap: This is for padding boxes and also for wrapping fragile items in. It makes sense to buy in larger rolls and cut to smaller sheets as needed.
b) Stretch wrap: It’s used for securing cabinet drawers and doors, and it doesnt leave any residue in case you’re worried about that.
c) Box cutters: You will need them to open boxes.
d) Labels and markers: For use in marking and identifying boxes.
e) Simple tool kit: Very important for furniture assembly.
f) Scissors: Used mainly for cutting tape and bubble wrap.
g) Large trash bag: To gather up your stuff when you’re done.
h) Sealable plastic bags: You can use them to store small items that are easy to lose, like screws or brackets.
You can get a variety of specialty-packing supplies for things like guitars and cribs; however most people don’t need them. What matters is that you pack your belongings safely (including your documents) and organize them in a way that makes it easier to unpack.