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6 Packing Mistakes You Want to Avoid

A man carries a moving box while a woman in the background packs boxesMoving can be stressful, but with some planning and know-how, you can give yourself a smooth and successful experience. Packing is one of the first steps of a move and can often be overwhelming. Getting everything in your home into boxes and ready to be transported is exhausting, but it will make the rest of your move a breeze if done correctly. Take a look at some of the most common packing mistakes you should avoid on your upcoming move.

Not Getting Enough Boxes: It is not uncommon to underestimate the number of things you have in the home. However many boxes you think you will need, you will probably need even more. You would rather end the day with extra boxes than everything coming to a complete stop while you go out and track down more boxes. You can always return, sell, or donate the boxes you have leftover.

Waiting Until the Last Minute: This is a huge mistake that will cause your moving experience to be more stressful than it needs to be. As soon as you know you have a move in your future, you should start purging and packing. Even if your move is a couple of months away, you can box up books, off-season clothes, and other unused items around the home to get a head-start on your move.

Not Sealing and Securing Boxes: When you assemble boxes, take the time to secure the bottoms of the boxes with packing tape. This will ensure that they will not collapse or let anything fall through. You should also use tape to secure the top when you are done filling the box.

Not Labeling Boxes: Take the time to label your boxes with the types of items in the box, not just the room it came from. When you get to your new home and start to unpack, you will be able to find the items you need quickly instead of tearing through box after box looking for the coffeemaker.

Overpacking Boxes: You would be surprised at how quickly even light items, like files, can add up. Don’t make moving harder on yourself by overpacking your boxes and making them too heavy to move safely.

Not Wrapping Fragile Items: Writing “fragile” in Sharpie marker on a box is not enough to protect your fine china or other glass and fragile items. Take the time to wrap each of your fragile items in packing paper and use bubble wrap or packing peanuts to protect them during your move further. The extra effort and time that you take will be worth it to make sure your treasured items make it to your next home with no damage.

We hope this list of common packing mistakes to avoid helps as you get ready to embark on your moving adventure. If you are looking for local or long-distance moving or storage services, or you are prepared to schedule your upcoming move, give 1-800-PACK-RAT a call! We have storage and moving solutions for every type of move, and are running promotions now to help make your move easier. We look forward to making moving and storage easy for you!