More than 4 million people moved in Canada last year, many of whom did the packing themselves. For some, it works out fine; others have problems resulting from a lack of foresight, poorly packed boxes and inexperience in loading moving trucks.
Here are a few tips to help you avoid finding damaged items at your destination.
Consider purchasing boxes from your mover
The most common packing mistake we see is people getting free boxes at the grocery or liquor store and then putting too much weight in then. For example using a large box to pack books and magazines may make it too heavy to lift and the box may break during the move due to the weight.
Use this rule of thumb: the heavier the item, the smaller the box. Be choosy about your boxes. Free boxes from the grocery store that have been used to ship produce could contain insects that may transfer to your belongings.
Be realistic about the number of boxes you need
Depending on how long you have lived in your current location, you will most likely underestimate your box requirements. Often, we hear of people who think 40 or 50 boxes will be enough, then realize they need 100 or more two days before moving day.
Start packing early and be completely packed when the movers arrive
Sometimes we arrive at a customer’s home and they’re not packed. There’s nothing more frustrating then trying to move a customer’s belongings while they are attempting to shove them into boxes and we get in each others way.
This also interferes with the optimal loading of the moving truck. We have a loading system where the first things placed in the truck are light items such as chairs, lampshades, cushions, etc., that are stored in the “attic” area over the cab of the truck. We can get lots of light items up there and they stay secure.
Next, we create a “box wall” stacked to the ceiling to hold the items in the attic in place. We then stand plastic wrapped mattresses against the box wall and secure everything with tie-off straps to keep belongings from getting jostled during the move. If you’re not completely packed and ready on moving day, we can’t create that box wall early on which decreases the capacaity of the items that can be moved at one time. It also eats up precious time and therefore money.
Think ahead
Begin packing items you don’t use daily. As you pack your boxes, move them to the front of your apartment and stack them along a wall near the front door.
Say it takes 2.5 minutes on average to move a box from an upper bedroom to the truck. Having it on the main floor can shave a minute off the time for each box. 45 seconds multiplied by 100 boxes or more can save time and money.
Consider having your moving company pack for you.
We are skilled, have more experience and have standard-sized small, medium and large boxes that are designed to fit into our trucks to create a perfect box wall for optimal efficiency and safety.
So when it comes to moving, forethought goes a long way. Because your belongings mean a lot to you, take extra care when packing so that they arrive at your destination safely.