Moving Tips - Packing

Cross tape the bottom of the box a few times to ensure that the box stays secure. A tape gun speeds this up. All delicate or damageable items should be protected with packing paper, bubble wrap or other soft items and clothing. Heavy items should go in the bottom and lighter items on the top. The boxes should be filled to the top and the spaces filled if possible so that it may be stacked and moved without being damaged. Mark contents, room assignment and handling precautions as needed.

How valuable and delicate the item is dictates how you pack it. Packing paper, bubble wrap, card board and blankets or clothing may be used to pad and wrap before putting them in the picture cartons. Be sure to always leave the boxes on edge and protected.

Items like TV’s should always be put in their original boxes if possible. TV boxes may also be purchased but may need to be altered if you don’t removes the stands. Electronics need to be packed in strong boxes and be well padded. There are times that labelling wires may be a good idea for easier connections.

Clothing that you want well kept and unwrinkled should be hung in a wardrobe box. The bottoms can be packed with other lightweight items.

Dish-packs are sturdy thick walled cardboard boxes made for your more fragile items- like dishes. Crush– or crumpled packing paper is often used at the bottom as a layer of the pad. Small stacks of plates, each protected by packing paper, are placed on the edge at the bottom with other heavier and padded items. Successive layers of padded and lighter items are put on top.

Always make sure these fragile load boxes are marked, so the movers know to show extra care. We actually prefer to use dish packs as one would a large box for packing larger vases and other less fragile items. Smaller boxes or strong plastic totes that give an extra level of protection to your fragile items are a safer way to do a move.

All mattresses and box springs should be packed in a mattress bag. It is the safer, more hygienic way to move a mattress or box spring. Vancouver has a great deal of homes with bed bugs and often the home owners don’t even know they have them. It is a good idea to look online to find the markings these pests leave in the corners of beds. If you find that you have them then there are set procedures to get rid of them and special trucks that are treated that can be used to move items from these homes.

Shrink wrap is often used to keep drawers shut and offer mild protection. Items that you are more concerned about keeping unmarked should be blanket wrapped and then kept tight with a layer or 2 of shrink wrap. If there is glass under any part it should be marked off with an x of tape and reinforced with cardboard if you think extra protection is needed.

Blanket wrapping items offers good protection however the blankets are not always completely clean. For items that you don’t want marked with any dirt at all special plastic wrap or bags should be used.

Some items you may not be sure how to pack properly. The cube vans come with ten to fifteen 100 litre plastic totes that delicate items can be wrapped and packed into. If items need special care let us know what they are and we will do our best to take extra care with them.

There will be some items that need special care to be moved. Items like pianos etc… we will need pictures of with dimensions and weight. Sometimes we will need to know what tools were used to assemble items and what was done to make them or bring them in. Please let us know what these items are ahead of time so there are no surprises and the move can be completed properly.

Plants should not be watered and fairly dry and clean before they are moved. Usually our movers pad them in our plastic totes and put them into the moving truck last.

Barbecues can get quite dirty and make quite a mess in the moving truck if they are not cleaned properly. You will save time and money the day of move if they are properly cleaned and ready to move. Propane bottles should be removed and taken in personal vehicles. If they have a protective cover please have it ready to be used.

Generally clothes and other items should be removed to make the move safer. Sometimes light clothing is fine if the dresser is sturdy and not to heavy. Shrink wrap and blankets are used to protect nicer furniture and keep the drawers shut.

Some items are strong and safe only when in the position they were put together in. Particle board products are notoriously bad for not coming together properly when taken apart and taking damage when being moved. Our movers will do whatever you would like them to however we will not warranty particle board objects. It is often better that the owner deal with these items themselves so that when they are damaged they are not disappointed with the movers.