Doing Your Own Packing? Tips For Fragile Items

Before You Touch Anything…

Whether you will be doing the move yourself or hiring professional removalists, it is critical to keep an inventory of all your belongings. This is especially true of any items that are fragile and/or valuable. If you have receipts for your valuable items, sort them out. In the event that your breakables don’t survive the move, you’ll want to have all your documentation in order and ready to go for the insurance company. If you have anything that is particularly precious—perhaps an antique or family heirloom—you might want to consider stashing it at a friend’s house until your move is complete.

Wrap it Right

Some fragile items won’t fit into boxes and need to be wrapped. Packaging materials can be expensive, but they really are the only way to keep your fragile items safe during a move. Pick up some packaging paper and bubble wrap, or to save money, collect old newspapers. Then, thoroughly pad and wrap your fragile items. When wrapping up items like vases and lamps, keep in mind that more isn’t always better. You want to give your fragile items a soft cushion, not double their size! You can also roll your breakables in the linens you are moving and then tape them.

Boxing it Up

Some people make the mistake of placing fragile items in a box all by themselves. You want to snugly pack fragile items to make sure they don’t roll around or knock into other items, putting them at risk of breaking. So long as you’ve properly wrapped up your fragile belongings, they will be fine in a full box. Of course you want to be sure you don’t place something fragile at the bottom of a box, but you do want to make sure it is secure. If there is any empty space, fill it in with foam peanuts, bubble wrap or packing paper. That will keep the contents of the box from shifting.

Always label boxes as ‘Fragile’ when they contain breakable items so that the removalists will know to keep them at the tops of the piles. Using boxes specifically for items like your wine glasses and china will keep your items in one piece during the move and let the removalists know that they have to be handled with care.

Loading

You’ll want large mirrors, frames and artwork to be loaded into the truck first. This is important for creating a space that is safe and snug for these large breakables. Have them organised, placed in an easily visible location and ready to go at the beginning of the move. Otherwise, they may have to be added to the top of the pile, making them susceptible to sliding and jostling during the drive. Loading these large, fragile items first always means that they will be unloaded last. Unpacking can become an obstacle course of sorts, and you don’t want to run the risk of tripping over your mirrors or knocking them down. If they are the last thing to come into your new house, you can place them in a safe spot far from the towers of boxes taking over your living room.

Another great way to keep your fragile belongings safe when moving house? Have Two Men and a Truck do the packing for you!