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Clothes – do you need them all? Charity shops may want
them.
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Separate books – disposable, family reading, valuable.
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Check all electrical goods – will they work in the new
home?
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Start making up your change of address list.
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Arrange to have mail forwarded.
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Arrange termination date for electricity, gas, oil,
telephone and other main suppliers.
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If you are taking electrical goods such as a stereo, see
if you still have their original boxes.
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Have rugs cleaned.
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If you have children, separate cherished toys to travel
with you.
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Round up personal documentation – marriage/birth
certificates, driving licenses and so on.
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Keep passports separate so they are not packed.
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Want to take the car? Check on import regulations and
the duty payable.
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With regards to family pets– make sure vaccinations and
documentation are up to date.
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Will your new home be ready? If not, you need to arrange
temporary storage.
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Shops, schools, theaters, life styles – it’s never too
early to find out about your new home.
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Start running down freezer stocks.
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Arrange your finances – close or transfer bank accounts,
savings accounts and so on, if necessary.
Packing
Materials
Use only strong, corrugated cartons with covers. We can
supply you with specially made cartons, for everything
from mattresses to clothing and mirrors. The added
protection of mover-provided cartons may avoid damage
that results from the use of poor-quality packing
materials. Your alternative is to collect boxes
discarded by your grocery or liquor store. Save old
newspapers for use in packing, but remember that ink may
rub off and stain clothing or other items. *WARNING:
Insect eggs and insects such as roaches can travel in
food boxes.
Keep this in mind when getting boxes from food stores.
Here's a list a packing supplies that will come in
handy:
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Plastic bags and labels for easy identification.
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Foam peanuts, Styrofoam pellets or "popcorn."
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Tissue or craft paper for delicate packing jobs.
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Corrugated paper rolls for figurines and fragile items.
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Gummed tape (1 1/2 to 2 inches wide) and/or strong twine
for sealing cartons.
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Markers and labels for identifying contents of cartons.
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Notebook and pencil for carton identification log.
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Scissors and/or sharp knife.
Packing
Pointers
Before actually packing-up, you need to have a game
plan. For example:
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Pack one room at a time. This will help you when it
comes time to unpack.
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Pack a couple of cartons a day, starting well ahead of
the move.
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Mark all boxes, designating room and box number. Make a
carton identification log to show the number of
boxes packed per room, and the total number of
cartons packed. It's a good idea to leave space in
your log for a special comments section to note
carton conditions or location of high value goods.
Notify your mover of any high value items.
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Be sure to have plenty of "filling" material available.
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Be sure that the bottoms of all cartons are secured and
will hold the weight of the contents.
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Packing tape or gummed tape is better than masking tape.
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Pack heavier items toward the bottom of the box and
lighter items toward the top. Try to keep a per-box
weight of 50 pounds or less; it makes moving a lot
easier. A general rule to remember on carton size --
the heavier the item, the smaller the carton.
Packing
Dish-ware
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Select a medium-sized carton (or mover provided dishpack)
and line the bottom of the carton with crumpled
packing paper.
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With packing paper stacked neatly in place on a work
table, center one plate on the paper.
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Grasp a corner on several sheets of packing paper and
pull the paper over the plate until sheets
completely cover the plate. Stack a second plate on
and, moving clockwise, grasp a second corner and
pull sheets over the second plate.
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Stack a third plate. Grasp remaining two corners,
folding two sheets of each corner (one at a time)
over the plate.
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Turn your wrapped stack of plates upside down onto your
packing paper.
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Re-wrap the entire bundle: start with one corner of
packing paper and pull two sheets over the bundle,
cover bundle with next corner, then the third
corner; and finally, the fourth.
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Seal the bundle with packing tape.
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Place the bundle of dish-ware in a medium-size box so
that the plates are standing on edge
Use this
process on all saucers, bread and butter dishes, and
other dishware. When packing smaller dishes, you may
choose to stack in greater quantity.
Packing Cups
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With packing paper in place on the work table, position
one cup six to eight inches from one of the corners.
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Now pull the near corner of the paper up and over the
cup.
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Nest a second cup directly on top, with handle to left
(second cup should "nest" itself in packing paper
folded over the bottom cups).
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Pull the two side corners up and over, one at a time,
and tuck corners inside the top cup.
-
Hold the bottom and top cup in position and roll cups to
the remaining corner. Fragile mixing bowls may be
rolled in the same manner.
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Delicate cups, like china, should be wrapped one at a
time. Antique glass or china should be stuffed with
crumpled tissue and wrapped one at a time.
Packing
Glasses and Stemware
-
Stuff glasses and stemware with crumpled tissue or
packing paper before wrapping.
-
Lay on the corner of packing paper and roll it one or
two full rotations (depending on size); pull sides
of packing paper up and over glass/stemware and
continue rolling to the far corner. Corrugated paper
rolls or cellular boxes may be used for added
protection.
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Place glasses and stemware toward the top of your box.
Heavier items (dish-ware, pitchers,etc.) should be
placed toward the bottom of the box.
Delicate glassware and stemware should be placed in
an upright position, not on its side.
No
matter what you're packing, you should use crumpled
packing paper in between each layer to assure a snug fit
wherever there's a gap. All boxes with "fragile" items
should be marked accordingly.
Specialized Packing Tips
The list of individual household items is endless. Most
can be packed by following our packing pointers. Here
are some additional packing tips for major items. If you
want a more comprehensive list of how to pack special
items, drop us a line.
Bureau Drawers -- Don't overload. Too heavy a
load can cause damage. Remove firearms and any items
that might break or leak. Firearms, along with serial
numbers, must be registered with your van line
representative before the move.
Canned Goods and Other Non-Frozen Food -- Pack
upright with no more than 24-30 cans per carton. Don't
attempt to move perishables. Wrap glass containers and
boxed foods individually and pack in small cartons.
Frozen Foods and Plants -Because of the delicate
and perishable nature of these items, your mover is
prohibited from accepting these packed items when your
shipment is being transported more than 150 miles and/or
delivery will not be accomplished within twenty-four
(24) hours from the time of loading. Frozen food shipped
within these guidelines must be packed in a freezer
which at time of loading is at normal deep-freeze
temperature.
Clocks -- Remove or secure pendulum in large
clocks. Grandfather clocks should be prepared for moving
by expert servicemen.
Drapes and Curtains -- Hang drapes over crossbars
in wardrobe cartons, or pack folded in clean cartons.
Remove curtains from rods, fold and pack in cartons or
bureau drawers.
Flammables and Combustibles -- Flammable liquids
and aerosol cans must not be packed. Changes in
temperature and pressure can cause them to leak, or even
explode. For your own protection, you should know that
if you pack these items and they cause damage to your
shipment or others, you, not your mover, may be held
liable.
Lamps and Lampshades -- Remove bulbs, harps and
shades. Roll up cord. Pack lamps with bedding or wrap
separately and place upright in clean, tissue-lined
carton. Wrap harp and finial (decorative knob) with
packing paper and tape to inside wall of carton that
contains shade. Wrap shades in tissue, not newspaper.
Place upright in large, tissue lined cartons.
Medicines -- Seal caps with masking tape. Wrap
and pack upright in small cartons. If needed during
travel, carry with you.
Mirrors, Paintings and Pictures -- Tell your
agent about valuable paintings for special care. Wrap
small mirrors, pictures, paintings, and frames and place
on edge in cartons. Place large pictures and paintings
on edge in heavy cardboard containers. Large wall or
dresser mirrors will be taken down by the movers and
placed in special cartons. For added safety, place tape
diagonally across mirror to protect better against
damage. Do not place newspaper directly against
paintings.
Personal Computers and Video Recorders -- Pack
valuable electronic equipment in original cartons when
available. Otherwise, use strong, corrugated cartons and
place protective padding on the bottom of the carton.
Wrap an old blanket or protective pad around the item
and place it in its carton. Place additional padding
between the carton and the computer or video recorder.
Wrap cords separately, label to identify usage and place
in a plastic bag away from delicate surfaces.
Non-detachable cords should also be wrapped. Place cords
between the padded computer or video recorder and the
carton. Be sure your personal computer is "parked" and
ready for transport.
Silverware -- Wrap each piece in cloth or low
sulfur content paper to prevent tarnishing. Use an old
blanket or moving pad as a wrap to prevent scratching
the silverware chest.
Tools -- Drain fuel from power tools (do not ship
Flammables under any circumstances). Pack tools in
small, strong cartons. Wrap separately if valuable.
Waterbed Mattresses -- Drain all water from the
waterbed and, grasping internal baffle systems with
external vinyl, fold mattress 20 inches at a time.
Adjust folds to avoid making creases across individual
baffles. Consult your owner's manual for special
instructions concerning the care and transportation of
your mattress. Do not place your mattress in a carton
with sharp or pointed objects.
Cars and Motorcycles -- Cars and motorcycles
shipped on the moving van should be drained nearly empty
of fuel. Motorcycle batteries should be disconnected.
Automobile antifreeze should be ample to protect against
severe cold in winter.
Barbecue Grills and Propane Tanks -- Wrap grates
and briquettes separately in a newspaper (or place all
briquettes into a grocery bag) and place parts in
carton. Pad carton with paper to reduce movement of
contents. Propane tanks cannot be moved. Consult your
local gas grill distributor for the safest method.
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