Moving soon? If you are packing some or all of your household goods yourself, here are some basic tips to make sure your valuables come out of their boxes the same way they came in:

-          Make sure you use the right packing material. It is important to use sturdy moving boxes of different types and sizes. Remember: free isn't always better! Don’t get boxes from grocery stores or any place that sells food. Chances are these will have insects or eggs. You will also need packing paper, bubble wrap, newspaper, heavy duty packing tape, and marking pens. Reliable will provide you with all of these materials.

-          Pack small items first to get them out of the way. For each room, use a different color duck tape to easily identify which boxes go into which rooms. Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box.

-          Label each box with the room it’s destined for and a description of its contents. Numbering each box and keeping an inventory list is a good way to keep track of what you’ve packed—and to make sure you still have everything when you unpack.

-          If any containers need to be kept in an upright position, be sure to draw arrows on each side of the box indicating the right direction.

-          Designate one box in each room to be the “Open Me First” box; this makes getting through the first day or two in your new home much more pleasant.

-          Put heavy items, like books, in small boxes; put light items, like pillows, in bigger ones.

-          Don’t leave empty spaces in the boxes. Fill in gaps with thin blankets, towels, or packing paper.

-          When feasible, use saran wrap to secure the drawers on things like plastic storage bins. This eliminates the need for tape that leaves behind sticky residue.

 

-          Bundle breakables. When packing dishes, put packing paper around each one, and then wrap bundles of five or six together with more paper. Pack dishes on their sides, never flat…and make sure the bottom and top of the box is cushioned with bunched-up. Cups and bowls should be wrapped individually and can be stacked inside one another. Pack them all in dish-barrel boxes.

-          It is always risky to move any beauty or cleaning products that are “open”. So when packing places like your bathroom, throw out the products that are almost empty or expired, rather than packing them.

-          Be aware of other items that will need special care.  Plasma TVs, for example, require special wooden crates for shipping if you don’t have the original box and can be ruined if you lay them flat. So make sure you double-box your TV, setting the box containing the TV into another box that you’ve cushioned with packing paper.

-          Use blankets and towels to wrap electronics and other fragile items like glass or plaques.

-          Lamps should be disassembled and packed. Don’t use newspaper as a cushion for lampshades – it smudges. Carefully wrap each shade in three sheets of tissue paper, a pillowcase or a lightweight towel.

-          Any boxes containing fragile items should be labeled as such, on all sides.

 

These tips will help get you going; however, make sure to call a Reliable representative if you have any concerns regarding packing delicate or large items, as these most likely require special handling.