Tips for Packing Your Home Effectively

Are you feeling completely overwhelmed while trying to pack your house?! For the best moving company in Nashville, this is just another day on the job of offering the best packing services in Nashville, TN. But for someone who is unfamiliar with the process, this can feel like the most painstaking event in your life. Don’t be discouraged, we have you covered!

Before we go over our strategy for packing your items, let’s discuss the actual box. Not all cardboard is created equal. If you have chosen the AMC Gremlin instead of the Cadillac Fleetwood of cardboard, you might want to be extra cautious of how much weight is inside the box. No matter the quality of the cardboard however, make sure to adequately tape and secure the box.

First, choose one room to start in. We typically tackle the more difficult rooms first, like the kitchen or dining room. Delicate items require more care, and getting this done first will ensure the final stages of packing is smooth sailing. The last thing you want is to pack for hours and then be left with an enormous undertaking with china and crystal.

Next, you want to think about the items you are packing. Obviously if it is a delicate item, you want to wrap these individually with paper. Our motto is: paper is cheaper than replacing an item, so if in question always use more paper. Wad up several sheets of paper (newsprint packing paper is best) and line the bottom of the box to add a nice cushion for the items to rest on. As you are wrapping items and loading them in the box, place heavier items in the box first. For example, you never want to put champagne flutes or wine glasses on the bottom of the box unless the box is solely being packed with this type of item. When individually wrapping plates, pictures, or anything that may be thin and fragile, make sure these are packed in the box vertically (side by side/standing upright).

Don’t worry about unloading all of your dressers and chests. If you have a drawer full of non-breakables and have one or two breakable items, it is ok to wrap the items and leave them in the drawer. As long as they are secured and won’t crash around when the furniture is being moved, you can rest assured that the item is secure. You will also want to evaluate the legs on the furniture. If the piece has long, fragile legs, you may want to unload the items inside to reduce the weight and stress on the legs. In certain instances, such items can still incur damage despite world-class pad wrapping, proper carrying tactics, and secure storage on the truck, so this is an important thought to consider. Lastly, if the piece is massive, it may be a better idea to lighten the load so it can be maneuvered more easily.

Lamps can be difficult to move, but alas, we have a solution for that. Prepare your box, place your paper in the bottom, and place the lamps inside the box. Use more paper, pillows, towels, bed sheets, or anything else that can pad and keep the lamps secured in the box. Leave the top of the box open and side flaps in the upright position. Prepare another box with one end secured shut, and the other side open with side flaps in upright position. Place the second box overlapping and all the way over the lamp box. Wrap tape around the two boxes as tightly as possible.

Standing floor lamps are another tricky item to transport in a move. Often times, when transported without being packed, they can be damaged. Move On recommends placing these inside a wardrobe box, along side items like pillows, bed sheets, and comforters for added cushioning. It is perfectly fine if the lamp is too tall to close the box. If this is the case, tape around the box to keep the side flaps in an upright position.

Now that we have the bulk of your house packed up, we need to focus on all of your beautiful artwork. For valuable piece that require extra care, we always recommend using mirror boxes. Carefully pad the piece with large paper pads before proceeding to load the item inside the box. If you do not want the hassle of padding and boxing every individual piece of art, at the very least you’ll want to wrap the items with large, heavy duty paper pads.

Labeling is extremely beneficial. When labeling, we recommend listing the room the item was moved from as well as a small description of the box’s contents. It’s also worth mentioning that labels such as: “Fragile”, “This End Up”, “Do Not Heavy Stack”, can all be lifesavers during a move.

After making it through this extraordinary knowledge-filled strategic packing guide, you’re well on your way to becoming a packing expert! If you’re still having doubts about your abilities/desire to handle your residential move on your own, Move On is ready to help! Our team of Nashville movers aim to positively affect as many lives as possible, while giving back and having fun in the process. Our pricing is easy and free of hidden fees – click here to get a quote for your move online!