A well-planned relocation includes more than just throwing your possessions into a box. The last thing you want is for items to be damaged by the box they are packed into or see your neatly packed box fall to the floor with the bottom torn open in your new house.
Luckily for you, the majority of the box failures during relocations result from a few common mistakes. This article will walk you through them so you can avoid them during your packing.
Packing Mistake 1: Using old or weak boxes
While it may seem like a good idea to reuse every box you have saved, not all of them will do the job. In addition, not all boxes are suited for the same items.
Boxes that have been stored in wet places, crushed, or reused several times do not have the needed strength to hold your belongings. Always check a box’s corners for weakness or soft spots before using it to pack. Some signs of a box not being suitable for your relocation include:
- Weak cardboard
- Wet cardboard
- Torn edges
- Badly formed corners
- Loose tape
Packing Mistake 2: Making the box too heavy
Your typical box is not meant to hold a thousand pounds of books. While it may seem like an easy way to maximize the space you have, having one oversized box of books is an accident waiting to happen. A better approach is to use boxes of different sizes depending on the weight of the items you are packing. For example:
- Small boxes: For books and other small items.
- Medium boxes: For kitchenware and other medium-sized items.
- Large boxes: For sheets, toys, and clothes.
Packing Mistake 3: Having too much space in the box
A box with too much space in it can be just as dangerous as an oversized box. While it may seem harmless to leave empty space in the box, you want to avoid doing so. Having space in the box may cause the items to shift around during transit, damaging other things in the box.
To avoid this, fill the empty space with other soft items like paper or clothes. The idea is to make sure the items don’t move rather than fill the box entirely.
Packing Mistake 4: Not reinforcing the bottom flaps
When you open a moving box, the first thing you do is fold the bottom flaps and tape them together. These flaps bear the weight of the items you are going to put in the box, so it makes sense that they need to be extra strong.
How to secure them depends on the type of box you have and the items you are going to put in it. If you are not sure how to tape your boxes, there are detailed guides on how to tape a box that walk through the different methods.
A few extra seconds spent reinforcing the box’s bottom can save you several problems later.
Packing Mistake 5: Not distributing the weight of the items correctly
There are two aspects to packing strong moving boxes: the items you put in them and their location within the box. Heavier items should always be at the bottom of the box while light items can be on top. In addition to keeping the box balanced, this method also ensures that heavier items won’t break or puncture lighter ones.
As you fill the box from the bottom up, here is a suggested packing order:
- Heavy items: At the bottom of the box.
- Medium items: On top of heavy items.
- Light items: On top of medium items.
- Cushioning: Use to fill empty spaces in the box.
Packing Mistake 6: Not labeling the boxes
Boxes should always be labeled to make it easy to locate items after the relocation is over. In addition, the labeling system will ensure that fragile items are not crushed during transit. A label should always indicate the room the items in the box belong to. Other labels that are useful during a relocation include:
- Fragile
- Heavy
- This side up
Always make sure to put labels on both the top and the sides of the box.
Packing Mistake 7: Not having a systematic way of packing
The biggest mistake people make during a relocation is not having a systematic packing plan. Instead of packing the items randomly, you should always work room by room. This approach ensures that you don’t miss any items in one room while packing another. It is also a good idea to always have an essentials box with you during the first 24 hours in your new house. The box should have things like medication, toilet paper, personal hygiene items, important documents, and a change of clothes.
A Simple Packing Checklist Before Sealing The Box
Before you seal the box, always make sure that:
- You are using the right boxes.
- Heavy items are packed in smaller boxes.
- The boxes do not have extra space.
- The bottom flaps are well-taped.
- Every box is labeled.
- Your essentials are in their own separate box.
Conclusion
Most of the damage that happens during a relocation is preventable. Make sure to use quality boxes during your packing and always reinforce the bottom flaps of every box. Avoiding the above mistakes will make your packing process faster and help the items in your boxes arrive undamaged.
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