What Moving Supplies You Need Before Your Move

To make your upcoming move seamless, it is essential to use the right moving supplies.  They will make packing, transport, and unpacking easier and safer. The following are the types of moving supplies that you will need:

• Moving boxes of various sizes
• Scissors or a box cutter
• Rolls of shipping/packing tape
• Permanent marker
• Colored markers or stickers (for color-coding rooms)
• Packing materials such as bubble wrap and packing paper

Even when moving within close proximity and to a small home or office, packing is often a monumental task. However, by having the right moving supplies on hand, the amount of work diminishes. In addition to purchasing the right moving supplies, a few simple tips will help with organization.

Choosing Moving Supplies

Packing Boxes

In most cities, you can find bins filled with cardboard boxes. Some of the best places to look include retail stores, grocery stores, and liquor stores. Typically, the boxes are in great shape and available in various sizes. You might also contact several local stores, asking if they will save boxes for you following their product shipment day.

If you cannot find boxes, they can always be purchased from the moving company that you hire. With this, you can choose multiple sizes, including any specialty boxes that you might need for hanging clothes, breakable items, and so on.

Shipping/Packing Tape

While you might be tempted to purchase the least expensive shipping/packing tape available, it is definitely worthwhile to spend a little more for quality. Especially for boxes packed with delicate items, you want them to remain securely closed. When using tape, run three strips lengthwise on both the bottom and top of the box, placing each strip about one-half inch apart.

Then, run three strips of tape going the opposite direction, each roughly four inches apart depending on the size of the box. This gives the box added stability and keeps it closed during transport.

Packing Material

Although both bubble wrap and packing paper work exceptionally well, you can also use shredded newspaper, towels, blankets, and sheets. In fact, to prevent items from breaking, sweaters and sweatshirts work great.

Permanent Marker

Rather than grab the nearest pen to mark moving boxes, use a black permanent marker. If the boxes become damp or wet, subjected to direct sunlight, or even rubbed together, the permanent marker will not fade or disappear. This type of marker also makes it easier to read the contents of each box.

Conclusion

There are a few additional things to consider beyond obtaining the necessary moving supplies. For instance, never overfill a packed box. This creates the risk that something inside could be broken. An overfilled box is also extremely heavy and difficult to lift. At the same time, never underfill boxes. When boxes are loaded onto the moving truck and other boxes stacked on top, an underfilled box creates the possibility for the entire pile to collapse, thereby damaging your goods.