6 tips for packing fragile and expensive items

Preparing for a move can be stressful, but you can reduce your stress by learning some simple tips for packing fragile and expensive items. When you know how to pack well, chances are much smaller that you’ll damage something during your move. Whether you’re moving within the Brooklyn area or across an ocean, packing fragile items carefully will make your move easier and less stressful.

We’ve put together 6 tips for packing fragile and expensive items to help you with your move.

1. Give Yourself Plenty of Time

One of the most common mistakes we see is people waiting until the last minute to start packing. When this happens, you don’t have time to gather up the right materials and make sure each item is carefully packed; you end up simply throwing things into boxes and hoping they come out intact on the other end.

Give yourself plenty of time, and begin your packing with your most fragile and expensive items. When you start with fragile and expensive items, you can make sure that you’re using the most appropriate boxes and packing materials for the items that require the most care. If you have to throw towels into an old laundry basket at the end, nothing will be hurt. But if you have to throw your grandmother’s china into a laundry basket, that’s another story.

2. Use Excellent Cushioning Material

When fragile items break during a move, it’s usually because the items weren’t properly cushioned. Bubble wraps and high quality packing papers can be extremely helpful with fragile items. When you pack glasses and stemware, stuff crumpled packing paper inside the glasses to provide pressure from within. For plates, position a layer of bubble wrap between each plate in the stack.

3. Try Placing Smaller Boxes Within Larger Boxes

With expensive or cherished items, carefully pack them in smaller boxes, and then place the smaller boxes inside larger moving boxes. This extra layer of protection can keep your cherished items from jostling around too much during the move and will reduce pressure if other boxes are stacked on top.

4. Use Original Boxes Whenever Possible

If you still have the original boxes for your expensive items, especially for electronics and small appliances, by all means, use the original boxes. In most cases, these boxes were designed for shipping the items safely, and the packaging is a perfect fit. If you have thrown away the original boxes, find boxes that are suitably sized, and wrap each component individually to avoid scratching and jostling.

5. Pack Heavier Items on the Bottom

Even when you’re adequately cushioning your items with bubble wrap or quality packing papers, it’s still important to place your items in the boxes strategically. Put your heaviest items in the bottom of the box and lighter items toward the top. This reduces the possibility that the items on the bottom will be crushed during the move.

6. Label Everything

When your boxes are labelled well, movers know how to handle them and where to put them. For example, a box labelled “Fragile, This End Up” will be handled differently than a box labeled “Bedroom Pillows.” Be specific in your labelling, realizing that you won’t be able to remember what you’ve packed inside each box just by looking at them.

If you don’t have the time to pack your belongings yourself, you can hire packers to do the work. Professional U.Santini packers have the experience and tools to quickly and efficiently pack your belongings and prepare you for your move to your new home.

To learn more about how to pack for your upcoming move, or to learn about the best moving and storage Brooklyn has to offer, contact us at U.Santini. 718-768-6778.