Packing For A Long Distance Move

For both long distance moving and local moving it is helpful to consolodate smaller items into cartons. This is normally done on a room by room basis. Pack bedroom items with other bedroom items, keep bathroom items together, kitchen items should be packed with other kitchen items, and garage or outdoor items should be packed with similar items. As a rule heavier items should be packed into small cartons. Medium weight items such as pots and pans should be packed into medium cartons. Light weight items such as baskets, pillows and blankets and towels should be packed into larger cartons. Smaller fragile items such as dishes and china, stemware and glasses, trinkets and figurines, small pictures and small electronics should be packed into either specialized double wall dishpak cartons, or heavy duty smaller cartons. Very important when packing small fragile items is be sure to use lots of packing paper and / or bubble wrap. And ALWAYS pack dishes and plates and picture upright, NEVER lay flat.

The primary difference between packing for long distance moving and local moving is the methods of packing larger, more fragile items. These include large pictures or mirrors, or table top glass, or stone table tops. In addition fragile items such as lamps and lampshades, fake plants, and electronics or components. On local moving these items are often not packed, but simply pad wrapped in the moving van, or moved by the the customer in their cars or personal trucks. But for long distance moving it is necessary these items be packed properly for protection. The large and fragile flat items such as pictures and mirrors normally should be packed into specialized picture and mirror cartons. These items are often wrapped first into paper pads or blankets and then placed into the specialized thin cartons designed for pictures and mirrors. Lamps and lampshades and packing fake plants come in all shapes and sizes, thus the carton used to pack these items can vary greatly from small to extra large. Components and electronics also vary in size and shape, thus the carton of choice will vary, but normally these items will first be wrapped in a pad, then packed into a heavy duty double wall carton.

In addition, if you use a moving company for long distance moving, you may be one of several customers on the same long distance moving van or trailer, so it is imperative you write you name and any other identifying info on the side of each carton. In addition you should create an inventory of all your boxes whether the moving company creates their own or not. For local moving, normally you are the only customer on and off the truck on the same day, so labeling isn't as vital.