Kitchen Packing Tips: How to protect your plates and breakables

Preparation is important when packing away your kitchen, especially when faced with how to handle your more fragile kitchenware such as plates, glasses and china.  Knowing this, we’ve put together a few tips to consider when packing your kitchenware:

• Boxes: Always remember to use sturdy, thick boxes. This is one area where you should not skimp. Thick, durable boxes are key to ensuring that when packing fragile items, your boxes do not get smushed, putting pressure on your fragile valuables inside.
• Stock up on Bubble-wrap, Styrofoam (popcorn, peanuts or sheets) or thick packing paper. As well, most moving supply locations also sell handy bubble-wrap sleeves that you can simply slip your plates into, making packing that much easier.
• Top,  Bottom: While conserving your packing materials can sometimes be a priority, try and make sure to always place your bubble-wrap, Styrofoam or packing paper in both the bottom and top of the box to help cushion your fragile items from impact or the usual movement boxes make while in transit.
• The spaces in-between: Remember to place your cushioning material between your plates and glasses, not just between them and the box.

When packing your kitchen supplies, it’s always better to go overboard with caution.

Have your own packing tips when it comes to your fragile belongings?  Let us know!

Self-Moving, part two – preparation, people and patience

Relocating by yourself requires some special dedication. It also helps to have a handle on three prerequisites: Preparation, people, and patience.

Preparation: Start preparing for moving day well in advance – as far out as 6 to 8 weeks, if you have that luxury. Often, people don’t set aside enough time to adequately pack and prepare their items.  Nothing is more stressful than scrambling on moving day to pack the four junk drawers you forgot or forcing your friends to carry a dozen loose items one by one out to the truck.

Besides allowing you time to sensibly pack and effectively plan for your eventual arrival at your new destination, starting early will help with all of the external concerns: changing your address with the local post office, changing addresses for magazine subscriptions, newspapers, etc., arranging for transfer of phone, cable and internet, and other things that tend to get lost in the shuffle.

People: Line up as many people as you can at both ends of the move. The larger the group, the less strenuous the move will become. And be sure to match individuals’ size and skill with the right tasks. Making sure you have the tools available, such as a hand truck to move your stackable washer and dryer keeps in mind the health of your friends lower backs.

If there are children involved, make sure they’re kept busy moving small, unbreakable items or that they have available games, coloring books or other entertainment. One idea is to have the kids pack and move their own toys and bedroom items. This provides them with both a sense of accomplishment and association, as well as helping ensure them that their stuff will arrive safely with everyone else’s at the new location.
If that doesn’t keep them busy, I’m sure Grandma would love to spend some quality time with them for the day.

Patience: Moving all your belongings in a single day will inevitably bring mistakes and accidents. Perhaps more than any single trait, you’ll likely find that patience will be the one you’ll need the most of on moving day, and it’s likely to be the most hard to maintain. Keeping a cool head will keep your moving group around to help happily, and that will help the day pass quickly. Stopping for well-deserved breaks every hour or two will also help your group maintain focus and energy over the whole experience. And don’t forget to express your appreciation liberally to everyone, especially that friend of yours that bravely held the door the entire day without complaint.

When you’re considering the option to move yourself, keep these tips in mind to help the day go smoothly, and to help make your move a success. If you feel like any of these points will be hard, or even impossible, to achieve, then PODS might be a good alternative – giving you the freedom to move and pack your household in your own timeframe.

Self-Moving, part one – is moving yourself the right move for you?

As we grow in our careers, add to our families, and continue through our complex lives, relocating becomes more and more complex. There are many ways to complete a successful move by yourself, and there are many ways to have the move process taken care of for you. [link to pods.com]

How do you know if do-it-yourself moving will work for you? Here are some general guidelines to help you figure it out:

• There are basically two necessities for a successful moving day: people who can (and are willing) to help, and the means to get your belongings from your old location to the new one. You’ll need to be sure that you have access to both of these well in advance, to make sure the move goes smoothly.

• To decide whether or not self-moving will work, ask yourself if you have friends or family that will help and will commit to a moving day in advance. If you’re able to assemble a dependable – and preferably burly – group, moving day can be relatively painless, followed by pizza and beer at the new digs. If your group falls through, however, portable storage allows you that flexibility to find better, more dependable friends.

What about the economics? When comparing a self move against other options, consider things like:

• The cost of fuel and rent for a large truck (or trucks).

• If you’re incredibly popular, the cost of food and refreshments for you and your moving entourage.

• The cost of packing and moving supplies and tools.

• In the case of a long distance move, factor in the cost of lodging, tolls and fast food as well.

After all of these are figured in to a total estimated cost, request a few estimates from the relevant moving options. In some cases, the cost of hiring movers to pack and load your container is well worth the peace of mind gained from having someone else handle your belongings.