12 Tips for Safely Moving Your Items Into Storage

Disassembling large or heavy furniture can help you avoid injury. When doing so, keep all the dismantled parts (such as bolts, screws, or other small pieces) together to prevent confusion when you reassemble the item in your new house. For example, unscrew the legs when moving a table, and extract the draws when moving a desk. If you have furniture prone to scratches like coffee tables, tabletops, and headboards, wrap them in protective padding. You can rent padding from storage facilities or moving companies. 

Moving Heavy Objects Safely 

Trying to move boxes that are too heavy will suscept you to injury and potentially damage your belongings. Thus, limit the weight of your boxes to under 50 pounds if possible. Furthermore, make sure you’re putting heavier items at the bottom of the box and lighter items at the top to balance it out. 

Moving Fridges Safely

Move the heaviest and largest items first, including the fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, and stove. Additionally, make sure you get a few people to help you with carrying these items. Put the heaviest objects on the sides of the trunk to keep things balanced, and make sure all items are upright. Additionally, items like mirrors, mattresses, box springs, couches, tables, and headboards should go against the longest walls of the trunk. The heaviest and largest boxes should follow this. Fill as many of the truck’s crevices as possible to prevent items from sliding while you are driving. 

Find a Truck With a Ramp 

If you’re moving your items into the moving truck on your own, you should highly consider getting a truck with a loading ramp. Though the cost of renting a truck without one may be less expensive, the struggle and hassle of lifting every piece of furniture and box high enough to fit it properly into the trunk could leave you with sore and potentially strained muscles. Furthermore, it could take hours.

Use the Correct Size Boxes

Pack books or other heavy items in small boxes while packing pillows, linen, or other light objects in more giant boxes. Professional movers commonly complain about packing large boxes with heavy items, which makes the job more difficult and are more likely to break. Both of these factors could potentially cause injury to the movers. 

Protect Fragile Items 

Fragile items should be the last to be put in the trunk and should be placed so that they won’t move while they are being transported. Consider packing fragile items in boxes with light items like linens, clothing, pillows, or towels to provide some cushioning and prevent them from breaking or getting banged up. Alternatively, you could purchase bubble wrap, which will prevent dishes from crashing into each other and is inexpensive.

Pack the Kitchen Carefully

There are many different types of kitchen items you’ll need to pack for a move. Here are some tips for packing your kitchen:  

• Cover each dish with packing paper before wrapping them with more paper in bundles of 5 to 6. 
• Pack dishes on the side, not flat.
• Use bunched-up paper as padding
• Pack cups and bowls inside each other, putting the paper in between. Then wrap 3-4 in a bundle.
• Pack all dishes in dish-barrel boxes. 
• Protect glasses using cardboard dividers, wrapping them in many layers of paper.

Pack Your TV Properly 

Plasma TVs need to be packed more carefully than other types of furniture, as they need to be shipped in special wooden crates and be damaged if you don’t have the original box and lay them down flat. If you pack your TV on your own, double-box it and put it inside another box that you have padded using packing paper. 

Hold Onto Important Records 

Don’t pack your important records into boxes, but keep them in a safe place where they won’t be lost. This may include your:  

• Birth certificate 
• Social security card
• Passport
• Tax documents 
• Chequebooks 
• Original copies of wills 
• Driver licenses 
• Investment papers 

Tape Your Boxes Well 

Seal the top and bottom seams using a few pieces of tape. Afterward, wrap all the way around the top and bottom edges of the box, as that is where stress is most concentrated. This will keep your items secure and free from damage. 

Moving Expensive Art 

If you want to keep your artwork safe during the moving process, understanding how to pack it correctly is essential. Don’t wrap oil paintings in normal paper, as they will stick. When packing any artwork, use masking tape to make an X across the glass, strengthening it and keeping it together if it shatters. Afterward, wrap the pictures with bubble wrap or paper before putting them in a frame box. Make sure to also stick cardboard between each framed piece to protect them. 

Don’t Leave Empty Space In The Boxes. 

Make sure that you fill gaps in your boxes with packing paper or light items like clothing or towels. If your boxes are packed loosely or feel unbalanced, movers might refuse to move them because this can lead to damaged or broken items. 

Are you looking for storage near you? Search no further than Centron Self Storage! We ensure that your belongings are being kept safe 24/7, employing fully-trained staff and state-of-the-art technology. Contact us at (416) 739-0000 or visit our office at 4500 Chesswood Drive North York, ON M3J 2B9 if you’re interested in our services.