7 Key Packing Tips

1. Start packing belongings in areas where they are not in frequent use such as the basement, attic, garage, closets, and shelves. Reinforce the bottom of all our boxes with tape for extra strength and peace of mind.

2. Pack on a room-by-room basis. That is, do not mix articles from the living room with articles from the kitchen. This will save time and confusion when you need the items.

3. Small articles such as dishes, table lamps, pictures, and other fragile items must be carefully packed in boxes to ensure that they arrive in the same condition they were when they left. Wrap fragile items individually and pad the box in which you packed them with towels, sheets, or curtains. Do not pack jewelry or money. Put smaller boxes filled with fragile items inside large boxes. Liquor boxes are great for packing small items and glassware. Clearly mark the box “fragile.”

4. Clothing that is normally placed on hangers such as suits, dresses, and coats should be hung in Southern Storage Centers wardrobe cartons. If these items are left in garment bags they may not withstand the stress of moving. Southern Storage Centers has wardrobe boxes available for rental if you are not interested in permanently keeping them. This will save substantially on the cost of these boxes, and most importantly, the trouble and expense of having your garments cleaned and pressed later.

5. While dresser drawers do not necessarily need to be emptied, it can be helpful when the furniture is very heavy or structurally unsound. Chests of drawers are usually moved with the contents of the drawers left in place. It is important, however, to go through all drawers and remove and separately pack any breakable and valuable articles. Be sure that a drawer’s contents are not too heavy. Excess weight can damage the drawer while the furniture is being moved.

6. Put small, heavy articles such as books, records, and canned goods in smaller boxes. Bulky, but not-so-heavy articles such as pots and pans, linens, small kitchen appliances, blankets, pillows, toys, large lamp shades and shoes should be placed in larger boxes.

7. Flammable, combustible, or explosive materials such as aerosol spray cans, paint thinner or gasoline should not be placed in a moving van and can not be stored in a self storage facility. Shipping such articles is a violation of the Interstate Commerce Commission regulations because of possible danger.