Packing Tips

Packing can be a tedious, time-consuming chore that takes skill and the right materials to prepare household articles for your move. We recommend that you have our professionals pack for you. We're trained in proper procedures, have the right materials, and can do it in about a quarter of the time. 

We strongly recommend that we crate or pack and prepare these items for shipment:

• marble 

• glass table tops 

• heavy wall ornaments 

• mirrors 40" x 60" or larger 

• pool table slates 

• bulky, fragile items like large trophies, statuary, chandeliers and other items that require crating 
  

• antiques 

Some things should stay with you as you move, such as: 

• cash 

• securities 

• jewelry and furs 

• firearms (consult local laws) 

• personal papers and documents (birth certificates, insurance policies and deeds) 
  

• coin and stamp collections 

• special family photographs 

• moving related documents 

If you decide to do the packing yourself, we want to help all we can. Here are some tips we'd like to share with you: 

Purchase the cartons and packing materials (unprinted newspaper, bubble wrap and tape) you'll need.  Wrap fragile articles the way professionals do; use two layers of
unprinted newspaper per glass, dish, figurine, etc. Wrap firmly, but loosely enough, to provide a cushioning effect. 

Don't overcrowd boxes. Professionals pack boxes so articles cushion each other. The top of the box should close with slight pressure. 

Don't mix incompatible items (like books with glasses).  Pack clothing in our special wardrobe containers. That way your clothes will hang straight and stay clean and virtually wrinkle-free. 

Pack glasses standing on end, upside down, and not on their sides Stack dishes on edge, and fill empty spaces with wadded unprinted newspaper. Before packing the China Barrel, layer the bottom of the carton with crumpled unprinted newspaper. 

Tape boxes across tops and edges. Seal every opening tightly. (See Tools & Materials below.)  Pack your belongings room by room to make unpacking easier. Label each box with your name, the room the box goes to, and a brief description of the contents. Mark items you'll need right away once you move with "Unpack First," and mark only truly fragile items with "Fragile." 

Don't pack paints, turpentine, pressurized cans, corrosive items like bleach or any flammable liquid. The law forbids movers to carry flammables. Properly dispose of or give away anything that could cause a fire or damage. 

Packing Personal Computers 

When packing a personal computer, these steps will help you prepare it for safe transport. To pack your computer, we strongly recommend that you use the computer's original carton and packing materials. If they're not available, use a box that is both strong and big enough to hold the computer, and pack it with unprinted newspaper. For more advice, your local computer dealer can answer other questions. 

• Back up your software and data files. Take these with you or send to your
  destination via insured mail. 
  

• Park the hard drive (if applicable). See your computer's instruction manual for special steps to take. With newer computers, simply turning the power off initiates this safety feature. 
  

• Insert cardboard or an old disk into the disk drive(s). 

• Unhook all cables and power cords, indicating their positions for easy set-up.

• Pack cords separately with manuals and software. 

• Use only static-free packing materials like clean, wadded unprinted newspaper (not standard bubble wrap or packing peanuts). 
  

Create a base layer of wadded unprinted newspaper and place your computer on top of that layer. Then surround sides and top with more wadded unprinted newspaper until firmly packed. Then seal carton with packing tape.  Remove all ink cartridges from the printer. 

Tools & Materials

• Unprinted newspaper and tissue paper (newspaper ink can soil and even damage some items)

• 2" plastic tape (to assemble and close cartons) 

• Utility Knife 

• Scissors 

• \Permanent Markers 

Types Of Boxes