How to Pack Like a Pro

Packing is one of the aspects of moving that contributes to the stress you feel when you're planning a move, or even just contemplating one. This is due to three factors:

1. Undertaking a huge job you don't do very often is stressful, especially because you aren't knowledgeable about effective packing tips and tricks.
2. It's overwhelming to organize all your possessions and fit them into appropriately labelled boxes and containers.
3. Ensuring that all your items arrive intact at your new home is tiring, and then you have to deal with unpacking and organizing a household of items.

Reputable movers like All Jersey Moving & Storage can help with all three. A professional moving company is generous with advice, suggests and sells the correct packing materials and does its utmost to ensure your belongings make it safely to their destination. And in case you find you’re overwhelmed or running out of time, our experienced staff can step in and pack like pros for you!

We have many tips about packing to share with you, gleaned from our 20+ years as New Jersey’s most highly recommended and award winning mover. Here are just a few:

• Clothing and linen can be left inside dresser drawers but loose items or valuables must be removed and packed separately.
• Dishes should be packed vertically, not horizontally. This seems counterintuitive since we stack them on top of each other in our kitchen cabinets, but doing so in a box allows them to move around and any downward pressure on the box will break them. Use white unprinted newsprint as newspaper creates ink smudges and means you’ll have to wash the dishes at your new home. First make balls of crumpled newsprint and place them in the base of the box to form a protective air cushion. Then wrap each dish in several pieces of newsprint. Mark the box as fragile on the top and at least two sides.
• Don’t be tempted to pack antiques, paintings or decorative lamps yourself. The damage or destruction of such valuable items will end up costing you more than you save and will make the move a nightmare. A professional moving company like All Jersey Moving & Storage knows exactly how to pack them securely and quickly and transport them carefully so they arrive intact.
• Boxes must be marked clearly with the room they’re going to and a description of their general contents using dark colored markers, numbers and/or different colored masking tape. This makes your job and ours much easier as we can group the boxes accordingly, making it easier for you to unpack at your destination. Don’t mix items from different rooms as you may forget what you combined if you’re not unpacking immediately which can cause undue anxiety.
• If you have time, make a detailed inventory of what you put in each box. This will reassure you that you’ve packed everything and inform you which of your many kitchen boxes contains your coffee maker when you’re desperate for a comforting caffeinated beverage after a long move.
• Make an “unpack first” box containing the items you’ll need on arrival and be sure to point it out to your movers. This should contain coffee, tea, sugar, disposable cups and cutlery, your kettle, some cleaning supplies, paper towels and cleaning cloths, shampoo and soap, pet related items and tools. Ensure you have bed linen, towels and some changes of clothes handy too. You could be exhausted by the time you arrive or your possessions could be delayed in transit.

Unfortunately, the latter is a fairly frequent occurrence if you don’t select an established reputable mover like All Jersey Moving & Storage. With our company, the same people who pack your belongings are the same ones who will unpack them at your new home. In addition, we specialize in expedited service on long distance moves within a 500-mile radius and have our own containerized storage facility if needed. This means your possessions are stored securely and we know exactly where they are at all times. Contact us today for a free no-obligation quote.