Moving can be a big hassle, so you really ought to make sure you’ve got all the essential packing supplies ready before you begin. You don’t have to pay a fortune, as there are ways to get perfectly good packing supplies for free, but there are some supplies you’re going to need to pay for.
The following is a list of packing supplies you’ll want to have on hand before the packing begins, as well as some extra tips to keep in mind whilst packing your belongings up. Packing and moving house do not have to be a nightmare, and if you plan in advance, it won’t be.
Boxes
You can buy brand new boxes online or at your local Public Storage (or equivalent) and they will be well fortified for carrying things like books and other heavy belongings. You do not want to stick your best china in a cheapy box unless you’re prepared for the possibility of needing to buy new china by the time you get to your new home or flat. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay an arm and a leg for boxes.
You can drop by your local grocery store or mini-mart on delivery days (simply pop in and ask them when that is — most clerks would be happy to have you take the boxes, as that’s less box-cutting work for them — and then collect your boxes on the appropriate day. Just check the sturdiness of the boxes and be sure they haven’t had anything spilled in them.
Wrapping
There are 3 basic types of protective wrapping when it comes to packing. You can use bubble wrap, you can use heavy-duty saran wrap type stuff which is used to fortify belongings and protect mirrors and the like, or you can use newspaper. A newspaper might be good for things like dishes, but if you’re going to wrap more delicate things, bubble wrap is probably the best choice.
If you’ve got furniture that you don’t want to see scratched, that saran wrap stuff really does a great job of protecting the exteriors, even glass. It’s easy to put on, but you will probably need to cut it off so be prepared for that.
Tape
Do not try to use old fashioned desk tape for your packing boxes. You want heavy-duty tapes like OPP tape or cloth tape, and you’ll want to use it to fortify your boxes when packing heavy things like books or dishes. (Although you could use the fortifying saran wrap stuff for that as well.)
You don’t want to overdo it, as it would be a real PITA to undo all of that tape when you’re ready to unpack, but you will want to be sure everything’s very secure, especially if you’re using “used” boxes. Do not just fold the edges in on boxes that contain things that could be damaged if the box opens during the moving process. Also, a properly-sealed box will hold up better in transport if anything sits on top of it.
Extra Tips:
Label your boxes! If you’ve got a lot of boxes but little time to unpack, you don’t want to be rummaging through every box before getting ready for work the next day.
Start packing early! Do not wait till a day or two before starting packing, as you will be very tired and that will make the moving process very wearisome.
Put big arrows on all sides of the boxes to indicate which side is up — this will keep movers from sticking your best china on its side.
Don’t overpack your boxes. Just because you can stuff 100 books into one box does not mean you should. You don’t want to strain the boxes you’re using, as having to clean up a mess of dropped books will only slow you down during the move and possibly cost you extra money.
Finding The Lowest Price Packing Supplies
If you’re a regular online seller, you’ve probably already spent considerable time shopping for the lowest cost of packing supplies. Lowering overall shipping costs not only adds to overall profit but can also boost sales. By reducing shipping costs, you can offer a lower total purchase price than your competitors.
Corrugated boxes, usually the most expensive single piece of packaging, are covered in a separate article which details low cost sources, box terminology and some brief technical details. In this article, we discuss the inner packing materials including foam peanuts, bubble wrap, wrapping paper, and sealing tape.
Of all inner packing materials, foam peanuts—technically known as “loose-fill”—vary the most in price. This is due to the high freight costs of shipping the large volume but low weight bags which are subject to balloon or dimensional surcharges. Many sellers get around the surcharges by offering peanuts in only small bags usually around 1.5 cubic feet. That amount is really designed for the general customer who wants to ship a single item, not a user shipping multiple items on a regular basis.
The best prices on packing peanuts are almost always at local packaging wholesalers who don’t have to pass along high freight costs. Some sellers offer discounts on multiple bags but the large size can be difficult to store. If your local seller offers a substantial discount for larger numbers of bags, see if they will let you pick up the bags as you need them if you buy the qualifying amount.
Because sellers offer so many variations, it’s very important to carefully read their product descriptions of bubble wrap, particularly the roll length. All of the following comparisons are based on 12” wide, non-perforated wrap with one-quarter inch bubbles.
While simple math will eventually determine the best values in wrapping paper, buyers are not so fortunate when it comes to choosing carton sealing tape, another major item when calculating the total cost of shipping materials. Sealing tape, most commonly referred to simply as “packing tape” is available in a bewildering number of variations.
There are plastic tapes and paper tapes; filament reinforced plastic and paper tapes; adhesive tapes and moisture activated tapes. You can buy widths anywhere from 1½ inches to 3 inches or more; lengths from 18 feet to over 1000 feet. Major brands are 3M and Duck but there are countless generic names and almost all the big chains have their own house brands.
For the vast majority of everyday shipping needs, you’ll probably be just fine using clear plastic tape with a nominal width of 2 inches. You should pick those that guarantee a tested standard of strength, flexibility, adhesion, and endurance. Don’t pay extra for a brand name. As long as a tape meets Postal Regulations, lower-priced generics and house brands perform as well as heavily advertised tapes.
If you have a particularly heavy package, use a heavier tape such as those specifically labeled for heavy service. Those tapes are reinforced with fiberglass mesh or have embedded strands of fiberglass which significantly increases their breaking points.
Pay particular attention to roll length when comparing tape prices. Some manufacturers state lengths in yards, other use feet. Many lengths are expressed in irregular figures like “218 yards” making a quick comparison to feet awkward. Here again, you can save substantial amounts of money by buying as much as you can use in a reasonable time period. Most of the tapes will almost always have at least a 12 month or longer shelf life.
To find local suppliers beyond the obvious chain stores do an online search or look in your telephone business directory for “packing supplies,” “shipping supplies,” or “packaging.”