FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO PACK 'N' MOVE

The very thought of having to PACK 'n' MOVE once again is enough to make you lose sleep for a couple of days. In this blog we are giving you first hand knowledge about how to pack move unhasseled. I have been on the move for the past 12 years and have gathered these tips which can be quite useful to you. Tips that are inexpensive but very practical.
You might want to give this work to a "packers'n'Movers" but let me give you 2 reasons as to why you should do it yourself:
1) To save money.
2) Nobody loves your stuff more than you do.
Before you start just remember the JAPANESE RULE "A Place for Everything and Everything in it's Place." So first and foremost access the amount of stuff that needs to be packed and how much of packing material will be required.

Material Required for Packing

1) Boxes/ Trunks/ Suitcases for clothes, linen, woollens and crockery.
2) Thermocol sheets.
3) Wooden Crates for appliances.
4) Jute gunny bags and rolls of garnish.
5) Cartons(for standby because household stuff always exceeds our best estimates)
6) Duck Tape.
7) Scissors.
8) Thin Plastic String (very strong).
9) Sheets of paper (to make your lists).
10) LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST "LOADS OF WILL POWER!"

Get Down to the Basics

1) Mark all your boxes with numbers.
(You can mark the boxes on priority basis such as the box which needs to be opened fisrt is
marked 1 then 2 and so on.)
2) As soon as a box is full it shold be labled as to what all has been packed inside the box.
(depending on how personal your belonging is you can post your list outside the box or inside the lid.)
3) Everything should be well catagorised.

Clothes and Linen

Pack the clothes in boxes/suitcases which are not damaged at the corners (to rule out the entry of insects).
You can pack small items (decorative) which if packed alone may be damaged(eample candles etc.) along with the clothes but do not forget to enter these on your list.

Crockery Packing

Pack your crockery with woollens to reduce the impact of any jerks or bumps. First put a layer of woollens then crockery, then again woolens. The crockery should be in the centre protected drom all sides.

Children's Toys

Children's toys should be first classified as "toys to be kept for a long time" and "short time toys". The "short time toys" can be packed in cartons which should also be marked in sequence. "Long time toys" should be packed with clothes and linen. One important thing to remember is to remove any batteries inside toys so that they do not leak and spoil the surrouding things or the toys themselves. All plastic jars, bottles etc. can also be packed along with the toys.

Paintings and Framed Articles

Paintings can be fit at the bottom of the boxes i.e. under the clothes or linen. Avoid putting paintings in boxes which have crockery because the weight of the crockery will bend the frame of the paintings.

Paintings which have big glass frames and cannot be fit inside boxes need to be covered with thermocol sheets 1/2 inch to 1 inch in thickness . These sheets should be slightly larger than the paintings in size and taped together tightly so that the painting inside does'nt move because any movement will result in breakage of the glass sheet. If at all any movement is observed it should be stopped by using sheets or crumpled newspaper.

Furniture

Any furniturehaving glass should be packed in a box of its size with all th pillows and cushion packed with it to provide cushioning against any kind of damage. Care should be taken to make sure that the piece in question does not move inside the box when the box is being moved.

Wooden Furniture should be packed with jute gunny bags and garnish and cardboard boxes(cut in strips) and tied around all over the furniture piece with a thin plastic string. All parts shoul be covered to avoid any scratches or chipping.

Home Appliances

All Home Appliances should be packed in the boxes provided by the company. If you are a frequent mover then keep the boxes safe after you have bought and removed your appliance from its box, because it has all the necessary cushioning such as thermocol padding etc. It would be an added advantage if you could get wooden crates made to fit each of these boxes individually.

Pack your Plants

If you have any plants which you would want to pack then empty them from the pots and put them in thick plastic bags available at all leading nursuries. Stack up the pots with layerings of newspaper so that they do not break or crack. arrange them upside down on the vehicle but keep them in between the plants in stacks of 3/4 at the max. If the journey will take more than 3 days then keep a small water can handy so that the plants can be watered as per requirement.
HOPE THESE TIPS HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. HAVE A SAFE N HAPPY JOURNEY!
Do post your comments and suggestions.