If you are packing for a move, your first thought might be to head to the liquor and grocery store for free, discarded cardboard boxes. But is free and cheap your best bet for protecting your lifelong possessions? If you’re a student just moving out on your own or packing what isn’t super valuable, this might be an adequate option. However, if you have spent years acquiring prized and valuable possessions, you might want to reconsider and invest in some good reliable packing supplies.

Our Top 7 Moving Supplies

1. New boxes. It may be easier to claim damages if you use new boxes. When a box or the contents get damaged during transportation, the first thing the moving company looks at is the box’s integrity.
2. Sharpie. This permanent and smudge-proof marker is easier to read than a regular pen. It writes on almost any surface too.
3. Packing tape. Good quality tape will hold your boxes together even if they get damp. It’s a must-have.
4. Labels. Use colour-coded labels to identify the contents of the box. Base the label colour on which room the boxes will be moved to or where the contents were from. Label placement on the box is important. Typically moving companies stack boxes on top of each other, causing the labels to disappear. We label two adjacent sides of the box and not the top.
5. Moving boxes. Typical moving box sizes are 2-cube, 4-cube, and 6-cube. The 2- and 4-cubes are for smaller, heavier items (kitchen and clothing). The 6-cubes are for lightweight, larger items like lampshades.
6. Packing paper. Breakage happens due to items shifting and bumping against each other inside the box. Use lots of paper to cushion and protect your items. Paper is inexpensive, but your possessions might be priceless. Packing paper is better than newspapers. Newspaper ink can rub off and soil your items, so you must wash them after unpacking.
7. Specialty boxes. Dish barrels (china barrels) have double-walled sides to give you added protection for fine china. There are mirror packs, which are narrow but wide boxes that fit framed art. Book boxes fit one layer of heavy books, making them easier to carry. Moving crews often use 2-cube boxes for books, which are very heavy. Lastly, wardrobe boxes allow you to directly take the clothes off the bar in your closet and hang them in the wardrobe box, making unpacking simple and easy.

At the end of the day, choose the packing and moving supplies appropriate for the value of your household possessions and the risk you are prepared to take while your items are in transit.

Read how Out of Chaos can make your move stress-free. You can also contact us through our website.