Practically everyone expects something to get broken during moving, but with careful planning and packing you can beat the odds and get even your most fragile items to the new house in one piece.
The first thing you should do is inventory your fragile items. Take a mental tour of your house, making note of what delicate items each room holds. Once you have that information, you can lay in the proper packing supplies for every item.
Electronics: In addition to being fragile, electronics items can be both heavy and bulky, making them a nightmare to pack. Your best bet is to save the box each item came in, but, barring that, wrap everything in sheets or dust covers and place in the van once the furniture is in; surround with heavy boxes and fill in with padding.
Framed Photos and Wall Hangings: Large photos, framed paintings and other wall-based items are best wrapped in blankets and then placed carefully in a safe place inside the van-slide them in between large pieces of furniture, or lay them flat on top of a tall stack of boxes, leaving just enough room to squeeze some padding between them and the ceiling.
Dishes: Although expensive, padded plastic or fabric sleeves are the safest way to prepare your table settings for packing. If these aren’t available, you can use bubble wrap or thick layers of newspaper; just be sure to pack the largest pieces on the bottom, and fill in open space with lots of padding.
Holiday Ornaments: There are few things in your home more precious than the handmade holiday decorations your children made in school or at camp when they were little. Take extra time and care to ensure that these items will still be gracing your home for many holidays to come. Wrap each item individually in several layers of paper or cloth (you may not want to use newspaper here, because the ink may bleed onto your items). Place them in boxes with enough padding between each item that they don’t touch each other.
It may not feel like it at the time, but the extra effort you go to to protect your delicate household items will all be made worth it when you find yourself still enjoying those items many years in the future.
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