3 Tips for Moving Your Most Fragile Items

If there’s anything that worries people about a move, it’s their fragile valuables. Be it that set of china you received from your spouse’s rich relative from abroad or the sentimental bedside lamp you received from your late aunt while you were still in college. Moving fragile items can prove to be quite tricky especially if you do not have the experience and the right tools.

We expect, after reading this article, you will be more confident about the survival of your fragile belongings and have some tips that you can use. Some items are generally more susceptible to damage than others, irrespective of whether you are making an interstate or intrastate (local) move, or frankly, just moving down the block.

3 Easy Tips to Pack and Move Fragile Items

Protecting your most delicate property should be top priority. Many times, you’d just rather leave the handling of fragile items to the expert movers, who have done it thousands of times before. However, you still need to be able to give basic instruction as to how your fragile goods should be handled.

1. Have the Right Tools to Pack Your Fragile Items

You will not be able to properly secure your fragile items for the move if you do not have the proper tools at your disposal. Here are some of the things you should definitely have with you while packing.

Boxes

You will need varying sizes of boxes for your move. Do not skimp on quality here otherwise, you’ll have boxes that give in to the weight of your belongings, damaging them during the move

Bubble wrap

Get lots of this as you will need it to secure all your fragile items. An added value is that once you are through with your move, y6our kids will enjoy popping all the bubble wrap.

Packing paper

This is preferred to a newspaper because it does not stain your items.

Padding Material & Large Pieces of Sturdy Cardboard

Secure your items in their boxes by padding the inside of the boxes.

Packing Tape

Get a few rolls of this as you will use a lot of it when packing to move your fragile items

Markers

Use this to write “fragile” on the boxes containing all your fragile items. Also, indicate which side is up to avoid unnecessary turning and jostling of items.

2. Pack Fragile Items Depending on Their Specific Attributes

Plates

Pack your plates vertically in small to medium boxes that are lined with crumpled packing paper on the bottom and top. Each plate should be wrapped in bubble wrap and secured with tape. Place some paper between the standing plates.

Glasses

Pack your glasses individually with packing paper and insert crumpled paper inside the large ones to get rid of empty space. The box should be lines with packing paper at the bottom and top while spaces around the glasses should be layered with paper. Heavier items should be at the bottom and lighter ones at the top.

Lamps

Lamp shades should be packed flat side down separately with lots of packing paper. Their bases can be put in a separate box with bubble wrap.

Pictures/frames

Picture frames should be packed in small to medium-sized boxes, standing if they are over 8 inches long. Place packing paper in between each piece and wrap each frame as well. Ensure that they fit snugly in the box with no room to move around. Picture frames that are over 3 feet long should be secured with a moving blanket and plastic wrapping separately.

Other fragile items

these tend to be of different shapes and sizes and should be packed with this in mind. They may have protruding parts that could easily break off. Wrap such pieces completely with bubble wrap and secure with tape. Wrap the piece in pliable cut cardboard, bending it over all the ends and secure them with tape. Be generous with the amount of tape you use. You want the item to be snug and stable. Place the wrapped piece in a paper-lined box that is roughly its size, placing crumpled paper in the gaps.

3. Label your boxes

Now that you have packed all your boxes, you wouldn’t want all that work to be for naught right? Use clear, visible writing to indicate “fragile” on every box containing fragile items. You also have to indicate which side is up, otherwise, the movers might just put everything upside down, in a way that may cause a breakage. You may also consider purchasing additional insurance coverage for your fragile items, known as Full Value Protection. Consider purchasing such coverage from a third party carrier

Common mistakes made when packing and moving fragile items

Using newspaper as wrapping

A newspaper is inexpensive and you probably have a lot of it lying around the house. It also provides good cushioning. However, what people fail to realize is that newsprint can leave black marks all over delicate surfaces. Therefore avoid newspaper unless  you don’t mind washing each individual item after the move

Exceeding the limit of boxes

Just because a box is large enough to fit an item does not mean that it is well suited to carry it. As a rule, the heavier the item, the smaller the box used

Doing Everything Solo

If you have not done it before, chances are you won’t be able to pack all your fragile stuff on your own

Failing to protect corners and edges of wooden items

When most people think of fragile items they own, chances are, their first thought will be their glassware and ceramics, totally ignoring wood. Corners and edges of wooden furniture easily get damaged while moving. It will do you good to secure these surfaces.

Last minute packing

Give yourself ample time to properly package your fragile items.

The Key To Successfully Packing Fragile Items

The success of your move purely depends on the competence of your movers and your ability to give them proper instruction. Packing and moving fragile items is a challenging endeavor and unfortunately, you only have one chance to do it right. Even if you have insured all your fragile items, it is not possible to insure sentimental value which cannot be replaced.

Alerting Your Movers to the Fragile Boxes

Ensure that your movers are carrying your moving boxes with care and properly loading them into the truck and unloading them. If you have any small fragile items that have value to you, Consider transporting them yourself. This may give you some peace of mind, knowing that you are responsible for them.

Always work with moving companies whose reputation precedes them. Chances are that you will not have any problems during your move. Many times, a successful move boils down to common sense and necessary precautions to keep accidents and injuries at bay.

Need Help Packing Your Most Precious Items?

If your packing skills are far from professional, decide to leave it up to the professionals. In the long run, it will be cheaper to hire professional movers rather than incur the expense of replacing your fragile items, some of which are irreplaceable. Get in touch with our dedicated moving team to ensure your fragile items are protected during your next move!