Moving house & arranging packing equipment
Effective packing is the first step towards effortless moving. To do this, you need to plan your packing in such a way that loading and unloading procedures are simple. For this you need a worksheet in which you can list out the things to pack, and any packing materials and packing tapes you may need to use. Make three columns in your worksheet with the three headings. A sample worksheet could look like the one shown here.
| Things to Pack | Packing Material to use | Dimension of box (Width X Length X Height) | Packing Tapes /adhesives to use |
| Clothes | cardboard boxes or bin bags | Acrylic tape with dispenser 2” X 100YD | |
| Refrigerator | Bubble wrap, soft cloths, newspaper | Depends on the dimension of the refrigerator | Acrylic tape with dispenser 2” X 100YD |
Table: – Sample checklist for packing materials and tapes
Packing Materials
The types of packing materials depend on the size and type of things to pack. The following example could give you a brief idea of what you might need to do to prepare to pack and move certain items.
Refrigerator: Defrost the refrigerator 24 hours before packing. Empty the content completely. Pack the shelves separately in another carton box. Pack the refrigerator in bubble sheet with 1.5” acrylic tape. Then use a soft cloth of its size to wrap it. Seal with acrylic tape again. Place the refrigerator in a carton box which fits it, if possible. Use acrylic tape to seal.
Kitchenware: Categorize them based on type and size. For example you could separately pack the containers, plates, cups & mugs (You have to subcategorize into glass, porcelain and plastic etc), other kitchenware etc. You could use standard size packing cartons of (200mm X 400mm X 500mm) for packing them. Electrical devices need to be packed individually. Use bubble wrap of appropriate size to cover the inner surface of the carton boxes. This protects them from knocks and bumps to a considerable extent. Use an extra layer of soft clothing or newspaper for packing fragile materials.
Wardrobes and other large items: – You can use wooden carton boxes for packing them. Measure the size of furniture and check for the availability of ready-made boxes of that size. Otherwise you can make one yourself. You can use 30” pieces of pine tongue along with the groove boards. Select screws, finishing nails and aluminium packing tapes. Use a tape to measure the dimension of the furniture. For example the wardrobe may measure 1m high X 0.5m wide X 0.8m long. You have to make the box of dimension 1.2m high X 0.7m wide X 1.02m long to accommodate the furniture. The extra space is for filling material like newspaper or air cushions.
Material Procurement
Purchase and stock all the required materials in advance according to the sample checklist for packing materials and tapes. Cardboard boxes can often be acquired easily from recycling centres.
Art and artifact packing
Use bubble wrap for packing glass frames, paintings and other artwork such as sculptures. Use masking tapes to make an X mark on the glass frames before packing them to reinforce them. Hard cardboard or wooden carton boxes can be used for final packing. Air cushions can act as extra protective layer for fragile objects.
