Packing Boxes

Packing boxes are an essential tool in any moving exercise, as a means of containing a number of household items from one location to another.  Packing boxes can be purchased from a number of retailers, particularly short and longterm storage unit outlets.  They are usually modular and available in a range of sizes.  These outlets usually also sell all the other items you may need for moving known as packing supplies.  This includes bubble wrap for wrapping fragile items, duct tape for securing the top and bottom of your packing boxes along with marker pens for identifying what is in each packing box.  If you don’t wish to resell your used boxes, you can simply remove all of the duct tape and flatten them.  Stored flat, these packing boxes do not take up very much space in your garage.  The beauty of purchasing packing boxes is that they fit together in your truck or car in a modular fashion.  This ensures that space is not wasted, hence resulting in less trips to your new location.

When you want to buy packing boxes, it is a great idea to purchase a range of sizes.  The cost does add up, but some outlets with allow you to return them after use and if in good order, you will receive a percentage of original the purchase price.  This means you don’t have to worry about disposing of them after your move is complete.  Most council garbage pickups for cardboard and paper are collected in a small bin only once per month. You would have to spend your valuable time cutting up your cardboard packing boxes into pieces small enough to fit into your recycle bin, or pay for a trip to the tip to dispose of them.

An additional advantage of purchasing packing boxes for moving is that the thickness of these boxes is sufficient to cushion the contents inside from breakage.  The cardboard is usually made with a thick paper skin on the inside and outside.  The middle of good boxes and packaging has a cardboard card, which is folded in a corrugated fashion and glued together onto each skin.  This design is excellent for protecting contents.  Very fragile items like china and glass may however need additional cushioning.  This can be achieved by bubble wrap and paper.  It’s not advisable to wrap fragile items in newspaper.  The print from the newspaper can rub off onto the items being wrapped.  This results in the mover needing to wash all of these items instead of simply packing them away.

When purchasing large boxes for packing, you need to keep in mind what you intend on putting inside them.  If you fill large packing boxes with heavy items one of two things may occur.  Firstly, you will probably be unable to lift the box into your car or truck, or even onto the trolley.  Large packing boxes are best used for light toys, cushions and pillows.  If you wish to save yourself some money, these light and flexible items may be best moved from place to place in large thick garbage bags.  Place one bag inside another to ensure that if the outer bag is snagged by one of the other packing boxes then the contents will still remain protected.  It is therefore the best idea to purchase a range of mid sized moving packing boxes.

One extremely useful cardboard packing box is the cardboard wardrobe.  This is a tall box that has a rod through the top of the box.  This allows you to move your clothes, still on their hangers.  You simply put your hanging clothes into the temporary wardrobe.  This means that your clothes will not need to be laundered and re-ironed when you arrive at your new venue, hence saving a large amount of time and effort.

If the budget is a little tight and you don’t want to outlay any funds for packing boxes for moving, then there are some cheap packing boxes and even free alternatives.  You can purchase second hand recycled cardboard packing boxes.  These are the ones previously discussed that are returned after use, but are still in good order.  This will cut your spending by around half the cost of purchasing brand new moving boxes.  If you would prefer free packing boxes, then your local green grocer may be able to help.  Boxes for fruit and vegetables are also designed to protect fragile contents.  They come in a standard size and often have a lid that fits snugly over the top enabling the boxes to be stacked during moving.  If you require large free packing boxes then hardware shops are a good source.  They often have the boxes stacked near the registers for customers to use instead of bags.  These may be smaller than you require, but you can ask for larger packing boxes.