Tips for packing common items

Arrive without damaging your property or loosing any fixings!

General packing tips:- Boxes must close flat without bulging. The heavier the contents, the smaller the box should be. Boxes should not weigh more than around 10-12 kgs.
Plate glass should be removed and wrapped in cardboard.

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Castors should be removed and kept safe.
Carefully consider the wisdom of attempting to move old flat-pack chipboard items: if it is wobbly before you start, the process of either moving or dismantling will probably finish it off.

Teapots/Coffeepots:- Wrap lid separately and replace upside down use paper.

Plates:- Wrap separately and pack on their side with a good cushion of paper.

All crockery:- Wrap separately so when you have finished, the box does not rattle.

Pictures and photos:- If they are small enough, stack them in a box with cardboard to separate them.
Large pictures and mirrors need their glass fronts protected by cardboard (use flattened boxes), Check the back to see if that is also vulnerable. Bubble wrap is not really effective protection unless you are using it to cushion a frame.
Plasterwork frames need special attention. Wrap them with plenty of bubble wrap and use suitably sized flattened boxes on each side to create a 'sandwich' and so cushion every edge. If its really heavy it may require crating, or moving on it's back.

Mattresses and soft furnishings:- These should all be wrapped in plastic sheet, especially if there is a chance of wet weather and that they might be dropped into the mud.
Remove castors and pack them safely.
Sofas:- always use plastic sheet. Expect to have to up-end the sofa at some stage in the move: Remove the cover and the castors, cover one arm with a thick blanket (to stand it up on), and wrap in plastic, securing with tape.
Sofa-Beds:- Always tie up the metal bed frame so it cannot unfold. If you are expecting to go up several floors with narrow corridors and stairs: be kind to yourselves and the furniture by unbolting and extracting the metal frame before you start. They really are not that hard to replace.

Bed frames often use nuts and bolts requiring allen keys. Don't forget to extract the nuts (which may be jammed in the woodwork), screw them back onto the bolts, and put all these bolts in a plastic bag, and tape them to the bedframe.

Chest of drawers:- If possible, don't pack the contents of the drawers, You will save effort and space on the van. The drawers will need to be removed and replaced into the chest when it's been loaded onto the van. If you have something like a junk drawer which is full of loose change, loose photos, keys etc, then tape cardboard over the top of the drawer to keep the junk in.

Hanging clothes:- the best protection is to use hanging garment carriers. Note, they are quite expensive and take up alot of van space. Use sparingly. Minimum protection required is a suitable plastic bag, uses as a substitute suit/dress carrier.

Computers and stereos:- The original boxes are the best, so try and keep them, but if you don't have them, box them with plenty of padding. use either bubble wrap or clothes.

Vases, urns and statuettes:- Bubble wrap and pack in a box so they cannot move. It's worth getting the right box.

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