Looking for a detailed guide to moving boxes? Congratulations, you’ve found it! Here we discuss all the basics relating to cardboard boxes and how to get the most out of them when you move. Read on for our detailed guide to using cardboard boxes when you’re relocating to a new home…
Gather Supplies
As soon as your offer is accepted is the best time to start thinking about buying moving boxes and other supplies that you’ll need. You’ll need to purchase or collect enough sturdy cardboard boxes of various sizes to accommodate all of your belongings of course, but don’t forget the extras like packing tape, bubble wrap, packing paper, and markers for labelling your boxes.
Assemble and Secure Boxes
When you buy cardboard boxes online, they’ll be supplied flat which will mean they’ll need a little bit of assembly before you can start using them. Alternatively, you can source cardboard boxes, particularly, smaller boxes, from supermarkets that will be already assembled.
We’d strongly recommend ensuring you have a variety of different-sized boxes, so whilst picking some up for free is always a great idea, you’re likely to need far more than you think and you might struggle to obtain larger boxes.
When assembling flattened cardboard boxes, you’ll need to fold out the bottom flaps and start by sealing the bottoms securely with packing tape. We advise investing in a tape dispenser which makes the process much faster and will come in handy when assembling boxes and when sealing them.
Sort and Declutter Before Packing
Before you start the process of packing, now is the ideal time to sort through your belongings and declutter. Anything that you don’t want can be donated, sold, given away or recycled, which means you’ll have less to physically move when the time comes.
See our detailed guide that discusses how to declutter before moving home.
Label Your Boxes
Clearly label each box with its contents and the room it belongs to. This makes unpacking more manageable and helps movers know where to place each box in your new home.
Pack Heavier Items First
Place heavier items at the bottom of the box you’re packing and then smaller, lighter items on top to prevent breakage and ensure boxes are easy to carry.
If you’re packing a large box, don’t be tempted to keep on stuffing heavy objects in, you might find that although they’ll fit, the combined weight might be too much for the box to handle, in which case you’ll want to test the weight of larger boxes as you pack to ensure they can still be lifted and don’t show signs of stress.
Fill Empty Spaces
Although making use of all of the space inside boxes might seem like good sense, to keep the weight down, and to ensure you’re only packing like with like (which will be handy once you come to unpack), so you might want to leave space inside some boxes.
Similarly, when packing awkward-shaped items, there will naturally be some voids inside the box. To stop things moving around too much in transit try and fill empty spaces inside the box. This can be done using packing paper, bubble wrap or even clothing, towels and linen.
Create an Essentials Box
Pack a separate box with essential items you’ll need immediately upon arrival, such as toiletries, a change of clothes, and important documents. Take a look at our detailed article about packing a moving day essentials box.
Stack Boxes Safely
When stacking boxes for transport, place heavier boxes at the bottom and lighter ones on top to prevent crushing. Although double-walled cardboard boxes are generally sturdy, don’t be tempted to stack too many one on top of another
Load the Moving Van
Carefully load the boxes into the moving van, securing them with straps or ropes to prevent shifting during transportation. Ensure you follow safety tips for heavy lifting and make sure you’re not trying to lift loads that are too heavy on your own.
Keep Them Dry
One of the downsides of using cardboard boxes is that they don’t stand up well in adverse weather. If the weather is wet on moving day, you’ll need to work fast to ensure your boxes aren’t exposed to rain – soggy cardboard makes it much more likely that the box will fail. Similarly, be mindful of where you choose to store your boxes and don’t let them rest on a damp surface.
If you’re moving in winter, you might want the added security of using more weatherproof options, like our sturdy plastic moving crates instead.
Unloading Boxes
Once you arrive at your new home, begin unloading the boxes room by room and try to be as methodical as possible.
Place each box in its designated room based on the labels so the correct boxes will be in the right room, helping you with the unpacking process.
Recycle or Reuse Your Boxes
After unpacking, recycle the cardboard boxes or keep them for future use. Read about some creative ways to reuse cardboard boxes here.
Most good quality cardboard boxes can be used multiple times, so you might want to flatten your boxes back down and put them up into the attic or store them in your garage. Alternatively, you could give them away to friends, family or colleagues who are moving or if they’ve reached the end of their useful life, be sure to recycle them.
Don’t hesitate to ask us for help if needed, you can get in touch with us here. Happy moving!
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