Whether you are moving to a nearby neighborhood or across the country, failing to prepare your possessions for a trip in a moving truck can have you arriving with damaged goods. Without moving insurance, you would have to recoup the costs on your own, and even with moving insurance, you would still have to wait for a while to get your reimbursement before replacing the broken things. It is better to avoid this predicament by carefully preparing and organizing your boxes while also optimizing space.

Start with the Same-Sized Boxes

Stacking boxes in your home and in a moving truck is easier when you have boxes of the same size. While large and extra-large boxes will help you transport lightweight and oversized items, you should only need a few of these to take care of belongings such as comforters, duvets, and pillows. The majority of your boxes should be medium-sized, which will give you a great deal of versatility in being able to mix light and heavy possessions without having to worry about the box not supporting the weight.

Once you have brought home the moving boxes, you will want to put them together. It is best to do this on a hard and even surface such as a dining table or even hardwood floors. The best tape to use for moving boxes is shipping tape, but you can also use duct tape if you want to add strength to the box. For packing, you want to open the box, turn it upside down, fold the two small flaps and then the larger ones, tape the middle with several pieces, tape across the middle, and then tape the corner edges.

Line the Boxes

While moving boxes are pretty sturdy on their own, especially when you get medium-sized ones and assemble them correctly, you can further reinforce their strength with proper packing. The first you will want to do is line the bottom and walls of the boxes with flat objects such as books or magazines. But, you are not limited to these items as long as you fill the sides with strong items that are resistant to damage. This will increase stability and protect the things you put in the center of the box from breaking.

Fill Up the Middle

Once you have added extra protection to the sides, you can start putting in other items. First, start with non-delicate items so that you can put the delicate things on top, where they are the safest. Instead of using plastic wrap or newspaper to protect these items, you should use what you already have to optimize space. Clothes, towels, and bedsheets are some examples that you can use for wrapping your belongings. After finishing a box, use the process that you went through earlier for taping the bottom to tape the top.

With thorough box preparation, you can enjoy a move anywhere without damaging your items. Don't forget to have the necessary moving supplies ready.