Packing Tips for Your Portable Storage Container: Part 2

There may not be a “right” way and a “wrong” way to pack your boxes for moving—but there’s definitely a smarter, easier way, and at SMARTBOX, we know what that is. In Part 2 of our packing tips, we’ll provide more helpful advice for making your big move less of a hassle. If you haven’t already read Part 1 of our Packing Tips, check it out! There are even more great tips and ideas to help make your move easier.

Find out what essential packing tips you need to know before boxing everything up!

Packing Tips from the Experts at SMARTBOX

Label your boxes – When you’re labeling your boxes, make sure you label not only the top, but all four sides as well—you don’t want to be stuck shifting around heavy boxes, just to find out where the one on the bottom is supposed to go. If you want to make labeling even easier, there are a couple things you can do:

• Attach a label to every door in your new home that corresponds with a box
• Color-coordinate your boxes, in addition to labels—all the blue labels to the kitchen, all the red to the guest bedroom, etc.
• Number your boxes—this will not only help you know which boxes go to which rooms, but ensure you have all of them upon arrival
• Put arrows on all four sides of your boxes that indicate which way is up
• Print out your color-coordinated, numbered, and appropriately identified labels from your computer—this can save you a lot of time

Pack in advance – Anything you’re not using—out-of-season clothing, guest bedroom linens, items stored in the basement—pack in advance! SMARTBOX makes it even easier to pack in advance by providing you with portable storage containers you can take your time filling. You can start your packing as early as a month in advance—or more!

Make priority boxes – These boxes should include priority items you’re going to need to unpack first—toiletries, phones, sheets, towels, etc. Even if you think you’re going to remember that kitchen box number 4 is the one with the paper plates in it, it’s just going to be easier to slap a “priority” label on it.

Pack plates on their sides – This is one of those packing tips that can not only save space, but save a little heartache, too. Pack your plates on their sides, so they’re standing up like they’re in a dishwasher rack. This will make them sturdier and less likely to get broken in transit—but don’t forget to wrap them in newspaper and pad them accordingly!

Invest in wardrobe boxes – Wardrobe boxes are a great way to pack lightweight items that are bulky and difficult to put in a regular box, such as comforters, pillows, blankets, and more. It’s also an excellent way to transport a lot of your clothes if you want to keep them right on the hanger! Even though wardrobe boxes are quite large, you need to make sure you don’t over-pack them and make them too heavy to lift—you don’t want the bottom dropping out and all your pillows spilling onto the ground!

Utilize your luggage – You probably already own things that are specifically made for traveling, like your luggage! So, pack those suitcases and bags full of clothes and other household items to bring with you!

Label cords, cables, and plugs – All those TV cords and video game system plugs are going to look pretty much the same when you open that box at your new home—it’ll make your life a lot easier to simply wrap a little masking tape or another label around the cord and write what it goes to on it.

Keep important papers with you – This might be one of our most important packing tips—keep all of your important papers with you in your car. This includes things that you definitely wouldn’t want to lose, such as birth certificates, recent bank records, new job contacts, current bills, utility company numbers, etc.

If you use these packing tips to simplify your move, you’re going to make packing and relocating a breeze! Best of all, SMARTBOX can make it even easier with our portable storage for moving! We’ll bring as many storage containers as you want to your doorstep and you can take as long as you need to fill them. When you’re ready, we’ll pick them up and deliver them to your new address—it doesn’t get any easier than that! If you’re ready for a smarter way to move in Maryland, Northern Virginia, or Washington, DC, contact SMARTBOX today!