Useful Tips to Make Moving House Simple and Easier

are less expensive when purchased in bulk. Whether you choose old or new
boxes, make sure you have a variety of sizes to accommodate the different
items you need to move.
So how many boxes do you need? “That’s like asking, ‘How long is a piece of
string?’ ” Hollander says. As a rule of thumb, you should count on using at least
100 boxes for a sparsely furnished three-bedroom home, says Neil Vansant of
Atlantic Relocation Services, a full-service mover in Atlanta that specializes in
corporate moves.
Specialized boxes. For dishes and other fragile or heavy items, make sure to
use “dish barrels,” which cost between $5 and $7 and are made of doublewalled
cardboard.
Wardrobe boxes, with a metal bar for hanging clothes, greatly simplify the
packing and unpacking. Some movers may supply you with free wardrobe
boxes for your move, which they’ll collect once you unpack them―make sure
to ask before you place your box order. Expect to pay $7 to $15 each,
depending on the size, if you have to buy them.
Long flat-frame boxes are ideal for protecting most large pieces of art and
mirrors. These, too, may be provided by movers. If you’re moving yourself,
you can purchase them from truck-rental companies.
Tape and tape guns. Brown packing tape, not surprisingly, is ideal. Never use
masking tape or duct tape―they don’t stick well to cardboard. A couple of
heavy-duty tape guns―one for you, one for your spouse or a friend―make
taping and cutting a lot quicker. To pack up the contents of seven to eight
rooms, you’ll need at least 440 yards of two-inch-wide tape. (Tape rolls come
in 55- and 110-yard sizes.)
Packing paper. This is a professional mover’s secret weapon. Sold in 10- and
25-pound packages, packing paper (unprinted newsprint) is the most
economical and versatile material for protecting nearly everything you’re
moving. Use it for wrapping fragile items, and crumple it up for padding.
“People think we use way too much paper,” Vansant says, “but it really creates
the protection you need.” And unlike bubble wrap, it can be recycled. Many
moving-supply companies sell specialized packing accessories―such as little