Real Estate: Buying and Selling

One of the most frustrating parts of moving house is when you get to the new home and discover items were broken during the move. When it comes to packing fragile items, extra care and time must be taken if you want to avoid breakages happening. As the new owner of an antique china dinnerware collection, you have anxiety trying to figure out the best way to transport these items. Here are three common mistakes made when moving fragile belongings, and tips to help you to avoid making them.

Forgetting to Add Shock Absorbers

When you are driving along a road in your car and you hit a bump in the road, you do not really feel the impact inside the car because there are shock absorbers sitting between you and the wheels. You need to embrace the same shock absorption theory when packing your fragile items into boxes. Before you place anything into your boxes, line the bottom with a material which absorbs impact if the box moves while in transit. Perfect shock absorption material includes bubble wrap, foam blocks or crumpled paper. This absorption material also gets placed at the top of the box after putting in your dinnerware. If the box moves, then the shock waves are absorbed and do not have the opportunity to reach and break your fragile goods.

Trying to Overfill Boxes

When it comes to packing fragile items into boxes, you need to find the balance between not having too much in the box and having far too much in the box. If the box is underfilled, then the items could move within the box during transit. If the box is overfilled, then each item is putting pressure on the other contents in the box. This pressure force can break your china pieces. Carefully wrap each piece and place it in the box. Then surround each piece with more packing filler before you place the next piece in the box. The goal is for no item to have the opportunity to rub against another piece.

Being Shy with Packing Material

If you do not have enough packing material to help wrap your china set and to fill in the empty gaps in the boxes, then you can either buy more or use items you already have at home. Using linen in a fragile item box, for example, is a great way to pack up your sheets and towels while protecting your fragile items. Do not be stingy when it comes to using packing material, because breakages occur when you don't use enough.

If you have any more concerns about moving your fragile possessions, talk to your removalists to get advice from them. They transport thousands of fragile items every year, so they are the experts here.