How to Pack for a Move: Boxes, Lamps & Electronics

Start with the right boxes

Use new, sturdy boxes in a few standard sizes. In the truck, boxes are stacked like building blocks. Uniform boxes make a solid wall, but one tired, used box can collapse and take the whole stack with it. Buy specialty boxes for dishes, mirrors and art, wardrobes and TVs.

Packing a box the right way

• Tape the bottom well. For heavy boxes, run tape across the seams in a “+” and partway up the sides.
• Heavy on the bottom, light on top. Fragile items go near the top, with a layer of padding above them.
• Fill the gaps. Crumpled paper, towels or linens stop items from shifting. A box that rattles will break things.
• Watch the weight. Keep boxes under about 50 lbs. Put books in small boxes, standing on end.
• Wrap fragile items loosely a few times so there’s cushion, and pack plates on edge, not flat.
• Tape hardware to its furniture. Bag screws and bolts and tape the bag to the piece they came from.

Labeling that speeds up delivery

Label every box with its destination room and whether it’s fragile, on the side as well as the top, so you can read it when boxes are stacked. A simple trick: give each room a colored dot, put matching dots on boxes and furniture, and stick a dot on each doorway in the new home. The crew can deliver without asking where everything goes.

Packing lamps

1. Unplug the lamp, remove the bulb and harp, and take off the shade.
2. Pack shades on their own in a box lined with packing paper. Never set anything heavy on a shade. Nest shades only if they’re different sizes and there’s paper between them.
3. Wrap the lamp base in packing paper or a moving blanket, coil and secure the cord, and tape the harp and finial in a small bag to the base.
4. Stand the base upright in a box that fits snugly, fill the gaps and mark it “Fragile – this side up.”

Packing TVs and electronics

• Take a photo of the cable setup before you disconnect anything, then label each cable.
• Use original boxes if you still have them. Otherwise use a TV box or a snug box with plenty of padding.
• Remove discs, batteries and ink cartridges.
• Back up computers before moving day, and carry laptops and hard drives with you.
• Keep electronics out of hot cars and trucks for long periods in summer.

Flat-screen TVs are the most commonly damaged item when they travel unboxed. Box them, or ask us to.

Supply checklist

Boxes in several sizes · packing paper · bubble wrap · packing tape and a dispenser · markers · colored dots · scissors or a box cutter · zip bags for hardware · stretch wrap

Keep reading

• Packing & unpacking services
• What movers can’t take
• Moving checklist & timeline