How to Pack a Portable Moving Container
Packing a home for moving is something of an art form. There are those who can do it well, and then there are the rest of us, who have a hard time packing our own lunches effectively let alone an entire house. Moving containers, however, help to make the job much, much easier.
Packing essentials
As in every job, having the right tools serve to make the job that much easier to do and packing and moving are no different. Before you start packing your furniture and housewares into a portable storage container, you should have:
- A dolly
- Loading straps
- Paper pads
- Furniture pads
- Stretch wrap
The stretch wrap, loading straps and furniture and paper pads will help keep your items safe and free from damage. The dolly is of course, a must-have tool for moving heavy or cumbersome appliances and pieces of furniture.
Preparing items for the moving container
Before you start loading up the moving container, you should use the packing tools to prepare the items. Wrap your upholstered furniture with the stretch wrap to protect it against damage and dirt. Use the paper pads and furniture pads to wrap items that may scratch other items or ones that are at risk of getting scratched themselves. In order to protect your wrapped furniture even more thoroughly, place it on top of a furniture pad when loading it in the moving container.
Tips for loading a portable storage container
The heaviest, bulkiest items should be loaded first in the storage container. These include the refrigerator, washer, dryer, couches, loveseats, etc. Fill in the spaces between the larger items with packed boxes. This will not only increase your packing efficiency but it will also add stability and reduce the risk of the larger items sliding around.
Pack the heaviest boxes on the bottom with the lightest boxes being saved for the top and maximize your space by packing from floor to ceiling. The tighter you pack the boxes, the less likely things will shift while in transit.
Think about the weight distribution of your items while you’re packing the moving container and try to keep the weight evenly distributed from end to end and from side to side. If you place a heavy refrigerator in the far left corner of the storage container, place something of similar weight, like a couch, in the far right corner to help keep everything balanced.
If your storage container has a plastic, translucent roof and it is going to be stored outside on your driveway for an extended period of time, cover the items on the inside with cardboard or another type of material in order to protect them from exposure to light.
Throughout the storage container, there are points where you can install loading straps. Use loading straps at each point to secure the items inside the portable storage container but be careful you don’t tighten the straps too tightly or you may damage your items.
Practicing good packing techniques is an all-important component in a stress-free move and it helps ensure that your items will arrive in the exact same condition as they were packed. Take the time to do the job right, with the right tools, and you’ll find the process of moving to your new home much easier than you might have imagined.