10 Tips for Packing Fragile Items When Moving Home in Merseyside

Did you know that the average British homeowner moves house every 23 years? Moving homes can be an exciting but challenging experience.

Among the many tasks involved, packing fragile items requires extra care and attention. Fragile belongings such as glassware, ceramics, and electronics need to be protected during the moving process to prevent damage.

If you’re planning a move in Merseyside, this blog post will provide you with ten essential tips to help you pack your fragile items securely and ensure a smooth transition to your new home.

1. Make a List of Your Fragile Items

To pack fragile items correctly, you need to start by making a list of all those items that you want to move. Some of these items can include antiques, precious ceramics, wine collections, picture frames, and crystals. Having a list can help you categorise fragile items into groups based on size, shape, and the level of protection they need.

Once categorised, you can select the right type of packing material for each group based on the item’s needs. For instance, large items will require a larger box with ample cushioning material to absorb any bumps and knocks they might incur during the move. You also want to sort the highest quality materials, with the most significant protective features for extra valuable belongings.

2. Purchase the Right Packing Materials

To ensure safe transport of your fragile belongings, you’ll need high-quality packing materials. These materials must be compact enough to hold the items firmly without leaving any extra space for unnecessary movements.

Some of the materials that you’ll need consist of:

  • Durable boxes
  • Custom fitted-sized crating
  • Bubble wrap
  • Packing peanuts or material made from biodegradable substances
  • Stretch wrap
  • Packing tape
  • Scissors
  • A permanent marker to label the items

It’s also essential to ensure that all the packing materials you use won’t harm the environment once you dispose of it.

3. Layering Is the Key

Layering helps to provide extra padding for fragile items, and you should start with layering the box base. You could use a bubble wrap or a cushioned material, and for an additional cushion barrier, add layers of protective paper, towards the sides and surrounding the item or items requiring packing. In doing so, you’ll ensure that there’s a rock-solid structure covering the fragile item inside the box or crate.

You also want to layer the materials to avoid over-packing. Packing slightly less is beneficial when it comes to fragile items as it gives each item enough layering, which decreases the chances of damages happening.

4. Wrap Fragile Items Carefully

Wrapping items like these is so crucial to keep your belongings safe during your move. Wrap each fragile item with additional bubble wrap, packing tissue, cloth, or even clean socks. Begin by wrapping and securing the base of the item before moving onto the sides and finally ending at the upper part.

Ensure no direct contact between protected fragile items to prevent collisions that can bring about unnecessary destruction. Taking extra precautions like this also safeguard items that needed special handling attention, even before being packed.

5. Don’t Overpack Boxes

While some boxes may seem spacious and can accommodate many items, don’t fill them to over-capacity since that can make them unstable and eventually lead to breakage.

Close any gaps to make sure that the fragile items won’t roll around as much. It’s essential to give delicate items ample protection, leaving enough bubble wrap before shutting the lid and sealing the box with secure tape.

6. Mark all Boxes Clearly

After completing the packing, mark all boxes clearly with FRAGILE label or This Side UP in capital red letters. By labelling the boxes up front, it will help the moving team to distinguish which boxes contains items that need care.

Informing the movers about fragile items will help to anticipate what items they’ll come across during the move and offer them necessary protection.

7. Pack Dishes and Glassware Vertically

Stacking dishes upright on their ends with cushions between each plate is a reliable method to add extra support during the move. Once completed, fill the space next to these with packing materials like bubble wrap.

Follow this same method with glasses, champagne flutes, and stemware. Packers should start by wrapping each stem piece by piece to add an extra layer of protection.

8. Don’t Forget to Pack Electronic Equipment Properly

Disconnect and label cables and adapters in sandwich bags with the user manual or paperwork. Wrap electronic items exclusively with anti- static bubble wrap to ensure no static electricity buildup. Then seal the wrapping with packing tape, and as an extra layer of protection, additional bubble wrap works best to provide extra cushioning.

9. Pack Furniture Appropriately

To make sure that your pieces of furniture arrive damage-free, it’s best to pad and stretch wrap doors and drawers that can easily sway or get apart during the move. Furniture fittings are quite heavy, and to avoid scratching the items, consider laying blankets, stretch wraps, or any other suitable form of protective barrier on the ground for dragging the items without friction or heavy scuffs.

10. Hire a Professional Moving Firm

Professional movers understand the need to handle all fragile items during a move with extreme care. Moving firms have a wealth of experience in packing and moving delicate household items, assuring you the items are well-packaged during transit and arrived safely. And if that wasn’t good enough, we’re BAR accredited meaning all our moving team are highly trained and fully insured, should anything happen during transit.

Moreover, expert packing means well-organised moves with each possession securely stored in an appropriate box and carefully taken care of till it reaches the new address.

Moving Homes Can Be Fun!

Packing fragile items when moving homes in Merseyside requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following these ten tips, you can protect your delicate belongings and increase the chances of a successful move.

Remember to start early and use appropriate packing supplies. With the right approach, you can ensure a smooth and stress-free transition to your new home, knowing that your fragile items are well-protected while you’re moving house. Make sure you contact us to get a quote to help you make your move easier.