Books might not be as valuable as glassware or an oil painting when it comes to moving, but that doesn’t make them any easier to move. Books are heavy, making it more difficult to pack a box you can lift. Their shape may convince you to pack as many into a box as you can, but you’ll soon find that it feels a lot like carrying around a box of rocks.
Here are five easy tips to help you move your boxes.
1. Sort through your collection
Do you really need to take every book you own with you? Consider donating some of your books to goodwill and forget about lugging them to your new home.
2. Pack with the proper supplies
You’ll need special book boxes to withstand the weight of your books when moving. Book boxes are made of thick cardboard. Protect your more valuable hardcover books and their spines with soft packing paper. You might want to keep extra tape handy to strengthen the bottom of the box too.
3. Pack the books properly
Packing books might seem easy due to their rectangular shape, but there are better ways of packing than others.
- Upright – If you’re packing your books upright, make sure the spines of the books are facing inwards.
- Flat – This is considered the safest way to pack books. Simply stack the books along the bottom of the box. Place the lighter books on top of the heavier books.
- Spines down – This method of packing is not recommended as damage is likely.Always avoid packing books in too tightly as this may cause damage to their spines.
4. Secure your boxes
Once you have taped your box shut and labelled it accordingly, do not stack the boxes on top of just anything in the back of your moving vehicle. These boxes are heavy and they may topple over and damage other items in the truck. Be careful when packing a number of book boxes on top of each other as this too can cause problems during transit.
5. Get someone to do it for you
We don’t all have the time to pack books on top of packing up a whole house. Grace removalists have the training it takes to move and protect your belongings, including your valuable and heavy books. Whether you’re moving locally, interstate or across the world, we can get you and your books there. Get your free online moving quote now and start planning your relocation.
