Anyone who has a collection of books knows the pain of bent covers, ripped pages or broken jackets.
While books spend most of their time on a shelf, when it comes to moving them, they are at a reasonable risk of damage of not handled properly. If you’re about to move and have a bunch of books to pack and transport, then this is the guide for you.
We cover everything you need to know about how to pack books when moving, including the materials you need, essential packing tips and some very important dos and don’ts.
Contents
- 1 When should you start?
- 2 What Should You Be Careful Of?
- 3 What Do You Need?
- 4 14 Steps to book packing success
- 4.1 Cut Down on Volume
- 4.2 Start Early
- 4.3 Group by Size
- 4.4 Use Small Boxes
- 4.5 Suitcases Are Best
- 4.6 Pack by Weight
- 4.7 Packing Positions Matter
- 4.8 Fill the Gaps
- 4.9 Secure The Top of the Box
- 4.10 Label Clearly
- 4.11 Hold One or Two Back
- 4.12 Unpack Your Books First
- 4.13 Store in a Cool, Dry Place
- 4.14 Let Removalists Help You Out
- 5 Dos and Don’ts When Moving Books
- 6 Other Helpful Moving Tips And Articles
- 7 Let ZOOM Removals help you out
When should you start?
We strongly recommend packing up all your books quite early on in your moving plans or you may find yourself dealing with more stress than you already have. We recommend starting to pack your books nearly a month before the moving day to keep things neat and tidy.
What Should You Be Careful Of?
Also, the box might collapse on your feet, causing injury. Always be cautious about how heavy you make the boxes and how strong they are.
What Do You Need?
- Scissors
- Heavy-duty moving boxes
- Heavy-duty packing tape
- Bubble wrap
- Permanent marker
- Packing paper
- Cutting knife
- Materials
14 Steps to book packing success
-
Cut Down on Volume
First and foremost, do you truly need all of these books? It’s tempting to keep them all but moving is the perfect opportunity to lighten the load a bit.
Chances are there are some you haven’t touched in years and can let go of.
- Take a look at your library and determine which ones you want to bring, and which ones you don’t mind leaving behind.
- Consider holding a yard sale (season and weather permitting). Yard sales are a terrific opportunity to make some extra money before moving and get rid of a lot of the stuff you won’t be bringing with you.
- Host a little book party with your pals. Allow them to go over the books you’re not taking and decide which ones they want for their own collections.
- Donate them! This is an excellent way to make sure your books find great new homes. Take a look at Share-a-Book and the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation.
-
Start Early
Packing books for a move takes a long time, owing to the use of many high-quality boxes, meticulous arrangement, and the odd reading break.
This isn’t something you can put off until the last minute. While you will end up with a pile of boxes, this is much better than realizing how much work there is to do when it’s nearly too late.
-
Group by Size
The next step is to pick which books will move with you to your new home.
The best place to start is to arrange them in size, as they can be small and thin, thick and short or large and heavy. By having them grouped by size, you’ll be able to arrange them better in the boxes.
-
Use Small Boxes
That’s why we recommend packing your books in smaller boxes so that you won’t be tempted to put too many in one place and then deal with something unmanageable.
Boxes should be very sturdy and made of good materials – with extra tape at the bottom to reinforce the seal for extra protection. Then, line your boxes with packing paper, clothes or newspapers for extra cushioning and protection.
You can get boxes from:
- Us! We offer unlimited packing boxes to make your moving easier and safer.
- Ask local stores or check at work.
- Ask friends or family – or even check out social media community groups.
-
Suitcases Are Best
While we might think suitcases are just for traveling, they are actually perfect for packing books for a move.
They are sturdy, have lots of space and usually have wheels, which makes life a lot easier.
Chances are you won’t have enough suitcases for all your books, so reserve space in them for those that are the most precious or fragile.
-
Pack by Weight
This way, you can put the heaviest ones at the bottom of the box, with the lightest ones on top – protecting some of the more delicate books in your collection.
-
Packing Positions Matter
- Stacking flat on their backs, especially if they are the same size and fit well together.
- Standing up, as if they are on the shelf, with the spines facing the walls of the boxes.
- Spines facing down to better protect the pages.
-
Fill the Gaps
You could even fill in the gaps with your own clothes — this is a superb method to prevent wasted space while still packing a few additional items. Furthermore, clothing materials are soft, flexible, and durable, making them ideal for padding.
-
Secure The Top of the Box
This will keep your books more secure and will prevent water, dust and dirt from getting in during the move.
-
Label Clearly
That way, you’ll know which are the biggest books, the most fragile, which genre, type and so on. By knowing which box has what, you’ll be able to get them to their new home perfectly organized.
-
Hold One or Two Back
Keep one or two in your ‘hand luggage’ so that if you find yourself in need of passing some time, you won’t have to root through what you’ve already packed.
-
Unpack Your Books First
By getting them up on and the shelf early, you’ll be able to clear up more space and clutter when dealing with the rest of your cargo.
-
Store in a Cool, Dry Place
Cool, dry storage is always best and it doesn’t hurt to cover the boxes in plastic if you can.
-
Let Removalists Help You Out
Let your removalist help you out with their specialist equipment to ensure you protect your cargo, and your back!
Dos and Don’ts When Moving Books
Let’s sum up the above points when it comes to how to pack books when moving:
Do
- Reduce the number of books you are moving if possible
- Use small, strong boxes
- Pad up the inside with clothing and newspaper
- Arrange your books according to size and weight
- Reinforce the bottom of the box with extra strong tape
- Label your boxes according to the contents
- Use suitcases if you can
Don’t
- Use weak or second-hand boxes
- Use large boxes that will become too heavy
- Pack your books with the spines facing upwards
- Pack the books too tightly together
- Store in wet conditions
- Pack books at odd angles. Keep them as uniform as possible
Other Helpful Moving Tips And Articles
- How to Move A Fridge
- How to Move a Pool Table
- How To Move A Grandfather Clock
- How To Move A Washing Machine
- Change of Address Checklist
- Moving Checklist
- Interstate Moving Costs
- Moving Calculator
- How To Move A Plants
- How To Pack Glassware
- Housewarming Gift Ideas
- What To Buy For A New House – Checklist
Let ZOOM Removals help you out
Our removalists are more than experienced in moving boxes with books, so just go ahead and let them do everything for you – including unloading at the other side.
And, if you don’t have enough boxes or want your precious books to be better protected, we’ll supply you with sturdy and waterproof free moving boxes at no extra cost.