What’s The Best Way To Pack Fragile Items When You Move?

Your favourite family photo, that set of chinaware and crystal that you received as a wedding gift, the living room lamps that were passed down to you from your grandmother – everybody has an item or two (or more) that are fragile. And in a move, these have to go, too, but they require some extra care to make sure they get to your final destination in one piece.

But when the talk of moving houses creeps in, you might find yourself stumped by the question, “How do I pack the fragile items safely?”

Preventing tragedies while moving is really just a matter of being adequately prepared and having the right tools.

Follow these delicate tips for packing your most delicate items:

Take inventory of your fragile items.

There are two reasons for taking inventory of your fragile items:

1. You need to decide which ones are worth it. If it isn’t sentimental and is replaceable, is it worth the added hassle and expense to move it to the new place?
2. You will need to know how much supplies to get that are specific to fragile items.

Before you start packing, go around the house and markdown all fragile items and if they will go. Then, mark down which room they will go in so you can accurately double-check for them in the new place.

Invest in packing supplies.

It is no secret that moving can be expensive, but especially when it comes to fragile items, it is worth the investment. You will need something to wrap the fragile items in, something to put between them to keep them from damaging each other and then, of course, something to pack them in.

Here’s your checklist:

Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is great for many reasons. It protects the breakables and helps absorb some of the shock should they be dropped or handled without care. Get as much bubble wrap as you can – there is no such thing as too much. You might also want to read our list of greener alternatives to bubble wrap.

Packing paper
Even though each item should be wrapped in bubble wrap, you still want to put packing paper between them to act as a cushion. This will help keep them from rubbing together and will also help keep everything in its place.

Cardboard boxes
This is your final step. Once all your items are prepped, place them into their respective cardboard boxes. It is best to keep similar items together. For example, to have all plates in one box. This makes labelling and unpacking easy, but it also keeps the actual act of packing simple – i.e. all your plates should stack nicely as opposed to trying to stack some plates, some bowls, and a few coffee mugs.

Label, label, label

You can’t write “fragile” on a box too many times.

The worst thing that can happen is that you pack a fragile box all nice and neat, but then it gets thrown around as if it is just full of shoes.

Use a red marker or even red tape and write “fragile” and “handle with care” on at least two sides of the boxes. It is essential to ensure that this note is visible regardless of who is moving the box and in what direction the box is being moved.

We know moves are challenging and stressful. But with the help of a removal expert with a local moving company, you can be on your way to an easy and efficient move – even with fragile items included just check out our Fragile Removals page.

For more help on moving, check out our moving checklist.