Packing is a time consuming process. Fortunately, Prodigy Moving & Storage have all the right materials for your relocation. We can also provide full or partial assistance with your packing and unpacking needs. We have the right moving tools, the right team, and the right fleet to get the job done right. Whatever your needs, be sure to speak to one of our representatives today to get the help you require, at prices you can afford. Our Greater Los Angeles, CA movers always arrive armed with plenty of boxes of various sizes, including heavy duty boxes, mirror and picture boxes as well as wardrobe boxes. You will be offered the free use of up to seven wardrobe boxes in one moving day. Our movers also carry other packing items such as tape, packing paper, bubble and shrink wrap. Prodigy Moving & Storage has prepared some packing tips and general advice to assist you.
Packing to Move; Where to Start
Before you pack anything, it is important to get rid of any items you don’t want to take to your new home. Rather than paying to pack and move unwanted items, you can sell them online or at a garage sale, donate them and receive a tax credit or dispose of them. In regards to items you do wish to keep, it’s important to ensure you have plenty of suitable boxes and packing materials. Contact a representative at Prodigy Moving & Storage if you need to order more of these supplies. We also invite you to read through all of the available resources on this website, which will provide you with advice on how to make the most of your move. Our moving checklist is an absolute must to help you stay organized!
Packing Basics
– Pack your least used items first and your most frequently used items last. Some items won’t be packed up until the night before your move, or even on the day, as part of your final arrangements with us. Prodigy Moving & Storage can and will provide a service fully customized around your needs!
– Before you begin packing, you need to plan the organizing of your packing. Devise a system for tracking your boxes. Some prefer simple color coding, descriptions and labels on the side of boxes, others are much more systematic use a notepad to keep track of items, and a numbering system to keep track of boxes. The more systematic your approach, the easier it is for our movers to make the process a speedy one.
– Label every box clearly. Make sure you put which room it belongs to, as well as if it has any delicate items packed inside. We recommend giving a brief description of the contents of boxes, such as ‘small kitchen appliances’, so you can easily find what you’re looking for when you are unpacking.
– There will always be that box or two that you want to unpack straight away. Mark these clearly with ‘Open First’ when you label your boxes.
– In almost every room, there’s likely to be screws, nuts and bolts for different pieces of furniture. Use a sealable freezer bag to keep these items together. Mark the sealed bag with a permanent pen referencing the item the parts belongs to, and place the bag in the appropriate ‘room’ box.
– Don’t overfill any of your boxes, and finish the box off with tape to make sure it’s secure.
– There are certain items you should definitely not pack, these include:
Matches, lighters, vehicle related chemicals, paints and construction chemicals, fireworks, poisons and chemicals, ammunitions and firearms, perishable foods, prescription medication, documents and licenses. Our team will provide a comprehensive list of items you cannot pack if you are unsure.
– If you have pets, be sure to check our page for advice on how to best handle your pets during your relocation.
If you have a large aquarium that provides home to your tropical fish, speak to a Los Angeles aquarium specialist to help relocate this item and your pets. The fish are far more fragile and delicate than the glass tank, and it is important that they safely make the journey.
How to Pack for a Move
– The general rule of thumb is this: If it rattles, it’s not packed properly. Bear this in mind as you pack. Test boxes as you fill them; to make sure they are suitably packed and secured for transit.
– Where to Start? Knowing where to start can be the hardest part. Once you get going, you just want to get the job done. A garage, basement or spare room is the best place to start. It gives you the space, time and peace to practice packing up items that aren’t main essentials. From there, you will soon know which room you want to get packed next, and the rest will follow. Try packing to some music, you’d be surprised how this helps past the time, and make the process more therapeutic.
How to Pack Fine China for Moving
Carefully wrap any china, glassware and other fragile items you own in sheets of clean newsprint or packing paper. Wrap each item separately; starting with a corner with a few sheets, wrap diagonally around the item. Repeat this process several times until the item is fully covered, and repeat with every item. We highly recommend you purchase our special china and dish boxes, as this will provide affordable packaging that won’t give way to the weight of your precious items, and will make packing these delicate items easy. If you do use your own boxes, be sure to place bigger plates at the bottom, and work as best as you can up the box, adding items smaller to the previous one placed in. Cushion the bottom of the box, and use generous amounts of ‘stuffing’ to cushion your items. We recommend bubble wrap, or ‘plastic pellets’. This will prevent any breakages during transit. Mark the box as ‘fragile’ so you and your movers know to take extra special care. Place larger pieces at the bottom, and once the item is in the box, use further padding to prevent it moving around.
How to Pack Silverware
Silver is a very sensitive metal, and will tarnish after overexposure to air. Bear that in mind when packing your silverware, and work quickly, but thoroughly. Wrap each item in a clean tissue paper; wrap the finished item in packing paper, and place in an appropriate box.
How to Pack Plates & Bowls
Plates can be wrapped and packed in a similar way as described above. Wrap each plate in paper, and sit plates in a box accordingly, starting with the largest at the bottom, working up to smaller plates and saucers. Bowls are slightly more awkward. Include these in your plate boxes where possible. Place a sheet between each bowl in a pile of 2 -3, and then wrap paper around the pile once you have inserted the paper sheets. Place the bowls so they sit in the box, and use further padding around them to secure them. For the lids of sugar bowls and other jars, wrap the lid and the jar separately. Place the wrapped up lid upside down into the bowl, and then wrap the two items together. Place them inside the box, and make sure they are padded throughout. Again, cushion the bottom of the box with plenty of padding, and mark as fragile.
How to Pack Glasses & Cups
Stuff paper into the insides of all cups, mugs and glasses, and then wrap the filled mug or glass in paper. Wrap the wrapped item in newspaper. As you pack these items into the box, make sure they are secured with bubble wrap or packing peanuts for stuffing. This will provide the most protection for items that tend to roll or slide during transit. Place the glass or cup upside down in the box, and work to fill the area of the box. Once you have built your first layer, insert a cardboard layer, to support the next set of glasses, and repeat the process. Leave plenty of space at the top of the box for extra padding.
How to Pack Fragile Items
Everyone likes to keep little things, whether it’s tons of framed photos, glass or porcelain figurines or other collectable items, such as crystals and fossil fragments. Often, it’s only when it comes to moving them do we realize how precious an item is to us. If you are unsure about how to pack one of your delicate items, simply give Prodigy Los Angeles Movers a call, and we will advise. The general rule is simple, and this simple 5 step system will make sure even the uncertain packer will have a trouble free time relocating. Wrap in clean paper, until fully covered. If it is hollow, stuff with clean tissue paper. This layer of paper must be of thin material, and nonabrasive to your item. Wrap your covered item in a layer of newspaper or packing paper.
Make sure the box you are placing the item into is cushioned, and once it is placed, use further padding to secure and protect the item during transit. Mark the box the item is in as ‘fragile’. Make sure you list the item on the box as part of the boxes content so you know exactly where it is at all times.
How to Pack Books
If you have lots of books, pack them in many smaller boxes, as opposed to one large box. This will make for easier and lighter lifting. Place a sheet of paper between each book to prevent any sticking. Alternate the spine/open side pattern as you pack to get evenly distributed pile sizes. Pack these into a box using your bigger hardback books as a base, and build your way up with smaller paperbacks.
How to Pack Lamp Shades & Bases
Remove the light bulb carefully. Wrap this in newspaper, and place in a small box. Take the base, and wrap this in newspaper or packing paper. Place the base in a box and cushion well. Do not wrap the lampshade in newspaper. Instead, use tissue or packing paper, or, you could use a pillowcase, towel, or bedding. If one lamp shade can fit comfortably under another without touching it, then feel free to pack them in that manner, but use plenty of padding to ensure they do not come into contact and damage each other. This is one of the most common items that causes movers trouble. If you are unsure how to pack your lamps, speak to one of or representatives, who will offer or advice, or, we can arrange for one of our movers to pack it for you, giving you total peace of mind.
How to Pack Art & Antiques
Some collect trinkets and other little things, others collect art and antiques. You should leave the packing of these items to professionals, to ensure no damage is caused. If you have items like this in your home, you will need to let our staff know at the earliest instance. We will then attend your home and evaluate these items. We will assess their worth, as well as the tools needed to safely remove, pack and handle the item during your relocation. Each item will be added to a ‘high value’ inventory list.
How to Pack Mirrors & Heavy Glass Table Tops
Glass table tops and mirrors are one of the most common items damaged during a move, as well as marble, which cracks easily during transit. We have the appropriate packaging you need to pack your large mirror, but we recommend you leave this packing to the professionals, who will know exactly how it will need packing. This will ensure the item is safely handled during the actual packing process as well as the moving process, as many accidents occur during this stage too, at the hands of the homeowner. We have experience in handling such large delicate items.
How to Pack Clothes, Towels & Bedding
Clothes are very easy to transport. We will offer you the free use of wardrobe boxes on the day, so you won’t have to take a single item off a hanger. If you prefer not to use the boxes, we recommend folding the clothes, and placing them in suitcases. Store hangers in one box, and mark the box as ‘hangers’. Place hats individually into appropriately sized boxes and mark as ‘fragile’. If you don’t have the original boxes for your shoes, stuff them with tissue paper and place all of them into one box. Keep pairs together, by using laces to tie one to another. Use elastic bands or string to pair up shoes without laces, placing the shoes sole to sole as you do so to reduce damage. If you have expensive leather shoes, wrap these individually, place in a suitable shoebox. Bedding and towels can simply be folded up and placed into a plastic bag, or shrink wrapped. It can also be used to pad out your delicate items. Vacuum packed is a clever way of reducing your bedding and towels into a very small size.
How to Pack CDs, DVDs & Records
Make sure there are no discs left in any of your electronic items. Check all stereos, disc players and computers for any discs in the tray. Pack all of your DVD/CD disc cases into one box, and use packing peanuts to cushion them during transit. You may encounter one or two empty cases along the way (especially if you have children). Hold onto these empty cases until the packing is completed. If the discs still haven’t been found, throw the cases away, or remove the sleeve, and save them for spare cases. Records should be wrapped in newspaper, and the box they are packed into should not weigh more than 25lbs. Try to pack DVD’s separately to CD’s and other items, and mark the box to sure what kind of disc they are. This will make unpacking much easier.
How to Pack Electronics
Store electronics best packed in their original packaging, if you still have it. If not, make sure that when you pack the item, you pack it in an appropriately sized box, with plenty of stuffing used throughout. Again, using bubble wrap is the most cost effective way of making sure no damage comes to your valuable items. Remove all wires that can be removed, and tie all cords up into neat little bundles. You can store multiple smaller appliances, like your toaster, kettle and smoothie maker, in a bigger box. Use plenty of packaging materials throughout to ensure there is no damage caused during transit. Mark these boxes as ‘electronics’ and ‘fragile’. Keep your microwave separate to other appliances, as this item will weigh more than other appliances. Ensure you have all external items relating to your electronics, like joy pads, remotes, computer accessories, etc. Either packs these in with the unit itself if there is space in the box. If not, pack these into the appropriate room box, and write on the side computer accessories or something similar. Take great care in boxing your television. Storing it in the original packaging is definitely the best option with this item. If you have concerns about packing your television, or questions on how to pack any item in your home, speak to one of our team for friendly and helpful assistance and advice.