Shifting books and stationery items are a heavy and daunting task. When you plan to relocate, you need to sort every book and stationery stuff differently, so that you do not mix up or lose them. Sure moving to a new place is exciting, but with moving comes responsibilities. And it can get a little difficult if you have never had to coordinate a move before, but worry not. Like any other process, it can be broken down into a number of easy tasks.
We will give you all the details that you need to consider when shifting books and stationery items to make your move a smooth and happy one.
Cull your shelves – Before you move, you will be bound to clear your bookshelves and that is one of the best things that provide the perfect motivation for cleaning and setting up some of those books that have been lingering on your shelves for years. Leaving books behind while travelling sure breaks the hearts of even the toughest among us. Books take up a lot of space and weight, which is why carrying them while travelling can be an issue among people. More often than not the answer will be a resounding no. Once you’ve pulled a book to giveaway, don’t look at it again – take the bags straight to a used bookstore or Goodwill to sell or donate and get them out of your hair.
Use cardboard boxes – To shift book stands use cardboard boxes or carton boxes with bubble bags. This will prevent the book from the stand from any damage. You can start by removing all the items from the book stand, and then pack every shelve separately if it is adjustable so that there is breakage.
Get quotes – for everything you need with your updated address, get quotes from a stationery supplier.
Use small boxes – This mistake is very often made by us or someone we know. In local stores or malls, you can find small boxes that are reasonable but when filled with hardcover it gets heavy. Boxes from fruit and vegetable boxes that give home delivery, old shipping boxes (from all of the books ordered online), or boxes from grocery stores also work well. In case you get bigger boxes, only fill them about 75 per cent with books, and use the rest for clothes, office supplies or other light-weight objects. To protect the books fill the tops of boxes with paper or bubble wrap.
Use packing foam to pack your stationery things – The largest protective packing category with no definite shape is packing foam. Use these to pack your stationery things, and they will stay safe. They can be cut and shaped into whichever form is best suited for a particular item. Stationary things are better protected from accidents when they are encased in packaging foam. Packaging foam is much larger in size and tends to be denser. Because of its more diverse in makeup, there is rarely one standard material.
THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT PACKING OPTIONS – If your move is a short one, reusable grocery bags (especially the affordable ones at the grocery store), storage baskets and even brown paper bags work well for packing books. Also using suitcases with wheels to move books and putting your clothes is advisable, as it becomes much lighter inboxes. Books hurt when they fall on your feet, therefore whatever you use, make sure the bottom is hard.
Use bubble bags for packing calculator – Stationery items like a calculator needs to be packed with care. Bubble bags or bubble wrap bags are a type of packing material made of bubble wrap. Bubble bags are a prominent form that bubble wrap can take, other than all the other shapes that it takes. To make mailing easy the folder-shaped bubble bags include an adhesive strip. They offer double advantages of protection and packaging. To render a mailed item unsafe, it takes great amounts of energy and pressure to pop enough bubbles.
PACK STRATEGICALLY AND LABEL JUDICIOUSLY – Pack strategically, when you get ready to pack your books. To avoid digging for books that go together while you’re unpacking, keep books that are shelved together in the same boxes. Take a couple of days to properly label the boxes so that after you shift, recognizing these boxes becomes easy. You can write the genre and read/unread on the box since that’s how most people have their shelves arranged. This will save you time and frustration later. Take photos if you like the way your shelves are arranged, so you have a reminder of where books generally go.
BOX THE BOOKS EARLY – While it’s tempting to wait on boxing up books, it’s best to deal with them early in the packing process. Having the boxes sitting around can be burdensome, but packing them early means you are still motivated to pack carefully, you still have good boxes to use, and can cull a few extra titles as you fill boxes.
PACK CAREFULLY – Pack the spine of the book down to protect them, if your books will be in storage before or after your move. Lay books flat or pack them standing up, and try using a mix of methods in each box. Be very careful that none of the books are packed at an angle or bent in a strange way. This way they’ll be warped and damaged when you take them out.
REMEMBER YOUR EMERGENCY READING MATERIALS – It is advisable to not pack all your books. Just before and after your move, make sure you leave out a few options to read, especially if you’ll be without your full library for any length of time. Like you put all of your other “emergency” supplies like contact information, medication, and cell phone chargers put these books in the same box.
UNPACK THE BOOKS FIRST-ISH (OR GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY) – If you have a dedicated space for books (a spare bedroom or *swoon* a library) tuck the boxes away and deal with them in a reasonable time frame.