Playing "Tetris" With Your Moving Boxes: Tips To Make Sure Everything Fits

Not only is packing up a household frustrating, but also you have to try and fit everything into even rows and columns in the moving van. If you are limited on van space, read the following tips to make sure every inch of space is going to good use:

1. Separate Items Into Three Piles Before Packing

Before your moving day arrives, now's a good time to separate your belongings into a donation pile, throwaway pile, and keep pile. For example, if you have lots of clothes you hardly ever wear, packing these items creates dead space in the moving truck. Instead, give anything of reuse value to the Salvation Army or Goodwill; or, if you need some extra cash, consider having a yard sale.

2. Pack Important Items in Your Car

If you are making a short move, then you may be able to get away with multiple trips. But if the move's a bit longer, you'll need all the space you've got. If you are driving alongside the moving van, consider filling up your car's trunk to the brim. While moving companies typically have insurance, they tend to not like to move very important files or extremely valuable items, since these can't be replaced easily. If you have room, put items like jewelry, electronics, important documents (wills, passports, health records, etc.), and heirlooms in the car so you can keep a close eye on everything and save space in the van.

3.  Get Rid of Perishable/Hazardous Items

You may want to bring food along, but it's best to cook everything up. Even if food is tightly sealed, you don't know how long it could last in a hot van, and it could attract pests. Talk with friends and family if you have too much to eat yourself; they'd probably be happy to take free food off of your hands! 

Besides getting rid of food, be sure to ask your friends and family if they need fertilizer, charcoal, gasoline, or any other hazardous goods that aren't allowed on the vehicle. If no one wants these things, look up your city's rules to properly dispose of them. 

4. Weigh the Pros and Cons of Plastic and Cardboard Moving Boxes

It's often best to purchase your moving supplies from one vendor since the boxes will be made to fit together. Whether you choose cardboard or plastic may come down to personal preference, but there are pros and cons to both. For instance, plastic boxes are often more stable since they can nest easily on top of each other. Also, some companies have specific dollys for these kinds of bins to make moving go more smoothly. However, if you are so limited on space, cardboard boxes may be better since they can fit side by side more snugly than plastic bins. And if you don't need the extra storage, boxes are better since they can be broken down and recycled.

5. Stack the Right Way

When you finally start stacking items in the truck, remember to put the heaviest, largest items on bottom, and the most fragile items on top. Build from the very back of the van to the front. It's important to leave the smallest or the most oddly shaped items for last, since they can be wedged into nooks and crannies.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to stack everything in the back of the van. Talk with a local moving service for more tips.