When budgeting for a move—or anything else, for that matter—it’s important that you take into consideration all of the associated requirements and expenses, and that you have all of the essentials in place before moving day. Failing to take one of these important components into consideration could result in significant delays in your move, which can completely halt productivity for days. If the move is attempted without these essentials, it could very easily result in the loss or damage of your furniture, supplies, decorations, or products.
To help keep your move on-target and ensure there are no surprises, make sure that these 4 moving essential supplies are taken care of before your Toronto move.
Containers
There are several options for containers:
Plastic bins
Reusable plastic bins are the most commonly recommended option.
They are the most environmentally friendly and cost-efficient option, as they are often made from recycled materials and can greatly cut down on corrugated cardboard waste.
Plastic bins are designed to be large enough to handle most of your office supply transportation needs, with ergonomic features such as handles and locking lids to make them easier to handle and less likely to cause injury. They are also shaped to lock in place when stacked bottom-to-lid, preventing them from sliding during transport.
Cardboard boxes
Cardboard boxes are more common in residential and DIY moves than in office moves. They come in a variety of sizes, which can make securely and efficiently loading them into a moving vehicle more difficult, and their surfaces are slippery and flat, which can cause them to shift and tumble during transport.
They are also less environmentally friendly. A good portion of landfill space is occupied by un-recycled corrugated cardboard boxes, and while they do break down, the process can take years. Recycling them is more environmentally friendly, but the process of recycling still produces a carbon footprint.
Plastic lunch bags
Standard plastic lunch bags are ideal for when you have a number of small things that are to be kept together, such as a set of screws for an item that is disassembled and packed away. By ‘Ziploc’-ing all of the items together, you can avoid having to ‘deep-dive’ into the recesses of a packed box to find a small component.
Cushioning Materials
There are a few options when it comes to cushioning materials, each of which having its specific uses.
Packing peanuts
Packing peanuts are meant to fill up empty space to make sure objects don’t rattle around. They are only recommended if you have a large container that is mostly empty space in which the fragile object(s) can ‘float’.
Packing peanuts are most commonly used when shipping a single item, but can still be used in certain conditions during an office move in Toronto.
Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is generally a more efficient option for office moves than packing peanuts. With bubble wrap, you wrap a layer of cushioning around each individual item, and then pack it as you would anything else. This allows you to make much more efficient use of space than packing peanuts.
Packing paper
Packing paper is a thin cushioning material that comes in large sheets, and is ideal for ceramics and dishware. Paper is more for preventing items that can scratch and chip, as it doesn’t provide quite as much protection from impacts as bubble wrap.
Crumpled newspaper
Another staple of the DIY and home move, crumpled newspaper is of similar weight and use as packing paper, and is readily available for free. However, the ‘pulp-grade’ news can be very messy, shedding ink all over both your hands and your dishes, and tends to be far less durable than packing paper, and the ragged edges and the creases from the folds tend to tear.
Anti-static bags
Some hardware, particularly digital storage devices, can be extremely sensitive to static electricity. When moving these devices, it’s strongly recommended that you pack them in anti-static containers.
Most such hardware comes in anti-static bags, which are usually either shiny and silver in colour, or clear with a black pattern. These are designed to dissipate any static that may occur from jostling about during the move.
If you don’t have the original packaging, special pink polyethylene bubble wrap can serve double-duty, protecting your sensitive hardware from impacts as well as dissipating static.
Labelling
Destination labelling
Make sure that your boxes are labelled as soon as they are sealed. Office moves are often crowded and chaotic, and having to comb through several dozen identical containers to find one item can be extremely frustrating.
For destination labelling, a sharpie written on a plain white stick-on label should be enough.
Special handling instructions
If you have a box that contains special handling instructions, such as “Fragile” or “Refrigerate”, you will likely want special, eye-catching labels to make sure that they stand out from your destination labels.
There are a number of stickers that can be used to denote special handling instructions.
Special Considerations
Not everything is suited for a standard moving box. For large, fragile items, cardboard shields and moving blankets may be necessary.
Depending upon your business and your industry, there are any number of special considerations that you may need to take, including refrigerated transport, WHMIS hazardous materials handling, live cargo transport, and more.
If you’re ever uncertain as to whether or not you should ship an item with your standard packaging, don’t hesitate to ask a professional.
Contact Blue Bins for Moving Supplies in Toronto
If you are considering a move in the greater Toronto area and would like to make sure you have all of the essential moving supplies, contact us to request a quote today.