What Other Packing Supplies Will You Need When You Move?

Once you have your packing boxes, the second most essential packing supplies you will need is packing tape. If you don’t secure your boxes securely with packing tape, you risk them falling apart abruptly and breaking the things inside. There are many types of packing tape ranging from the basic vinyl packing tape, which is waterproof, strong and tear-resistant, to masking tape which is made of crepe paper and is not as strong. Pick the strongest packing tape you can afford and make sure that you securely tape the top and bottom of your packing boxes, as well as the seams. And get a dispenser to make cutting the tape easier and the task of securing the boxes quicker.

Another important type of packing supplies are cushioning material to fill up empty spaces in the boxes and prevent items from moving around in the box and possibly being damaged. Cushioning material includes Styrofoam peanuts that you pour into the box, brown paper or butchers paper for wrapping items such as glasses and dishes, stretch wrap to prevent surfaces from being scratched and bubble wrap for wrapping fragile items such as electronics, pictures and vases. You can save some money on cushioning material by using old newspapers instead of butchers paper but you will have to wash the items you’ve wrapped afterward packing supplies as ink from the paper may stain them. If you have mattresses, you might also want to get foam mattress covers to prevent them from accidentally being ripped or punctured.

Permanent markers and labels are less-essential packing supplies but are still very important. Markers allow you to label the boxes so you will know what’s inside. Get several markers in black or another dark color to ensure that you won’t run out of ink. If you are worried that if you write directly on the box it may not be visible, buy some white labels so your writing can be more clearly seen. You might also want to get some ‘Fragile’ labels to mark boxes that have particularly delicate items that need to be handled with extra care, as well as other pre-printed labels for specific needs.

Finally, specialized packing boxes are also essential packing supplies. Not all of your items belongings can be packed in regular moving boxes without being damaged so you need to have the right shaped boxes. For example, if you have paintings or pictures with glass plates in front, you’ll need flat mirror boxes to accommodate them. If you have clothes that you don’t want wrinkled while being transported, you can also get wardrobe boxes that have a metal bar inside from where you can hang them.