Packing up and relocating to a new home can be quite a challenge for any book worms out there. And if you count yourself among them, you too will be wondering how to pack books for moving as soon as you make the important decision to move out. Hopefully, the following tips will prove useful for you, whether you’re packing them for relocation or for a storage unit. And it doesn’t matter if you’re moving on short notice and packing in a hurry or if you’re relocating your entire library to your new home, you’ll find these tips helpful.
Sort out Your Books Before Moving
There is no better time to go through all of your tomes and sort them out than the period of relocation. Depending on how much of a hoarder you are, there’s a good chance that you’ll have lots of volumes on your shelves which you haven’t touched in years. Now is the time to make a selection and decide what’s coming with you to your new home. Keep in mind that most, if not all movers charge by weight, so you’ll be saving up on quite a lot of money depending on how many volumes you’re leaving behind. You can decide to sell or donate the extra books you’ll have.
The Packing Materials You Will Need
Before we get started with our tips on how to pack books for moving, let’s first go over the supplies you’ll need for the job. You’ll need a number of small and sturdy moving boxes. Remember that your paper items can be very heavy and that you won’t be able to carry a large container full of tomes. You’ll also need lots of tape, rolls of bubble wrap and packing paper, as well as some markers to help with the labeling.
How to Pack Different Categories of Books
Though it may seem a bit redundant to mention, there are different kinds of volumes and book covers. With this in mind, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are different ways to pack all of your novels. Remember that the safety of your possessions is your number one priority.
Packing Hardcover Books
You will want to place your hardcovers inside the box just like you do when you put them on the shelf. Stack them in an upright position, with the spine of the book to the side of the box. You’ll want to place as many as you can fit inside the box, but remember to leave some wiggle room so they don’t get damaged during the move or once you’re unpacking everything.
Packing a Paperback Book
You can place your paperbacks flat inside the container and then stack them up using your old Tetris skills. Just remember to place them with the spine towards the sides of the box, so there are no warps or cuts on the paper edges. One of the most important tips is to avoid overfilling the package, just like with hardcovers, and to leave some space at the top.
Fantastic Way to Pack the Books into Boxes
You’ll want to sort your volumes categorically, just like they were organized on the shelf. This will make the unpacking easier, and if you’re looking for a specific book at some point, you’ll know exactly where to look. If they were not organized to begin with, now is the right time to do it. You can store them by a specific genre, or you can split them into those you’ve read and those you haven’t. Once you’re finished with the whole process, you’ll want to fill the empty space between them and at the top with bubble wrap or with paper.
How to Pack Books for Moving, Storage, and Shipping
Depending on what your plan is, there are different tips you’ll have to keep in mind before you tackle the packing process. And this will mostly depend on how long the relocation will take, or rather how long your items will be away from you.
How to Pack Books for Removals and Relocation
If you’re relocating to a new home and plan on unpacking any book as soon as you get settled in, then you’ll want to make sure that they survive the relocation to your new home in one piece. Use bubble wrap to make sure that there’s an extra layer of protection inside the boxes.
In case you’re moving out of state and plan on placing your tomes inside a suitcase, remember to place them at the bottom as they will be very heavy. Also, avoid storing them with anything hard or sharp which may damage them.
How to Prepare for Storage
In case you are planning on storing your volumes away for a period of time, you’ll have to consider the weather, the humidity, and any pests which may prove dangerous for them in storage. This is also why it is better to hire professional movers for their storage services if you want to make sure that nothing gets damaged. You’ll want to leave more space at the top of the boxes, space which you’ll fill up using paper and bubble wrap. This is one of the key tips because the boxes will be stacked on top of each other inside the storage units and you want to avoid any unnecessary scratches and damage.
Packing Books for Shipping
If you’re planning on sending a lot of titles, you’ll want to know how to prepare them for moving and for shipping. Whether you’re a bookstore owner or moving to college, you’ll want your package shipped as safely as possible. This is why you should consider shipping your tomes in a solid box. Not only is this the safest way to go about it, but they will also provide more space and will be easier to transport. Just remember one of the most important tips, to pad out your package with bubble wrap for extra safety.
Secure and Label the Boxes
Once you think you’re satisfied with what you’ve done, it’s time for some final touches. You’ll want to make sure that everything is stable and secured inside the box. You can use bubble wrap, paper, or newspapers if you’re moving on a low budget, to ensure that every book is being held in place. When you are finished with the packing, use as much tape as you want to make sure that the box is ready for the relocation. Then you will need to label the boxes accordingly, so the movers will know they contain heavy items.
Fantastic and Quick Way to Ensure Everything Is Stable
The last step of the entire packing process would be to do the good old “shake test”, which means giving the box a light shake. You’ll be able to hear if anything is rumbling inside, or if they are steady. So add more bubble wrap and paper before you tape up the box.
