Everything You Need to Know to Pack Your Moving Container
The world is full of opportunities for new jobs, new homes, and new starts. This often means packing up your belongings and shifting them to a new space. In the past, professional moving companies were the first option for a move, but nowadays, more people are choosing to pack and move independently.
One way to ensure your belongings fit and make it from point A to point B safely is by renting a moving container. These shipping containers are sturdy, affordable, and easy to use. Are you wondering how to get the most out of your moving container? Here’s what you need to know.
What is a moving Container and how do I get one?
Weather-proofed to defend your belongings from the elements, moving containers are crafted from steel or wood, and come in an assortment of sizes. Like a standard storage unit, these large crates can be locked to secure your belongings until you need them.
Shipping containers are typically rented from moving or storage companies. In Ontario, Sigma Container Corporation is happy to count ourselves among the top storage providers in the country. Our containers come in 20- and 40-foot units, which are delivered to your home or office to be filled up.
Some moving companies also pick up containers once filled and help relocate them. Cost depends on services, and the quote is often issued before delivery.
What’s allowed in a shipping container?
Some of our clients have been surprised to hear from movers in Ontario that not everything is eligible to pack in a shipping container. Anything hazardous, perishable, or valuable should be moved separately in case of spillage or spoilage. These items include:
- Frozen food
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Opened food or beverages
- Meat
- Gasoline
- Cleaning products
- Propane
- Paint or thinner or nail polish remover
- Ammonia
- Matches or lighters
- Aerosol sprays (including hairspray and cooking spray)
- Pesticides or fertilizer
- Batteries or electronics
- Jewelry
- Cash or credit cards
- Personal identification documents such as birth certificates and passports or car titles
- Weapons or ammunition
Whether you move with a professional team of movers or manage your own transition, there’s always room for human error. Something could be improperly packaged, stacked, or secured, and these items could be damaged. In the case of chemicals, any spillage will ruin other items in your shipping container. There’s also the chance of a fire or explosion occurring if two chemicals mixed or an aerosol product combusts.
On the other hand, items you can pack are innumerable: Furniture, properly packaged dishes, books, appliances, toys, games, outdoor furniture, and more. Almost anything can be transported by shipping container if properly packed.
Tips for Moving with Your Container
There are many schools of thought on how to properly pack your moving container. We’ve collected some of the top tips from Movers in Ontario to help get you started.
1. Create an inventory
To be successful at packing, you need to know what you’re working with. Not only does this help organize which boxes are used for what items, but it also tells you what size container you need to store it all.
The best moving lists are sorted by room. For example, rather than listing everything you can think of on the lower level of your house, organize it by room. The kitchen inventory list might include items such as:
- Small appliances
- Stemware
- Plates and bowls
- Large appliances
- Storage containers
- Cutlery Cutlery organizer
- Dishrack
- Garbage can
When one room is complete, move onto the next, until you have everything you want to bring with you on the list.
2. Keep important items separate
We briefly touched on this subject above. You don’t want to pack important documents or keepsakes with other belongings. They could get lost, damaged, or even left behind. We regularly suggest our clients pack small special belongings in a lockbox.
Important documents, jewelry boxes, and other valuables should travel with you in your personal vehicle. This ensures their safe arrival at your new destination.
3. Pack moving bags for kids and pets
Travelling with children and pets requires some extra finesse. One way to improve the experience for everyone is to pack special travel bags for each. Children’s bags should include favourite toys, objects of comfort, some activities for on the go, snacks, toothbrushes, and other personal items. Pet bags should include a photo of your pet in case he or she gets lost during the moving process, food, treats, dishes, toys, and water.
Prescriptions for pets and children should be carried in separate bags if you plan on letting kids manage their own luggage. Keep all medications where they can be reached when needed.
4. Label everything
While loading and unloading your shipping container, labels go a long way to minimizing effort. Seeing what each box contains lets you know whether you can rest heavy items on top. It also allows for packing items from the same space together. If all your living room boxes are in one spot in the container, you know they’re being unloaded together and carried into the living room together for easier access and effortless unpacking.
5. Put heavy items in small boxes
Books are one of the heaviest products we see clients pack. Our recommendation is small boxes for anything abnormally heavy. Remember, the more items you put in the box, the heavier it becomes. You could hurt your back trying to lift them in and out of the container.
6. Fill boxes all the way
A mistake first-time movers often make is not filling the boxes to the brim. This leaves empty space inside, and if a heavy box is placed on top, it may collapse the box below it. This causes the butterfly effect of knocking over nearby boxes and causing havoc in the shipping container.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you better understand the ins and outs of successfully using a shipping container for your next move.
To learn more about how a shipping container could help your move, call Sigma Containers at 1-855-228-1993, or contact us here.