How To Pack For A Move Internationally

How To Pack For A Move Internationally

by ©

Types of Move Packing

   Professional move packing services bring an understanding of the trip your possessions will take, assuring they are packed for those demands, without costing you needless extra.
   Their work is based on the different priorities each type of move packing requires.

Five basic packing types are:

   1.) Local move packing

   2.) National move packing

   3.) International move packing

   4.) Special packing services

   5.) Packing for storage

   Local move packing: Local moves feature minimal handling with the shortest pack unpack cycle. A core focus of professional local move packers is packing and padding possessions directly into the moving van.


   National move packing: National domestic moves include intermediate handling. Possessions travel across climate zones as they pass from the local van that picked them up, on to train containers, larger van containers, trucking consolidations and possibly storage as shipment is coordinated.


   International move packing: International moves include significant handling and storage. Moving from truck to train, plane or ship always includes a stay in storage to handle customs processing. Storage also avoids freezing temperature damage to wooden antiques and lacquer finished furniture. Packing and crating can require plastic wraps to protect from dust, powder and insect exposure complicating importation.

   Special packing services: Piano's, antiques, safes, vehicles are all examples of items that require unique packing or crating. Each faces special considerations that include the advice of specialists in the specific item that Bekins secures.

   Packing for storage: Moving possessions into storage needs to also consider the expected duration and need for interim access. The stability of a controlled clean environment assists the packing process. Some items benefit from structural crating while a Furniture Vault can secure many items more conveniently.

Best Way To Pack For Moving

Decide

Get rid of things.

   Professional packers are obligate to pack what you leave to be packed; the ashes in ash trays, empty Mason jars on that top shelf or even plants that won't be watered while packaged up in dark boxes.
   When you and your family work on packing, select only items you need to take. Often larger furniture, that fits Canadian homes, won't work in smaller Asian apartments where they get in the way, are expensive to store or difficult to dispose of.
   You save shipping weight and space plus, the extra labour to handle those items.
   On the other hand, you will settle in more comfortably when your new home feels comfortable. Pictures, mementos, and "comfort" items will make your destination more of a home.
   Getting rid of unwanted, unused and storage items is the single biggest saving factor in making the international move meaningful and effective.

Check Twice

No Insurance.

   Dozens of broken china dishes, handed down from Grand Mother to Grand Daughter, arrived broken. They were packed for storage however instead of international move packers repacking them and checking each others work they were shipped as is. Unpacking ended in many tears at the sight of the damage and memories of losing a loved one. Items not packed by professional packers can not be insured against damage. In this case replacement was further complicated because the pattern has long since gone out of production.
   Professional international move packers repack all items already packed to assure goods are consistent with the added rearranging and movement between containers and methods of handling.
   Further, core to these professionals at work is rechecking each others boxes and packing. This checking protocol means items needing repacking quickly become obvious, as confirmation of insurability is done.
   Checking reduces damage and more importantly avoids the distress that comes from damaged valued possessions.

Packing Not Padding

Move Past Local Packing.

   One out of three light fixtures arrived undamaged. Wrapping the light fixtures in padding blankets is fine during local moves where they can be placed on top of the load.
   Had the damaged light fixtures been packed in boxes the glass coverings would not have so easily been shattered.
   Always consider the possession being safe while being moved between moving containers and being handled during and up to unpacking.

Coordinate

Plan Across Dates and Time Zones.

   Build your plans by visualizing that you and your family have just arrived at your new home... then add the steps back to today and add the steps including movers arriving, unpacking.
   The obvious task of arranging the trip you and your family will make to your new home will lead to other less obvious tasks like getting groceries, clothing for your destination or updating your drivers license.
   Depending on your destination, method of shipping, groupage and government inspection may even expose an opportunity for some days of holidays along the way.

Missed Items

Overlooked Items Packing.

   This drawer of silverware got missed by those doing the packing. While the silverware was sturdy, some of the pieces end up scratching others. The items that fell out of the drawer took some time to dig out of the corners of the back of the cabinet.
   Even packers who pack day in and day out are human and can miss things. Cross checking protocols and checklist confirmations all work to remove this type of oversight.

Care and Attention

Professional Pride Grows From Details.

   This packer taped a clock's removed battery to the front of the clock, instead of the back. The tape then took part of the finish off the front of the clock.
   A problem that infects all type of packing, including international moves. A problem that the attention to detail professionals focus on overcomes. The difference between one year of experience ten times and ten years of building experience.

Position and Protect

Heavy Items on the Bottom.

   Even when well wrapped items that are heavy should be placed on the bottom of the boxes with lighter items higher up the box. Soft and shaped items need to be used around any heavy and delicate items.
   Wrapping glass in bubble wrap is intuitive but how it gets positioned in the box is not as simple and yet just as important.

Golden Packing Rules for International Moves

Eliminate items not practical to pack.
• Plants: destinations may restrict the importation of items like used flower pots and associated equipment.
• Perishables: besides live fruit and vegetables, expired food or items long in storage are likely not worth shipping.
• Donations: items no longer needed or that will be less expensive to buy at your destination can be donated to a charity or church or that should be sold off.
• Dangerous Goods: shipping policies and import restrictions control flammable items, alcohol and most chemicals used to care for your home inside and out.

Identify items for special packing attention.
• Personal: medications, special papers, school records, clothing and emergency contact numbers, to bring with you while travelling.
• First use items: these are the items you will need to have unpacked first ... bedding, clothes, food preparation items and tools tend to be in this group.

Packing supplies.
• The strongest boxes you are able to obtain are the best choice for international moves. Many smaller sizes of those boxes will help fill shipping containers both more completely and more securely. Pick boxes showing the words top and bottom clearly so reflect how they are packed.
• Use bubble wrap and styrofoam pellets to protect your fragile items. Keep the weight of the shipment aimed at your goods instead of wasted on heavy padding material. Avoid newsprint or reused packing materials so your goods arrive as clean as possible.
• Securely taping all seems on each box is more important on international moves. The tapping should secure the box so all corners are square and aligned, to assure the box is able to strongly support being stacked with the other boxes. Transit through coordinated shipments and storage facilities exposes packing to potentially added handling risks, contaminants and inspections.

Arrange items for each packed box.
• The heaviest items belong on the bottom of the box. Heavy books and strongly structures items first. Pack smaller items around the sides wrapped in bubble wrap. Pack lighter items towards the top of the box. Each box being filled to the top will help the box remain square making it able to protect the goods inside as strongly as possible.
• Always pack boxes full to the top
• Pack boxes by room... for rooms at your destination. It will let you setup your new home in a orderly process because it reduces your needing to move items from room to room and allows each room to be usable more quickly.
• Pack everything into boxes to avoid putting extra pressures on their existing drawers and containers or exposing items to needless handling damage.
• Furniture purchased in knocked down packaging needs to be disassembled and knocked down just as it was shipped to you. The particle board joints and press board furniture are not strong enough, when assembled, to handle shipping.
• Label the boxes so that they can be placed in the right rooms. Labelling the boxes based on what the contents are is not as secure as labelling by destination room. Labelling the boxes helps the customs and importation process as well.

Organize Your Move...

Bekins Better Business Bureau
Bekins - BAR
Bekins - IAM