Everybody’s heard horror stories of things getting damaged during a move. As Cape Town’s moving experts, we can tell you that moving household or office goods without damage is a lot harder than it looks. It should definitely be done by professionals. In fact, most moving companies don’t take responsibility for repairing or replacing items that they damage during the move. At Two Men and a Truck, we are confident enough in our great service that we include insurance for your move free or charge (see our T’s&C’s). We repair or replace any item we have damaged.
However, not every damaged item is caused by the moving company. Sometimes it’s due to the customers’ negligence. So here are a few things you can do to ensure your items arrive unharmed.
Use good quality packing boxes
The boxes don’t need to be brand new, but old packing boxes can tear easily. Things fall out this way. In addition, the cardboard is usually not firm enough to protect items from the inevitable bumps of moving. Plus, old boxes are difficult to carry and so can easily be dropped by movers.
Use bubble wrap for fragile items
Bubble wrap not only protects items from bumps, but scratches and chips too. If you have used bubble wrap lying around, inspect it carefully before using it. If too many bubbles have been popped, it's useless. Mirrors, picture frames, antiques, kitchen appliances can all be wrapped in bubble wrap for protection.
Use mattress sleeves
Keep your mattresses clean with suitable mattress sleeves.
Use ziplock bags
Zip lock bags are useful for small items that can easily get lost. Consider putting all your electronic devices and their charger cables in zip lock bags. If something needs dismantling, keep the screws in a zip-lock bag and tape the bag to that item.
Box tape
Be sure to use durable box tape for your boxes and bubble wrap. Cellotape, commonly used in school or office, tends to come unstuck quickly when used for moving.
Using good quality packing materials is something you will be glad you did after your move. Having damaged items can ruin what should be an exciting time in your life: moving to a new home.
See our number 5 tip here.