If you’re preparing for a move, then you’ll have a huge amount to worry about. One of the smaller, niggling problems is sourcing a decent supply of cardboard boxes. Without these, you’ll be unable to get your possessions stored and ready to ship – which can really put a dampener on your move.
In order for things to proceed as smoothly as possible, you’ll want to secure yourself boxes from somewhere. Let’s take a look at some of the likely locations.
Ask your friends
One welcome attribute of the cardboard box is that they’re useful to everybody. After all, almost everyone moves at least once or twice in their life. If you know someone who’s recently moved, then you might be in luck, as they’re likely to have encountered this problem recently, and will have a sizeable pile of boxes taking up space in their new lodgings. Moreover, they’re likely to be sympathetic to your plight, as they’ll have recent experience of just how stressful a move can be!
Ask locally
If you find that your immediate circle of friends doesn’t bear any fruit, then you can spread your search out slightly further. If there’s a Facebook page for your immediate vicinity with more than a few hundred members, then the chances are overwhelming that someone on there will be able to give you the boxes you need (or sell them to you at a miniscule price).
Ask in shops
Your local corner shop will have an almost never-ending supply of cardboard boxes. Products arrive packaged in brown cardboard, and when the products they contain are unpacked, these boxes are normally simply tossed into the recycling. This is true also of cafes, supermarkets and just about every other sort of commercial premises you can imagine. Get on good terms with the staff, lay down some charm and then enquire about nabbing some boxes. If you’re a regular customer, then this charm offensive will become a great deal easier.
You’ll get different sized boxes from different sorts of shop. If you’re looking for smaller boxes, then a corner shop is probably the best place to start. If you’re looking to transport books, then head for a bookshop – they’ll have sturdier boxes built especially for the task. If you’re looking for larger ones, then heading to a café will probably be the best bet – those disposable cups, being hollow, are incredibly lightweight. They can thus be packed into sizeable boxes for convenience. Incidentally, this is also how you should approach your own packing – put the densest objects in the smallest boxes, and you’ll avoid putting your back out as you transport them to the car. Moreover, the likelihood of your possessions bursting through the bottom of the box and spilling all over your front lawn will be much reduced.
Get the removal company to handle it
If you’re pressed for time, or you’d simply like to avoid unnecessary stress, then you might decide that you’d prefer the removal company to take care of your packing. This will involve having removal people in your home for a longer period of time, and, naturally, you’ll need to pay a sizeable whack for the privilege – but if you have the cash to spare, then this might be a worthwhile investment.
How to pack once you’ve gotten your boxes
Once you’ve secured yourself the necessary boxes, you’ll want to put them to the best possible use. This means first packing an overnight bag for the first night you spend in your new home – complete with all of the toiletries you need to get by in the short-term. Take a marker pen and label each of your boxes carefully to make things easier when you’re carrying the boxes to their respective rooms. When it comes to getting packed in the first place, you’ll want to start as early as possible – ideally several weeks in advance. Begin with superfluous things, like ornaments and paintings, and pack essential items like your television last. That way, you’re unlikely to have to root around through your packing in search of items.
Leave feedback on your new home
Once you’ve completed your move, and you’ve been settled into your new home for a few months, you might take the time to complete a survey on the state of the build. New home builder reviews provide the industry with the feedback it needs to develop and create superior homes in the future. If you’d like to leave specific feedback about your build, then house builder reviews are the way to do so.