The most expensive porcelain item in the world, made in the 18th century, was sold for $84 million in 2010 to a Chinese industrialist. So, with this fact on your mind, you’re probably wondering how to pack china for moving and have it safely transported to your new home.
If it’s your first time to move, and you have those precious heirlooms you want to bring with you, then you better start organizing and learning some hacks on how to carefully wrap and protect your breakables. If you know Lana Del Ray’s song, you’ll realize how these pieces can be very significant. However, if you’re planning to use cross-country moving services, there are some steps you should take and get prepared for one of the most stressful periods in people’s life.
How to Pack China for Moving – Steps You Need to Take Before
When you decided it’s the best time for a long-distance move, we all want a smooth transition and to avoid relocation stress. The great way of achieving it is to plan your move and create a to-do list with all tasks you need to complete before the relocation day.
One of the tasks on that list should be to learn how to protect fragile items, especially if you’re wondering how do I pack my china plates for moving or how do you pack china and crystal for a move. So, the first thing to do is decide which items you want to bring with you. Then, start decluttering your vintage cabinets and place all things in two categories. Those plates, cups, and vases you don’t want anymore, you can give away or sell.
Gather Needed Boxes and Packing Materials for China Dishes and Other Items
The most important thing if you want to preserve your breakables like porcelain and similar fragile things when relocating is to pay attention to the material you’ll use as protection. Once you learn what to use and how you should get as many packing supplies as you can, it is essential because you can’t exactly know how many boxes and other materials you’ll need.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for the cheapest way to move out, then you should consider getting some free supplies on Craigslist. We’ll go over all the materials you’ll need to safely protect your fragile belongings below.
Pick the Right Moving Boxes for Fine China
If you have the original box of your dishware, then you should use that one. However, people often think they won’t need them anymore and throw them away. In that case, you should get a compact box, also called a dish barrel. If you created an expenses checklist and realized these supplies don’t meet your relocation budget, you can check in your local stores if they have some material. Or you can ask your family and friends who recently moved if they have something you can use.
On the other hand, you can always ask for help from professional long-distance movers that will offer you trustworthy relocation services – one of them being a storage facility where you can store all of your belongings.
Other Materials for Packing China Items
Putting your china into packing boxes when long-distance relocating to a new home isn’t enough because you need to make sure all things are secured from breaking. Here are some of the supplies you can use to protect your precious plates and cups:
- Bubble wrap,
- Packing paper,
- Crumpled paper,
- Packing peanuts,
- Any soft material you can find in your home and use it as padding,
- Tape,
- Marker,
- Fragile tape.
In the video below, you can find how to ensure the reused containers.
Arrange Items in the Box Based on Weight
Make sure your valuables are arranged in the container by weight. This step is essential because, although your breakables are wrapped and secured, we all know what will happen if you put the light item first and then the heavier one. Since there are many tasks you need to do in the relocation process, it’s easy to slip your mind on this advice. It’s not like boxing up shoes where nothing can break. So, once you’re finished with protecting your breakables with protective paper and bubble wrap, first secure the bottom of the box or other storage item you’re using, and then place the heaviest plates and bowls and then add smaller cups and similar things.
What Is the Best Way to Pack China for Moving – Tips and Tricks
If you packed a plate bundle before, then you know how tricky it can be and how handy are all the tricks and tips you can get. Once you have everything prepared, it’s time to do some wrapping up. Wrap all porcelain pieces separately in the clean paper – avoid newspaper because it can leave stains.
Start wrapping from the corners with two sheets of paper and overlapping the edges. This method will prevent any kind of breaking or scratching. It’s not the same as when you’re wrapping books because a book won’t break into million tiny pieces if it falls. However, just to make extra protection, you can use another layer of bubble wrapping and then place the well-protected item into the storage.
Hire Professional Cross Country Movers to Help You
Relocating can be challenging, especially if you don’t know anyone in the new place you’re about to move to. Being away from your loved ones and all the tasks you need to do could be just too overwhelming for someone. That’s why you should hire a reliable long-distance moving company with all the long-distance moving services that could help you. From relocation insurance for your belongings to the storage facility, you might need not just for your porcelain but for other things, as well.
Julie Grace
Originally from The Golden City, Julie has explored the ins and outs of moving and has written all the tips down.
