METCALF MOVING BLOG

SEARCH METCALF

May 31, 2019

A Handy Guide to Boxing Your Books: 6 Tips for Packing Boxes of Books

It’s moving day. It’s stressful, and you are already exhausted. Then your eyes zoom in on your piles of boxes of books you threw in the night before.

You know you should have planned better. As you bend over, to pick up your first box, you realize it’s too heavy. What were you thinking?

Well, you weren’t thinking it all the way through. Make sure pack books strategically. Whether you are moving your home or office, organize your boxes of books so that they are easy to move.

Even though many Americans are now turning to electronic reading, in a recent survey, 50% of respondents stated they liked reading both styles. Nearly 40% said they preferred real pages.

Here are six tried and true tips to packing your boxes of beloved books.

6 Packing Tips for Your Boxes of Books

Packing your boxes of books shouldn’t cause you stress. Take some time to pack them using these tips for a much easier move.

1. Use Sturdy, Small Boxes

Choose small, sturdy boxes for packing heavy books. The weight adds up fast for books. Remember this when you are packing boxes of books.

Invest in book boxes if you can. They are worth the time and money to get them. Think about it; there’s nothing worse than carrying a box of books and having it spill out during your move because it was too heavy.

2. Don’t Make Boxes Too Heavy

This may seem obvious, but keep your boxes of books light. It may not seem like you are putting many books in a box, but the weight of each adds up.

You can keep your book boxes light by putting fewer in and using lighter items like stuffed animals or small blankets in between to keep them secure. This way they are lighter, but not shifting around in the box which will make them harder to move.

3. Use Packing Tape to Reinforce Boxes

Make sure to use lots of packing tape. Your packing tape should be sturdy and strong. Make sure to tape the top and bottom of your boxes of books.

Using tape makes them more sturdy and easier to move. This is an excellent rule of thumb whether you are moving them yourself, hiring a moving team, or shipping them out.

4. Pack Heaviest Books on the Bottom

When you are packing each box of books, there are a few ways to pack them to make moving easier. Most often you will want to put the heaviest books on the bottom.

Another way to box up your books is to line the larger hard covered books around the edges of the box. Then you can put the smaller, softer books in the middle. This helps them stay put and sturdy.

5. Be Creative About Packing Books

When you are packing piles of books, you don’t always have to pack them in a box. It may be easier to move those books using a sturdy suitcase that you can wheel around.

Sturdy, reusable grocery bags may be another alternative. Reusable grocery bags with handles tend to be smaller than boxes, so the pile of books is more manageable. Just because moving boxes are plentiful doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be creative.

6. Dole out a Donation

Take a look at your bookcases. When was the last time you read these books? Of course, some are sentimental. Special books you will want to keep.

Others, however, you may feel it’s time to part with instead of pack up. There are hundreds of hospitals, group homes, halfway houses, thrift stores, and treatment centers that would love your old books. Donate those old books and do that good deed.

You can also build your own free library once you get settled into your new place- what a great way to send some love to your new neighborhood.