Moving comes with its challenges, but one of them is one that will affect you once the move is over: damaged items. It’s almost inevitable that something is going to break during the move, whether it was dropped during packing, packed improperly in its box, or broken from a bumpy drive to the new residence. Hopefully, you saw last week's blog post regarding how to keep items safe during a move. Today, we will break down how to move individual items.

There are ways to greatly reduce the chance of something breaking, especially once you understand which items tend to break and how it could have been avoided. Take a look at this guide to the most often damaged items in residential moves so that you can avoid it happening to you.

Plants

When you have some beloved plants in your home that you wouldn’t dream of leaving behind, you have to figure out a way to carefully move them to the new house. These are one of those items that are likely to get damaged in the move, especially because they are a living thing that can’t just be packed into a box like most items, and it’s important that you research the best ways to move something so delicate.

This item needs to be packed last and unpacked first in your move, and the best thing you can do to protect your plants is to contact a company that specializes in moving plants to schedule an appointment for a special plant move.

Since they are at a higher risk of getting hurt, a moving company is a great way to handle it, but you can also use a box with holes for breathing or bags with ties to protect loose branches. Be sure to check on any regulations of transporting your plants or seeds to your new location.

Furniture

It may seem that your heavy duty furniture is the least of your concerns, but these oddly-shaped and bulky household items are very likely to see damage in a move. If you are trying to move things yourself with not enough help, you are more likely to end up with a broken chair, a dented dresser, or a cracked table. Your heavy furniture is best to be moved by a professional moving service so that they can properly wrap it in custom blankets, secure them, and maneuver it through small doorways, over balconies, or down a flight of stairs.

Glassware and pottery

It may seem like an obvious one, but your glassware and pottery are both items that are likely to end up damaged if improperly packed. Glassware and fine china need to have the proper box, individually wrapping, padding and layering for each object, and a special marking on the box for “fragile.”

Your pottery is just as difficult to move and should require a great deal of padding, cushioning, and bubble wrap. Make sure to carefully label any delicate items like these with markings of which side should go up.

Art

Your favorite pieces of art are not only delicate and carefully hung on a wall, but they are very fragile and awkward to move. Since they offer such a high value, they are not easy to replace and could hurt your financial picture if they are damaged.

That is why it’s important to avoid a dent on a frame, a hole in a canvas, or a broken piece of art by hiring a fine art moving company that will properly handle your investment for you. It’s a good idea to get insurance on the piece, to make sure that custom containers are used, and that whoever moves it is aware of what it is.

Your family

While you were busy making sure all of your stuff was being properly moved and avoiding damage, you may have forgotten to stop and think about your own family’s wellbeing. Make sure to keep yourself and your family protected during the move, by avoiding hurting your back carrying heavy items, forgetting to get a good meal, and neglecting sleep in exchange for more time spent working on the move. Make sure to plan ahead to take care of yourself so that you don’t arrive at your new home feeling beat down!

Be sure to pack these items, as well as your electronics, lamps, sporting equipment, antiques, and kitchenware extra carefully, since these are the items most likely to be damaged in a move. Contact The Professional Moving Specialists today and they can help with all these items and more!