Technology has taken over the world and mobile phones have replaced TV, watch, and even cameras. Though there are plenty of people who have started reading on smart devices like laptops and/or tablets, many people still love books and have a whole library at their home. Books are keepsakes for those who love them so people keep collecting books for generations. If you are staying at one place all the time, storing or keeping books is not a problem but when you have to move, moving books safely is a matter of concern. While some people take their books lightly while preparing a list of priorities during a move, others have major concerns about their books’ safety. If you too fall in the second category and want to move your books safely, here we present some tips to resolve your tension related to your books.
Plan
As you plan everything related to your move, make sure you plan about your books too. In modern times, a DIY move is rare especially if you are moving long distances. People prefer hiring professional interstate moving companies associated with Pricing Van Lines, a powerful moving service platform, to have a safe and easy moving experience. But if you are planning to opt for a DIY move then plan your packing schedule much before your moving date.
Curb and Cull Your Bookshelves
Downsizing is one of the most appealing factors of moving as you get a chance of getting rid of all unwanted and unused stuff. A new home brings in new energy with all sorted and limited stuff around. Though when it comes to books, book lovers want to keep all that they have, it is a good idea to curb and cull your bookshelves to keep the best only. And to do so, go through all the books that you own and make a pile of books that you have read many times, duplicate copies of the same books, and/or that you know you will not read in the future. You do not have to remove all your fine collection, all you have to do is to trim it down by removing some unwanted and duplicate books.
Organize Your Books
Now that you have two piles of books, one that you want to keep and take with you to your new home and another that you have taken out. Consider donating books to a public book library or you can gift them to someone who would love to read. Alternatively, you can also sell these books at second-hand online stores. The next step is to organize the books that you want to keep. You can either organize them size-wise or alphabetically. Another way of organizing your books is to keep them subject-wise and you can also separate them based on hardcover and paperbacks. This step will also be helpful while unpacking and organizing your books at your new home.
Packing Material
Getting the right packing material is very important as books are heavy and may get damaged if not kept and packed well. Make sure you use sturdy cardboard boxes to pack books. It is important to fill in any gaps after storing books in a box to keep them from shifting during transit. Use small-sized boxes to pack your books as they are heavy and it will be hard to handle all books in one big packing box and that may lead to damage. If you don’t have small boxes and have to use bigger boxes then it is a good idea to fill half the box with books and half with clothes to manage the weight and also clothes will keep your books safe from any damage. Next, if your books are going to the storage or will be in the ship for a cross-country move, it is highly recommended to keep silica gel packets in your book boxes to keep them safe from moisture. You can get silica gel bags from online stores or nearby packing material stores. Put enough padding in the books to keep their spine intact and keep them in good shape throughout the process.
Packing
Book lovers have sentimental value for their books so packing them right is very important. You can pack your books in three different ways; upright, spine down, or flat. Keeping your books flat in the box is the most common and popular way of packing them. In this method, you can keep the heavier and bigger books at the bottom and keep placing one above the other. Make sure you fill in the gaps in boxes that will be created due to uneven book sizes. While upright and spine down can be the chosen ways to keep your books on bookshelves but packing them in these ways may damage them.
If you are planning to keep your books in storage, it is important to keep them safe from any moisture and in that case, packing them in rectangular plastic containers can be a better option.
Packing and moving books might not be a task of importance for many people. However those who maintain a great collection of their treasured books know that the books are valuable and must be handleded with utmost care. This guide is all you need to know about packing books when moving a house.
