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While there are many difficult items to pack and move when you relocate from one residence to the next, some of these items may be the last ones on your mind. Items like spare cars and motorcycles, power tools and instruments rank among the most obvious items with moving challenges. Books represent one of those items that are not so obvious when it comes to challenges. Packed in boxes, they are heavy and challenging to move. Unpacking them can be an absolute nightmare unless you have them organized in a very meticulous and identified way. Let’s take a look at some tips designed to help make packing, unpacking and moving books substantially easier. 1. Let Go of the Books that You Don’t Need One page of a book is nearly weightless, but 300 to 500 pages in a single book makes for a few pounds. Several books add up to tens of pounds. A medium box’s worth of books can weigh the same as a set of weights with far more bulk. That’s why the first step to a successful move of your books is to cull your collection. Do you really need those textbooks from college? Do you need that shop manual for the car you sold twenty years ago? Can you donate those children’s books that your children outgrew 20 years ago to a local charity? The idea is to reduce your collection to as lean a state as possible. This makes every subsequent step in your move easier and less troublesome. 2. Make Collections The next step is to begin sorting your books into logical collections. This idea should be familiar to you if you’ve ever visited a book store or a library: you put like books with like. The idea is that you will have two main collections: the “Take” and the “Giveaway” sets. The “Take” collection should have: Valuable books with some practical use, sentimental value or tangible collection value Books that are in pristine or excellent condition Books that are worth enough to keep and pay to move An arrangement that puts them in logical groups that will make packing (and unpacking) logical and straightforward The “Giveaway” set should contain: Damaged books that may need to be recycled Low-quality paperbacks that could use replacing anyway Books that you could donate to local charities to make someone’s day brighter Books that you may want to sell before your move The idea behind this step is to further reduce the number of books you will move. This makes your trip easier and makes unpacking easier still. 3. Get the Right Supplies Packing your books will be easy if you have the right supplies. The ones you will need are listed below, and keep in mind that these supplies meet certain criterion designed to make your move easier. Book Boxes – You will need strong boxes that are about 20” x 11” x 11”. These boxes will have adequate strength to hold books while allowing them to be of a manageable weight. Packing Paper or Wrap – Valuable books, hardcover books with ornate designs, and any books you’re worried about damaging should have packing supplies to prevent damage. Newspaper may be substituted for packing paper and/or filling material. High-Quality Packing Tape – You want tape that is both strong and adhesive. The last thing you want is a heavy box of books splitting open to fall upon your movers’ feet. A Quality Permanent Marker – With a quality permanent marker, you can label as much as you like on the boxes. This makes it easy to find the books that go in your study or your bedroom. 4. Pack Neatly Organization is the key to a safe move when books are involved. This means packing books flat or with their open areas facing the sides of your boxes. You should keep your boxes packed with filler and wrap to protect your valuable books while maintaining a reasonable size for your boxes. Hire the Right Movers Packing is just the first step to a successful move. The other part of the moving equation is ensuring that you have the right movers for the job. When you’re ready to make the move, contact... Read More