I could tell you a hundred horror tales of poorly packed shipments. You simply would not believe the things I have seen over the years.
Pack your excess baggage carefully
I have witnessed glass shelves wrapped in brown paper. An expensive flat-screened television packed inside a plastic laundry bag, another TV with a single piece of thin cardboard taped across the screen - not even in a box!
Clothes "packed" into black plastic refuse sacks - another client packed her goods into two huge sacks which builders normally use to deliver one tonne of sand to construction sites.
My personal favourite was the gentleman who had spent two days packing all of his worldly goods into one enormous cardboard box only to discover that it was too large to go through his door when our driver arrived. I can still picture the look on his face.............
Whilst these incidents did bring an element of amusement to the occasion there is a serious message behind the tales. If you don't pack your goods properly then they have little chance of arriving at the destination in good order and condition.
With that in mind, we thought we'd provide you with some simple (but helpful) advice on how to pack your goods safely.
How much weight to include in your excess baggage?
The most common problem we encounter is that clients pack too many things into individual boxes making them extremely heavy. You should work on the guideline that packages should weigh no more than 30 kgs each. Remember, cardboard is simply reinforced paper - it will eventually split if your overload a cardboard box. Similarly, suitcases are not designed to contain 40 or 50 kgs of goods - the handle will come off and the zip will split open.
For heavier items such as books, magazines, files and paperwork etc. you should be using small strong boxes such as our "carton 25" - these are designed to carry such items and cost just £2.00 each.
Clothes and shoes can be packed into suitcases, but please ensure the suitcase is locked and it should be labelled with a luggage tag with your name and address at the destination clearly shown for identification purposes. If you prefer, our "carton 50" is designed to carry these items safely and at just £3.00 each they are considerably cheaper than buying a suitcase.
Electronic items such as televisions should be packed into their original boxes wherever possible. You may wish to consider placing extra cushioning materials inside the box to protect the screen further.
How to pack fragile excess baggage items
Smaller, fragile items must be packed inside strong boxes with plenty of inner protection using bubble-wrap or polystyrene chips to provide extra cushioning. ALL boxes should be sealed using plenty of strong tape which will withstand the journey and not peel away from the boxes and EVERY package should be clearly marked with the name and address of the consignee at the destination.
If you cannot find these packing materials locally then you can buy them from us if required. See HERE for types and costs.
Packing is no more than using a little common sense and the correct materials. Remember, these are YOUR personal effects. They mean more to you than anyone else - please pack them properly.