Europa Movers Toronto

6-24 The East Mall,
Toronto, ON M8W 4W5
416-604-9904

Packing Supplies For Your Residential Move in Toronto ON

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So what exactly do you expect to get when you look for a residential moving service for moving in Toronto, ON or elsewhere in Canada?

Your shortlist is certain to include having a Toronto moving company that will turn up on time, a crew of professional Toronto movers that know what they’re doing, and a truck (or two) that will not break down and delay the whole process.

But another aspect that has become standard is the availability of quality packing materials. It’s understandable, especially when you consider packing your possessions safely depends greatly on the quality of the materials used, and that finding such materials independently can take a bit of searching and a significant investment of time.

Here’s a general guide to give you an idea as to what you’ll need.

What You Need

The list of items typically needed when moving homes is pretty straightforward. You need practical wrapping materials to protect items from scratches, vibrations and the impact from bumps and falls, boxes to put items in, and other items for packing, and sealing.

In general, Toronto residential moving service providers will have a set list of items, but experienced Toronto movers should be able to identify special materials when necessary, and what materials you can do without. This, of course, all depends on what the items being packed are.

The basic list runs something like this:

  • cardboard boxes
  • specialty boxes, like wardrobe boxes, mirror boxes, lamp boxes, dish boxes, flat screen TV boxes
  • packing peanuts
  • tissue paper or unprinted newspaper
  • bubble wrap
  • packing tape
  • moving blankets for furniture

Box sizes range from small to extra large, and are usually measured by cubic feet. Some frequently used special boxes are dish pack and wardrobe boxes, but mirror, picture and even mattress boxes are also available.

  • small box (1.5-2 cu. ft.) – for books, magazines, newspaper, DVDs, small general items like small sculptures, kitchen pantry
  • medium box (3-4 cu. ft.) – for clothes, linnen, slightly larger items, or for larger general items
  • large box (5-6 cu. ft) – for pillows, bulky items, larger item, lamps, toys
  • dish pack box (5.1 cu. ft.) – designed with double extra thick walls perfect for dishes, glasses, vases, lamps, breakables
  • wardrobe box (14 cu. ft.) – contains a cross rung so clothes can be hung just as in a wardrobe

How Much You Need

This is the grey area, with precise numbers hard to calculate. A lot depends on the amount you want to move, some of which may not be very common. For example, if you have a library of books, then you’ll need a larger number of small sized boxes.

A good residential moving service should be able to handle any kind of move, whether the client is moving from a small apartment or a large family home. The number of bedrooms may vary, and extra spaces like a guest room and home office will change things.

As a guide, however, the average family home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, as well as a kitchen, living room and dining room. Using this as a model, a moving company should offer between 90 and 100 boxes, the vast majority of which would be made up of small, medium and large packing boxes. The per-room breakdown reads something like this:

  • Kitchen – 20 boxes: 4 small, 6 medium, 4 large, 6 dish pack (for bulky kitchen appliances)
  • Living Room – 14 boxes: 4 small, 4 medium, 4 large, 2 dish pack boxes
  • Dining Room – 6 boxes: 2 medium, 4 dish pack boxes
  • Bedroom – 14 boxes: 2 small, 5 medium, 5 large, 2 wardrobe boxes
  • Master Bedroom – 23 boxes: 3 small, 6 medium, 8 large, 6 wardrobe boxes
  • Bathroom – 4 boxes: 2 small, 2 large

When it comes to other packing materials, like packing paper, bubble wrap and tape, then there are also general amounts issued by a residential moving service in Toronto.

For example, 1 roll of tape is usually enough for every 10 boxes (so 9-10 tape), while 25 lbs of packing paper is usually enough for every 10 cubic feet of packing. That’s enough for 5 small, 2.5 medium, 1.5 large and 2 dish pack boxes. An average of about 1 ft of bubble wrap is needed per box too, so about 9 rolls of 12 feet-long sheets is necessary.

About Europa Moving & Storage Toronto

Europa Moving & Storage Toronto is a professional moving and storage company operating out of Toronto, ON, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout Toronto, GTA, Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Europa Moving & Storage Toronto (416) 604-9904 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or office moving needs to and from the GTA and Metro Toronto area.

Residential Move in Toronto, ON – Packing Tips

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Our team at Europa Moving & Storage Toronto has prepared some useful tips below to help you pack your belongings, and particularly those fragile or highly valuable ones to guard against in-transit accidents. At Europa Moving & Storage Toronto, our residential Toronto moving services can include full-service packing and packing supplies, but you can still opt to do most of the packing yourself.

  1. Extra Padding – Even a relatively short distance residential Toronto moving has its share of risks, thanks to bumpy roads and sudden stops. So feel free to be liberal with the padding! Bubble wrap and newspaper are long established favourites, but don’t forget unconventional alternatives, like sweaters, scarves, blankets and even socks.
  2. Plates and Dishes – It’s not unheard of after a residential move to begin unpacking and discover a few broken plates and saucers – it’s usually due to truck vibrations. The secret is to pack them individually on their sides, just like in a dishwasher! Make sure their edges are securely wrapped with bubble wrap with little room to move around.
  3. Fragile Objects – We’ve touched on plates and dishes, but keep in mind that jugs, glasses, china cups and the like should be packed separately with their cavities filled. Socks are excellent for this! Be sure to pack them in large boxes with pillows or blankets to absorb the vibrations.
  4. Lamps – A tricky item, but it might just fit in the drawers in the dresser! Wrap the base in a towel, and disassemble if possible. The furniture is stable, and the towel provides great buffering going around tight corners. The shades can be boxed.
  5. Electronics – Toronto residential movers usually advise electronics be packed in their original boxes – but chances are they’ve been thrown out long ago! Instead, wrap each component separately, then secure the main item (DVD player etc) in bubble wrap, set it into the centre of a box walled by a blanket. Add the smaller components on top, wrapped in extra padding.
  6. Mirrors and Paintings – It’s best to get a frame box for any large mirrors or valuable paintings. Most Toronto residential moving services will offer them, but be sure to fill the space between the mirror and the box walls. Again, a blanket or sweater is ideal for this.
  7. Antique Furniture – To protect valuable antique furniture, you can wrap a thick winter blanket around the main body. The material won’t tear during transit, but be sure to wipe surfaces clean first so no small particles can cause damage under the padding. Smaller kitchen towels and sweaters can be used around the legs.

About Europa Moving & Storage Toronto

Europa Moving & Storage Toronto is a professional moving and storage company operating out of Toronto, ON, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout Toronto, GTA, Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Europa Moving & Storage Toronto (416) 604-9904 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or office moving needs to and from the GTA and Metro Toronto area.

What to Include in Your Moving Checklist for Moving in Toronto

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Moving to or from Toronto, ON or elsewhere in Canada, can appear pretty overwhelming at first, but if you sit down and map it out, breaking it into small manageable stages, it starts to appear less daunting. This plan is what is commonly known as a “moving checklist” and should list everything that needs to be done, each task’s level of priority and when each task needs to be completed by. The last thing we just mentioned (the deadline) is particularly important as it acts as a motivating factor and gets you to take action. Most people are procrastinators and will avoid doing something for as long as they possibly can (in this case, until a couple of days before the move), which can lead to a mad dash and poor preparation. It’s also important to be aware that there’s no one-size-fits-all moving checklist out there since every home move is different. This means that while you can use other moving checklists for inspiration, ultimately you’ll have to come up with your own. If you’re not sure of what sort of things you need to include in yours, we’re going to give you a helping hand based on our 30 years experience of being one of the best moving companies in Toronto and GTA.

Some of the Core Tasks that a Moving Checklist should include

As the expression goes “fail to prepare and prepare to fail.” You have to take your home move seriously otherwise the results could be disastrous. Some of the tasks that should definitely be on your moving checklist include the following:

Comprehensive Sort Through of Your Possessions

You aren’t going to be taking everything you own with you when you move. The vast majority of people build up a collection of, well, there’s no other way to describe it but “junk.” During the time that you’ve lived at your property, you’ve probably been guilty of a fair amount of hoarding and now is the perfect time to weed these items out and downsize. This has the added benefit of potentially lowering quotes from moving companies significantly. Go through absolutely everything you own and either put items in one pile for packing or another for “buy/sell/trade/dispose of.” Imagine your new home and ditch anything that you don’t think will “fit in.”

Contact Several Toronto Moving Companies

One item that should always feature on a moving checklist is “hiring a moving company in Toronto.” This is essential and depending on when you are moving (winter is considered to be pretty “dead” for Toronto movers), you will need to contact movers well in advance of your moving date as the good ones get booked up very quickly. Be as accurate as possible when providing them with details of your move over the phone (i.e. how much “stuff” you need to have moved) if you want to get an accurate estimate. There’s also a number of questions you should ask, such as how long they’ve been in business, whether they are fully licensed and insured and what types of equipment they will use to complete your move. Good movers now how stressful moving can be and will do everything possible to ensure you enjoy a smooth transition.

Purchase Packing Materials & Pack

You need to start packing well in advance as it’s more practical to take the “little by little” approach, rather than trying to get it all done in a single weekend. However, before you start packing, you’ll need to purchase a range of packing supplies (speak to your Toronto moving company as they may be able to “hook you up” with some discounted packing materials). We’d recommend you purchase sturdy cardboard moving boxes, bubble wrap, packing pellets and plenty of tape! We would also recommend buying permanent markers in several different colours to help you label each box after you’ve packed it, that way you’ll know where everything is when you “land” at your new place.

Notify All Important Parties of Your Imminent Move

Unless you actually tell people that you’re moving, how are they supposed to know? And if they don’t know, this means that they will continue sending mail to your old address, which will fall into the hands of the new owners or the landlord. This is not something that you want! Start by telling friends and family before contacting all financial institutions that you have dealings with, your employer, any magazines and newspapers that you are subscribed to, insurance companies and utility companies. Another task you should add to your moving checklist is to visit your local post office and set up a mail redirect service. This will ensure that mail from anyone you don’t remember to tell will be forwarded to your new address.

Confirm Arrangements for Your Moving Day

It’s common to book a moving company several weeks or even months in advance, meaning there can be a significant period of “non-contact” between your initial call and your moving day. It’s advisable to include a “confirmation call” on your moving checklist, just to double check that all arrangements are correct. Most Toronto moving companies will use this as an opportunity to explain exactly what’s going to happen on the day, so you sleep easy in the days leading up to your move.

Empty the Freezer Gradually and then Defrost

This is one thing many homeowners in Toronto, Etobicoke and Mississauga forget to include in their moving checklist and it often ends up costing them dearly. It’s usually not practical to take frozen food with you when you move home, which often results in throwing hundreds of dollars of food away. Rather than letting it get to this, a few weeks before your move you should ease off on grocery shopping and start cooking the food you have in your freezer instead! A separate task that should feature on your moving checklist is completely emptying, cleaning and defrosting your freezer (otherwise moving it could get very messy!). You need to do this at least 24 hours before the day of your move.

If you are moving home in the near future and are not sure what you should include on your moving checklist, give the pros at Europa Moving & Storage Toronto a call. We would be happy to provide you with any advice that you need and have over 30 years of industry experience.

About Europa Movers Toronto

Europa Movers Toronto is a professional moving and storage company operating out of Toronto, ON, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout Toronto, GTA, Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Europa Movers Toronto (416) 604-9904 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or office moving needs to and from the GTA and Metro Toronto area.