Commonly Damaged Items During House Moves

Moving house is stressful. Forget (if you possibly can!) the financial stress, but there's also the physical stress of packing up your belongings and transporting them to your new place! And it's not uncommon for items to get damaged on Moving Day.

If you’re currently planning a House Move and you’re wondering which items are most commonly damaged on moving day, below we have put together a list that you should pay particular attention to. 

Kitchenalia

Unsurprisingly, many of the most frequently broken items come from the kitchen. Fragile items like glasses, plates and bowls are really easily damaged, and it is crucial to ensure you’re packing them correctly. To prevent your kitchenalia from getting broken, make sure you’re using plenty of packing materials, like bubble wrap and packing paper, and take your time to carefully pack these items into cardboard boxes. 

Electronics

It is Human Nature - the majority of homeowners throw away the boxes their electronics originally came in (or give them to the cat/dog to "destroy"!), so they don’t have anything to pack them into. Whilst electronics like your toaster, kettle and microwave are often robust enough to survive your move, it isn’t uncommon for TVs, games consoles and computers/laptops to get broken. Looking at TVs, there's a massive variety of sizes available, so finding a cardboard box to exactly suit is not always practical. Box Depot would suggest using a transit blanket to wrap around a TV, as a cost-effective solution.

Mirrors and Picture Frames

When packing your belongings, you might not know what to do with your mirrors and picture frames, and simply putting them in a cardboard box can result in them getting damaged. Leaving any gaps in your boxes will cause these items to move in transit and both mirror and picture frame glass can easily get cracked. Ideally, you should use picture boxes for these delicate items, as well as any artwork you own.

Mattresses

Many people assume their furniture will be fine when they’re moving home because most pieces are designed to be durable (your sofa can cope with the children/pets clambering all over it, can't it?!). However, you need to be careful when you’re moving your mattresses. To prevent tears in your mattresses or things being spilled on your mattresses, it is really important to use some plastic mattress covers.

Lampshades

Due to the fact that they are awkwardly shaped, lampshades can be very difficult to fit into moving boxes and they can cause all sorts of problems when you’re packing your belongings. Unfortunately, lampshades can easily be torn, dented and stained during your move, so you need to handle them with care. Ideally, they should be put into a cardboard box on their own with plenty of packing paper or bubble wrap, and paper voidfill to cushion them for the journey.

Plants and Flowers

They can be easy to overlook, but if you plan on taking some of your plants and flowers with you when you move home, you need to think carefully about how you’re going to pack them, in order to ensure they aren’t damaged or killed whilst you’re travelling. Your local garden centre will be able to help with the specifics of how plants get stressed during transport.

This is just an overview of the most common items that can get damaged during a House Move. If there is a specific item you're not sure about how exactly to pack, simply contact the team at Box Depot who will be happy to give you advice!