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Making sure your moving boxes are taped correctly and strong enough to endure your pending move can mean the difference between your Grandma’s inherited china arriving in one piece or a million shattered pieces. It’s a good idea to learn how to tape your moving boxes so that everything arrives at your new house in the condition it left the old house. Here’s what you need to know.

Choose the Best Moving Boxes and Packing Materials

• Your moving boxes don’t need to be very expensive at all. There are plenty of sources for affordable moving boxes from moving companies and online. The key is to ensure the boxes that you use are sturdy.

• To get the packing techniques for your move just right, you need to be able to pack efficiently. And to do that, you need all the right packing supplies, including newspaper, bubble wrap, tissue paper, biodegradable packing peanuts and a couple of towels.

• Choose proper packing tape, not masking or Scotch varieties. You want a tape that is specifically designed for packing, and preferably one that comes in a tape dispenser. A high quality, strong tape also means you will use less per box.

• You can always consider purchasing moving kits, which are pre-made kits with all the moving supplies you could need.

• As tempting as it may be to put as much as possible into big boxes, it’s better to pack heavier items into smaller boxes that are easier to manage. Ensure that each box you pack is sturdy and filled right to the top to avoid collapsing when being stacked with other boxes.

Avoid the Bottom Falling Out

Overlapping opposite flaps at the bottom of your moving boxes will make the container secure, but not quite secure enough. When it comes to assembling boxes, have that strong tape on hand. Besides keeping your items safe and secure, it’s important to realize that movers may not move the boxes if they have been packed incorrectly.

How to Tape Your Box

Here’s the best way to tape your boxes. If ever, you need more boxes, you can order from moving box suppliers such as at www.themovingboxcompany.com.au.

• Start by folding the moving box in the smaller bottom flaps. Next, fold in the larger flaps and flip the box to start taping.

• Professional movers typically choose to use “H” taping. The middle of the letter “H” becomes the middle seam of the box. Tape that bit first and then place a strip of tape down both sides where you folded the flaps in.

• If you’re planning on packing a heavy load, be sure to tape from corner to corner, too, in an “X” shape in order to reinforce the bottom.

• When you’re done taping, ensure the tape is flat and properly sticking to the box. Once you have filled the box, close the top in the same manner with the tape.

Getting Out of a Sticky Situation

If you’ve ever found yourself wasting time trying to find the end of your tape roll, there is an easy solution. After each time you have used the tape, fold over a tiny section of the tape and stick it onto itself and then pull it out into the tearing mechanism section. This way, you have a little tab to grab onto when you start taping again.

These tips should ensure your boxes are sturdy for that big move.