Best Way to Pack Books
Books are a treasured item that can sometimes be really hard to part with when you move. While it’s important to purge and get rid of what you don’t need before you move into your new place, books can sometimes be a little trickier to assess whether they stay or go. For some, books can be a reminder of a beloved childhood moment, or for others a favorite book in college. These keepsake items often travel with us from move to move before we actually decide on whether they should be placed in storage, passed along to a friend, donated, and in some instances, thrown away. To help you out, we’re sharing a guide on evaluating and packing your books during a move to help you organize them in the most efficient way possible. Read on to check out some of our tips and advice for getting your books in order.
Assess your books
As we mentioned, it’s best to go through all of your books to figure what you should pass along to a friend, place in storage, donate and/or get rid of. As you go through your books, ask yourself a few questions: Will I ever read this again (or ever)? Do I love this book for the cover or the content? Does this book make me happy? Do I really have room for this book in my new house? Are my books for decoration or do they have value? Answering these questions truthfully will help you to better understand which ones you should be passing along. Donating them is a great idea to give back to a local charity, or you can also give them to a buddy who you think would love the book just as much as you did. Knowing that they are going to good hands might make the ‘getting rid of them process’ a little easier. In some instances, you might want to keep your boxes but realize that you don’t need them in your new home. A storage solution is a great option for this where you can hold onto them without having them in your living space. During this process, you might also come across books that are tattered or worn-down. In those instances, you should probably recycle them or pass them to your local library where they might be able to use them for an upcycled craft.
Get them out of your house
Once you have the pile of books that you are giving away, be sure to arrange for the donation and/or pass them along to a friend. The moving process is so hectic with so many things to do that you want to make sure that whatever tasks you have around the house are finished before you tackle the actual packing.
Pile your boxes
Once you have your list of books that you are keeping, arrange them a pile so that you can see how many books are coming with you to your new place. You might be surprised at how many books you have and how many moving boxes you’ll need.
Get your moving supplies
Now you’ll need your moving boxes and tape. For boxes, it’s best to get strong, medium-sized boxes. If your boxes are too large, it will make it harder to lift them and potentially causing them to break.
Layer the boxes
If you have a lot of hardcover books, it’s a good idea to place some moving paper on the bottom of your boxes. This can help to avoid any denting or movement that will occur during in the moving truck.
Pack your books
Now, it’s time to get to work. Start by packing your heaviest and largest books that you place on the bottom of your box, then add in your medium-sized and smaller books. You’ll also want to pack your books flat, so that you can fit several stacks of books in one box.
Make the most of your boxes
If you have any space in between your books, consider filling them in with other items that you have to pack. Some common items to fill in spaces for boxes, include small dish towels, shirts, underwear, and/or socks for padding.
Label your boxes
It’s so important to label so that you and your movers know exactly where your boxes should go when you finally get into your new house. And since these boxes will be super heavy, labeling them as books will ensure that they won’t be placed on top of anything that mark as fragile.
Books are special items that can be hard to part with. After you figure out which books are moving on with you to your new home, you’ll want to make sure that you pack them in an efficient and organized manner. But if you really can’t part with your beloved novels, storage is another option to hold onto them without having to move them into your new home.