Packing in Plastic Bins??? (movers, U-Haul, trailer, truck)
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We are moving cross country using professional movers. I have lots of stuff in bins including about 20 plastic bins with Christmas Decorations in them. I hate to have to repack this in cardboard boxes but at the same time I am a little concerned that stuff will get broken. Has anyone ever had movers move stuff in plastic bins and if so how did that work out? Thanks for any responses.
If they are very sturdy and filled thoroughly (or stuffed with newspaper), they should be ok. I've done this with a couple moves. For Christmas decorations, I'd be very careful as the plastic can dent in if it's the flexible type. You might want to re-pack them so there is padding all around and the decorations are in the "middle" of the bin. The only ones I've had crack were the snap lid ones that were old, and the cracks were on the edges.
Double check your mover will accept them.
I ended up taping lids on or taping over snap lids, and using labels with tape over them. It was actually a lot of trouble, but I would have wanted to use the containers anyway and packing them empty would have taken more space.
Good advice tortisegirl. I would only add if you have to repack them to get padding around them then maybe put them in boxes for the move and clothes or linens in the bins. I happen to keep my Christmas things in hard sided suitcases. They have been through many moves and not the most gentle handling. They work great and it is so nice to pick up and carry. I ran a small rope around them for the move just for in case they opened or you can tape the latches. I even have our tree in one but it is a small tree. I picked all of mine up for one or two dollars each at thrift stores. Actually over the years I have quite a collection of them now and keep lota of things stored in them in my loft for future use. They work great for that. And if beauty is a concern they can be spray painted with the Krylon paints and it lasts a long time.
Great advice, Tortoisegirl and ShadesofIdaho! Maja, the only other thing I can add is that, generally, movers will only accept responsibility for items they have packed. If you pack it, generally you are responsible. Now, I have had movers look at what I've packed and, being satisfied that it's packed securely, note "CP" (carrier packed) on the manifest. Hope all goes well for your move!
We've done four "company" moves and there have been times stuff from our previous moves was still not unpacked before the next move...
On the pack day, the movers generally went through all the stuff that was already packed and made sure it was to their specifications.
One thing I can say about xmas decorations is that if they are meaningful to you--DOUBLE pack them. On our most recent move, I blanked out on our ornaments and just assumed they would be taken care of. They weren't packed and just thrown on the truck in their plastic ornament carrier. My husband just put it away when they unloaded our garage stuff (this was end of August). Last month when we unpacked our ornaments, 12 of them were broken. It was very sad...so whatever has special meaning to you--take special care for!
I, too, have moved with bins. Like others, I made sure they were packed well and any empty spaces were stuffed with paper and bubble wrap and such. All the bins survived fine and didn't collapse, not even the cheapo type. I had a couple of cracked lids (minor cracks), but they were old, cheap bins, and nothing inside was damaged.
The only thing I can add is that they do take up more space in the moving van than straight-sided boxes which meant our movers couldn't pack the truck as efficiently. Our estimator knew we would fill the 51' trailer (um, yeah, I have way too much stuff), but because of the huge number of bins, not everything fit and we had to also rent a U-Haul.
Movers have the remarkable ability to pack a trailer with boxes so that there's no space nor gap, but bins create a challenge for that.
Our last professional movers wrote "CP" on the tape I had taped the plastic bins with... they didn't care as they get paid by the box - it was just gravy for the packers!
Everything worked out fine, but do pull it all out and repack it for a long distance move... lots more bubble wrap, toss out any candles (they melt), Ziploc everything and wrap even non-breakables with blank newsprint or cheap white paper towels.
Everything worked out fine, but do pull it all out and repack it for a long distance move... lots more bubble wrap, toss out any candles (they melt), Ziploc everything and wrap even non-breakables with blank newsprint or cheap white paper towels.
Great advice. I now do all this even if I'm moving myself. I learned the HARD WAY about that candle melting.
Also, it makes a difference what KIND of plastic bins you have. Some are more durable than others. If it is the more brittle kind, it doesn't take much to crack or chip them....letting in moisture or bugs.
If the bins are huge, the movers can put a 'moving sticker' and load them up - usually wrapped in brown paper. Most smaller plastic bins remain packed (by the 'customer') and are loaded into cardboard boxes. Most movers like plastic bins and 'customer packed' boxes as the weight gets counted (for more payment) but the liability lies more with the owners.
We moved everything we owned in plastic bins, actually, we shipped them through US mail and frequently fly with them to buy bulk goods. Our trick that made things nice was to drill four holes, one in each corner, and zip tie the lid to the bin, that way, they are assured not to pop open and lose their contents. This may be less of an issue with a truck, but still something to think about.
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