Most of the damage that happens during a move comes down to two things. Boxes packed too heavy to carry properly, and fragile items with nothing between them to absorb a knock. Both come down to how you pack, not luck.
Books, tools, tins, anything dense, belongs in the smallest box you own. A large box full of books is close to impossible to lift safely and the bottom tends to give out first. Save the big boxes for linen, cushions, anything with some air in it. That one swap prevents most of the strained backs and split boxes on a moving day.
Every plate, glass, or ornament needs its own wrap, not a shared sheet of paper laid across the top of the box. Plates travel better standing on their edge than stacked flat, they take the pressure differently that way. Fill the gaps in the box too, anything that can shift in transit usually does.
Writing FRAGILE on a box is a start. Writing FRAGILE, GLASSWARE, THIS SIDE UP tells the person carrying it exactly what they are holding and how to hold it. Vague labels get handled like every other box.
Bed frames, big tables, anything flat pack, moves lighter and safer in pieces. Keep the screws and small hardware taped directly to the item in a labelled bag, not floating loose in a box somewhere. That is the single easiest way to lose them.
Bend at the knees, keep the item close to your body, and do not twist while you are holding weight. Anything heavy is safer carried by two people than strained through by one. Same rule whether you are the one lifting or just directing a crew on where things go.
Small boxes for heavy things. Individual wrapping for anything fragile. Specific labels. Proper lifting. Skip one of these four and that is usually where the damage or the injury comes from.
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