The Downsides of Using Used Packing Supplies

Fitting into a relocation budget may involve making a few compromises such as packing your items in old cardboard boxes and other already used materials. But while that may help you save a few pounds, it may also expose your belongings and your new home to a number of unexpected risks and dangers. That is because poor-quality packing supplies:

  • Do not offer proper protection
  • Can spoil the conditions of your stuff
  • May result in a pest infestation
  • Often go hand-in-hand with bad odours

So, it can be said that it takes more than an organised man with a van in Bounds Green N11, N22 to ensure the safe transportation of your personal possessions and furniture. The use of quality packing materials is also a must.

Items are more likely to break

Even if you managed to find some well-preserved boxes from a nearby grocery store and some old bubble wrap that came with some parcels you received in the past, those boxes may be a bit worn-off and that bubble wrap may be missing most of its bubbles. As a result, accidents will be more likely to happen. Your possessions will not be properly protected and you need to ask yourself whether taking such a risk is worth it.

The packing materials themselves may damage your possessions

Why bother spending money on brand-new packing paper when you can just wrap your items in old newspapers, right? This is a mistake that many people make. The ink on the newspaper can leave marks on your belongings that may be hard to clean later.

Pest risks

Your joy of moving to a new home can be quickly spoilt by a pest infestation. Did you know that the eggs of certain types of pests such as cockroaches, ants, etc. can lay dormant in an old box for a long time? Therefore, those packing supplies you found in your garage may come with a nasty surprise. No matter how carefully and thoroughly you inspect them, you may still fail to notice the signs of a pest infestation in the making.

Unpleasant smells

Paper and cardboard are materials that easily absorb smells. The worst part is that there is no way to remove traces of bad odours from them since you cannot wash or deodorise them as that may damage their structure. Therefore, unless you want your clothes to smell like onions, stinky shoes or a mouldy storage room, you need to invest in new packing materials.

Saving money when moving home is great but keeping your possessions safe and in one piece is more important. If you agree with that, you should ask your local removals company if it can provide you with speedy delivery of professional packing materials. View that as an expense that is simply unavoidable. If you truly want to save from packing supplies, you can try renting boxes and crates instead of buying them. Also, you can get rid of the items you no longer use by donating, selling or throwing them away.