Packing Tips

Make your moving and storage experience as easy as possible Be systematic. We have developed the following guidelines to help organize your efforts. Follow these tips while packing to save hours of frustration later.

Step 1 — Make an Inventory of your possessions

Moving is an ideal time to sort through your possessions. Don’t move or store things you never use anymore. Have a yard sale, make a donation to a local charity or take a trip to the dump!
Make an inventory list of what items you will pack in each storage vault. Use the Gobox Inventory Sheets.
Organize your items by type and size to ease the packing process. Light items can go in bigger boxes, large plastic bags or be packed safely inside dressers or appliances. Books and heavier items should be packed in smaller boxes.

Step 2 — Pack your possessions

Consider using professional packing supplies. It will help to organize and safely pack your possessions. View Packing Supplies and Useful Items for Packing.
Wrap fragile items separately using bubble wrap, paper or newsprint. Be aware that the ink on newspaper can rub off and stain items.
Wrap mirrors and pictures and pack in special purpose boxes.
Whenever possible disassemble furniture to save space.
Clean appliances like fridges and freezers, tape down all moving parts and leave the doors ajar to prevent mold and mildew.
Cover mattresses and box springs in protective bags.
Protect furniture with packing blackets.
Pack books and files in small boxes for easy lifting.
Fill your boxes completely even if you have to use crumpled newsprint to fill empty spaces. Items won’t shift within the box and boxes won’t get crushed or collapse when stacked on top of each other.
Securely close all boxes to ensure their contents remain intact and to keep out dust.
Seal the bottom of each box especially if it contains books, files or other heavy items.
Mark your boxes with a list of its contents or the room in which it belongs. This will make items easier to find and sort later.
What NOT to store

Step 3 — Load your gobox

Place items you do not need access to and valuables in the rear of your gobox. Frequently accessed items should be placed near the front of the gobox.
Try to keep items packed together by location. For example, keeping all kitchen items together will make unpacking later more efficient.
Try to distribute weight evenly in the gobox. Do not place all the heavy items on one side.
Don’t load more than 2,000 pounds in one gobox.
Place heavy items on the floor and stack lighter items on top.
Mark boxes containing breakable items as fragile and be sure to place them on the top of stacks.
It is easier to stack boxes that are all similar in size.
Use ropes or straps to tie down large items. This will prevent shifting during transit.
Pack items in the gobox as tightly as possible to prevent shifting and damage.
Store mirrors and pictures upright. Do not lay flat.
Goboxes are made of wood so beware of slivers.
When the gobox doors are open, secure them to prevent unexpected closures.
Items you may need to access frequently should be packed near the front of your gobox.
See Additional Storage and Packing Tips
DO NOT do the following with your gobox

Step 4 — Lock your gobox

Lock the gobox with a quality padlock when it is unattended and when packing is complete.
Each gobox is numbered. Write down the number of your gobox.
Call us when your gobox is full and it will be promptly picked up and taken to our secure heated or unheated warehouses.