<p>They may not be as expensive as the sofa or refrigerator, but family mementos are priceless to you. As you make plans to safeguard your valuables during transport, don’t lose track of the pieces of art your child made in second grade or the picture album you put together to chronicle the family reunion. Plan on ways to protect the items that are irreplaceable, so moving does not cost you memories. The best moving companies offer tips online for packing all your important items.<br />
<strong>Gather Supplies</strong><br />
Organization is the key to keeping everything safe, and lack of it is the easiest way to lose things during a move. Start by creating an inventory for all the little valuables that require extra protection. For example, an heirloom quilt, family photos or your parent&#8217;s wedding goblets.<br />
Make a list of supplies you need such as large and small boxes, old newspaper, bubble wrap, brown or white craft paper and packing tape. Make sure any free boxes you grab from the grocery store are clean, dry and free of insects. A box that was wet but dries later on may still break open when loaded with goodies. Use the things you have around the house too for packing. Items like pillowcases and tea towels come in handy when boxing up the fragile stuff.<br />
Purchase photo albums to bind all your photos or drawings not in frames. As an alternative, buy lined photo boxes to hold unsecured images. For vital pictures, consider making digital copies on a CD in case you lose a picture.<br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13671" src="http://haznos.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/4960429183_a58e3d0e01.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="500" /><br />
<strong>Set Up a Packing Station</strong><br />
Start packing nonessentials as early as possible. Set up a place in your home designated as packing central. This is where you work to box everything. Create a separate place nearby for storage. Lay out all your supplies so you don’t have to search for anything.<br />
Pack each item individually first and then combine them in larger groupings, organized by room. For instance, put picture frames in boxes or wrap them in bubble wrap and then put them together in a larger corrugated box.<br />
Packing is a little like putting together a puzzle. When organizing each box, think heavy on the bottom and light on top. For instances, line the seat of the box with photo albums and leave the top areas open for fragile pieces. Once you have a box full, but not over full, stuff the empty spaces with newspaper. The best moving companies will guide you as you pack to go to your new home. Turn to them for advice to make transporting the family valuables as smooth as possible.</p>
<h5>Attached Images:</h5>
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<li> <span class="license">License: Creative Commons</span> <span class="source">image source</span></li>
<li> <span class="license">License: Creative Commons</span> <span class="source">image source</span></li>
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<p>Chuck Stevens is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @chuckstevens12.</p>