How to pack books for moving

If you’re a book lover, packing books for moving will probably be one of the most, if not the most important task of the moving process. You are transporting precious cargo, am I right? 🙂 

Even if you’re not a huge book fan, but you have many, then you still need to know how to pack books for moving in the best way possible. 

Why? Because books are tricky to pack:

• They occupy a lot of space because of their size. 
• Hardcovers are usually pretty heavy.
• Paperback editions can be fragile, especially if you’re not careful with the edges.

That’s why it’s important to know how to pack books for moving. You need to make sure the packaging is appropriate and can hold that many books. Then you need to pack them the right way in order for them to not be damaged during transportation. And of course, let’s not forget sorting and labeling them. 

So if you care about your books and you want to make sure they make it safe and sound to your new place, here is how to pack books for moving:

Size down your book collection before packing

First thing first. Size down!

I know, a tragedy! But trust me, it’s better in the long run, you will have a cleaner, more organized space….and more room for new books!

I recommend going through your whole collection and checking to see if there are any books you don’t want or don’t need anymore. If you’re stuck on the how, I’ve actually written a short, but comprehensive guide on How to declutter books. Check out the article for more details!

Group the books before packing them

If you want to make your life easier when you have to unpack, think of a way to organize them before actually packaging them.

There are many ways to go about:

1. It can be by type of books: Hardcovers and Paperbacks. I don’t particularly recommend this option because you will end up with heavy boxes (with the hardcovers) and lightweight boxes (with the paperbacks), and too bad for the people who will have to carry the heavy ones. 
2. You could also try packing them by author. Especially if you have large collections of prolific authors like Stephen King.
3. I also recommend the genres option. Young adults in one box, non-fiction in another, and so on.

Either way, think about how you will organize them in the new place, and pack them accordingly, to make your life easier. 

How to pack books in BOXES

The first and obvious choice of packaging are BOXES. 

Preferably, sturdy, medium-size cardboard boxes that are sealed with sturdy packing tape on the bottom and the top. 

Before actually starting to pack, make sure the boxes are not damp, because then they will ruin the books. Also, have a marker on hand to label each box. 

How to pack hardcover books in boxes

The easiest way to do that is to place the hardcovers in the box standing upright, with the spine against the box’s side part. Exactly like you would arrange them on a shelf. 

How to pack paperback books in boxes

The paperbacks can be packed in flat stacks, one on top of the other. Or you can set them spine first in order for the paper edges to face up. That way, you will avoid bending the pages. 

How to pack books in SUITCASES

Yes, you’ve read that right. You can pack books in suitcases. I’ve done it before. 

It’s not exactly convenient or efficient, but you can do it, in certain circumstances. 

For example, I had two large suitcases that I would fill up with books every day and take them to the new place. I was in a particularly lucky scenario where I wasn’t in a hurry to move all in one go, so I took my time packing and transporting my things, and I could afford to transport only two suitcases a day. I know most people are not that lucky, so you might not like this option. 

But if you can, or if you have extra suitcases you can use on the day of the move, just stack the books on top of each other and trolly them to your new home. 

How to transport the books

The books are packed, labeled and ready to go to the new place. But how will they get them to the new place? There are multiple options, but the two most frequently used ones are 

• Transporting them yourself (with your car or a rented van), or
• Hiring a moving company.

I definitely recommend hiring a local moving company, like Fresh Start – The Moving Crew Springfield,. They’re considered to be one of the most trusted moving companies out there and have great reviews. They do residential and commercial moving in Springfield MA and surrounding areas, and they have 8+ years of experience. If you’re in the area, check them out!

All in all, moving companies are great because they will literally do the heavy lifting for you. Moreover, it will save you money and time and effort. Win-win on both sides. 

So this is! Now it’s time to start packing! I hope this blog post helped you; let me know in the comment how you prefer to pack books for moving!