Whether you or your family are moving to New York State for the first time or just to another neighborhood or borough, there are various things to worry about. The biggest problems most people face is how to move their items and whether to all the work themselves. Whichever route you choose, however, you will need to worry about how you pack your things. Most families have at least one set of dishware that is extremely delicate, but others collect many sets and display them. Either way, when you are moving them, it can be terrifying. A slight bump in the road could cause them to clink together, chipping or even unexpectedly breaking them. While there isn’t a completely foolproof way of transporting the fine china, you can attempt a few different methods to lessen the chances of any damage that could occur.

Use More Paper

When packing anything that is highly valuable, make certain that all sides are protected as well as the bottom and sides of the box. This means consuming a lot more packing paper or newspaper than you might think. You should crunch up the paper after you are finished and put it in every hole you can find so that the dishware is not touching at all. This makes sure that if you hit a bump or two on the way there, your dishes will not be clanking together at all.

Invest in Dish Boxes

While they may sound like a waste of money, investing in dish boxes could prove beneficial in the long run. This could be a good precaution to use if you are not transferring your dishes. Dish plates have two layers of cardboard protection, instead of the standard one layer that normal boxes are made with.

Packing Glasses

When packing glasses, avoid laying them flat. They will be more structurally sound and have less of a chance of breaking. It is also important to roll your glasses in one to four layers of newspaper or packing paper before placing them in the box. If you are placing them next to each other, putting a few extra layers of paper over the open end decreases the chance of the edges being chipped if they get knocked around a little too much.

Do Not Stack Plates

When most people think of packing up their plates, they think that they should stack them on top of each other. This is not the safest way to do it, though. When plates are stacked horizontally, there is a higher chance of them breaking because of the weight they put on themselves. When they are stacked vertically, this minimizes the chance of damage that could be done.

Make Sure to Label

When you are unpacking your things, there could be a chance that you miss an extra plate or dish because of the amount of packing paper that is in the box. Make sure to always label things that could be looked over, before you put them away. Remember if you’re using a moving company to also label your dish boxes with the words “fragile” “this side up” and even “plates” should tell your movers that they need to be extra careful.

Keep the Boxes Low

When you are putting in your dishes, try not to ever put them in a high place. There is always a chance that boxes could topple over in the back of a moving van, and your dishes would crash to the ground. To prevent this, place them as low to the ground as you can.