Moving overseas? You may need to move all your belongings to your destination. To ensure all your items are safe, you can hire professional movers to do the packing tasks. However, if you should decide to do your own packing, here are some tips for efficient packing.

Purchase packing materials. Start buying packing materials especially padding items such as moving pads, shrink wrap and bubble wrap. Boxes, markers and tapes are also considered as must-haves in packing for a move. One good way to maximize packing your space is to sell or give away items that you will not need in your new home.

Empty drawers and cabinets before moving. Drawers and cabinets can be filled with cloth items. However, papers and other breakable materials should be emptied to avoid scratches and damages. It is also helpful to stick packing tapes on cabinet and drawer doors to keep them from swinging open during the move.

Wrap your breakables with bubble wrap. Fragile items need extra care especially when moving in long distance. Individually wrap dishes, glasses and mirrors with packing paper and bubble wrap. Stuff crumpled wrapping paper inside glasses and stem ware. Stack dishes on their sides to prevent breakage. Stacking dishes flat may put too much pressure on the dishes at the bottom.

Cover furniture properly. Fabric furniture easily picks up dust and dirt. When packing for the move, make sure you properly wrap your sofas, love seats, arm chairs and recliners with plastic to ensure protection from dust and grime.

Label boxes accurately. Label boxes accurately to make it easy to identify each item in the box especially the fragile ones. If you are moving in a country that does not speak English, make sure you label each box in their language as well.