Whether you're relocating to a new house or you simply need to store some items outside of your home, the choice of packing material is critical to the whole process of packing and storing. Purchasing quality packing material is a must, especially if you need to store items for a longer period. The right packing material can protect your items from damage, tear, dust, damp and sun. However, there are still many renters of self-storage units which overlook this part of the process of storing. People ignore this aspect and simply think that having a bunch of cardboard boxes is absolutely enough for short and long term storage. Later on they find damaged, scratched or chipped items and there is nothing they can do about it. Therefore, investing in quality packing material is not a waste of money, but quite a reasonable choice. Fragile items such as china and glassware, wood furniture and valuables get easily damaged by just one wrong move. Often the most damage happens during the transportation of items, inside the moving truck or in the boot of a car. If you are planning to move items in your own car, think again. Having only a couple of boxes to move is manageable, but you cannot possibly cope with all the furniture and fragile items. It's better to trust a moving company for that. Your task is to pack the items, though. Take extra care before the move and organize your items so that you pack similar ones together in the respective box. The essential packing material which will ensure a damage and stress-free move include: cardboard and/or corrugated moving boxes, adhesive tape, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, moving blankets, linen, newspaper, shrink wrap, straps, water-resistant markers, and so on. Some of the packing material you already have at home, but others you should purchase from reputed sellers. You can buy them online in bulks and get a good price. The options you have are actually a few: buying directly from the manufacturer, buying from the storage facility you have chosen or buying them online. If your preferred self-storage facility offers transport and packing material, as well as insurance, this is the best option. Some storage companies offer transport for free or for a rather low cost. Once you start packing make sure you have enough cushioning for the bottom of each cardboard box. The more padding you put, the safer your items will be during the transport. Boxes with fragile items such as dishes, china, lamps and glassware will need a few layers of padding and lots of paper filling the void spaces. Once you pack the boxes, secure them with tape and label them accordingly. If you are going to store your items in self-storage, make sure you know what's inside each box. Don't use tape directly on wood furniture because you might shop some of the polish. Wrap furniture such as sofas and chairs in shrink wrap - this is a brilliant material, which is easy to use for all sorts of items. Don't put many heavy items in a single box - distribute the weight reasonably, because you might have to lift those and arrange them yourself. You should have a good plan when you are packing, as well as for the arrangement of the storage or shed. Be extra careful with valuable items. Wrap them in a few layers of bubble wrap and paper. It's advisable to wrap them in a way that one cannot tell what's inside. Put them in a box which is labeled differently than "valuables". In case there is a theft, this might save your items from being stolen.