Planning to move and getting the jitters? Don’t be unduly worried. While it is perfectly justified for you to sweat thinking about the tons of work that is waiting to come your way, a few tips will stand you in good stead in packing up your home in the most efficient and effortless way. In this article I shall cover how you should go about packing the pride of your house – the dining room.

While packing the dining room may well be less complicated than its other counterparts like the kitchen or the bathroom, it has its own specialties that need looking into. The smaller parts like the crockery need different treatment from the larger items like the larger dining chairs or the hutch. Yet large size alone does not mean they are any less precious, or need less care.

You may have spent years building up that exclusive crystal collection which is now vulnerable to the vagaries of moving. In all probability you would have long discarded the original packing, unless you are a frequent mover who knows that the best packing is done in the original box. Equal value can be drawn, however, from similar sized cardboard cartons which can be used to pack even more than one set to save on space. What needs to be remembered here is that crockery pieces should not be able to scrape against each other. This is easily achieved by wrapping the pieces in paper, or separating them with small pieces of cardboard. Fill up the vacant spaces with paper shreds to stuff it tight.

Get proper insurance for your goods so that the risks of breakage are well covered. Nobody is perfect.

The larger items of furniture like the dining room tables can be packed by separating the legs from the top. It is a good idea to go for removable legs if you are in a transferable job, as it will make your work much easier.

Use the shelves in your dining room hutch to pack cushions etc. Putting heavy stuff like crockery in it will make it extremely heavy and difficult to lift.

Be generous with the wrapping material. The more tightly your things are packed, the better the chances of their arriving in one piece. Don’t worry about its cost – it would be much lesser than the cost of any breakage that may take place.

Here are some additional tips to ensure your fragile goods arrive safe and sound at your destination:

-Use Bubble wrap for breakable items. The little air pockets are extremely effective.

-Do not save on wrapping paper – use plenty to pack well.

-For a cost-effective solution, use shredded paper to line the inside of boxes and to fill any gaps or holes.

-Labeling boxes as "FRAGILE - THIS SIDE UP" will make the handler be a little vigilant.

-Plates and platters should be packed vertically into boxes to avoid cracking and breaking.

-Keep your stuff in layers. Keep larger items such as plates and platters on the bottom. Cushion each layer with lots of old newspapers, shredded paper or bubble wrap.

-Place bowls, saucers and small serving plates on top of the bottom layer.

-Pack glasses and cups repeating the same steps as above.

-Your spare bed sheets are very useful to cover the gap between the top layer and the lid of the box.

While packing your furniture, use your old clothes and spare rugs to pack the tops and the legs to ensure scratch free transport. The legs of each dining chair should be packed separately. Bolt the doors and drawers of all the cabinets and hutches. For fragile items like glass door hutches, use the services provided by professional packers to shrink wrap them in polythene.

Happy packing! And do not fret over the little extra work!

The author has just bought a new dining room table from an Amish furniture store. Amish Oak furniture is known for its sturdiness and strength.