Packing to move.....tubs or boxes??

[Renee34]

We are going to be packing in a few months to move to Texas from California. My husband wants us to pack everything in those tubs/bins with lids that you see at Target and Walmart instead of cardboard boxes. Has anyone moved with tubs before? It just seems to be a waste to me....the cost of all the tubs, (we can get nice boxes for free) and sometimes the tubs are more bulky than boxes. Also, what are you supposed to do with all the tubs when you unpack. Any advice on this would be appreciated. Thanks

[MrsWilson]

What would you do with all those tubs after you move? Seems like a waste to me. When we moved, I put things in tubs that I knew were going to be stored in the attic. Other than that, it was boxes that were labeled with what room it goes in and what is inside.

[Standrea]

Some tubs might be nice for somethings, like clothes, bathroom things, etc. , but I think for dishes and most other things, boxes are the way to go.

You could keep the bins for storage after the fact-I use mine for holiday decorations, seasonal clothes, and old baby items.

[tenofcups]

Why does he want to pack in tubs? I don't think they'd be any easier to lift or pack into a truck and that can get *very* pricey. I've bought a few recently and was surprised at how much they were--maybe $10 or $15 a tub? I don't remember exactly and it wasn't prohibitive to buy a few, but that would cost a lot of money to pack a whole house that way.

I can't actually see any advantage to packing in the tubs.

[KK812]

We did this once because we move often, but we just found that there was no good place to store them all. We ended up giving most of them away. Not to mention, the tubs tended to be heavier therefore they took two people to move, and they are not as sturdy as one would think-a few of them ended up with cracks in them after just the one use. That was definitely a stupid waste of money! :(

[DallasLady]

I agree with the others, seems like a waste to me. It will be expensive, and then what will you do with them all when you're done?

[gardenmommy]

About 8 years ago when I was single and moved from one state to another I bought a ton of tubs for my move. I liked that they kept stuff dry and were easier for me to carry when heavy.

But I was single and didn't have a ton of stuff and like others have said it would be super expensive to buy tubs for a whole house move.

[Ericka_Jarett]

Honestly, we will NEVER pack our stuff in cardboard boxes again!!!!!!!!!!

We moved from WA State to NJ and by the time our stuff got to us, all the boxes were smashed (even though they were packed full so as not to get smashed) and at least every box had something broken or chipped up. Even the movers own boxes were smashed. Our mover brought boxes in as we took pictures of each one, some the bottoms were cut open so the box was upside down coming in to us. We used totes and since my mom is moving she took what I had and when she and my dad moved to their place and we were getting ready to move out West, I took all her totes. Any extras my dad had, he sold to people he knew needed them. We buy our totes at Walmart and they were only $ 4 & $8 each, depending on size.

There are always people that will buy the totes from you, once done just put them on craigslist and I'm sure you will get someone interested. That's what we would have done had my mom not needed them.

[jesseybell]

Depending on where you are moving from in TX and to in CA you could consider RentACrate (http://www.rentacrate.com/). They are tubs you can rent and are much more durable than what you buy at stores. I used them for a local move and my company used them to move. There are a variety of sizes and they are build to stack (my experience with tubs is they don't stack real well).The company will deliver the tubs and pick them up.

[boilermaker]

We've relocated 4 times and I have never had a problem using boxes. However, you do need to pack them correctly for weight/breakables/etc. Most people who have problems with them tend to try to get by without the proper packing materials (which I can understand as they are expensive!!).

I really think that as long as you are careful, boxes work just as well as tubs. And I have also found that when you are done with the boxes, it is easy to find people who need them (and if you need them, check craigslist or the like).

[AmyE]

I agree with boilermaker, as another frequent re-locator. Tubs might be fine, but boxes are often better. If you are going to use movers, use a company you have thoroughly checked out..and check their references. You also have to watch them pack and make sure they are using plenty of packing materials, that they aren't going to be moving your boxes from one truck to another, etc. (They should be packed into the truck that will be moving them, or packed into proper crates that can go by truck or train, depending on the mover. Usually truck Your boxes should never be left to move around individually.) My fine china and crystal just came through an overseas move in cardboard boxes and paper with not one chip or scratch. The boxes were packed properly, then moved into large wooden crates. THere are a LOT of shady companies and people who take your money, pack your things, but have no idea how to do it properly and STILL leave you with boxes of broken things, as Erika discovered.

If you are doing it yourself, the tubs won't protect your breakables if they aren't packed well either. You'll still need lots of paper to pack in there, and should pack each dish and glass separately, well-wrapped in paper. Also, the tubs tend to get squished as well, if they have a lot of weight on top of them, so be careful how you stack them. I know there are plenty of internet sites with advice on how to pack things well so they don' t break. It's expensive to do it right, but much cheaper in the end than having to replace a bunch of stuff.

[Rose]

I may get a few tubs for certain things but I thing packing the majority of your items would be wasteful & costly. Also it would be doubtful that you would need that many in your new place for storage.

[Niobe]

I really don't see the advantage to using tubs either. Unless you are buying the REALLY pricey tubs, the sides tend to be even less stiff than cardboard and dent in with almost no pressure. The only thing I've ever found tubs to be useful for is books, since the bottom can't fall out from the weight.

Just use proper packing materials - bubble wrap is your friend. :) And like others said, use a reputable company and watch them pack your stuff.