Your chinaware may be valuable due to its size, level of craftsmanship, or the emotional value far outweighs any dollar amount. Keeping these goods safe, secure and out of sight are generally priorities of fine china owners who opt not to display their collection. Read on to learn proper packing methods to ensure your pieces are ready to store whether that be in the home or in a public storage.

Gather the Proper Packing Supplies

Some sets of fine porcelain china come with a padded case for storage, but these are typically soft and are only adequate for indoor storage.

While ideal for those who plan to use sets on special occasions and holidays, some individuals really don’t care to actually use the pieces. For long term storage you will need:

• Packing boxes
• Dividers that fit in the box
• Bubble wrap and packing peanuts
• Packing tape and office tape
• Packing paper

With the supplies ready, follow these steps to prevent chipping or breakage.

Step 1: Prepare the Space and Start Wrapping

Accidents can happen during the packing process, so work on a soft surface like a table covered in a soft pad or even on a carpeted area. Lay the items out and tackle plates and saucers first.

Lay down a piece of wrapping paper and situate the item in the center face down. Wrap them corner to corner and then use the office tape to secure the ends in place.

Do the same for bowls and cups, wrapping them inward towards the recessed side, filling in the space with excess paper prior to taping. Paper alone won’t keep those precious pieces safe for years to come, so you’ll need to follow the same wrapping process again with sheets of bubble wrap.

Step 2: Packing Porcelain China Securely

Choose a box just large enough to fit the items snuggly to prevent shifting. Place plates face up on the bottom, carefully stacking them.

Follow suit with saucers and then begin making single layers of bowls and cups. Cover the cups and bowls with more bubble wrap or packing peanuts before adding another layer. Secure the box with packing tape.

Step 3: Find a Public Storage or Place in the Home for Safekeeping

Public storage is a great way to keep your items safe off-site, and climate-controlled units will keep them in tip-top condition for years to come. At home, consider employing a closet where children and guests don’t have access to avoid the possibility of damage.

A well-functioning AC unit is an essential part of keeping your Texas home comfortable. When you’re in need of repairs, however, it can be tough to find a local HVAC team that you can trust. Beyond cost, how can you decide which service is able to do the best repair and service job on your unit? The next time you need AC repair in Katy, TX, look for these qualities to ensure you pick the perfect technicians for your job.

• Check licenses and certifications. Using an unlicensed repair team might shave a few dollars off of your final bill. However, you may end up paying much more than expected if their work is shoddy. Choose a team with active licenses and professional certifications to ensure your job is in the hands of truly qualified professionals.
• Look for active insurance policies. If something goes wrong during your AC repair in Katy TX, your team’s insurance will pay for any damages to your property. Picking a business that doesn’t have insurance could leave you paying out of pocket for problems your repairman created.
• Ask for a detailed written estimate. Sometimes an offer seems too good to be true because it is. Don’t get tricked into signing a contract only to find that things like labor, clean up, and other essential services aren’t included in the estimated price. Ask for a detailed breakdown of potential charges, including taxes, so you can make a more realistic comparison.
• Look for online reviews. Previous customers are the best source of information during your research. Look for third-party review sites to get an idea of what your neighbors have experienced with their AC repair in Katy TX. You can also ask your family, friends, and neighbors for recommendations or information on their experiences with local repair services.
• Seek Energy Star solutions. Your AC repair is also a chance to upgrade your energy experience. Consider working with a repair service that is Energy Star certified. These technicians can help you improve the function of your unit while lowering your monthly utility bill at the same time.
• Choose companies with a verifiable history. Newer companies aren’t necessarily less skilled at AC repair and service. However, a lack of history could signal a potential scam or point to a service that doesn’t have the experience needed to complete your work. Pick a business with a long-standing history of successfully completing jobs like yours to prevent possible problems.
• Focus on customer service. Your customer service experience is just as important as getting your job done well. Look for companies with friendly customer service reps who are willing to answer your questions and polite service professionals that patiently and honestly explain every step of the repair process.

Finding the right AC repair in Katy TX takes time, research, and patience. However, this list of qualities will help you narrow down your choices to the best possible options.

It is not enough to simply write ‘fragile’ along the side of your storage containers or cardboard boxes that hold fragile items. Fragile items need to be moved and stored by taking extra precautions to ensure their longevity. Moving is stressful enough without the stress of worrying about items breaking.

How to properly transport fragile items

Pack them in a box that’s fully supportive. The easiest way to break items is to not create a support system around them. You need to use bubble wrap, newspapers, air wrap, foam pieces or soft fabric inside boxes and storage containers that have fragile items.

Place them towards the top of your storage unit stacks. When putting items in your storage unit, it is important that you place fragile items on the top. This will help ensure any heavy boxes are at the bottom and won’t cause harm.

Use plastic containers instead of cardboard. Another way to transport fragile items is in heavy-duty plastic containers. Cardboard boxes are free and usually nice to have for other items but anything fragile should be taken with extra precaution.

Put the boxes or containers inside a vehicle. As you move things from your home to your new storage unit, you may be using the bed of a truck. Instead of using the back of the truck to hold your fragile items, place them inside the truck during transit.

Let movers know what items are fragile and which are not. If you hire a professional moving company to help you, make sure you let the moving team know which items are fragile, so you don’t run into issues.

When you come home and realize you can’t fit your car inside your garage because of random items taking up space, you know it’s time to get organized.

Organizing your garage may seem like a daunting task, but with a few helpful tips, you’ll be done in no time!

Tips to organize your garage

Go vertical – Placing your items from top to bottom instead of side to side will save you space in your garage.

Install shelving systems – Regardless of your garage size, shelving units will help you keep your items organized and off the ground. By putting things up in the air, you’ll give your vehicles enough room to be in your garage along with your belongings.

Purchase heavy-duty storage containers – The best way to store your things in your garage is inside heavy-duty all-weather storage bins. You can find these bins at your local Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Hang items – If you own bikes, a hose, lawn chairs, or strollers, you should have these items hung on the side of your garage for easy access while keeping them off the ground. Because these items are seasonal, it makes sense to have them stored away from your vehicles and garage entry points until you need them.

Extra items

After you’ve spent time organizing your items so your vehicles can fit into your garage, you may be wondering what you should do with the extra items that you didn’t have room to store but still want to keep.

Renting a monthly self-storage unit will give you an extra ‘garage’ to hold the excess. Most self-storage facilities offer various sized units so you can choose the best one for your needs. Plus, they are affordable.

If you are on the market for a new rental property, you’ll usually find two types of homeowners. Those that are the direct landlord to the property and those who use a third-party vendor like property management companies. The difference between the two isn’t that far off but there may be one choice you prefer to use over the other.

A landlord.

A landlord is usually the person who owns the property you are renting. They don’t see the value or financial benefits of using an outside source, so they take on the responsibility. Their duties include fixing all maintenance issues, collecting rent, dealing with tenants, some handle yard work, snow removal, and finding tenants when the property is not occupied.

A property manager.

A property manager is a third-party company that is a vendor to a homeowner. The homeowner pays a property management company to handle all aspects of the property that a landlord does. The property management companies fee is in addition to the fees paid for any maintenance issues such as plumbing, electrical, or landscaping.

Landlord vs. Property Manager

As a renter, you may be wondering which is better to rent from. While no one can make that decision for you, we can discuss the pros of each.

Landlord Pros:

• They are usually very responsive.
• They care about the property.
• It’s a person not a large corporation.
• They normally form a personal relationship with their tenants.
• In some instances, they are nearby.
• Tenants normally have 24/7 access to them.

Property Manager Pros:

• They are a company, so they handle everything professionally.
• They will get a vendor to complete work usually the same day or next.
• If you need work done that you need to pay for, they usually have deals worked out with different contractors so you can save some money.
• They screen tenants with background checks.
• They will have a larger pool of reputable sources to review before renting from them.