When you prepare for a move, you might be concerned about packing, finding a mover and getting things sorted. In order to protect your items while they are loaded onto the truck, driven to your new place and unloaded, it is important to have the right moving supplies on hand. Use this list of five essential moving supplies as you prepare for a move across the city, province or country.

1. Packing Materials

Packing materials are the cushions that you wrap around items in order to protect them. Bubble wrap, newspaper, foam and inflated bags of air are all options. Some people simply use towels and linens around items such as pots, pans and bowls. For fragile items, use protective bubble wrap and tape it in place. You could also let your mover handle this part of the process.

2. Sturdy Boxes

Sturdy boxes are critical to having your items arrive safely at your new place. It is not a good idea to pick up used grocery boxes. Those boxes could be infested with pests, dirty or weakened by the loads they have already carried. Select boxes that are of the same size. This makes it easier to stack the boxes on the moving truck. Assemble and seal the boxes with the correct type of adhesive tape. Movers could supply the boxes for you.

3. Labeling Gun

If you have messy handwriting, a labeling gun makes it easier to identify what is in each box. Set up a code for your boxes, such as “Kitchen 1 of 10.” This could refer to the first of 10 boxes that you pack from your kitchen. If you have multiple bedrooms, you might label them as “master bedroom,” “Jane’s bedroom” and “John’s bedroom.” The labels that come out of the gun have adhesive on the back, making them easy to apply to the box.

4. Permanent Markers

Permanent markers can be used instead of or in addition to labels. Use the markers to draw arrows or mark the boxes as “fragile.” You could also add notes to the boxes, such as “open first.” Consider using different colors of permanent markers for different rooms or reasons. For example, fragile boxes could be labeled with red.

5. Inventory or Checklist

Use a written or digital inventory or checklist for your move. The inventory should contain the number of boxes for each room and a basic list of what is in each box. Kitchen box 1 of 10 could have “mixing bowls and spoons” written on your inventory sheet. Your checklist could include items to do, such as contacting Canada Post with your change of address information.