Packing materials for moving companies: stock, pricing and returns
Boxes and blankets look like a detail, but materials delivered and never invoiced, stock running out on the wrong day and blankets that never come back add up. Here is how to keep them under control.
1. Estimate what each move needs
The survey is the right moment to estimate materials: boxes per room, furniture to protect, fragile items. Write the estimate into the job, so the warehouse prepares it and whoever quotes includes it.
- Boxes in different sizes for books, kitchen and clothes
- Tape and markers for labelling
- Blankets and stretch film for furniture
- Paper or bubble wrap for fragile items
- Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes
2. Decide what you sell and what you lend
Some materials are used up and should be sold to the customer, such as tape and paper. Others can be reused, such as blankets and sturdy boxes, and are lent on the condition that they come back. State clearly in the quote what is included, what is charged extra and what must be returned.
3. Deliver before the move
Many customers pack themselves and want boxes a few days early. Plan the delivery like a small job: date, address, quantities. Record what was delivered, so the final bill is easy and the customer does not dispute it.
4. Collect and count what comes back
After the move, collect the blankets and reusable boxes and count what came back. The difference between delivered and returned is material to invoice or to reorder. Without this count, stock disappears and nobody notices.
5. Keep it all on the job
Materials belong to the move, not to a separate sheet: that is the only way they reach the quote, the delivery and the invoice.
In MovesFlow you track the packing materials delivered and returned for each job, and add the materials you charge for as quote lines.