Moving Tips

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The first thing you should do ahead of time is go through items and decide what you can part with. Moving is a great time to take inventory of everything you own especially things that you haven't used in years. Items that you've stored under the stairs, in a shed or in the deep corners of a closet are often things you can part with. As an added benefit you can try selling them on a local marketplace or you can help your local community by donating items to a shelter or second hand store. 

Moving can be very stressful and great way to alleviate this added stress is to start a to-do list. You are probably juggling a bunch of other things like a new job, updating your postal address or registering your children for school, and a list will reduce the burden. This way you can keep all of your thoughts in one place and reduce that the chance that you forget to do something important. 

Use quality boxes. Visit your local hardware store and purchase boxes and tape. This initial cost is worth every penny because it helps ensure that nothing gets damaged and creates an easy way to label items, which makes unpacking a breeze. There is nothing worse than moving with not enough boxes or using boxes that are damaged.

The best way to find your belongings when you get to your new place is to use clear and descriptive labels. This also helps movers know what is in the boxes so they can treat the items appropriately. If you hire a professional moving company it will make their job easier and will help speed up the process. 

Heavy items like books should be packed in smaller boxes. It's common to come across large boxes stuffed with books that can weight in excess of 150 lbs. This can no only cause injury to anyone moving the box but you can also end up needing to repack it because the box just can't hold the weight. 

Many people choose to use a professional moving service because it's a great way to ease some of the burden of the moving process. Let the experts take care of the heavy lifting and getting your items from point A to B while you focus on other important things you need to get done. 

Plan ahead is the best advice for picking a good moving day. If you are restricted by closing or possession dates you may be restricted. The end of the month is always busy so try contacting your new landlord or your realtor to see if it's possible to move in a bit early or later. It'll make it easier to hire a professional moving service and will make things run a lot smoother. 

Anything that you don't need immediately can be packed ahead of time. Planning ahead will allow you to sort, categorize and get rid of things you no longer want. It's a great way to stay on top of the moving process and allows you to deal with any curve balls that come your way. 

Whether you are getting your family and friends to help you move or hiring a professional moving service, take the time to pack fragile items properly. Packing paper, bubble wrap and blankets should be used when necessary. There is nothing worse than opening a box to find your favourite piece of china broken or a priceless souvenir from your childhood trip in pieces. 

Toiletries and anything you will need immediately should be kept separate from the rest of your belongings. Anything you use on a daily basis should be kept clearly marked or stored separately. An overnight bag is a great idea in the event of a delay in moving or something prevents you from moving into your new place on time. 

It's unfortunate but valuables can go missing during the moving process. Take pictures, write down serial numbers and keep things like important documents in a safe place. 

Stop buying groceries a week or two before the big move. You should plan meals to use up items in the freezer especially because they will almost certainly be compromised, especially on a long trip. The hassle to keep things cold or frozen can be avoided by using everything up in your fridge and freezer especially if you are moving a long distance. 

A great way to keep things organized and make the move in process a lot simpler is to pack boxes from the same room together. It can be a long tedious process especially if you have to keep rearranging boxes in your new place. If you are short on time it can be really frustrating to find something in a mess of unmarked boxes that aren't categorized. 

Heavy items like couches, beds and furniture should be loaded first. It's the best way to make sure everything fits and is also the safest way to pack the truck. Items can shift over the course of a long move and by keeping the heavy items up front and on the bottom, will help prevent any damage that can occur during the trip. 

It's good practice to take a picture of where you moved out of and also where you are moving into. If you want to ensure you get your damage deposit back or make a claim for something you didn't damage down the road, pictures can be a life saver. 

Packing dishes and glasses on their side will leave them more susceptible to damage. Even when using packing paper, the weight of stacked boxes or the jarring of a moving truck can cause damage to even the best packed dinnerware.