Moving Tips from Schmeg.com

   

Moving Tips:

Start planning for your move as soon as possible to make sure you have time for both expected and unexpected.

If you will be doing your own packing, start as soon as you can. The more time you have, the more organized and secure your belongings will be.

Keep one box open until moving day. Use it to store items you'll need to find right away when you arrive at your new home. Make sure the box is clearly marked and you'll be glad to easily find things like your phone, soap, toilet paper and other essentials when you need them.

Items that are extremely fragile or valuable should be professionally packed or crated. The small extra expense will save you a great deal of heartache and give you peace of mind.

Handy packing tip: to keep stuff safe, keep heavy stuff in small boxes and light stuff in big boxes.

The little extra time it takes to label each box will save you hours in organizing time when you have to unpack at your new home. Be sure that each box clearly states which room it belongs in and if you're feeling especially motivated, you might want to mention what the box contains as well.

While you're labeling, it's wise to also mention your name and destination city. You might want to pre-make labels that you can simply stick onto the box as you pack so that you won't have to worry about rewriting as you pack.

Wrap very tiny items such as knickknacks in brightly colored tissue paper so that they won't be missed during unpacking and mistaken for empty packing paper.

Try to use boxes that are designated for moving. These boxes are clean and designed for withstanding the weight and the other strains involved in a move. Boxes from places such as a grocery store are odd sized and not clean or as strong. They can lead to unanticipated mishaps.

Anything irreplaceable, such as picture, legal documents and other expensive/sentimental valuables should be moved by you. Though they may be financially covered by insurance, your wedding pictures are worth much more to you than the cost of the photograph itself.

Designate a certain area of your home to be the place for things that you'll be moving yourself, so that the movers know not to load them on the truck.

Disconnect all of your major appliances in advance. Some may need to be disconnected professionally, so you'll need the time to arrange for a service person.

Freezers and refrigerators must be empty and defrosted before moving.

Take your phone and phone books - both public and personal - with you in case you need to make calls during the moving process or when you first arrive at your new home.

A couple of days before moving, be sure to confirm all of the final details of your move; for example, the hookup of your new phone, and even the appointment with your trucking moving company.

Do a final walk through of your old home with your moving foreman to be sure that all of your belongings have been loaded. Make sure to check all cupboards, closets and other areas where things may have been missed.

Before the actual loading is complete, be sure to provide your van foreman or driver with a phone number or a few phone numbers where you can be reached. This is extremely important in case there are questions or other unforeseeable events.

As your shipment is unloaded, be sure to check your inventory forms so that you'll know if anything is damaged or missing and you can notify your moving foreman

Retain a copy of your contract/bill of lading because they are often tax deductible.

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