Moving doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs a little bit of planning and some serious organization. One of the biggest concerns we hear from our clients here at Coffey Bros Moving, is that they’re unsure of where to begin. Don’t get moving intimidate you, you’re in control, and it will all be over with soon enough. To make your move a little easier, here are 6 tips we normally offer our clients.
Label Boxes Properly: Perhaps one of the biggest pitfalls of new movers is that they forget to label the boxes. Not only will this make it difficult when it comes time to unpack at the new house, but it will also complicate the moving truck. When you load your truck, you want to organize the boxes by the rooms they’ll be going into, otherwise you’ll end up with boxes coming out and going upstairs, downstairs, and all around the house, making way more trips than necessary.
You also want to label things based on their durability. It’s no good to stack porcelain dolls or stemware under a box of books. And don’t think that the weight will tell you what’s what, because once everything is packed it can get very confusing. Label what’s in the box, which room you want it in, which side is up, and whether it’s fragile.
Change Your Address Early: Many families wait until the move to change the address, but you can make these changes with the post office early. You can also make address changes with your cable, power, and water providers early, letting them know the exact day of your move and when you’ll need everything transferred over.
A few weeks, to a month before your moving date, you may also want to contact subscription services for magazines and flyers and coupons and have them transfer things as well. Many subscription providers take a full billing cycle to process these changes, making it better early than late to call.
Pack Ahead When Possible: If you have the storage space, and you have items which are going unused for an extended period, pack early. This will save you so much trouble later in the move, and take a load off your mind regarding what’s left to do on your list. Seasonal items, boxes in the attic or basement, and summer clothing are a great place to start.
Use Original Boxes If You Have Them: A great tip when buying electronics and other items, is to keep the boxes and packing materials and store them in the basement or another storage area. This saves so much time and effort when it comes time to move. Repackaging with the same foam and box can keep your television, computer, and sound system safe and sound throughout the packing and moving process.
Make Some Moving Money by Ditching the Junk Online: Don’t take everything when you move. There’s bound to be some old toys, old clothing, and other items that haven’t been used in a while that you could part with. Purging these older items will make room for new things after you move, and it saves you time, money, and energy trying to pack them up and transport them from one house to another. You can donate items to the needy, give toys your kids have outgrown to younger family members, and sell good conditioned items online for spare cash.
Double Bag Liquids: Our final tip, and food for thought, while moving, is to double bag anything with a liquid in it. From bubble bath, shampoo, and hand soap, to dish detergent, laundry soap, and nail polish remover. No matter how tightly sealed a bottle is, it can always pop open during a move, and the worst possible scenario is that all that goopy wet soap seeps into a box of electronics, or worse, irreplaceable family heirlooms.
Think about packing for your move, like you would pack for a flight. You want everything to be as compact as possible, easy to manage and carry, and unable to bust open and make a mess on the way there.
