Make a game plan
Once you’ve made the decision to move, write down a plan that spreads out ALL of the necessary actions or tasks that you have to complete to perform a successful move. This includes hiring movers, switching utilities, forwarding mail, procuring packing materials, packing your home, “closing” deals on your old and new homes, transitioning pets and children into the new home, etc.. Put every action into timeline based on the amount of time you have to prepare for your move and STICK WITH IT!! If you have successfully outlined every detail of your move, create deadlines for each task. This “game plan” will help you retain sanity throughout the moving process. If possible, share these duties or tasks with other members of your family to ease the burden on one individual who may feel overwhelmed with all that moving entails.
Prioritize your belongings
Ask yourself, “Do I need to carry this into my new home?” Packing your home is a great opportunity for you to de-clutter your lifestyle. It also means less packing and less items for your movers to move (saving you time and $$).
Purchase “Moving Quality” packing materials
This can get kind of pricey, but having the correct packing materials goes a long way to ensure the safety of your belongings. For example, some customers use any tape they have laying around the house to secure their boxes (and sometimes no tape at all!). It makes a huge difference if you purchase clear packing tape to secure your boxes. Also, purchasing consistent and similar sized boxes also creates smoother and more efficient loading of moving trucks. Specialty boxes (such as “dishpacks” for your china and kitchenware or “TV boxes” for your flat panel television) help guarantee the safety of your items.
Child Care
Have someone there to be designated the “child sitter”. Or have your children picked up by a friend or family member for the day. Children often get underfoot of movers and cause accidents. They often also have a hard time with seeing the movers taking all of their stuff out of their room or home.
Pack your home
Begin packing immediately! Pack your items on a as-needed basis. For example, If you are moving in July, you can pack your fall and winter seasonal decorations at the beginning of your pack. Also, out of season clothing, out of season china & glassware, basement storage areas, extensive record or movie collections, etc.. If you won’t need it until you are in your new home, pack it! Things like toiletries, in season clothing, necessary dishes and cookware, and electronics are all things you may need available until moving day.
Don’t pack it if you don’t have to
Example: clothing may be left in your dresser drawers and can be moved in this fashion. Do not fill drawers with heavy items such as books or fragile items like money, jewelry, watches or other fragile items, as well as any items that may leak or spill.
“Live Lite”
Try to have as many items packed before moving day as possible. Live as if you are on vacation for the few days before your move. This will allow you to be fully prepared for your moving crew to achieve as much as possible on “the big day”.
Be prepared to move into your new home
Be familiar with your new home. Measure the rooms and your existing furniture and come up with a general layout as to where you want your furniture. This will make the unloading into your new home a streamlined and organized process for you and your moving crew. However, sometimes things don’t fit where you’d like them or they may not look right where you planned to place the furniture. So, being flexible or maybe having a backup plan will keep your crew moving instead of them waiting for you to recreate the room.
Pack all Hardware
Once your furniture has been disassembled, it is best to place all hardware into small, separate “Ziplock” style bags (these bags are occasionally offered by our crews). These bags should then all be placed into one box and labeled accordingly. This allows our crew to quickly reassemble your items at the new home.