• Planning For The Move
• Packing Tips
• Getting Rid Of Stuff
• The Day Of The Move
• Unpacking

Planning For The Move

One item we can not stress enough is to do some preliminary measurments of items you wish to move and where they will be going from both your old location and your new location.  Tight stairwells, small doorways, and other difficult to manuever areas can require items to be disasembled which can add to your labor time. 

Don't forget to get copies of doctor’s and dentist's records for you and your familly before leaving so you are not caught unprepared in case of an emergency before you've settled into your new home.  And if time permits, schedule either in person or over the phone interviews with medical professionals near your new residence that you and your family may need.  If time does not permit, make sure to get an extra month or two of any regular prescriptions you require or have your current ones forwarded to what will become your local pharmacy. 

Make sure your checking and savings accounts are either closed out or branch offices exist close to your new home.  If possible try to set aside time to shop around a little and you'd be surprised at different rates and offers that many banks will compete with to obtain your buisness near  your new residence.  (ValueCentral?) 

Don't forget to inform the post office at least a week ahead of time that you will be moving.  If there will be a significant time delay between your departure and your arrival consider going to your new post office to either open up a PO box, or putting a 'vacation' hold on your mail. 

Don't forget to get get copies of your children's school records.  Some school systems may offer to transfer them for you but to be safe, ask for a copy to hold onto as well. 

Make sure you have returned all library books, dropped of all rented videos, retreived all dry cleaning, picked up any film being developed, etc..  If the distance is great, it can be draining to have to travel back to town over a simple oversight. 

Send change of address cards cards with your new address and if possible your new phone number

So as not to waste good food start checking out what is in your freezer(s) a few weeks ahead of time and plan to prepare them before your move. 

If your cars don't already have first aid kits and you have children now is as good as any time to make sure they are in all car trunks. 

Give yourselves ample time to say goodbyes if you will be moving out of state.  Don't wait until the last minute and then rush through goodbyes with your friends and neighbors. 

Determine what you will be packing and what you want the movers to pack and consider getting rid of some stuff.  The less you have to move the less it will usually cost. 

Make sure to handle the connection and disconnection of utilities, telephone lines, water, electricity, gas/oil, newspapers, and cable.

Make sure to drain gas (and optionally oil) from lawn mowers, snow blowers, chain saws, and other equipment.

Its a good idea to apply a heavier coat of wax than normal for fine furnishings as this can minimize any scratches that could otherwise occur to drier wood surfaces.

Plan ahead of time to make special arrangements for all pets including birds, fish, reptiles, and other caged animals.   ** Also, make sure they are all accounted for on the day of the move so they are not in the way and do not escape.  Delays caused by escaped animals will affect the hourly charges.
 

Packing Tips

Start packing a few weeks early and start with those items that are least used. 

Besides labeling the room names on your boxes, consider listing the contents either on the box or number the boxes and keep a master list of contents.  This way as the day of your move approaches or even after you are moved into your new place your can find items quicker that you may need.

If you will be packing up your house yourselves make use of  old blankets, clothes, towels, pillows, rolls of tissue paper or paper towels, wherever possible.  You can save a little money and protect valuable items.  Don't just pad from the side and top, a box that lies on the bed of the truck could feel the shock of a pothole.

Try to average out the weight of the boxes regardless of the size.  The smaller boxes are great for books and larger boxes are good for larger lighter items.  Also try to average out the weight inside each box to distribute it evenly.  Top heavy boxes can tip and bottom heavy boxes could be crushed if not properly padded.

Always fill your boxes to the top and pad around all sides of fragile items to minimize the chance that things could get crushed.

Leave the boxes open until a day or two before the move then once everything looks good to go, tape up the boxes.  This saves the trouble of taping the same box twice, wasting tape, and allows you to better fit items into a space that works best.

Always place heavier items in a box first.

For very fragile items pad with tissue paper or bubble wrap, and consider double boxing. Avoid newsprint on anything that can be damged by the ink.

Many rooms have certain items that you will want to unpack first.  Using a colored magic marker and placing an X on a few sides of each box, will help you locate these boxes quickly when you need to get something.  Make sure to pack your day of the move stuff last and keep this with you. 

Pack china so they are well padded and laying upright in each box instead of flat. Wrap each peice individually with bubble wrap or tissue paper and think about using disk cloths and pot holders to pad the bottom and sides of the box..

Glasses should all be placed upright and padded well.  Be wary of damage from all sides including the bottom.

Lamp shades wrapped in bubble wrap can fit inside each other and transported safely in most garbage pails.

Mirrors should always be double wrapped.  Carboard followed by a thick blanket and taped securely.  We recomend that all large mirrors or paintings be transported in cartons or crates.

Small pictures can be indivually wrapped, and transported upright and separated by corrugated cardboard.

Books should be boxed standing up with alternating bindings.

Electronic equipment should be packed in original packaging when available and allowed to settle to room temperature before packing.  The instruction manual should be checked for appropriate moving instructions such as aligning print cartidges, parking heads, aligning lasers, and other applicable recomendations.  Color coding or labeling the connections before disconnecting them can make it easier to put everything back together.

The legs of all furniture should be removed if possible.  Legs are easily damaged. Taking apart bed frames can save time and money.

Be careful about applying tape directly to wood or painted surfaces as damage to the finish can occur.  Instead try to use moving pads to protect surfaces.

Make sure to remove all liquids, perfumes, and colognes from dresser drawers.

Do not plan on packing valuables, legal documents, jewlery, currency, or heirlooms but instead bring them with you.  This also includes plants for long trips that may wilt inside a truck. 

Do not plan on packing bleach, chemicals, explosives, propane tanks, or other combustable materials.  It is dangerous and against the law in many places.
 

Getting Rid Of Stuff

Plan on having your garage sale 3 weeks or more before your move date so you have plenty of time to at least try to turn some type of profit on those items that don't sell. In most places there are costs to dispose of (and always costs to  move) many items so consider your move a time to reevaluate what you really want to take with you and what you can not only get rid of but help offset the costs of moving .

Donate items to charity organizations and with a receipt, claim a tax deduction. Churches and schools as well as a wide variety of other oganizations welcome some types of items and although you won't get money up front, depending on your tax bracket you might end up doing better than what you'd get at a garage sale

Donate food items to the local soup kitchen or family shelter.

Sell old books to the local used book store.  Less to pack, less to unpack.

Classifieds both in the local paper and on-line work well for appliances, large items, and other items in good condition.  In particular include all local papers especially the free ones.  Advertising rates are lower than the big papers and your target market usually looks much closer to home when looking for used appliances.

On-Line auctions such as e-bay and yahoo can be a great resource also.

Always keep in mind that your house's new owners may not always have all the furnishings they need (especially newleyweds) so let them know if they are interested which large items you intend to sell at your garage sale.  You may get an offer up front or you may get some late day visitors to your garage sale.
 

The Day Of The Move

A well stocked picnic type lunch can come in handy before, during, and after the move.  Escpecially if the travel time is long and/or you are traveling with children.  Don't forget plenty of napkins, plastic utensils, paper plates, misc. snacks, and misc. beverages.

Family photos in front of the old and new homes can be great mementos. 

Packing List :
 

Unpacking

If you were well organized when labeling and packing boxes you will have saved yourself a lot of headaches.

Don't get overwhelmed! 

Start with the items you use most.  Lesser used items can wait a day or a week.

Work together and try to concentrate on one room at a time.

The kitchen is always a good room to start with followed by the bathrooms.

Check out any items that you ordered extra insurance on before the movers leave. 

If the bedframes were put on the truck as one of the last items, you will have time to put them together so all the mattresses can be placed where they belong. Something to think about if you were looking for ways to save money.