Moving is hectic and stressful; there’s no way around it. The only thing you can do is lower that stress to a manageable level by being prepared. What would be ideal is a master-list to prepare with the basic moving dos and don’ts before you get started. Lucky for you, we’ve gotten such a list together. Here’s our top 10 moving dos and don’ts to follow when preparing for your move.
Our Top 10 Moving Dos and Don’ts
Do:
Plan One Full Day of Packing for Each Room
As soon as you know the day–or approximately what day–you’re moving, develop your packing plan. You should allow at least one full day for packing each room in your home. This will give you time to sort through what you want to bring with you to your new home and efficiently pack everything up. If you know a certain room will require more packing–like a library—account for some extra time for that room.
Get Rid of Things As You Go
Once you’ve separated what’s going to your new home from what you don’t need, get rid of that second pile. Don’t spend time packing, unpacking, and sorting through what you’ve already sorted through only to get rid of it when you get to your new home. Take care of it now so you don’t waste time later.
Measure Before Moving In
If you have a large piece of furniture that may be tricky to move–i.e. heavy sleeper sofa or armoire–measure the piece. Then measure the doorways of your new home and where you plan for the piece to go. If your piece cannot fit through the door, you don’t have the option to keep it.
Mark Boxes as Fragile
Boxes with dishes, glassware, candles, anything breakable: clearly mark as fragile. Separate those boxes from the rest, and let the movers know about it when they arrive. This allows them to pack everything safely and securely and ensure a box of canned goods doesn’t end up on top of your wedding china in the moving truck.
Keep Boxes in One Area
If it’s possible, keep your packed boxes in one area of your house. Ideally, if you have an office or another room you can avoid using, keep the boxes in there and shut the door. This will keep the visual noise low and allow you to see the progress you’re making and keep your momentum going rather than looking around at half packed boxes feeling like you’ve accomplished nothing.
Remove Bulbs From Lamps
It’s a tiny little thing that could easily be overlooked. Don’t forget to remove the bulbs; there’s a very high chance they could shatter during the move, making it difficult to remove the remaining piece of the lightbulb from the lamp and also potentially ruining the lampshade as well.
Move Your Plants on Your Own
Most moving companies will not move plants for you. Plan to move them yourself. If you can, plan their watering schedule around the move as well. Let the soil dry out a bit before the move and water them after moving. This will prevent you from carrying extra water weight, saving you back pain, especially for larger planters.
Label Boxes Where They Should Go
This is especially key if you have a multilevel home. Label boxes with “Master Bedroom”, “Bedroom 2”, “Nursery”, etc. so the movers will know where the boxes need to go. If you hire movers to help with moving, you don’t want to be moving things around after they’ve already left.
Move Your Own Valuables
If something has high value to you, move it on your own. Even if you’ve found the most trustworthy moving company in the entire world, move your valuables yourself. Knowing where your jewelry, signed books, or heirlooms are will give you peace of mind, and you’ll know they arrived safely at your new home because you moved them in yourself.
Pack an Essentials Box
A moving essentials box or bag is, well, essential for a smooth move. You’ll have everything you need for a good nights sleep in your new home and a great morning as you prepare to unpack everything. Here is what we advise you pack in your moving essentials box.
Don’t
Wait Until the Last Second
If you take one thing away from this list, it should be this: do not start preparing for your move at the last second. Don’t risk movers being completely booked and last minute rushed packing. You’ll only end up frazzled, frustrated, and probably with a few broken things.
Hire a Mover Without Vetting
Before you even spend time getting quotes from moving companies, do your research. Read reviews; make sure there are enough positive ones and see how the company handles negative reviews. The company doesn’t have to have full 5 stars to be the right company for you. Things happen, mistakes can be made. But a true 5 star company will admit to and handle any errors made on their end.
Choose a Mover Based Only on Price
Cheap does not necessarily mean good. A moving company may offer you the lowest price, but are they insured? Do they have low rating reviews? How long have they been in business? You might think you’re getting a really good deal but wind up having to pay hidden fees you didn’t know you signed off on or end up with everything damaged during the move.
Try to Help Your Movers
You hired your movers to help you, not the other way around. They are trained, experienced, and know what they’re doing. Carrying heavy pieces of furniture involves a lot of concentration. Rather than trying to help them, stay out of their way and work on things you can, like packing up toiletries or the bedding you used that morning/the night before.
Overfill Boxes
Boxes should not weigh more than 50 lbs, and it’s always best if those boxes are smaller. If you cannot avoid packing heavy items into a large box, fill the rest of the box with lightweight items, like bedding, pillows, or sheets. It’s not a matter if the movers can lift the box but whether they can safely maneuver it down stairs and without the bottom of the box breaking through the tape.
Leave Drawers Full
While it may seem like a time saving hack, don’t leave items in your dressers, desks, or any other piece of furniture with drawers. Furniture was not designed to be moved with items inside it. If the drawers are too heavy, it will make the piece much more difficult to move around corners and down stairs. The extra weight in the drawers could push them against the frame of the furniture in a way that will compromise the structural integrity and damage or break the piece. Smaller items will rattle around inside and could break or damage the drawer.
Put Flammable Items on the Moving Truck
Moving companies cannot transport flammable items on a moving truck. This involves things like paint, gasoline, and pressurized cans. If you have something larger, like a lawnmower, that you cannot move yourself, it will need to be drained before the movers can move it.
Stay Up Late the Night Before Moving
This goes along with don’t leave everything to the last minute. Have everything packed and ready to go as much as possible before your normal bedtime. Go to bed then, and don’t stay up late, even if you can sleep in an extra hour or two. Get the sleep you need so you are well rested and prepared for moving day.
Forget to Check Rooms Before Leaving
Once everything is loaded on the truck, conduct one last walk through of your old home. Make sure everything has been moved out and nothing is left behind. Otherwise you may have to schedule a separate day for your movers to return and pick up the items left behind.
Forget to Check the Moving Truck Before It Leaves
When the movers are ready to leave, take one last look at the moving truck before they close up and drive away. A smaller piece might have been left on the truck, and you don’t want to play phone tag looking for a missing cable or curtain rod.
Now that you know what moving dos and don’ts to do and not do during your move, it’s time to find movers. We at Moving U & Junk U believe we’re the movers for you. We provide packing, moving, and junk removal services. Whatever you need help with, we’ll tailor our services to meet your needs. Looking for us to pack up the kitchen and only move the bulky items to your new home? We can do that. Are you interested in a hands off, full service packing and move with some junk removal? We can do that too. Our professionally trained, friendly movers are here to make your life easier on moving day.
To get your free estimate for packing, moving, or junk removal, give us a call or text at 484-301-2442 or email us at info@movingujunku.com.
