Moving is no easy business, or so you have heard or even experienced, however, there are several tips you can follow to make it smooth and even enjoyable, one more quality time activity to share with your family and friends.

Some of these tips may seem obvious, but this is the main reason why they are normally overlooked, causing unnecessary stress and trouble among the family members involved in the process.

These tips will work for you before and right after you have moved, so make sure you take advantage of them and include them in your checklist for constant reminding.

-    Take notes.  Write everything down, like your shipment registration number to have it available to call your moving company with any questions about your stuff.

-    Make the bed.  Remember that you will be tired on the first night in your new home, so pack separately the sheets and towels for your bed so that you do not have to look all over the place and in every single box for them.

-    Remember the refrigerator.  After it has been cleaned up, put some fresh coffee, baking soda or charcoal inside a sock and put it inside the refrigerator to keep it smelling fresh.

-    Keep your old phone book.  You may need to contact someone from your former neighborhood or a business close to it.

-    Heavy packing vs. light packing.  Heavy things go in small boxes and the light stuff goes in large boxes.

-    Give out your contact information.  Make sure the movers have your cell phone number as well as any other number they may need, in case they are not able to contact you directly.

-    Care for your memories.  As much as possible, personally take care of your valuable items, but if it is necessary to pack them, make sure you cover them extensively to protect them.

-    Learn to pack plates and records.  These must be packed on end vertically, not flat and stacked.

-    List your main necessities.  You will need toilet paper, telephone, toiletries, snacks, coffee with pot, soap, tooth brush, comb, flashlight, screwdriver, pliers, can opener, paper plates, cups, utensils, pans and paper towels, among others.  Pack these all together in a box and have it handy once you have moved.

-    Unscrew all the bulbs before packing your lamps.

-    Tag every item.  During a garage sale, be ready to wheel and deal, people love to bargain, so make sure everything is tagged.

-    Give kids something to do.  Keep them busy writing their names and new address on their boxes, in this way, they will learn their new address and will easily identify what belongs to them during moving day in the new house.

-    Protect your pet.  Keep pets away from the hassle, ask a friend to look after your best friend for a while during the move.

-    Be nice to plants.  Be careful when moving them as they are very sensitive to heat and harsh movements.

-    Give your computer a break.  Let it get used to the new room temperature before plugging it in. Crazy? Not really, temperature variations do affect its performance.

-    Enjoy the help.  Let the professional mover in Seattle do his job while you sit back, rest, and enjoy your new home.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email:

So the big day is almost here.  Time to check the list and make sure everything is ready to go.  The only things left to consider are those big items that the moving company has to take care of.  Thank goodness it’s not up to you to figure out how these things get moved!  All you care about is that they arrive safe and sound and in one piece at the new location! Here is a list of the Top 5 most difficult things to move and how movers such as Seattle movers do it, and what you can do to help.

Aquariums
If you have an aquarium, most movers agree that expecting all your fish to arrive alive is very optimistic.  If you can, you may want to consider giving your stock away to friends or family and just moving the tank.  You will have to disassemble the tank for the move. This means taking out your plants, stones, decorative items, and the filtration equipment.  These should all be packed like any fragile item.  The aquarium itself will then be wrapped and packed as a fragile item on its own.

Big Screen T.V
As with all electronic items, moving them is best done in their original packaging.  However, since quite often these items are not still at hand, here is the best way to prepare that star of the living room, your big screen TV.  The top, bottom and sides of the TV should be protected with foam forms available from moving and packing companies. The whole TV is then slid into a large box and empty space is also filled with foam forms.  The box should then be taped shut and marked fragile.

Plants
No one wants to lose a favorite houseplant collection when they move.  Your moving company should be able to help you relocate with all greenery intact.  In some cases, plants and flowers are not allowed to be moved within a moving van.  You should check with your mover to see if your move is one that allows their transport.  In cases where plants cannot be moved, proper packing materials and helpful hints for how to pack your plants are available through most moving companies.  One of the most harmful things to living plants is extreme temperatures.  Try to keep your plants in the same kind of environment that they are used to.   Plants can be moved successfully if placed upright in the proper sized box surrounded by clean newsprint.

Art and Mirrors
Moving companies have an amazing variety of packing boxes available and there should be one to fit any sized art print or mirror.  They are generally large and flat to allow for little movement of the piece inside.  Each piece is wrapped in newsprint and bubble wrap before being placed in their snug cardboard box.  Large, bright “FRAGILE” stickers are always placed on such boxes for instant visibility.

Computers
Like that big screen TV, your computer system is another difficult item to have packed to move.  When you have invested thousands of dollars into something, you definitely don’t want it damaged.  Before you start packing, be sure you have backed up all the data on your computer just in case.   Rigid foam forms again are often used to protect a computer system when original packaging is not available.  Monitor screens should be protected with bubble wrap to prevent scratching.  Your computer tower should be packed upright and in the right sized box surrounded by bubble wrap or another type of shock resistant insulation such as Styrofoam popcorn.

Taking the extra time to discuss moving these items with your moving company will ensure a safe and secure move for all your important belongings.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!
Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email: