Though exciting, moving can certainly be stressful. While it seems like moving your belongings on your own will save you time, it can be highly beneficial to work with a professional moving company. The fact is that there are many things you can do to make you move smoother, whether you’ve chosen a residential moving company to help you or not. Below are some things you can do to make your move easier as well as some things you should avoid.
What you should do
- Make sure you take the time to analyze what you really want to keep. Go through every room in your home, spending at least one day each, and throw away your unwanted items and pack what you do want. As you go through each room you can create a third pile made up of items you’d like to donate. It seems like this will add to your packing time, but it will prevent you from having to go through your items again at your new place.
- Check up on your homeowner’s insurance policy. Your personal property is covered no matter where it is, assuming your policy is up-to-date. Your professional mover should have coverage should anything be damaged during the moving process, but your homeowner’s policy should pick up the difference if there is any.
- Be sure to take measurements at your new home ahead of time! There’s nothing more frustrating than finding out your dining room table is too big or your large sectional sofa won’t fit in the living room. Taking measurements beforehand will give you time to prepare and come up with a plan, which will make moving day go so much faster.
- If you’re looking to save yourself some cash, you do have the option of packing non-breakable items yourself. Most professional residential movers will let you do this while they handle the fragile china, glass, and antiques.
- In an effort to make packing easier, keep heavy boxes small. Pack canned goods, books, and other heavy items in smaller boxes so that when you or someone else goes to move it, it’s still manageable. If you’re okay with mixing items, you can pack heavier objects such as books with your clothing, which distributes the weight.
- Don’t cut corners – remove the bulbs from all of your lamps and other light fixtures you may be taking with you. Wrap the shades carefully so they’ll be protected in their respective boxes.
- Designate a place for fragile items so the professional moving team can easily work with them. Glass shelving, wall hangings, and mirrors need to be handled with care, so it makes sense to place them together in one easily-accessible spot.
What you should avoid doing
- Don’t hire a professional or residential mover without doing your research! Meet with the movers ahead of time at your home so they can see the size of your home. Meeting with them in advance will also allow them to provide you with a more accurate estimate. Plus it will give them time to plan and strategize, which will make moving day easier for everyone.
- Don’t put your valuables in a moving truck. Items such as money, jewelry, and private documents should be carried with your personally so place them in your bag or car.
- Try to avoid annoying the movers while they’re working, especially when they’re in the process of moving heavy objects. Unnecessary distractions can cause accidents, slip-ups, and damage to your property.
- Do not hire a residential mover that is not insured. Professional movers should carry general liability, policies that cover the value of your property, workers’ comp, as well as auto insurance for their moving vehicles. If you discover that the moving company you’re working with doesn’t have these policies, find someone else!