|| Packing Advice || General Moving Advice

Here are some tips to a good, damage-free move. Please print this out for your future reference.

1. Hire Movers. Rarely does it pay off to rent a truck yourself, work hard moving your things, return the truck fully fueled and still realize a significant savings.
   
2. Start Packing Early. Packing just a few cartons a day for 2-4 weeks before your move will make a big difference in the amount of effort required of you on the day of your move. On this day your house should be full of boxes and furniture ONLY. There should not be any loose items about the house that haven't been boxed up and labeled.
   
3. Don't Use Trash Bags. Trash bags don't protect your possessions and don't stack very well in moving vans. Also, professional movers don't like to move them. Knowing this and that nobody will show your possessions more respect than you do, please don't use trash bags.
   
4. Use The Correct Size Box. Matching the correct box size to the item(s) being packed is important. All moving companies use the exact same size and grade materials for a reason. These dimensions can be configured to accommodate most household items. There is an 18-inch theme to professional materials that facilitates loading and handling. See carton descriptions for best uses and dimensions.
   
5. Label All Cartons (On The Sides). This simple task can make a big difference in your moving experience. You'll be able to see at a glance the room and the contents of that stack of cartons without moving each one of them to see what is in the box or what is written on the top.
   
6. Use Clean White Packing Paper. This is the cheapest insurance you can get against scratches, breakage, or movement/crushing of your packed items.
   
7. When In Doubt Use More Paper. Fill each box up to maximize safety of the contents. If the items can shake, rattle or roll, use more paper, stuffing, or cushioning. You don't want to use newspaper when wrapping glassware, china, or similar products. The black ink can "bleed" into the enamel permanetly marring these items!
   
8. Don't Pack A "Saggy" Box. It is very important that the tops of your cartons don't "sag". This way the cartons can be handled, dollied, stacked, and stacked upon. This is another reason you should use a sufficient amount of paper/stuffing.
   
9. Pack Glass Items On Their Side. Glass has its tinsel strength on its edge. Plates, pictures, and pieces of glass should be packed and transported on their edges, not flat. Professional movers never turn dish pack cartons and mirror/picture cartons on their sides.
   
10. Make A Tight Load. Loading a moving van or truck correctly is like building a 3-dimensional jigsaw puzzle using every thing you own. Keep in mind that, "a tight load is a good load".
    
11. Don't Pack The Hand Lotion. Packing paper and cardboard tend to dry hands out very quickly. So don't pack the lotion and keep it handy. (Pun not intended)
    

Let's face it, moving is inconvenient. With this important information and proper planning, you can avoid most inconveniencies and increase your odds of having a great move.

1. Stay away from the internet when booking your move. Using an internet brokers to find the lowest price on your move sight unseen is unwise. There is no substitute for an in-home survey for all types of moves. If the price sounds to good to be true, it probably is. How is the cheaply priced mover making up the difference? Numerous "hostage" situations occur using the internet and many internet based moving companies are outright scam operations.
2. At a minimum check with the Better Business Bureau. or Angie's List. I gladly provide referals to my clients.
3. Try not to move the last 10 days of the month. This is the busiest time of the month for movers and truck rental companies. A lot of people want to close a real estate transaction and move at the end of the month.
4. Move earlier in the week. Fewer people move at the beginning of the week because most people want to move on a Friday. As the week progresses a movers' resources can get stretched pretty thin letting small glitches escalate into major problems.
5. Special moving needs require advanced planning. Professional movers are very adept at handling special needs but not well equipped to handle surprises.