Packing your house to move.........

[lovebuzz]

We just moved. The one tip that i have is pack a open first box. Have a couple days worth of clothing, toilet paper, etc in it. That way you do not have to search for anything.

 

[bettymae1121]

I know other's likely have already stated some of these, but for what it's worth.

1) There is no such thing as buying too much packing tape.

2) There is no such thing as too many boxes

3) There is no such thing as being "too specific" when labling contents of boxes.

Figure out what you want to actually take with you. Toss, donate, or sell things that you just don't want or aren't worth the hassle of moving. Tip: If it's still in a box from your last move...get rid of it!

Start with items you don't use much or won't miss until the move. All knick-knacks, out of season clothes, bedding and towels not needed until the move, books, and I'd say even a fair amount of toys. Tip: when box is half full, pick it up and see how heavy it is. If it is too heavy at half-full, take the stuff out and use a smaller box, or fill up the rest of the space with a really light item, like a lamp shade or a pillow. For books, cd's, and dvd's, use the smallest boxes you can, they get heavy fast. Another tip: Trash bags work great for cloths, towels, bedding, and stuffed animals! You can lable them with printer lables.

If you're only a few weeks away from moving, I'd start packing up the kitchen too, and use paper products as needed once the dishes/flatware are packed. Just leave the pots/pans and a few bits of bakeware for the very end so you can still cook.

Book your moving van early, especially if you are moving at the end of May, you'll be competing with a lot of college students and plus regular people moving at the end of their monthly lease. U-Haul has a sister site that helps you find people to help load/unload your moving van if you don't have enough friends/family that are able to help you. And if you can afford it, save yourself a lot of work and hire a cleaning crew to clean your house once it's packed. Some things are just worth the money! If do clean yourself, save some money and use straight white vinager and reusable wash cloths to do windows, and half water/vinager to wash most other surfaces. It gets just as clean for a fraction of the cost of Windex, 409, and paper towels!

 

[jmunutt]

I second checking the weight of the boxes. As a 20 year Navy wife with 15 moves under my belt, we've done it all. Movers typically use a very small box for books, they're very heavy. Make sure you wrap your dishes and glassware well, especially since someone else is moving it for you. Label your boxes well, and make sure someone on the other end is there to direct the movers to take the boxes to the right place. Your movers may do an inventory, make sure each box is counted and labeled if they do. If they don't, I second the person who said to inventory your boxes, that way you know that everything has arrived.

Don't stress and don't let the movers take anything you can't replace, pictures, etc. It's easy to replace dishes, towels and such but not baby books, school pictures and the like. Also find out from your movers if there is anything they won't move, like flammable materials.

I can't think of anything else right now, but you've gotten lots of good advice so far. Good luck with your move!
Debby

 

[Arkansan]

Don't forget about the things the movers WON'T move--things like cleaners, flammables, important papers (birth certificates, stock, etc.), and jewelery. These things either need to be disposed of (cleaners, propane tank for the grill, etc.) or packed by you and transported in your own car to the next place. These are the easiest to pack--just put them in a box in your car! We always take a full car to the next location. I don't want the kids' baby books or special jewelery lost in a move. Believe me, you don't want a problem in your moving truck!

We've moved 6 times (all corporate moves) and have lived in some fairly "transient" communities with lots of other corporate relos. The stories I can tell you! One of the worst--someone DH worked with had a fire on his moving truck! EVERYTHING was either destroyed by the fire or had smoke/water/fire extinguisher damage. That is why you need to check w/your insurance carrier. The last time we moved (less than 2 yrs. ago) we kept our homeowners coverage in place from our previous residence until our household goods were delivered to our new one. (per the advice of our insurance agent) Fortunately, we've had no true horror stories, but every time we move I hold my breath.

Good luck to you!

 

[macfinn]

depending on where you are google "ARPIN" van lines....they hvae moved us more than once and they have been the most dependable family owned van lines in the country....they have quite a few agents in the VA area and all are owned by families.....still owned by the same family for over a 100 years.......

 

[phillmolly]

Just wanted to add another great resouce for free boxes - BORDERS. When we were remodeling our bedroom I just happened to ask them if they had any boxes and they gave me about a dozen. They are a great size, you can fill them up with books and they don't go to heavy. You can also fit about a dresser drawers worth of stuff in them. I will hopefully be moving myself soon and am planning on hitting up our local Borders just as soon as our offer goes through!