Moving can be a very stressful time. It if often listed as one of the most stressful changes in a person’s life up with getting a divorce and losing a job. This does not stop people from moving, however. Nearly 15.4 people moved out of cities and 11 million moved into them between 2010 and 2015. During that same time frame, nearly 18 million people moved to the suburbs and 9.2 million people relocated out of them. Nearly 44% of all American adults say that they would move for a job change. If you are planning on moving, for any reasons, professional movers recommend some moving tips to make the process easier.
Moving Tips to Make the Process Go Better:
Get boxes of different sizes. You have items that are different sizes and weights and need to have boxes to match. When you are packing your books, which tend to be heavier, you should put them in smaller boxes that are easier to carry. Use larger boxes for your pillows, bedding and other linens. This will make is easier for you or your moving services company to carry your belongings and lowers the chances that the boxes will break.
- When you pack your boxes and your truck, make sure you put the heavier stuff on the bottom. When you are packing a box with heavy and light items, one of the most important moving tips is to put the heavier stuff on the bottom. This is true for your boxes and your truck. You want to put your boxes of books at the bottom and under your lighter items such as artwork, towels and bedding.
- Fill your boxes. Professional moving companies like to remind their clients that people should pack their boxes until they are full. If there is space at the top of a box, it is a good idea to fill that space with towels, bedding or clothing. What you do not want is for items to be able to move around in the box during your move.
Make sure your boxes are well sealed. This is another of the most important moving tips. When you tape up your boxes, make sure you are careful to seal up your boxes tightly with tape. The seams should be completely covered and you should take the tape and wrap it around the edges on the top and bottom of the box. You never know when a box is going to fall over and this can prevent it from bursting open.
- Make a list of what is in each box. This will slow down your packing process but will make everything go a lot smoother when you get to your destination. Label each box and have a corresponding list. You can keep this using an application like Excel so when you get to your new home, you can search for an item and then know where you packed it. This may seem like a lot of work but when you need to find something, you will not want to have to open every box to find it.
- Pack a special box for your first few days. There are some items that you are really going to need to use right away when you get to your new home. These items include some clothing like what you wear to sleep, your toiletries, some cooking and dining essentials and other things. If you like to drink coffee every morning, you are going to want to have your coffee pot somewhere that is easy to reach.
- Make special arrangements for some of your items. You will probably move some items that need special care. One of the most crucial moving tips is to make plans for items like your television, computer equipment, delicate furniture items, valuable works of art and other fragile things that you own. A full service moving company may have special crates that can be used for these items. Talk over what you have and need with the moving company you are using. They may have suggestions or options for these items that you would not have thought of.
Moving can be painful but with careful planning, it does not have to be.