10 Tips For Household Moving Monday Sep 26, 2016

You could say there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who know the ins and outs of house moving, and those who don’t.  If you are among the latter group, help is available. Every day, our house movers are on the job with answers and assistance when families move home. Here are a few pointers to help you with household moving.

1. Get rid of it. Now is the time to hold that yard or garage sale and get rid of old furnishings, clothes, books, kitchen ware—anything you don’t need. If you haven’t used it in five years, why keep it? Somebody else wants it—make them a good deal. Or, give it to charity. Some groups will even come and pick things up.
2. Pack smart. If you can budget professional packing services, do so. It will lift a lot of hassle from you. If you self-pack, familiarize yourself with the techniques to ensure your items travel safely. Our house movers recommend the packing tips from Atlas Van Lines for easy guidelines to follow.
3. Clean and defrost. Prepare your fridge at least 24 hours before moving. If food matter remains inside, it will act as an incubator for mold and odors. Trust us, it’s not fun to clean.
4. Use your camera. When unhooking electronics, such as computers and TVs, take a picture of the cables and ports for easy reconnection at your new home. If disassembling furniture, keep hardware (screws, bolts, nuts) in plastic bags and mark the bags according to which piece of furniture they belong.
5. Take it or leave it. Know which items can be moved and which cannot. For instance, your mover can’t transport hazardous or flammable chemicals, aerosols or bottled gas, or ammunition.
6. Support your food bank. Give opened or perishable goods away, and consider donating unopened, shelf-stable foods to a local food bank. As a participating mover in Move For Hunger™, Advance Relocation Systems can handle this for you.
7. Plan a good first night. Pack a separate box with all the essentials for the first night in your new home—toiletries, medicines, bedding, robe and pajamas, and a change of clothes. Include coffee, snack foods, and drinks along with paper plates and plastic cups.
8. Stay healthy. Talk to your current dental and health care providers for recommendations to doctors in your new community. For your pets, make sure their vaccines are up-to-date and check with the state’s Department of Agriculture for veterinary offices.
9. Update contact information. This is a biggie. Make a list of friends and family, as well as banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, magazines and newspapers. Let them know your new address. Before you move, enter your change of address to the USPS.
10. Turn it off, turn it on. A couple of weeks before your move, arrange to have the utilities (power, water, Internet) on when you arrive. By the same token, alert your present providers of your last day as a customer so they can take the readings and prepare your final bill. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list—for more information, visit our moving resources page or call our home movers. Curious about moving into a new house? Get a free online moving quote to start the process! 

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