As with most things in life, a successful move begins before
the trucks arrive. Smart organizing and packing makes moving easier and more
efficient. And while hiring a professional packing team can be a great
decision, it doesn't mean you're totally off the hook. After all, it's your
stuff that's at stake!
Beyond using your own common sense, the following tips will
help ensure that the things you value so much end up intact and in the right
spot in your new home.
Clean and organize. Laundry, dishes, tools and other items
pack and move easier when they're not a mess.
Purge! Go through and pull stuff that you can trash, give
away or donate. Remove these items before the packers arrive, or gather it all
into one pile and clearly mark it "DO NOT MOVE!"
Pull items that you'll move yourself. These normally include
medicines/toiletries, enough clothing for the move duration, personal items
(electronics/chargers/books), work stuff, jewelry and hazardous items that
packers and movers won't touch. Pack these things ahead of time, or clearly
mark them.
Organize and label rooms. Have all your master bathroom
items in your master bathroom, for example, and use signs to mark every room so
the packers can mark boxes accordingly. If a large item will switch rooms in
the new house, just mark it with its own label.
Back it up. Use portable hard drives (that you keep with
you) or cloud storage to back up any important computers, tablets, etc.
Mark high-value items as such. Whether it’s a truly valuable
vintage record player, or an old music box that has more sentimental value than
collector value, this tells packers and movers to take extra care with these
items.
De-clutter. Packing moves faster if the team has surfaces to
work on (tables, countertops, etc.) that are clean and open.
Walk the walk & talk the talk. Tell the packing team
your expectations and make sure you're available if they have questions. Walk
through your home before and after the packing job and make sure it's all done
to your satisfaction.
Prepare for a snack attack. Everyone loves snacks. Have some
cold water or lemonade and some cookies or granola bars available to the
packing team. Warm chocolate chip cookies earn extra points.
Put in a little legwork ahead of time and you’ll avoid
spending the first year in your new home trying to figure out how the can
opener ended up with the gardening supplies.