Moving 101

A+ Student Movers have successfully completed thousands of moves over the past seven years and as we worked we learned a trick or two to make things a little bit easier on you. Moving 101 is a quick guide that you can use to take the pressure off yourself during your next move.

Packing

Proper packing is the most important step in a move. Doing it right can save time, money, and aggravation.

If you are packing your own boxes, make sure to be fully packed before your moving crew arrives. Taking the time to ensure you are packed and ready to go will save you money.

Often, when a moving crew is sent to move a "packed" house there are not enough hands to pack boxes and load the truck in time which means, more movers must be called in. The more people it takes, the more expensive it gets.

The best way to ensure that you are packed before moving day is to start packing early. Carefully pack away items like knickknacks and home decorations well in advance of your first major push to get it all boxed up. Remember, you probably have more stuff than you think so packing the day before will most likely prove to be impossible.

It is also important to remember that at some point you will have to lift the boxes you pack. Be careful not to make boxes so heavy that you will hurt yourself trying to move them around. It is better to have 20 boxes than it is to have 2 boxes and a hernia.

Last but not least, mark your boxes on the top and the sides using permanent marker on the tape (marking the tape makes reusing your boxes less confusing.) Be sure to include where the boxes are going and quick reminders of what you packed inside. Noting the contents makes finding that accidentally packed toothbrush so much faster.

NOTE: Never pack your checkbook in a box. Unexpected expenses come up all the time while moving. Keep your checkbook accessible to keep yourself sane.

Prepare the House

A+ Student Movers will always be mindful of your home or office and the valuables they contain but protecting hardwood floors, woodwork, banisters and door jams will help to ensure the safety of your home or office that much more.

If you have hardwood floors it is a good idea to purchase a roll of adhesive carpet film for protection against scratches. The same product works well for carpets to ensure that while moving in and out of the house no excess dirt makes its way into your carpeting.

Bulky furniture from upstairs can be difficult to maneuver around angled stairwells. If you have a multi-level home or office with wooden railings and/or banisters, wrap them with old blankets secured with a bit of packing tape (do not tape it to the wood just wrap the tape around the blanket.) This will save the furniture, the woodwork and a knuckle or two.

Measure First. Move Once.

It fits in your house now but are you certain that oversized couch can make it through your new front door?

Measure your couches and doorways in advance. This way you'll know exactly which door to use when bringing in the furniture. If you only have one entrance, measuring your doorway in advance will let you know whether or not it needs to be removed from the hinges. (Don't worry, we'll take care of that too.)

Break it Down

Many pieces of furniture in the house can be broken down into their component parts. It may take a little longer to do but the effort is well worth the time. The smaller more manageable pieces allow for easier truck packing and safer moving.

A good idea for breaking down furniture is to keep plenty of plastic baggies on hand. Don't mix your hardware for your entertainment center with the stuff for your coffee table.

Conspicuously tape the bag of hardware to a piece of the furniture. If you don't want to put tape against the surface, write on a slip of paper, which piece of furniture the hardware came from, drop the paper in the bag and put all the bags of hardware together in a box.

Mind the Pets

If you think moving is stressful for you, imagine if you didn't know why we were in your house moving everything.

Make sure that you keep water and food bowls in an easy to reach place. Keep plenty of treats on hand and it may be a good idea to have something around for cleaning up accidents.

It isn't always possible but, if you have a jittery or nervous dog or cat it is a good idea to have a trusted friend or neighbor watch them for in-town moves.

Mind Yourself

Moving is stressful. It's hard on the body, the mind and everything in between. Even with superior service from A+ Student Movers, a move can take its toll on you.

Start packing early and do things a little bit at a time. Start a week in advance and enjoy looking through those old high school year books. Make sure that before the big day comes you are well rested and well fed.

You have a lifetime to unpack so keep an even keel and remember when its time to pack it all up again, your trusted friends at A+ Student Movers will be right there with you helping to make your new house– home.