Moving Survivor Tips!

The following is a summary of my recent moving experience and was written to provide a step by step guide on moving. Some of the tips are provided to let you learn on my own mistakes, some are a result of common sense and some of a background in travel. So go ahead read on and I hope this will become of help to you or your friends…

Preparation:

• Start digging from your closets and garage in advance, because this is complicated and frustrating process, and it doesn’t really combine well with packing.

• During the excavations you shall discover things that you forgot existed and besides the “throw away Definitely” and “wow how did I survive all these years without!” kind of stuff, the Will Donate category should emerge.

• You may have “a bad feeling” about “throw away Definitely” items, what if you may need them some day, you never know right? Wrong throw it away! I Know It’s hard but you can do it.

• Donating the stuff should be easier, you simply need to convince your self that someone may actually use your beloved set of tolls (that you haven’t touched since you got a new TV set), the old boom box … I wish everything was as easy as donating your wife’s old iron or fifty pairs of shoes (btw never do, actually never even thing about doing something like this without her consent) but hey that’s life nobody said it’s going to be easy.

• If you are one of those people that have time and most importantly willpower, organize a garage sale, you never know you may be able to get some cash for your items.

• Places like Salvation Army may pick up your heavy items (fridge, washer, dryer etc) and you can get a tax deduction for your donation.

• Ebay can be of help, it can aid well in showing you what your items are worth, and you can conveniently sell them there.

Supplies:

• Always get more then you think you need, that’s the general rule of thumb!

• Heavy duty trash bags can be used not only for trash, but also for packing linens, bedding and even some clothes.

• If you are using a moving company, ask about wardrobe boxes (many companies provide them free of charge) - a good idea for anything that you want to remain on the hangers. You may even purchase some yourself but they are usually pricier than conventional moving boxes.

• Masking tape is the best for taping lose drawers, glass cabinet doors etc., because it comes easier and doesn’t leave marks. You should still use regular scotch tape for taping up boxes.

• Try to use boxes of the same size; they’ll be easier to place/stack in the truck.

People:

• You may think that it is a men’s job to do the move, but there are things that everybody in your family or friends can do. Women are generally better at organizing things, packing fragile items, handling the paperwork etc. Don’t leave out the kids, not only you’ll be able to do more by keeping them occupied but the entire process of moving will be less stressful on them.

• Assign the task according to skills and areas of expertise( I think letting a men handle a garage or electronics is generally a better idea than packing a bathroom or a kitchen)

• Decide who is “In Charge”, choose person that overlooks and supervises everybody.

Labeling:

• The better you label your items the easier the move!

• Get markers or sharpies, labeling stickers, stickers with sequential numbers etc.

• Mark your boxes by:

1. weight

2. room

3. fragileness

4. contents

• Pack your boxes all the way but try not to overload them. I recommend doing this to avoid boxes collapsing. Always place the heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter ones on top.

Survival Kit:

• Make a “survival kit”- a few boxes with absolute necessities that should go in to the truck at the end of the load (in order to be taken out in the beginning of the unloading process). The kit should contain the following:

1. Medicine – if any one in the household has a condition that requires to take medicine on regular basis always take some with you and have a spare just in case.

2. Food and snacks – the last thing you want to worry about when you start unpacking is - getting food for everybody. This may include baby’s formula. You can order Pizza once even twice, but chances are you’ll be new to the area and grocery shopping wouldn’t be an easy task.

3. First aid kit – you may be tired and the level of alertness will decrease towards the end of the move, so it’s a good idea to have some basic band aides and alcohol wipes available in case of minor cuts or bruises.

4. Phone and computer components – chances are you’d want to be able to keep in touch with the rest of the world after you move.

5. Plastic cups, dinnerware and paper towels.

6. Trash bags – remove the waste right away so it would not accumulate and be in the way.

7. THE REST OF THE ITEMS YOU MAY NEED.