Moving is always associated with a huge to-do list, fatigue, and nervous breakdowns. But all is not so terrible if this event is approached wisely. You can move in two or three days, even if you are going to change the city of residence, and not just move from one area to another.
Moving Preparation
Moving begins with packing. In this case, the main thing is not to delay! Ask for help-family, friends, or a professional company like A-Plus Moving Group, so you can handle it several times faster.
Prepare the packing materials
Boxes and containers are easy to place in the truck and transport safely, but hauling them from apartment to car and back can be inconvenient if they don’t have handles. When using cardboard boxes with slits for hands, try not to load them heavily with things and load them with construction gloves so you don’t cut yourself on the cardboard. An alternative option is to use utility bags, but they are not suitable for carrying fragile items.
To make sure you don’t get the wrong amount of packing, mentally distribute all the items into boxes and add another 5 to that. Stack heavy items in 50×60 or 60×40 boxes, no larger, so they’ll be easier to load and disassemble.
What you will need for the move:
- Scotch tape
- Packaging tape with bubble wrap for fragile items
- Heavy cardboard boxes
- Plastic containers
- Storage bags
- Garbage bags
- Marker
Packing
Pack your clothes without taking them off the hangers
While it may add bulk, the time saved hanging things in your new apartment is well worth it. Use plastic hangers with rounded shoulders to prevent tearing bags.
Sign the bags and boxes
It is possible to use a marker directly on them or with stickers, which are better to be additionally glued to the boxes with transparent adhesive tape. This way you will not forget where and what lies. Boxes with fragile items can be marked separately by putting red or yellow tape on them.
Secure fragile items
Wrap breakable items, appliances, and furniture corners-these are the ones most likely to suffer in a move-with bubble wrap.
Never stuff papers into moving bags
Carry important papers personally and don’t stack them with anything else unless you want them to be accidentally lost or damaged.
Make a plan for loading your belongings. Consider how to place the furniture and appliances in the new apartment, and load boxes in reverse order: put things in the farthest corner that you will unload at the last moment. This can save the movers time and money.
Transporting
It is better to move late in the evening on a weekday or early in the morning on the weekend when there is less traffic. If you call for a car by 9:00, have your packed belongings ready by the appointed time. If you pay by the hour, a delay will cost you extra money.
Find a moving team in advance
Be sure to specify the volume of cargo: the number of bags, boxes, furniture, and large appliances. To make it clear, take a picture of the total number of items and send it to the mover. It is a good idea to send it to the moving team, so you don’t lose anything on the road, and you can check if all the bags are in place when you move into your new apartment.
To make sure you don’t have to worry about transportation:
- Provide an exact address to your moving company, describe how to get to you and where to park.
- If you are leaving or flying out the same day following your belongings, make follow-up calls to see if everything is okay with the driver and the car and if he will arrive on time.
- Before you load things, be sure to sign all the papers for transportation (contract for services).
Be sure to get a phone number from the driver, so you can contact him if necessary. Also, write down the number of the car – just in case.
Resolve the issue with children and pets
If you are moving with children, remember to find someone to help keep them busy for the time being (a grandmother, babysitter, friend). Or, in the form of a game, assign your child a small task related to the move, such as picking up toys.
If you are transporting a pet to a new place, be sure to warn the driver about it in advance. This is a basic rule that will save you from force majeure when the driver suddenly refuses to transport your pet even in a carrier.
How to choose a moving company
- Look at the rating and reviews. The higher the rating and the more positive reviews, the more reliable the mover is.
- Look if his profile has a signature that he is a certified and licensed mover. This means the mover has passed an automatic document check.
- Pay attention to what the performer writes in his/her proposal, whether he/she has understood the task correctly.
- Clarify the dimensions of the track.
- Be sure to call and discuss all the terms and costs of the work. A conscientious and unproblematic team will ask you all the right questions about the size of the load, and specify how to get to you, where to meet, and exactly what time to be. If the performer does not ask questions at all, it is cause for reflection.
- Movers can help with packing, disassembling, and reassembling furniture, taking away trash, or throwing away unwanted appliances – all these additional services are worth discussing with the performer in advance.
To sum up
If you are going to move, make sure that you:
- have everything you need for packing (boxes, tape, bags, bubble wrap, stickers);
- have an accurate idea of the size of the shipment and the additional services you will need;
- the time for the move has been chosen;
- you have chosen a reliable moving Elmhurst company with whom you have agreed on everything in advance. If not, it is advisable to pay attention, you will get help here.