Moving represents a new opportunity. It represents excitement and adventure. However, for many, it also represents a headache and tons of work. While heading to a new home, whether it’s in town or across the country brings with it plenty of intrigue, attempting to pack everything away into boxes and dealing with furniture, breakables and other assets while continuing work, school and other activities is more than enough to completely consume a person’s life. So, what should you do to take charge and avoid common, messy moving mistakes? Here are a few of the best tips and tricks offered by the team at Winter Moving & Storage.
Start Early
It’s never really too soon to begin planning for a move. The last thing you want to do is end up with no time and tossing everything into boxes. This is a fast way to end up with broken valuables. It also makes it a pain to unpack and move everything around. So, as soon as you know you have a move coming up, it’s best to start planning. If you have a year or so to go, you don’t need to begin putting objects in boxes right away. Then again, the more you pack away, the less you have to do as moving time approaches.
Haven’t Used It? Get Rid of It
Moving is a great opportunity to evaluate everything you own. Do you really need that second set of skis you have never used? Or maybe the power tools that have been sitting in the closet for years without being used? Decide if it’s worth packing and dealing with. This goes for everything you own. Have books you don’t plan on reading again? Check out a local used bookstore. There are even ads available that scan your book’s barcode to see if it will sell online. Take clothes you don’t want to Goodwill, and try to sell off the furniture and other items through sites like Craigslist or eBay. List these earlier on, so you have time to sell as much as you can. Not only does this reduce the amount of items you need to move, but it’ll give you some extra cash while you’re at it.
Mark Your Boxes
Try to start boxing up items early on. Begin with rooms you don’t use frequently, so you won’t mind having items in boxes earlier. Make sure to clearly mark the boxes as well. You can write on the box what’s inside, or color code the boxes with stickers. This way, you instantly know what goes where by the color of the sticker on the box.
Don’t Overload the Boxes
One of the biggest moving mistakes is overloading a box. It’s easy to set down in front of the bookshelf and just start moving books into boxes. However, these books really add up in weight. You’d be surprised how much a large box full of paper weighs. Instead, split it up. Go with half books and half clothing, blankets or something else light. You keep the same number of boxes, but distribute the weight evenly. Your back will appreciate it.
The team at Winter Moving & Storage is on hand to help you avoid the nasty moving mistakes others often make. From waiting until the last minute to moving more than necessary, there are many tips and tricks available for avoiding these problems. When it comes down to it, if you’re looking for professional help moving, driving or storing your goods, give the team at Winter Moving & Storage a call. We’re here to help you every step of the way.