The big day is coming: you’ve selected your mover (hopefully us!) and chosen to have professional packers take care of that most frustrating and tiresome step: packing. Now all you need to do is get ready for the packers! Luckily, we’ve got some tips to get you started with that.
Throw out everything you’re parting with that can’t be donated; donate the rest.
You don’t want to pay to transport trash or items you no longer use – so toss them before the professional packers arrive! Discard all trash and broken items appropriately – if they involve hazardous material, make sure you dispose of them correctly. Old clothes, canned goods, books and more can be donated to local shelters, libraries, or charities.
Empty, clean, and disconnect all appliances as appropriate.
Avoid mold and make your future self thank you by cleaning all your kitchen appliances before they’re packed! Make sure any water reservoirs (like in your coffee maker) are empty too. If you have the original boxes for your appliances, go ahead and pack them. Make sure all appliances and electronics are disconnected. Some appliances may require a professional disconnect – Delicate Moving can handle most non-gas items.
Clean your home and declutter all surfaces.
It’s much easier to work around your home when the space is clean and there are plenty of empty surfaces to use for staging! You’ll have to clean anyway, so why not get a head start and do it before the movers arrive? Do a full clean and pre-pack small items that live on counters, tabletops, side tables, etc.
Put small items in plastic bags – particularly all those little items in your drawers!
A great time saver that’ll help preventing anything from getting lost is pre-packing all the little items you keep in drawers throughout your home. Kitchen junk drawer? After purging trash items, throw it all in a plastic zipper bag (like Ziploc). Silverware? Plastic bag it. Bedside drawers full of odds and ends? Plastic bag it.
Label each room and keep stuff grouped to that room.
Put a label on each room so your professional packers know how to label your boxes. It’ll make getting everything staged properly at the other end of your move a snap!
If something should end up in a different room, mark it so.
If a piece of furniture, appliance, or item is going to a different room at the other end, put a label on that specific piece so your professional packers and movers know where it goes.
Establish a no-pack area.
There are going to be things you don’t want moved, or that can’t be handled by your movers – cash, jewelry, firearms, small electronics, etc. Make it easy for everyone by designating a room or staging area as a “no-pack area.” Put a sign up so your professional packers and movers will know to ignore those items. Oh, and make sure cleaning supplies and personal necessities are included in the no-pack area – you’ll need to clean some more and possibly use the toilet after the packers and movers have gone!
Have a plan to be available for the packers, but for children and pets to be safely out of the way.
While the professional packers will be taking care of all the tedious packing, you should still be available to answer any questions they might have – as well as check their work once they’re done. Moves are very busy times with much going and coming as well – keep your children and pets safe by keeping them in a certain space (the no-pack area, perhaps) or having them elsewhere during this busy time.
Keep detailed lists and records.
Don’t travel without a manifest – even on a move just across town! Before your professional packers arrive, make a detailed list of everything that’s being moved (by both the movers and yourself). It may help to organize this as a checklist by room. For valuable items, you may wish to take pictures to document their condition as well. Check with your Delicate Moving representative to learn about our Replacement Value Protection offers to protect your belongings.
We hope you found these tips useful! If you’d like more information about our services, don’t hesitate to call us today – 214-347-9301.