Moving is a task that takes a lot of effort and time. Your own resources, health, and mood are too high a price to pay for moving. But if you turn to professionals right away, you can make the process comfortable and fast. The most important thing is to find a company that you can definitely trust. If you need reliable home movers, neat movers and modern service, you will find them at https://livecleantoday.com/services/moving-services-spokane.
How do you plan your move?
Start with an inventory
My advice a week or two before you move is to sit down quietly with a notepad and pen and take an inventory of your belongings. Decide what you will take with you. Divide things into less important and necessary. Among the necessities, I’d single out the seasonal clothes you wear now, hygiene and cleaning supplies, and furniture and appliances.
Less important things that you will not need in the near future: furniture, clothes for another season – do not take with you immediately to the new place, but give them to friends or acquaintances. Or send them by mail.
Think about how you will arrange your new space
Make a plan for your new space so you know right away what to put away and where to put it. This will help you put boxes and bags in different rooms and reduce the time you spend sorting things out.
Check your clothes
Do an audit of your clothes before you pack them because chances are you’ll find that you don’t need half of them anymore. So why take unwanted junk to another city? After the revision, divide things into three categories: what to keep (this is important and necessary to your property), what to donate or sell (things in working condition, but no longer relevant to you – let them benefit those who need them), and what to throw away (here take all the broken, unnecessary, that is, what you or others will not use). Divide things into these three groups and get rid of all unnecessary things beforehand.
Estimate an approximate budget
This should include the cost of the company that is helping you. Calculate the cost of fuel you will spend if you go in your own car or in a friend’s car. Don’t forget to budget for food – for the trip or for a snack after you arrive at the new location. And make a small financial reserve – in case of breakage and damage to furniture, equipment, property. This may not happen, but it’s worth it to be financially prepared.
Decide what you can save money on
If the budget was not commensurate with the possibilities, you can find options on which you can save. For example, on the packaging. For example, at IKEA, you can get free kraft paper and rope at the self-packing place. And in large hypermarkets – in boxes.
Don’t forget to clean the apartment
It will be great if the apartment is cleaned because after packing and moving your belongings a lot of dust is left behind. You should also clean your new place of residence beforehand.
Kids and animals
For young family members and pets, moving will definitely be stressful. We highly recommend leaving the children with grandparents or a babysitter. And put the animals for a day or two in a special hotel – look for one in your city.
How to pack and not to forget anything?
How to pack?
- Pack by room and by category in each room. Each room in the new house should be assigned a different color. To do this, put different colors of tape on the doors. And for the movers to understand what things need to be carried – mark each box with the corresponding color.
- Prepare a list of things in each room. For example, toys – box #5, yellow (the color of the room). Husband’s shirts – box #7, blue.
- Pack dishes in sturdy bags. Put the pots one inside the other without lids. You can put change inside. Wrap plates/cups and other breakable items in paper/newspaper, paper or cardboard.
- Tape the boxes with colored tape on all sides.
- Start packing from the unnecessary to the necessary. That is, if it’s winter, start with summer things.
Come up with a navigation system
What’s the right way to move into a new apartment? Pack things in the order that logic dictates – put the items you use the least often first. It makes sense to number each box, and it’s best to write the number on all sides. Start a notebook or a file, put all the numbers in it, and in front of each part list all the contents of the box. Don’t be lazy: this list will be a real lifesaver in a new place.
People who have been through more than one move to a new apartment advise packing by room and sealing boxes with a tape of different colors: let the things from the kitchen be red, from the nursery – blue, etc., for example. At the new location, ask the movers to immediately distribute them to the address – that is, the red ones will go straight to the kitchen.
It’s handy if the boxes and bags with the most frequently used items are labeled in some way. Stick a red sticker on them or simply write on them: “Open first.”
Preparing and packing appliances and digital devices
If possible, use the factory packaging with saved foam blocks – they are the safest. If you don’t have them, make a box out of cardboard and protect the most fragile and vulnerable areas with bubble wrap. Remove all food and shelves from the refrigerator. The washing machine should be properly unplugged, tighten the shipping bolts so that the drum is secured. Very carefully and securely wrap the TV, computer monitor, and other digital equipment in bubble wrap.
What should I take with me in the car instead of giving it to the movers?
A box of documents. Put all the documents you have into folders, label them, and put them in one box.
The “essentials” box. In this box when moving, you can easily find what you’ll need on your first day. Refer to this list of items, but you can tweak it to suit you:
- hygiene supplies;
- pot, knife, plates, mugs, forks, spoons;
- towels, linens;
- a change of clothes;
- chargers;
- first-aid kit;
- basic necessities (sugar, salt, coffee/tea), baby food and pet food.
- box for valuables. Put all valuables that are expensive or have other value in it.
Important tips for an easy move
– Secure cardboard boxes with tape.
– Label containers with fragile items so movers will be more careful with them.
– When loading your belongings, the most unnecessary items should be in the first row. Then the items you need will be unloaded first.
– Don’t make major purchases a week before you move. This also applies to grocery stores.
– Prepare food the day before you move – there won’t be time to cook later – and pack it in a cooler bag.
– Buy disposable plates/forks so you can safely take all the dishes out of the kitchen.
– If you don’t want to roll things up, use cardboard “cabinets” to carry things right on hangers.
