Packing and Moving Tips
Scheduling the Move
Please reserve your preferred moving date 2-4 weeks before your pending move. We can move you on shorter notice,especially moves local to Columbus, Ohio. This will secure the moving date of your choice, and give you an opportunity to verify and ask any questions that you may have regarding your move. Click here to submit your information for a free quote.
Helpful Tips when Packing
Dedicate several sized boxes when packing each individual room.
Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box(es).
Remember to label all boxes to easily identify its contents.
MARK fragile for all delicate boxed items.
Remove Lampshades and put them in boxes. Put heavy items like books in smaller boxes.
Avoid food or supermarket boxes for they tend to be weaker typed boxes. Moving boxes are constructed to carry more weight.
Please make sure all clothes and items are removed from dressers and drawers. This reduces the weight of items for a safer transport to its new location. Also if the item needs to be manuerved through tight corners or stair.
Do not wait to the last minute to clean out closets, attics, and basements.Please have these rooms emptied and packed prior to your move date.
Two Weeks Before the Move
Take care of bank accounts, bills and stock accounts.
Make special arrangements for transporting pets, plants, flammables, pressurized tanks, ammunition, and guns.
Contact your insurance company to cancel current home coverage and set up new home insurance.
If you do not have the time to clean, hire a cleaning service.
Do not polish furniture because it will make for a slippery grip for your movers and softens the wood making your furniture more susceptible to damage.
One Week Before the Move
Take care of bank accounts, bills and stock accounts.
Arrange for baby and animal sitters on move day at both ends. This is for their safety and the movers’ safety.
Transfer prescriptions.
Arrange for delivery (such as newspapers) and yard services to be discontinued.Dispose of flammable, hazardous, toxic, liquor, pressurized vessels, or paint items that can’t be moved on the truck. Drain gasoline and oil from power tools and equipment such as lawn mowers, weedeaters, edgers, and generators.
Pack your “trip kit” of essential items that will go in your car. These may include your medications, cash, checkbook, toiletries, flashlight, baby food, child care items, pet food, and your moving file.
One Day Before the Move
Disconnect and label TV’s, computer and stereo equipment cables. (This will make reconnecting much easier and faster).
Label items that are not to be moved.If you live in an apartment, park your car at the truck load position to save a good spot for the moving van.
Move Out Day
On the day of your move, we will provide a staff of trained professionals to handle the requested or scheduled move.
Have the children and pets out of the house or in a safe place in the home away from hazards.
Strip the beds and be ready for the mover to dismantle and load the beds. If you break down the beds, cribs, etc., keep the hardware in a Ziplock bag attached to the bed or put it in a dresser drawer of that bedroom.
Be on hand to conduct a walk through the house with the mover so he understands the scope the move. Answer questions and give directions for the move requirements. Clean the house, time permitting, or hire a cleaning service for this function in advance.
Move In Day
Know where you want your furniture placed ahead of time. Movers want to place an item one time if possible.Be on hand to tell the movers which room or where the furniture or boxes go so that they don’t end up in the wrong room and would have to be handled again.Color code, name, or number rooms so that they correspond to move out location. This greatly speeds the unloading time and gets the boxes in the right locations.
Change of Address
Did you know you can make a request for a Change Of Address with the United States Post Office, USPS, on their website. Skip the lines at the post office and make your request now, use the link below.
USPS Change of Address
How to Safely Pack Dishes
Here is a list of steps to safely and efficiently pack dishware. These steps should be used for all saucers, bread and butter dishes, and other dishware. When packing smaller dishes, you may choose to stack in greater quantity.
- Choose a medium-sized moving box or dishpack and line the bottom of the carton with crumpled packing paper to provide some padding underneath.
- With packing paper stacked neatly in place on a work table, center one plate on the paper.
- Grasp a corner on several sheets of packing paper and pull the paper over the plate until sheets completely cover the plate. Stack a second plate on and, moving clockwise, grasp a second corner and pull sheets over the second plate.
- Stack a third plate. Grasp remaining two corners, folding two sheets of each corner (one at a time) over the plate.
- Turn your wrapped stack of plates upside down onto your packing paper.
- Re-wrap the entire bundle: start with one corner of packing paper and pull two sheets over the bundle, cover bundle with next corner, then the third corner; and finally, the fourth.
- Seal the bundle with packing tape.
- Place the bundle of dish-ware in a medium-size box so that the plates are standing on edge
How to Pack Glasses and Stemware
- Stuff glasses and stemware with crumpled tissue or packing paper before wrapping.
- Lay on the corner of packing paper and roll it one or two full rotations (depending on size); pull sides of packing paper up and over glass/stemware and continue rolling to the far corner. Corrugated paper rolls or cellular boxes may be used for added protection.
- Place glasses and stemware toward the top of your box. Heavier items (dish-ware, pitchers,etc.) should be placed toward the bottom of the box. Delicate glassware and stemware should be placed in an upright position, not on its side.
No matter what you’re packing, you should use crumpled packing paper in between each layer to assure a snug fit wherever there’s a gap. All boxes with “fragile” items should be marked accordingly.
How to Pack Cups
- With packing paper in place on the work table, position one cup six to eight inches from one of the corners.
- Now pull the near corner of the paper up and over the cup.
- Nest a second cup directly on top, with handle to left (second cup should “nest” itself in packing paper folded over the bottom cups).
- Pull the two side corners up and over, one at a time, and tuck corners inside the top cup.
- Hold the bottom and top cup in position and roll cups to the remaining corner. Fragile mixing bowls may be rolled in the same manner.
- Delicate cups, like china, should be wrapped one at a time. Antique glass or china should be stuffed with crumpled tissue and wrapped one at a time.
