What does coffee, a clean shave, and a mirror’s surface have in common that the average home move does not? Smoothness! As we all know, a touch of cream in a cup of coffee can provide it’s drinker with a sensation of smoothness and ease, a feeling that is certainly not congruent with the gruelling act of moving house. We here at Action Moving & Storage Inc. are more than a little familiar with the gripes and groans that our clients have to endure while moving. Fortunately, we are subject matter experts when it comes to a smooth move, and have put together a little guide for those who choose to move their living space (with a little help from a trusty moving company).
One of the most important, and overlooked, parts of the whole process revolves around looking at your budget. By doing a little number crunching, you can more easily determine exactly how you are going to initiate this so called ‘smooth’ move. Do your finances allow you to hire a moving company to perform all of the labour, or should you consider booking a truck and calling upon a few close friends to help? Cost can be a make or break factor in terms of how your move goes down, so carefully assess where you are at budget-wise, so you don’t make any hasty decisions. At this stage, you may want to start prioritizing which valuables you want to have moved first.
Long Distance Moving
If you are skipping town and moving somewhere beyond your immediate vicinity, it is vital that you contact your local moving company well in advance. Don’t forget to take into consideration peak moving times, particularly around the start and end of the summer, when students are mostly moving. The more notice that you can provide the enterprise that will be assisting you, the better.
Planning ahead is key here, so take extra care to make travel arrangements for you and any family or pets you may have in tow. It can be too easy to get caught up in the packing process, and totally forget that you have to physically move yourself! If you are relocating outside of the province or country, always ensure that you have your IDs, passports, and any other vital documents packed in a easily accessible place before anything else.
It is also recommended that you let your friends and family know of your plans, unless, you know, you are moving to escape from them. Feeling very adventurous? Feel free to throw a farewell party for yourself at your old home!
Not-So Long Distance Moving
So, you feel that you want a change of scenery, but nothing too drastic, huh? Well, you are probably one of those folks who aims to move, but not too far. For many, this inevitably means a DIY move, which, without the proper organization and planning, can be an unpleasant can of worms to open.
If you have made the wise choice to hire a moving company, they should be able to adequately handle most aspects of the procedure. There are a couple things that you should keep an eye on, however, including properly storing and monitoring your perishable food items. Before making your trip, make sure you have some coolers handy so that you can store your refrigerated food. The only other alternative will be to re-stock your entire fridge in your new place, which is costly and wasteful.
In the event that you choose to brave the unknown by moving on your lonesome, be sure to rent a moving truck that can adequately fit all of your belongings. Even if you aren’t a carpenter, a measuring tape can be your most trusty ally in this scenario. A vehicle that is even a couple inches too small can severely mess up your schedule and possibly lead to cramming too many items within a enclosed space where they are more prone to breaking.
The Kitchen Is Where The Home Is
Packing up one’s kitchen is a bit of a stressful process. You are not only dealing with food that can expire when left out for prolonged periods of time, but also have to handle easily breakable items, tons of cutlery that can be easily misplaced, and the guilt associated with throwing out that fruitcake your grandmother made for you several years ago (shame on you!).
Fortunately, you can follow a couple easy steps to ensure that your kitchen move goes as smoothly as that premium, overpriced coffee that you have in your pantry. While it may seem to make logical sense to pack up the kitchen first, we advise that you actually do it last – you are going to inevitably want something from your kitchen ware or grocery stash at some point during the move, and it will be a hassle to have to unpack everything to find it.
When it comes to packing individual items, use plastic wrap for fragile things such as champagne flutes and other glassware, and try to use divider kits or cardboard barriers for anything that is breakable. If you are a true moving mastermind, you will have kept the original boxes that your appliances came in to help with easy moving and storage.
As mentioned in the previous section, we do advocate trying to transport your food in refrigerated containers. If your collection of canned goods is becoming a pain to pack up and move efficiently, consider donating it to a local food bank. Certain moving companies will even take the non-perishable goods from you, to be donated to a good cause.
Downsizing 101
Many people view the experience as moving as a secondary Spring Clean – the perfect time to rid oneself of extra baggage and unused items. Once again, you can use this as an opportunity to flex those charitable muscles. Even if you are done with your used clothing and furniture, there are others in need who can surely use them! Contact local charitable organizations, they will almost certainly be interested in acquiring whichever items you no longer have a use for.
A popular method of downsizing in the home without eliminating your possessions from your life altogether is to rent a storage locker. Storage spaces are common throughout most residential areas, and, if you look around, you will almost certainly find one in proximity to your new home. This may take a little bit of research, however, as pricing can vary depending on the facility.
In some cases, downsizing is not intentional, and that is okay! Sometimes, moving from one home to another can involve ridding yourself of any large or cumbersome items. Although this has already been mentioned about thirty times within this article, planning is key. Know ahead of time what you have to get rid of, and make arrangements to do this prior to actually moving the bulk of your possessions. Once you have determined where you are going to be moving, use your trusty measuring tape to sort out the dimensions of your furniture, so as to ensure that it will fit inside your new space.
One final time effective way of downsizing is the tried and true method of hosting a garage sale. You will be surprised to discover that people are actually willing to pay physical cash for that which you consider to be junk! If you are really looking to budget yourself in a way that is inclusive to your neighbourhood, you can even use the garage sale as a springboard for throwing a terrific (albeit potentially awkward) moving party.
Apartment Living = Apartment Moving
Moving in or out of an apartment building is a complicated task that requires effective time management and often stairs… lots of stairs. Since high rises are densely populated, you should aim to start your move early in the day. This way, you can try to avoid the heat, traffic, and general chaos that will be detrimental to your experience.
If your building has elevators, make sure you speak with your landlord or building manager so as to have one secured for the day. By making such reservations, you will cut down on wait-time and warn your neighbours in advance.
Ensuring that you have adequate space for yourself or your moving company to park your vehicles is another item that should be high on the priority list. One thing to take into consideration is the location of your new building – if it lies along a busy public street there is a good chance you will have to obtain a permit from the city.
Budgeting Opportunities Await
Everyone likes saving a couple bucks here and there. Provide yourself with an in-house discount by reducing the number of things that you have to move. Generally speaking, the fewer items you move, the more money and time you are going to save.
In terms of boxes and other packing supplies, check grocery stores for free cardboard moving containers, and consider scrolling through Craigslist in order to find other materials that can assist you. Watch out, if you plan on moving during a busy time of year, such as the summer, many of these boxes will have been scooped up by others!
When it comes to saving money, always explore your options in terms of what your employer can offer. If your company owns a fleet of vehicles, or happens to have a number of containers left over from their last office move, then feel free to reach out to the boss to see what assistance they may provide. A box of donuts in the lunch room can go a long way, and perhaps you will wind up recruiting some of the IT staff to give you a hand (not that they do much anyway, jeez).
Make Moving With Kids Easier
As loveable and wonderful as they can be, having small children around can be detrimental to any move, large or small. Fortunately, there are a couple precautions that one can take to ensure that your little tykes don’t cause too much of a ruckus.
First and foremost, consider hiring a babysitter. Having some form of childcare handy, even if it is just for one day, can be a life-saver. This will be one less piece of the logistics puzzle you will have to deal with, and it will inevitably pay off. Make sure that you have the essentials for your child packed up and ready to go before anything else. Necessities such as diapers, snacks, and toys are key to making them as comfortable as possible during the transition.
Small children may find moving to be a difficult or even traumatic experience, so take extra care to prepare them for the big change. There are many children’s books out there that explain the process of moving and will help mentally brace your little ones. While unpacking, be sure to assemble their room before anything else. This will make them feel more ‘at home’ in their new place, therefore setting the stage for a smooth and easy adjustment.
The Big Day
After all of that meticulous planning and preparation the big day has arrived. What to do next? Give up? Absolutely not! Now is your time to shine and prove that all of the hard work you have put in is ultimately going to pay off. If you have made the right decisions at this stage, you will already be working hand in hand with a team of professional movers who will inevitably make your day a lot easier.
Whether you are moving everything yourself, or collaborating with a moving company, be sure to keep lots of bottles of water on hand. Moving is difficult work, and there is nothing worse than working up a thirst that you or your colleagues are unable to quench. If you have lots of keys or other small possessions, be sure to keep them in a safe place and check on them periodically throughout the day. Also, exchange numbers with anyone who will be taking a vehicle separate from yours, one wrong turn could lead to all sorts of trouble.
Before saying farewell to your home for one last time (and inevitably shedding a couple tears), take a few minutes to check every cupboard and corner for small things that may have been left behind. You will be surprised by what can be found by looking around in your appliances – refrigerators and ovens are large spaces that can easily engulf your possessions.
Action Moving & Storage takes pride in providing an exceptional moving experience to our beloved clients, and we hope that this lengthy (we are a moving company, not a team of professional writers) guide has proven to be of some assistance to any curious readers or keen DIY movers out there. If you have any questions, or are looking to be backed by one of the most efficient teams in the entire World, then don’t hesitate to reach out.