Priority Items When Preparing to Move

Every person that needs to move has specific priorities. Still, each person’s plans and priorities need to shape their approach to the task of moving a long list of items. This article suggests the effective approach for a typical family.
Before the packing starts
- Get estimated cost for using several different Glendale Movers
- Arrange to get time off from your job
- Request transcripts from your children’s school
- Make plans for moving fragile items
- Create a checklist of things to do, such as notifying your utility companies
- Make a list of your valuables: place them in categories
Preparations for packing
- Collect boxes
- Gather soft items to use for cushioning
- Put hardware in labeled, small plastic bags: Have it ready to use when reassembling furniture
- Measure doorways, stairways and elevators
- Design ways to get rid of unwanted items, so that not everything gets tossed out.
- Collect your important documents
When the packing starts
- Take items out of storage and pack them.
- Collect the clothing that is out-of-season and pack it. If you have not yet packed the seasonal decorations, pack them at this time.
- Pack your good china and any other dishes that are not used on a regular basis. Use towels and linens for wrapping those items.
- Pack those things that have been hanging on the wall; pack any other knickknacks. If you are a smoker, you must decide how to deal with your ashtrays. If you pack them away, you might force yourself to quit (at least temporarily).
- Pack your books; be sure to return any borrowed books.
Things to consider in special situations
If you are moving a great distance and need to ship your car, then be sure to clean it out before it gets shipped. Do that yourself, if someone is shipping the car for you. If you are a student, especially a graduate student, you might not know where you will be living when you get to the site of your campus. If possible, arrange to ship all your belongings to the home of a friend or family member.
If you are shipping things somewhere, you might want to start with your books. They are easy to pack, and they do not cost much to mail. If you are thinking about using UPS, know that they only ship to an out-of-state location, not to some point in the same state.
If that is not possible to send things to a friend or family member, then pack the bulk of your belongings in containers that can be shipped easily. Go to the new city with a suitcase. Live out of the suitcase until you have a place to stay. Then have the other items shipped to you.
I like your suggestion to measure doorways and stairways so we know what to expect before moving day arrives. My husband and I want to save time and energy by hiring movers when we relocate to a new city for his work this summer. Thanks for teaching me how to ensure things go smoothly with whatever moving company we end up choosing for the job.