Here is a list of some of our favorite tips & tricks for making your move as easy as possible:

Pack an Overnight Bag – Pack a bag of clothes and personal items as if you were taking a trip for a couple days, and put it in your car. Include a set of sheets, pillow, and blanket! This will insure that you have what you need for your first few days at your new home.

Pack one important Kitchen Box – Waking up in your new home is so much better when you have your coffee, pot, cups and other breakfast items! Put this box in your car along with your overnight bags. Can you smell the coffee brewing? Ahhhh

Purchase Moving Boxes & Packing Paper – We understand it can save money to gather grocery boxes and use newspaper. Consider the potential for more breakage due to box failure, and the extra time you will spend washing the newsprint off of your keepsakes and dishes, and you will likely decide to buy quality moving materials.

Label your Boxes – Include the room, basic description of contents, add FRAGILE if appropriate. Rank them 1, 2, or 3; with a 1 for heavy, 2 is medium, and 3 is light. Load the truck with heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter on top.

Packing plates – Packing plates vertically rather than stacked has proven to result in less chipping and breakage.

Check your Boxes – Lift your boxes and shake them gently. If you hear anything moving or shifting you need to repack the box or be prepared for breakage when you unpack at your destination.

Moving Appliances – Get a large hand truck that includes straps that ratchet your items in place.

Sandwich bags to the rescue – If you have ever experienced taking something apart, let’s say a wall mounted TV, and been unable to find all of the related parts when you were ready to reinstall at the new location, you already know how valuable sandwich bags are. A very cheap way to keeps curtain hooks, nuts and bolts, and other small parts together and easily taped to whatever their purpose serves!

A picture is worth a thousand words – Take a picture of the hookups for all of your electronics before you unplug all of those wires. Having that picture to refer to when you are setting up will be a big help.

Pre-Clean Bathroom & Kitchen – If your moving plans are local, and time allows, spend a few hours at your new home giving the bathrooms and kitchen a good cleaning. Being able to clean  unpack into a cleaned kitchen, and have the bathroom ready for that end of moving day shower will be priceless!

Change your address – It is best to submit your address change at least two weeks before your move date to insure that your mail starts arriving when you do!

Love Your Children & Pets – If it is a local move consider having family or friends provide loving care for your children and pets while you are moving. Even consider a sleepover for the first night to make their transition smoother, and the moving process much less stressful for you.