Time-Saving Tips for Your Move - Packing & Preparing for Your Move

Make a moving schedule
Starting 60 days before your move, use a week-by-week checklist to keep the process on track. The tasks to accomplish further from moving day might seem trivial now, but staying on schedule will help you avoid last minute headaches. Time will be at a premium on the days right before your move, so be diligent in checking off these tasks.
Make a moving checklist
Create a realistic moving budget
Organize for the move

Hire a quality moving company
Resist the temptation to hire a company who offers you a too-good-to-be-true rate. An unreliable mover will cost you time and money in the long run if you have to replace any lost belongings. Check out the company's credentials with the AMSA, Better Business Bureau, Angie's List, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  Don't rely your friend's brother's sister's uncle's cousin's friend who has a truck and knows "some guys". 

• See the blog on finding a reputable company
• Keep your move on track by following your move schedule
• Get tips for planning, packing and moving

Pare down your possessions
If an item isn't enhancing your life or won't be necessary in your new environment, don't waste time packing it. Consider donating items to a local charity such as unread books, unused clothes, unused household goods.  Get rid of unfinished projects and half-empty cleaning products 

Pack like a pro.
Come up with a packing system so all of your boxes end up in the right rooms when they get to your new home. One option is to buy a box of magic markers or colored labels to create a "color code" system for your movers -- red-labeled boxes for the living room, blue for the kitchen, etc. On moving day, draw a floor plan of your home with each room labeled and hang it somewhere the movers can easily see it. Review Packing Guide (http://siracusamoving.com/packingguide.html) & Packing Tips

Don't have time to pack, most moving companies offer packing services as well as appliance hook-ups.

Packing: Preparation
we recommend you start with professional materials, including:

• Tissue paper
• Packing paper (plain newsprint)
• 2" packing tape
• Masking tape
• A utility knife
• Scissors
• Permanent markers
• Professional quality boxes

Don't pack everything!  Don't throw everyday essentials in with your other belongings, only to have to dig through boxes later searching for your ID or your medications. Instead, pack a "last-to-go" box with all of the necessities -- toiletries, snacks, important documents and the like -- and keep it with you rather than on the moving truck

Make the house move-out ready
Most movers won't disconnect anything that's hard-wired into your house, so unplug appliances and lighting fixtures if you're taking them with you. Make sure all paths are clear from your house to the moving truck. You can also help out your movers and speed up the process by knowing the ground rules for what they will and won't move -- movers won't touch flammable items, perishable foods or plants. 

Remember to stay on schedule, don't get behind!  You'll have a much easier time with your move if you follow your schedule and do a little each day rather than waiting until the deadline and becoming over whelmed.