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There's nothing more frustrating than settling into a new home, ready to open the cartons and unpack, only to discover that the family scissors are packed away in one of dozens of sealed boxes.
To prevent a similar situation, you may want to consider putting together a "survival box" before packing your household possessions. The box should include items that will be needed before you've completely unpacked. Such as: toilet paper, telephone, toothpaste and brushes, snacks, coffee and coffee pot, soap, flashlight, screwdriver, pliers, can opener, paper plates, cups and utensils, a couple of pans, and paper towels are some of the essentials you may need upon arrival at your new home. Pack a box with these types of items and ask the foreman to load it on the van last so that it will be unloaded at your new home first.
Before packing medicine and toiletry items, make sure that their caps and lids have been tightly secured.
To prevent small items from being lost or mistakenly thrown out with the packing paper, wrap miniature knickknacks and other small items in brightly-colored tissue paper before placing them in the box.
PACKING TIPS:
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Use only unprinted newsprint paper to wrap items. Regular newspapers are messy and can soil your possessions.
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Use clean cartons designed for moving. Boxes obtained from grocery or liquor stores are not always clean, and they may not withstand the weight of the items that you'll be putting in them. Also, their odd sizes tend to make loading more difficult.
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You should personally transport cash, securities, jewelry and furs, firearms (consult local laws), personal papers and documents (like birth certificates, insurance policies and deeds), coin and stamp collections, special family photographs, moving-related documents.
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Wrap fragile articles the way professionals do; use two layers of unprinted newspaper per glass, dish, figurine, etc. Wrap firmly, but loosely enough, to provide a cushioning effect.
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Don't overcrowd boxes. Professionals pack boxes so articles cushion each other. The top of the box should close with slight pressure. Don't mix incompatible items (like books with glasses). Pack clothing in our special wardrobe containers. That way your clothes will hang straight and stay clean and virtually wrinkly-free.
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Tape boxes across tops and edges. Seal opening tightly.
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Don't pack paints, turpentine, pressurized cans, corrosive items like bleach or any flammable liquid. The law forbids movers to carry flammables. Properly dispose of or give away anything that could cause a fire or damage.
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Typically, a move requires the loading and unloading of appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators with ice makers and gas or electric dryers. Important: These items can only be moved if they're prepared for shipment by an appropriately qualified or specialized service provider, like a plumber, electrician, gas company or carpenter. The same is true for reinstallation of your new home.
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Designate one drawer of a dresser for sheets and towels so that you won't have to rummage through boxes for these essentials the first night in your new home.
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After you've thoroughly cleaned and dried the inside of your refrigerator, put a handful of fresh coffee, baking soda or charcoal in a sock or nylon stocking and place it inside to keep the interior smelling fresh.
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Pack your current phone book to take with you. You may need to make calls to residents or businesses back in your former hometown.
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Pack heavy items in small boxes, light items in larger boxes.
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Before the van foreman leaves for your destination residence, give him a phone number where you can be reached. It is also a good idea to provide him with an alternate contact in case you can't be reached.
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Remove bulbs before packing your lamps.
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In addition to the room and contents, have children write their name and new address before they get to their new home.
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At destination, you might want to consider having the TV and VCR hooked up first to occupy the kids while the rest of the van is being unloaded.
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Keep your pet calm and away from all the activity on moving day by arranging for a friend to watch you pet at their house.
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When moving plants to your new residence via your car, try not to let foliage rest against the windows, as the leaves will scorch
When packing a personal computer, these steps will help you prepare it for safe transport. To pack your computer, we strongly recommend that you use the computer's original carton and packing materials. If they're not available, use a box that is both strong and big enough to hold the computer, and pack it with unprinted newspaper.
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Back up your software and data files. Take these with you or send to your destination via insured mail.
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Park the hard drive (if applicable). See your computer's instruction manual for special steps to take. With newer computers, simply turning the power off initiates this safety feature.
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Insert cardboard of an old disk into the disk drive(S).
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Unhook all cables and power cords, indicating their position s for easy set-up. Pack cords separately with manuals and software.
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Use only static-free packing materials like clean, wadded unprinted newspaper (not standard bubble wrap or packing peanuts).
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Create a base layer of wadded unprinted newspaper and place your computer on top of that layer. Then surround sides and top with more wadded unprinted newspaper until firmly packed. Then seal carton with packing tape.
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Remove all ink cartridges from the printer.
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