Moving Tips

if you are hiring a moving company , make sure they are insured

savor the freshness of the new house. Its only there for a little while….

Ask the moving company for a lot of stand up wardrobe closets with the rods where you can just transfer the hanging clothes from your closet into theirs. Not having to fold those clothes makes life easier.

there are a lot of horror stories out there.

use a reputable mover. Someone who comes recommended by people you know.

Don’t let the mover “estimate” the costs according to how long the move should take–it always takes longer than you expect & then you get charged more.

Take the “flat rate” even if it sounds more more expensive.

what kind of tips are you referring to, tips of what?

and why do you want to move them, and where to?

if you will clarify your question, im sure this can be a good discussion.

i heard people color coding the boxes and color coding the doors to the room that it goes in.. so all the boxes are in the appropriate room and the movers did the shlepping.. happy unpacking!

I haven’t tried it so I don’t know if it’s a good idea, but it might be k’dai to save the “stuffing paper” that dry cleaners put inside clothing. Use the paper to wrap fragile items in, or to fill empty spaces in boxes so items don’t rattle around inside.

I once read in Horizons magazine, by author Miriam Green, that seforim should be packed in the kind of boxes that seforim come in; see if your local seforim store can be of help.

If you’re doing a BIG move, consider doing the move in two shifts. One of my relatives did that. Movers came one day, did one shift, and second shift was next day.

Word of caution! Refrigerators do NOT take kindly to being moved. Make sure the fridge remains upright the entire time. I imagine the same is true for an upright freezer. The same relative mentioned above had to get a new fridge after a previous move. True, it could be that the fridge wasn’t good anymore anyway, but don’t take a chance . . .

snapplegirl, that was my trick, i moved so many times I had it down to a science. I used colored labels so I didn’t have to worry if the movers read English or could read my handwriting. Also the kids were able to help at any age. I put the appropriate colored label on the door to each room so everyone knew which box and which item belonged where. I then numbered the boxes according to importance. So I knew which box to open first in each room.

Tip #2. Put fresh linen on your beds the night before the move, then fold them up in the morning and put them in garbage bags and into the trunk of your car. The minute the movers put your beds together you can make up the beds and the kids can get to sleep. You don’t have to start looking for linen, pillows, blankets, etc. It is all ready to unroll right onto each bed.

Tip #3, never pack dishes or glasses with newspaper, it turns everything black and you have to wash everything again. If you can’t afford to buy bubble wrap use paper towels and all the dishtowels you own.

Tip #4. If you are moving a washing machine, it has to be drained beforehand and sometimes the movers want a plumber to disconnect and reconnect a gas drier. Make those appointments before moving day.

Tip #5. Have a master chart of the labels, box count, etc. So if a box goes missing you know it right away. And you know which one it is and what it contains.

Tip #6. Take pictures (dated) of your belongings and of your furniture even if it has damages before the move. If there is damage after the move take photos so they can’t say that was there before. You will have the before and after pictures.

Tip #7. Try to get a flat rate and not an hourly rate. Also get in writing what type of truck you are getting. You don’t want them to keep making trips to the house with a small truck.

Tip #8. Also remember to take photos (dated) of the walls of both dwellings before and after in case you have claims about damage.

Hatzlocha on your move!