Moving 101 – What to do when moving.

house move 101

Finding a Good Deal on Your Utilities

It is important to shop around for your utilities to ensure you get the best deal. Several companies offer introductory deals or may or may not require deposits, so it is necessary for you to check out all your options to make sure that you are getting the best deal.

 

Moving School Information

If you are moving with children, one of your big concerns will be where to send your children to school. A great tool to help you find out what schools are in your area is School Guide. This free service allows you to find out all you need to know about possible schools in your new area.

 

Too Much to Move?

Two months before you move, take an inventory of your belongings. If you find you have a good number of items that you believe will just be gathering dust in your new home, plan a garage sale to avoiding throwing away things at the last minute. If you do not have the time or the space to have a moving sale, you can call a local charity to arrange a drop-off or pick-up so the items that you do not need any longer will be used for a good purpose.

 

Packing Smart

We all know that packing at the last moment is not your best course of action when moving, but what should you pack first?

To have a truly organized move, you should start packing about two months in advance of your move date, beginning with clothes that you will not need in the current season (if you are moving in the winter, pack your summer clothes). Another set of items you can pack early is books, knickknacks and other items on display.

Instead of trying to write a contents list on each and every box, try colour-coding the boxes with stickers to alert either you or your movers which rooms the boxes belong in. Not only will this save time and ink, but it will also prevent movers or anyone passing by from seeing an interesting label on your boxes and deciding to rifle through your belongings.

As you get closer to your move date and you begin to pack everyday items, there are some items that you should make sure stay unpacked, namely a change of clothing, pet food, snacks, can opener, corkscrew, towels, toiletries, shower curtain and cleaning supplies. Make sure you have room to pack these items with you in your car to make sure they are unpacked first as well.

 

Preparing Your House to be Sold

When moving, you first have to deal with what you are leaving behind. One of the biggest things that you will be leaving behind is, obviously, your house. There are several ways that you can make your house ready to be sold. Little things, like cleaning well, can even boost the price buyers are willing to pay for your home. Read the article Upgrading Your Home to Sell before you move find out more tips for preparing your house.

 

Keep Records of Cancellations

You’re moving, so you disconnect or cancel your services at your current residence. You think you are free and clear until a few months later when you receive a bill for the past three months of service at a house that you no longer live in. Unless you have records, you may have to pay these bills.

When you call to cancel or disconnect a service when you are moving or just changing your provider, be sure to keep a record of your phone call. Get the name of the customer service representative you speak to and get the confirmation number. Put all this information in a safe place for six months at least to make sure you do not need it.

 

Helping Your Kids to Adjust

No matter how far you are moving, the change will be tough on your children. Your move will be especially tough on your children if they have to change schools. To help your children adjust to your move, you should read this article from Better Homes and Gardens. It has a lot of good advice on how to aid your children in getting over the “school changing blues.”

 

Finding a Home

Looking for a home in your new city? It is tough to find the perfect home in a new city, especially if you currently live far away from where you are moving to. But if you know where you should look, the process can be fun and exciting.

 

 

 

Planning the Layout of Your New Home

Planning the layout of your new house will save you hours of shifting around boxes once you get to your new home. Using a layout of your home, you should plan which rooms will have what furniture. Once you have done this, you should make copies and give them to your movers so they will be well aware of your plans. This way, the movers will be able to put your belonging is the right place the first time.

 

Moving Hazardous Household Materials

There are several items that have been deemed too dangerous to move. Professional movers will not move items that are flammable, corrosive or explosive, and you should not move these hazardous materials either. You can look at this hazardous materials list to see examples of items that you shouldn’t move. Before packing, you should ask your professional mover for a complete list of items that they will not move to make sure you are compliant with their regulations.

 

Relocating a Cat for a Happier Move

Cats are finicky animals, even during non-stressful times. If you are planning on moving with a cat, you should check out this article on moving with cats.

One of the helpful suggestions in this article is to keep your cat in a familiar confined space throughout the move. Although you might feel guilty for this, the confined space with familiar scents will help keep your cat calm. It will also prevent your cat from running out of an open door.

Also, be very patient with your cat once you bring your cat to your new home. Leave your cat in its carrier with the door open and let your pet decide when they feel comfortable to come out. You can try to coax it out with treats or toys, but don’t try to pull it out of the carrier, as you will just stress your pet further and probably get a few scratches in the process.

With these and several other good tips, this article can help out any cat lover who is on the move.

 

Books to Help Your Child Cope with a Move

Are you worried that your child is not responding well to your recent move? Moves can affect children a great deal, especially if they are attached to their school or have close friends that they left behind when they moved. There are several books out there that can help you help your child adjust. You can follow this link to see several books for you and your child that may help your child cope with your recent move.

 

How to Move Your Vehicle

Need to know how to move your vehicle? There a few steps you need to follow to ensure your car shipment goes smoothly:

  • Make sure to schedule the move at least four weeks in advance.
  • When you call the car mover, be able to provide information on where the car will be picked up from and delivered, the pick-up and arrival date and the type of car.
  • Do not leave personal property inside your car during the move.
  • Have your car insured for the move.

 

 

Get Your Pet Accustomed to Your New Home

It is difficult to get your pet accustomed to a new place after a move. They miss their old home just as much as you and your family do. If your pet is not helped along to feel comfortable in their new home, they can develop high levels of stress which may cause medical problems. This article details some ways that you can help out your cat or dog to get to know their new home.

 

Overlapping Your Utilities

Several services offered through WhiteFence allow you to choose when to disconnect your service at your old address as well as connect your service at your new address. When you are selecting the dates, make sure to overlap the dates for as long as you think it will take you to move all your possessions and clean your old place. If you turn off your utilities too early, you may not have electricity or water when it comes time to clean up.

 

How to Pack Your Moving Truck

Packing a moving truck may seem like it is a straightforward process, but if you want to fit as much as you can without breaking any of your belongings, there are some simple rules you should follow:

  • Pack all large, heavy furniture and appliances first. Push these items against the wall closest to the cab. To make sure the truck is balanced, pack heavy items across this wall. Make sure to use furniture padding, that you can probably get from the moving truck company, to protect your wood surfaces and corners.
  • Move long items, like your mattress, sofas and box springs, next. Place these items along the long walls of the truck.
  • Anything that can be disassembled, like your bed frame, you should take it apart.
  • Now it is time for your heaviest boxes. You can place these on top of your appliances and furniture. Make sure not to leave any nook or cranny between your furniture unfilled.
  • Once you have packed the heavy boxes, pack your lighter boxes. Make sure that the lightest boxes are on top.
  • Once you feel assured that all these items are secure, pack your fragile or awkward items.

If you follow these steps, you and your possessions should be in good shape once you get to your new residence. No matter how well you pack, however, it is always a good idea to get moving insurance.

 

Make Lists

Creating lists can help you keep yourself organized during your move. To help make sure you know where all your belongings are, you can print out a numbered table with enough space to write the contents of each box. Once you begin packing, number the boxes and write the contents on your list by the corresponding number. Also, make lists of supplies you should keep in your former residence so you can make sure you have what you need when you have to clean.

Basically, anything you can write down will be helpful since you will have to do so much during your move. Small things that you could normally remember will be lost in the shuffle of a big move.

Box & Move provides a range of fully professional removals solutions for addresses in and around Pretoria, and we can handle any job, no matter how big or small. Contact us today or complete one of the “moving quote” request form to get started with your move.

 

 

 

Get a quote

Give us a call or fill in the form below and we'll contact you. We endeavor to answer all inquiries within 24 hours on business days.







    Call Us Now