Residential Relocation — Step-by-Step Approach
Most people who have never encountered an apartment (or any other) relocation themselves believe that there is nothing complicated about the move organization. At first glance, there seems to be no problem at all: you just need to pack up your belongings, disassemble the furniture, decide on the date of the move, and order a vehicle of the appropriate capacity. However, when it comes to relocation planning, you change your mind immediately. If you have never been involved in the move and do not know what to start it with, this post will guide you. This article will provide useful tips and tricks that will help you avoid some common mistakes and arrange a safe, hassle-free move.
Key Steps of Any Relocation
Approach relocation like any other serious matter — plan it in advance, purchase all necessary packaging materials, or book residential movers. There are many good websites online to find apartment rentals. We found some of the best ones to be Bwalk.com (for Canada) and Apartments.com (for US), and of course you can also start your search with Google. It is enough to write “furniture movers near me” in Google or any other search engine — and you will get more than enough options to choose from.
Any move begins with the item packing. At this point, you will need a variety of packaging materials. Here is a short list of things that will help you ensure the absolute safety of your fragile and super expensive belongings:
- cardboard boxes of different sizes and capacities. Important — the size of these boxes should not be too large since it will be difficult to carry the packed cargo;
- construction waste bags. These are to be much stronger than ordinary plastic bags. Thus, you can rest assured that the bag will not break and things will be lost during loading or transportation;
- colored garbage bags will allow you to sort things correctly and conveniently unpack them at a new place without guessing the contents of every bag;
- scotch tape, old newspapers, and a reliable tape for packaging — all these will be required in large quantities;
- markers and felt-tip pens are to be at hand as well so that you could mark things, bags, and boxes. It is always a good thing to arrive at a new house and firstly unpack bags with the first priority things. This is where box labeling will help you a lot.
Before loading the cargo, check large-scale furniture and dismantle it, if necessary. It is better to spend time on furniture disassembling thus ensuring its damage-free transportation than purchasing a new bad or cabinet. As you can see, moving is a time-consuming and challenging process. And it is necessary to prepare for it in advance, even if you decide to resort to the help of specialists from moving companies.
Basic Principles of Cargo Packaging
Since you will need to quickly find the most necessary things and documents in a new place, you are to follow the basic principles of box labeling and packaging during their transportation:
- boxes, bags, and other packed units should be marked on all sides;
- a list of all those things that are in labeled cardboard boxes and fabric/garbage bags should be included in the notebook. During the move, you may forget what and where to find; thus, the list refresh your memory;
- you can name things according to the principle of their previous location (box #1 — the upper shelf of furniture, box #2 — the middle shelf of furniture, etc.), but the list of all packed units is much more convenient.
Adhere to the above packaging principles so that a move does not turn into a chaotic process, leading to the loss of valuables and the damage to furniture or household appliances. A clear plan will save your time, nerves, and money.