Moving Tips…Works for Me!

It’s Works for Me Wednesday at www.rocksinmydryer.typepad.com  I usually participate in this each week but have had about 4 weeks where I’ve not been able to.  Glad to be back!

My tip this week deals with moving.  Since we are moving across country in just 4 weeks (AHH!!), my mind has been on that topic quite a bit of the waking hours!  I have moved countless times in my life.  As a child, I watched my mom pack us for 11 moves before I turned 18.  We were a military family.  I helped on quite a bit of those “packs” as I got older.  Then, with my own family, we have moved 4 times.  Most of our moves, we have been blessed to have a moving company both pack us and move us.  So, I’ll speak to that situation with a few tips towards making the process go more smoothly.  So, without further ado , here are “Amblin’s Moving Tips” (say that with kind of a echo in your mind for maximum effect LOL)

 1) Empty your trash cans.  Yes, they will pack your trash if you do not.  LOL

2) Designate one bathroom a “no pack zone”.  Move everything that you wish them to pack out of this room and put in the other bathroom if you have one or in another area if you do not.  Put a large sign on the door that says “DO NOT PACK THIS ROOM PLEASE”.  Tell the crew chief that this room is not to be packed.  In this room, you will put your suitcases packed with clothes you need for the trip, some snacks, diapers, small toys, etc.  Anything that you wish to take with you on the trip to the new home.

3) Label each room with a sign on the doorjam to that room that gives it’s name.  For example, “MBR”, “BOY ROOM 1″, Family Room”, etc.  Show these to the crew chief.  Ask him to have the packers label the boxes with those names.  Then, save the labels when you are all moved.  Bring them with you to the new home and place the labels on the correct doorjam for each room.  This cuts down on movers asking “Where do you want this?”

4) You can go to www.bhg.com and use one of their tools provided to arrange your room furniture.  Simply enter the dimensions of the room, add windows and doors, and you can then place standard size pieces of furniture in the room.  My plan for this move is to do this, print out each room, and place that on a wall in the room so that the movers can know exactly where I want each piece of furniture.

5) Arrange for the new home to be cleaned professionally (including carpets) BEFORE furniture is delivered. 

6) Have someone available to help watch the children.  Moving day is chaotic and little ones can really been thrown off routine, etc with all the activity.  In addition, they need to be given a safe place to play out of the way of the movers.  I usually designate an area of the family room for a Play Zone. 

7) When the movers are packing up and loading your stuff into the truck, tell them you want beds and their linens packed last.  In that way, they are FIRST off the truck in your new home and you know right where each linen box is.  I also have a box of toys loaded last as well.

Well, there you go.  Works For Me!