Home Improvement Toronto – GTA – Canada

No one likes to move. They say moving can cause as much stress as the loss of a job or the death of a loved one. But if you follow these important packing moving and storage tips, everything should work out fine.

One of the most important details is to start planning the move right away. Don’t wait. It doesn’t matter where you are moving ‘ how close or how far ‘ there are hundreds of details to take care, and they take time and planning. Finding boxes, making lists, and contacting the phone and utility companies is only the beginning.

One of the first things to do is get rid of all your junk. Anything you haven’t worn or used in over a year should be donated to charity or sold. Anything you never unpacked from your last move should be donated immediately. You won’t even miss it. Clean out everything from the attic to the basement.

If you need to hire a moving company, be careful. Don’t sign a thing until you read the entire contract, including the fine print. Preferably, hire a company that someone you know has used with success. Check references, and call the Better Business Bureau to hear about consumer complaints. The moving industry is rife with problems and you don’t want to find out at the last minute that you owe extra money for services you don’t think you ordered.

Moving yourself will certainly save plenty of money, but this alone can cause its own problems. Don’t rely on friends who aren’t reliable. Too many families have waited for hours for these friends to show up only to find out they forgot, changed their minds, or arrived hours late. Don’t promise them food and beer, either. Beer and your valuables don’t go well together. Save the liquor and heavy refreshments for after everything is safely placed in your new house.

Choose items that you don’t use regularly and pack those first. You might think that packing far in advance will cause problems later, but packing is time consuming when done correctly. Start early, continue regularly, and you’ll be happy.

Get most of your boxes free whenever possible. Grocery stores and liquor stores love to get rid of their boxes because it costs money for them to store them. The only time you should pay for boxes is when you need specialty storage such as dishes, glassware and clothing. These can be purchased from a local storage facility.

Don’t use large boxes. If you can’t wrap your arms around a box empty, you certainly won’t be able to pick it up when it’s full. Large boxes tend to be overstuffed; when they are picked up, the bottoms open up.

Mark boxes the right way! Large letters, on every side, for each box. Label them according to where they are going, not where they were. ‘Basement’ won’t help if your new home doesn’t have a basement! Labels should be clear to everyone involved in the move; you don’t want to find piles of stray boxes that need to moved ‘ again.