Moving to a new living space can bring about a sense of adventure, excitement, and possibility. However, the process of safely relocating your most treasured and useful items from one location to the next isn’t always as enjoyable. To keep your items protected during your relocation with minimal aggravation and stress, check out these eight great ways to safeguard your stuff.
1. Determine which items are valuable
Plan and prioritize your items according to how valuable they are to you. This step will help you determine which items should go where, and which items require the best packing materials.
2. Label boxes
Label them clearly, but not too clear to avoid giving hints to potential thieves into which boxes would be the most lucrative to steal. Items like jewelry, antiques, and high-quality electronics are particularly high-risk. Confer with anyone who’s helping you move and come up with a code or a catchy name for valuable boxes that only you will know.
3. Make sure to park vehicle visibly
In addition to avoiding tempting labels like “Grandma’s best gold jewelry,” another way to keep your items safe from thieves is to always park your vehicle in a highly visible location during the move. No one likes to think about it, but moving vehicles are prime targets for robbers since they never linger in one place for long. Parking your vehicle in a noticeable, well-lit spot will help deter any ill-doers.
4. Pad items properly to avoid damages
Moving companies recommend nesting items with cloth in between them, especially dishes. You don’t want a stack of your favorite bowls or cups to wind up chipping one another during a bumpy ride in the moving vehicle. This preventive measure also provides an opportunity to save on space, since you can have your clothes do double duty as padding for breakables.
5. Dismantle large appliances and furniture
When packing up and preparing your items for the big move, dismantle whatever you can. This step goes for furniture and appliances alike since it’s far easier to protect individual components than an entire, irregularly-shaped item. Little things such as unscrewing the legs from your table or wrapping your coffee pitcher individually with bubble wrap can be a big help.
6. Pack your things strategically in the moving vehicle
Pack the moving vehicle strategically. When loading things into the back of a moving truck, start with large, square-sided pieces of furniture. Pack square or rectangular boxes on top of the furniture, arranging them snugly so that they don’t bump around or scratch anything, and fit soft items like bags of clothing in last.
7. Avoid overstuffing boxes
When packing your items into cardboard boxes, make sure that you fill each box just the right amount. Over-stuffing boxes might save you a little bit on packing materials, but your items might bust out of the box. Under-filling boxes can result in items bumping against one another and breaking.
8. Keep all your fragile and breakable items in one area
This tip can help you protect your items on two levels: First, you’ll be more able to wrap your breakables efficiently if they’re all together. Second, grouping boxes of fragile items together in your moving vehicle makes it easier for people to know where they are and be extra careful.
To Recap:
Moving to a new home can take a lot of energy, especially if you’re worried about some of your more precious items getting damaged or stolen. However, if you remember these eight ways to keep your items protected during your relocation, you’ll be on the road to success!