How to Move Yourself.

Want to have a less stressful move? Start PREPARING weeks ahead of your move and you will lessen your stress and decrease your chances of overlooking important items. Use the following checklist as a guide, modifying it if you need to.

USE THE LIST, GET STARTED AND CHECK THINGS OFF AS YOU GO.

6-8 Weeks Before Moving:

- Use the Truck Size Guide (see RENTING A TRUCK) to see how big a truck you need and call a few rental companies for quotes.
- Start disposing ALL stuff that you do not need. The more you get rid of, the less truck space, loading time and truck fuel you will need.
- Have a garage sale. Advertise it on Craigslist for free. Ask family and friends to help.
- Moving expenses are tax deductible, so maintain a file with receipts from the move.
- Start collecting moving and packing supplies. (See section on PACKING below)
- Start collecting Moving Blankets. (See section on Moving Pads below)
- Start placing all your Important Documents in a box marked DO NOT MOVE. Insurance, health, recent taxes, passports, airline tickets, etc.

4-5 Weeks Before Moving:

- Decide which Truck Rental company to use and Rent a Moving Truck.
- Start Packing. Anything you don't use on a daily basis. Paintings, pictures, clothing, linens, toys, collectibles, etc.
- Give away anything that didn't get sold in the garage sale, or have another if you still have a lot of stuff to get rid of.
- Involve the kids in the moving process. Let them help pack their toys and unbreakable items from their rooms.
- Contact Utility companies - electricity, gas, phone, cable - for disconnection the day AFTER your scheduled move out.
- Call the same Utilities to have them connected in your new home a day or 2 BEFORE you plan to arrive.

2-4 Weeks Before Moving

- Keep packing, 1 or 2 boxes a day (or more if you can).
- Get your car serviced for the trip.
- Properly dispose of flammable items like fireworks, cleaning fluids, matches, acids, chemistry sets and other hazardous items.
- Start taking apart large stuff that you don't use. Shelf units, spare room bed frames, exercise equipment, etc.
- Keep looking for moving pads and boxes if you still need more.

1 Week Before Moving

- Empty, defrost and clean your Fridge at least a day before moving if you plan to move it.
- Toss anything that is left that you won't be taking.
- If you won't move your plants give them away.
- Keep packing. 80% or more of your stuff should now be in boxes.
- Drain fuel from anything you will move on the truck. Lawnmowers, boat engines, etc.

The Night Before Moving Day

- Take apart bed frames and anything else that needs to be taken apart to be moved.
- Have a large cooler ready to take the perishable food from the fridge.
- Finish packing. 95% of your stuff should now be in boxes.
- Thoroughly check your closets, drawers, shelves, attic, shed and garage to make sure nothing is left unpacked.
- Call family and friends who volunteered to help and remind them. Ask then to show up as early as possible. Promise to buy breakfast.
- Speaking of breakfast, have food ready for the people coming to help.
- Go to bed early. Take a sleeping pill if needed so that you get a good nights sleep.

Moving Out Day

- Get up early.
- Pick up the moving truck and rent as many Pads as you can if you need them. (That is, if you haven't found enough on your own.)
- Eat a good breakfast but nothing too heavy. Drink a lot of water.
- Take apart anything else that needs to be taken apart.
- Pack up bed linens and any remaining stuff.
- Inspect the premises and see to it that nothing is left behind.

1- A good, sharp razor knife to cut boxes and tape.
2- Moving tape. Plenty of it. I would get 12 rolls unless your house is very small or you have a small apartment. then at least 6.
3- Indelible markers to mark all your boxes.
4- Bubble wrap. I only recommend this if you have VERY fragile items, like ceramic sculptures or something. For everyday stuff it's a waste of money and space.

1) 1.5 Cu. Ft. Carton / Book Carton - For heavy items, such as books and records.
2) 3.1 Cu. Ft. Carton / Medium Carton - Used for pots and pans, toys, shoes, folded clothes, sheets, etc.
3) Mirror Carton - Several sizes to fit most any picture, mirror, or glass.
4) Mattress Carton - For mattresses. Queen/king, double, twin, and crib. One each is needed for mattress and box springs.
5) 6 Cu. Ft. Dishpack - Heavy duty carton used for china and dishes, crystal and glassware, and other fragile items.
6) Wardrobe Carton - A "portable closet" for hanging clothes.
7) 6.0 Cu. Ft. Carton / Large Carton - For extra-large bulky articles, such as pillows, comforters & lampshades.
8) 4.5 Cu. Ft. Carton - For bulky items, such as linens, towels, or toys.

My opinion? No.

Mattresses don't need to be boxed. Make sure the truck is floor is clean and they will be just fine. If you still want an extra layer of protection I have included a link for mattress bags that you can purchase.

Inserts for glasses? Waste of money. Pack like they show you in the Videos I have here and you don't need them.

Wardrobe boxes? Unless your clothes are really, really high end, you don't need them. If they ARE really high end they must cost a lot and you should be able to afford a mover, yes?

CRAIGSLIST- The BEST source for Free Boxes, packing paper and even blankets to be used as pads. If you have a computer (and even if you don't, because you can go to the library and use theirs) go to the CRAIGSLIST website and start checking.

Look under 'for sale' (stick with me) and then under 'free' (its alphabetical) and you will find FREE MOVING BOXES listed on almost any given day. I check all the time and always find them. People who have just moved want to get rid of them. These are MOVING BOXES also. Extra thick, durable, and STANDARD SIZES. Perfect!

While you are checking, check for people giving away blankets. I've seen those too. Also, when you go to pick up your free boxes ASK the people who are giving them to you if hey have any blankets left over from the move. A lot of time they do.

Start checking a few weeks ahead and by the time you are ready to start packing I guarantee that you will have more boxes than you need. If you do this there is really no need to look anywhere else.

Here's the deal. A professional mover can fit a whole lot of household stuff into a very small space. Pro movers are experts at loading, and to them loading a truck is like making a gigantic jig-saw puzzle. To YOU it''s the same, but it's like you're blind. See my point?

So the best thing to do is get a truck bigger than you need. That way, if you don't fit things exactly the right way, you'll have a little bit of extra room to cover your butt. remember, the last thing you want is to have a bunch of stuff still in the house and no space left on the truck.

To figure out yourself what size rental truck you need, allow 150 cu. ft. of truck space for each fully furnished room.

12 ft. truck = 450 cu. ft.
16 ft. truck = 800 cu. ft.
22 ft. truck = 1,200 cu. ft.
26 ft. truck = 1,400 cu. ft.

The 2 'hand trucks' pictured are used for two different purposes. The one on the left is best for boxes and only boxes. Use it to save your back, especially if you have to walk a long way from your residence to the truck.

The one on the right is a Refrigerator Dolly or 'Reefer Dolly' and is used for fridges and big appliances. It has a strap to secure the appliance while you move it. This is to protect the appliance and YOU.

You can use the reefer dolly to move boxes but I suggest you do NOT use the hand truck to move big appliances.

Both kinds can and should be rented from the rental truck company you choose.

As for pads, see the info below. They are a VERY important part of any move and you will need a lot of them.

The biggest mistake you can make in loading a rented moving truck has nothing to do with where you place the heavy items or what you load first. The biggest (and most common) mistake is not using enough pads. Pads are the thick quilted covers that movers use to wrap furniture in when it is being moved. The best pads are like a heavy-duty quilt and very thick.

Why are pads so important? Consider - If you load a dresser on a truck and drive for 3000, 300 or even 30 miles, the only thing keeping it from getting rubbed, scratched, dented and possibly destroyed is the moving pad covering it.

As obvious as this sounds, some people do not use ANY type of furniture protection. And even those who understand the need for padding usually do not use enough. To load a truck, they might set aside 3 or 4 quilts or blankets or maybe even rent 10 pads from the rental company.

That is nowhere close to enough.

Just to give you an example, a professional 24 foot moving truck is equipped with 50-100 pads. A semi-trailer has 200-300 pads.

The best mover in the world can't load a truck correctly without enough pads available. If you rent a truck from a company such as U-Haul, Budget, or Penske you can rent pads from them. Rent as many as you need to wrap every piece of furniture you own. Many items need two or three pads to cover them correctly. Some non-furniture items need pads too.

The more pads you have the better off you will be when you arrive because you won't have a truck full of banged up, scratched up, gouged up, dented up junk.

Loading a moving truck is like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle without the box. It's not easy. The best movers I have seen weremasters of putting the right pieces Read - furniture and boxes) in the right place. Of course getting the stuff out of the house without dropping it or hurting yourself is important too, but loading it correctly can make or break your move.

First things first - Protect yourself.
If the weather allows wear long sleeves and long pants to protect your skin. Gloves are a must, even if it is just a light weight jersey glove. Be careful with slippery items like glass you may need to take the gloves off to get a better grip. If you have work boots this will protect your ankles and feet from being banged around. Wear a back support if you have one. If you already have a 'bad' back you might consider purchasing one.

Preparation.
- Measure door openings for large items so you know how you will move them out. You may have to remove doors or disassemble items to get the proper clearance.
- Take drawers out of furnishings or make sure they are secure before moving. Put them back in when the piece is on the truck.
- If the furniture has doors that cannot be removed, make sure they are closed and secured. Use shrink wrap which you can buy at the rental truck company.
- If moving a sleeper sofa, make sure you secure the sleeper bed to the sofa frame so it does not open when moving. Use a belt or strong bungee cord.
- Secure any loose appliance wires that could be tripped on or get caught in something.
- Protect floors and carpets. Use cardboard, hardboard, or carpet protector to keep flooring surfaces from getting damaged. If you have room, save cardboard for your move in, load it last and it will be the first thing off the truck.

Having a load plan before moving is always a good idea. Know which items you are going to load first and have them ready to be loaded.
It is recommended that you start with heavy appliances and load them into the front of the truck behind the cab. Make sure you use plenty of moving blankets to wrap around the appliances and large furniture pieces. Use tape, rope, or shrink wrap to secure the blankets around any item that has the potential to become damaged or damage other items. You can also use softer items or cardboard to put in between items.
Also consider if you have any long items that will not fit standing up or across the width of the truck. These will have be loaded along the length of the truck and best if attached to the side walls early before the truck becomes too full.

Load heavy items on the floor and go from heavy to light. Spaces at the top the truck above larger items should be saved for lightweight items and boxes. Some furnishings such as lightweight chairs can be placed on top if properly wrapped. Fill in any space under tables, desks, bookshelves or in open cabinets.

Long pieces of furniture such as sofas and love seats can be stood on end and tied to the side rails or be held in place by other large heavy items. Using the full height of the truck eliminates lost space. Furniture covers should be used whenever possible to protect upholstery items.
You want to try to use all the space from floor to ceiling or have everything at the same height so items do not shift during transportation. If you don't have enough to fill the space you can always secure the load using tall items such as mattresses as a barrier and then making sure the load is secured with straps or rope using the side rails of the truck to tie off to. If you have sheets of plywood handy it works as a great barrier.
Once you have everything tightly secured and safely loaded, close the doors and make sure you add a padlock if you are going to park the truck anywhere overnight.

Lifting

When lifting, stand close to the item with your feet shoulder width apart, elbows tucked in, and chin down. Always lift with your legs and not your back, keeping your back as straight and as vertical as possible. Don't twist your back while carrying items. Have an available helper to assist in lifting of heavy items. Keep a firm grip on the object using the entire hand.

Using a Dolly

When using a utility or appliance dolly, make sure the blades are centered and completely under the load. Always walk and keep the dolly in front of you. Keep the load balanced, with heavier items on the bottom, and never load items on a dolly higher than chest level. We recommend that you do not use a dolly to move furniture.

Utilize the strap on an appliance dolly to help hold the item on. When going up or down the ramp or steps, we recommend that a second person be used to help support the item.