How to Avoid the Most Common Mistakes When Driving
When we moved last year, most of our belongings made it to the new location safe and sound. The only notable casualty was my bed frame, bought by IKEA a few years earlier, which we could not disassemble on our own, and according to the loader, it could be moved as it is. He couldn’t, and shortly after they left our place, we discovered that he had actually been ripped in half when they tried to put him in our walking room on the second floor.
So what’s the “right” way to move? The New York Times recently spoke to several professional movers for their thoughts on the matter, some of which overlap with my own.
Plan ahead
Prior to this move, my official move strategy was to “drop everything in the box,” usually seconds before I tossed it in the back of my friend’s car to move into my new home. While this last move definitely had a few last minute packing adventures, I actually started packing a month before the move and paid particular attention to how I pack my things.
All in all, it’s no surprise that you want to pack things in such a way that they are not damaged and easy to find when you find yourself in a new location.
We divided my old apartment into sectors and packed it piece by piece, making sure the boxes we packed were lightweight and contained the same items. Yes, things from your bedroom can fit into a kitchen box, but in reality, you are just making your life harder in the future.
Come up with a packaging “plan” and stick to it. I hate packing things, but when we broke them apart, it didn’t feel too bad. Packing for an hour every night is a hell of a lot easier than hectic packing up 12 hours before the movers arrive.
Wrap these fragile items
Wrapping every dish in the cupboard, and especially every glass (I think I have 100) is frustrating. This is also necessary. Pack these boxes with the thought that they are going to be thrown away. They can fall. They can fall down the stairs. Wrap the items in bubble wrap, tea towels, or something else. We used the dividend liquor boxes to move the glassware around, which made things a little easier. The idea is to leave nothing to chance. If it is important enough to move, then it is probably important enough to protect.
The New York Times also suggests packing dishes on their side rather than on a flat surface. You will also want to take the coffee pot out of your coffee machine (this seems obvious to me, but obviously some people don’t) and you need to secure the swing arm on the floor clock you want to move. Do you have a large mirror? Move it between multiple mattresses.
Come up with a system
Two of my friends have just made their way from New York to San Francisco. Two of the most organized people I know created a spreadsheet of what was in every box they moved. For example, “drawer 12” could mean “punch bowl and bowl”.
When it came time to unpack, they didn’t dig through 45 “kitchen” boxes to find what they were looking for, they just had to look for the correct box number. This method also makes it very obvious if movers are losing a crate, and lets you know exactly what was lost. I strive to be organized.
Split ahead of time
The New York Times article also raises the risk of relocation when you move away from the person you are currently living with. Whether it’s your spouse or just a roommate, make sure you have successfully divided your property before the movers arrive, not after. It’s not their job to take sides with who actually owns the coffee table, and if you don’t have everything thought out in advance, you set everyone up for a huge headache.