Archive for year: 2022

Before you start packing, it’s helpful to tackle the cleaning and organising that needs to happen before you move. You may also want to hire a company to help with this service. However, decluttering early can save you time on the day of the move, as well as keep you from feeling overwhelmed with the process. People often want to pack as much as they can into a moving truck, but the more you pack, the more rooms you’ll need to clean and organize after the move. Once you’re living in your new home, you can unpack and organize at your leisure.

 

Some Basic Steps!

 

Before you go around your home and toss things, there are a few important steps you should take first.

 

1. Use a checklist; Go down this list and cross things off as you go. This will help you stay organized and make it easy to see what’s left over and what has been tossed.

 

2. Take pictures; Snap pictures of your furniture and electronics. This way, if you need to find out if a part or accessory is missing, you will be able to compare the pictures to the actual item.

 

3. Discard; Donate, recycle and sell things you don’t need; It may seem counterintuitive, but it is better to let go of things you haven’t used in a long time than to move them. You can sell them online or at a local yard sale. You can also donate them to a local charity.

 

4. Sorting; Start by sorting through your belongings. You can do this as you go about your daily routine, or you can collect all of your items into a single location. As you sort, you’ll discover that you have a lot more than you initially thought. It is a bit hectic during process but results are worth every minute spent.

 

To start off, here are further 10 general tips for de-cluttering from start to finish:

 

1. Get rid of most of the stuff you don’t want or need.
2. Put off the really tough decisions till last.
3. Prioritize and organize your stuff.
4. Determine how much space each item will take up.
5. Move the big stuff first.
6. Sort the rest.
7. Dispose of trash and items you have to get rid of.
8. Get help if you need it.
9. Be prepared to make some hard decisions.
10. Be realistic.

Without further delay, let’s get into what you should throw out and purge before making the move!

1. Old appliances: While you’re purging unused appliances, go ahead and get rid of ones you got rid of a year (or two) ago, but never stopped using.
2. Excess food: If you have enough food in your pantry to feed an army, chances are you have extra cans of sauce, boxes of pasta, and bags of rice sitting around. Purge these, and you’ll have less to move.
3. Things to Purge From Your Bathroom
4. Old makeup: If that old, dried-out mascara doesn’t work anymore, don’t bother packing it when you move. Go through your makeup collection and toss anything that’s expired. Set a date with a friend to go makeup shopping and pick up some new products.
5. Old razors: If your razors have dull blades or rust spots, they’re not safe to use, so get rid of them.
6. Old cookbooks: Keep your most recent cookbooks while getting rid of the rest. Your old family favorites can be digitized and saved to your computer or tablet.
7. Extra containers: If you have enough Tupperware to feed an army, you don’t need to bring any more. A single set for your essentials will do.
8. Unused appliances: Air fryers, slow cookers and bread makers should seriously be considered for removal. If you’re not going to use them, don’t break your back trying to get them in the next apartment.
9. Extra kitchen gadgets: Don’t bring your steak knives to the new place unless you plan to use them (hint: you probably won’t). Reserve cabinets for the essentials and leave the rest.
10. Unused spices: Clean out your spice cabinet with the help of an aromatherapy bracelet, then toss what you won’t use in your new home.
11. Old gaskets: If you don’t use them, toss them. If they’re damaged, they’ll need to be replaced, so pack them up with your pots and pans.
12. Duplicate items: Do you have two rice cookers, two bread maker or two waffle irons? If you don’t use both, it’s time to get rid of one.
13. Scratched up knives: They’re still functional, yes. But that doesn’t mean they look any better than the scratched-up pots and pans you plan to get rid of.
14. Discoloured cutting boards: If they’re stained, you can throw them out. If they just need a good washing, repurpose them as serving boards or countertop mats.
15. Old clothes: Instead of cluttering your closet with old clothes that you rarely or never wear, give them away or donate them. Do you wear everything you own in the bedroom? If you don’t, then consider getting rid of the extras. Does your bedroom closet have too many clothes that won’t be worn until next season? Get rid of them!
16. Excess hangers: Are you still using the same wire hangers that you got when you were 12 years old? It’s time for an upgrade.
17. Extra bed pillows: If you’re planning to buy a new mattress, you might want to replace your pillows at the same time. If a pillow doesn’t have a mate and it hasn’t been used in the last month, it can be donated or tossed.
18. Old sheets: If you’re planning to buy new sheets, get rid of old sheets that are more than a couple of years old.
19. Boxes of old photos or keepsakes: If you haven’t looked at the contents of a box of keepsakes in the last year, it’s time to get rid of them and make room for new things.
20. Old magazines: Read them or toss them, but don’t transport them to your new home.
21. Cords and wires: Once you’ve packed your computer and electronics in boxes, gather up all the cords and wires you won’t be taking with you.
22. Books: Getting rid of old textbooks is always a good idea, but you can also donate books to libraries or friends, or sell them for cash to help pay for the move.
23. Shoes: Maybe you like wearing them in the bedroom, but do you really need more than one pair of shoes in your bedroom?
24. Binders: These days, documents are often organized by digital means – an external drive or cloud. Keep a binder if it’s important, but if you haven’t opened it in five years, you probably don’t need it.
25. Brooms and mops: If your broom or mop is unmatched by the vacuum you have at home, toss it. In fact, grab a new broom and mop before moving day. They’ll make the cleanup easier.

We’re ready to help with tips and tricks on preparing your belongings and home to make the process easy and enjoyable. Call us or visit us today.

If you have a family heirloom or a large piece of furniture that is unique and has sentimental value to you, you probably don’t want to put it in a box. In such cases, you need a custom cardboard box to wrap it.

 

What is a custom-shaped box?

You are probably familiar with rectangular and square-shaped cardboard boxes. These are the most common packing boxes and protect a variety of items and materials. However, if you need more protection and durability, you may order a custom-shaped box. This is a box that can be made in any specific shape to fit and protect specific objects and items. Custom-shaped boxes are usually more expensive than the standard ones, but they are also durable and most often made of recycled cardboard.

 

Ideas on Packing Odd-Shaped Objects

 

Framed Pictures and Mirrors: To protect your framed pictures or mirrors, you should first take them off the wall and remove the wire, using a hammer and a flat-head screwdriver. After that, simply fold them in a box, together with their special pedestals. If you cannot fit them into a box, you will have to pack them into a protective hard case, such as a photo box.

 

Artwork: If you have some artwork prints hanging on your wall, you should do the same with them, but you may need to replace the wire with wrapping paper. Depending on their size and shape, you can pack them into a box or a case. If you have anything framed, you should have to use the box because it is impractical to use a case for it. Packing a fragile artwork is quite difficult, so if you consider yourself not to be that strong, consider getting help from your friends. Protect fragile antiques and artwork – Pack each item individually, in its box, with cushioning materials on all sides. Use padding materials to fill in any empty spaces within the box where it might come into contact with other objects. For example, bubble wrap can be used to fill in space at the top and bottom of a box if the contents are taller than the box is wide. Bubble wrap can also be placed in the middle of a box if a short item is packed on one end of the box leaving a gap on the other end; likewise, bubble wrap placed on top of an item in a box will prevent it from rubbing against the bottom of the box.

 

Chairs: You do not need to buy special furniture boxes for chair transportation; there are other ways to handle them. Firstly, make sure to drape the furniture in several layers of thick wrapping paper. Then, wrap an elastic band around it to keep the covering in place. To add extra support, also tie the chair to a bike frame or use an extra piece of existing packaging. Do not forget to add an extra piece of paper over the legs so they won’t break during transportation.

 

Sofas: If you need to move a sofa that is a different shape from the regular ones, you can use a large cardboard box. Cover the sofa in several layers of wrapping paper. Then, place it inside the box and screw it to the side or place it on a secured base.

 

Pack odd-shaped items in a box

 

If you have a box, you can always put your items inside it. However, if your furniture piece isn’t exactly square-shaped or cylindrical, be prepared that it won’t fit in a box. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to choose a box that has an odd-shaped interior, one that is slightly larger than the object you’re trying to pack. For example, if you want to pack a china vase, it will be more practical to use a box with a flat bottom and a rectangular bottom that is slightly larger than the vase. While packing odd-shaped items, pay attention to their corners. The fewer corners and surfaces, the better. If your furniture piece has big parts, you can cut them down into smaller pieces, wrap them in newspapers or bubble wrap and then place them in the box.

The following are the most common shaped boxes used for moving.

 

Diamond-Shaped Boxes; If you’re planning to move with your valuable aquarium, it is important to find a box that fits its shape.

 

Aquariums; They are made of glass and can be easily damaged if not handled carefully. Take special care when using tape with these boxes. Remove the protective liner from the tape and place it on the box. Keep in mind that you should use the tape to hold the box together, not to support the weight of the glass material. The tape can be wrapped around the four corners of the box, but it should not cover the entire surface of the box. The tape should not be used in place of packing material such as blankets or bubble wrap.

 

General Tips for  Best Packing

 

• Use the right amount of packing materials – a layer of bubble wrap or foam sheeting on top of the item followed by wrapping with packing paper, another layer of bubble wrap, another layer of packing paper, etc. until the item is well-protected.
• Move valuable or fragile items to their box and place the box on top of other items.
• Pack the heaviest items at the bottom of the box.
• Pack the long items horizontally across the bottom and centre of the box.
• Pack space with rolled blankets, towels, clothes, newspaper, etc.
• Always seal the box with wrapping and tape, and label it with information about its contents.
• Inspect the finished box: Is it well-packed and closed securely with tape? Are the box’s shape, size, and weight appropriate for its contents? Is the label clear? Are there any protruding parts on the box?