Moving Tips

• Decide on exactly what to move and what to give away or sell.
• Gather and consolidate your belongings in one or two locations. Ensure that all items you've decided to give away are gone.
• Make a list of everyone you need to notify about your move: friends, professionals, creditors, subscriptions, etc.
• Obtain a change-of-address kit from the post office and begin filling out the cards; or, simply click here to go to www.USPS.com and do it online.
• Obtain a subscription to the local paper in your new community to familiarize yourself with local government, social news and activities.
• Contact schools, doctors, lawyers, vets, etc. to obtain copies of your personal records; ask for referrals. Collect other important documents (DMV records, stocks, wills, etc.).
• Contact utility and related companies for service disconnect/connect at your old and new addresses. Remember to have utilities turned off at your current home the day after moving day and turned on at your new home the day before move in day to ensure service throughout moving day.
• Contact insurance companies (auto, homeowner’s or renter's, medical, and life) to arrange for coverage in your new home.
• If you're packing yourself, purchase packing boxes from Allied Van Lines or from your local mover. Pack items that you won't need now.
• Arrange to close your bank accounts and open accounts in your new locale.
• Service your car before the trip. Also, make sure that your automobile is prepared for the type of weather conditions you'll be traveling in.
• Drain the gas and oil from power equipment (lawn mowers, snow blowers, cars that are going with the mover, etc.).
• Prepare an "Unload Me First" carton with essentials that you'll need immediately at your new home. Ask your van foreman to load it on the truck last. That way, it will be one of the first boxes unloaded at your new home

Here are some items you can include in the box:

• Telephone
• Paper Towels
• Toilet Paper
• Soap
• Light Bulbs
• Flashlight
• Pliers
• Screwdriver
• Hammer
• Can Opener
• Paper Plates
• Paper Cups
• Plastic Utensil


• Make a note of your shipment registration number found in the upper right-hand corner of your bill of lading. Keep it with you in case you need to call your mover with questions.
• Designate one dresser drawer for sheets and towels so you won't have to rummage through boxes for these essentials the first night in your new home.
• If you need to store some of your goods, tour the warehouse of the mover you plan to use. Look for cleanliness, organization, security, etc.
• Clean your refrigerator. After it is dried, place a sock filled with fresh coffee or baking soda inside to keep the interior smelling fresh.
• Take your current phone book with you. You may need to make calls to residents or businesses in your former hometown.
• Items that can't be moved with the mover include anything flammable, anything combustible, aerosol cans, hazardous materials, gasoline, plants, paint, ammunition and explosives, jewelry, legal documents (wills, financial papers, insurance documents, etc.).
• Before the van foreman leaves for your destination residence, give him (and your move coordinator) a phone number where you can be reached. Get the van foreman's cell number too.
• At destination, consider having the TV and VCR hooked up first to occupy the kids while the rest of the van is being unloaded.
• When moving plants in your car, try not to let foliage rest against the windows, as the leaves will scorch.
• Upon arrival at your new home, let your personal computer acclimate itself to room temperature before plugging it in.
• Schedule cleaning and other home services for the day after loading, as things will be hectic on move day and the different service providers will stay out of each other's way.

Hire Movers or D.I.Y.?

If you're considering an interstate move, there are a few variables to consider when you're calculating the actual cost comparison of moving yourself versus hiring a professional mover.

Do-It-Yourself Moves Include:

Rental Charges
When you're moving from state-to-state, you have to provide exact details to the truck rental agency such as origin, destination, exact dates, etc. Prices can vary depending upon the equipment available. Rental truck rates can vary depending upon the time of year that you're moving (rates are higher between May and September). Rental agencies also run on a supply and demand theory; if you're moving at the beginning or end of the month, you may find that the supply of trucks available to you is sparse. In most cases, you will be charged a rental deposit. There are also charges for additional miles (10% or more) over and above the original estimate. These charges don't include state taxes. All other charges are additional.

The Time and Space Continuum
In most cases, your time is the most valuable thing to you. You'll need one or two days to pack and one or two days to unpack in addition to your drive time. Professional moving services are adept at maximizing the available space in a moving vehicle. When you move yourself, you have to make sure that you optimize the space or you'll end up needing a larger truck.

Automobiles
Are you towing your vehicles behind the truck, or are you going to drive them to your new destination? Trailer packages from rental agencies can cost an additional $200.00, plus $50.00 or more for insurance. If you drive your own vehicle, factor in variables such as wear and tear, gas, mileage, etc.

Insurance Charges
Insurance charges are an additional charge per day on the rental vehicle. Charges include such things as vehicle damage, cargo damage (to a certain dollar value), and medical and life insurance. Cargo damage insurance protects your household goods from damages incurred during a vehicular accident; any other types of damages are not covered! If the truck or vehicle you are renting is stolen, then it is your responsibility. Moving trucks are often targets for thieves.

Pads

In order to protect your belongings, rent padding at about $10.00 per dozen. A four-bedroom home will need approximately 2 dozen pads.

Dollies
An appliance dolly, utility dolly, or furniture dolly is most often needed to move large boxes, furniture, miscellaneous items, etc. Each dolly you rent may cost you an extra $5.00 - $10.00 per piece.

Your Valuable Time
During a self-move, you and your family are responsible for every detail; some details are more time-consuming than others. The major tasks are packing and unpacking. Also factor in who will be driving the rental vehicle, the family vehicle, etc. The best thing to do in this case is to figure your hourly wage and multiply that by the number of hours you estimate your move to be. Make sure you add about 10-12 more hours for incidental last minute details. Figure in packing time, move preparation, picking up the moving vehicle, load time, drive time, hotels, food expense, gas, unloading time, etc.

Packing and Unloading
Most self-moves include the hunt for available boxes. In order to ensure your valuables are protected properly, purchase specialized boxes for your belongings - wardrobe boxes, dish boxes, boxes for artwork, etc. Packing materials such as tape and bubble wrap are also essential elements for securing your belongings. The average cost for new packing materials for a three-bedroom home is $900.00. [Source: AMC's Transportation Fact Book]

Mileage Charges
Mileage charges are most often included in your rental agreement. Depending on your agreement, you may incur additional mileage charges. In most cases, additional mileage charges are $.40 per mile for each mile driven.

Gasoline Charges
Your rental vehicle will be full of gas when you pick it up. When you return the vehicle, refill the gas tank or you will be charged a higher than the normal price for gasoline. An average 26-foot, 5-speed, fully loaded diesel truck averages approximately 10 miles to the gallon. On a 1,200-mile trip, you will consume 120 gallons of gasoline, at an average price for diesel fuel of $1.35 per gallon. [Source: AMC's Fuel Survey] Your total gasoline costs will be $150.00 for the trip.

Appliance Charges

Large items such as refrigerators, grandfather clocks, washing machines, and ranges may require special care before you can properly move them. You may need to hire trained specialists to make sure your items are handled properly which will increase the costs of your move.

Destination Considerations

You'll have to rely on your perfect timing to make sure that your new home is available at the time of your arrival. If it is not, you will need to find a safe place to store your belongings. This requires you to unpack all your belongings for storage, then load them and unpack them once again when it's time to move into your new home. Many times, these storage units aren't suitable to protect your belongings properly. There are security issues, insurance coverage gaps, and little to no protection from fire or other types of dangers.

Other Considerations

Above all else, you must protect yourself. If you have any physical condition, then a self-move is definitely not the way to go. Back injuries, pulled muscles, leg strain, etc. can occur easily if you don't lift properly. If you have small children, you may incur childcare expenses during the moving process.

Packing Tips:

• Start packing several cartons each day a few weeks before your move; then the job won't be so overwhelming.
• Pack on a room-by-room basis and do one area of the room at a time. It's best not to mix items from different rooms into one box.
• To prevent small items from being lost or mistakenly thrown out with the packing paper, wrap small items in colored tissue paper.
• On the top and front of each carton, write a general description of the contents and indicate the room it will go in your new home.
• Use colored dot stickers for boxes and in your new home outside the room where the corresponding boxes should be delivered.
• Allow children to pack their favorite toys. This gives them a strong sense of belonging and a feeling that they are playing a part in the move.
• Use only unprinted newsprint paper to wrap items; regular newspapers are messy and can soil your possessions.
• Use clean cartons designed for moving, as grocery or liquor store boxes are not always clean, sturdy enough, or the right sizes.
• Don't pack: paint, varnish, gasoline, oil, cans, kerosene, bottled gas, aerosol, polish/remover, ammunition, cleaners, or detergents.
• Pack an "Unload Me First" box including toilet paper, telephone, personal toiletries, snacks, coffee/coffee pot/filters, soap, basic tools, flashlight, can opener, paper plates/cups, utensils, pans, and paper towels.
• Transport the following items yourself: photos, financial documents and policies, legal documents, wills, passports, money, jewelry, collections, medical and family history records.
• Unpack breakables over the box you're taking them out of; if you drop an item, it will land on packing material and reduce breakage risk.
• Place pictures in boxes between sheets and blankets to give them added protection.
• Plates and record albums should be packed vertically on their ends rather than placed flat and stacked.
• Before packing medicine and toiletry items, make sure that caps and lids have been tightly secured.
• Remove light bulbs before packing your lamps.
• In addition to the room and contents, have children write their name and new address on the cartons from their rooms so they can become familiar with their new address before they get to their new home.
• Pack heavy items in small boxes, and light items in larger boxes.