Leaving a place where you have spent a lot of your time in, and also made a lot of memories in, is harder than you might think it would be. Moving is, as we all know it, going from one place to another one, not just for a few hours, but maybe even for the rest of your life.
There are a lot of people that think that moving is a simple process and that it will be done in a few days, but it is much more than that. It is a procedure that can last from a few weeks to even a few months.
Transporting ALL of your belongings, literally EVERY item that you have inside of your home, can take not only a lot of your time, but also a lot of your energy. You might have some sleepless nights, or early mornings, but do not let that stop you from finishing this project. It will be worth it in the end.
You Will Soon Become A Master of Packing and Moving Heavy Furniture
Now, if you do not know enough information about moving and how to move heavy furniture, there is a big chance that you will make some mistakes throughout this process. Centennial Movers are here for that exact reason! We will let you know about some moving mistakes everyone makes, and give you some tips to help you have an easier move, without any problems happening.
Without further ado, let’s begin!
Not managing to get everything done on time
The truth is, that each of these steps are equally important, but some of them you should get done first and the rest of them later.
At the very beginning, the first thing to do would be to start on time. A few weeks before you get to work and start packing, take some time to explore the internet and find the moving company that will work perfect for you.
After that the next step would be to make a plan, as you will see and read later. Start with making a plan also a week or two before you actually start packing, so you would have enough time to think of all of your obligations and write them down.
This move will be as smooth as it can get if you stick to these pieces of advice and tips.
Trust us, it is better to start a little bit early and have more than enough time, than having to rush it all up later.
Hiring a professional moving company without gathering enough information
Next mistake, that actually a lot of people do, is hiring a moving company without having all of the needed knowledge about it.
Before you call the company and officially hire them, make sure to first make a list of all of the companies near you that you think about hiring. Make a pros and cons list for each company and in the end you will see which one will be the best for getting this move done.
It is very important to ask around about the professional movers, how dedicated they are to their job, how careful and reliable they are, how to move heavy furniture (or just let them do it instead) and of course how much the company charges per hour.
Also, if you are hiring movers they should have their own moving equipment and supplies, so make sure to check on that too.
License and insurance
One of the main things to check is if the company is licensed and insured.
- If they are licensed it means that it is legally allowed for them to run their business in the state, which means that there will be no problems with undeclared work.
- If they are insured it means that if some accidents happen (like your packers and movers breaking or losing something of yours) the company will have to compensate for the damage that was made.
Not making a plan for this particular move
There are a lot of things happening in life that we can get done without making a plan in advance, but moving is definitely NOT one of them.
Before you start preparing and getting ready for this upcoming move, make sure to think about all of your obligations in detail and find a way to finish them all in a certain period of time.
Do not let yourself do this head through walls. Unfortunately, there is always an existing chance that some accident might happen, or you might make a mistake that can cause a disaster.
Because of that, it is better to just buy a planner and think about each day of this move and write down all of your obligations for the day. Even if something bad happens, you will have enough time to find the right solution and continue this process.
Having less packing supplies than you will need
It is very important to buy and gather all of the packing supplies that you will need to be able to start the process of packing.
You do not have to buy them all, it is always an option to ask your friends and family if they have some that they do not use, or find some supplies for free at any local store near you, your office, Walmart, Costco, Facebook community groups etc.
The list of all of the needed packing supplies:
- Boxes (a lot of them)
- Styrofoam
- Wrapping materials
- Packing paper
- Markers/labels
- Scissors
- Bubble cushioning
- Packing tape (lots of)
- Plastic bags
- Toolbox
- Moving dollies
- Furniture sliders
Overfilling the boxes/tips for packing in the boxes
One of the main mistakes people make when they start packing, is the method that they use to put everything inside of the boxes. Right now, you are probably thinking: “It could not be that hard, what could possibly be done wrong?”.
There are actually a lot of things that you could do wrong and now we will inform you a little bit about them, so you could avoid making any mistakes.
Overfilling your boxes
Taking a box and just randomly putting inside of it a lot of items that are different size, shape and weight might overfill your box and later you will not be able to seal it nicely with tape and make sure that nothing will be moving.
Instead, try to find as many different sizes of the boxes, and later when you get to packing you will have a perfect amount of space for all of your items, you just have to find some that will fit right.
Tips for packing in the boxes
- Put heavier items on the bottom of the box and the lighter ones on top of the box. If you do it the opposite way there is a chance that the heavy items will break and crush the lighter items.
- Always use the right size boxes. The reason why we told you to find boxes of different sizes is because even if most of your items do not fit perfectly in the box, there will be at least a few that will fit in flawlessly.
- Do not mix items from different rooms and put them in the same box. If you follow this rule, trust us, Centennial Movers, that this move will be as organized and stress-free as it can be.
- Seal your boxes the right way. When you are finished packing do not tape the box just once and leave it that way. You never know how secure that tape is and one wrong move can cause opening that box and the items that are inside might break. Use as much tape as you think is enough and do two circles around the box at least.
- Do not leave empty space in the boxes. First of all, use as much space by filling the box with your belongings. That way you will need less of them and it will be easier for your movers, but do not overfill them. Also if you do not have enough space to fill it up with your belongings, fill the space with some wrapping materials, packing paper, styrofoam or something else, to prevent your belongings from moving.
- Label your boxes FRAGILE if breakable items are inside of them. Your professional packers and movers will always be careful, but they will pay even more attention to how they are carrying your boxes if they know the items inside are fragile.
Use a color-coding method. Pack room by room and then label the boxes from each room a different color. If you feel like you would still be confused you can even write on the box which room is packed inside of it.
Packing your whole house at once instead of room by room
At this point you might be thinking, is there anything I am doing the right way? There definitely is something, but for these things that you are doing wrong it is our, Centennials movers, job to fix it.
When you start packing, do not pack your entire home at the same time. If you do it that way there is a ginormous chance that you will mix something up and two days later your belongings (and your mind also) will be all over the place.
To avoid that, the best method to use is pack room by room.
First, start with the room in your house that you use the least. Take your boxes and put all of your belongings inside of them. After you are done with that room, label your boxes with one color and go to the next room in your home. Later, you can use those empty rooms to keep filled boxes inside of them.
Try this method and you will see how much of a difference it makes and how organized and clean your home stayed even when you turned your home upside down.
Moving heavy furniture the wrong way
Carrying heavy things can be really bad for your spine and your back. If you put yourself in a situation where you will have to carry and move all of your furniture by yourself you should make sure to do it the right way.
The best thing to do here would be to hire your reliable movers to do this for you. They have all of the needed equipment and knowledge to finish it without breaking a sweat (or a bone).
If you want to do it alone here are a few tips on how to move heavy furniture:
- Get out of the way of all of the things that could make you trip and fall. Last thing you want is carrying your large and heavy sofa and then tripping on a sock and breaking your bones.
- Wear something that is not slippery and that you can walk normally in. It is better to stop it on time than having to deal with the consequences later.
- Wrap your furniture in plastic or bubble wrap to save your belongings from damading, just in case you bump into something.
- Make your furniture lighter by taking off any parts that are removable. It is a lot easier carrying your table or couch in a few parts than all at once.
- Gather all of the needed equipment like moving dollies, furniture sliders, work gloves, moving straps etc. Each of these things can and should be used for different parts of moving your furniture.
Not notifying your landlord on time and canceling all memberships
This may not seem like a big deal, but it is really important to notice your landlord as soon as you decide to move out and find another forever home. It takes you 5-10 mins to let him know and have this conversation but he will appreciate it and have more time to find someone else who will fill that empty space once you are gone.
Also, if you are moving to another city or state, make sure to cancel all of your memberships (gym membership, library, book club, chess club etc.).
Now That You Know All The Tricks About Packing and Moving Heavy Furniture, It’s Time to Get A Quote
Hopefully this article will help you pack the best and easiest way possible and make your move as smooth as it can be. In the end, it is all up to your personal preferences and how you like getting things done, we are here just to inform you about some mistakes that you might be making and help you change that.
If you think that we did not let you know everything that we should have, feel free to email us or visit our website to get a free quote. Also check out our blog if you want to know more packing tips or what is the best area to move in Denver!