14 Top Hacks From Professional Movers

Remember when you graduated from school and moved into your first place? The odds are you probably packed everything into your car and made it in one move. But for most of us, those days are long gone.

Maybe you have just sold your home or bought a new one; whatever your circumstances are you need to make a move.

Today, moving is much more complicated, time consuming and expensive. To help keep moving day more affordable and stress-free, here are some of the top hacks from professional movers that Nanaimo realtors like to share with their clients.

1. Plan your move in advance

Avoid moving during busy periods like weekends or the beginning and end of the month. If you’re using a professional mover, have them come first thing in the morning so that they’re fresh and aren’t delayed from the move they had before yours.

2. Preschedule utility turn ons and transfers

Electric, gas, water, cable TV, and internet services can take several days to a couple of weeks or more to transfer and turn on. Scheduling utility transfers before you close on your new home will keep you from spending days and nights without power in your new home.

3. Make a moving list

Creating a detailed list of items to move will help you know how many boxes to buy and can be used for insurance purposes in the unlikely event something gets damaged.

4. Declutter and donate

Now is the time to decide if you really need to move everything on your list. By giving away items that you forgot you had, you’ll save time and money while donating items to a worthy cause.

5. Buy sturdy professional boxes and moving materials

Get plenty of boxes, bubble wrap, furniture moving pads and packing tape at your local office supply store. Be sure to check out pricing on Amazon, too, to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

6. Rent your own truck

If you’re making a local move to your new home in Nanaimo, you may be able to save a lot of money by renting your own truck and then hiring a separate crew to help you load and unload. Top Nanaimo realtors can suggest where to rent a truck for moving day.

7. Pack with protection in mind

Use bubble wrap or crumpled newspaper to cushion dishware and glasses, putting heavy items at the bottom of the box and more fragile things on top.

8. Label and color code each box

Assigning a color code and label for each room makes it easy to put boxes right where they belong when you move into your new place.

9. Don’t over pack

Buy more material than you think you need to avoid over packing. Your move will actually go quicker when the movers don’t have to struggle with overweight boxes that might break.

10. Pack things you don’t need first

Leave the items you use every day to pack last. First, box up things you don’t use every day such as holiday decorations or clothing that’s out of season.

11. Pack overnight boxes with essential items

Unpacking and organizing things in your new home takes much more time than most people expect. Packing a few boxes with essential items you can open first will make it easy to find things after an exhausting moving day.

12. Label and photograph wire & cable connections

Take pictures and number the cabling used to connect stereo and TV components to one another. Trying to figure out which wire goes where is an extra added frustration you don’t need when you’re moving.

13. Prepare your appliances

Defrost your refrigerator a few days before the move. If possible, use the original boxes for moving major appliances. Make sure cords and doors are sealed so they don’t accidentally open up inside the moving truck.

14. Save your receipts

You may be able to deduct some or all of your moving expenses if your move is related to a new job.

Remembering these hacks from professional movers will help you avoid common moving mistakes and make moving day a breeze.