Moving Tips and Tricks - Secrets to Packing and Moving Like a Pro

You can learn about the basics of moving in our guide to Insurance Tools and Tips When You're Moving, including a Moving Checklist, People to Contact Reminder, and Household Inventory Worksheet, but read on for our top 9 moving/relocation tips and tricks that are less commonly known.

TIP-1: PACKING YOUR PLACE

There's more to packing than hunting down used boxes online or at the grocery store. Packing moving boxes is a special art. The trick is to get specialized boxes for fragile or oddly shaped items. You can purchase these boxes from moving or storage companies. You may have to shell out a few extra dollars($$$$), but it will be worth it when your items arrive in one piece.

• For kitchen breakables, purchase "dish barrel" boxes to hold your dishes in place.
• Wall art & mirrors are better protected in long, flat boxes.
• They're not exactly boxes, but vacuum-sealing bags for coats and other clothing can help you save a lot of space.
• Cylindrical poster tubes are an ideal container for art that can be rolled up.
• Wardrobe boxes with a bar for hanging your clothes may seem decadent, but they're huge timesavers when it's time to unpack.

So how do you find the right agent for you? Here are some helpful tips.

TIP-2: DON'T RESIST LABELS

You really can't over-label when it comes to moving. Consider numbering your boxes and keeping a reference list. That way, if you need to find something, you'll know which box number to look for. Some movers will even color code each box to its appropriate room. Make your labels highly visible. Mark boxes on their tops and sides so you can read them even if they're vertically stacked.

Ten most forgotten items When you move

With more than 43 million Americans planning to move this year, odds are even the most organized may not remember every detail of a move -- or every item. Remembering the “out of sight, out of mind” objects increases your success in moving all of your belongings. Mayflower suggests adding the following 10 points to the top of your preparation list:      

1. For the record -- Obtain copies of your and your family's medical records, including any dental and vaccine/immunization information, as well as any veterinary records for the family pet. In some cases, a notarized letter is required to receive official documentation; you may need to contact the American Medical Records Association to determine your new state's needs. You might also consider transferring current prescriptions to a drugstore in your new town.
   
   Another record you'll want to be sure to have in hand is your child's permanent school record. School records are usually required when registering your child at his/her new school. Often, copies are not sufficient and require a raised seal
    
2. Buried treasure -- If you've hidden any valuables around the house, be sure to collect them before leaving. You should carry valuable items such as jewelry with you or keep them in a safe deposit box instead of packing them on the moving van.
       
    

Useful Packing tips for Musical Instruments

Here are some additional tips for assuring musical instruments, music and equipment are stored in optimal conditions:

Tips for Storing Musical Instruments :

• Properly prepare instruments for storage, cleaning and conditioning them with paste wax for wood, resin, etc. Never use an oil-based polish or alcohol on wood instruments. Disassemble parts, remove reeds, mouthpieces, mutes and straps, and relax strings
• Whenever possible, store instruments in cases designed for them. Cases should be in good condition – clean, with no fraying or powdering. If a case is not in great condition, line it with buffered acid-free paper (available for purchase at music stores). Inside the case, drape a clean cloth over strings. For additional protection against humidity, after placing the instrument in the case, place the case in a polyethylene bag.
• Cover a piano with a sheet or tarp to protect it from dust
• After storing musical instruments for a lengthy period, be sure to clean and tune them before playing
• In the storage unit, keep instruments away from vents and doors. Make sure they are stored off the floor, on a pallets or shelves
• If you're storing upholstered products such as mattresses and sofas, consider investing in covers, bags or sheeting for additional protection. Storage and moving facilities often sell large heavy-duty bags for this purpose.

Five tips for relocating for your job

1. Do less:  Anything that didn't get done before you were moving can wait until after you've arrived. Don’t stuff your time full of non-pressing overdue tasks that will surely stress you out. For me this means buying a car.  I will buy it after I get settled when my mind is clear and will rent in the meantime.

2. Ask for help: Reach out to anyone who may know your new area. The more sets of eyes looking for apartments, moving deals or even upcoming fun events, the better. I emailed over a dozen new people I met at the conference I went to in April and have gotten great website referrals and offers to meet up.

3. Estimate a budget: Deposits, gas, scouting trips, meals on the go…add up quick. Think ahead about what you want to spend during your transition and how you need to pay for things (credit card vs cash).

5 Best Packing Tips

We're at the halfway point of the summer and it's almost time for me to shake off the dust of this town and fly off to parts unknown. Here are my 5 best tips on how to pack lightly and still look good when you get there.

(1) You don't need to wear something different everyday, you do need to be comfortable & appropriate: With that in mind, I use a packing formula: 3 bottoms for 1 week, 3 tops per bottom, 5 bottoms for 2 weeks, deduct 1 top and 1 bottom for each dress. True, that is not a lot of clothes but unless I am attending fashion week in Paris (hasn't happened yet), I can wear the same thing a few times.

(2) If you are going sightseeing or to a city, always, even in the heat of the summer, bring a cardigan (women) or a dinner jacket (men). I too vividly remember, as a child, my mother being asked to leave the Duomo in Milan because her arms were bare. Plus it comes in handy on a chilly plane. On that same trip, my brother had to borrow a dinner jacket at a restaurant. Not every place in the world is as informal as the States. On that same note, I always pack one thing I can dress up.

7 Relocation/Moving Tips For Across Town Or Around The World

Relocation is stressful because you change more than your address. You will begin to navigate a new way to be a friend, coworker, and more.

Here are seven tips to a help you tune in to your inner compass when your world is spinning.

1) Ask, "Who am I? What do I need to be happy?"

The secret to a successful move depends on how you answer the question, "Can I still be me?

To answer this question, write ten "I am" statements about yourself -- anything from "I am a dog-owner" to "I am friendly and outgoing."

Before you move, ask yourself, "How will this list change after I move?" You may still be a dog-owner...but will you create that role the same way?

2) Take a test drive.

When you buy a car, you don't just go around the block. You try the freeways and the rough roads.

Considering a move to Seattle or Syracuse? Study the culture as if you were an anthropologist. What do people do? How do they dress? How do they talk to each other?

Most important, how do you feel? Did you develop new allergies, headaches or back pain during your visit? Or did you find yourself wishing you cold stay forever?

8 Great moving tips for you

While the prospect of a new Home can be very exciting, actually making the big move can also be extremely stressful. To get all your stuff from one place to the next in one piece is no easy task, especially if you decide to do the move yourself. However, if you plan ahead and prepare carefully, moving isn't nearly so daunting. To ensure that your moving day goes off without a hitch, here are a few important tips to have you moving like a pro.
1)Label, Labels & More Labels:  Mark your boxes with clear descriptions so that you can remember which boxes are fragile, which ones are headed for the kitchen and which get left in the garage. Trying to divine the contents of mystery boxes is a waste of time and you already have enough to do on moving day.
2)Inventory : While it is important to mark boxes, you’ll also want a complete inventory that travels with you on moving day so that you can be sure that all your stuff has arrived. If you’ve hired a moving company, they should work with you to put together an inventory. If you’re moving your own stuff, however, or just want an extra layer of insurance, get an app like Moving day for the iphone which allows you build a complete inventory, create barcodes for your boxes that you can scan with your phone & document damaged items.