In 2017, 11 percent of the population of the United States moved. In fact, more than 35 million Americans move each year but statistics show they may not always relocate far. In fact 62 percent remained in the same county while 34 percent moved to a different county. Only 4 percent moved from abroad. If you are planning to relocate, you may seek the assistance of a moving service or you may recruit family and friends as moving help. No matter which way you choose to transfer your belongings from one place to another, these tips can help make the process go much more smoothly, whether you need to use storage or plan to unload at your new location.

When you arrive at your new location, you may be too tired to unpack everything. Pack a small overnight bag that has the essentials you will need for that night and the next day. This will help you avoid searching through boxes for the items you need before bed and when you wake up in the morning. Even if you hire a house moving company, this is a good way to transport important electronics like laptops that could be damaged or lost in a move.

Purchase a clear plastic box to store a box cutter, paper towels, trash bags and toilet paper. Be sure that the box is placed on the moving truck so that it is unloaded last. These are items you will need immediately when you begin unpacking. If you only have one plastic box, it will be visible quickly among all the cardboard moving boxes with your other belongings as well. In addition, you can find free moving boxes at recycling locations, a liquor store, offices and other places rather than purchasing expensive boxes as part of moving company services.

Not only do you want to label boxes with what is in them, you also want to mark clearly what room they belong in. For example, note that a box contains glassware, but also note in large letters that it belongs in the kitchen. When the boxes are placed in the right room, it makes unpacking go much easier. When you unpack, complete one room before you move onto the other. Be sure to label the sides as well as the top so you can identify them even when they are stacked. Good labels are especially important if you must put your belongings in storage

Sometimes, a house moving company charges by the weight for their services, especially if involves interstate moving. You may want to reduce the weight by getting rid of some of your furniture. Goodwill, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity offer free pickup services for items you no longer want. Having them pick up the unwanted furniture can save you if you use a moving company. Eliminating a heavy sofa bed will also please the friends you have recruited as moving labor.

Your moving labor will need water so be sure to have plenty of bottled water on hand, both at the house you are moving from and the house you are moving into. It is easy to forget how strenuous moving can be. Whether you are using friends, a local moving company or simply have packing help, providing cold water will be appreciated.

If you have hired a moving service, take photos of your belongings before you pack them. This way if something is damaged, you have documented proof to show the moving company. A photo will show if something was scratched, cracked or broken during transportation or when the movers were unloading your items at the new home. If you are interstate moving, place a fully-charged iPhone or iPad in a box to track where your belongings are. You can use the “Find My Phone” app to see where the truck has travelled.

Instead of using fancy labels, use post-it notes of different colors so you can instantly see what room the box belongs in. Use pink for the bedroom, yellow for the kitchen, blue for the living room, etc. You can use packing tape to secure the post-it notes to the box so they do not fall off during transportation.

It is possible you will need to use self storage to keep your belongings until your new home is ready. When you pack boxes for your storage unit, you want to be sure that they are placed In the storage building in some type of order. Try to organize the boxes so bedroom boxes are grouped together in the self storage, living room boxes together, etc. If you need to use special storage containers in order to protect your belongings, use the post-it note system to label them so you know what is in each of the storage containers.

Although it may be tempting to put heavy items in big boxes, it is actually better to place them in small boxes. This makes them easier to carry and prevents them from breaking through the bottom of the box. Your moving help will thank you and, if you need to use a storage building, you will be less likely to overload boxes on the bottom of a pile as smaller boxes will be placed on top. If you want to protect fragile items, ask your packing help to pack them with pillows and blankets which add extra cushion.

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