Moving Day Essentials You Should Have on Hand for Your Move

When it's time to start packing for moving day, you must be strategic. Depending on how far you're moving and how long it will take, there are some moving day essentials you'll want to make sure you have on hand. Here are some of the top essentials to have available on moving day.

Bedding and Pillows

Arriving at your new home and searching for fresh bedding and pillows just lead to frustration. You might have dozens of boxes and have no clue where they are packed away.

Instead, pack a set of bedding for each bed in the house and make each family member responsible for taking their pillow. They can even use the pillow in the vehicle as you make the trip to your new home, which can be very helpful on a longer trip.

Cleaning Supplies

You may want to do a bit of cleaning after everything is removed from your old home or before everything goes into your new home. Cleaning supplies can come in handy on moving day and should also include wipes for hands.

A Corkscrew

If you have any thoughts of celebrating with a corked bottle of something fun, you'll need a corkscrew. Make sure you pack this item with you as it can be a real pain to figure out which box it was packed away in when you're ready to pop the bottle and enjoy celebrating your new home.

Batteries

Whether for the TV remote control or for a smoke detector, batteries are essential on moving day. You may not realize it until something needs batteries as many times these little items get overlooked.

Pack a variety of batteries to take with you on your journey. This will ensure you have what you need when a battery becomes an essential item for your move.

Basic Toolkit

Chances are, you will need a toolkit on day one when you move into a new place. Whether it's needed to hang something on the wall, tighten a screw, or for another room, make sure you have a basic toolkit. You may want to include a hammer, screwdrivers, measuring tape, pliers, a utility knife, and other basic tools.

Toiletries

The first day in a new place is usually chaos, but you don't want to be searching for toiletries when you move in. Toilet paper and toothbrushes should be packed specifically to become easy to find when you arrive. Other toiletries may also be necessary.

An Overnight Bag

You never know how moving day will go and it's smart to have a day's worth of clothing and other items ready to go. Have every family member pack an overnight bag or pack one for the entire family with a change of clothes and other essential items.

Phone Chargers

Don't make the mistake of packing your phone chargers in boxes for the movers to take with them. You may spend hours trying to locate them when you arrive if you do this. Instead, pack them with you to ensure you'll have a fully charged phone when you arrive at your new home.

Moving day is stressful. Whether you're just moving locally in Chicago or you're moving across the country, there are certain essentials you want to make sure remain with you. Let The Professional Movers handle most of your items, but make sure to pack some essentials for moving day.

How to properly label your moving boxes

When it's time to move, you want to make sure your move is a success. Part of a good move is organization, which includes labeling your moving boxes. There are ways to label your boxes that will make it much easier when you arrive at your new place.

Before you get out the markers and start writing all over your boxes, it's important to have a plan. Here are some tips to help you properly label your moving boxes.

Top 5 Tips for Labeling Your Moving Boxes

1. Get All the Right Supplies

The first thing you need to do is gather your supplies. You want reliable markers that are permanent, waterproof, and come in multiple colors. You might also want to get actual labels for the boxes, but this is optional. It's possible to write directly on the boxes you are moving.

2. Use a Color-Coded System

The reason you want multiple colors for your markers is so you can use a color-coded system. Of course, if you're just moving a studio apartment, this might not be necessary. However, when you have multiple areas in your home, assigning a color for each area can make unpacking easier.

For example, you might assign the color red for your kitchen boxes. This means when you arrive at your new home, every box with red writing can go directly to the kitchen and you don't even have to read the writing. Using a color-coded system will likely save you time when it comes to unpacking.

3. Don't Wait to Label

Make sure you label your moving boxes as you are packing. It's too easy to forget what you packed and once you seal the box with tape, you don't want to open it back up. As you pack up things, just label each box with the proper color and you will be in better shape.

4. Label in Multiple Places

If you are using packing labels, you can place them on the top of each box and on two sides of the box. When you're writing directly on the box, you might have to write in specific areas, but you always want to place your labels in multiple places. This will make it easier to see the label when boxes are stacked.

5. Write Out the Items in Important Boxes

While you don't need to write out every single item in the box, it's good to include general categories, such as silverware, cooking utensils, frying pans, etc. You should also make sure you are specific when it's very important items or items you might need very soon after you move.

It's common for people to take their time unpacking in a new place. If you label your moving boxes properly, you will be able to find the most important items fast, even if you're not all the way unpacked yet.

Use these tips to properly label your moving boxes for your next local move in Chicago.

What Should I Do Before My Packers Arrive?

You've decided to make moving day much easier and you hired professional packers. Maybe you've never hire someone to pack up your home before and you're not sure how to prepare. There are several things you may want to do before your packers arrive.

Let's look at some of the most important things you should do before packers arrive to box up your home.

Purge

The first thing you should do, and if possible before you hire packers, is purge anything you don't need, want, or desire. Go through all your belongings and get rid of anything you won't need or simply don't want at your new home.

Moving is a great time to take an inventory of what you own and donate, dispose of, recycle, or sell unwanted items. Along with helping you minimize your items and see what you have, purging will also help you save money as you'll have less to pack and move.

Take Out Anything You Prefer to Pack Yourself

You probably have items you don't want someone else handling. Maybe you don't want packers touching your prized jewelry or personal effects. Now is the time to separate all the valuables, mementos, paperwork, and other items you want to pack on your own.

Separate the Fragile

Maybe you have antiques, artwork, or other fragile items you want packers to know about. Before they arrive, separate these items to ensure they understand which items needs to be handled with extra care.

You can place all of these items into one room and label the room as fragile items or you can put them into to corner with a label. However you go about it, make sure you communicate to the packing crew which items are fragile and require special handling.

Create an Item Inventory

An inventory of all your possessions helps to protect you if something is damaged or lost. It will also help you to see what you own and what you may need in your new home. Make sure you take an inventory of all your possessions before the packing crew arrives.

Handle the Items Professional Packers Won't

There are some items professional packers won't pack for you. It's your responsibility to pack up these items or dispose of them and you should do this before the packing crew arrives.

Some of the items you will likely need to handle on your own include:

• Hazardous item - Paint, flammable materials, weapons, chemicals, corrosive items, ammunition, chemicals, oils, etc.

• Perishable Food

• Plants

• Anything else the packers have specifically said they won't pack

There are several things you may want to do before the packing crew arrives. Make sure you speak with them to find out if they require you to do anything specific before they arrive.

In addition to the list above, you may want to clean your home. Often, this is required at move out, anyway, so it may be a good idea to have the home clean when the packing crew arrives. Also, make sure you're a good host to your packers and movers.

Tips for Taking Inventory of Your Possessions Before Moving

When it's time to move, understanding what you own is rather helpful. Knowing what you have and what will be moving to your new location with you will help you choose the right size truck, get an accurate quote from a Chicago residential moving company, and ensure all your belongings make it to your new location.

There are so many things to do when moving; taking a full inventory often becomes overlooked. Don't allow this to happen to you as there are too many good reasons to take an inventory of your possessions.

Top 3 Reasons to Inventory Your Belongings When Moving

Before you start packing, you want to take an inventory of all your possessions. Here are three reasons why taking a full inventory is important when moving.

Understand What you Have and What You Need

Moving into a new place often means getting new things to fill the space. An inventory of your possessions will show you what you have and what you need.

More Efficient Packing and Unpacking

With an inventory of everything you own, you'll be able to more efficiently pack your items in the right categories. As long as you label everything properly, unpacking will also become much easier.

For Insurance Purposes

If something happens to your items during the move, you will likely need a moving inventory for the moving company and the insurance company. You want to make sure you check with both companies before moving to find out what they require for your inventory list.

While these three reasons make it easy to see why you should have a moving inventory of your possessions, you'll also be able to get a more accurate moving quote when you can tell the movers exactly what will be going.

A Few Easy Ways to Create Your Moving Inventory

There are several ways to go about creating an inventory and you want to make sure you understand what your moving company and the insurance company will require. Here are three easy ways to create your inventory.

Pen and Paper

The old-fashioned way might work best for you. Simply get a clipboard or notebook and start writing down what you own. You can create categories for different items and include a simple description.

Excel Sheet or Other Spreadsheet

A spreadsheet makes it easy to organize your inventory and save it to your computer. It works much like pen and paper, but you can likely use a program on your phone, tablet, or computer instead of writing it by hand.

Inventory Apps

There are several apps you can add to your smartphone or tablet for inventory creation. One of the best apps is the Home Inventory app, which is available for iOS. This app will help you catalog your belongings from one room to another. It can even help to estimate the weight and cubic footages of your items for movers.

A few alternative apps to choose include:

• Sortly (iOS and Android)

• Nest Egg (iOS)

• Magic Home Inventory (Android)

• Momento Database (iOS, Android, and Desktop)

Any of these apps will make taking a home inventory before you move very easy.

Video/Picture Inventory

Another method, which may be required by your moving company and insurance company, is to take a video or picture inventory. Instead of or in addition to documenting the things you own, you can record video proof or take a picture of everything you own.

No matter the way you go about creating your inventory before you move, this is a vital step you want to take. There are many good reasons listed above for creating a home inventory and your inventory list will provide plenty of benefits.

How To Properly Wrap Your Belongings for Safe Transport

Protecting your items when it's time to move matters and the best solution is to hire The Professional Movers to do your packing, moving, and unpacking. Even with the right residential moving company on your side, it's best to understand how to properly wrap your belongings for safe transport.

While you may hire professional movers to handle some of the packing, you may do some packing yourself, too. Here are some tips to help you wrap your things and keep them safe during your upcoming move.

Fragile Items Come First

Pack the most fragile items first and use plenty of packing materials when wrapping these items. You can choose to purchase moving supplies for wrapping fragile items or you can use things you already have, such as towels, sweaters, blankets, and even pillows to protect these items.

The key to packing fragile items is to ensure they are padded and won't move around when the truck is in motion. Choose a box larger than the item or items. Then, wrap each item in some type of protective wrap. Once placed in the box, add shredded paper, partially blown up balloons, bubble wrap, packing paper, packing peanuts, or another packing material to fill the entire box.

In addition, make sure to label the boxes with fragile items with an arrow and the words "This Side Up". It's also a good idea to write "Fragile" on the box in big red letters so you and your movers know to be careful with that particular box.

Protecting Furniture

When it comes to packing items for transport, it may seem like fragile items take the most time and attention. However, you don't want to forget to protect your furniture. With a microfiber cloth, blankets, or another padded covering, you can protect your furniture from scuffs, dings, scratches, and other types of damage. You will also want a plastic wrap to wrap your furniture.

Before you place the padded cloth or blanket over the furniture for protection and wrap it, you want to make sure it has been properly cleaned. Wrapping it with a small pebble, grain of sand, or other types of dirt could lead to a scratch during the wrapping and unwrapping process.

Make sure you thoroughly wrap the furniture, especially exposed wood or other areas that can become easily damaged. If your items are properly wrapped, you won't have to worry as much about the moving process.

Wrapping Glass Items

Any glass items you plan to move should be wrapped with a layer of Glassine. This type of barrier paper offers the protection you don't get from simple packing paper or plastic wrap. Glassine offers a wax-line finish to help protect glass items from stains and smudges. Anything with paint or print on it should be wrapped tightly with Glassine.

Not only should you use it on glass, but also ceramic and porcelain items. Secure the Glassine with packing tape before packing each item into boxes to keep your items protected throughout the move.

When it's time to move, whether you're going across the city of Chicago or moving from out-of-state, you want to make sure your belongings are well-protected. The best solution is to hire The Professional Movers to do your packing, moving, and unpacking for you. With the right residential moving company in Chicago, you won't need to worry about your items during transport.