7 Tips to Help with Unpacking After a Big Move

You've already spent time packing everything up and the moving company has taken all of your belonging away. They are in transit and on the way to your new home in Chicago. Have you considered the best way to unpack when you arrive in your new home or will you just wing it? If you were organized during the packing process or you had the professional moving company take care of the packing for you, then you'll already be ahead of the game. However, you can still make unpacking much harder on yourself than it needs to be. The easiest way to handle unpacking is to allow your moving company to take care of it for you. However, if you plan to do it yourself, here are a few tips to make it much easier.

Find the Time

Before you do anything else, make sure you have the time to unpack. There's nothing more annoying about moving than getting so busy you never seem to get unpacked in your new home. You don't want to be unpacking boxes for weeks or even months.

Take a day or two off from work, if necessary, and make sure you have the time to unpack. If this isn't possible, carve out a few hours and enlist help of family and friends to get the job done quickly. Of course, if you're strapped for time and don't have much help, your moving company will do the unpacking for you.

Unpack Your Rooms in the Right Order

It's easy to think you're going to unpack an entire home worth of stuff in just one shot. While this may happen, it's not always the case. Moving day is draining and so is unpacking. If you unpack your rooms in the right order, you will have the most important things ready for you even if you don't make it to the end.

Start with the bedroom. This is where you sleep, so you want to make sure your bed is set up, made and ready to go for a good night's sleep in your new home.

The bathroom comes second and shouldn't take very long to unpack. Obviously, you need to be able to use the facilities, so unpacking your bathroom and shower items is a must.

Next, you will want to get the kitchen unpacked. This will ensure you have a place to make food when you're hungry. It's often a larger job, but it needs to be operational as soon as possible. You don't have to make the kitchen fully operational, however. Just make sure you have the things you need to get you by until you have the time to unpack everything.

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After the kitchen, the order isn't as important. You've taken care of the essentials, so you're set up for success with the rest of your unpacking.

Other things you should do to make your unpacking easier include:

• Inspect all boxes before picking them up

• Sort your boxes or have the movers deliver them into the right rooms

• Unpack any essentials boxes first

• Set up any large furniture items early in the process

• Clean up throughout the process

If you follow these simple tips unpacking will become much easier. Of course, if you want to make it hassle-free and super easy, hire your moving company to do the unpacking for you.

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Top Things Most Commonly Forgotten During a Move

When you move, it will become stressful and you may forget a few things. It's even worse if the move comes suddenly and you didn't have time to prepare. With more than 30 million people moving every single year, it's no surprise that some things get forgotten or left behind. You're not alone, but if you're aware of some of the most commonly forgotten things during a move, maybe you won't forget them.

Things Borrowed by Neighbors

Maybe the easiest and most commonly forgotten thing from any move is anything you let your neighbors borrow. If you loaned out a weed whacker, for example, and you're moving in the winter, you may not think about it because it has been a while since you needed it.

The best thing you can do to avoid moving without items you let neighbors borrow is to keep an inventory of the things you own and loaned out. Make sure it includes anything you've stored with friends or neighbors, as well.

Anything Packed Last

You may think your packing system is perfect because you plan to pack the microwave or coffee maker last. However, these items can be forgotten because they are left until last. Make sure you remember to pack these final items and triple check before you completely vacate your old home or apartment.

Pets

Believe it or not, many people forget their pets (at least at first) when they move. Cats and dogs have both been left behind because people get so caught up in the stress of moving. Make sure you have a plan for your pets and either move them first or kennel them while you're moving, if possible.

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Anything in a Crawlspace or Attic

It may not happen quite as often as some of the other things on this list, but people often forget to pack and move an entire attic or crawlspace. The things they store here have been there for so long, they may not even think about them, especially if they have to move in a hurry.

Toilet Paper

This isn't an item people forget to pack when they are moving, but one they forget to leave handy during the move. Make sure you leave out some toilet paper and even if you leave it behind it's not a big deal. However, if you need to go and you don't have any paper, it can become a rather big deal.

Other commonly forgotten items and mistakes during moving include:

• Losing packing tape often

• Packing cleaning supplies and tools too soon

• Leaving charging cords for electronics behind

• Leaving food in the fridge

• Forgetting countertop appliances

Items often get left behind during a move, especially a move happening suddenly. One of the best ways to ensure items don't get left behind is to hire a professional moving company to not only move your items, but also pack them up for you. This allows you to concentrate on double and triple checking to ensure everything gets packed and nothing is left behind.

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How to Handle Moving in Chicago When You're Sick

Making a plan to move never involves getting sick, but it does happen. You can set dates for moving, but you can't exactly set dates for when you will get sick. If you've become sick and you need to move, there are some things you should know. If possible, postpone or cancel the move until you're feeling better. However, this isn't always possible and sometimes you have to move regardless of your health. This isn't the time to freak out. Here are some tips to help you with an emergency move when you're sick.

Hiring a Last Minute Moving Company

Maybe you planned on handling the move yourself and you already have everything, or most of everything packed up. It may be a better decision to hire a last minute moving company at this point. They will come take all of your items from your old location to your new location and all you will have to do is be there.

With a trusted emergency moving company, you won't have anything to worry about. You can get moved into your new location without overexerting yourself and making the illness worse.

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Keep the Fluids Flowing

Even though you won't have to do any heavy lifting after hiring a moving company last minute, you still need to be there. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water to help get the toxins out of your system and keep you hydrated. This can help you get through the process a bit easier. Other fluids, such as chicken broth, tea and juice can also help. However, avoid anything with caffeine in it as this can interrupt the sleep you desperately need.

Have Someone Stand in For You

If you're too ill to even be there when they move your things, you can have a proxy stand in. You will still need to sign the paperwork and make sure the moving company you hired will allow you to have a proxy when you're sick. However, your proxy can handle everything else necessary so that you can get your rest and you won't have to worry about the move.

Get a Hotel Room for the Day

While your proxy is handling the move, you should be resting. However, this isn't really possible if your bed is going from your old home to your new home on a truck. It's not like the movers will be able to pick the bed up with you in it and let you sleep in the back of the moving truck.

Instead of being a part of all the commotion, rent a hotel room for the day and get some sleep. Your proxy can handle everything necessary for the move and you can get the rest you need in the comfort of a hotel room until the move it over with or you're feeling better.

Moving while you’re sick isn't fun, but there are steps you can take to make it less stressful. Some moving companies in Chicago offer emergency moving services and will help you even if you don't hire them until the last minute. Hiring a professional moving company will help take the stress off of you, while you’re sick and it's the best option to make sure the move goes smoothly without making you feel worse.

Here's a photo our friends at Paws Chicago shared with us to make you feel better -

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Common Mistakes Made When Moving Furniture

Furniture is often heavy, bulky and hard to move. When you try to move yourself, it can be the hardest part of the process. Not only do you need a truck to transport it, but you also need enough manpower to get it into the truck from where it currently resides. It's much easier to hire furniture movers if you want to make sure your items are moved without damage. However, you should still be aware of some of the mistakes commonly made when moving furniture.

Mistake #1 - Assuming Professional Movers are Too Expensive

When you simply assume a professional moving company is too expensive, you never give yourself a chance to look at the entire picture. Yes, it's more costly than doing it yourself, but they are also professionals. Spending a little bit of money may save you time, headaches and other issues, such as figuring out how to move your large pieces of furniture, even if they only need to go down the street.

The easiest way to keep your furniture from becoming damaged is to hire professionals to move it for you. Don't make the mistake of writing this option off just because you assume hiring movers is too expensive. Take the time to gather all the information and get a quote from a local furniture mover before you finalize your decision.

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Mistake #2 - I Won't Get Injured When Moving Furniture

Many people seem to think they are immune to moving-related accidents. If you try to move furniture yourself, it could become rather dangerous. Professionals do it for a living and they have been trained in safety for all types of furniture. Without this training, you may end up dealing with a personal injury from moving a large item.

You want to make sure the walking path is free of any obstacles, you have the right equipment, you know the right way to lift and you wear both gloves and proper shoes. If you don't do these things, you may be putting yourself in danger when moving furniture.

Mistake #3 - Getting and Driving a Truck is No Big Deal

If you've never rented a moving truck before, it may not be a good idea to take on this task. You will likely need a truck for moving furniture, which means you have to know how to pack it and drive it. Many make the mistake of getting a truck without enough space or getting one that is too large. Too small of a truck could lead to improper packing, while too large of a truck may be difficult to drive.

Make sure you get the right size truck before you start moving. Usually a 10 to 12 foot truck works for small apartments, while a 14 to 17 foot truck will work for a one to two bedroom home or small office. If you're moving a house, you will need a 20 to 26 foot truck or multiple trucks.

Mistake #4 - My Friends can Help with the Furniture

A huge mistake you could easily make is assuming your friends can help you with moving heavy furniture. It's a costly error in judgment as they may not show up or they may not have any idea how to help you. Without the right help, you could get injured or they could get injured.

The worst thing that can happen is you assume they will help you, but they don't show up. Sometimes, your friends can't get the time off of work or they come up with an excuse because nobody really likes to help with a move. When you hire professionals, this isn't an issue. They will show up on time, ready to work for you.

Moving furniture isn't an easy thing to do. You need the right equipment, a truck and enough manpower to move it from one place to another. Instead of risking it, hire a professional to help you move the larger items, if not everything you own.