Advice From Frequent Movers
It is the rare person who doesn’t move at least once in a lifetime. Most of us face the drill of packing everything we own a few times in our adult lives.
For amateur movers, getting all that stuff organized and into boxes can be a daunting task. So we’ve found some professional help for you. What follows are the helpful directions of nomads and paid movers, including a place called I Love to Move in Redondo Beach.
* When looking for a new apartment or house, don’t rely on advertised promises. Turn on faucets, light switches, garbage disposals.
* Check out the neighborhood more than once. Do loud parties begin every night at 9? Will you feel comfortable after dark?
* If it’s a rental, check the premises carefully and write down everything that’s damaged. Give a copy to your landlord within a week of moving.
* Don’t pack jewels or valuable papers in a box. Keep them in a purse or bag with you.
* Using a professional moving company? Ask for prices, including a maximum quote, in writing. Ask a mover to come by your home and look around to give a more accurate price.
* Take one room at a time, pull out everything that lurks in drawers and closets. Be unsentimental about throwing out less-than-useful items. Impose organization on the rest.
* Have plenty of boxes on hand--either found or purchased.
* When packing, you may want to take out your dresser drawers, wrap favorite breakables in the clothing, cover each drawer with cardboard and tape firmly.
* Pack everything that can’t walk on its own. Even houseplants can go into lidless boxes.
* Label every box with its contents and destination.
* If friends and their trucks are helping you move, rent a hand truck or dolly for the larger items (refrigerators and the like). Your friends’ backs will thank you.
* Make sure everything is packed when the muscle arrives. Food and drink should be waiting. Thank your friends loudly and often.