BoxMovers.com

In these difficult economic times, many people are looking for ways to save money on moving costs. I think everyone knows that saving time and money on a move is a great way to have extra spending cash for all the random little things that show up when your moving into a new home.

One great way to accomplish this is to take the time to box and transport your possessions yourself. If you do this, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll be able to protect your own valuable goods from the damage that can be caused by careless packing.

When you’d like to start boxing up your possessions, you’ll need a number of boxes. Instead of buying these, stop by your local grocery or hardware store, and see if they have any extra boxes left. These are often free, and large enough to contain many items.

Additionally, you’ll want to explore your attic or basement, to see if you can find the original boxes and wrappings for things like your dish set, vacuum cleaner, and blender. If you’ve still got those boxes, try to use them, since they were originally designed to protect their products using cardboard inserts and cushioning.

If you don’t have them any more, you can simply wrap delicate pieces of china in bulky sweatshirts or sweaters, and tuck them carefully inside a new box.

Be sure to label these boxes explicitly, since you’ll want to remember that there’s something precious inside that balled-up sweatshirt before you unfold it.

When you load your new boxes into the moving van, make sure to organize them in a way that will save you both money and time. For example, don’t pack your scissors in the last box you plan to unpack! Instead, create a small kit with scissors or a pocketknife, and carry it with you instead of putting it in the van. That way, you won’t have to run out and buy extra box-opening supplies, because you’ll be able to find the ones that you already have.

If you have children, help them to create simple backpacks with a change of clothes, favorite toys, and extra snacks. Have them keep the backpacks with them at all times, so that you won’t need to replace these things if they become lost or inaccessible.

By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to save money and time during your moving experience.

The key to a successful move is to be organised. I learnt that valuable lesson when I moved a couple of hundred miles across country two months ago.

I enlisted the help of a respected removal firm in the area and they supplied me with what seemed like far too many boxes to pack my wordly goods in. I took one look at them and wondered if they’d mistaken my two-bedroom house for a mansion! But they were right.

First lesson, trust the experts.

Lesson two: never underestimate how much stuff you’ve got. I did something right though. I put a number of boxes in each area of the house before I started work.

I reckoned on eight for the kitchen. That turned out just about right.

For the kitchen, I took everything out of the cupboards, foodstuffs and all. I went through the contents systematically and consigned the half-used, two-year old pasta packs and anything else like that to the bin. You’ve got to be ruthless in this game. If you haven’t looked at it for two years, chances are you won’t want simply to transfer it to the newly washed-down empty cupboards in your new place. I separated out foodstuffs and hardware into different boxes and a few hours later I was left with an empty kitchen, save for seven full boxes, one half-full one and the kettle, a box of green tea, a mug and an unopened pack of muffins. I packed those at the top of the 8th box and, before I fastened it up, marked it with a thick black pen “Open first”.

That I remembered to do and congratulated myself on my foresight - I’d be ready for some quick refreshment once I got to the new place.

Trouble was, I forgot to let the removal men know that the box should be packed towards the door of the van so that it was unloaded first. So when I got to my new home, I couldn’t find it. it didn’t turn up until 3 hours after they’d started unloading. Refreshments had to wait.

Lesson 3: Mark boxes up (done).

Lesson 4: Tell the removal guys where you want particular boxes to go.

Once I’d conquered the kitchen, the other rooms were more or less manageable. I’d underestimated just how many clothes I had and started cramming them into the last box in the room. It just wasn’t going to hold them. Again, I had to draw on my ruthless streak - 2 bags of no-longer-in-favour jerseys and jeans went off to the charity shop.

Lesson 5: Recycle, don’t just throw stuff away.

All in all, it was a not-too-painful experience, made bearable by an excellent removal team and the excitement of moving into a new home.

 You’re looking around at literally everything you have and you’re not sure how to proceed. It can be an overwhelming experience, but if you follow a few simple steps it can be an experience that is, if not pleasant, at least less painful then a sharp stick in the eye.

First, stay organized.

If you just start throwing stuff in boxes willy nilly then you’ll never find anything at your new place. Keep everything from each room together and keep things you use a lot separate from things you use seldom.

Go around each room a methodically empty all drawers and cabinets and wardrobes. Don’t give in to the temptation to spread things around across rooms to make the boxes pack tighter. Use more boxes if you have to, but stay organized. You’ll thanks yourself later.

Second, make sure you can move all your boxes. Don’t use the huge boxes if you’re moving in your friend’s van. Don’t put all your books in one large box and then try to pick it up by yourself. Don’t make a box so unbalanced that you can’t pick it up. Remember that heavy things go in little boxes and light things go in bigger boxes.

If you follow these simple rules you’ll get where you’re going and be able to set up house quickly.