|
Moving 101
By
Ann Smith,
Broker
Whether you have the art
of packing down to a science or you struggle with what comes first in the
moving game, I’ve put together an article series designed to help you make
a smooth transition. Tips will cover everything from packing, moving plants
and animals, to evaluating a moving company. Here’s my second article in
the series…
Packing Tips
Like most people, you’ve probably accumulated many possessions over the
years – electronics, books, treasured mementos, linens, and so on. Although
you may worry about packing those possessions in time for your closing
date, relax. These tips will help make the process easier.
-
Start as early as
possible – even before you put your house on the market.
-
Break the job of
packing into small increments. Plan to pack only one room at a time (and
take your time – two days to a week, as time allows). Put on your
favourite music to set the mood.
-
Start with rooms that
are least used. If you cannot rent external storage space, then use these
rooms to store your packed items but make sure they don’t become
overcrowded with boxes – that can reflect badly for showings and can
become a safety hazard.
-
Gather necessary
tools: magic markers, packing material (See Food Bank
http://web.ca/~londonfb/LFB-waystohelp.htm), packing tape, tape gun,
scissors, measuring tape, and strong boxes...LOTS of strong boxes.
-
Keep packed boxes to
50 pounds or less – banana boxes and photocopy boxes are good sizes for
keeping loads (even books) small enough to carry.
-
If possible, use the
original box for packing electronic equipment – and don’t forget to label
the cables.
-
Tape screws to the
object from which they were removed.
-
Label boxes as: (a)
fragile (b) what room it will go to and (c) “load last” to be unloaded
first.
-
Use the packing
material to cushion contents; linens wrap fragile items perfectly.
-
Pack books upright
when possible and in small boxes keeping the weight manageable.
-
Create your own
cardboard corners to protect picture frames that don’t fit into boxes
(see
http://www.pictureframes.com/html/corners.html)
-
Have rugs and
draperies cleaned, and then use the cleaning wrappings as packing
material.
-
Pack medicines in the
original bottles or other leak-proof containers.
-
All valuables should
be carried with you.
Next month, I’ll share
“What to Do One to Two Weeks Before You Move.” And if you missed our last
article, read What
To Do: One To Two Months Before You Move.
Back to Archive
Ann
Smith, Broker
Your Real
Estate Consultant…For Life! |
