1. Try to give or throw away as much stuff that you don't
really need a few weeks before packing - for example old
books and clothes that you no longer need. Try passing
them on to a charity shop before throwing them away though
- it should make you feel better about leaving some
belongings behind.
2. Only use professional moving boxes and packaging in
your move. Not doing so may result in damage or loss of
some of your belongings. For example an unsuitable box
poorly taped can easily break open during a long move.
3. Before packing segregate your belongings into different
areas such as books, CDs, clothes, kitchenware etc. This
makes it easier when packing to make sure each box has the
same kind of stuff in it, rather than having each box full
of "miscellaneous" items. This in turn makes it easier to
unpack at your destination.
4. Consider letting the moving company pack your
belongings for you which includes an inventory and box
labelling so we know which room to put each box upon
arrival at your destination. This carries a small cost
which can be partly offset by the reduction in insurance.
We can do this because if we pack your belongings
(especially fragile items) we know they've been packed
correctly and are less likely to break in transit.
5. If you are moving computers please make sure you back
up all your data and software before packing. Especially
for businesses you don't want to lose your Intellectual
Property if a computer experiences some damage along the
way. You might consider taking your computers hard-drive
with you rather than pack it with the rest of your office
equipment.
6. Consider the date you want your belongings to leave
your home or office, and what date you want them to
arrive. Try to be flexible at both ends and don't arrange
for your belongings to be picked up 1 hour before you have
to leave for a flight. Even we can't predict when a
traffic jam might happen, or when a van might cause
problems. Also, try to avoid rush-hour times for pick up
and drop off.
7. Read the insurance policy carefully and don't be afraid
to ask any questions if you're not sure what's included or
excluded from the move. Please take note in the policy re:
items you cannot pack. For example liquids, gasses or
highly inflammable products - the same kind of stuff you
can't take on a plane.
8. Do you need storage at your destination? For example
you might take a holiday between leaving your home or
office and arriving at your destination. Let us know and
we can arrange for storage then either pick-up or drop off
when you get back from your break.
9. Do you need minimal insurance (eg if you're moving
books which can normally be easily replaced) or maximum
insurance (eg if you're moving valuable china, musical
instruments or delicate electronic products).
10. Please consider your own insurance for moving very
expensive items such as artwork or unique irreplaceable
items.
11. It doesn't matter exactly how many boxes you need to
move. If you say 20 and it turns out to be 12 that's fine
- what's more important is getting the big picture.
12. Do you need two or three or more people to help you
pack and move? If there's a lot of boxes and a lot of
stuff it's not easy, and having extra muscle power can make
the whole move less stressful..
13. Are you moving heavy stuff such as home gym
equipment or a large quantity of heavy books or paperwork?
14. Do you need your belongings right away? It might be
cheaper to fly the things you need right away (eg clothes
& paperwork) and ship or rail books and other items that
you don't need in the first month or so when you arrive at
your destination.
15. Are you moving car(s) and/or motorbike(s)?
Usually you cannot place any
belongings in your vehicle for the move. Consider local
rules regarding importing vehicles and what happens if your
vehicle needs servicing or the local road-worthiness
paperwork. |
