Moving Tips
Planning a Successful Move

The way to insure that your move is as successful and stress-free as possible is to properly organize and execute the move one step at a time. Remember, time is money! With proper planning and packing, you can make sure the movers can focus on moving and the less expensive your move will be.

Do-it-yourself moving can be a nightmare!
Avoid the pitfalls by calling Insta-Move.

People often try to move themselves instead of hiring a professional moving company. They move themselves because they believe doing it yourself is cheaper. But sadly, this isn't always true.

Truck rentals alone can be expensive, and hidden costs can quickly run up a high bill. But consider the other costs involved, such as damaged furniture and belongings, disabling injuries to you or a loved one, and other unsuspected problems. Moving yourself can become an expensive nightmarish experience.

Injuries

Moving yourself can damage important furniture and items, but also your own body or friends and relatives. If you've ever had serious back pain, you probably don't plan to move yourself. Never experienced acute back pain? Trust us, you don't want to!

Professional, licensed moving personnel are trained from the beginning on how to lift and handle furniture and other heavy items to minimize injury to themselves and those around them. Your family and friends can avoid costly and disabling injuries that last for years after the moving date.

Bugs and Pests

When renting trucks, it's not always apparent who used the truck last. What kind of pests and infestations did they have? Did the rental company take care of that infestation before turning the truck over to you? What do you risk bringing to your new home or location?

Professional movers often sanitize trucks in between moves to prevent contaminating your furniture and belongings with bugs, lice, and other pests from prior moves.

Driving Large Trucks Isn't Easy

How about the rental truck? Have you or the intended driver ever driven a large truck on busy streets? Commercial trucks can be tricky to maneuver due to their length, height, weight, and other factors such as blind spots. Even the steering on large trucks can be a bit loose, requiring constant attention to the wheel to keep from shifting lanes.

Many drivers aren't used to these conditions, making driving a large rental truck more dangerous than ordinary cars.

Packing Materials

It happens during every move. Searches through various grocery stores and other stores for the required number of boxes to pack things in. In addition to the hassle of finding adequate numbers of boxes, such boxes already used for deliveries can be structurally weakened and might make it easier for important goods to be damaged or broken.

Protecting Your Home

Finding a bunch of friends to help you move may not sound like a bad idea. But your friends might not be skilled in handling and moving large, bulky furniture through your existing or new home. Walls, doors, and carpet can easily be damaged by untrained hands, requiring costly fixes and repairs.

Stress-Free Moving

Finding friends and volunteers to help has another drawback: scheduling. When relying on friends and relatives to move, a change in their plans can prove disastrous to yours. A few people canceling can leave your move longer, more difficult, and costing more than you originally planned.

When you are moving out of your old house...

Confirm arrival time with the moving company.
Keep important documents and keys handy.
Make a final inspection to be sure nothing is forgotten.
Look through closets, basement, garage, etc.
Turn off lights; close and lock windows and doors.
Leave keys with real estate agent or landlord.
Leave home only after the moving truck is on its way.

When you get to your destination...

Meet the movers promptly.
Supervise placement of cartons and furniture.
Check circuit breakers or fuse box to be sure everything is on.
Call family and friends. Let them know you've arrived safely.

Moving Electronic Equipment

Audio and video equipment and personal computers require special attention for safe moving. Always consult your owner's manuals for specific instructions and consider these basic tips:

Whenever possible, use the equipment's original boxes for packing. Otherwise, pad and pack each device separately.
Use tape to code wiring for easier reinstallation.
Allow equipment to return to room temperature in warmer or colder environments before turning it on. Condensation forms easily on electronics and can damage the devices if powered up too soon.
Always "park" hard disks on a computer to prevent damage to your data in transit. Often, such parking programs can be found on the diagnostic or program CDs which came with the computer.
Computer floppy drives can be secured by placing an old or blank disk in the drive.
Always back up your important data before you move.
When moving turntables, fasten down the tone arm, and tighten the turntable screws. Often there will be a shipping lock which was in place when you first opened the turntable. Make sure you secure the dust cover.
For CD players, check instructions to learn how to secure the laser. Heat can warp compact discs, so don't move them in a vehicle which may get too hot.
For your TV or VCR, take normal precautions for fragile items. Clean the VCR heads before using in your new home. Sometimes cable TV servicemen will help you install your TV and VCR at your destination. Other services may be available in your local area to help you set up your electronics or home theater system.