There are a lot of blogs and websites offering moving advice, mentioning everything from shipping boxes to unpacking, but there are probably some helpful hints that you may have never heard before.  I have searched high and low for those tips that don’t seem to make a regular appearance, and probably should!

• Some movers will put your beds back together for you.
• Unpack the kitchen first, so that you can feed your hungry helpers. Then unpack a bathroom, because you are going to need it sooner than you think you will.  Then unpack at least one bedroom so that you can collapse after you eat and have a shower.
• Having moving supplies is obvious, but having the right quantity and everything you need is not. Have a range of shipping boxes with a lot of small (for heavy items), the most in medium, and some large.

• If you are moving more than a hundred and fifty miles away, and your moving truck can’t be delivered in less than twenty-four hours, there are going to be quite a few things that a moving company are not going to be allowed to transport. Federal, state, and local laws prohibit a moving company from moving guns, ammunition, and fireworks.  Those are obvious, right?  What is not so obvious is that they are also not allowed to move things like household batteries, nail polish and remover, and even liquid bleach.
• Download a moving checklist that starts eight weeks out and tells you what to do each week.
• Do not use newspaper to wrap fine china with! The ink will transfer to the china and stain it.  Use clean packing papers and pack them in small, sturdy shipping boxes to ensure the safest journey.
• Wrap your furniture with plastic wrap to protect against dirt and damage.
• When packing a moving container, start with appliances and distribute weight evenly from side to side and end to end.
• If you have extremely valuable and antique items that are going to be moved, get them appraised beforehand. Properly photograph and video document these items in case something gets damaged and a claim needs to be opened.
• Did you know that your shoes probably contain some moisture and should be aired out prior to a move so that they don’t develop mold in the process?
• Do some research and prepare your children ahead of time for the move. So often we forget to really sit down and explain to our kids what is going to be happening, and after a long day of unloading the moving van they start asking when you are going to go back home.  Say what?  Preparing them can alleviate so much stress for both parties involved.