There are web sites all over the Internet that offer a moving checklist for planning your move (Starting 12 months in advance?) I believe that although these moving checklists are trying to be helpful, for most people attempting to execute a 12 month moving plan can lead to more stress than not having one at all!

I don’t know about you, but I have no idea what I will have for lunch tomorrow, or what gift to buy for my nephew’s birthday next week let alone planning with a move checklist 12 months in advance!

Don't get overwhelmed by your moving checklist!

My question is, are most people THAT likely to start planning a move, as much as a year in advance, like a wedding?

Heck, even most weddings aren’t planned until a few months ahead of time. I got a kick out of the many websites of either moving companies, or the businesses that sell moving boxes, and how some of them offer a moving checklist of things to do, starting 1 year or more before your actual moving date.

Remember in high school, when they gave us an assignment, or a special project, and they gave us three or four weeks to do it? Most people started it the Friday evening before the Monday morning when it was due. NOW all of those people are adults, and I am pretty sure that they are not planning on buying moving boxes and forwarding magazine subscriptions many months in advance. It make look good on paper, but for most people who have busy careers, families and stressful lives, it simple isn’t reasonable or possible.

Besides, you have the many people who suddenly get a job promotion, or they find a great new job, and they are told or they decide that they have to move, and they only have a week or two or three. So, for those people, the whole 12 month – 6 month – 3 month time-line/ relocation checklist won’t work! Sorry!

Don’t get me wrong. There are many moving checklists and helpful information that are helpful to use. However, I believe that the checklists that start 12 months before a move can lead to more stress than using one at all!

A good piece of advice is don’t try and over-complicate moving preparations. This will decrease your moving stress right away. Yes there is a lot to do, but it is not complicated; just a lot of hard work. RELAX!

Instead, what will work is that they can order some moving boxes or a moving kit, have it delivered to their door within a few days, while they make a few other arrangements, such as pin-pointing a moving day and then hiring some movers…(the only way to fly!) Then when the moving kit arrives, you can start packing away your valuables into nice, sturdy boxes that won’t topple over, and will cut down on the man hours needed for your move. (Remember you’re paying the movers for their time!)

If you want a move checklist that is simplified, it goes like this:

#1: Order moving boxes online at Moving Box Delivery; with enough time that you can pack your moving boxes.

#2: Call a moving company that friends have recommended and pick a date (don’t forget that summer gets booked faster than the winter time does)

#3: Start packing when the moving kit or boxes arrive

#4: Change all your addresses, (the most time consuming part) forward your mail, magazines, and cancel your newspaper home delivery

A Helpful Resource of all the addresses that need to be changed when moving: change address

#5: Let your friends know you decided NOT to punish them by renting a truck and begging them to help you do the back-breaking work of moving

#6: Be ready by moving day, and let the movers do their job

#7: Have fun in your new home

#8: Take a nice bubble bath and celebrate that it all over!

If you need buy moving boxes and moving supplies for your move, shop at our store.

You may also be interested in reading:
Are You a Mommy? Take the STRESS Out of Buying Moving Boxes
Top 10 Funny Ways to Help Take the Stress Out of Moving

If you are moving, the two most important moving supplies that all professional movers use to pack homes are professional quality moving boxes and  kitchen packing paper.  Kitchen packing paper is ink-less, clean and provides a protective cushion around each cup allowing you to place your cups in the same moving boxes. This cushion protects your cups from moving and storing damages.

Some people try to use glass boxes to move their cups, instead of kitchen packing paper. This approach can also work if all of your cups are the same size and you find glass boxes that are the proper size for your cups. Typically this is the challenge of this approach.

Packing cups inside of your boxes for moving with kitchen packing paper is a great approach that protects your cups, makes it fast and easy to pack and unpack.

It is easy to pack mugs in moving boxes using kitchen packing paper

Are you interested in knowing the most important packing tip that professional movers use to protect your valuables from moving damages?

Assuming that you are using high quality moving boxes that are designed for moving and storing, the most important packing tip to protect your valuables is the following:

Fill your moving boxes up completely. Crumple newspaper to fill in any gaps in your moving boxes. Your moving boxes will be the strongest and will protect your valuables when they are filled completely.

Imagine that you do not fill your moving boxes to the top. These same boxes will be stacked on top of other moving boxes with a lot of weight on them. Even when using the highest quality moving boxes that Moving Box Delivery sells, your moving boxes can still compress if they are not full.

Regular newspaper is a cheap and ideal way to fill in all the small holes that remain in your moving boxes after you pack. This simple trick is a tip that professional movers use to protect your valuables and it is a packing practice that is easy to do on your own.

Order a 2 bedroom Moving Kit with FREE SHIPPING

Need a different size of moving kit? Go to: buy a moving kit

Happy moving!

You may also be interested in the following articles:

Why use high quality boxes for moving

Buy Moving Boxes-5 Tips to Buy Boxes & Pack Them Properly

Learn How to Pack Your Hats So They Don't Get Crushed

I counted how many hats that our family owned. We own 23 hats! I could not believe how many that we had. We have baseball hats, sun hats, tennis hats and all sorts of adorable baby hats. Some of these hats are more fragile than others, some are meant  to protect us  from the sun, and yes, some are just to look GOOD. 

The question is, how do you move hats so you keep them intact?

“Life is like a new hat. You don’t know if it suits you if you keep trying it on in front of your own mirror.” Shirley McLaine

 

HOW DO YOU PACK HATS WHEN MOVING?

Tip #1- If you have any valuable, decorative hats that can not get compressed, it is wise to invest in a hat box and then place this hat box inside of your moving box. 
A hat can easily loose it’s form if any weight is placed on top of it. That is why a hat box is a great investment, not only for moving, but to store your hats once you move into your new home.

A hat box is how people used to store their priceless hats, dating back to Victorian times.

Once you place your hat inside of the hat box, take the entire box and place this inside of the all Purpose moving box. You should be able to fit at least two hat boxes inside each of your moving boxes, although this depends on the size of your hat. Don’t forget to fill the moving box with crumpled newspaper, so your hat boxes will not be able to move.  Hat boxes are a wonderful way to store your hats once you move into your new home!  
Article on how to make hat boxes 
If you want to buy a new hat box  go to Sarahs Hat Boxes.

Tip #2: Be sure to place your hat boxes inside of moving boxes. Movers will not move hat boxes unless they are inside of moving boxes, because your hats would not be protected.

Tip #3
If you have a lot of hats, separate the hats that are similiar into piles. For example, all your baseball hats place them in one pile, sun hats in another. Then any hat that can be stacked on top of each other will be easily accessible to pack. 

Remember, hats  retain more strength if they are stacked on top of each other.

Tip#4: Wrap your hats with ink-less packing paper, so they don’t get dirty and then fill up the box with regular newspaper. Crumple regular newspaper around your wrapped hats so the box will retain it’s ultimate strenght when it is stacked on top of each other in a moving truck.

Tip #5- Never place any heavy items or other belongings other than hats inside of the same moving box. You don’t want any weight to be placed on the boxes.

Tip#5-  As a fast trick, you can actually line the bottom of your wardrobe boxes with baseball hats and shoes. (As long as the hats are not valuable and it wouldn’t matter if they were compressed this is a great solution) If you are not familiar with wardrobe boxes, they are used to hang your clothes inside of. As the clothes are hanging of the box, this leaves an open space to place other items on the bottom of the box.

The Unclutterer blog had a wonderful post asking should you keep cardboard boxes for electronics? They asked if you should keep your original box packaging and for how long.? I felt this was a great topic and one that we wanted to pass on to our readers who are wondering how to properly move their electronics.

The challenge is, we all love gagets and electronics and have a lot of them. According to an article in U.S. Today, Nielsen Media Research has found that there are 2.73 TV sets in the typical home or 2.55 people.  With that many televisions, should we  actually store 2-3 large boxes and packaging that the televisions sets came in in the event we need to move? For how long should we do this?

Not to mention that we also have multiple desktop computers, laptops, stereo equiptment and other specialized electronics. Do we also store all of that box packaging?

According to an article by Wired.com called 'A Mac Box is Worth It's Weight in Gold," this empty cardboard box was sold for more than $500 on eBay. The box is old, dating back to 1984 and was used as the box packaging for one of the first Macintosh computers

An excerpt from the Wired.com article stated that ”the cardboard box is worth more than the computer it contained.”  The original Macintosh is worthless and has a  resale value of zero.  Thge article went on to discuss that a computer without the manuals that would otherwise sell for $100, would actually sell for $300 if you had the manuals and the orginal box packaging and inserts.

The question is, who has the space to keep a dozen large cardboard boxes and packaging that the electronic intitially came in? Why keep them you might ask?

Great question, and one that many people do not know. The best way to protect your electronics (computers, televisions, stereos..etc) is to pack them in the same cardboard boxes that they intially came in.

The suggestion from the Unclutterer blog about how long you should keep your boxes that the electronics came in was a good one, in addition to the wonderful ideas that their users posted. I compiled these ideas into a list and added some additional ideas.

Keep the original cardboard boxes and packaging that your electronics came in with the following situations:

1. Keep the cardboard boxes of your electronics until the product can no longer be returned.

2. If you have any plans of moving in the next 3 years, keep the boxes. You will be happy that you did.

3. If you are in the military and move a lot, keep the cardboard boxes and packaging.

4. Keep the boxes for expensive, large flat panel televisions. These custom boxes are expensive to buy!

5. If you plan on selling your electronics on E-bay in the future, keep your cardboard boxes. (You will most likely get a higher price if you have the original box packaging AND it will be easier to ship.)

6. Keep the cardboard boxes for items that you rarely use, because it will make it easier to store in the garage.

7. If the warranty is an on-line warranty, meaning that if your product breaks you will need to ship it to the manufacture-you many consider keeping it. Please note, some companies will ship you a new box to send your electronics back in.

Don’t Forget About Your Electronics Box Packaging

Don’t forget to also keep the packaging that your electronics came in. These inserts are almost more important than the cardboard box itself. The manufacturers of these products tested how safe it would be to transport the electronics using not only the cardboard box, but the packaging.

The challenge with this is, you can not flatten your boxes if you need to save the packaging. Since you still need to still store the packaging, we recommend storing it inside of your cardboard boxes.

Visit our moving store to buy moving boxes and moving supplies.

Related Articles You Might Be Interested in: How to Pack Computers in Moving Boxes

Cardboard boxes that were designed for moving stack well on top of each other and don't compress. This protects you valuables.

“I need cardboard  boxes,” said a woman that I met in one of my mommy and me groups. She  was talking to her friend about her upcoming move and I could not help but eavesdrop.

She told her friend that “she was just going to get any old cardboard box she could find at   grocery stores and liquor stores.” Gulp. To make matters worse, as I continued to listen,  I found out that she actually purchased moving insurance and she hired a professional moving company.  Two good moves I might add,….. (no pun intended) however……

Buying moving insurance without using quality cardboard boxes for moving is like buying health insurance, yet you still smoke, you don’t excercise and you don’t eat well.

This is the irony. This woman paid hundreds of dollars for moving insurance, hired professional movers, yet she would not spend $89.00 on quality cardboard boxes that could PREVENT moving damages from occurring in the first place.  For even if you hire a professional mover, if you use crummy boxes, your chances of moving damages increase drastically.

In saying all of that, I completely understand where this woman is coming from. WHAT? I understand because this was me many, many years ago before I entered the moving world.  I didn’t know any better and didn’t realize what the impact was of using  used, wet or weak cardboard boxes. However, it has been a long time since I had that philosophy so I wanted to learn more about what this woman was thinking.

So after our mommy and me class, I gave her my card and told her that I own a company that sells cardboard moving boxes and we also own a moving company that has been serving the community f0r over a decade.

Then I asked if she would be so kind as to share her thoughts with me about cardboard boxes. (not the typical conversation amongst 2 year olds and mommies.)

This womans beliefs about cardboard boxes are:

1. I need cardboard boxes, and any cardboard box is fine to use for moving. (False)

2. It doesn’t matter how many different sizes of cardboard boxes she uses. (False)

3. Wet, used, new, as long as they are FREE CARDBOARD BOXES, that is all that matters. (False)

When this woman said that “I need cardboard boxes,” one BIG question should be asked.

Do you need cardboard boxes that will protect your your belongings from moving damages or do you just want cardboard boxes for the heck of it?

If the answer is yes, ”I need cardboard boxes” that will protect my valuables, then I will provide information in relation to this woman’s line of thinking.

Hiring professional movers is great, but still use quality cardboard boxes

Facts

1. Not all cardboard boxes are manufactured to be used for moving or storing. Some cardboard boxes are made to hold fruit and some are made for shipping for example.

Cardboard boxes that are made for moving are stronger in withstanding the pressure of being stacked no top of each other without compressing. This helps prevent moving damages.

Look at the following grocery store cardboard boxes and ask yourself if you think these boxes stack well and/or will protect your valuables? (Some of them don’t even have tops, which moving companies are not suppose to even move!)

This boxes were collected from grocery stores. You see how they don't stack well on top of each other. The risk of moving damages is much higher.

2. There are specific cardboard boxes that are recommended to be used for moving and storing. These boxes have very specific sizes 1.5 cubic moving boxes-All Purpose moving boxes,  3.0 cubic kitchen moving boxes, 4.5 cubic Pillow moving boxes, and wardrobe boxes.

Movers know how to effectively work with these sizes of cardboard boxes, and prefer using them because there is a higher chance of a smooth move with NO moving damages.  They also stack well on top of each other in the moving truck, dolly or storage unit. (True)

3. If you add up how much all of your valuables that you will be moving are worth, you might be looking at $50,000, $100,00, $500,000? Why would you risk moving every item that you own inside of wet, used, old cardboard boxes that will not provide the best protection and have a higher chance of getting damaged. (True)

So in conclusion, hopefully when I meet this woman again, she will say “I need cardboard boxes that will protect my belongings.”

Happy moving! If you want to buy cardboard boxes for moving, go to: moving boxes

Wrap non stick frying pans with packing paper to prevent scratching.

People often put too much tape on their moving boxes

When you buy boxes and start packing, it is a typical thought process that applying ”more” tape means that your boxes will be more secure. That is not true. Not only will you spend more time packing and taping, but you will spend a lot of time getting all that tape off when you are unpacking.

Moving Box Labeling-Indicate which room your boxes should be placed in

Labeling your moving boxes will save you hours and hours of time unpacking, because all of the moving boxes will be placed in the correct room of where  you want to unpack them.

When you buy boxes write fragile on any moving box that has valuables

People buy boxes of quality to make sure that their valuables are protected. However, many people often forget about the importance of communicating with your movers on which boxes have fragile items inside of them

Don’t forget to write fragile on any moving box that has fragile items inside of them.

Tip #5-Buy boxes to hang your clothes inside of

Many people try to transport their hanging clothes in the back of their car; making multiple trips from their old home to their new home. I used to do this all the time. I had no idea that there was a box that was designed for holding hanging clothes. Not only does it take a long time to manually move your hanging clothes, but it doesn’t protect them from being ripped, torn or stained.

When you move your clothes in the back of your car, a lot of your clothes will also need to be ironed! You have enough to do when unpacking other than ironing!

Buy boxes to hang your clothes inside of

Using wardrobe boxes makes it very easy to move hanging clothes. Also, don’t forget to line the bottom of your wardrobe boxes with shoes, belts and other items.

3 Wardrobe Boxes with Bars- $49.00 Free Shipping

Question: One of our customers asked us how to safely move computers in moving boxes. This is a great question and one we wanted to answer on our blog to help everyone.

Packing computers in moving boxes is very tricky and it is risky when moving, storing and/or shipping. Extreme care should be paid to the packaging process to ensure safe delivery.

Moving Box Delivery has combined several approaches into one article to help you  pack and move your computers, particularily if you no longer have the original packaging materials that your computer came in.

However, it must be said that the BEST approach to moving a computer, and the only one that you can feel totally confident that your computer will be well protected is to use the box and the strofoam inserts that the computer came with.

The problem with this, is most people do not have the space or the desire to store every electronic packaging material that they buy. However, using the original packaging material is really the only solution that will ensure 100% safe delivery of your computer.

Therefore, I called Dell Computers and Apple computers to see if I could buy the original packaging materials and the original box that my computer came in. The response I received from both of the operators I spoke with was, well….” no.” Oh well, worth a try. 

If anyone has been able to purchase the original packaging materials from a computer manufacture, please add a comment to the blog and let me know so I can pass on the information to others. 

Transporting Your Computer in Your Car
If you are hiring a moving company to move your home and you are able to transport your computer yourself in your car, this is a good idea. Moving trucks have a lot more vibration than cars do, and you can wrap blankets around your computer and have it close by you, your computer will be better protected than in a moving truck (generally speaking.) Also, if you are moving laptop computers, there is no reason why you would not transport these yourself.

How to Pack Computers in Moving Boxes
The 3.0 sized moving box, otherwise known as the “Kitchen Moving Box” is a good size moving box to transport most sized computer towers. It can also fit many standard size monitors, but please note that many of the larger flat screen monitors are too wide and will need a custom size computer screen box.

Every moving kit from Moving Box Delivery includes several of the 3.0 size moving boxes, which you can use to pack a computer tower with. It is deep enough to fit most sized towers and still have room to have blankets or peanuts on all sides surrounding the computer.

Also included with every moving kit is packing foam. This is wonderful packaging material to help protect your computer. You can also use bubble wrap to wrap around your computer, though Moving Box Delivery doesn’t sell bubble wrap because it can not be recycled.

Step By Step Instructions of How to Pack a Computer in Moving Boxes If You Don’t Have the Original Packaging
1. Fill your 3.0 cubic moving box with peanuts. (You can purchase packing peanuts from most stores)

2. Wrap the packing foam that was included in your moving kit on all sides of the computer. Make sure to wrap your computer well, so there is padding on all sides.

3. Put peanuts in the moving box and place the computer in the center of the box standing upright. Make sure there are peanuts on all sides including the top, so it can not move.

4. Write FRAGILE electronics on the top and sides of the box. (Often movers will not see labels if you only label on the top, as they stack the boxes and can see labels on the sides much more clearly.)

Another Option to Packing Computers in Moving Boxes

Thick moving blankets can also be very effective in protecting your computers. Just make sure that your computer can not move once it is placed upright in the box.

You need to fill your box up completely so the computer is not touching the moving box at all on any side, and that it does not shift inside.

Other Considerations When Moving Computers in Moving Boxes
1. Make sure to back up your computer BEFORE you pack it. Store this hardrive in another place in the event that your computer is lost. You can also backup on a DVD for double protection.

2. Place your cords in zip lock bags and tear a piece of paper off into the bag and write down what the cord is used for.  This simple step can help you quickly and easily re-assemble your computers, knowing what each cord is for.

3. Consider buying moving insurance and accept the fact that your computer may get damaged. Moving computers without the orginal packaging is a bit risky and is known industry wide to be the case. Please know that you can successfully move computers in moving boxes, but the only real guarantee is to have the original packaging materials.

4. Consider going to a local shipping and packing store that specializes in shipping products and have them pack your computer. If you find a good packaging company, it is worth paying them money to protect your computer as they are “pros” in safe packing.

5. Due to how risky it is to move computers without the original packaging, many people decide to sell or donate their computer locally and then buy a new one at their new home. Sounds like a good excuse to me to buy a new Apple computer!

Disclaimer- Moving Box Delivery does not state in this article that your computer will be safe if you use these packaging ideas. The only truly safe way to pack a computer for moving is to use the original moving supplies and box that the computer came with. Computer manufactures spend a lot of money custom fitting the molds and the boxes to make sure your computer is protected. However we hope these ideas are helpful if you do not have the orginal materials.

Are you moving and want to know how to clean and pack your shower curtains and rods?

Moving Box Delivery recommends that you fully clean your plastic shower curtain before you pack it. Yes this is one more thing that needs to be done while moving, however the good news is this is something that you can do a week in advance of your move. 

You would think that your shower curtain would be clean enough to pack. After all people use soap and shampoo in it each day. The reality is, shower curtains can quickly become filled with scum and dirt that is not good to pack or move into your new home.

2 Different Ways to Clean a Shower Curtain Before You Move

1. Fill up your bath tub and put bleach in the water. Soak the shower curtain for a few hours, scrub with a sponge, and and then hang to dry.  

2. No chemical approach-Put apple cider vinegar in the bathtub. Let your curtain soak. Scrub with baking soda and rinse with water.

The most important thing to know about packing shower curtains in moving boxes is make sure they are completely dry before you pack them to prevent mold and mildew.

How to Pack Shower Curtains
1. Your decorative shower curtains can be folded up and placed in your moving boxes. Put all of your rods in a large freezer plastic zip lock bag to make sure you don’t loose them in the move.

2. Make sure to clean and DRY your plastic shower curtain before you pack it. A slightly damp shower curtain can quickly grow mold inside of moving boxes. If it is sunny outside, place your curtain in the sun to make sure it is totally dry.

Happy Moving!

• How many moving boxes does the average person use in a lifetime of moving? The answer is 800 moving boxes! #
• Lets recycle and re-use! How many moving boxes does the average person use in a lifetime of moving? The answer is 800 moving boxes! #
• Children love to play with boxes! After you move, use your moving boxes to create a castle! http://bit.ly/pAmNj #

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