If you’re planning a long-distance move, you may be hiring professional movers to help you transport all of your belongings from point A to point B. And while it’s tempting to throw up your hands and say, “Here! Take it!” in efforts to keep your sanity, it’s not in your best interest to do so. Moving is a monumental chore, one that works best when all parties involved know exactly what to do. So, before you say goodbye to your belongings as they prepare for their journey, here are a few things to consider.
Keep Sentimental or High Value Items with You
Items like photo albums, antiques, and jewelry should be kept with you. While you hope that none of your items get damaged in the process, if something were to happen, these items would be irreplaceable.
Don’t forget about digital items such as computers and hard drives. Even if you assume that your information is stored on the cloud, you may be mistaken about which versions of your items are saved.
Do Not Pack Opened Personal Care Products
Have you ever had your foundation open up in your makeup bag so that all of your other items are coated? Now imagine a big box full of unsealed products busting open. Your lotions, shampoos, perfumes and the like are now mixed together, and possibly sprinkled with broken glass or plastic. Oh, and it’s also spreading to everything else you packed in that box. And, in the case of some hair products and nail polish, it’s flammable. Do yourself a favor and keep your beauty products with you.
Trust Fine Art to Professionals
This might be a no-brainer, but do not trust your fine art to be handled by professional movers. You’re asking someone to move a priceless piece of art amongst boxes of heavy items and furniture that may slide during travel. Plus, you nor your moving company may know how to properly package your art to begin with. Have a professional art shipping service take care of this for you. In many cases, these companies will handle the transaction from start to finish while also offering insurance.
Leave Some Things Behind
If you’re downsizing from a five-bedroom home to a two-bedroom condo, you have to ask yourself what you’re going to do with furniture from the extra rooms. Before you start the quoting process, do a realistic assessment of what is staying and what is going. If you simply cannot part with it, then research storage facilities close to your new home so that you’re not unpacking belongings that have no intention of staying within the home.
Source: 7 Surprising Items Many Moving Companies Won’t Ship, Realtor.com