Moving day is always stressful and chaotic! You’re busy packing, furiously cleaning, and barely have enough time to eat. When your movers arrive, it’s normal to feel like a sore thumb. You can’t help them do the heavy lifting, so what can you do?
This article discusses ways you can indirectly help your moving team both before and during the moving process. Arming yourself with these moving tips will help the movers do their job so much more efficiently!
Sell, Gift, or Donate Everything You Don’t Want to Bring With You
If you’ve been living in your old home for years, you must have accumulated many things. Some of these things should not be making the move with you at all. Old desks, clothes, couches, televisions, electronics, and toys are great candidates for gifting, re-selling, or donating.
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Kijiji are excellent platforms for getting rid of items you don’t need anymore. Alternatively, you can donate your items to second-hand clothing and furniture stores.
Many movers will have packing services, but sorting through your stuff beforehand reduces the number of items they need to pack. It’s also a sustainable way to get rid of clutter while also putting a bit of change back in your pocket.
Disconnect and Unplug All Electronics
If you have a typical household, you likely have at least one entertainment center complete with a television, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and more. These set-ups are unsightly breeding grounds for dust bunnies and often feature a nest of unseen wires.
Most reputable moving companies will be happy to take apart your entertainment center as a part of their moving services, but why not make things easier for both of you and pack up these items beforehand? Doing this will allow the pro movers to focus on the heavier work on the day of your move.
Clear Your Fridge and Freezer
Deep-cleaning a fridge is a messy task that’s oft-forgotten. Doing this on your actual moving day can easily add two to three hours of work to your already busy day!
Unless you’re springing for all-new kitchen appliances, your fridge and freezer need to be thawed, emptied, and thoroughly cleaned out.
Start by consuming, discarding, or donating the food that’s already in the fridge and freezer. Do this about three to four weeks before moving day.
Frozen meats, vegetables, condiments, and other daily staples should be easy to consume as long as they’re not expired. Donate unopened and sealed items to your local soup kitchen or your neighbours, and discard anything expired, freezer burnt, or otherwise inedible.
A day or two before moving day, unplug the empty freezers and fridges and allow them to thaw for a few hours. Be sure to place plenty of towels around the appliances to soak up any condensation. Clean the refrigerator thoroughly and leave it open to dry.
Drain Your Mowers and Blowers
Did you know that your movers cannot transport flammable liquids like gasoline, propane, and oil? It’s a hazard to them as well as the rest of your belongings.
Be sure to drain all devices that operate using oil or gasoline. This includes lawn mowers, leaf blowers, wood chippers, and more.
Propane tanks are usually found on barbecues and can be designated as ‘certified empty’ by a gas station. However, given how propane tanks expire, it’s safer to dispose of them at a gas station before moving and purchase a new one when you’re settled in your new home.
Reach out to the Moving Experts at Simple Moves Today!
Our experienced team at Simple Moves understands that moving day can be overwhelming. Still, we’re here to lift the stress off of your shoulders. We are your one-stop shop for all things moving. We offer long-distance moves, local moves, storage, post-move cleaning, and more.
Proudly based in Vancouver, our team strives to exceed the expectations of each client, no matter how small or big the job may be!
Are you moving soon? Call us at (604) 210-4117 or fill out our online contact form to find out more about how Simple Moves can help.
