No matter how capable, experienced and prepared you are, moving is a huge job with lots of moving parts. Packing is one of the most time-consuming and physically demanding. Although many individuals start out to do it themselves in order to save money, there are some instances in which having the movers do it for you can be worth its weight in gold.
1. You’re feeling overwhelmed. Moving logistics can get very complicated very quickly. Change-of-address cards, school and work transfers, insurance and financial account address changes, scheduling, perhaps a closing on one or both homes. … The list goes on. If you’ve got more on your plate than you can handle, turning packing over to the experts frees you to take care of tasks you can’t hire out.
2. You have large items that need to be dismantled. Some furniture, such as ready-to-assemble cabinets with chipboard backing, should be taken apart before they’re moved. Certain types of exercise equipment should be disassembled, too. If you’re unsure of your ability to dismantle these items and put them back together again in your new home, consider letting your movers do the work for you.
3. You have large electronics. Flat-screen TVs are a lot lighter than their old tube counterparts, but they’re also more delicate, and their large expanses of screen make them difficult to protect during a move. Electronic systems with many components or complicated wiring can also be tricky to pack, especially if you’re not intimately familiar with how they’re connected. Atlanta movers are specially trained to move these items safely, and they have the materials needed to pack them correctly.
4. Some items will be moved more than once. If your belongings will be offloaded and put on another truck during transit, or you have some items going to storage, it’s important that they be packed securely enough to withstand multiple moves. Your safest option in this case is to have the movers pack for you.
5. You’re almost out of time. Packing takes many people far longer than they expect. If your moving date is less than a month away and you don’t have a big jump on the work already, you’re at risk of not being ready on time. Contact your moving company to request packing services. Movers need plenty of advance notice for packing, especially during busy times of the year, so don’t wait until you’re desperate for help.
6. You have breakables you’d be devastated to lose. Heirloom china is one example of a delicate item that’s best left to the professionals to pack. Proper wrapping and placement in a box of the correct size, shape and sturdiness are crucial to avoiding breakage.
7. You need to minimize disruptions to your household. Large families, families with one or more members with special needs, and anyone who lives a hectic lifestyle may have difficulty functioning amidst the chaos of a drawn-out packing process. Having movers do the work can be a sanity saver, because they’ll do all the work in the few days before you move.
Even if you hire the moving company to pack for you, there are a few things you may want to pack yourself.
Important documents such as birth and marriage certificates, vaccine records and insurance policies should be packed ahead of time and stored temporarily in a safe deposit box or at friend’s or family member’s home. And you’ll want to assemble everything you’ll need for your first day or two in your new home and pack and transport it yourself in case the movers are delayed. Otherwise, letting the moving company pack for you frees you of a tremendous burden and helps to ensure that your items arrive safe and sound.