Office Supply Store

The first place you want to call or stop in is your local office supply store. Places like Office Max and Staples typically have those super strong boxes that packs of computer paper come in. They are perfect for everything from pots and pans to books to DVDs. Plus, since they have a lid, you don’t need to use tape with them. Even if they do not have any of these boxes, the still will likely have others that are strong enough for heavy items.

Bookstores

No one has to tell you how heavy books are. The boxes that they are shipped in are more than capable of handling whatever you pack in them. Most bookstores get a shipment in once or twice a week. If you live in a major city where the bookstore sees a ton of daily traffic, shipments may be more frequent.

Check out Barnes & Noble, Borders, or whatever store you happen to have in your area for free moving boxes.

Bars and Restaurants

Liquor boxes are extremely strong. Most of the ones you find in these venues don’t have lids because they are delivered with a plastic-wrapped top, so it is easy to check-in inventory. These are great for plants, toiletries, clothes, and other things you are taking in your car. Restaurants will have a French fry, produce, and dry storage boxes. The great thing about picking them up from these places is the bar back or dishwasher is often eager to help you carry them to your car. The more you take, the less they have to break down and haul to the dumpster.

Grocery Store

Unless someone else who is moving beats you there on whatever day you stop in, you can almost always count on your local grocer having free moving boxes. If you are really lucky, you can get your hands on banana boxes that are fairly large and very strong.

Pharmacy

Unless you live in a very remote area, there is a very good chance that you have a Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid around the corner from you; maybe even all three. You can almost always find boxes at these stores. You may want to call ahead, and let them know you are coming. This way, they won’t break them down, and it will save you from having to tape them back together. Simply stack the small boxes into medium boxes, and medium into large, so you can fit more in your car.

Liquor Stores

The great thing about liquor stores is that they get the same boxes bars get, but they have lids. This is often the first place many people hit up for free moving boxes first, so it is not a bad idea to call ahead. You can buy beer for your friends coming to help you pack while you’re here.

Home Improvement Stores

Places like Lowes and Home Depot will generally have a ton of boxes, but sometimes actually finding someone who can “okay” you to take some, and tell you where to pick them up is a challenge. You often have better luck at Ace, ACO, or your locally-owned small hardware stores. It is never hard to find a manager or owner at these places. No to mention, they may just give you a coupon to use when you need to buy home improvement or garden items for your new place.

The post Top 7 Places to find Free Moving Boxes first appeared on C & M Movers.

• Call your C & M Movers. Set a date for an agent to visually survey your home and prepare an estimate.
• If your company is paying for your move, refer to their moving policy to determine the services the mover will be authorized to perform.
• Do you want to do any of the packing—or will you have it done by our pack crews? Your agent will be fully prepared to discuss packing services with you.
• Show the agent everything that is going to be moved. Any items you fail to disclose or that are added later to the shipment will increase the cost, even if you have been given a binding estimate.

• Sign your Estimate/Order for Service after you are sure you have a clear understanding of the entire document. Have questions? Call C & M at (951) 234-1464. 
• Lock in your move-out date and confirm your moving plan when you officially book your move.
• Keep the phone number and name of your move coordinator handy; feel free to ask questions or request more moving tips.

• Notify the post office that you are moving. An online Change of Address form is available on the United States Postal Service website.
• Change your address with your banks, insurance providers, credit cards and magazine subscriptions.
• Update your information with doctors, lawyers, accountants and any other professional services.

• Go through every room in your house to sort through what will move with you and what will not.
• Have a garage sale or online auction to dispose of any unwanted items.
• Donate your unwanted clothing, furniture or other household goods (pots, pans, dishes, bedding, etc.) to your favorite local charities. Don’t forget to grab receipts showing the items’ approximate value for possible tax deductions.

• Notify C & M movers if you add or subtract items from your planned move or if there are any changes in dates.
• Be sure to supply your agent with the destination address and phone numbers where you can be reached.
• Confirm any extra stops required to pick up or deliver goods to a location other than the main pickup or delivery points – make sure this step is listed on your personal moving planner.
• If your car is being moved, be prepared to drive it to a loading site for auto transport. Also be prepared to pick up your car at your destination location.

• Take the family for a farewell visit to some of the places that hold happy memories.
• Have a going-away party for the children and their friends.
• Have some fun for yourself… an open house or an informal dinner or barbecue. Keep it simple.
• Make family travel plans. Reserve hotel rooms and airline tickets as needed.
• If driving, have your car serviced for the trip (check tires, brakes, windshield wipers, fluids, belts, etc.).
• If you are flying, make sure you have your airfare and other necessary transportation booked.
• Book any hotels or stops you’ll need to make along the way.
• Think about what items you’ll need with you for the trip and for your first night in your new home. Set them aside so they don’t accidentally get packed.
• If you’re packing yourself, get a head start now so you aren’t overwhelmed at the last minute. Books, out of season clothes and decorative items are a great place to start.
• Read our packing tips and plan your approach.
• You must dispose of flammables such as fireworks, cleaning fluids, matches, acids, chemistry sets, aerosol cans, ammunition and poisons such as weed killer. Drain fuel from your power mower and other machinery and tighten all gas caps. Discard partly used cans of oil, paint, thinner, bleach or any other substances that may be flammable or combustible or those stored in containers that may leak. Please read the complete list of non-allowables.
• Discard propane tanks which are used for barbecue grills.
• Set an appointment with a service technician to prepare your major appliances for shipment, or have your agent send someone out who is authorized to perform this service.
• Set a date for having utilities disconnected. If possible, plan to keep utilities in service through moving day.
• Have rugs and draperies cleaned. Leave both wrapped when they are returned from the cleaners.
• Obtain a written appraisal of antique items to verify value. Avoid waxing or oiling wooden antiques (and fine wood furniture) before moving because some products might soften the wood, making it vulnerable to imprinting from furniture pads.
• Do not clean your upholstered furniture before moving. Moisture could cause mold if furniture must be placed in storage. Check out our tips for moving antiques.

• Make sure you have made travel plans for your pets. If you need to board them or leave them with friends, confirm those plans now.
• Take your pets to the vet and make sure you have any required health certificates or inoculations – every state has different requirements.
• Pick up anything you had cleaned, stored or repaired.
• Empty your locker at the club, gym or bowling alley.
• Return anything you have borrowed from friends or neighbors, including library books.
• Make sure you have not forgotten any of the critical items.
• Have you packed or gotten rid of everything that’s not moving?
• Have you confirmed all the details with your move coordinator?

• Be on hand when the service representative arrives to prepare your appliances for shipment.
• Make sure that all mechanical and electrical equipment is properly serviced for shipping prior to the arrival of the moving truck. As always, reach out to your move coordinator with any questions.

• Point out any extra-fragile items needing special attention. If certain items should not be packed or moved, mark them appropriately.
• Label any items or boxes you will want first when the truck arrives at your new home (valuables, electronics, etc.).
• If you are doing your own packing, make sure everything is ready to go before moving day. Upon arrival, the van operator will check to see if boxes have been properly packed.
• If C & M is helping you pack, collect things you definitely want packed together, such as children’s toys, and place in separate groups.
• Unplug all electronic appliances 24 hours in advance of a move, except plasma televisions, so that they will be at room temperature on moving day. This includes home computers, stereos and audio/video equipment. Ask your move coordinator for a copy of our “If There’s a Home Computer in Your Move…” booklet.

• Make it a point to be on hand to see that all of your goods are loaded; remain close by until loading is complete. After making a final tour of the house, check and sign the inventory. Get your copy from the van operator and keep it safe.
• Check in with your move coordinator and ask any important questions about your moving services.
• There will be some necessary paperwork on the big day:
  • High-Value Inventory Form: complete and sign stating whether or not items of extraordinary value are included in the shipment.
  • Bill of Lading/Freight Bill: states the terms and conditions under which your goods are moved and is also your receipt for the shipment.

• Give the van operator the exact destination address.
• Be sure to let the van operator know how you can be reached, including phone numbers, pending the arrival of your belongings at your new home.

• Water shut off?
• Furnace and air conditioner shut off?
• Light switches turned off?
• All utilities arranged for disconnection?
• Windows shut and locked?
• Old house keys surrendered?
• Have you left anything?

• Be on hand to accept delivery. If you cannot be there in-person, be sure you authorize an adult to be your representative to accept delivery and pay the charges for you.
• On the day of delivery, the van operator will attempt to contact you by phone and may stop by your new home if they are unable to reach you. If you or an authorized individual cannot accept delivery of your belongings within the free waiting time (i.e., two hours) you may request more waiting time until the delivery can be made.
• Check your household goods as they are unloaded. If there is any change in the condition of your property from what is noted on the inventory, note discrepancies on the van operator’s copy of the inventory. By signing the inventory, you are acknowledging receipt and condition of all items listed.
• When unloading, each piece of furniture will be placed as you direct, including the laying of rugs and setting up any beds disassembled at origin. If you would like for your mattresses to be unpacked or appliances to be installed, check with your salesperson or move coordinator beforehand. They can help you arrange for this additional moving service.
• It always helps to have a guide. Place a floor plan of your new home by the entrance, which the movers can use to determine where each piece of furniture should go.
• Keep all documents pertaining to your move in a safe place. You will need them for verification of moving expenses when you file your federal income tax returns.
• To help avoid possible damage, leave appliances and electronics turned off for about 24 hours while they adjust to new room temperatures.

The post Two Month Moving Plan first appeared on C & M Movers.

Put heavy items, like books, in small boxes; light items, like linens and pillows, in bigger ones. (Large boxes packed with heavy items are a common complaint of professional movers. They not only make the job harder but also have a better chance of breaking.)

Put heavier items on the bottoms of boxes, lighter items on top.

And if you’re loading the truck yourself, pack heavier boxes first, toward the front of the truck, for balance.

Don’t leave empty spaces in the boxes.

Fill in gaps with clothing, towels, or packing paper. Movers often won’t move boxes that feel loosely packed or unbalanced.

Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box.

It will make your packing quicker and your unpacking a lot easier, too.

Label each box with the room it’s destined for and a description of its contents.

This will help you and your movers know where every box belongs in your new place. Numbering each box and keeping an inventory list in a small notebook is a good way to keep track of what you’ve packed―and to make sure you still have everything when you unpack.

Tape boxes well.

Use a couple of pieces of tape to close the bottom and top seams, then use one of the movers’ techniques―making a couple of wraps all the way around the box’s top and bottom edges, where stress is concentrated.

If you’re moving expensive art, ask your mover about special crating.

Never wrap oil paintings in regular paper; it will stick. For pictures framed behind glass, make an X with masking tape across the glass to strengthen it and to hold it together if it shatters. Then wrap the pictures in paper or bubble wrap and put them in a frame box, with a piece of cardboard between each framed piece for protection.

Bundle breakables.

As you pack your dishes, put packing paper around each one, then wrap bundles of five or six together with more paper. Pack dishes on their sides, never flat. And use plenty of bunched-up paper as padding above and below. Cups and bowls can be placed inside one another, with paper in between, and wrapped three or four in a bundle. Pack them all in dish-barrel boxes.

Consider other items that will need special treatment.

Vansant says his movers treat TVs like any other piece of furniture, wrapping them in quilted furniture pads. He points out, however, that plasma TVs require special wooden crates for shipping if you don’t have the original box and can be ruined if you lay them flat. If you’re packing yourself, double-box your TV, setting the box containing the TV into another box that you’ve padded with packing paper.

The post Packing Tips first appeared on C & M Movers.