Moving Guide - Western Washington

7 TIPS FOR YOUR MOVING EXPERIENCE 1. Use shredded paper to protect your belongings. This is a double tip. While packing you will find documents and paperwork that you no longer need, but also should not be throw in to the trash for security reasons. Shred your documents and then use them to cushion the fragile items that you want to keep in one piece! 2. Right size those boxes. Use uniform sized boxes, not too big and not too small, and you will be able to stack them easier and it makes loading and unloading go quicker. Large boxes are tempting to pack to the brim, but may be impossible to pick up once you have them loaded down. 3. Transparent Bags. For soft items, such as clothes and linens, use clear trash bags. You will be able to see what is inside and unpacking will be a breeze. For smaller items use quart and gallon zip lock bags. Throw those in the top of the box for the room that they will be unpacked. 4. Electronics and cable tip: How am I going to remember what gets plugged in to what when I get where I’m going? Take a photo of each electronic device’s “map of wires”. You may even want to label them with colored masking tape and write what goes to what. When you arrive at your destination, you now have a photo log of how to get your electronics plugged back in and online in no time. 5. Label those boxes. It takes just a few extra moments to catalog what is in the box, but it will save you hours when you are unpacking. Write down the name of the room you want this box to be unloaded, and then a brief description of what is in the box, i.e. pots, pans, and pancake flipper. 6. First things first. Pack an OPEN FIRST box for immediate use when you get to your next home. Include a hand towel, hand soap, Kleenex, toilet paper, tooth brushes, tooth paste, paper towels, scissors, knife, bottle opener, paper plates and cups, and a small first aid kit. To make sure that box is one of the first to enter the home, pack it on the truck last. 7. Have the local pizza or take-out delivery service on speed dial. You will be hungry and so will your generous friends who helped you make the move a success.