Helpful Moving Tips

Trust Woodlands Moving and Storage for we are insured and bonded. Take a look at the reviews of other moving companies here. Listed below are some of our useful moving tips and tricks that will help you in the future.

1. Make sure to take pictures of everything before you are moving out of your home. Take pictures of your furniture, electronics, and the way in which your shelves are set up. These may come in handy in the future.
2. Measure twice and move once. Visit the new home with a measuring tape, to figure out will everything fit in the place just the way you want it. Keep these tips in mind before you move.
3. Think about the layout of your new home while labeling. Remember a den in one house may not be a den in another.
4. Don't move into a cold dark cave. A cold shower in a dark room is not a great option. Ensure to check 3 days prior to your moving date that the electric power, water, and gas supply are functioning properly.
5. Is your refrigerator running? Be sure to take this time to clean them out. Sanitize all the shelves since it doesn't take long for a refrigerator to acquire a bad smell. And refrigerators are not to be laid down ever, they should always be left upright.
6. Signs, signs, everywhere signs. Hang a sign outside the door of the rooms of the new home so everyone knows where John's room is. You did label the boxes, right?
7. Make a play date for Fido and little Johnny. Find a sitter for small children and pets for the entire day of moving if possible. Having a sitter till the next morning moving can be very frustrating, boring, or scary to children and pets.
8. Friends need a plan. If friends are coming make sure you plan out what they are doing and plan to their strengths. Grammy does not need to be the one loading boxes on the truck. Maybe she could oversee keeping everyone hydrated with ice-cold lemonade.
9. The early move gets the deals. Give yourself plenty of time to plan your move. The more organized you are the faster and cheaper it will be.
10. If it is too good to be true then...... When getting an estimate for local moves remember if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. How much better can one mover really be, to be able to complete the same job in half the time.
11. No matter the plan Murphy's Law will win. No matter how well you plan and prepare something will not go as you thought. Don't worry there is always a solution.
12. Parking is key. Do you know where to park your moving truck? Something to think about, an extra 10 feet of distance from the door to the truck, multiplied by 30 trips in and out of the house can really add up.
13. When packing your boxes, it is more important to have them fit snugly than have them be categorized perfectly. So, if you must pack a non-fiction book with the fiction books I would not lose sleep about it.
14. Stay off the road during rush hour, try not to be driving a truck you are not accustomed to during rush hour, it will take twice as long and can be stressful. 
15. Loading the truck can be tricky, make sure there is one person in charge of it and someone good at Tetris.
16. Hand sanitizer, keep plenty of hand sanitizers, and use it often.
17. Clean up, doing a clean up of the old home is courteous and most time required. Also, it is a great way to catch stuff you may have forgotten.
18. When you stop at the convenience store after loading your truck. Do not act like a little kid with hundred dollars, you are not doing it correctly.
19. That tricky corner or railing in the home that looks like it will be hard to get the furniture around, take a minute, and cover it with blankets.
20. Pretty hardwood floors? Take some cardboard and tape it to the floor.
21. That tube TV with the big back weighs a ton that you think you can sell. No, you will not, and you can't even give it away nowadays. So, keep the expectations realistic.
22. Social security cards, birth certificates, and insurance policies; All that stays with you, not in a box, and not still in the furniture being moved.
23. Set the bed up first, you will be glad you did when you want to go to bed at 8 pm.
24. Size does not always matter; Even though the box may be larger when packed standard boxes should be between 50lbs to 70lbs. The exception for this is wardrobe and dish barrel cartons those should not exceed 85lbs. Be sure to layer the dish barrel heaviest to lightest bottom to top. (4 layers)
25. Clothes; Most moving companies will offer free or rental wardrobe boxes, be sure to ask.
26. That Picasso in the downstairs bathroom; When you ask a moving company to move a $1,00,00 painting they are going to wrap and package it very well. At the end of the day, you will be paying for the supplies to do this. If you are moving down the street, save some money and take it in your car.
27. Where there is a will, there is a wheel; Make sure you have a couple of 4-wheel dollies, a box dolly, and an appliance dolly. When moving an appliance on the appliance dolly use the strap to secure it.
28. Take pictures, lots of pictures; Before the move, take pictures of everything in the home you are moving from, how your shelves are set up, and the back of electronics, furniture. They can be used for a lot of reasons and you probably will not need them or you will be so glad you did.
29. De-clutter can save money; Really think about what you are going to pay to move, do you really want to spend time packing the item you have not used seen or thought about in 5 years, garage sale or donation the money or tax write off may be worth more.
30. Did you know only 20% of online reviews are accurate? Unfortunately, the internet is not always the best place for facts. Try to learn about your moving company: Search the TXDMV# here; https://apps.txdmv.gov/apps/mccs/cms/compliant_history/complaint_history_search.asp
31. Trashbags are not moving boxes for clothes; Protect your clothes, try a 3.0 "Packing box" or a wardrobe box for your formal wear.
32. Double closings; Close on both homes while the move is happening, not always a great idea. Sometimes it can't be avoided but if you can try to space them out so you don't end up with a truckload of furniture and nowhere to go.
33. Packing it all yourself? Average 3-4 bedroom homes can take 18 to 30 hours to pack, assuming you don't sleep. Start early and give yourself plenty of time to get it all done.
34. Hang the art last; Wait till everything else is in place before you start hanging your art, then stage it through the home before the nail meets the drywall.