By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
That 80% number? They all need moving trucks, and most of them need at least a rudimentary crew. It's never too early to start thinking about the logistics of your move--full service moving company, DIY, or somewhere in between? Go ahead and start calling professional moving companies about dates and estimates and decide as soon as possible to ensure you're on their schedule.
If you wait too long to hire a professional moving company--one that is licensed with the NTSB, carries full insurance on equipment and employees, and offers a full slate of services--you will wind up using a lower-end company that does not have the professional designations and expertise to do the job well.
Your friends will ask if they can give you a hand with your packing. You should take them up on the offer--it's a great hangout time, and if you're dismantling an entertainment system or a playset, many hands are a necessity. Keep in mind that it's summer for everybody and get on their calendars a couple of weeks out. This is especially important if your move is a DIY, work out your dates to pack and load well in advance.
Professional moving companies can wrap and secure delicate and valuable items so that they will transport safely to your new home. They know the best packing material for a given treasure and are experts in packing and balancing boxes. So, you don't need to worry about art, crystal, or china not making the journey.
Electronics, on the other hand, are an entirely different animal. The components in TVs, laptops, speakers, consoles, and the like are extremely sensitive to temperature and humidity and need to travel with you, in an air-conditioned car. Your moving company can help you pack your devices so that they are insulated against bumps and bruises, but most will recommend you put them in your car for transport.
Medications also should travel with you. Put the meds you'll need in transit in pill keepers and toss the rest of it in a baggie and put it in a bag you'll keep in the air-conditioned car.
Click HERE for a list of items that your professional movers cannot transport.
Try to schedule the hard labor early in the morning. The humidity levels vary depending on what part of the country you're in, but the worst heat usually hits around 3 pm. If you can have trucks loaded close to 3 then everybody can get more comfortable in an AC equipped truck and car. If your move is a DIY, get the truck in the afternoon and load as much as you can before it gets too dark, then finish up the next morning.
Pack a bag with sunscreen, hats, bug spray, extra t-shirts, and sunglasses to protect you against the burning rays of the summer sun. Reapply sunscreen as directed, and swap shirts when they're soaked and gross.
Hydrate. Then hydrate more. Get cases of water bottles and keep them in a cooler where everyone has access and offer them to the moving company crew. They'll usually bring their own, but on a hot day more are always welcome. Save the beer for when you're unpacked and hydrated--alcohol, exercise, and a hot day are a recipe for a heat stroke.
Animals need relief from heat and stress, so board them on moving day so they're more comfortable. Pick them up on your way out; don't forget to leave room in the car for Fido.
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