Picking the moving truck size when moving to a new location
Picking the moving truck size for moving to a new house? Decluttering is essential to do every now and then, but it’s even more important before moving house. Before even attempting to pack, you should decide what to sell, donate or throw out. You’ll be glad of it come moving day and believe us, the removal guys will be glad that they don’t need to shift your lava lamp, inflatable chair and broken down computers.
Take a look behind your living room TV. What do you see? Chances are it’s a mass of wires and plugs – working perfectly for you but confusing to say the least. A really great tip is to get some coloured stickers** and stick the same colour to each socket and each end of the cable – so that you can easily set everything technical up in your new home. To go one step further – why not take a photo of the setup so you can have a visual reminder as well.
As you begin packing boxes and storage containers, you may get a much better idea of how much space you need in a moving truck. After all, it can be challenging to estimate truck space you need for all your kitchen items stored in cabinets and drawers. After you pack non-essentials, you can determine how many additional boxes you need for the essentials that you will pack at the last minute. In addition to considering boxes, pay attention to how many furnishings or appliances you own and the dimensions of each. Remember to take advantage of vertical space in a truck. While using a truck rental company’s estimate when selecting the right size of truck or trailer to rent may be helpful, keep in mind that this is merely an estimate. Some people have much more substantial furnishings, more things, and tons of stuff crammed into every closet and cabinet. Other packrats even have entire garages jam-packed with items from floor to ceiling. A smart way to better estimate a suitable truck size is to attempt to cluster your things together, such as in an unused formal dining room, a garage or another large space. This effort also helps you prep for the move. When you pack a place full of items and measure the area, you will have a better idea about the right truck size for your needs.
You’re moving? Yay! Congratulations! But next comes the stress and mess of moving. So here are some nifty packing tips for moving house. If you’re moving locally this should be a no-brainer. Truck rentals used for local moves are billable at a per day and mileage rate, the daily price may vary by $10-$20 depending on the size. In other words, spend the extra few bucks and get the larger truck just to be sure. Larger rental trucks are best utilized for single family and townhomes. If you have any doubt about whether or not your household goods can fit into a medium truck size you should always defer to this range. Small rental trucks should be used primarily for local moves. Only consider renting a 10′-12′ truck if you have a studio or small one bedroom apartment with minimal furniture. See additional info on Prepare your Move: Get the Best Rates – Find Top Movers.
Here are a few tips from our favorite Los Angeles moving company. Getting your kids involved as much as possible. For the younger ones make a game out of it; like who can pack their toys the fastest. Labeling the boxes can be fun too. Take them to a dollar store, craft store or teacher supply store and let them pick out fun stickers that they can put on the boxes to represent it is theirs. They can also pick out other stickers to help mark the boxes for the rest of the house.
If the rental agency doesn’t provide an estimate of what the trucks can hold in terms of equivalent spaces as in the list above, you can guess using this general guide: one room = 3 cubic feet of truck space. Again, this is just an estimate, and you should always err on the side of caution and rent a slightly larger truck than your estimate.
Does everything fit your new home? Furniture that is in your existing home may well not fit into your new home, and it’s best to know this up front so you can sell it / donate it before you move. Take some time to measure doorways etc. and work out whether the larger items of furniture (your sofa/dresser etc.) will fit into your new space. There would be nothing worse than leaving a sofa on the front garden on moving day! TIP – This is also a useful exercise for working out whether you have suitable space for all your furniture. If you are downsizing it’s worth working out what can and cannot fit into your new home, and sorting these out before moving day
Pack an overnight bag containing all the essentials. Chances are, you’ll be too tired to unpack your things. You’ll want your essentials within easy access, including a change of clothes if you’re going back to work the next day as well as all your toiletries. It’s also a great way to transport a laptop, which could run the risk of getting stolen during a move. If you own items that you want to get rid of but are too valuable to just give away, start selling on eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist at least six weeks before moving. It’s an easy way to make you feel like you aren’t procrastinating, and you might be able to make enough money back to pay for the entire move itself. But it takes time for things to sell on Etsy and eBay, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. Discover even more information on findtopmovers.com.