So, after many years of moving independently, you have finally decided that you have had enough and this time it is time to seek help from professional movers. Check moving company reviews, use a moving cost estimator to be prepared and save your money and, of course, download and print a moving checklist. You can be congratulated — now you do not need to carry heavy boxes, look for a friend with a car and painfully figure out how to drag the piano to the 10th floor. However, there will be other problems, because not everything can be entrusted to movers, and something still needs to be transported independently. How to prepare for this?
1. Pets
It would seem that it was easy: I put my beloved Rex next to me in the back seat of a taxi and drove away. But you’ll both need some preparation. It’s not obvious for every owner, but for our four-legged friends, moving is a huge stress. Breaking off the leash or jumping out of the carrier, your pet, excited by incomprehensible activity in the house, in the chaos of moving, may not behave very adequately. Prepare a secure bag, food, water, bowls, and your favorite toy. Then the process will be calmer.
2. Plants
When you move, they can become more of a headache than you ever imagined. First, if you are moving to another city or country and can’t imagine living in a new place without the old Brachychiton, first study the local laws — in some countries, the import of certain plants is prohibited or requires compliance with certain conditions. For example, in order to import any potted plants, it is mandatory to take care obtaining a phytosanitary certificate. And the import of plants to some states has a number of restrictions for different cities, and, for example, you can import some Jameson stepstool only after a special cleaning procedure.
And even if the plant has to survive a not so long and difficult journey, it is still worth taking care that it reaches its destination in one piece. With a moving truck, send only those plants that are able to withstand any bumps on the road (having previously packed well). Experts warn about this, for whom moving is not a one-time event, but a profession. Fragile plants, such as orchids, may not survive in the back of a truck. And the best solution is to put the flower in an open cardboard box, filling the empty space with foam or any other material that will protect the pot from turning over.
3. Weapons
Whether you are the owner of an antique revolver or a powerful hunting rifle, you should not trust anyone to transport them. For obvious reasons. Moreover, some responsible carriers will not agree to this in principle.
When transporting weapons independently, observe safety precautions. Pack your guns and ammunition separately, label everything carefully, and, of course, keep children out of your arsenal. At the same time, it is important to observe the laws and regulations: make sure that you have all the necessary documents on hand.
4. Collectible records and other lovely things
It can be a complete history of the blues on 350 vinyl records or a collection of porcelain figurines. If the mere thought of losing these things terrifies you, don’t trust anyone to carry them. Of course, few people can surpass the domestic mail, whose employees fold rare records in half to fit them in the mailbox, and it is unlikely that the mover will throw your things, and yet-anything can happen on the way. It is one thing if a bookshelf of a Swedish manufacturer has arrived in a new place of a broken one, which can be replaced with the same one in almost any city in the USA. Another — if the place of the shelf was an old lamp that you inherited from your grandmother.
5. Documents
Your passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, and other important documents must be packed in a waterproof bag and taken with you personally. If something is lost, the analysis of things in a new place will also be added to the running around the instances in order to replace the lost document. Of all your belongings, it is the documents that should be taken care of most carefully.
6. Art objects that are sensitive to temperature and humidity
If you are moving nearby, the paintings can be packed and sent along with the rest of your belongings. But if you go to an area with different climatic conditions, it is better to take them with you in the car, where you can set a comfortable temperature. Relocation experts warn that if you move from north to south, for example, then art objects can arrive seriously damaged. For everything else, stick to a simple rule: if in doubt, think twice.
The key to success in any business is communication. And moving here is no exception. Communicate with the carrier, clearly instruct him how to handle certain of your things, and the move will not become a stress for you, which, of course, no one wants to experience.