Moving Tips: Packing Electronics

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Packing for a move always takes a seemingly endless
amount of time. And that time increases when it comes to packing electronics.
Electronics are fragile, can be unwieldy to pack and transport, and generally represent
a significant investment. Here are a few
basic tips to make things easier:

• A picture
  is worth 1000 words- Use a digital or cell phone camera to take
  pictures of how complicated wiring (computer cords, speaker wires) is hooked up. Be
  sure to use plenty of light and careful focus so the pictures will be clear. Print
  each picture and put it in the top of the box holding the item. This will make
  hooking up the items in your new place much easier.



• Original is best- Always use
  the original packaging when available. (I realize that most of us
  don’t have the original packaging for much of anything, but I
  thought I would bring it up anyway).



• Double boxing- For
  especially fragile electronics, pack them first in a box with an excessive amount of
  biodegradable packing peanuts. Then pack that box in a larger box filled with
  biodegradable packing peanuts. This two-box system seems like a pain but seems to do
  a better job isolating items from jarring impacts.



• No loose ends- Wrap each
  cord carefully with cable organizers, heavy twist ties or heavy rubber bands. Never
  throw unwrapped cords into boxes- they get tangled and caught on other items.



• Cord labels- Consider
  getting a label maker and labeling the end of each. Then you'll know exactly which
  cord you're seeing and where each end connects when you put things back
  together.



• The two-inch rule- Use at
  least 2" of biodegradable packing peanuts around each side of fragile items.

Following these simple guidelines can remove a lot of stress in packing your
electronics. For more information, please visit "http://www.movers-edge.com/">our free moving checklist and moving tips at "http://www.movers-edge.com/"
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Moving Tips: Getting Organized

Here are some moving tips from my article, "101 Best Moving Tips:"

Getting Organized

1. Start early- Almost everyone has more stuff than they think they do, and almost no one leaves enough time to pack it.

2. Room Lists- Start by forming two room lists, one for your current place and one for future place. This will help you manage what has to go where.

3. Room Inventory- Go to each room and write down the types of things that need to be packed: furniture items, length of shelving, closets, etc.

4. Time Allotment- Make sure to leave enough time. The most common timeframe reported by people moving is that it takes a month to pack. One study reported that it takes 4-5 hours to pack an average dorm room, so that should give you an idea of what’s involved.

5. Calendar- Pull out a calendar and plan by day when each room will be completed.

6. Delegation- If you’re moving with family members, agree with them exactly while tasks they will be doing and the date they will be finished.

7. Track your progress- at least once per week track where you are against the date on the calendar. Revise your plan if you’re falling behind.

What are your favorite organizing tips? I hope you'll let me know by responding to this post.

Saving Money On Your Move

Moving is not only a stressful process, it can also be a very expensive one. If you use professional movers, the total price tag can range from around $1,000 (for a small, local move) to more than $20,000 (for a large, cross-country or international move).

Here a few tips on saving money on your move:

• Lose some weight. Most of the expense is driven by the weight of the items transported. That means that eliminating items from your move (especially heavy items like old furniture and books) can reduce the final tab significantly. Aim to reduce the total by 1/3.
  
• Get at least 3 in-home estimates. Having reliable companies compete for your business does two things: it helps you negotiate the lowest price and it points out services that may not be necessary for your situation. Use this process to identify your best option.
  
• Watch your truck rental estimate like a hawk. Make sure you pull out your calculator and fully estimate the cost of the base rental, mileage, fuel, fees and other charges. You might be shocked as to how high the final total can be. Be sure to shop around and negotiate the best price.
  
• Consider alternatives. Look into "you pack" moving services, where you load and unload the moving container yourself and only pay for the actual transport costs. This is a great option if you can convince friends and family to help with the physical moving of boxes and furniture.
  
• Hold a yard sale. Yes, I realize this sounds silly. You are pressed for time and don't think it can raise much money. However, by selling off items you'll no longer need in your new place, you'll cut down on the cost of your move AND put from several hundred to over a thousand dollars in your pockets. Check out tips on http://www.yardsalequeen.com/.

• Look for free moving boxes. New moving boxes are the best, but there are alternatives. This one is tricky for two reasons: the wrong kind of boxes can break or bring dirt and insects into your new home, so steer clear of grocery store produce boxes and the like. Instead, try copy paper boxes, your local liquor store (their boxes tend to be very strong), bookstores (all their books come in book boxes and larger) and your local library. NOTE: I recommend you do invest in two kinds of new boxes: "cell" boxes for holding glasses from the kitchen and wardrobe boxes for packing clothes, since they are invaluable and are difficult to find for free.

Here are some other resources to investigate:

• Ultimate Moving Checklist, containing detailed steps of what you need for your move, with categories and priorities already assigned.
• 101 Best Moving Tips, collected and rated from dozens of websites, articles and books on moving strategies.
• Movers-Edge.com homepage, our parent site's homepage.

What are your favorite money-saving tips for moving? Please let me know!

Getting Organized for Moving

Today's tips focus on getting organized for your move. Most people tend to jump right in to packing without planning out their move. That's understandable- taking time to plan seems like a waste of time that could be spent packing more boxes!

However, the truth is that spending just 30 minutes of planning time on your move can save you hours of time later on, as well avoiding several headaches you might incur otherwise. Here are the basics on getting a moving plan together quickly and easily:

1. Start early- Almost everyone has more stuff than they think they do, and almost no one leaves enough time to pack it.
2. Room Lists- Start by forming two room lists, one for your current place and one for future place. This will help you manage what has to go where.
3. Room Inventory- Go to each room and write down the types of things that need to be packed: furniture items, length of shelving, closets, etc.
4. Time Allotment- Make sure to leave enough time. The most common timeframe reported by people moving is that it takes a month to pack. One study reported that it takes 4-5 hours to pack an average dorm room, so that should give you an idea of what’s involved.
5. Calendar- Pull out a calendar and plan by day when each room will be completed.
6. Delegation- If you’re moving with family members, agree with them exactly while tasks they will be doing and the date they will be finished.
7. Track your progress- at least once per week track where you are against the date on the calendar. Revise your plan if you’re falling behind.
8. Plan to finish a week ahead of time- This is a sneaky one. If you plan to finish a week in advance and then you don't quite make it, you'll have some cushion to complete the tasks. If you don't have that planned for and you run out of time, you'll be in a very difficult position.
9. Check out the 101 Best Moving Tips Ever (2009 Edition) for a comprehensive list of great tips.
10. Take a look at our free, printable, complete moving checklist to help keep all your moving tasks straight.

What techniques do you use to keep your move organized? What tools have you found work well, and which ones did you find to be a waste of time?

I look forward to hearing from you.

What kind of moving tips do YOU most want to see?

Welcome to Moving Tips HQ, the official blog for http://www.movers-edge.com/.

Rather than start off random tips, I thought I'd ask you what kind of tips you would most like to see.

Worried about packing all those boxes? Stressed out over managing the small details? Concerned about leaving someone out in your change of address notifications? Interested in creating a moving calendar to keep you on track? What other moving topics interest you?

I look forward to reading your suggestions!