This is a continuation of our last blog, “Packing for Your Move – Part 1”.

Use your move as an opportunity to de-clutter . We all have stuff we have been hanging onto for far too long. Clothes we no longer wear, or that have been out of style for decades; that old barbershop chair in the basement gathering dust; VHS tapes, rotary phones, vinyl record albums. Some of it may very well be collectable. Some of it may just be gathering dust. Have a garage sale, and donate any leftover stuff. Now’s the time to pull out everything that really has no business on the back of a moving truck, and no place in your new home. Use the proceeds from your garage sale to buy pizza for lunch for your moving crew.

Have a toolbox handy for taking apart bed frames , tightening loose screws, removing wall-hanging hardware, etc. Be sure to have one or more box cutters in the tool set for unpacking, and be sure the toolbox is placed in a central location in your new home on move in day, like the kitchen, so you don’t have to look for tools when it comes time to reassemble bed frames, etc. at the end of an exhausting day.

Use blankets to drape over delicate surfaces like electronics and furniture to prevent breakage and scratching. Plastic garbage bags full of t-shirts or towels are excellent for stabilizing fragile items in the back of the moving truck, as are couch cushions and bed pillows.

Ask for help. Moving is by all means a daunting job, so don’t be shy. Friends, neighbors, family – even the children ! If you’re worried about things getting broken then handle the computer monitor and your great-grandmother’s antique full-length mirror yourself. Enlist more troops to handle the rest of the grunt work. Children can help more than we often give them credit for. They can carry smaller boxes, or at a minimum babysit the family dog in the back yard while the adults take care of all the lifting. Kids love to feel included in all the excitement, and to have their own very special job assigned to them is all it takes.

This by no means is a comprehensive list of helpful tips to ensure a successful move for your family. Check out this detailed checklist for more useful information. And don’t forget to call on us when buying or selling in Northwest Indiana !