Steps to Take When Considering The Idea of DIY Moving
Oh God, how I dread moving homes. Unfortunately, my husband’s job demands that we change locations every year or so. And it’s not the stress of packing and unpacking that’s bugging me, but the whole process of getting used to a different environment and making new friends that is quite daunting for me as an introvert.
However, there’s at least one good thing that emerged from my constant moving – I’ve become somewhat of a pro in the matter. Making lists, packing, securing the load, organizing the people helping – you name it, I’ve done it all. So, if you are like me and don’t trust removalists to handle your things and decide to go for the traditional DIY approach instead, here are the most important things you should consider when moving.
Better Safe than Sorry
When moving by yourself, you have the responsibility of properly securing your load. That’s why you have to consider only high-quality load restraint equipment. A strong ratchet tie down is the main piece of gear when making sure that all your belongings remain perfectly in place during transportation. Make sure it has a high lashing capacity. Ours can withstand the amazing weight of 500 kg (Yeah, I’m that big of a hoarder.). We’ve been using our load restraint equipment for countless of times during moving and even on our outback trailer adventures and it has never failed us.
Also there’s a bit of a science to correctly securing things in a moving truck: place the heavier and bigger items in the corners and the base of the truck – this will offer support for the other boxes. Then, pile the remaining things in way as if you are playing life-sized Tetris without leaving any empty spaces in between for it will ruin the balance. But whatever you do, never, ever go cheap on proper load restraint equipment or skip taking the necessary safety precautions. The safety of your belongings and the one of the other traffic participants rely on it.
Pictured: our ratchet assembly tie-down
Pack Properly
Before securing your load onto the truck, you need to pack your things of course. Don’t do it in the last minute – packing is enough stressful on its own without having any deadline looming over. Make a list so you don’t forget anything important. After you’ve made sure you know what to pack, start packing room by room while putting similar things together. For instance, pack everything from the bathroom cabinet into one box. And of course, don’t forget to label it. The kitchen will probably be the trickiest. When packing the dishes, wrap each piece individually, then make a bundle of 3-5 plates and wrap more paper around the whole bundle. Stack the bundles vertically. Dishes packed horizontally on top one another are prone to cracks. This goes also for glasses and other kitchenware.
Think about how you’re going to pack efficiently – there’s only limited space on your truck. One way to do this is to put smaller things into bigger, related things. For example, here’s my trick to packing clothes: I don’t pack it. I just leave it in the wardrobe and the drawers, and then secure everything with heavy-duty packaging tape. However, for a successful transitioning, you’ll have to think about the unpacking part. Once you arrive at your destination, you won’t be able to put your things in order for a week or so. That’s why you need to pack everything essential in a couple of boxes marked “open first” and put them near the rear of the truck, so that you won’t have to rummage through everything to get your toothbrush.
After you’ve packed and secured everything, it’s time to head over to your new home sweet home. Now it’s up to you to make it a place worth living. Wishing you a happy new beginning.
