6 minute read
Getting Moving
tips for taking the stress out of THE MOVING PROCESS
“I ’ve never met someone who likes moving,” says Tyler Thomas, assistant operational manager at Thomas and Sons Moving Company in Rapid City, South Dakota. Thomas, like many others, knows that while moving may be tedious, it is a necessary process for many families. By Megan Silveria
Moving companies, like Thomas and Sons, are a great option for families both moving down the street or across the country, he said.
“There is a lot that all needs to happen simultaneously,” Thomas said. “We do our best to make the moving part of it stress-free.”
From closing on the new location to packing and changing utilities to the new address, Thomas said the list of necessary actions for the homeowner can be overwhelming. Thomas said the team at his moving company strives to simplify their customers’ lives by taking over the physical aspects of tasks like packing boxes and loading moving vehicles.
Thomas said his company is unique in the fact that they will assist in whatever tasks they can during the process so long as it does not put their employees at risk. ifying that they have the proper insurance and Department of Transportation number. DOT numbers can be searched online, and Thomas suggests doing so.
“We’re just here to help,” he adds. Thomas said this is part of the benefit of hiring local moving companies – besides being eager to work with customers, local companies are also able to go above and beyond.
When it comes time for a family to select a moving company, Thomas suggests checking out former customers’ reviews, and ver
The DOT publishes a pamphlet that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the moving company and the customer. This pamphlet is online at fmcsa.dot/gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/ files/docs/Rights-and-Responsibilities-2013.pdf.
While hiring moving company has its high points, it’s just not an option to everyone. In this instance, Thomas offers some suggestions to help make the moving process easier.
As families begin to pack their household items away, Thomas said they need to take whatever time is necessary to properly care for them.
“If you care about your belongings, take the time required to make sure they’re safe,” he said. This means using extra paper on fragile items or taking extra care when moving items around.
As individuals begin to place those items in boxes, Thomas said the process becomes even more technical. He said boxes should be packed by which room the items shall be placed in at the new home rather than the room they came from.
Thomas also said fragile items should be packed with other delicate items, and all heavy items should be boxed up together. Boxes should be labeled on the topside and at least one side, he added, with labels stating what room boxes belong in as well as what’s inside.
When packing the boxes in a vehicle to be moved, Thomas said heavy boxes should be placed on the bottom of stacks while fragile and lightweight items are placed on top. Thomas said families should also think through their travel route while packing boxes. All boxes should be secured with straps, ropes or twine to prevent shifting or falls during the moving process.
Farther distances will bring more bumps and rough roads, Thomas said, making the stacking and packing of boxes even more crucial to the success of moving.
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As individuals begin to move boxes, Thomas said it’s important to lift correctly to help prevent injury.
“Lift with your legs and lift square. Don’t be reaching down or bending awkwardly,” Thomas says. “Don’t hurt yourself. That’s typically what people hate the most about moving.”
While not professionals, some of our friends on Facebook have moved enough times to be considered professionals, and offer these tips they’ve learned from their own experience.
To help save boxes, Amanda Fetters suggests leaving clothes in dressers and taping drawers shut. She also suggests using a trash bag with a small hole cut in the bottom to move clothes on hangers. A shower curtain rod can be extended across the back seat of a vehicle, and the clothes on hangers in trash bags can be hung there.
Lindsay Wade suggests packing things as tightly as possible, and evenly distributing the weight. “When you pack stuff in perfectly tight, there’s less room for jostling and falling,” she says. “Everything arrives intact.”
Barbi Dailey says it’s worth the extra time and expense to use consistent-sized boxes, so they stack evenly. She also suggests loading a row, then strapping or tying those items down, so if one thing shifts it doesn’t move the whole trailer.
Taylor Lynn Kenyon uses socks to pack fragile glasses, and uses t-shirts for packing between plates.
If you’re moving animals, Dianne Hodge says to plan to move them last, so you can get their new homes ready, and will then be on hand when they’re settling in. Keep in mind the necessities, like food, water dishes and medicine that may be needed on the way, or immediately upon arrival, and pack those where they’ll be easily accessible. She also recommends using a different color of marker to mark all the boxes from each room, and says to pack clothes by season, so you won’t have to worry about unpacking the clothes that are out of season until you need them later.
Ellen Sanderson says she tries to sort out the things she’ll need right away, like kitchen and bathroom essentials, and pack them last, so they’ll be the first unloaded and unpacked.
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Thomas said moving isn’t exactly an enjoyable task for most people, but it does not have to spark fear in the hearts of new homeowners. Whether individuals can employ the uses of a moving company or not, Thomas said by planning and working with care, moving can be a manageable process.
And if you really can’t face the task, take Anna Thomas’s advice, “Make two piles and burn them both.”
