Pack, another four letter word, is an entirely different problem. Getting all the stuff from cabinets, drawers and closets into boxes and safely to the new destination is one of the most dreaded parts of moving. When getting a written price from Movers go ahead and get separate Guaranteed Price for Packing. If you determine you still want to do this yourself here are some tips:

1. Start early. Don’t procrastinate- you need to have everything packed up before Movers arrive. Try to find moving boxes and supplies from someone who has recently moved but if that doesn’t work check with West Tennessee Moving and Storage in our Paris location to purchase moving boxes and supplies. Be leery of using food or other boxes – often they are weakened and dirty. Never use inked newspaper as packing paper as the ink can permanently come off on your possessions. If you move often consider buying plastic totes and lids to pack and move and then you can easily reuse during the next move.
2. Create a color system – different color index cards that will correspond to different color of each room so Movers know where to take each box on Move Day. In the new house tape the different color cards to the appropriate door so everyone easily knows where to put boxes. Also using different color tape can indicate a regular box or signify items are fragile which is helpful for loading in the truck and stacking in the new house in the designated room.
3. Start packing process with out-of-season clothes, decorations, china, crystal and home décor. Mark each box so you can unpack as needed. Try to group like items together. Ie. All the boxes marked Christmas decorations can go into storage at the new home until you are ready for Christmas season.
4. Pack heavier items in bottom of box, but fill every box to the top. Use extra linen or towels to pack fragile items.
5. Breakable lamp bases can be wrapped in towels or clothing and placed inside the washing machine for safe and efficient storage.
6. Pack a clear tote of the items that need quick access to – toilet paper, shower curtain liner, basic tools, scissors, pen and paper, extension cords light bulbs, and tape. This will allow you to begin to set up house on move in day.
7. If you have flat screen TVs and don’t have the original packing we have TV boxes for a minimal fee that we can bring on move day.
8. Keep important documents, jewelry, cash and prescription medications with you as you travel to new home.
9. Use garbage bags to pack hanging clothes. Just bag up and to keep clothes clean even if they come off hangers and save time packing and unpacking.
10. If possible pack beds, mattresses last on the truck so they can be first off the truck at new home and get set up immediately. Have clean linens ready to make bed and put toiletries in bathroom so at the end of the long day you can easily take shower and get a good night’s sleep.

The moving and packing process are challenging, but the more tips you can incorporate, the smoother the process will go.

If you have any question about your moving needs – Staging, Transporting, Packing, Cleaning and Storage – West Tennessee Moving and Storage is open in Jackson Monday thru Friday from 9:30 am-4:30 pm to assist with all your moving and storage needs. The Paris location is open Monday thru Friday from 9 am-4 pm and 9 am-noon on Saturday. Visit our website at  www.WestTennesseeMovers.com for additional information and reviews or call 877-512-MOVE or send a request for a Guaranteed Estimate and set up an in house appointment for a No Obligation Quote.

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1. Avoid Fines. If you are moving out if a rental house or apartment you are much more likely to get back your security deposit. If a space doesn’t look or smell clean the landlord may keep some or all of your deposit to apply to damages or cleaning.
2. If you are putting your home on the market sight and smell are one of the biggest deterrents to potential homebuyers. If a home does not appear or smell clean potential buyers will question overall maintenance and upkeep and often times just not inquire any further. A home that is dirty or dusty often will not receive top dollar from potential buyers and can delay home sale for months as buyers overlook. This delay can result in thousands of dollars in lost income as a home sits empty still requiring mortgage payments, yard upkeep, utilities etc. Additionally as a home sits longer on the market buyers will question what is wrong with the house. Make sure your home is sparkling from the start of the home sales process.
3. Time and energy is often overestimated in the moving process and the knowledge that this chore is covered is a huge relief for homeowners. Coordinating a move either local or long distance requires a huge time commitment to line everything up and attend to all of the details.

Working with the cleaning professionals at West Tennessee Moving and Storage will allow individuals to maximize their energy and help get settled in the new home knowing that the cleaning of their former space is covered.

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1. Jobs- transferred, promoted, change companies, education or businesses close.
2. Cost of Living – recently our family moved from Tennessee to North Carolina and in the process have met multiple people here who have relocated from across the United States. One of my friends moved their family from California where she and her husband grew up and their family still lives. Their overriding reason was to settle in an area with a more affordable cost of living. The average starter home was $1.2 million in California and they realized that they were not going to be able to send their children to college with those expenses. Additionally they realized if their children settled around them in California it would be a continual struggle for them as they grew up and tried to raise their own families.. Many people here from the Northeast have relocated to escape high property taxes and harsh winters as well.
3. Change of Climate – many people relocate to escape harsh winters, seeking a slower pace of life or are drawn to the area offerings: mountains, lakes, and oceans.

Whatever the reason is for making the move, one of the first things for helping everyone adapt is to research the area. Find activities that all will enjoy both as a family and individually and help speed up the acclimation period. My teenage daughter joined a Club soccer team during the school’s offseason to meet friends and continue playing competitive soccer. As a parent try to volunteer or support their school and other activities to get to know the faculty and other influencers of your children.

Interestingly enough, social media was helpful in connecting with people in your new area with people that you may know from previous periods of your life. Before we moved, I realized that two different couples we knew (one from college and one from our old hometown) lived close by and we have subsequently gotten together and helped us get to know the new area. This has widened our circle of friends as well as helped us to feel more connected. Where we live now, there is a Facebook page specifically linked to Moms in the area and as newcomers come in or as your children grow many will post questions and others will respond with helpful tips or suggestions. It serves as an online support group.

Explore your new area and try to make a point to visit and take advantage of the offerings around you. Whether it is proximity to outdoor activities- beach, mountains, or lakes go see what the area has to visit. Ask and research activities and events in your area.

Get to know your neighbors- in addition to just being plain neighborly it will help you feel a connection to your new home as you get to meet and know those around you. Another resource is a great source of referrals for services – mechanic, yard service, cleaning etc. Eventually you will realize that all of these things will make it both familiar and your new home.

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1. Go ahead and start weeding out the items you no longer want, fit or are just plain tired of…very rarely will you actually miss something once you have made the determination you no longer need it. Many people wait too long and don’t properly purge and end up bringing items and then never opening the boxes or getting rid of it at the new home – both time consuming and costly.
2. Procrastinating on the moving process will end up costing you more money and stress. Even if you are planning to pack yourself go ahead and get a separate bid for packing the house which will include proper packing materials and you can get an idea of the cost and determine if this is something that makes sense. We had friends who planned to pack themselves and both worked demanding jobs and literally got to Moving Day and really hadn’t made a dent. Be realistic about the time you have available and your timeline and see if you will actually have the time to gather packing materials, assemble boxes along with managing all of the other details associated with moving. Clearly mark every box.
3. DIY moving – same thing determine what truck and gas will cost as well as insurance coverage to protect your belongings. When we were moving out of state that was my biggest fear was how in the world would I know what size truck to rent, who would drive it and how to actually pack it. We had four drivers, a boat and four cars so we were a driver short traveling 9 hours not to mention the only person towing the boat through the mountains would have been the moving truck driver….the stress alone of driving nine hours with two teenage drivers was enough to tip me over. Watching the Movers in action was like viewing a life-size Tetris game as they knew what to stack where to use the space the most efficiently and not crush or damage the items and furniture below.

4. Read the company’s online reviews and customer testimonials and look to see if they have a good number of reviews and how recent they are….google reviews can tell you a great deal about companies especially those that are service oriented.
5. Make sure you have packed like items together so you can designate on the box on multiple sides what room it belongs in and the contents. This will help you get main areas set up and allow you to unpack other nonessential items at your leisure.
6. Get written bid from companies and make sure you understand how they are calculated. West Tennessee Moving and Storage provides a written Guaranteed bid that will not change. Other companies charge by the weight of your belongings which is almost impossible to determine so often there are surprises at the end.
7. Have a plan where you want items to go in the new space so you can direct and get the boxes in the right spot to make the process simple on Moving Day.

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1. Start the process before the move: Don’t just throw everything into a box – sort through your clothes before packing them up.  Some ideas for categories are pants, t-shirts, dress clothing, pajamas, etc. This is also a great time to go through your wardrobe and really figure out what is worth hanging on to.  Save the space in the box for other items instead of where you’d normally put those heels from your high school prom that have collected cobwebs.
2. Think about Storage Options: Have you always wanted to sort your clothes by season but never wanted to put in the time and effort? Well, now that they got to go in a box anyway, why not sort them into new totes labelled winter or spring (or any other distinction) while packing up? Now, you can finally save room in your closet for only this season’s clothing and move those totes to the attic!
3. Find a Home for Everything: Don’t let yourself shove a box into the back of the closet just because you don’t know where you should put it quite yet.  This is where random junk goes to die. Instead, try setting the box on a desk or in the kitchen, so once you’re more settled, you can try looking for a home for the items again but won’t forget about them while unpacking other areas.
4. Look online for storage bins or other tools to pack multiple items into a small space: One of the best things I did for my move was purchase a shoe rack, which saved SO much space in my closet for bags, suitcases, and even more shoes! There are so many products out there ranging from various budgets that can help you organize your belongings, whether you’re sizing up or down from your old house.

All in all, the best thing to remember is things that are shoved to the side to be dealt with later are often never looked at again. The best advice I can give you is to avoid any decisions that one day might resemble the classic junk drawer, as well as reconsider if something is worth keeping or would be better served in a new home. No matter what, challenge yourself to experiment with organization styles, layouts, or new methods to make your new house a home.

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