Making sure nothing gets damaged during a move is always a headache. Not to mention that some of the accidents that cause damage to your belongings can also seriously hurt you or your helpers. To help contain such things, we have prepared seven tips for preventing damage during your move for your perusal!
1. Secure your doors
A reliable moving company will tell you that it is relatively easy to damage your items or home if doors are not handled well. Often, people either run into a half-open door or bump what they are carrying into it. This happens simply due to the haste and the chaos a move entails. It might not be much if you are carrying a box with well-padded insides. After all, damage in such a scenario is improbable. However, if several people are trying to carry a bed and one of them runs into a door, the situation is different. Either the person risks injury or they damage the furniture they are moving. So, it is vital to make sure doors are properly secured and cannot get in the way.
2. Use the right packaging
Using suitable packaging is key to preventing damage during your move. So knowing how to pack for relocation the right way is essential. If you use too large a box, your items will rattle around inside and get damaged, especially if multiple fragile things are in it. If the container is too small, it might get warped and burst. Or your item gets deformed or broken inside of it. Thus, it is best to select boxes that are just large enough to give a bit of wiggle room to the item you are planning to put inside and then use padding to prevent any movement. If you place several things into the box, you might want to wrap each in padding separately.
3. Get some moving blankets
Moving blankets are another excellent way to prevent damaging your things during a move. Large furniture and appliances are probably not going to fit in a box. At least not unless you still have their original packaging, which is unlikely. This is where moving blankets come in. They are thick, soft rolls of fabric that you can use to completely wrap up the object you are moving. It will prevent small bumps and scrapes from damaging your items during a move. It will also provide additional protection in the moving truck since being tied down to prevent movement could potentially dirty or damage your furniture or appliances without a moving blanket.
4. Hire a reliable moving company
If preventing damage during your move is your goal, there is no better way to do it than to hire proper professionals to help you. It means hiring just any moving company is not enough. You need to look up past customer reviews or even ask for referrals. After all, we’re talking about people who would be handling your belongings. If they do not do it properly, the damage is guaranteed. All it takes is for someone to forget to tie down your things before driving the truck quickly. Your items would go sliding all around the inside of the truck and likely get busted.
Good moving companies have plenty of methods to ensure their employees do a good job. If they want to continue to receive excellent reviews and new clients, they have to keep their professionalism levels high. They need to ensure they are perceived as reliable and trustworthy. While it may sound strange, one way to ensure great service is to have a list of items moving companies will refuse to move. It means you have to know that some items are not included in the service. Be sure to research what they are and discuss anything potentially problematic with your movers, so there are no surprises.
5. Secure all moving bits
There is nothing harder than trying to stop damage to your items during a move while handling furniture with moving bits. It refers to the handles of compartments, wheels, or parts that open, like doors or drawers, which can suddenly spring loose when you lift the object in question. In such a scenario, it is very easy to scratch such parts on the edge of a doorframe or lose your grip when trying to hold onto them. This is why you should tape down, remove or secure them in another fashion. That way, you reduce the chances of accidents and increase the safety of your belongings.
6. Try to take apart large pieces of furniture or appliances
Preventing damage during your move can be difficult if the object you are trying to move safely is large. It is possible to disassemble such troublesome items to ensure their safety in some cases. Some wardrobes are, in fact, too large to be moved at all without disassembly. Of course, if you are unsure that you can do the job properly or do not have the required tools, you might need to call in a professional. Similarly, do not forget that you will need to keep track of all the parts once you have had your belongings disassembled! Losing any pieces would likely leave you unable to replace them, especially if you own older appliances or furniture.
7. Don’t try to do everything on your own
Moving during the coronavirus pandemic may have predisposed you to the decision to pull off the move on your own. The fear of infection is perfectly reasonable. However, there are still options that do not necessitate you trying to move heavy things on your own! You can hire professionals and vacate the premises while they work. Or you can call on friends or family who you know for a fact are virus-free. If you try to push through on your own, it is very easy to injure yourself. Not to mention that trying to prevent damage during moving becomes a nightmare in such a scenario.
Final note
Now that you are familiar with our seven tips for preventing damage during your move, you and your belongings should be safer! Just remember to always do things in proportion with your skill and ability. Do not force yourself to do the heavy lifting if you are injured or overworked. And if you hire professionals, just let them do their job. If you do, we are sure everything will go perfectly well!