The prospect of finally moving to your dream home is an exciting one.
After all, you’ve worked hard through the years, planned, and saved up. Now, finally, your very own place is right there, waiting for you.
Moving is more than just about finding a new space or a new neighbourhood; it’s also about new beginnings – and new beginnings are always good. Well, that is, except for one or two things: packing and moving.
Sorting through your possessions accumulated through the years is stressful enough; even more so when you have to go through and pack your most valuable possessions.
Seasoned home removals experts in Sydney share their top five tips below so you can efficiently pack and move your precious art, jewelry, china, family heirlooms and other must-take knick-knacks with you.
1. Make a list and take pictures
Let’s say you’re done identifying your most important possessions – items you can’t simply let go of and which you consider as priceless. Then the next step would be to make an inventory list. Your most important items may belong to the following categories:
- Jewelry
- Art collection (paintings, sculpture, etc.) and other special collections
- Silverware and china
- Family heirlooms and antiques
- Important documents (title deeds, birth/marriage certificates, insurance policies, passports, etc.)
- Personal electronic devices
- Prescription medications
Keep your list detailed, and ensure the photos you take are clear. And granted it’s not the most exciting task to do, but this is an added precaution you need to take just in case something goes awry during your move.
Also, be sure to have the necessary packing supplies ready:
- Cartons/boxes
- Tape – packing and painter’s
- Blank packing paper
- Tissue paper
- Bubble wrap
- Silver cloth or other soft fabric
- Moving blankets
- Stretch wrap
It’s usually better to get these packing materials from a professional removal company as they will have specialized packing supplies ideal for securing valuable items.
2. Label each box for you
People are usually advised to label each box or piece of packaging clearly and conspicuously so the removalists know which item goes where. It also helps the owner identify which box to rummage through in case an item is needed urgently.
However, when it comes to smaller valuable items, it’s better to label the carton or packaging that, for example, your special gold ring collection comes in, “for your eyes only.” This means you should label these boxes in a code only you will understand.
For electronic items like your DSLR camera, it’s always better to keep them in their original packaging if you still have them stored somewhere.
3. Keep small but important items with you
After taking the above precautions, experts say that when it comes to relatively small but important possessions, the best thing to do is to keep them close at all times on moving day. These include items such as jewelry, electronic gadgets, important documents, and doctor’s prescriptions and medicine.
If you have a backpack, secure your most important belongings in it since you can carry it around even if you have to make brief stops along the way.
4. Let the pros handle large or extra special items for you
While you can probably take care of properly packing your precious china and silverware, large or specialist items like family heirloom furniture, a grand piano, crystal chandeliers and valuable pieces of art are usually best handled by professionals.
If your chosen removalist does not offer services specially intended for such items, you may need to partner with a professional packing and crating company as well. On top of this, you should also look into securing moving insurance or getting additional insurance for your most precious possessions – just in case.
5. Conduct a visual inspection before letting the removalists go
On moving day itself, once all of your worldly possessions have been safely unloaded in your new place, do a final walkthrough. Check the condition of the packed items, paying special attention to your precious possessions inventory list. This is where efficient labeling comes in handy.
At this stage, you will be able to see if any of your boxes (especially the ones containing your valuables) got damaged or torn in some places during the move. Again, take pictures and bring them to the attention of your removalist. Of course, it’s always a great thing to know that however mangled a carton may seem on the outside, that your items inside are still intact.
This is the time when you’ll be grateful that you took the time to purchase the necessary supplies, and packed and prepared well for everything.
Plan ahead and stress less
Moving to the house of your dreams is a wonderful thing, and something to really look forward to.
But weeks before your planned move, you need to take care of getting the right supplies, packing your things, ensuring you have a detailed moving inventory list, and getting your new home cleaned and ready.
Also, be sure to keep your most prized possessions safe and secure by preparing and planning for everything, and getting expert help in packing them if need be.
This way, you can be sure you’ll be off to a great start in your new home.
AUTHOR BIO
Robert Wise, Sales Administration Manager at Nuss Removals, has been a respected figure in the removals industry for over 20 years. His attention to detail and the ability to truly understand the needs of the customer have ensured the successful relocation of thousands of satisfied individuals and families. For moving and storage across Australia and around the world, Robert’s wealth of experience ensures his customers are in safe hands.