Moving is an exciting and stressful time during which it is important to stay organized, especially when dealing with your valuables.
Don’t turn an exciting move into a regretful horror story, make sure you have a strategy for moving your most valuable possessions. Following these simple tips can help you manage your valuables during a move and ensure their careful delivery to your new living space.
Take Inventory
The first thing you should do is determine which items you consider valuable, and which items others might consider valuable. Once you have done this, make a list of all your valuable items, and take a picture of them. This way, nobody can dispute their original condition, or their presence during the move. Apps like Sortly let you snap photos of your belongings and categorize them.
Insurance Coverage
Metropolis Moving offers a standard liability policy that covers all items damaged or lost and is valued at .60 cents per pound, per article. This policy comes at no additional charge, but for truly substantial protection, it is recommended that customers purchase additional insurance from a third party. First, check to see if your homeowner’s insurance covers the move, and if they don’t, consider purchasing insurance from our preferred vendor, www.movinginsurance.com.
Pack with Purpose
Be purposeful and strategic with the way you pack. Start with high-quality packing materials. Gorilla Bins are an excellent NYC-based solution that offer re-usable, highly-durable moving bins. If you decide to use boxes, make sure they’re strong and don’t have thin walls. Corrugated cardboard boxes are the best. Make sure when you’re packing to put heavier items toward the bottom and lighter items at the top of the box. Use small, individual boxes for small and fragile items. For extra protection, pack your valuable in a small box, and then pack it into a larger box
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Wrap it up!
Make sure that you’re wrapping fragile items in plain paper or bubble wrap. Newspaper is great for filling in gaps in the box, but should be avoided when in direct contact with your items, as the ink can rub off onto valuables. Use padding and stretch wrap for large items like mirrors and televisions. Pack your mattress in a bag to avoid scratching and dirtying it. Wrap stemware in plain paper and put them in boxes with individual cells so they don’t rub up against one another.
Store Valuables Offsite
If you don’t need your items right away, utilizing a safety deposit box can be a very smart move when dealing with important documents, valuable jewelry, and family heirlooms. Doing this separates these items from the moving process, so you don’t have to worry about the items getting mixed up with everything else. Also, if you have trustworthy friends with a little extra space, storing a few boxes of valuables with them can ease the pressure of the move.
Hide Your Valuables
If your valuable is small, consider “hiding” it in a random suitcase or box. The box can be labeled something completely misleading, like Knic-knacs. Just be sure to label the box “fragile” so that it is still handled with care. Also, be sure not to forget where you packed this item. Don’t make the hiding spot so good that you can’t even find it!
Label Your Boxes
The simple act of labeling a box “fragile” or “this side up” can save a world of frustration. Though labeling alone isn’t enough to be diligent with your items, it is an important supplement to other strategies for packing valuables effectively.
Stay Off Social Media
During a move, valuables will be spread out in boxes all over your new AND old apartment. It is also likely you won’t have all doors securely locked while you’re in the middle of the move, so it is the perfect opportunity for a thief to sneak in and pocket your valuables. Don’t let the world know that you’re moving by sharing it to your social media pages. You never know who could be lurking in your newsfeed, so don’t take chances with your valuable possessions. And above all else…
