When preparing for a move, you can bet you’ll more than have your hands full.
Between the house hunting and searching for a reputable home relocation service, deciding on the items to keep and what to do with items that no longer serve you, the sourcing of moving supplies, and the actual packing, ordinarily, there is a lot on your plate that warrants your attention.
It gets even trickier for young families with children, as it does for those moving with pets, a garden perhaps, or anyone with a sizable wine collection that they have to haul with them halfway across the country.
While all moves are a challenge, long-distance moving can especially be a difficult one whether you’re moving alone or together as a family, couple, or with roommates.
When there are sensitive items involved, as we shall be focusing on in this post, you’ll need to make some decisions.
If you have a long-distance move in the cards and have items that warrant special care and attention, usually the best option is to hire the services of trusted long distance movers with a track record of moving the items in question.
Not only do specialized movers like these boast the experience, but also there’s the small matter of mover’s insurance to bear in mind.
Mover’s insurance – ideally a third-party type of coverage as opposed to the other additional coverages most moving companies offer – ensures your prized possessions can always be compensated for in the event something unfortunate happens in transit.
If you’re moving long-distance, here is a list of the 5 top things that need special attention to ensure they arrive at the destination in one piece.
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#1 Pianos
With a price tag hovering north of $100,000, pianos are easily one of the most valuable items in any household. Damaging any part of a piano during a move can be devastating; dropping it is even more unthinkable.
Handling a piano, therefore, requires all hands on deck, literally speaking. Due to their size and bulk, moving a piano needs to be done with special moving tools and equipment which you can only access from a mover – and one who specializes in moving pianos for that matter.
The option, of course, is to purchase your own, but that makes little sense. Unless you are a moving expert yourself well-versed with handling equipment of this magnitude and have able-bodied assistance to lend a hand.
#2 Art, Antiques, and Valuables
Moving artwork, antiques and other valuables calls for some good planning and preparation in advance to ensure these precious items are safe and secure when moving them from one home to another.
Art in particular is susceptible to damage when being moved. Packing fine art will need a number of supplies specially designed for moving canvas prints and framed art.
The same goes for antiques. Things like family heirlooms, antique dishes, porcelain figurines, crystal glassware and furniture are all handle-with-care items.
When moving fine art, antiques and other such sensitive pieces, a professional mover who offers this particular service is always the best option.
#3 Household Appliances
Household appliances are other items that need planning for, good preparation and sufficient manpower.
The bigger household appliances like the refrigerator, freezer, stove, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and are all items that weigh a considerable amount. Yes, you can also include that wine fridge under appliances.
While you might be able to single-handedly handle the lighter of these items – say, a microwave – you will definitely need help with some of the appliances.
And not just because of the weight. Unlike boxes full of clothes, these are all sensitive items that need special care if you intend to get them to your new home without a scratch or dent, never mind damage. Before moving, hire Viking appliance repair services to fix your faulty appliances.
Speaking of which…
#4 Electronics
Further down our list, albeit not in the order of importance or sensitivity of the items, are the electronics, no doubt some of the most sensitive items in any household.
When moving house, electronics like the television, home theater system, projector and entertainment system components, computers, etc. warrant special attention and these are often planned for separately from the rest of the household items.
That’s because a simple mishap is enough to render any of these electronic devices useless for good. Electronics also don’t come cheap so you really can’t afford any mishandling. The cost aside, you’ve also probably developed a sentimental attachment to some of these items.
Usually, the best way to pack your electronics is to use the original packaging that came with them. If you’re like us and are not the type to throw boxes away, lucky for you. Otherwise, you will need to get creative.
Thick-walled cardboard boxes make for a good substitute if you don’t have the original box.
Unlike many of your other possessions, each device needs to be packed in its own box, stuffed with bubble wrap to provide cushioning, as well as packing peanuts to keep the devices from moving inside the boxes during transit.
#5 Plants and Aquariums
Nature lover? Then you probably have a small garden of your own or aquarium in your home, maybe both.
The thing about plants and fish is they are living organisms that are unlike any of your other pets such as the cat or dog. They’re more sensitive to the tumultuous changes that come with a long-distance move.
Aquariums in themselves need absolutely special care when moving to avoid breakage and weakening. As for the fish, it gets tricky because you need to maintain the same bacteria colony in the aquarium to boost their chances of survival.
That means you’ll need to take the same water with you as the H2O in the destination state is bound to be totally different from the water your fish have been accustomed to. You may not notice it, but your fish most definitely will.
As for plants, moving them long-distance is always a challenge as they don’t do too well in moving trucks.
Depending on the type of plants you’re transporting, it pays to do a little homework on how to best care for them during the journey so that they arrive at their new home alive and well while also doing what you can to help in their adaptation process.
Conclusion
All these items need special attention when moving long-distance. But two things…
One – this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are other items that call for special care when moving. For example, pool tables, hot tubs, guitars, lamps and lamp shades etc.
Two – the best way to move these items is to hire a professional mover with experience in handling these items. That minimizes the likelihood of damage, and again – there’s that small matter of insurance we mentioned earlier.
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