Local Moving Companies in Los Angeles Offer These Moving and Packing Tips

As one of the top local moving companies in Los Angeles, Beltmann Moving and Storage offers these helpful moving tips

Packing up your home and moving can be very stressful, the following moving tips from Beltmann should help take some of the stress out of your next move.

If You Are Doing Your Own Packing

  1. Be sure the bags traveling with you in the car are packed and placed somewhere that our movers won’t grab them from and place them in the truck.
  2. We recommend using colored stickers to mark room doors and the boxes in them. We also recommend that write a list of everything in the box on the outside.
  3. When packing your boxes, don’t mix things from different rooms in a box, this makes unpacking a much harder job.
  4. Rather than empty dresser drawers, seal their contents in place using Press ‘n Seal plastic wrap.
  5. Save on space and boxes by putting seasonal clothes in Space Bags that can be sucked flat.
  6. Remember to put your heavy items in smaller boxes and save your bigger boxes for the lighter things like pillows or lampshades.
  7. Put things like pots, pans, tubs, laundry baskets & hampers, clean trash cans & planters, even your microwave to use for packing small items like your spice collection. Be sure you pad the containers to avoid breakage.
  8. When packing your plates, add a layer of T-shirts or towels to the bottom of the box. Then, stack the plates vertically in them using packing paper between each plate. Stuff clothes and towels to fill any empty spaces.
  9. When packing bowls, cups, saucers, and glasses, wrap them in packing paper and then stack them in a box on a layer of towels.
  10. Never be afraid of using towels and clothing to fill voids in boxes and use plenty of packing paper and bubble wrap.
  11. When taping your boxes; tape the top and bottom using two strips of tape and then wrap the boxes all the way around twice for security.
  12. When disconnecting your electronics, take pictures of where the wires go and label them for ease of reassembly.
  13. When taking furniture apart, place the hardware in Ziploc bags and then tape the bags to the appropriate piece of furniture.
  14. For those items, you and your family are likely to need during the first couple of days, use clear plastic tubs. These should be the last things on the truck and the first things off it.
  15. Be sure you defrost your fridge and freezer and use towels or paper towels to dry them out.
  16. For custom crates, local moving companies like Beltmann can help. All you have to do is ask and we will include the cost in your quote.

Items the DOT Does Not Allow Us to Transport

For the safety of our drivers and the rest of the public sharing the road, the DOT has created a list of things we cannot transport for you. This list includes:

  • household batteries, kerosene, liquid bleach, loaded guns
  • matches, nail polish/remover, paint thinners, paints/varnishes
  • pesticides, poisons, pool chemicals, propane tanks
  • fertilizer, fire extinguishers, fireworks, fuels/oils
  • ammunition, car batteries, charged scuba tanks, darkroom chemicals
  • aerosol cans, ammonia, charcoal/lighter fluid, cleaning solvents
  • rubbing alcohol, Sterno fuel, weed killer

Things You Need to Take Care of Before We Arrive

  • If there are any repairs, painting, or cleaning needing done, do so before we arrive.
  • An authorized adult must be home to sign off on the inventory sheet.
  • Someone must be present to pay any balance owed.
  • Try using colored stickers or paper to “color code” each room in the house. Mark the boxes for each room with the appropriate color. Add an “inventory” list on the outside of each box.
  • As your household goods are unloaded from the truck check for any damage and be sure the driver notates it on his copy of the inventory sheet.
  • Either install your appliances yourself and test their operation or hire a professional technician to do so.
  • Once your bed frames are unloaded, our movers will put them together. However, unless you have made prior arrangements, they will not unpack and install your mattresses.
  • A good order to unpack is the kitchen, bathroom, kids’ bedrooms, your bedroom, the rest of the house.
  • If you packed suitcases for your trip, put them out of the way of the movers so they don’t end up being buried to the point you can’t find them.

Creating a First Day/Night Box

  • For your first day/night in your new home, you need to create three separate “First Day” boxes. These should include;
  • A toolbox packed with, screwdrivers, a hammer, some nails and screws, a flashlight, spare light bulbs, a cordless screwdriver, and some cleaning supplies.
  • A kitchen box packed with paper/plastic plates, cups, bowls, silverware, snacks, bottled water, and a roll of paper towels.
  • A bathroom box packed with toilet paper, a couple of towels/washcloths, soap, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, combs and brushes, and a shower curtain.

To learn more about preparing for your next moving trust Beltmann Moving and Storage, one of Los Angeles’ top local moving companies. Contact us at (562) 521-0781 and let our experts help make your next move stress-free and seamless.