I fielded a phone call from a college kid moving from Philly to LA and he want to know the best way to move his plants. All jokes about a college guy and his plants aside, moving live plants can be a challenging. Live plants are typically difficult to pack and protect during the moving process. In fact, there are even some laws that prohibit moving a plant in a moving truck or van. This customer inspired me to do a little research and compile some tips.

• Because of the challenges transporting plants, the best way to move your live plants is in the vehicle that you are driving. Keeping your plants in the car or the cab of your truck has several benefits:
• It allows you to keep track of your plants health and protection during transport and avoids the temperature fluctuations in a van or trailer.
• You can water them as needed although with a little prep work, you'll have better luck. Water them well the week ahead of your move and then keep plants a little dryer than you would generally while in transit. This keeps them from making mess in your car and prevents them from trying to grow or build it root network en route. Much like when you transplant, water a bit more upon arrival to stabilize you plant.
• Plants need sunlight, keep leaves exposed. This also lets your plants breathe.
• Wrap the pot and stems with newspaper or burlap. This protects the plant and limits moisture loss.

Consider moving into temporary pots or protect fragile pots with bubble wrap and packing materials.
Lastly, consider if it is worth the hassle. You could donate your plants to a local nursing home or friends before you move and know that they'll have a happy home.

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Moving is stressful and amazingly, a whole industry has popped up to make it more so.  It amazes me how many rental trucks I see on the road because they generally do a very bad job at servicing their customers.

• At two and a half feet about the ground, they are difficult to load. Further, they are often so big that it's hard to use any of the tie downs effectively.
• You have to drive this monster truck with which you're not familiar.
• If there is any mismatch in your closing dates, you must rent the truck longer, or face the hassle of unpacking into a storage facility only to have to move again!
• You must race the clock to return the truck on time or face additional fee and penalties.
• And on top of all this you have to pay for gas and often times mileage charges.

FlexBox Mobile Storage has decompressed the moving process! Units can be delivered right to your home and you can take all the time you need to load your belongings. Here are some tips to make it even easier:

• Create a time frame as to when you will be able to pack certain groups of items in your home. For the most part, almost everything can be packed away as long as enough is left out for what you will need, such as clothes, food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.
• There may be entire rooms in your home that can be packed up days before you move. Alternatively, you may need access to most of your things right up until moving day, perhaps for business purposes. If so, go through closets, storage areas, and cabinets. Get all that stuff that you don’t use daily.
• Go through your things in advance also gives you a good opportunity to clear out the things you will not want to bring with you. It gives you a better idea of how much stuff you need to get rid of. You may decide to have a garage sale before you move due to the amount of things you want to divest yourself of.
• Pack up all your decorations ahead of time, as well. Pictures, vases, statuettes, and other such items can all be packed away with no problem.
• Pack up any movies you will not want to watch, books you are not reading, and music you will not need until after the move.

Remember, the more you pack prior to moving day, the easier your moving day will be!

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You’ve found a new place to live, you’re rented a truck or mobile storage units, and you’ve set a moving date. The last step you will have to take is buying the right boxes for your stuff. Most people think that any old box will do as long as it is big enough to hold the items, but this is not true. In order to have a successful move, you will need to buy boxes and other supplies that will ensure that nothing is damaged, broken, or destroyed when it is being loaded, unloaded, or during transport. Even if you are only moving a few blocks away, you should take the time to buy the appropriate boxes.

When looking for strong, durable boxes, contact your moving company to see what they recommend. You should keep in mind that most moving services will not insure boxes that you packed yourself and may even refuse to move items if they are boxed incorrectly. Contact your moving company to find out more information.
Typically, people need the following types of boxes for their move:

• Book boxes
• Dishpack boxes
• Wardrobe boxes
• Mirror cartons
• General purpose moving boxes

If you are planning to load and unload yourself, be sure not to pack the boxes too heavily. This will only make the process more difficult than needed and could lead to injury. If you’re planning on using a moving company but doing the packing yourself, tell them how many rooms you need to pack and they will supply the appropriate amount boxes. For items that require extra padding or an odd shaped box, inform your moving company in advance so they can bring the appropriate boxes.

Moving can be made a lot easier if you have the right supplies. Boxes that protect your belongings, quality packing tape, markers, and packing materials are recommended in order to insure a successful moving experience. If you can’t lift heavy boxes or don’t have the time to pack boxes correctly, consider incurring the extra expense of having your moving company do the packing for you. This will give you peace of mind and also protect your valued possessions from damage during your move. Best of luck and happy storing!

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Moving from one place to another can be stressful simply because most people don't get much practice.  Packing all your things, moving all the heavy pieces of furniture, keeping an eye on the workers to make sure they don’t break anything, unpacking all your things and then finally arranging everything can turn into quite the ordeal quickly. However, you can the big headaches if you plan carefully in advance. Here are a few tips for coordinating a pain-free move.

The planning should start a month prior to your moving day. Start gathering the necessary moving supplies such as tape, boxes, markers and rope. Start collecting newspapers for the fragile items if you don’t want to spend money on bubble wrap.

For the time-starved, you can generally buy all of these supplies from your moving company.  There are a many different options and services offered. You can hire a full service mover, rent a truck and drive yourself, or rent a mobile storage is gaining popularity everyday as a moving strategy.

Don’t forget to have your mail forwarded to your new residence. Contact all your friends, family, and anyone else who will need your address such as your bank, utility companies, or your cable and phone providers.  Make sure all your services will be transferred smoothly so you aren’t left without electricity, heat, or water.  Confirm your moving or travel arrangements and begin boxing everything that can be packed in advance. Label these boxes well and you will save time and effort when moving into your new house.

The day before your actual move, make sure you haven’t inadvertently packed the moving supplies- you might be surprised how often it happens.  Make sure you have the most important things –cash, jewelry, your checkbook, any valuable documents- in a bag that you will have at all times.

Finally, remember that losing your calm will never help.  No matter what happens, stay calm, breath deep, and make the best of your move. Good luck and hopefully a little preparation will go a long way!

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Moving can be hazardous to your belongings, but time and some careful packing can greatly reduce the damage your valuables might suffer. Here are several quick tips on packing boxes:

• Use high quality packing materials. Using boxes that are of a uniform size and well-constructed helps you load and stack them more securely. Boxes that are the same size are less likely to shift or get crushed.
• The bottom of each box should be lined with crinkled newspaper creating a cushion for the items inside. Place another layer on top before sealing the box.
• All heavy items should be placed at the bottom of the box with lighter items on top.
• Wrap fragile items with multiple sheets of packing material.
• Do not overload boxes.
• Boxes should not weigh more than 40 lbs.
• Books and plates should be packed vertically.
• Boxes should be taped extremely well at all locations where the box could open. Tape makes the boxes rigid and gives them more strength to protect the items inside.

Also, consider moving everything less. If you need to store these items as a part of your move, consider portable units such as a FlexBox. You can load directly into the storage container one time rather than loading a truck, unloading, and then reloading into a traditional storage unit. Less moving equals less damage! There are many different sized units available to fit the needs of everyone no matter how much stuff you have.
Most importantly, take your time. A little care now will go a long way toward extending the life of your belongings.  Best of luck and happy moving!

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Clothing is one of the easier items to pack up for a move or storage. Still, you’ll want to take care that you don’t damage any of your clothes when packing them. Here are several tips to make packing your clothes easier:

• Overpacking and overstuffing boxes is the most likely way people damage their clothes. Too many clothes in one container can make it too heavy too quickly. Use several smaller boxes rather than one large one. When overstuffed, boxes lose their rigidity and have a tendency to rip and collapse.
• Pack all your loose articles in bags such as shoes, socks, undergarments, etc. If the wardrobe boxes are big enough, these bags can be stored at the bottom beneath the hanging clothes. This helps conserve valuable space.
• Your dresser drawers can be used to pack your clothes. If you choose this option, take the drawers out of the dresser and move them separately. This makes the dresser much lighter and easier to handle during the move. Secure the drawers so that they don't slide out during packing or transport.
• Wardrobe boxes are an excellent solution for packing clothing. Wardrobe boxes have a rod on the top of the box on which clothes can be hung and prevent overcrowding and overstuffing
• Don’t stack other boxes on top of those with clothing in them. This may crush the box and damage your clothes. These boxes tend to be lighter and are good candidates for the top of a stack.
  Following these tips will keep your clothing safe during your move.   Best of luck and happy moving!
  

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