Home and Real Estate

Whether you need a courier service for personal or business purposes, you may well be worried about the costs you will incur.

After all, some providers of such services are not exactly cheap and can leave your wallet feeling distinctly lighter after you have used them.

And, with the economic conditions at present causing concern among many people, keeping expenditure low is a priority.

Well, with this in mind, you may want to consider using courier services sourced through us at ANYVAN.

After all, our auction system means that often you will be able to come to an arrangement with an organisation that is already travelling in the direction in which your items need to go.

In this way, you are simply using up spare capacity on their vehicles, meaning they can offer you competitive rates.

So, whether you are concerned with house removals, office removals or any other reason for transporting goods, you should come online to see if you can get a good deal.

Because you are generally able to get prices below firms’ normal rates, you will extra cash left in your pocket.

This puts you at an advantage over many other people, who simply approach service providers directly and get hit with the full cost.

1) Boxes are a staple for moving because they are usually quite regular sized, easy to carry and if taped together correctly, rarely fall apart. Regular sizes are important for maximizing your van space and ensuring you’re not wasting areas in your transport that could otherwise be filled. On the flip side, bags can be compressed anywhere! It is possible however for bags to be mistaken for rubbish.

2) Bags are good for items like clothing, and bedding, and when you’ve ran out of boxes to pack anything. Teddies and soft toys work well in bags – edged objects, or items that are likely to be too heavy to carry in a plastic bag would probably work better in boxes. Bags also work well with linens.

3) Whilst packing, it’s important to maximize space – and pack your biggest objects first, and fill space around them. Books are easiest to pack, odd shaped, awkward items such as ornaments and other items are the worst to pack, and both types should go in boxes, as should dishes and other objects that are considered fragile.

4) Mark all boxes and bags (if you can) carefully – it makes them easier to find things in, and to sort into rooms without having to break them open. This will all help in your new house. Always remember to mark bags you’re using for belongings clearly so that they don’t get mistaken for rubbish – or buy completely different bags for your rubbish and your belongings.

5) While it may only take you a couple of weeks to pack, it can take eight weeks – or MORE to unpack at the other end – so though you’re ‘just boxing items up for a couple of days’ remember that you may not find it for up to two months, or perhaps more.

The day of your move is all about getting you out of one house and into the new one ? if you’ve hired a company, all you’ll need do is oversee them, or stay out of their way entirely. If you haven’t, its important to have some strong family members and friends on hand to help you shift everything into your van.
Empty one room at a time, and ensure the cupboards (if they are walk in) are also empty ? once its done, sweep, mop or vacuum, and do one final pickup then close the door. Make it clear to the others helping you that sealed rooms are finished with, so that people aren’t trailing dirt into rooms that are finished and clean.

Moving day itself will probably pass in a blur, so its important to try to savor your final moments in the house you’re leaving. You’ll probably have many memories, good and bad, there, and full closure on that period in your life is important, so that you can move on.

You’ll want to keep a couple of boxes, or bags spare and on hand so that you can catch anything that you’ve missed, that’s been knocked into a corner, or essentials that you’ve kept out for the move ? the latter should be marked clearly so that you can find them at the other end.

Keeping your kettle, mugs, coffee, tea, toiletries and baby supplies (if you’ve got a small child) separate from your packed belongings might be a good idea, as is keeping any essential work, moving, utility or ID documents in a safe place during your move. The latter will ensure that they don’t accidentally go astray, or are placed somewhere that you can’t find them.

You should take a final meter reading, and where appropriate, shut down any water, electricity or gas supplies if no one is going to be in the house for a few days after you.

Fragiles are some of the hardest items to pack. From ornaments to dishes, antiques, photos and lights, you’ll need to consider what you’re packing, and how best to transport them.

Large photos, framed items and paintings other wall based items are easiest wrapped in bubble-wrap and then placed carefully in a safe place ? they’ll need to be monitored carefully when moving, as anything falling against them could cause serious damage, tear or break them.

By far and away, the most awkward items to move are computer monitors and TV are the hardest to move ? unless you’ve kept their boxes, you’ll find it very difficult to either fit them into a box that you have acquired, or find that you need the boxes for other things. These can be wrapped in sheets or dust covers and placed, with padding around them, in the van once the boxes are in. Most removal companies bind layers to stop them from shifting or falling, so you can secure your monitors, and computers in the same way.

Fragile items, such as ornaments and dishes can go in polystyrene bead lined boxes, or be packed in bubble wrap, but its important to remember that this will cut down on the volume of the items you can fit into the box, and its still no guarantee that they will survive the move.

Careful packing does minimize the risk of things being broken, but one of the only ways to actually ensure that you have no breakages whilst moving is to take them with you, or, if hiring a firm, allowing them to pack.

Newspaper is a great buffer item, but remember, the ink may rub off when you’re in transit, giving you another chore at the other end. You can get white “newsprint” paper from most box suppliers, which is considered to be best for packing and wrapping fragiles.

The average person moves house several times in their lifetime. Moving for a job, more space, or a change of scenery, its one of the most stressful, and rewarding times for the majority of people. From moving a few doors down, to across a continent, moving house is one of the most important things, and sometimes the hardest to organize.

From collecting supplies – buying boxes and tape, to packing your house up, cleaning and moving to your new home, its an adventure for all involved. Small and home offices are also usually quite interesting to move – a new area for local clients and a nightmare for people that run services online, so its important to plan accordingly and ensure that you’ve made plans to cover yourself during the move. Your small office may be the last thing you actually pack fully, but you can start by cleaning through your paperwork and ensuring everything you’ve got has storage – if you run a craft business or have a hobby that takes up space, its always good practice, as soon as you’ve heard you’ll be moving, to start clearing and boxing up your non essential supplies.

It takes careful planning to move house, but you can do so via the web at http://movingplan.com or http://helpiammoving.com – two great sites that help you plan your move and give you an idea where to start. Most importantly, you need to start planning as soon as you know you’re moving – so that you’re as organized as possible.

Whether you’re selling your house or moving due to a new baby, need for more, or less space, because you’re renting and need to move on, or are going to let your own house and move into another one – moving can be stressful….but it can also be a lot of fun.