Your belongings are valuable to you and their safety and security is paramount when you are moving home.
There are very simple techniques that you can use to ensure that your household items arrive intact and in good condition at their destination.
1. Packing Boxes
There are 3 main factors that need to be taken into account when packing up your loose belongings:
- Packing materials such as paper, bubble wrap and cardboard inserts can prevent damage to fragile goods.
- High quality packing tape to secure your boxes can prevent them from breaking and spilling the contents.
- Volume is important. Ensure that the boxes are not too heavy to carry and that the items are not loosely packed. If there is too much space in a box that is already heavy, fill it with lighter items or packing material to prevent contact damage.
2. Marking Boxes
If your boxes contain fragile items, you should mark them as such and ensure that your removal experts pay careful attention. You should also mark your boxes with arrows once they have been sealed so that your movers are aware of the correct way up in which they should be carried and placed.
In addition, you can add information for your personal use as to where the boxes should be placed in your new location. If you are relocating over a long distance, it may be a good idea to include your new address and contact details on each box should they get lost or misplaced during transit.
3. Protecting Your Larger Belongings
Your removal company should supply packing materials to protect your larger, furniture items, appliances and electronics. However, it may be a good idea to employ some of your own safety measures.
Protect corners with bumpers and make sure that drawers are secured with packing tape. Cover glass, mirrors or other fragile items with blankets, quilts or other packing materials.
4. A Guarantee
You need to ensure that your removal company will take responsibility for any damage, loss or theft of your property while under their care. This will offer you a sense of security as well as afford you a means of compensation should anything go awry.
4. Insurance
Like it or not, most removal companies won’t take any liability for the loss or damage to your goods in transit, no matter how well meaning they are. You need to contact your current household insurance provider to find out if they cover your goods throughout the removal process for all types of loss and damage.
If they do not provide coverage, it is in your best interest to take out additional insurance. You can apply for a short term policy from your current insurance provider or request insurance from your removal company.
5. Supervise
Make sure that you are available to supervise the removal process. While it is important to ensure that your belongings are treated with the respect they deserve, your supervision should not impact on the movers ability to perform their tasks efficiently.