One out of every six American families moves each year, and approximately 45 percent of these moves occur during the summer months, according to the American Moving and Storage Association. Because nearly nine out of ten families choose to pack their belongings themselves, rather than hiring professional movers, it's a good idea to pack along some helpful advice:

• Label all boxes, assigning a room and box number to each.

• Pack one room at a time. This can help keep you organized, and save you time when unpacking.

• Pack one or two "survival boxes." Your personal survival kit should contain a map and driving directions for each driver traveling, toilet paper, a telephone, toothpaste and brushes, snacks, coffee and a coffee pot, soap, a flashlight, some kitchen utensils and silverware and a can opener.

• Consider filling a second box with paper towels, shelf paper, rags, sponges, window and floor cleaners and other cleaning supplies. These survival boxes should be the very last boxes placed in your car or truck to ensure easy access.

• When picking up heavy boxes, bend your knees to help prevent serious injuries to your lower back and shoulders.

• To minimize the risk of damaging a lamp, wrap the base, harp and bulb separately in newspaper. Never wrap lamp shades in newspaper, since ink can stain them. Use tissue paper instead.

• To help prevent silverware from tarnishing, wrap each piece in cloth. Use an old blanket or moving pad as a cover for your silver chest to help prevent scratching.

• To help save time and prevent wrinkles or damage to clothing, keep garments on hangers and use a wardrobe carton if possible. If you don't want to use cartons, each item can be taken off the hanger, folded and placed in a suitcase or box lined with paper.

• Make sure you use heavy-duty packaging tape to secure your boxes. To help save time and avoid the aggravation of constantly searching for misplaced scissors--or using a tape dispenser with a cutting blade--you may want to use Scotch tear-by-hand packaging tape. This tape can be torn by hand in any length, eliminating the need to use scissors, knives, keys--or even your teeth--as cutting instruments.

Scotch tear-by-hand packaging tape meets U.S. Postal and UPS standards. It can be ideal for moving, mailing or other package sealing needs. The tape costs about $2.49 and can be found at leading drug, food, office supply and mass merchandise stores nationwide.

BACK TO TOP

We're still very much a mobile society. And if families are planning a move, educators usually suggest they wait until late spring or summer to load up the U-Haul so it doesn't disrupt the school year. In other words, we're approaching the busy moving season for families with children in school.

This year, for example, experts predict that more than 6 million American children will move to new homes and communities. Unfortunately, adjusting to a new neighborhood isn't always easy. It's a transition that can literally take years for some families. Kids especially undergo a lot of changes with a move. They have to say goodbye to friends and to familiar places -- places where they had an identity, where they were comfortable and where they fit in. At the very least, moving means changing neighborhoods.

When long distances are involved, a family move also means changing schools, and in some cases changing cultures. And it's this combination of changes and losses that make a family move so disruptive. Teenagers very definitely have the hardest time. After all, they have part-time jobs and friendships -- maybe even budding romances – outside the family, and they may be involved with high school clubs and athletic teams. In short, adolescents often argue the most and give the most resistance to a family move.

If families work together as a team, moving is a great opportunity to support one another and, in a sense, become closer as a family.

• Explain the reasons for moving and openly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the decision.
• Have a symbolic going-away ceremony that includes planting a flower or bush in the back yard, so that a part of that family will always be at the home they're leaving.
• Another helpful idea is to make a large moving calendar about two months prior to the move, to keep everyone on schedule.
• List the dates for completion of important moving tasks, as well as the dates for other family appointments, such as trips to the dentist or veterinarian. This is a way to remind everyone that the move is not the only thing in their lives, Olkowski says.
• To avoid getting bogged down with the stresses of moving, families also need to schedule some time just to relax and have fun.

BACK TO TOP

And check with the Better Business Bureau about the company's standing. If one or more of your items requires special handling, like a piano, make sure that the mover has the experience and equipment to do the job. Find out what they will not move, generally high value items like coin collections, jewelry, or stocks and bonds. Movers also will not move dangerous items such as corrosives, explosives and other flammables.

The only way to get an accurate estimate is for the mover to come to your home and see everything you want moved. Be sure to ask if there is a charge for an estimate. Remember, unless you get a binding estimate, the final cost may be higher than the original quoted price.

When comparing estimates, remember the cheapest company won't necessarily do the best job. If one firm's estimate is lower than the others, then find out why. Are the services and the mover's experience equivalent? Are all the estimates binding?

To keep down the cost, dispose of unnecessary or hard-to-move items before you get an estimate. Reconsider taking appliances, motor vehicles (boats, campers, motrocycles, etc.). If you have been wanting a new refrigerator, now may be the time to sell.

Write "subject to further inspection for concealed loss or damage" on the contract when you sign it to protect yourself in case you find damage while unpacking. There are three types of insurance coverage that are industry standards. Be sure to ask movers to price them out. Ask to see a copy of the mover's ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) Annual Performance Report. Interstate movers are required to provide information about past performance and complaint handling procedures. They are also required to provide you with a copy of an ICC publication about your moving rights and responsibilities.

When the van arrives at your new location, be ready to pay the charges so the crew can unload your shipment. Carefully check your inventory list and mark any discrepancies on the driver's inventory list before you sign it. Note any damage to the outside of cartons.

Unpack any items of high value, such as silver or works of art, immediately. If you want the movers to unpack for you, be sure to inform them prior to delivery. Ask if they will dispose of empty cartons, etc.

BACK TO TOP