Many of us over think the moving process and what and how to pack for a move. Something to consider is that you will not always be able to take along boxes if they are filled with prohibited items. To prevent making your move stressful and complicated, stay away from packing the following items:

Dangerous Items

Fertilizer

Paints

Car Batteries

Matches

Nail Polish & Remover

Batteries

Loaded Weapons

Weed Killer

Ammonia

Lamp Oil

Propane

Ammunition

Liquid Bleach

Aerosols

Kerosene

Pool Chemicals

Chemistry Sets

Fireworks

Motor Oil

Paint Thinner

Cleaning Fluid

Acid

Darkroom Chemicals

Pesticides

Motor Oil

Gasoline

Charcoal

Lighter Fluid

The items above will need special equipment to handle, so make sure to talk to your moving company to assess how best to handle the moving of these items.

Perishable Items

Make sure to check with your moving company before packing perishable items whether or not they move them as many times this is not allowed.

Heat sensitive items

These items are often overlooked but are very important to remember! Candles, CD’s, computers and electronics are all things that should be considered before throwing in a box.

Items with high value

This is pretty obvious, but you should always consider the items that are most expensive and keep them with or close to you to prevent any loss or theft. Also, high value can mean high in sentimental value in addition to monetary value.

What’s the one thing you have to have when you move? Some might say a moving truck, some might say patience, but the number one thing you have to have when you move is moving boxes. Moving can be extremely wasteful, especially since a lot of people will just throw away their cardboard boxes after using them once. You can always reuse them or recycle them, but often people feel like it is “easier” to just throw them out. To avoid being wasteful and even to help with some home space issues, we compiled a list of some great Do It Yourself projects to put those cardboard boxes to good use, and keep them out of the landfill.

Brought to you by wikiHow, this article helps you learn how to create a fantastic Cardboard Box Storage System. All you need is boxes, tape, scissors and a Sharpie for labeling.

For those who have a love for playing games, how about a Faux Wood Checkers Box? It’s light weight, saves money and is easy to make!

And the daddy of them all, how about 101 things to do with your used cardboard boxes? Well that list exists and it is good! You’ll find anything from hot wheels racetrack to a robot to a toolbox and most importantly, because you never know, a homeless shelter.

Hope these DIY projects were helpful and sparked your creative and crafty side. If you do decide to create anything from the lists we included, please send us your photos, we’d love to see your handy work!

Here at Exodus we are all about finding ways of treading lightly on the planet as a moving company. We use durable bins when moving customers, wooden shelves on wheels for office moves instead of boxes, and we offer recycled boxes giving them a second life and reducing our resources. When we came across an article explaining what designers Diogo Aguiar and Teresa Ott did with their used storage boxes, we had to feature it on our blog.

What do you get when you put 420 IKEA boxes, LED lights and a metal base together? How about a 15-foot-high bar that has funk, character and uniqueness. The appropriately named structure; Temporary Bar, was constructed for a competition organised by the architecture faculty at the Universidade do Porto in Portugal. Finished in just one week with the help of students, this bar stands tall and proud in Parque da Cidade, Porto, Portugal.

Next time you move, think about the endless possibilities you could do to reuse those boxes instead of throwing them in a land fill. Moving somewhere dry and need to get rid of your umbrella(s)? Bars are not only made out of recycled boxes, but can also make a bar too, like the Bucky Bar in Rotterdam. Talk about creativity and reusing! This project references the famed geodesic domes of the late American architect Buckminster Fuller and attracted 300 visitors before the police intervened at 2 am on February 19^th, 2010.

Morale of the story, whether you are moving or not, look around your house and before you throw anything out, see if you can reuse it for something else, or donate it to someone else that could put it to good use.

The green scene is kicking into full gear and as we enter 2010 we vow to do our job to help our beautiful planet by going a little green ourselves. We used to be greener when we ran biodiesel and veggie oil in trucks, but that actually is not working out so well mechanically, so we’ve backed off of that. BUT – we do use plastic totes for office moves, we re-use boxes for just about every move and we use what are called “speed packs” over and over. These are large boxes on wheels that we can put lots of things into and wheel them rather than carry them. Of course this works best on office moves, however not so good on residential moves.
We pick up boxes and you better believe we use them time and time again! Hopefully, if we are all making moves that are more environmentally friendly we will see a positive effect on mother earth!

1. Think about location when selecting your storage. Where, how easily must it be accessed, how often will you need to access?
2. Try to fill the boxes to the top when packing, even if it’s just with padding and old, crumpled newspapers. Boxes that are only half-filled tend to collapse if anything’s placed on them.
3. If you’re storing a refrigerator in your unit leave the door ajar. This will prevent mold from growing inside.
4. If loading your own unit – leave walk ways in the middle and near the walls of the unit, for access and air flow.
5. Putting pallets, milk crates, or plastic storage bins on the floor of the unit will eliminate the risk of water damage.
6. Full service storage options allows for the unit to be packed professionally; with the blankets, plastic wrap, straps, and all the protection in place during storage.
7. Ask about climate controlled storage. This is best for leather furniture, candles, oil paintings, sensitive electronics, plasma or LCD televisions, records, or any highly sensitive antiques that could be damaged with humidity and heat.
8. Always keep your personal / high value items with you. Don’t store expensive jewelry, identification / personal documents, weaponry (guns and ammo), etc.
9. Empty any gas run equipment before storing, including lawn mowers, trimmers, etc. Just let them run until they are out of juice the last time you use the tools.
10. Don’t store liquids (especially cleaning supplies with harsh chemicals). In the changing temperatures, liquids have the opportunity to freeze, heat, and spill on your keepsakes. If you MUST store liquids like shampoo or lotion (non hazardous) be sure to put them in a zip lock bag and store in a plastic bin.
11. Self Storage? Ask about security measures at the location; cameras? Security guards? Gated area? Code and Key access?
12. Might need to get to it? Put these items closest to the door for easy access.
13. Label. Label. Label. Know what is in each box, in case you need to get to it during storage and so you know where the box goes when you move into your new residence.
14. Use blankets, sheets, and tarps to protect your goods from dust in storage.
15. You are better off renting a smaller unit that is filled or packed to near the top (”high and tight” as they say in the industry), rather than renting a larger unit and only filling the floor area (”floating” per indsustry lingo).

16. Let Exodus Help you do the rest…

Depending on how many times you’ve moved, what your timeline is, and what the situation of the move is about; you might be rushed or not thinking clearly while moving. You might just feel like everything needs a box and get it in the truck. However, there are a few items that need to be left out, and moved last. For a friendly reminder, see our list below:

Cleaning Supplies – If you aren’t cleaning the old place, then you might not need to worry about this, but you might want to label cleaning supplies and have it on hand for the new place (depending on its situation when you arrive). If you do need to clean the place, remember to leave cleaning supplies and towels, paper towels, etc., out so you don’t have to dig through boxes or buy new ones.

Tools – There might be some nails in the wall from wall art, or a few things that need to be fixed before you say your final goodbye to your old home. Make sure your tools are on hand, just in case.

Snacks – Moving is physically tolling on the body, and can be a great workout. Since you’re moving all of your belongings, including your food, remember to keep a few snack items available in case you get hungry. There’s nothing worse than feeling hunger pains and experience low energy levels, but you can’t leave during the move.

Toys – If you have kids, you might want to keep a few toys out to keep them occupied if they can’t help you move boxes. Keep them busy so they are happy during the moving, especially since a move can be emotionally taxing on a child.

If you keep these items out and plan for your move, it should be successful! If we can help in any way, please contact us.

So you’ve decided you are going to move. Whatever the reason may be, moving is a strenuous process, especially when going through your belongings deciding what to take and what to toss. It can be overwhelming, we understand. If you are hanging onto family treasures then being a packrat has its rewards but if you are brushing the dust bunnies off things you forgot you even had, we suggest you either toss it or recycle it.  We know, this part of the entire moving process can be physically and emotionally exhausting but we see it as a positive thing because this is your chance to get organized and reevaluate what to toss take and give away. Remember where you are going and what you will need in your new home. When your packing up to move, think about recycling your items. For example, reuse Tupperware and other plastic containers for storing things like craft supplies. Any items of clothing that have not been worn out can be donated for nonprofits such as dress for success. Or check out your local Good Will or Salvation Army that is located near you, they accept and appreciate all items dropped off.

Whatever you do end up keeping, selling or giving away make sure you label the boxes loud and clear. If there is something that you don’t want there’s a good chance someone else will.

As we all know, moving can be stressful. They say that moving, divorce and death are the 3 most stressful things a person goes through. When you move, you have so much to think about that many things can be forgotten. That’s why we suggest making a schedule that goes with a to-do list/checklist. Below are some things that you need to make sure you have on your moving list.

Turn off, or switch services – Sometimes when we leave this to the last minute (depending on the service) we are charged extra. We might have to pay for a couple of extra days of utilities, internet, etc. You might also forget and get into your new place and realize that you forgot to forward your mail, or get a new phone number (for our out-of-state relocates that still have land lines). Make sure you call and set up your cancellation or forward days, a couple of weeks before you move. Then, it’s off your list and out of your mind!

Get Boxes – We have found, that sometimes when people are moving, they leave packing to the last minute. This means its’ done quickly and sloppy. If you get boxes early, you can pack a box here and there as you are doing chores, cleaning, before you go to bed, etc. If you didn’t have boxes, you couldn’t do a little packing here and there. Be sure to get them early. They’re easy to store and helps make the week before moving much easier! (And less to do that week, so you can focus on staying calm and relaxed to relieve any stress you might be experiencing.) If you’re moving, and live in Northern CO, we have boxes so please contact us if you need some.

Know where you’re going – If you’re moving to a new state, getting some maps or learning the area is a good idea. Sometimes getting lost is the easiest way to getting to know a new area, but you don’t want to get lost on your way to your new job or the babysitter’s. Looking into this before you go where you’re moving to is a good idea because once you get there, you gotta get where you need to go…on time.

For moving tips to help with office moves, please check out our Office Moving Tips page.