No matter what the circumstances or situation moving can be tough and always seem to be at a bad time. There are a number of factors to consider when it comes to making a move and getting out of dodge. Before you hastily pack up some boxes and get into a new place, make sure that you are moving the best time for you and/or your family.

When we are talking about kids we are talking about a school schedule: their life. Kids do really well on schedules and given expectations and routines. Taking them straight out of their routine at school and then tossing them into a completely new schedule can be daunting and painful for a child. If this sounds like you, consider planning your move around the school calendar so that your kiddos can have the least amount of pain and transition with ease. Summertime is a great opportunity to move with kids, as for the most part there is good weather nationwide and they are out of school.

A time NOT to move would be on holidays. Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving or Ramadan is all holidays that include family. Use them to spend time with family, not to pick up your life and shift. Not to mention that resources and people are just not readily available these dates. Instead, why not move right after a holiday to make the holiday itself a time of goodbyes and farewells to family and friends. It is important to plan this special time for yourself and the people in your life that you care for most.
Another less ideal time to move would be wintertime. Besides the obvious: snow storms and blizzards, hail and wind, wintertime has a slew of other issues when moving. Factors like your items freezing/getting damaged because of the weather are a large risk when moving at this time. Also, when you consider what kind of freezing and thawing process may happen as a result of climate change from one location to the next, ultimately resulting in water damage.

No matter where you move or what you have to take with you, taking the time to consider the dates of your move could be the breaking point between a successful move and a disastrous attempt.

Moving boxes seem to be everywhere. In your storage closet, all around stores and retailers, they just seem to be accessible in all places. However before you move, when you are planning to get your things packed and ready to go, you can’t seem to find a box to save your life. What is this phenomenon all about? And the better question is: where do you find the boxes once you realize that you need them?

Below are a few ideas on where you can find moving boxes, along with some insights into them.

Store Boxes

Check your local grocery store, liquor store or even department store for boxes. Most companies will just leave their boxes outside for people like you, desperate for moving materials. So make sure to coordinate or call with an owner or manager of a store to make sure that you are coming at the right time. You don’t want to make a scene ripping the boxes out of other people’s hands. This is one of the most cost effective ways to find moving boxes.

Online Retailers

Most people believe that because there are moving boxes out in the world that have already been used and are sitting in some pile, which they shouldn’t be paying for a set of boxes. Well the response to that is that you are correct and not correct. If you buy new boxes, you are guaranteed to have the sturdiest box that a new box could have. However if you buy a slew of new boxes not only is this not cost effective but is also not environmentally friendly. Either way you choose there are pros and cons. And that brings us to our next category.

Used Moving Boxes

There is always the Craigslist ad for 100 free moving boxes for free, or for a couple of dollars. In fact this is an excellent way to get RID of the boxes that you are not using after your move and are settled into your home.  It is also a way to get a slew of boxes all together and also a great way to save money. Once you go and pick them up make sure that you sort through the bad boxes that look like they are going to rip and tear. It would be such a sad sight to see your personal belongings shattering on the ground. Make sure also that once you get home; build your boxes with strong moving tape to keep them reinforced.

Moving electronics. the only word that comes to mind is, yikes.  From damage to set up and tear down confusion, there should almost be a manual just to move them. Check out some helpful tips and hints.

Snap the Confusion: Take your camera to snap pictures of complicated wiring (computer cords, speaker wires). Be sure to use plenty of light and careful focus so the pictures will be clear. This will make hooking up the items in your new place much easier.

Double boxing:  For especially fragile electronics, pack them first in a box with an excessive amount of biodegradable packing peanuts.  Then pack that box in a larger box filled with biodegradable packing peanuts.  This two-box system seems like a pain but seems to do a better job isolating items from jarring impacts.

Two Inches at least: Use at least 2″ of biodegradable packing peanuts around each side of fragile items.

No loose ends: Wrap each cord carefully with cable organizers, heavy twist ties or heavy rubber bands.  Never throw unwrapped cords into boxes- they get tangled and caught on other items.

Label your cords: Then you’ll know exactly which cord you’re seeing and where each end connects when you put things back together.

Package it au natural: Use the original packaging when available.

Moving may not always be emotionally painful, but may cause unforeseen physical damage unexpectedly. There are simple ways to avoid causing injury to yourself and if you are smart to others…as you will pass this on as an act of good faith towards humankind

The first and most important factor of your move is your rented equipment. Renting proper equipment not only insures simpler more for heavier, larger items but more importantly saves your from back strain and further injury. Straps are also essential in securing boxes and items that are larger and hard to move on your own.

On that same note packing your boxes should be strategic as well. When packing for your move make sure that your boxes are no heavier than 50 pounds.  This will not only help boxes from not squishing one another but again will prevent back strain in your move.

Also, check out the safety of the area that you are moving into. Inspecting your new area is a vital part of your move. It prevents you from finding things out like “oh, that walkway has a bunch of loose floorboards” or “oh, I just hang-lined myself on that tree branch on my way in”. Inspecting these things before you move your things physically in is key.  Areas to inspect include: walkways, sidewalks, steps, trees, doors and any obstacle that you may encounter with a load of boxes in your hands.

Checking the place that you are moving into assures that you will arrive in one piece.

Organizing your unit can really make a huge difference in your move. Being able to leave your unit knowing that your items are properly stored, labeled and accounted for can leave you feeling confident that your things are safe, organized and clean. Follow these guidelines and your storage unit will be one less thing to worry about in your move.

Cleaning: Before you start moving anything in, make sure to clean up spills, cob webs and other messes. Remember, you are going to be storing your things in this unit for some time and want things to be set up on clean surfaces and spaces. Vacuuming and laying down protective floor coverings can allow your things to stay clean and safe.

Large Furniture and Appliances: These items are the first to go in (protected in their plastic covers of course). Make sure when these items are placed in your storage unit that they are at least an inch away from the walls to allow proper circulation for your space.

Boxes: That’s right, now it’s time for the stuff. Your boxes should all be approximately the same size. This makes things much easier for stacking and re organizing/moving your storage unit items. Make sure more importantly to label all of your boxes. This way your boxes are easily accessible and they are easily recognized in your storage unit.

Stacking: When you are stacking your boxes in your storage unit you should start by putting them on top of furniture and appliances whenever possible. This will maximize your space efficiency. However make sure not to stack boxes too high otherwise you could be creating a dangerous situation.

Inventory: Now that you are done with all of the manual labor, write everything that you have stored in your unit down in an inventory list.  The number of boxes, furniture items and appliances should all be items included in the list.  Keep the inventory list, the insurance policy for your storage unit and contact information for your storage unit in a safe place to ensure that you will have quick and easy access to your things. You never know when you are going to need any of this information.

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.

If you think about it, moving can produce a lot of trash and be very wasteful. When you move, you’re sometimes so stressed out by the entire process, that you just throw things out, cram random stuff into boxes, and just try to get it over with as quick as possible.

But if you stop and think about it, a lot of the things you are throwing out or misplacing are things that others may need, or might be damaging to the planet. Here are 5 tips to helping green up your move and have it be less wasteful:

1. Donate and Recycle! If there are items that you no longer use or need that you don’t want to take with you when you move, then think about selling it, donating it, or recycling it. Depending on the item, if it is in good condition, it might be something that would be perfect to donate to your local Goodwill or Habitat. One person’s trash is another’s treasure, right? If it is old magazines or books you have been saving, donate them to your local library. If it is an item that isn’t in good condition, see if you can recycle it. There are several recourses online such as Earth 911, that will tell you what you can and can’t recycle, and where to recycle it locally.
2. Dispose of items safely: Did you find old prescription medicine for that awful cold you had 2 winters ago? Is there a stash of batteries that lost their juices that you stumbled across as you were packing? Find an old bridesmaid dress that made you look like a 13 year old prom queen? In all of those cases, you’re probably getting rid of those items. Make sure you think about the safety of disposing them. You don’t want to just put the pills and batteries in the trash can. You need to dispose of them safely by taking the batteries to a recycling center, and for the pills, this is still a debated issue. Flushing them down the toilet has its negative effects on the planet. Throwing them in the trash can be hazardous to your kids, pets, and mother earth. The best option is to give them back to your doctor or pharmacy if they will accept them.  For that bridesmaid dress, either donate, or maybe a thrift store could use the fabric for a new project? It’s worth looking into!
3. Be an effective packer! If you take the time to pack your boxes, then you will most likely do a better job at it. If you are organized and pack boxes to where you can’t fit one little pencil in the box because you put so much in it, then you’ve used that box to its fullest potential! Being able to fit more into a box (as long as it doesn’t bust open) you are using fewer boxes, and producing less waste!
4. Speaking of boxes, if you can get boxes that have already been used from your grocery store, liquor store, retail store, etc.. then that is a better option. Reusing is a much better idea than buying brand new ones. Did you know that here at Exodus Moving and Storage, we give you 30 recycled boxes if you choose to move with us?! Pretty awesome, right? And better than boxes, use crates and bins. They’re more sturdy and can be used for several other things after your move!
5. Plan. If you take the time to organize and plan your move (and the key is giving yourself time) then you won’t be throwing junk out left and right, throwing things in boxes and taping them up, using more than you need, etc. Planning is so important if you are moving for your stress levels also, so make sure you do it!

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…

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.