Transporting valuables and breakable objects

If moving house wasn’t stressful enough with all the cancelling and setting new service supply contracts, changing accounts, changing addresses in the various documents and records… Then there’s the physical labor! Almost 60% of clients are concerned about the condition of their belongings in the moving process. Mr. Isac has gathered some key strategies to be considered to ensure a smooth and safe relocation process.

Start by getting a pencil and notebook! Planning the moving of your home will have to start with a list, from the large objects that are difficult to transport, what needs to be packed, what goes to the trash, donated and what stays behind. By knowing exactly what is being moved and where, you will be able to determine what resources you need and how much time you may have to dedicate into packing. It is also a key moment to carry out major housekeeping; if everything must be moved, then everything will be neatly arranged in the new home.

Your listing may vary, but some of the main categories are:

• furniture and mattresses (including dimensions, sturdiness, special care and which room to settle);
• appliances and technologies (specific position for transporting, or need to defrost, seal doors, or protect glass or other components);
• paper objects such as books, magazines, binders… (they require moist protection during transport, but knowing the volume is also important, a book is light, but 10 books bundled together can be very heavy);
• valuables or esteemed objects such as paintings, antiques, musical instruments, jewelry, lamps, wine… may require special packaging or dedicated transportation;
• fragile objects such as glass, ceramics, crockery, porcelain, require special care when packing and unpacking, as well as protection during transportation;
• fabrics, such as clothes, sheets, towels, curtains or others, that do not require special care, can be used to protect fragile objects;
• food items, which may require cold or special care;
• miscellaneous items that do not require special transportation.

Depending on the type of object your requirements of resources will vary. The advantage of working with specialists like Mr. Isac is that they are able to calculate quite accurately how many materials will be needed for your moving just by looking at your home. The logistics of getting the materials, packaging them properly and then disposing of these materials can be overwhelming, or you can ask for assistance from the friendly professionals at Mr. Isac who will provide you with all the necessary materials days before the due date and after everything is tidied up, they will send the materials for recycling or garbage as necessary.

Most furniture can be transported without major preparations. Those with fragile fabrics can be covered with a sheet; the sharpest corners deserve a protector like a tennis ball or cardboard; the ones with doors must be kept closed with tape and the glass can be protected against cracks with bubble wrap or blankets. Mattresses must be travel-protected with fabrics to avoid stains or tears.

Appliances and electronics/technology need to be disconnected from the power, but cables should be kept close to the equipment, and duct tape or zipping bags are ideal; glasses, LEDs, crystals and touchscreens must be protected as much as possible from both impact and vibration.

Things that are easily breakable like plates, cups, bowls… can be packed with newspaper, bubble wrap, styrofoam balls or even fabrics from your home. Once they are well packed, they can be placed in the boxes to be taken to the new home. Don’t forget: label with “FRAGILE” the cardboard boxes that you want the Mr. Isac crew to take special care of and write down the destination room.

Valuable objects require dedication For example, a painting may need to be covered with a clean cotton sheet, protected with bubble wrap to prevent canvas tears and corner protectors, or it may even need its own box so there is no risk of damage to the frame. A valuable antique ceramic vase can be filled with a large plastic bag and expandable foam, then covered on the outside with bubble wrap and cardboard. A piano needs to be conditioned inside and then covered to avoid scratches and will be transported away from other objects. A lampshade needs to be dismantled, packed to avoid scratches and sometimes a special box is created for transportation. Regardless, take photographs of the condition in which it is before being moved, and inform Mr. Isac of the special care that the object requires, the estimated value and your expectations regarding the handling.

If an object has no place in the new home, consider some alternatives. Start by asking for an assessment by a professional to find out exactly its value and then you can decide to sell or even donate. Remember that not all the belongings you have in your possession have to go to the new address, but finding them another destination is more efficient before moving away, also consider donating.

Everything that is most important is always considered at the top of the list, but it’s the smallest and most mundane items that are easily lost, forgotten or poorly stored and end up being missed the most.

Try to arrange a box of gadgets and miscellaneous per room, so it will be easier when unpacking things. Start the post-moving organization with the objects you use the mostkitchen utensils, cleaning items, hygiene kit and tools (after all, when moving you always need tools, although assembly can be done by Mr. Isac!) Leave items like office supplies, worthless decorative elements and everything else for last. Living in minimalist lifestyle is more than a trend, it’s an advantageous way of freeing yourself from what you don’t need and having more space to enjoy in your home: take leap and discard from what is useless to you.

Children’s toys should be packed together, but not without first checking that they remain in good condition. If they are no longer used but are in good shape to be donated, or if they are no longer suitable for the child’s age – don’t pack, donate. The same principle can be applied to clothing: if they haven’t been worn for more than 2 or 3 years but are in good condition consider donatingclothes that need fixing can go to the fabric collection centers or be reused for cleaning… Finally, separate the clothes by season, pack them in travel bags, except for two or three sets of clothes that you can carry in a backpack – you will use them in the first days after moving while you unpack the rest.