By Guest Writer Ella Andrews

Most of the time, you are advised to take on a removal company or a man with a van service for your removals, however you may not have big stuff to carry out with you. You may just have your belongings that consist of clothes and shoes as well as other little stuff, for which you do not need a proper removal company. It is helpful to have a car, however if you do not—you don't have to worry. Hiring out a small van that can hold small belongings would definitely help. Carrying out a small removal isn't as complex as you would imagine it to be.

The first thing you need to do, is obtain sturdy boxes or laundry bags. The good thing about laundry bags is the fact that when they are made out of cloth, they make it all that much easier to move house. Boxes have the capacity (especially if they are made of cardboard) to fold and break, due to pressure. You need to use a lot of tape on them and ensure that they are carried from the bottom. With cloth laundry bags, all you need to do is stuff the bag and then use the drawstring (if it is light enough to carry it).
 
One of the key tools is to always make sure that you make piles of your belongings in different spaces. Put your clothes in the bags that you need to take and put your shoes separate. There is nothing worse than having all your belongings mixed up to wonder where everything is when you get to the new place. You can also use the same process for your office or domestic removals, if you did not own any furniture, it will be much simpler.
 
The next part you need to decipher is the load of the stuff you wish to carry. Sometimes you won't always have the correct vehicle to transport everything over. You are able to hire out a car or take the journey to transport your stuff, in a few rounds. Either way, small removals aren't as big of a hassle than someone would imagine them to be. If you haven't got the keys to your place, you can always hire a storage company to help you. Storage companies can safely store all your belongings, without stress.

It can often be a nightmare to think where you can leave your belongings for a few days, not to mention the safety of them. When you use a storage company, you will be able to have access to your belongings at any time of the day and are able to even get storage supplies such as more boxes or crates from the establishment. These types of places are able to even recommend a removal van if you have quite a lot of stuff.
 
Overall, having small removals can be something that you can do by yourself or you can have someone do it for you. It completely depends on the load of the stuff that you choose to move. There can either be quite a lot or there can be a little that you are able to move by yourself. A house move is usually quite stressful; ensure that you have all this worked out before hand! If you need any guidance, a moving company would be able to advise you best on this.

Ayla P.R. Representative with Moving Made Smooth, Inc. ​

Special care should always be given to items that may be sitting in storage for an extended period of time. Many hazards exist that can damage or destroy them. Moisture, dust, stains, rust, and insects, to name a few, can all be detrimental to your stored belongings. In this blog, I aim to reduce or possibly even eliminate the threat that these hazards pose to your possessions.

Items to Protect your Belongings
The short list below will help you to protect anything from clothing to furniture to appliances.
•    Desiccant/silica gel- this absorbs moisture from the air.
•    Cedar chips or balls- these repel insects.
•    tarps, old (clean) bed sheets, or furniture covers- to protect from dust.
•    motor oil- inhibits rust formation
•    packing paper- to prevent damage/dust formation.

How to Use These Items
Desiccant: Any electronic device, cloth, or paper materials placed into long-term storage should be protected with desiccant. This can be easily done by placing silica gel packets inside a box or container that has these items stored inside. It is also a good idea to place a few larger desiccant containers around the walls of the storage unit. Desiccant can be easily purchased at Walmart, many hardware stores, or online.

Cedar Chips or Balls: These are a great alternative to traditional moth balls.  They smell nice and they will not damage materials, as moth balls sometimes can. I suggest putting these inside small cloth bags, similar to what you would see used for potpourri (an example of these bags is shown on the left). Then place the bags in your containers or set them near any stored upholstered furniture.

Tarps, Old Sheets, Or Furniture Covers: It is very important to protect furniture from dust during long-term storage. Dust that is allowed to settle on your furniture can and will eventually stain it. I recommend purchasing slipcovers or covering furniture with tarps/old bedding. If you decide to use old bedding, be sure it is thoroughly washed because organic material (like your sweat or dead skin) will attract insects and other pests.

Motor Oil: First and foremost, any kitchen appliance should be thoroughly cleaned before going into storage. Leaving any food residue will cause pests to infest the storage unit. To protect your precleaned appliances from rust, use a very small amount of motor oil applied to a cloth and wipe off the exposed surfaces of the appliance. This is also a nifty way to prevent rust on yard tools, bicycles, or any other metal item.

Packing Paper: Fragile items should be wrapped in packing paper and put in boxes. Be sure to fill any empty spaces in the box with more crumpled paper to prevent items from shifting and the box from being crushed. Notice that I said packing paper and not newsprint. Newsprint's ink can often transfer to the surface of the item you are trying to pack over time. Remember to pack books flat to prevent damage to the spine. Records and plates should be packed on edge, wrapped in plenty of packing paper, and the box should also be lined with plenty of paper. Be sure to mark any fragile items as such on the outside of the box or container.

Feel free to leave comments down below, but try to keep the posts relevant to the blog. For Instance, if you have any ideas for a blog you would like to see written (on the topic of moving/relocation) or you have a question about a topic the blog has covered, leave a comment. Thank you for reading!

Ayla with Moving Made Smooth, Inc.

Nobody wants to spend the first night in their new place opening all their boxes, desperately trying to find an item they need. To save time and energy during the first night in your new home it is beneficial to label your moving boxes.
The 'Open First' Box
​The Open First box is for all the items that you will need immediately upon arriving in your new place.    Many of the items you may want in this box include bed sheets, toiletries (toilet paper, tooth brush, etc.), a change of clothes, a coffee pot if you aren't a morning person, or anything you may need right away. Remember to keep it simple though. You don't want to overfill the box or fill it to the brim with keepsakes. Have this box clearly labeled.

Pack Room by Room with Colored Labels
Every other box should be composed of items for a specific room. To make the transition easier on yourself and your mover, you may want to color code the room for where each box should go in your new home. For example, blue for the kitchen and green for the bathroom. Color labels should be large and placed on several sides of each box so your movers can easily see the label. If you run out of individual colors you can add them together, for example, red and blue means the master bedroom. These labels can be bought almost anywhere; craft stores, grocery stores, etc.

​This is beneficial to you and your movers because it saves time. Before unloading your boxes and furniture, you can place a colored label on the door or on an index card by it to indicate what room is what color (or you can make a list to give to the mover). This way the mover can just match the labels instead of having to ask where you want him to put each individual box or piece of furniture.

Fragile Valuables
​Any box that contains fragile items or valuables should be labeled as such. Simply write "FRAGILE" or "THIS END UP" on boxes that you want handled with extra care or in a particular way. Be sure to write large (possibly in a bright, but readable color) and in capital letters.

Advanced Packing Tricks
​If you want to be even more prepared for your move, you may want to consider an inventory list to go along with your color coding. As you pack number your boxes. Then, on your inventory list write down the number and a summary of what the box contains. This method makes it a breeze to find a particular item. You simply find it on your inventory list and open up only the box that is numbered to contain the item.Inventory lists made on a computer or device may be the most useful if you will have them on you the day of the move. For instance, if I need a pair of socks out of my boxes, I can open the file and use ctrl+F. This opens up the find menu, I simply type in 'socks' and my inventory list tells me that I put it in box 14. I can now open box 14 and retrieve my socks. Its as easy as that! All it takes is a little extra effort packing and the rest of the move is easy-peasey.

Ayla and Julia with Moving Made Smooth, Inc.

If you have valued antique furniture, fine art, or any items of priority or value, we recommend looking into moving insurance for them. Without insurance these items will be counted as household goods and not carry their unique value during transport.

To ensure that all of your valuables are covered under an insurance policy that reflects the item's true value, Moving Made Smooth, Inc. suggests purchasing a moving insurance plan. You may also want to check with your homeowner's policy to see if there is coverage during any part of your move. There are coverage options available (through the links below) to reputable moving insurance companies for moving trucks, storage units, moving containers, and fine art.

Moving Insurance Providers:
http://www.relocationinsurance.com/ also a link to their review on the Better Business Bureau's website, http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/insurance-companies/moving-insurance- in-arnold-mo-310421846

We have also provided a link to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, this can answer any questions you may have about moving responsibility (Subpart B, section 2):
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/content/375appendix-part-375

Ayla P.R. Representative with Moving Made Smooth, Inc.

Imagine your moving day without considering the contents of your garage. Keep in mind the time it will take for the movers to pack it or the space available on the truck. It may be more cost effective for some items if you purchased a new one when you move into your next home. So, please remember to pack up your desired belongings from the garage prior to your moving day and select what to pack wisely.

This link below will take you to a site that describes some of the chemicals and other items that should not be packed for or put into your rental truck.
http://moving.about.com/od/packingtipsandtricks/a/not__to_pack.htm

Federal law forbids you to ship hazardous materials in your household goods, boxes, or luggage without informing your mover (we strongly suggest you don't pack them). A violation can result in 5 years imprisonment and penalties of $250,000 or more (49 U.S.C. 5124). Your load is also subject to loss or damage due to fire, explosion, or contamination.
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Moving Made Smooth, Inc. has also provided some useful links below on how to properly pack the items found in your garage.
http://moving.about.com/od/packingtipsandtricks/a/packing_garage.htm http://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/packing-a-garage