Get The Move On
April Fools' Day is just around the corner, and we all know what that means: Moving season is upon us.
Hire movers. Amy Brenna, president of Brenna Consulting, a New York City-based professional organizing company,
suggests hiring a mover first in order to avoid not being able to move on your chosen date.
When interviewing prospective movers, Brenna says find out if there are materials they will not move (chemicals,
plants, etc.) so you can make alternate plans, and ask them about large items that might require special packaging.
Do it right. Mark Motler, general manager of Mabey's Moving and Storage in East Greenbush, N.Y., advises getting at
least three in-home estimates before hiring someone. Although companies might offer Internet or phone estimates, a
face-to-face estimate is best for a house move.
Start purging. Barry Izsak, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers, suggests before filling
boxes, you assess what you have and what you can get rid of. "Why pay to pack and move things which are no longer useful
or important to you? " asks Izsak.
Begin boxing. Motler finds that the No. 1 mistake people make is not being prepared the morning of the move. If the
movers have to wait while you finish sealing and labeling boxes, it will make for a longer (read: more expensive) day.
Izsak suggest starting with items that you don't use each day such as holiday decorations, books, fine china and
glassware.
Label. If you don't do anything else, properly label your boxes with a list of the contents and the room it should be
placed in, says Brenna. If movers know where your boxes are supposed to go, it will save you from moving misplaced boxes.
And be specific. For example, "tall brown bookcase" will be much more helpful than "books."
WEEKEND WARRIOR
To contact us, you can email us at Amy@BrennaConsulting.com
or call us at (212) 387-8536.
