Tricks of the trade, what every mover knows.

Professional movers, through experience, have learned the "tricks of the trade", a key factor in how successful your move is. These tips  may be "little things" but in the end they produce the best results.

Professional movers cover the floors with runners or pads, including the stair steps. The railing and banisters will also be covered in pads. If you have a tight turn at the bottom of your stairway, placing a piece of cardboard (flat mattress carton) against the wall will prevent dents and mars to the wall.

If you have a rug inside your front entrance,  roll it up (inside out), label it and place it to the side before the move begins, to prevent tripping over  it and soiling it.

Furniture and boxes shouldn't be slid across the floor, but picked up and carried and placed where they should go. Boxes should not be  placed on top of furniture or dropped.

Don't let lamp, TV or appliance cords dangle, wind them up and secured before the item is moved.

All glass shelves and glass fronts must be removed from furniture and packed in appropriate boxes. Small supporting pegs are best removed, placed in a small bag and labeled then placed inside the unit.

Small parts to disassembled furniture should be bagged together and labeled. Collapse metal bed frames, tape them together and mark which bed the frame  goes to.

Furniture with doors or loose drawers should be banded before moving to prevent them from swinging out. Sleeper sofas also need to be tied down to prevent them from opening.

All table legs should be removed, numbered, and the screws, nuts and bolts should be bagged and labeled.

Remove all loose parts from inside the refrigerator and fill the inside with crushed paper or a specially designed product to absorb moisture and prevent mildew.

Be sure to turn off the water supply to the ice maker and the washer before disconnecting.

Have a bucket handy to catch excess water when unhooking the washer, and you may want to get  new washer hoses if needed,  to re-hook the washer at destination.

Boxes should be packed full and properly labeled with the contents and the room it came from. Mark the carton on the side for easier viewing when the cartons are stacked. Inventory stickers will be similarly placed on the side of each box.

Remove the dish from the microwave and pack it, and  remove the lamp shades with the harps so they remain together when packed. 

Make a backup copy of your computer data. Make sure your computer is "parked" (see owners manual)

Fireplace tools should be wrapped in paper to prevent soiling other furniture. 

Garden tools can be bundled together for ease of handling and the garden hose should be screwed together end to end to prevent water from leaking out.

Professional movers wash their hands frequently to prevent soiling furniture!