How to Pack Your Shoes for a Move

To make sure your shoes arrive in the same condition they left, take these steps to pack them before your residential move.

When it comes to packing for a residential move, most people don’t usually give much thought to their shoes. This is a mistake because, without proper packing, shoes can end up in poor condition at your new home. To ensure your shoes arrive in perfect condition, be sure to abide by the following steps:

Air Them Out

The first step in packing shoes is to air them out. This will help the shoes lose the excess moisture and odors that would otherwise stay with the shoes while they travel to their new destination.

Keep the Original Boxes

To protect the shoes, you must pack them in boxes. The most convenient box to use is the original box the shoes came in. These provide adequate protection without taking up too much space.

Wrap Each Shoe

After the shoes have spent a little bit of time airing out, wrap each one in brown packing paper. This type of paper is stiff enough to create a cushion but soft enough not to scuff the finish on most shoes. For shoes with extra delicate surfaces, you can use tissue paper first; then cover the tissue paper with the brown packing paper.

Pack Each Shoe

Depending on the material and type of shoe, you may want to use some brown packing paper or tissues to stuff the inner part of the shoe where your foot would go. This extra support will prevent the shoe from deforming or getting crushed during the moving process. For maximum protection, do not pack more than two shoes per box.

Prepare the Box

After wrapping and packing each shoe, line the box with more brown packing paper. Then place the shoes in the box, sealing the box with packing tape.

If you have any questions concerning how to pack certain items for best results during your residential move, don’t hesitate to contact our expert team at Nilson Van and Storage. Connect with us online now or call 800-845-2682. We are happy to give you advice to make the most of your packing and moving process.

Two Tips on Preparing to Move Overseas

Keep these tips in mind as you plan to move overseas.

If you decide to move overseas, there are several things you will need to be aware of to properly prepare for the move. Unlike a domestic move, moving to another country involves additional planning. Feeling overwhelmed? Here are two expert tips to help you with an international move:

Tip #1: Determine What You’re Allowed to Take with You

Depending on where your new home will be, there are certain things you may not be able to take with you. For example, certain weapons, print material and medications may be illegal in your new country. Even items that are not illegal to own, may be illegal to use. For example, certain walkie-talkies that are legal in the United States may be illegal to use in another country unless you can lower their power output or change their frequency.

Tip #2: Decide What You Can Live Without

We don’t want to say you can’t take certain things with you. Rather, you will need to decide what you must have as soon as you arrive versus what you what you can live without for a few weeks or months.

Depending on your moving schedule and the shipping method you use, you might go as long as a few months from the time you place something in a packing box to the time you can unpack it. If there is something extremely important for you to have, you probably want to pack it with you when you travel to your new home. Or at the very least, you will want to pack the item in a box that will travel using the fastest shipping method available, such as by air instead of by sea.

If you plan on moving overseas, you’ll want to take extra steps to prepare for the move. One way to ensure you get the job done right is to hire a professional moving company like Nilson Van and Storage. Contact us before your international move for the services and advice to take the hassle out of the process.

Three Things to Do After You Move

After you complete the move, there are a few more tasks to accomplish.

After your move is complete, there are a few things you will need to do before you can get on with life as normal. It may be easy to overlook important post-move tasks because it feels like the hardest and most stressful part of the move is over. However, remembering to follow through will ensure you can get comfortable and organized in your new space as quickly as possible.

#1: Unpack It All

Unpacking is the most obvious thing to do after a move, and it usually takes the most amount of time. For many months after a move, there may be a few boxes around the house, in a closet or in the garage that still need unpacking. Because you may not use the items in the box daily, it can be easy to put off the unpacking of the last few boxes. However, if you truly want to close the door on the moving experience and get back to a state of organization, go ahead and find a place for everything in the boxes.

#2: Figure out What to Do with All the Boxes

The average move will use dozens and dozens of boxes. After the move is complete, the vast majority of these boxes are no longer necessary, but you’ll need to decide what to do with them. Most people will have four options: 1) throw them away; 2) recycle them; 3) keep them; or 4) give them to someone else who can use them.

Depending on your situation, you may use a combination of these options. Whatever you decide, empty boxes take up a lot of space, so you will want to break them down and figure out what to do with them as soon as possible.

#3: Get New Government Documents

Government documents refer to things such as driver’s licenses, car titles and vehicle registration. You will need to take care of this as soon as possible. Depending on where you now live, you might have a deadline when you need to complete these tasks.

It can be tempting to sit back and relax as soon as the moving truck pulls away, but by making sure you follow through with post-move tasks, you’ll be able to better enjoy your new space. If you need advice for what to do after your move, our team at Nilson Van and Storage is always here to offer our expertise. Connect with us online now.

2 Benefits of Professional Movers for Moving Valuables

Hiring professional movers is ideal, especially when moving valuables during your residential move.

There are many reasons to hire a professional mover but protecting valuables during your residential move is one benefit you don’t want to overlook. Depending on the price of the valuable items, hiring a professional moving company can pay for itself if using the service avoids loss or damage.

Here are two more benefits you can experience when you trust the moving pros with the job:

#1: Identification of Risks

The average person who packs their own items will know which items are particularly valuable or worth paying extra attention to; however, they might not always know what potential dangers exist when moving the item.

For example, when packing the family’s fine china, you will know that there is a risk of breakage from dropping the box. But did you know that damage to porcelain can occur when it’s stored in extreme temperatures or is subject to extreme variations in temperature? This means valuable porcelain will also need to have special insulation or travel in a temperature-controlled environment. Professional movers will understand these risks and take them into account throughout the packing and moving process.

#2: Packing Expertise

Most homeowners might think they know how to pack a delicate item properly, but their assumption can sometimes be tragically wrong. Wrapping an item in the ever-popular newspaper may not be enough; the item may require bubble wrap to avoid damage, or it might require a special box. When you hire professional movers, they know the proper ways to pack a variety of valuable and fragile items, which can provide you with tremendous peace of mind and confidence during the move.

Trust Nilson Van with Your Residential Move for Best Results

It pays to hire a professional moving company, especially when it comes to protecting priceless or expensive valuables. The next time you’re considering hiring a mover, our team at Nilson Van and Storage would love to show you how the experts do it. Get in touch with us today to get a quote before your residential move.

Whether your move is big or small, our skilled movers are dedicated to helping you every step of the way, no matter where life takes you.