Most moving companies provide sturdy, reinforced boxes. The cost of these boxes is included in the amount quoted for the move.

Professional movers use padded blankets to protect your furniture. These blankets are secured with rope or bungee cords to ensure no damage occurs.

If you are doing the packing, make sure you carefully mark each box, specifically pointing out to the movers the boxes that contain fragile items.

In most cases when using professional movers, you don't have to worry about the weight of the boxes in that they know how much to pack and use dollies.

By visiting your local grocery or business dumpster, you can find all the boxes you need. Many businesses throw out boxes of all sizes, which are also industrial strength. Cost - nothing.

You can use old blankets, pillows, or towels, or, some rental companies will rent padded blankets to you for a very small fee. Just be sure that you wrap breakable items carefully and don't stack boxes of breakables on top of each other.

Mark all boxes carefully. Separate your breakable items and you might consider moving those in your car instead of loading them into trucks with your other items.

When packing your boxes, keep the weight of the box reasonable. If you can't pick it up, obviously it's too heavy.

Before moving, consider having a garage or yard sale. This is the perfect opportunity for cleaning out the old and eliminating all those unwanted items from being packed and moved

Carefully mark the boxes containing towels, toiletries, sheets, etc., so you can unpack those firsthand at least be able to make your bed and take a shower.

Other boxes that you want to get into as soon as you arrive at your new home can simply be marked with" Open me first." This might include coffee, eating utensils, or clothing that you've packed separately to cover a few days.

If you have children, let them help in writing out the labels. This will free you up to do other things and, it will help them get used to their new address.

Especially if you have cats or other small curious animals, make sure you keep them closed off from packing as well as the moving day activity. Pets can easily get into boxes without anyone knowing or, they can quickly run out a door.

Allow anything electrical to return to room temperature before plugging it in. For example, if it's extremely cold outside, condensation could develop. Then, when you go to plug them in, you could get shocked.

Take phone books with you and notify old neighbors and friends of your new address and phone number, if you already have the number.

Don't pack food that could spoil. Refrigerator items such as mayonnaise, butter, milk, etc. should be placed on ice in a cooler and then moved or given away. If moving across the country where boxes will take days to arrive, don't pack any perishable foods at all.