Phone: 519-344-8451
85 years in business!
Plan Your Sarnia Move with Capes Movers Ltd
The team from Capes Movers Ltd wants to keep your move as smooth and stress-free as possible. We have compiled some tips and tricks over our 85 years of service that we want to share with you. Read our expert moving advice below and give us a call to speak to our team in person.
How to Pack Like a Pro
Make the most of the packing phase of your move. A little time investment here will save you hours when you’re unpacking at your new address.
What You’ll Need
Strong cardboard boxes and plastic bins
Permanent markers for labelling
Packing tape
Wardrobe cartons
Packing paper, bubble wrap and tissue paper
Scissors or a small knife
Where to Start
Start packing a few weeks before your official moving day. Start with what you WON’T need at your new place—these can be moved and stored easier than the items you use daily.
Work to clear one room at a time. Label cartons clearly and leave enough detail that anyone involved in the move can easily tell what’s inside a box.
Keep a master list of cartons. This will serve as a helpful inventory and can help ensure you and your moving team know exactly what needs to go.
Be sure to label items that you’ll need immediately at your residence—that will give us enough information to help make your first few hours at your new place as comfortable and convenient as possible.
Packing Cartons
Invest in bubble wrap and packing paper. These are inexpensive ways to protect your items from scratches and dents.
Don’t forget to seal the bottom of boxes with packing tape to avoid accidents.
Fill packing cartons full enough to prevent shifting during your move.
Close your cartons securely with packing tape.
Try to keep your cartons below 50 pounds for the most efficient moving.
Store heavy items at the bottom of a box, free up the top for lighter, more delicate items.
Be sure the lids are tight on bottles. Leaky bottles can stain other items.
Place decorative items as you would display them, labelling boxes with ‘This Way Up!’ as a reminder.
Packing Clothes
Wardrobe cartons can make your move stress-free. Your clothes can be taken directly from the wardrobe and hung in a wardrobe box to save time. Plus, there’s no ironing needed!
Don’t focus just on your clothing. Storing bed linens, towels and blankets with your clothes is a good idea.
You can leave lightweight items inside a dresser during your move.
Packing Electronics
Whenever possible, try to pack electronic items like DVD players, TVs and game consoles, in their original boxes.
Be sure to use strong cartons to pack your electronics. Keep wires and cords together to reduce confusion when you arrive at your new place.
Mark boxes containing electronics as fragile and indicate which room they should be sent to at your new address.
Packing Mirrors & Framed Pictures
Pack individual pieces or groups into mirror cartons and be sure to use plenty of packing paper when you wrap them.
Label the cartons containing mirrors as fragile and indicate which room of your new address they should be sent to.
Always stand glass items, pictures and mirrors on their edge. Don’t let them lay flat
Who Should Know Your New Address
Moving can be a rush. Capes Movers Ltd wants to help you beat the stress by reminding you who to inform of your new address. Make sure the following organizations know your new address:
Your place of employment
Your credit card companies
Your bank and financial institutions
Your utilities, cable, phone and internet providers
Your medical professionals
Your life insurance company
Your health insurance company
Your vision / dental / catastrophic insurance company
Your car insurance company
Your child’s doctor, babysitter, music instructor or coach
Your child’s school
Your pet’s vet and kennel
Your alma mater
The newspapers and magazines you subscribe to
Anyone who sends you a bill
Friends and family
Helpful Hints
These are some odds and ends to keep in mind at every stage of your move.
Coordinate your move as best you can.
Give our moving team plenty of time to ensure your items arrive when you need them.
Arrange occupancy dates in your properties so that you can store items at your new or old address, saving you money on storage units.
Unless otherwise arranged, all items should be packed and ready to go on moving day.
If you’re moving out of a high-rise, be sure to book the elevator of your building in advance.
If there are loading or unloading restrictions at your residences, be sure to notify our movers in advance.
By putting as much as you can near the front of your old address, you can save time on the loading process. Leave your furniture where it is for easier packing.
Send out your furniture for cleaning, repairing or refinishing before your move.
Valuable grandfather clocks should be prepared for shipping by a trusted jeweller.
Take a moment to check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if your belongings are covered during a move.
Contact your service providers to disconnect your power and utilities.
Arrange for personal transportation and food on moving day.
Set aside all items you won’t need until the last minute.
Label each box.
Attach ‘Do Not Move’ signs to boxes you want to leave behind or that you’ll be packing yourself.
Dispose of all unwanted items to reduce confusion on moving day.
Movers cannot transport flammable materials, livestock or motorized vehicles, so plan accordingly.
It’s a good idea to keep your kids occupied with an alternative activity on moving day.
Movers can transplant plants, but only at owner’s risk!
If necessary, movers can dismantle mirrors and bedframes.
Freezers should be unpacked to protect the lining.
Tie mops, curtain rods and broom handles together for easy transportation.
Double check your home to be sure you haven’t left anything behind.
Don’t forget to turn off lights, check the furnace and close all windows.
When unpacking, be sure to use newspaper or rugs to protect your new flooring.
Recycle paper and moving boxes.