Planning a Smooth Move: Tips for Moving on Vancouver Island
Whether you’re moving cities or moving to a new home within the same city, moving can be a lot of things. It can be exciting. It can signify a new chapter of your life. It can also be time consuming, and somewhat stressful with so much to prepare for and logistics to plan. At National Car & Truck Rental, we see a lot of people moving and starting new adventures, so we put together a few tips and tricks to help ease your moving process so it can be stress-free and easy.
Book your moving truck in advance
Book your moving truck in advance of your move-out date if possible. Moving trucks can get booked up by the time the end of the month rolls around. You don’t want to be left without a moving truck especially if you have a lot of large items, appliances, or furniture in a time crunch. If you can request your move in date on a different day than the first of the month, or request to get your new home keys a few days in advance of your move-out date, it’ll help ease your move.
It’s also important to factor in the size of moving truck or van you need. If you are moving to or from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, BC Ferries might be a part of your journey. You’ll need to know the measurements of your vehicle. For National Car & Truck Rental, check our moving trucks or vans page to view the approximate measurements of our moving trucks.
*Truck measurements are estimates only and may vary by specific vehicle makes, models and years.
Sell, donate or discard items you won’t be keeping in advance
If you know you won’t be keeping everything, and would like to sell some of your items, it’s best to take time taking good, clear photographs of items such as furniture you might be selling while they’re still assembled and well-staged. Keep in mind it takes quite a bit of time to coordinate with potential buyers.
Donations are a great way to get rid of your items while also contributing to a good cause. For donations, many thrift store donation centers have specific hours of when they’ll accept donations and require them to be in good condition. Some thrift stores may even pick up your larger items directly from you. Not all thrift stores accept large items like furniture and appliances, so be sure to check their websites to see what kinds of items they accept. We put together a list of charities that accept donations.
Stock up on your moving supplies
You’ll need lots of boxes and packing tape to get started on packing your items. Moving straps, moving blankets and a dolly will also likely come in handy. If you’re moving appliances, it is helpful to have a dolly to protect yourself from lifting heavy items. Some moving truck rental companies carry moving supplies and equipment at their location for purchase or for rental for your convenience. Be sure to wrap your fragile items carefully by using blankets and use moving straps to secure your items in a moving truck to protect them against moving and damaging your belongings.
At National Car & Truck Rental, we stock cardboard boxes, moving straps, dolly, and moving blankets at our Colwood location.
Try to pack similar items together and label boxes clearly
It’s easy to lose track of all the things we own when they’re all packed up in identical brown boxes. Although it can be time consuming, you’ll thank yourself later by staying organized with your packing. It is helpful to have similar items packed together instead of too wide of a variety of items. It’s also a great way to have a fresh start in your new home by being selective of which items fit in at your new home. For example, if you have books in all your rooms, instead of packing up your living room books separately from your bedroom books, it can be helpful to pack all of your books in a single box so they’re all in one place. This may also help you determine and sort through if you want to sell, donate or discard any of your items. Since we don’t always move very often, moving can be a great opportunity to get a handle on how many items you own.
Moving doesn’t have to be a pain. We hope these moving tips are helpful during your journey to your new home.