Moving to Oakland: Some Easy Tricks

Moving to Oakland is always an exciting prospect. You get the San Francisco lifestyle (and there are many to choose from) without spending San Francisco prices. However, the move itself probably doesn’t have you too excited. Fortunately, the following tricks you may not have considered can make things much easier.

Use Moving Crates Instead of Cardboard Boxes

For the longest time, people used cardboard boxes for their move. In Oakland, though, most people have switched over to moving crates. They’re as affordable, if not cheaper, than using cardboard boxes and much easier. Boxbee is an Oakland provider of moving crates that has really helped boost their popularity. That’s because the company brings your order of moving crates right to your doorstep. They’ll even come pick them up from your new place in Oakland. Both of these services come free of charge. Moving crates are made from high-quality plastic, so your things stay nice and safe inside. They also stack on top of each other, making it easy to stack a few onto a moving dolly or hand truck. When they’re empty, they fit inside one another too, so they never take up a lot of space.

Lifting Straps

Most people have one or two pieces of furniture they are not looking forward to trying to move. It doesn’t matter how much physical strength you have or people who are ready to help, some pieces just won’t budge. With lifting straps, not only can you lift heavy objects and move them safely, you can do it without the risk of hurting your back or dropping the objects.

Soft Items Make Great Padding

We all have plenty of soft items in our home, from cushions to pillows to blanket to clothes and more. Even though moving crates will keep your things safe from the outside world, you still want to make sure they stay secure once you’ve packed them in. To do this, use your soft items as padding by filling in any empty space. This will keep your possessions from shifting around during transit.

Tape Your Mirrors and Glass Frames

It’s no secret that mirrors and glass frames are fragile and need to be moved carefully. Though it might not seem like much, putting an X of masking tape on these objects can help protect them from getting damaged. The tape won’t be able to stop a direct impact, but it can help absorb shock the items may be exposed to during your move to Oakland. In the case of the glass frame, two pieces of tape will usually be enough to keep it from popping out.

Photograph Your Cords

Do you have a mess of cords somewhere? Chances are, like most people, you have a couple. Behind TVs and computer towers there are usually a collection of cords that will have to be disconnected before your move. The problem is, once you arrive in Oakland, trying to put all the cords back where they belong can be nearly impossible. However, if you just take a photo of where each cord connects, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Pack a Box for the First Night

You most likely won’t be unpacked your first day in Oakland. That’s why you should pack a box to use on your first night. It’s for things like your toiletries, a change of clothes, snacks, coffee and your coffee maker, anything your children and pets need, etc. This way, once the sun starts going down, you don’t have to go through a mad dash of tearing through your stuff to find the necessities. Once you’re all settled in, Oakland will prove to be a great city for going out, sending your children to school and growing old. Until then, remember the above helpful tricks for making your move much easier. Sources: http://www.listotic.com/33-helpful-moving-tips-everyone-should-know/