While moving we have noticed a few things that drive us nuts. Which box is our tech gear in among a sea of stuff? How do we effectively ensure that we can find what we need? Below we have amassed a few ideas that we have generated to aide our moving process and hopefully yours.
- While onerous, we really wish we would have created a simple spreadsheet with the rough contents of each box. That way if we wanted to find our cycling shoes, a quick reference of our spreadsheet on Dropbox would tell us it is in box 22.
- Buy smaller boxes. Tech and other stuff is extremely heavy. We assumed incorrectly that a TiVo, stereo, and assorted wires would be easy to carry in a large box. Not only was it hazardous to our spines, it also left us worried that each individual electronic could be damaged during the move. Go small to save yourself headaches and heartaches with broken tech.
- Load tech and its related parts in the same box. Gym duty beckoned and we went to go grab our old iPod shuffle, but we forgot its proprietary cable because it was buried in another box at the back of our storage area. This made us realize the fallacy of storing items and their requisite parts separately.
Do yourself a favor, heed our tips or suffer your own angst when trying to dig your tech bits out of various places during your move or gear storage.
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Comments (10)
If you've got a desktop, open it up and make sure everything is still in place before starting it at the new place.
We had a problem with my husband's computer because the fan had gotten jolted off of the cpu during transit.
It's also good to make sure no game systems/ dvd players, etc have discs in them before the move. It's easy to forget in the rush to pack.
Regarding #1: Why not just write the contents on the box itself with a pen or marker? Then you don't have to worry about finding your spreadsheet, and it's faster. For instance, when I move, I take a Sharpie and write right on the side of the box the room and the contents, something like:
Office/desk: Writing supplies, stapler & hole punch, printer & toner, power cables/adapters, speakers, extension cords
Since I was just moving to another apartment in the same neighborhood, I moved the delicate tech stuff (including the TV) ahead of time, along with a few other fragile items. Then I let the movers deal with the furniture, clothes, and boxes and boxes of books DVDs, and CDs.
I do what Trish1980 does. I've moved a lot, and I don't lose track of stuff. EVER.
I think the spreadsheet is a good idea. I've moved a lot too and wrote the contents on the box itself but when it came to looking for something, you have to go through all 30+ boxes all spread out in different rooms, one on top of the other... you get the picture.
With the spreadsheet you can just skim through the whole list, find the box number and which room it's at and you're all done!
Better to use technology if you have it.
You're still going to have to search for the box you want, spreadsheet or no spreadsheet, so I don't see the point of adding an extra, time-consuming step.
Thirty boxes of stuff isn't much, really, especially if you've identified and routed them to the appropriate areas. So if you're looking for your iPod sync cable, there are maybe 3-4 boxes it could be in, and they should all be sitting in the vicinity where your desk will be set up. Need the coffee maker? There are 5-10 possible boxes, all in the kitchen.
If you are half-way careful, you shouldn't be losing track of things in a 30 box move.
The problem with writing the contents on the box is that invariably in the rush to move everything out of the truck, all those helpful lists tend to get hidden against the wall or other boxes.
So then you end up either having to rotate all the boxes yourself (not an easy job if there's a lot of them) or writing the whole list on each side and the top.
Sometimes in those cases it's just easier to put a big number on each side of the box and note what's inside on the spreadsheet. That way no matter what is facing out, you know what is in there.
To each their own, of course, and mileage may vary.
1. Pack box
2. Write number on various sides
3. Snap digital photo of contents before closing
4. Label photo file with matching box number
Wish I had followed my own advice before moving the last time. We still have some boxes in storage that have yet to be opened (mostly miscellaneous items). But then this points out to the fact we're probably okay with just donating the contents, besides camping gear, since we've been fine without opening them thus far.
When my hubby and I were moving from New Orleans to Toronto, I read somewhere that you should have a detailed list of the contents of your vehicle when crossing the border to avoid delays. I literally wrote the longest list ever, detailing nearly every item in each of our 130ish boxes (we have a ton of stuff).
When we got to the border, we were taken aside for a detailed inspection, where I proudly opened the truck and handed over my 15 page list. The agent looked at me, laughed, handed me back my list, and walked away.
It may have been a meaningless exercise but now I make lists by reflex when we're moving. When you have over 100 boxes, writing lists on the box is totally useless-- when they are all stacked and chaotic you won't be able to find anything. If you write the numbers large and on every side (I also write which room they go in for ease when unpacking the truck), you will always know where everything is.
We used google spreadsheets. That way we could check with the phone without having internet set up yet.
Photos are a good addition.