Packing your life up and stuffing it in the back of a truck is something that few people are willing to do. It’s even more challenging when you’re doing it because your company is forcing you to relocate. 

If this is happening to you however, you can make the whole process easier with this quick guide on shipping household goods. And if you are a human resources manager preparing to relocate some members of your team, this guide can serve as a quick reference resource to pass along as part of their employee relocation. 

6 Practical Tips for Shipping Household Goods

In reality, the process of shipping household goods involves multiple steps that need to come together. The exact requirements of individuals can also vary depending on various factors.

Even so, these tried and tested moving tips can help a lot during a relocation scenario.

1. Pick the Right Relocation Company

The first step is to pick a professional relocation service to simplify the entire process for you. This will not only save you time and effort but will also take the burden off your back. While choosing, service quality, reputation and reliability are the main factors that you need to look for. 

Remember, peak moving seasons can lead to a shortage of movers or higher prices. So it’s best to call the services at the earliest. That way you will have time to discuss the details with them and fix a budget for the entire process. Moreover, planning early will help you to avoid any last-minute rushes. 

Communicate with the company and inform them about the specific requirements and expectations in advance. These include information about any heavy or fragile items and space restrictions in the location.

This is where choosing a top independent relocation management company like ARC can make a big difference. With us, you get reliable service through the best service providers at reasonable rates.

2. Reduce Clutter

Cutting back the clutter can help in simplifying the overall process of packing. The fact is, the lesser you pack, the easier it will be to unpack. You need to take a closer look at all the items you own and decide what to keep and what to sell, donate, or simply toss away. Downsizing can also help in reducing the overall cost of the relocation.

When it comes to clothing, you can discard items that won’t fit or are out of style. Find the dresses you haven’t worn in more than a year and get rid of them. In addition, there can be items which you don’t need in your life anymore.

3. Create a Relocation Inventory

Similar to an office relocation checklist, a household inventory will help you to keep track of the various items during the household goods shipping process. This will ensure that nothing is lost during the shifting process. We can help you with a customized relocation checklist to make the process quicker and more efficient.

One important step is to mark every box with a number. This will help you to maintain a spreadsheet record of the contents of each box. During packing, make sure that the boxes are properly labeled. That way, it will be easier to find the right items easily during unpacking.

4. Figure Out the Space in Your New Home

We all have our favorite pieces of furniture or equipment. But will an oversized writing desk fit into the new space? To ensure this, you need to check the open floor space of the new house or apartment. This will ensure you won’t run out of space after the shipping of household goods is complete.

5. Get Moving Insurance

There’s always a chance of something going wrong while shipping household goods. It’s important to have insurance coverage when you are moving valuable items over a long distance. 

If you already have insurance, set up an appointment with your agent to find out the limits of the coverage. In case the coverage is limited, you may need to purchase a more comprehensive plan for the expensive items. 

When you have chosen a professional relocation company like ARC, rest assured that you’re protected from damage or loss of any kind through proper insurance.

6. Pack an Essentials Bag

There are some items that you will need during the actual movement or right when you arrive at the new location. These items should be tucked in a bag or suitcase that you’ll carry with you. These include essential medications, important documents, a change of clothes, basic toiletries, etc.

Just get it done

These are some practical tips that will help in the process of shipping household goods. With our full spectrum of the best relocation services, we can form an optimized plan for you to ensure stress-free shipping of household goods.

ARC has been vetted and certified by the GSA to provide house hold good move management services to the US Government under GSA SIN 653-7.

ARC provides move management services to some of the largest government agencies and corporations in the world.

ARC ships goods to all 50 US States, every US Territory and over 85 countries.

ARC requires a minimum of 2-3 bids from Van Lines for each move and uses metrics and transferee satisfaction scores to rank each mover in our system. ARC has 100’s of providers in all geographic regions that compete to ensure that our clients are always assigned the best mover at the best price on every move!

Get in touch with us to discuss the options and get a customized quote for our industry-leading relocation services.