Setting Aside Boxes You're Going to Move Yourself

Although it is bound to be crazy and hectic, your moving day is the end result of months and weeks of planning, organizing, and packing. As the movers go around your house and carry your belongings into the moving truck, you want to be sure that they pack up only the boxes that you want them to. You will need to separate your packable boxes from those you want to transport yourself.

Before figuring out how to separate these boxes, you should first make a list of the items that you plan on taking in your car rather than having them put onto the truck with everything else. These should be items that are valuable or important to you, things that you will need right away in your new home, or any of your goods that you don't want your movers handling.

Items to transport yourself

• All important documents
• Medications
• Any valuables
• Fragile or delicate items
• Snacks for the drive
• A couple changes of clothes
• Toiletries and towels
• Anything else you would need in case the moving truck is delayed in bringing your things to your new home

TIP: Once you know which things you will be bringing yourself, you can begin packing most of them up well before the move.

Letting your movers know

After the boxes are all packed, you will need to make sure that you and your movers will know not to put them on the truck. Perhaps the easiest way to separate your do-not-move boxes from the rest is to put them in your car beforehand. However, there might not be time to do this as you get ready to move.

Another idea is to put these important boxes in a separate corner of your home or in a room or closet that is already emptied out. Wherever you decide to put them, be sure to point out these boxes to your movers and tell them that you will be moving them yourself. So everyone is clear about your do-not-move boxes, remember to label them as "Do Not Move."

On your moving day, you should let your movers know about your do-not-move boxes in advance and have a plan for keeping them safe until you are ready to leave. By separating your do-not-move boxes from the rest, these important boxes will be with you, and not on a truck, during your move.

Photo by: Ambro (Freedigitalphotos.net)