Every day, thousands of people around the country pack up their belongings and hit the road, moving to their next home and the next chapter of their life. Relocating is so common that by the time they reach the age of 30, most Americans will have moved about six times.

Each time we move, we bring our belongings with us. Some possessions travel with us to each new place, collecting memories along the way. Items like photo albums, family heirlooms, and even furniture can become extremely important to us. Unfortunately, moving such items opens the potential for them to get damaged, stolen, or lost in-transit.

If you’re moving, and bringing valuables or sentimental belongings with you, don’t suffer the frustration and heartbreak of lost possessions. Use these tips to protect your favorite stuff from the following moving hazards:

1. Thieves

Thieves like to target movers because the family tends to be focused on relocating and not on watching each item carefully. To keep thieves at bay, don’t label boxes with their contents. An unattended package labeled “jewelry” or “electronics” would be hard for a cash-strapped thief to resist. Instead, label a box with the room it belongs in, such as the kitchen or a bedroom, for safer moving organization.

2. Bumps and Bruises

Pushing furniture through tight doors and stacking boxes with heavy items are just a few ways that items become damaged during the chaos of a move. To protect your stuff and the building from damage, take a few easy preventative measures.

For transporting furniture, be sure to use furniture blankets or moving pads. Your local moving services likely offer different protective materials to keep dresser corners from scratching paint. You can also label boxes as “fragile” or “this side up” so that movers know which breakable items to handle with extra care.

3. Getting Lost

Finally, some items seem to simply disappear during the moving process. Try taking inventory of your important objects as you pack, and then check items off the list during the unpacking process. Though you don’t have to write down every single item you own, this method can ensure you notice missing items as soon as possible, which increases your chance of recovering them.

Moving is tough, especially when your precious belongings and memories could be at risk. Use these tips to prevent common moving problems, so that your valuables are protected no matter where you roam!

For more information or to hire local moving services in the Delaware area, contact Delaware Moving and Storage today!