What Supplies Do I Need for a Self-Move?

So you’ve rented a moving van, now what? In order to move, you can get away with just having a moving van, but you may end up damaging your body or, even worse, injuring yourself. There are a few extra accessories that you may need in order to perform the move efficiently and safely.

The following accessories you can usually either buy from a store or rent from a truck rental company. Whether you want to rent or buy the equipment really depends on how much you plan on moving yourself. If you think in the future you may hire movers, then there probably is no need to actually purchase this equipment, because the movers will provide the moving equipment for you. If you anticipate moving often then you may want to consider buying some of the following items.

For Loading the Moving Truck

Multiple Dollies

When it comes to loading a moving truck as a civilian to moving, you may only know of one kind of dolly. There are actually multiple types of dollies for different jobs, and it is important to not mix them up. There is an average dolly that is just used for boxes and heavier items. There are also dollies for utilities and furniture. Using the right dolly for the right job ensures you won’t damage any of your items, yourself, or the dolly.  

Tool Box

A typical tool kit includes a hammer, a basic screwdriver set, a utility knife, a drill, a measuring tape, a saw, pliers, a wrench, safety goggles, and gloves. When moving, everything from taking down wall hangings to disassembling furniture, you never know what you’ll need.

Shrink Wrap

Shrink wrap allows you to enclose items in protective plastic, so they do not get any dirt, dust, bugs, etc. on them. This is useful for things like clothes, curtains, mattresses, cushions, etc. You’d be surprised how dirty things can get when being moved, so this is really an important and inexpensive item you can get to save you a lot of money in the long run.

Furniture Pads

In the course of a move, everything in the moving van will shift, shake and slide just a little bit no matter how securely you tie everything down in the moving truck. By padding your furniture you’ll avoid nicks, scratches and other damage that can come from this subtle movement that occurs in the moving van on the journey from your old house to your new home.

Mattress Bag

No one wants to lie on a dirty mattress, so it is a good idea to invest in a mattress bag for every bed in the house. If you want to be extra careful, consider getting them for the box springs as well.

Ties and Bungee Cords

Sometimes everything doesn’t fit as securely as we would like it to in a moving van, so it can be a good idea to provide extra support via ties and bungee cords. This will help ensure that nothing breaks or gets damaged during the transportation of your belongings.

For Packing

Boxes

This one is pretty obvious, but if you can afford it, we highly recommend getting new boxes. A lot of people opt for used boxes, but there are two major flaws with doing this. One, the box can end up being flimsy, so it could break in the process of the move. The other major problem is that you have no idea what has been stored in the box before, so used boxes can potentially add germs and odors to your belongings. Gross, right?

Packing Material

Old newspapers, magazines, socks, clothes, or whatever else can be used as packing material. Anything that will cushion your delicate belongings in a box will work. This is one of those that if you are creative, you can pretty much just avoid purchasing. The only exception to this is really expensive items, we recommend getting specialized packing materials.

Bubble Wrap

Rolls of bubble wrap are convenient, include little to huge bubbles, and are simple to use. Some are readily torn off since they have serrations every 12 inches. Packing delicate, fragile objects is best packed with bubble wrap. For delicate breakables like a collection of teapots or snow globes, or other smaller items like statuettes and miniatures, bubble wrap works well.

Packing Tape

Masking tape, duct trap or any other type of tape will not substitute for packing tape. Packing tape makes it easy to pack and open boxes, and it really isn’t that much more expensive than other types of tape.  

Trash Bag

Trash bags offer a convenient way to quickly collect and gather stray materials that don’t require meticulous packing.

Additionally, you may quickly and easily pack up all of the clothing and linens in your wardrobe using trash bags. Packing your moving truck or moving pod can benefit from the use of bags filled with textiles or plush toys as cushion fillers.

For Unpacking

Flooring Protector

Floor runners and carpet protectors will help make sure that you don’t damage your new home in the process of moving stuff in. It is really easy to damage the floor when you are moving around heavy objects, and taking this precaution can save you a lot of money in the end.

Box Cutter

This is one of the tools that you don’t really appreciate until you don’t have one around when you are unpacking. When you have tons of boxes to unpack, any substitutes like scissors and knives create a huge safety risk, and it can become tiring for your hands. Box hangers are handy tools to have around at any time, so it is a worthy object to invest in.