Defrost Freezer (place a container of baking soda or charcoal inside the refrigerator & freezer to dispel odours)
Use up perishable and frozen foods before the move.
Donate unused items to your favourite charity or have a garage sale to help pay for some of your move.
Start packing items of no use prior to your move. Pack up things like photo albums, books, and seasonal decorations.
Start a log of moving expenses and keep all your move-related receipts. Some items may be tax deductible.
Prepare an “open first” box with towels, bedding, basic kitchen and bathroom supplies, toys or games for your children, tools (hammer, screwdriver) to set up furniture.
Make sure your children and pets are properly accommodated so that they will not be injured during the move.
Keep your pet confined in the house or in a fenced yard for a few weeks until it becomes more familiar with the new home. Then gradually start taking it out to explore the new neighbourhood.
Assign your children responsibilities so that they can be a part of the move too and not feel left out in the rush. Some duties you could assign are: sorting out old toys; label prices for garage sale; or writing out the change of address to help them memorize their new home location.
When packing valuable/breakable items, be sure to use lots of blank white packing paper. If you do use newspaper make sure it is on the outside layer as the print on the newspaper will leave black marks on your items and can permanently stain fine china.
Set aside flammable or explosive items such as propane tanks, cleaning fluids, paint, ammunition, and aerosol cans. FORT MOVING cannot transport these items as they are a potential hazard to your surrounding possessions on the truck.
Do up a floor plan of your new home so you can layout where you want all your furniture to go.
Below is a chart to help you determine how many and what size of boxes you will need for packing your household items.
Carton Type
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
5 Bedroom
China Barrel (dishes)
3 – 4
3 – 6
4 – 7
4 – 7
2 cube (small)
8 – 12
12 – 16
16 – 25
20 – 30
4 cube (medium)
5 – 9
10 – 15
15 – 20
20 – 24
5 cube (large)
4 – 6
6 – 10
10 – 14
14 – 18
Picture Box
3 – 4
4 – 6
6 – 8
7 – 10
Wardrobe
2 – 4
4 – 6
6 – 8
7 – 10
Mattress Bag
2 – 4
3 – 6
4 – 8
5 – 10
Box Type
Items appropriate to box size
China Barrel*
china, glass, lamps, small pictures, silverware
2 cube box
books, canned goods, shoes, tools, small heavy items
4 cube box
lampshades, small appliances
5 cube box
linens, blankets, pillows, cushions, lamps, toys
Picture box
mirrors, pictures, large sheets of glass from living room tables or china cabinets
Wardrobe box
clothes, drapes, light odd sized items such as a lamp stand
*Unless FORT MOVING is doing the packing for you or if you are experienced with packing, it is not advised to use a China Barrel to pack your dishes in. Use a 2 cube box instead with lots of packing paper.
