Dont Know Moving

Here's the first and most important question: How much are you moving? It could be personal belongings from your 10-by-10 apartment or everything from your 40-bedroom mansion and polo stables. It's probably something in between.

The best way to calculate how much you're moving is to take an inventory of what you have. A moving company agent can do this inventory for you. You can do it yourself. In fact, it's a good idea to take your own inventory before you have a moving agent do one. You can then decide what you will move and what you won't. As you do your inventory you can envision what will fit into your new location and what should be thrown out, donated, or put in storage.

Use these rules of thumb to do a quick calculation of how much you're moving:

• Small boxes are about 3 cubic feet in size

• Large boxes are about 6 cubic feet in size

• Beds and large appliances are about 30-40 cubic feet in size

• Couches and buffets are about 30 cubic feet in size

• Recliners and medium appliances (washer, dryer) are about 20 cubic feet in size

• TVs, chests, and tables are about 10 cubic feet in size

• Six-foot-wide closets will take about 30-40 cubic feet of space

Most households are easy to estimate. For example, a typical two-bedroom apartment will take up about 750 cubic feet when packed. However, many folks have also accumulated hobby items, collections, special knick-knacks, and home computers or business equipment that must also be moved. These items may require special packing or handling. Write down these items in your Smart Moving Notebook.