Tips for Moving With Your Own Car

Moving with your own car is a sure way to eliminate the expenses of hiring a professional moving company but it certainly doesn't go without any challenges. Working with such a limited packing space is one of those challenges that make many people go for a different solution and hire a rental truck - especially people who have a large household and too many precious items to leave behind. On the other hand, you may be one of many who decide that a personal vehicle is the best way to move house. If you're about to relocate by driving your own vehicle, we've prepared some easy guidelines that should help you have a smooth move. Carry on reading to find a few simple tips for moving with your own car.

Pick items carefully

When getting ready to move with your own car, you'll have to be pretty picky in order to have a successful relocation. That means you won't be able to move your entire household unless you're moving around the block and you can make as many back and forth trips as you need. In all other cases, you'll want to be as efficient as possible, meaning you should choose carefully what you want to bring to your new home. Decluttering your house is always a great idea but it is absolutely a necessary step when you're working with such a limited storage space like the back of your car.

Make space

Before you start loading your car for the move, go ahead and clean the entire interior of it. Besides having your car nice and tidy for the trip, this actually has another practical reason to it - making more space. Once you start cleaning, chances are you'll be surprised by how much junk accumulates over time - receipts, snack wraps, shoes, tissues, bags, glass cases, are only some of the examples you may find inside your car. Getting rid of those bits and pieces will give you a little bit of extra breathing space so you can store something you really need for your move.

Get extra storage

When you're moving with your car, you'll be working with a pretty limited space for packing so naturally, you'll want to get as crafty as possible in order to get some more storage. Since the back of the car is likely not enough for everything you plan to move, go ahead and use an overhead carrier for the journey and store all those extra items you want to take with you. This is the best way to get more packing space just remember that you're traveling with some extra height.

Use handy equipment

Besides an overhead carrier, there are other pieces of moving equipment that proves to be very efficient and helpful when moving things by car. Consider using rope, bungee cords, or straps to tie down and hold items inside the car - this will prevent anything from shifting in transit and causing potential damage.

Maximize storage space

Now that you've got the equipment for the inside of the car as well as for the top of the car, it's time to learn how to make the best out of that still pretty limited space. First things first - avoid cardboard boxes. Even though regular cardboard moving boxes are the best supply you can get for your move when you have a moving truck, they're not nearly as efficient when moving by car. The reason is that boxes are bulky and they don't lend themselves to being packed into the back of your car - they will take up too much of that precious space without letting you pack much. So what's the solution? Use trash bags that will conform to any shape you packed them into and let you pack plenty of items without taking extra space. This may not be the most glamorous way to pack but for sure is one of the most efficient ones. An even better idea is to use vacuum bags - you'll be amazed at how many items fit into a tiny space once you compress the bag.

Pack strategically

There's another important thing to pay attention to when you're moving with your own car and that's the way you pack. You should always put heavier things on the bottom and the middle of the boot, and then place smaller and lighter items on top. In case you have fragile or sensitive items, those should be your last items to pack. Also, you never want to overload your car as this can lead to damage and that's certainly something to avoid, especially in the middle of relocation.

Refill before the trip

The last tip for a smooth move with your own car is to refill the gas before your trip. You may think that this is not so important as you can stop by any gas station but things may not look so simple when you're on the road looking for a gas station and your car is fully packed. The gas station may be closed at the moment or it may be a while until you reach one so it's a much better idea to fill up the tank the night before you pack - you won't have to drive around with a huge shipment on top of your car.

Hire moving experts

In case you followed all the steps above but still have plenty of household items you can't say goodbye to, consider hiring professional moving services. By letting moving experts handle your relocation, you can pack only the essentials in your own car and have an easy and stress-free relocation. Movit Movit is at your service - we'll create a customized moving plan according to the specifics of your relocation and we'll provide a complimentary in-house estimate for your move. Go ahead and contact us to receive your free moving quote!