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The essential tools to move alone
You have decided to rent a truck to transport your furniture and boxes. What tools are you going to need to make your job easier?
All commercial vehicle rental companies will offer you tools or accessories to facilitate your move. They are not always free and if this is your first move, you may be reluctant to use them or pay an extra cost. Our advice: do not make small savings Some of them can be crucial and you avoid many problems.
Sack Truck or moving trolley
One of the biggest challenges to successfully move is to move heavy objects without “smashing” their backs or falling from exhaustion after an hour. The solution: transport your appliances and heavy furniture with a sack truck. Not only will you save your back, but you will save precious time. Another essential accessory: straps or shadows. They will be very useful to help you get down the stairs with heavy objects.
Protection shims
In the truck nothing should move, everything must be stalled. This will prevent your furniture from colliding and getting damaged during transport. By placing small shims (pads) between each of them, you will put them in safety. You can also protect them by surrounding them with corrugated cardboard.
Packaging Supplies
Cartons, adhesive tapes, bubble wrap, protective covers for your mattresses or sofas … many packing supplies are available at most truck rental companies. You can also buy them on the internet: it will certainly be more economical, even if it is not always easy to estimate the quantities needed. Warning: if you want to use your old cartons, test their resistance before … there is a good chance that they are unusable!
Trailer
If you have a motorcycle, you may prefer to carry it outside the truck. The solution in this case is to rent a trailer and have it towed by the car. In terms of legislation, the opposite is the following:
- The total weight of the trailer and motorcycle load (PTAC or PTC) must be less than 750 kg,
- If the GVC exceeds 750 kg, then the weight of the loaded trailer shall not exceed the curb weight of the car and the aggregate shall not exceed 3.5 tones. It should be noted that above 750 kg of PTC, the trailer must be equipped with brakes.
Another requirement is to declare the trailer (gray card and license plate) if the PTC exceeds 500 kg. Otherwise, it will have the same plate and will be covered by the insurance of the tractor vehicle.
Organizing your move
First of all, as a tenant, you must think about terminating your lease according to the notice period (1 or 3 months). As a landlord, notify your property manager and request a stop payment.
Make sure you keep the documents related to your previous accommodation
If you have children, it is important to anticipate both the childcare arrangements and the school transfer.
Find out about the possibilities of help for moving:
- the CAF moving bonus,
- the social committee within your company to take advantage of one or more days off for your move.
If necessary, arrange in advance to reserve equipment and rent a van or a utility (in supermarkets for example), especially during the high season, and set an estimated value of the volume to be moved so that you can facilitate the transport of your goods with the help of a volume simulator. The price will vary according to the distance to be covered and your travel time.
One month before the move
Several administrative steps must be taken the month before the move:
- notify the benefit and public health organizations (Assurance Maladie, CAF, CPAM or MSA),
- contact the Post Office to have your mail forwarded to your new address,
- notify the tax authorities,
- stop the billing of the household waste fee by contacting the service concessionaire, the inter-municipal union or the town hall,
- inform your employer
- change the details of your telephone and internet contract and subscription with your operator (you can take over the contract of the previous tenant if it is advantageous),
- Inform the organizations that maintain your life insurance, car insurance, bank accounts, and home insurance.
Take this opportunity to sort through and start packing your moving boxes by putting away items you won't be using until you leave. Consider marking each box with its contents so you can better identify it and the room it's intended for. And for a cheap move, you can find free moving boxes on some websites.
Several days before the move
Not using a moving company does not necessarily mean that you are doomed to carry the boxes yourself! In fact, don't hesitate to ask your family, friends and/or colleagues if they can help you move.
Remember to :
- Cancel and subscribe to a brand new contract for the activation of the electric meter in your new home, specifying the date of moving in. When selecting the electricity or gas supplier for your home, consider using internet reviews and supplier comparators to save money.
- Plan for cleaning, parking and pets on the big day.
- Prepare the domestic appliances by protecting them in an adapted packaging.
- Start clearing out the refrigerator and furniture and remove pictures and curtains,
- finish the last boxes and pack your bag for 2 days, put aside what must be easily accessible (papers, clothes, etc.).
The day of the move
The D-day having arrived, to avoid being too stressed by the fact of moving and especially of doing it alone without a mover, it is advisable to check that you have closed the water and energy meters and to clean your home for the inventory of fixtures in the case of a rental.
After the move
The move is not over yet! There are still a number of formalities to be completed:
- register on the electoral lists,
- change the address on your car registration document and your identity papers (identity card, passport, residence permit, etc.),
- recover the deposit from your old apartment.
