A little prep saves real money on hourly moves. These are the prep questions Atlanta customers ask us most.
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Light, soft items (folded clothes, linens) can stay in the drawers of a sturdy wood dresser — it actually saves you boxes and time. Heavy items (books, tools, jewelry, anything breakable) should always come out. The two non-negotiables: empty all drawers in particle-board or IKEA furniture (the joints can't handle the weight in transit), and remove any valuables or important documents. Bears Moving Co.
wraps the dresser in furniture pads and shrink-wraps the drawers shut so nothing slides open on the truck.
Some Atlanta companies sell full or partial packing. Bears Moving Co. does not — we are a transport-and-handling company: you pack and label the boxes, and we wrap, pad, load, drive, unload, and set your furniture back up. We will box a few fragile pieces on request, but we do not sell packing services, packing materials, or unpacking.
Plan your box supply in advance so move day starts with everything sealed.
A rough planning figure for Atlanta apartments: about 25 to 35 boxes for a studio, 40 to 60 for a one-bedroom, 60 to 90 for a two-bedroom, and 100 or more for a three-bedroom house.
Skew toward small boxes for books, canned goods, and tools, and medium boxes for everything else — a large box packed with heavy items slows the crew and is the most common cause of a blown-out bottom. Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes and dish-pack cartons for the kitchen are worth the extra cost.
Finish every box and tape it closed, strip the beds, unplug and defrost the refrigerator if it is moving, disconnect the washer and drain the hoses, and set aside the items that travel in your own car: documents, medications, jewelry, laptops, and the first-night box.
Clear a path from the front door to the truck, and take down anything mounted to a wall unless you have asked us to handle it. A home that is genuinely packed is the single biggest lever you have on an hourly bill.
Pack plates vertically on edge rather than stacked flat, wrap each one in paper, and use a dish-pack carton with cell dividers for stemware. Fill every void so nothing can shift, and finish with a layer of crumpled paper at the top so the lid does not press down on the contents. Mark the box FRAGILE on the top and two sides and write the destination room.
Kitchens take longer than most people expect, so start there a few days out rather than the night before.
Leave out anything flammable, corrosive, or pressurized — propane tanks, gasoline, paint thinner, aerosols, pool chemicals, and fireworks cannot legally ride on a moving truck. Also keep out perishables, house plants for long hauls, and anything irreplaceable: passports, deeds, safe-deposit keys, cash, and heirloom jewelry belong in your own vehicle. Firearms should be unloaded and transported personally in accordance with Georgia law.