If you hire professional movers to pack and move your belongings, they will usually do a very thorough job. This means that anything that is not attached to your home will end up boxed up and on the moving truck. However, there are some instances when you will not want certain items to be packed. Perhaps you are following the common advice to move irreplaceable treasures or important documents on your own or you have items that most moving companies do not allow on their trucks. Maybe you have items that you plan to get rid of after the rest of your home has been packed or you want to keep a box separate for your first night in a new place. Whatever your reason, there are likely items that you do not want packed and loaded onto the moving truck. Here are some ways that you can clearly delineate those items from the rest of your belongings. 

Remove Them From Your Home 

Items that you plan to move in your personal vehicle should be loaded into your vehicle before the movers arrive. This not only ensures that your important documents or overnight bag will not end up on the moving truck but also helps ensure that you will have enough room to move all of the items you plan to move on your own. If all of the items do not fit in your car, you may have to select less-important items to be moved on the truck or make two trips with your personal vehicle. If you plan to make two trips with your personal vehicle, you may have to utilize one of the following methods to designate items that should not be moved as well. 

Designate a Special Room 

Besides completely removing the items you do not want packed from your home, one of the best ways to separate these items is to designate a room in your home that should not be packed. Usually, a small room such as a bathroom or office will offer you enough space to hold the belongings you do not want moved.

First, you should thoroughly clear the room of items that should be packed by placing them in any of your other rooms. Then, put the items you do not want packed in your empty room. While the movers are there, keep the door to this room closed and label it with a sign that says, "Do not enter. Items in this room should not be packed."  

Clearly Mark Items With Colored Tape 

For large items, such as furniture, trash cans, or appliances that are staying behind, it may not make sense to move them into a single room. Instead, you should go through your home and mark these items with a brightly colored tape. Use plenty of tape so it is highly visible and will not fall off. For example, instead of marking the leg of a table, place a large X across the entire surface. On the tape, you should write that the item should not be moved. Masking tape is a good option because it will not ruin most surfaces and can be easily removed later.  

Create a Master List 

You should also consider creating a master list that contains both items to be moved and items that are staying behind. You can give a copy to your movers to reference throughout the move when they have questions about a certain item. However, you should still make sure that you are available to answer questions about the list. 

Whatever method you use to designate items that are staying behind, make sure you tell your movers about it so they can follow your system. For more tips and information, contact a local moving company like Midway Moving & Storage.