SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- With a busy summer moving season arriving soon, Joint Personal Property Shipping Office-Northeast has some key moving tips to the community. 

All personnel moving during the summer months should be aware of the high volume of moves during the peak moving months of June, July and August. 

Plan to be flexible when selecting a pickup date. Never schedule a pickup on the closing date of the residence, on the last day of residency in an apartment or the date of termination of a lease, or the day a cleaning crew is to start cleaning the residence. 
Scheduling the pickup on these days leaves no room to adjust for unforeseen problems. Additionally, it's a good idea to leave the telephone and other utilities connected until all property has been picked up. Limited capability during peak season means that not everyone can move on the last day of the month. The moving industry suggests that, whenever possible, to schedule a two-day pickup date, which provides some flexibility in the event something goes wrong. Personal property counselors will also ask for primary and alternate packing and pickup dates. 

Although JPPSO-Northeast can control the commercial mover, controlling the weather is out of the question so be prepared for the unexpected by being flexible.
A good move depends largely on how much the property owner gets involved, and if they are well prepared when the movers arrive. Here are some suggestions to assist in the preparation: 

· Empty, defrost and thoroughly wash and dry the inside of the refrigerator and/or freezer and leave open for a day or two to dry. 

· Disconnect and prepare all components such as stereos, compact disc players, computers, printers, televisions and VCRs for the move. 

· Drain all water from hot tubs and waterbeds and allow enough drying time. 

· Disconnect all appliances such as washers, dryers, cooking stoves and plasma televisions, including those mounted on the wall. If plumbing, electrical or carpentry work is needed in disconnecting these appliances, the owner must arrange for the work and pay the charges connected with it. 

· Ensure the residence is clean and organized for the move. All dirty laundry and dishes must be cleaned prior to packing. Ensure your home is free from any bug infestation. Transportation service provider's can refuse to pack and pickup items if the household goods and home are not clean and organized. The member is ultimately responsible for all costs associated with an attempted pickup. 

· Dispose of worn out and unneeded items before the move to avoid wasteful packing, moving or storage expenses, and most important, excess weight. Discard all unauthorized items. 

· Remove personal property from the attic, crawl spaces or similar storage areas within the residence. 

· If there are other shipments scheduled for pick up (baggage, non-temporary storage) ensure these items are separated and are not co-mingled within other shipments. 

· Drain all gasoline, oil and water, and remove the battery from power-driven equipment such as mopeds, motorcycles or lawn mowers prior to pickup. 

Expensive and valuable items such as artwork, collectibles and heirlooms should be appraised prior to the move. The government will not pay for the appraisals, but consider this part of the investment in the event of loss or damage. 

Next, use a video camera or take close-up pictures to record the condition of the furniture and to show what the expensive and valuable items look like. 

Also, secure and don't ship small, extremely valuable items such as stocks, bonds, jewelry, coins, coin collections, passports, birth certificates, airline tickets, medications and items of great sentimental value such as photo albums. Pack those in suitcases and hand carry them, as well as purchase receipts, pictures, personal property video and appraisals. 

Now the fun part, the pack day. Ready? The movers are on the way. Let's begin with some personal responsibilities: 

· Get up early and be ready for the movers. 

· Get pets under control before movers arrive; perhaps have a neighbor keep pets until the movers are through. 

· The property owner or a representative, designated in writing, must be home when the movers arrive to pack and remove the belongings between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Do not negotiate with the transportation service provider or agent to deviate from this responsibility. 

· Finally, while the packing of the household goods is in progress, monitor the wrapping and packing. Make sure everything is wrapped individually and adequately. 

JPPSO-Northeast refers to movers as transportation service providers or agents and they also have certain responsibilities during the move. 

Prior to the pack day, the agent is responsible for contacting the owner for a pre-move survey. The survey gives the agent an idea of how many cartons may be needed to pack the goods, and to determine if there are any item(s) that may require special handling. 

During the packing, the agent must perform the following: 

· Use new, clean packing materials for linen, clothing and bedding. 

· Pack mirrors, pictures and glass tabletops in specially designed cartons. 

· Properly roll and protect rug and rug pads at residence. Only small throw rugs may be folded. 

· Mark each carton to show general contents. 

· Pack professional books, papers and equipment in separate cartons. Each carton must be identified as "Professional Books, Papers and Equipment" (PBP&E). Each carton must be weighed separately and annotated on the inventory as PBP&E along with the weight of that carton. 

It's now time to remove the belongings from the home. The transportation service provider is responsible for packing and preparing all property for shipment. 

On this date, the agent must: 

· Protect appliances against damage while in transit; this means the transportation 
service provider will secure moving parts that, if allowed to move in transit, could damage the appliance. 

· Wrap and protect all finished surfaces from marring or scratching. 

· In preparation for shipment, all nuts, bolts, screws, small hardware and other fasteners removed by the agent will be placed in a box or bag. The owner will determine whether to use a box or bag at the time of packing. If a box is used, parts will be identified by the article prior to placement in the box. A single "Inventory Item No." with a description of articles contained within must be listed on the inventory. 

· Prepare an accurate and legible inventory. 

· Finally, all excess packing material must be removed from the residence.
The property owner's role on the pickup date is to ensure: 

· Each carton and loose item, such as a ladder or rake, has an inventory tag and appears on the inventory. 

· Next, carefully read the inventory prepared by the agent before signing. Make sure all boxes and loose items are listed. Make sure descriptions of major items are completed and accurate. 

· Ensure all overseas shipments have seals applied to the container and are recorded on the descriptive inventory prior to removal from the residence. 

· Walk through the house, checking each room, closet, basement, etc. to ensure all items were placed on the truck prior to departure. 

Also, keep the transportation office's phone number on hand and if any problems or questions arise, call (919) 722-7399 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hour's emergencies may call (978) 987-6546. For voice mail, leave a complete phone number including area code, and the call will be returned as soon as possible. 

Numerous resources can also be located that may assist with moves via the Air Force MOVE website at: http://afmove.hq.af.mil. Personnel are encouraged to take a minute and review this valuable resource. 

JPPSO-Northeast's goal is to exceed the customer's expectations by providing timely and efficient quality movement of personal property, through highly motivated and professional employees dedicated to obtaining the best valued service to meet the customer's needs.