Waiting for any delivery can be an anxious time. It is an unfortunate fact of modern life that no one can guarantee an exact time of day for it to arrive. The best thing to do is to spend a few moments checking where you are going to store your items. A kitchen or bedroom will consist of quite a few boxes, each unit can consist of up to 4 seperate boxes, verticals, horizontals and doors. A 5 drawer unit may have 12 seperate boxes! Then the best thing to do is find something to do around the house that will take your mind off the wait.

If you are going to store the items in a garage make sure that the floor is swept clean and it is dry during wet weather. If the floor is subject to any damp the kitchen or bedroom will become damaged. Use 2x2 timber to raise the items and if possible place a waterproof sheet between the timber and the boxes. If the floor is dry, sweeping it first will ensure that items are not damaged by stones etc. Make sure that the access is clear at all times.

If you are going to store the items inside your house or conservatory you need to ensure that there is proper access in and out. Keep the walkways clear to ensure that you don't trip over whilst carrying a heavy box. Again you should ensure that the floor is clear of debris by sweeping or vacuuming first.

Whilst carrying any of your items you should be careful not to rough handle them. Catching the corners of the boxes on the door post or losing your grip whilst putting the item down will nearly always result in the contents being damaged. You may find it difficult to exchange items that are damaged in this way and in any case the delay to the installation while waiting for the delivery can be extremely frustrating.

After the items have been unloaded the delivery driver will normally ask you to sign a receipt. It is in the drivers best interest to ensure that you have the complete delivery and that the items are not damaged whilst on his vehicle.  

The amount of boxes may be a little overwhelming so after the delivery you should take a little time to identify what each box is for, sorting the wall units from the base etc, putting all the doors to one side so they dont get damaged. Cornice, pelmet and plinth are quite long and nearly always get left lying on the floor, make sure that these items are out of the way and that they are protected from damage. Please don't attempt to sort the items like this during the delivery, the driver may become frustrated at the amount of time it takes, remember there may be other people waiting for their delivery as well.

If you take a little time to prepare your storage then finding the item you need whilst installing will be so much easier and there will be a greatly reduced risk of finding anything damaged.

Now is a good time for a cup of tea.....