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The kitchen is one of the most challenging rooms to pack when making a residential move. Here are some tips to ease the process.

1. Organize and Declutter

The first step to packing any room is to sort through items and find other “homes” for things you no longer need. You can donate pots and pans, sets of silverware, and cooking utensils in good condition. You can also donate or sell used small appliances if you don’t use them anymore or have duplicates.

Once you’ve decided what to keep, take an inventory. Then sort the items by frequency of use and function. Place a detailed label on every box, such as “Dishes,” rather than just using a generic title like “Kitchen.”

2. Limit Purchases

Avoid buying a lot of food in the weeks before your move. Instead, use what you already have in your cupboards. Some moving companies will not transport food items depending on their policies and the distance of your move. Either way, having less food to move will ease the process.

3. Gather Supplies

Determine what packing supplies you’ll need based on your inventory. In general, packing supplies will include:

• Large boxes for small appliances and dry food items
• Dish pack and cell boxes
• Small and medium boxes for odds and ends, pots and pans, and silverware
• Bubble wrap or similar material
• Newspapers or unprinted paper
• Ziploc bags for loose items
• Packing tape
• Marker
• Labels

4. Pack Infrequently Used Items

You can begin packing those items you use infrequently as soon as you know you’ll move. These items might include:

• Crystal
• Vases
• Special occasion serving plates
• Special utensils, such as barbecue tongs
• Cookbooks
• Wall hangings and pictures
• Refrigerator magnets

5. Plan an Essentials Box

Set aside essential items you’ll need for the last two days in your old home and will need immediately in your new home. Pack these items in an appropriately labeled “Kitchen Essentials” box just before leaving your old home.

6. Pack Drawers and Shelves

Begin packing your drawers with the messiest one first. Set aside one place setting per family member and one or two critical pots and pans for your essentials box.

Pack Dishes

Pack dishes in a medium-sized flat box or a dish pack if they are breakable. Wrap each dish to protect it. Always pack stemware using cell boxes and additional protection.

Pack Pots and Pans

Stack pots and pans with the larger one on the bottom and smaller ones nesting inside, with packing paper between them. Put dish towels around them and around openings to prevent them from moving.

Pack any glass tops just as you would plates, putting foam, bubble wrap, or other protective material around each.

Pack Silverware

Silverware is easy to pack if you already have a utensil organizer. Stack each type of utensil nicely, then wrap it in plastic. Secure the wrapped bundle with a rubber band and put it back in the organizer. If you don’t have an organizer, pack each type of utensil in plastic bags.

Sharp knives require special handling. Place each in packing paper, wrap a towel around it, and secure it with a rubber band. Pack knives on their sides.

7. Pack Small Appliances

Pack small appliances in their original boxes if possible. If not, use as small a box as possible, filling gaps with towels or packing paper.

8. Ask for Help

Your professional mover can answer any questions about packing your kitchen.

Contact us for a free quote. We can help get you moved in quickly and comfortably.

In today’s digital age, your smartphone can be a valuable asset to simplify the moving process. Specifically, your phone camera can be helpful to assist you at every stage of your move. From organizing your belongings to documenting essential details, here are five reasons your phone camera is valuable during a residential move.

1. Snap Pics of Packed Boxes for a Quick Reference Later

Use the camera on your phone to take pictures of the items inside each box before you seal it, to provide supporting detail for your handwritten label. This visual reference will make unpacking at your new home a breeze. You’ll be able to quickly identify which carton contains your kitchen essentials, electronics, or personal items. This will support a smoother transition without unnecessary searching for specific items. Pull up your image references instead of physically digging through boxes.

2. Take Pics of Electronics Connections Before Disconnecting

Disassembling electronics can be a hassle, but the true challenge comes when it’s time to reconnect everything in your new space. Before disconnecting cables, cords, and components, take clear pictures of how each electronic device is connected. This visual guide simplifies the reassembly process and saves you from the frustration of trial and error once you get moved. There are several other excellent tips to remember when packing electronics, such as labeling all your cords and cables and using original boxes to protect items adequately.

3. Get Pics of Your Rental Home for Proof of Condition When You Vacate

If you’re moving to or from a rental property, capturing images of the condition of the premises before you leave and when you arrive is essential. Document any wear and tear, scratches, or damage in photographs upon move-in. Then when you move out, pictures can show any current problems and that you did not cause further damage yourself.

Also, get a few clear pictures that portray the overall condition of elements like flooring, walls, and appliances after cleaning everything. These images can prove the property’s condition, protecting you from potential disputes with your landlord over the return of whatever money you paid for security deposits.

4. Grab a Few Pics of Your New House Before You Move

Before you start moving your belongings into your new home, take the opportunity to document it. If the new place is also a rental, as noted, photograph each room, highlighting any existing flaws or areas of concern. Even if your new home is purchased, pictures of the layout can be valuable as you plan how to pack and arrange your furnishings.

5. Capture a Few Good Memories of the Place You’re Leaving Behind

Moving marks the start of a new chapter in life, but it’s also an opportunity to reflect on the memories you’ve created in the home you’re leaving behind. Take a moment to capture a few photographs of your old home, especially the spaces with special significance.

For example, grab a final picture of the kids playing in the backyard or a selfie in front of your favorite window. These images will serve as cherished mementos of your time there as you move forward to a new place to call home.

Getting Ready for an Upcoming Move?

From planning to packing, a move involves a lot of work. Contact our team for a no-obligation moving quote so that we can take some of the work of your residential move off your shoulders.

Now that your company is growing and thriving, it’s time to expand your operations and establish a central headquarters. You want somewhere accessible and highly visible so new clients can see what you’re all about. However, you have to balance the benefits of being in a high-traffic area with the costs of rent and utilities.

So, with that in mind, here are some top considerations to make when deciding where to relocate your corporate headquarters.

Proximity to Workers

In the modern era, remote work is far more common than ever. About 30 percent of all employees work from home, which experts anticipate to remain stable or increase in the coming years.

So, to compete with the allure of remote positions, companies might need to make their headquarters accessible to their in-person workforce. It can also help to have various perks, such as free parking, bike stalls, and mass transit options. This way, workers from every corner of the city can get to the office however they like.

While your workforce may live in diverse areas, focus on where most of the core office personnel live and avoid giving them an extensive commute.

Visibility and Accessibility for Clients

You may need to host client events or meetings in addition to those for employees. If a client must travel there, your office setting might influence their initial opinion of your business. Ensure that the office setting reflects the image of your business.

While you don’t have to rent the top floor of the tallest building in the city, make sure the facility you use reflects your brand ideals and corporate culture. For example, a modest one-story building works well if your brand identity is humble and hard-working. Similarly, if your brand is all about sustainability, it can help to work out of a LEED-certified building.

Rent Prices

Rent and utility costs can be prohibitively expensive for businesses seeking office space in some major metropolitan areas. So, while you may prefer a high-rise location, you should not jeopardize your business by moving there if its cash flow can not handle it.

Also, consider how rent prices will increase over time. On average, commercial rent prices increase two to three percent per year, which can add up to a hefty bill after 10 or 15 years in the same location.

Scalability

Ideally, your business will continue to scale up and thrive, meaning you might have to add more office space or take over more floors. Alternatively, you may outsource work to more remote staff members, meaning you don’t need to pay for such a large office.

So, you need to consider your long-term needs and find a location that can scale up or down as needed. This way, you can adapt according to the needs of your business and avoid getting saddled with unnecessary office space.

Get Help Moving Your Corporate Headquarters Today!

Establishing your corporate headquarters can be a tough job with many moving parts. So, let us help with the actual moving and transportation to eliminate downtime. Contact us today to see how we can make moving your office easier!

Whether you and your roommate are parting ways or going through a life change like the end of a relationship, moving will likely be involved. When you are not the sole occupant of a house, your residential move may be more complex. Take a look at a few tips that can help along the way.

1. Divvy Up Belongings Well Ahead of Moving Day

When dividing a home’s belongings into two separate groups, it will be even more important to get started earlier than usual. Set aside time, so you can work together and divide your belongings well ahead of moving time. If your move is happening as part of a divorce, it may be helpful to go through mediation first if there are disagreements about personal belongings.

You may have accumulated a sizable amount of things that you need to sort through before the move if you have lived with someone else for a long time. If you are in a hurry, you may pack something that actually belongs to the other person.

2. Plan Ahead and Inform Professional Movers of the Situation

When two people from the same household are relocating, it presents a challenge for moving companies. If you are relocating things to more than one place, you will need two moving trucks.

Some movers prefer to “split the load” or take one customer’s belongings on one day and the other on another. However, if you require a same-day relocation, make that requirement known in advance. Make sure you let your moving company representative know early in the process so they can make the necessary arrangements.

3. Sell Belongings You Purchased Together If Needed

Many couples and even roommates will purchase more expensive items together. For example, you may have jointly purchased the living room furniture.

If you have purchased items together and cannot agree on who will keep them, sell these and split the money. Millennial Money offers many good options for selling used furniture fast, such as listing items on Letgo or Offerup. You can also post items for sale on local classified pages on social media.

4. Use Different Packing Materials for Each Individual

Once you both start packing, using unique packing materials for each individual in the house is wise. For example, you could use white cardboard boxes, and the other individual can use brown packing boxes. Or you could also use two different colors of packing tape so there is no confusion about which carton belongs to what person.

In any case, label each box with the owner’s name to differentiate them. Separate and group the cartons into different areas of the home so that the movers know they must keep them separate.

5. Arrange for Storage

You might find that your new location is temporary or that you don’t have room at your new place for all of your belongings. Check with your moving company about their storage options. They might have the ideal storage options you require.

Schedule Your Moving Day Early to Get the Most Preferred Date

The process of moving and splitting up a household can be labor-intensive. Contact reliable moving companies in advance if you anticipate needing assistance with the relocation. Reach out today to get a no-obligation moving quote to get started.

Inviting people to your new place is a great way to show off your home and meet new people from your new community. Not to mention maintaining friendships with others from your old neighborhood.

Gathering for a fun event, such as a party, has many possibilities. What better way to begin making new memories in a home than to throw a housewarming party?

Let’s look at a few terrific housewarming party themes you might want to consider.

Seasonal Parties

If you’re hard-pressed for a theme to pull your housewarming party together, you can’t go wrong with seasonal parties.

• Spring. Plan a weekend brunch to show off your cooking skills. Decorate with seasonal fresh flowers. If you have a garden patio, it’s the perfect location.
• Summer. Throw yourself a backyard BBQ, have a nighttime bonfire complete with s’mores, or throw a pool party if you have a pool.
• Fall. It’s usually warm enough to throw a “summery” backyard BBQ or, if, towards the end of the month, go with seasonal pumpkins, apples, and similar fall-themed treats.
• Halloween or Thanksgiving. Get into the Halloween spirit with some of these spooky foods and treats.  If you’re beyond Halloween, go for a Thanksgiving theme with seasonal fare, sharing thanks, friendship, and fun.
• Winter. This season brings many possibilities. Decorate festively for Christmas or with a beautiful winter wonderland theme. Secret Santa, cookie decorating, ornament making, or simply cooking or catering seasonal goodies for your guests.

Other ideas for any time of the year include potlucks and inviting your neighbors to share their best dishes, hosting a wine tasting, or holding a formal sit-down dinner for a more intimate, getting-to-know-you evening.

DIY Taco Bar

Taco bars typically hold broad appeal. Set out different fillings (beef, chicken, pork, and vegetarian options), tortillas, and a variety of toppings. For beverages, offer horchata, Mexican beer, and soda. Complete your theme with festive music and decorations.

Game Night

A great way to gather people is to plan a game night with snacks and Hors D’oeuvres. You can break out traditional games, such as Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Yahtzee, Scattegories, or a deck of cards.

Prefer digital? Many companies, such as JackboxGames, sell games able to accommodate big groups. Guests use their smartphones and follow prompts on the TV or a laptop. Great games for big groups (some you may need to rotate players, but even non-players can participate as “audience” players) include Quiplash, Fibbage, or Bracketeering, to name a few.

Dessert Party

Every housewarming party worthy of its name involves food. If you’re not a good cook or don’t have the time or budget to plan a meal for a large group, you can always plan a dessert party. Assemble a table with pastries, doughnuts, pies, cakes, cookies, and other delectable desserts. Complete your theme with coffee, tea, milk, and hot chocolate.

Moving Made Easy!

Housewarming parties are fun to think about, but first, you’ll need to complete your move. By working with a reliable and trustworthy mover, you can get settled in more quickly and get planning your party.

When you’re ready, contact us for a free quote.

Creating a floor plan is an important task you want to tackle before you move into your new place. This way, you know well ahead of your relocation about any adjustments you need to make.

Benefits of a Floor Plan

A floor plan is a multi-purpose document that helps you and your movers. For you, it’ll save money and time, and, for your household movers, an appreciation of not having to figure out where to place heavier, more oversized items upon arrival. Benefits of a floor plan include:

• Ensuring your furniture and other oversized items fit in your new place before you move them.
• Informing your movers of exactly where to place your belongings.
• Saving you time and avoiding unnecessary heaving lifting of items if they don’t fit or look right where you initially placed them.

By taking care of a floor plan ahead of time, you’ll avoid the complications and costs of moving items that won’t fit in your new rooms. Making a floor plan isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Here we’ll list easy steps you can take.

Consider Your Layout

To start, think about the layout of each room in your new house, condo, or apartment. If you prefer a specific layout of your furniture, TV, and other items, sketch where you want your things to go on paper.

If you’re like many people, you might be “locked in” to a specific look and feel, but try to be open. You might be surprised to learn another room arrangement might give you more open space or offer the ability to take advantage of better natural lighting. To aid in your planning, try using a floor plan app.

Take Accurate Measurements

Once you know where your larger items should go, take measurements, not once, but twice. Even if your furniture fits beautifully in your current home, this configuration may not work in your new place.

Add your measurements to your floor mapping to ensure everything fits nicely. If an item doesn’t work, this provides you time to explore other layout configurations or plan to sell, give away, or donate the furniture you won’t be able to bring. In this case, you’ll also have time to look and order new furniture that will fit.

Pro tip: Remember to measure doorways, hallways, stairways, and room entryways to ensure movers can navigate and bring oversized items inside.

Think About the Traffic Flow in Each Room

When planning your rooms, consider the traffic flow in each room. You don’t want to put a recliner chair in the pathway to your dining area or place a big-screen TV in front of a window. Try to create a floor plan that allows your household members to move through each room effortlessly.

Ready to Schedule Your Upcoming Move?

Creating a floor plan sounds complicated, but it’s not as hard as you think. Armed with one, you’ll have a more straightforward moving experience.

If you’ve found a new home and are ready to pick a date, contact our professional movers. We’re happy to answer questions and offer free quotes. Contact us today!

A company’s investment in the building or space where its activities will occur is substantial. This is still the case even if you run a business providing professional services and require an office. 

You have two choices: buy a commercial property or lease an office space. Renting versus buying can be a significant decision that affects numerous aspects of your business going forward. Take a look at a few things to consider as you determine whether buying or leasing an office space is the best plan for your operation.

How is your business anticipated to grow in the future?

The anticipated growth is essential when deciding whether to buy or lease office space. 

Leasing a small space may be fine if you operate a small business. However, leasing may be even more feasible if you expect to add more employees and need more room eventually. It is often more financially logical to lease in the beginning and consider buying once growth has stabilized and you are more confident about what kind of space you will need.

How likely is it that a specific location will be an ideal permanent setting?

One of the biggest reasons businesses relocate is to access customers. Therefore, consider your current customer base and how or if that could change shortly. Relocating your business after you have purchased the office you are using can be more time-consuming and challenging than simply allowing a lease to expire and finding a new place in a new location. If you are sure the area will be an excellent permanent base for your operation, buying may be a more feasible option.

Does your business have the funds to handle property maintenance?

One major perk of leasing office space for businesses with limited cash flow is that property maintenance is often not the tenant’s responsibility. For example, if you lease an office building, the property owner will likely be financially responsible for repairs. However, if you buy that building, those costs will be your responsibility. If your business has a steady cash flow and room in the budget to maintain the property, purchasing an office space could be a viable option.

Can you obtain financing for the investment?

Obtaining financing to purchase real estate that will be used for business purposes comes with its own challenges. Lenders often want to see the following:

• Stable business finances
• Healthy personal finances
• Sustainable business plans
• Property that can hold its value as collateral for the loan

Many small businesses start out leasing a property because obtaining commercial financing can be challenging. Therefore, if you are just getting started, leasing a property until the company is more financially stable may be the only option unless you have private funds.

Get Expert Help with Your Business Relocation Plans

Moving a company requires extensive preparation and the coordination of many moving parts. Therefore, enlisting the aid of an experienced business relocation company can be a critical step in providing support. 

Are you looking to discuss your upcoming relocation plans? Then, contact our team to get started.

Choosing a neighborhood when making a household move is a big decision. Especially if you have children, the community where you live will affect everything from the school they attend to the children they may choose to be friends with.

Finding a neighborhood with the right services and convenient features can help your family find happiness in their new home. Here are some tips for finding the ideal home if you’re looking for a new residence.

Sidewalks and Walkability

Kids need a safe way to walk throughout their neighborhood. Sidewalks give children independence from their parents, making it safe (once they reach a certain age) for them to walk to school, their friends’ houses, and other parts of the neighborhood.

To find a neighborhood where your kids can walk safely, pay attention to the presence of sidewalks when you’re looking at houses. The best sidewalks are wide and easy to traverse, free from damage by tree roots.

You can also check a neighborhood’s walkability by looking up its walk score. A community’s walk score will tell you whether the area you’re considering has good access to public transportation and how far that community is from essential services.

School District

What are the schools like in the community you’re considering? Find out which schools are highly ranked in the town or city you’re considering moving to. Knowing the quality of the schools will help you determine whether the neighborhood you’re viewing will be a good fit for your kids.

Remember that many online websites are dedicated to helping parents find the best schools in the city where they live. Looking up the reviews from parents and people who work at each school can help you make a decision that you and your kids will be happy with for years to come.

Access to Services and Amenities

When you have kids, many services and amenities can come in handy. For example, it might be vital for you to be close to the doctor, dentist, hair stylist, community sports and recreation organizations, and more.

This is especially important if your children are involved in sports and other activities that can take up much of your time. You will only want to spend a little bit of time on the road for essential services if you’re already running your kids around after school to various events. Finding a centrally located home might be ideal for you.

Presence of Other Children

Often, children like to be around other kids. They need friends for their personal happiness and social development. 

To help your child find friends in their new neighborhood, choose a location where many other children live. While it’s not always easy to tell if an area has many children, look for clues like toys in the driveway or scattered around the yard, a basketball hoop in the driveway, kid-sized bikes in the front yard, local playgrounds, park district offerings, and so on.

Prepare For Your Upcoming Relocation

Make your upcoming relocation a positive event for everyone in the family. Hire professional movers to pack your items and safely get them to your new home. Contact us today to get started.

When preparing for a residential move, one essential component is figuring out how to pack all your belongings. If you have high-value items or antiques, you should take extra care with them to ensure they arrive in one piece.

However, while determining the logistics of your move is vital, you may be missing another step — appraisal. If you haven’t considered appraising your valuables before moving them or putting them into a storage unit, now’s the time to set it up. Let’s discuss the appraisal process and why you might consider it.

How to Appraise Items Professionally

Fortunately, you can find professional appraisers online with a quick search and filter by ratings and their proximity to your location. When looking at appraisers, make sure they specialize in the types of belongings they’ll look at. For example, if you’re appraising high-end electronics, you might not want to work exclusively with an antique specialist.

Be sure to contact the appraiser beforehand to discuss the items they’ll be looking at and their condition. The more information you can provide ahead of time, the faster and smoother the appraisal process will be, so you can get back to planning your move.

It’s also a good idea to separate and clean these items before the appraiser arrives. If you’re worried about using harsh chemicals on some belongings, you can wait and ask the appraiser for their recommendation. Most items just require good dusting.

Which Items Should You Appraise Before Moving?

Technically, you could appraise all of your belongings before transporting them, but as a rule, these items are appraised the most often:

• Gold and Jewelry
• Antiques
• Fine Art
• High-End Electronics
• Vintage Collectibles
• Firearms

If you need help deciding what to appraise, consider how much you paid for the item and how much it would cost to replace it if it gets lost, stolen, or damaged during transit. Generally, anything $500 or more is worth an appraisal, but ultimately, it’s up to you what you consider valuable and what you want to attach a dollar value to.

Why Appraise Your Valuables?

There are a couple of reasons to appraise your valuables before moving or shipping them to storage, such as:

• Insurance Claims – You may have property insurance on individual items or hope for your homeowner’s coverage to take care of them. Either way, you need to know how much the item is worth before making a claim.
• Paperwork Protection – If something does happen to your valuables during a move, it may be impossible to determine their worth after the fact. For example, if an item gets stolen, you need proof of ownership and its value when filing a police report. So, appraising your belongings beforehand gives you ample evidence and establishes a paper trail.

Get Moving Help for Your Most Precious Belongings

Work with trusted professional movers if you need assistance with your upcoming move. Contact us to see what moving options we provide.