Category: Moving Tips

Whether you’re deep in the house-hunting process or are just getting started, attending open houses can be a great and low-pressure way to see what’s out there. As you prepare to visit an open house, however, there are some things you should know to look for that might influence your decision to put in an offer.

Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for your residential move.

1. Masked Smells and Odors

When you first walk into the home, make note of any smells that you notice. If the first thing you smell is a strong, artificial scent (such as that from an air freshener or candles), the seller may be trying to mask some underlying odors. This could be odors from pets, moisture issues, or other problems that you’ll want to know about before you buy.

While fragrances and scents aren’t always an indication of a seller trying to mask a foul smell, it’s crucial to enter open houses with a critical eye (and nose!).

2. Neighborhood Issues

When you purchase a home, you’re not just getting the house and the property. You have to live with your neighbors too. While you probably won’t be going door-to-door to meet each neighbor for yourself, you can usually tell quite a bit about a neighborhood by simply driving or walking around the area.

Before or after you attend the open house, consider taking your own little tour of the area. Are the houses nearby well maintained? Do people take pride in their homes? Unfortunately, location can ruin even the most seemingly perfect home.

3. Other Buyers’ Behavior

While attending an open house, be mindful of the rest of the crowd. If the open house is only running for a couple of hours and you’re the only person there, it’s relatively safe to assume that there isn’t much interest in the home. You might wonder if there are underlying problems that have yet to be disclosed or if the home is priced too high.

On the other hand, if there is a large turnout at the open house, this should prepare you for the possibility of a lot of competition. If you decide to put in an offer, consider making it an aggressive one or prepare for a potential bidding war.

4. Signs of Damage

Finally, look out for other signs of damage as you tour an open house. For example, cracks alongside walls and ceilings may indicate underlying foundation problems. Meanwhile, a musty smell might tell you the home has experienced moisture issues, and mold may be lingering somewhere.

Ultimately, you’ll want to have a home inspection done before you close the deal on any property—but being on the lookout for hidden signs of issues early in the process can help you avoid wasting time and stress on homes that have a lot of maintenance issues.

Make Your Next Move a Breeze

Being observant at an open house is a great way to get a better feel for whether a home may be right for you. Once you have had an offer accepted and a closing date set, our team can assist you in getting moved and settled in as soon as possible. Contact us today to request your free moving quote!

You’ve picked a moving date, and now it’s time to get started planning the logistics of your move. Working with a professional household mover is an excellent opportunity to relieve some of the burdens typically associated with a move.

Working with a professional mover makes a move more manageable. Now, you can obtain an in-home virtual moving estimate. Here are some benefits of a virtual moving estimate:

Simple to Complete

Getting a virtual moving quote is as simple as it gets. All you need is a little technology, like your smartphone or tablet, and you’re ready to start. Virtual estimates empower you to receive a quote at a convenient time. Furthermore, it lets the moving company see your home and what they must do on moving day. Your estimator can also get a good look at the volume of belongings to move, helping them to provide you with a precise estimate.

Highly Convenient

Since no travel is involved, you can obtain an appointment quickly and without delay. This means you can schedule an estimate at your convenience at a time that works best for you. In-person appointments may take longer to schedule, and it may be harder for you to juggle other things you have going on.

Easy Communication

When communicating with your moving company, you can receive all electronic communications, including directions on preparing your mobile device and preparing your home before your scheduled virtual appointment. For your convenience, your mover will also typically send you reminders for your estimate appointment.

Saves Time and Allows Flexibility

Setting in-person appointments can be time-consuming for both you and the moving company. Conducting a virtual appointment can be done efficiently and is far quicker than scheduling one or more in-person estimates. If something comes up, rescheduling appointments is also far more effortless. You don’t have to worry as much about last-minute cancellations.

Rapid Results

Since virtual estimates remove the logistical aspects of scheduling appointments to provide quotes, moving companies can give you rapid answers to enable you to have the information you need to make an educated decision. You can set aside an afternoon of virtual appointments and schedule several quotes. Planning in-person estimates may make it difficult to get the number of estimates you want.

Same Quality of Service

When you receive a quote via a virtual appointment, you can expect the same accuracy and service as someone coming to your home. The only difference is that you’re talking via video instead. You’ll still receive the same level of professionalism and service you expect.

Moving Made Easy!

Getting all the details associated with organizing a move involves many moving parts. Virtual estimates greatly simplify the process and allow you to obtain as many quotes as you want with a high level of convenience and accuracy.

Contact us today for a free moving estimate.

Like everyone else, children can feel the effects of a move’s upheaval. As a parent or caregiver, you can take steps to make your upcoming household move more exciting than scary. By listening to and acknowledging their feelings and telling them what to expect, you can help your child feel better about relocating. Here’s what to know about helping your child through their relocation.

1. Take Time to Listen and Acknowledge Their Feelings

Your child may have mixed feelings about leaving home and friends and relocating to a new community. Listening to your child and acknowledging their feelings can help your child feel less alone with these feelings.

Take time to talk to your child about how they’re adjusting. Do quiet activities together (baking, playing games) and ask your child questions while you’re doing it. Ask about their feelings about leaving their old neighborhood, their new home, and their feelings about leaving their friends. If your child doesn’t want to talk, that’s fine. Don’t push them to say things they don’t want to say, but set aside time when they could easily talk to you if they wanted to.

2. Let Your Child Pick Their Room or Style

Help your child get excited about moving to their new house by allowing them to pick their new room. You can still select your primary bedroom, but give your child the option of any other bedrooms in the house. If those options are limited, let them pick a style, theme, or color for their new bedroom.

3. Tell Your Kids What to Expect

Your child will feel better about the relocation if they know what’s coming and when. Communicate with your child about your relocation. Tell your child when the relocation will occur when you’ll start packing, when the moving truck is coming, and other details. Consider marking a calendar that your child has access to so they can see what’s coming in the future. Make it an exciting countdown.

If your child will need to leave school midway through the year, you’ll want to communicate even more. This may be stressful for your child. Giving your child a chance to see their new school, sharing with them about their new teacher, and providing them with other information as they request will help your child feel better prepared for the change.

4. Resume your Routine

After you relocate, try your best to resume your regular schedule quickly. Restoring meals, snacks, naps, and bedtimes becomes more routine. Remember the fun rituals your children enjoy, like bedtime stories, reading time, popcorn and movie night, or evening strolls. Those daily things are what make a house feel like a home.

5. Take Care of Your Needs to Ensure You Can Care For Your Child

Remember to take care of yourself by getting enough sleep and eating well throughout your relocation. Taking care of yourself will help you maintain a positive attitude about your upcoming move, and that will help you find the energy you need to help your child through this challenging time.

Work With the Pros

The less time you spend dealing with your relocation, the more time you can spend helping your child with the realities of moving. Work with an excellent moving company to make this happen. Contact us today to schedule your relocation with a reputable and trustworthy moving company.

Moving day is almost here! All the planning and organizing are about to pay off as you get ready to settle into your new home. Upon arrival, the first thing to do is a complete walkthrough to ensure everything is as it should be and expected. Once you clear this step, you can start on this list of 12 things to do upon arrival.

1. Take Care of Paperwork

Chances are you’ll already have gone through a lot of paperwork by this point, but be sure to read and sign anything left. You may have to sign last-minute documents or agreements for your purchase, rental, or with your residential moving company.

2. Protect Your Floors

Moving, especially in the damp fall or winter, often gets messy. If you are managing a DIY move, plan to cover your floors to protect them from damage. Otherwise, your professional movers will likely ensure they are protected as they move your things in.

3. Let Movers Know Where Items Should Go

Give your movers a list and mark where boxes and furniture items should go. They’ll be happy to place your belongings wherever you prefer, and it’ll save you the stress of having to shuffle everything around once you’re trying to settle in.

4. Unpack First-Night Kit

Be sure to place your suitcases, boxes, or other containers filled with items for your first-night essentials kit, where you can easily access them to unpack.

5. Do a Deep Clean

Ideally, you’ll want to scrub down your new place before bringing in all your possessions. However, this isn’t always possible. If not, plan to do this before you start unpacking boxes.

6. Test Smoke Detectors

To keep everyone in your home safe, check all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you arrive to ensure they work correctly before your household sleeps. This way, you have time to replace batteries or detectors if needed.

7. Make Up the Beds

Once you assemble your beds with sheets, blankets, and pillows, this will help everyone get a good night’s rest – your household members have a lot of work ahead of them!

8. Set Up the Bathroom

Upon arrival, ensure your bathroom has stocked toilet paper, towels, soap, bath mat, and shower liner/curtain.

9. Put Up Window Treatments

Hang up blinds, shades, and curtains so you and your household members have a little privacy as you settle in. This will also help avoid sleep disruption because it’ll block out light pollution or the morning sun.

10. Change House Locks

If you’re renting, you don’t usually have control over this, but if you’ve purchased a home, change the locks. It’s better to be safe than sorry because you won’t know how many copies of your keys the previous owner distributed.

11. Explore your Community

Find out which grocery stores, pharmacies, parks, and restaurants are nearby. Getting settled into a new place is exciting, but exploring the area and meeting the neighbors is also important

12. Other Important Tasks to Place On Your To-Do List

• Child and pet proof (if needed – you’ll want to move this higher on your list if applicable)
• Prioritize repairs and schedule home improvements
• Go grocery shopping
• Assemble non-essential furniture and shelving

Moving Made Easy

Are you planning your move? Our professional movers can help you get the job done efficiently and seamlessly. Contact us today to obtain a free quote!

Assessing your home and looking through your belongings to pack and move to a new location can be overwhelming. If you aren’t careful, the enormity of the task can often lead to procrastination. To help overcome packing procrastination, here are a few tips to help along the way.

Tip 1: Set Clear Goals and Deadlines

The first step in overcoming packing procrastination is to set clear goals and deadlines. Without specific targets, it’s easy to keep postponing the task. Begin by determining your desired move-out date and work backward to create a detailed timeline. Incorporate deadlines that clearly show when you need to complete packing in each home area—having a clear roadmap of what you need to do and when can be a motivating factor to negate procrastination.

Tip 2: Organize

Before packing, do what you can to organize and declutter your belongings. This streamlines the process and helps you decide your essentials. Start with the most straightforward items to declutter, such as old magazines or clothes you no longer wear. Going through this process builds momentum and makes it easier to tackle sentimental items later. If you have stuff you just can’t let go of, consider packing those items together and storing them. Check with your moving company for short- and long-term storage options.

Tip 3: Create a Detailed Daily Packing Schedule

Having a well-structured packing schedule day by day is crucial for you to stay on track and avoid procrastination. Use your original plans to create a checklist of each day’s packing tasks and schedule a session. In other words, decide when your packing tasks must occur, such as between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. or for three hours after breakfast. Set aside dedicated, uninterrupted packing time and eliminate distractions such as your phone or TV during these sessions.

Tip 4: Enlist Help If Needed

The average home contains at least 300,000 items, and this can be an overwhelming amount of stuff to pack. If you have more to contend with than you can reasonably handle, enlist some help. Get other household members on board to pack their own spaces or help with communal areas. Ask friends and relatives to come over to help pack, and offer to buy them dinner for their efforts. It may also be a good idea to look for a full-service moving company that offers packing services.

Tip 5: Visualization and Positive Mindset

Professional athletes, CEOs, and everyday people use positive visualization to help them achieve significant goals. Maintaining a positive mindset and visualizing your completed, organized space can motivate you to conquer packing procrastination. Visualize your desired outcome while acknowledging potential obstacles to boost your motivation. Use positive affirmations like “I am organized and efficient” to reinforce a positive mindset during packing.

Take Another Step in the Right Direction

With a clear plan, you can overcome packing procrastination, making your move efficient and stress-free. Remember, the key is to start early, stay organized, and maintain a positive outlook. Take another step in the right direction by scheduling your professional movers in advance.

Packing up a garage for your household move can be a daunting task. However, with a well-structured plan and some practical tips, you can efficiently tackle this challenge while ensuring safety for yourself and your belongings. Here’s a guide to help you navigate organizing and packing up your garage.

1. Begin by Preparing and Sorting Items

Before diving into packing, start by sorting through your garage items. Decide what to keep, what to donate or sell, and what to discard. This step reduces clutter and ensures that you only pack things you truly need in your new space. 

2. Give Your Stuff a Cleaning

Clean the messy items first to avoid getting dust and dirt on your other belongings. Pay attention to your lawn mower, garden tools, patio furniture, bicycles, and grill.

3. Grab Essential Supplies and Safety Measures

Gather the necessary packing supplies for the garage, including sturdy boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and packing paper. Remember safety gear such as gloves and goggles to protect yourself while handling tools, chemicals, and equipment that could pose a safety risk.

4. Use Efficient Packing Strategies

When packing, prioritize items in the garage based on their frequency of use. This can be especially important if you start packing your garage a while before moving day. Pack seldom-used items first and keep regularly used tools accessible until the last moment. This way, you won’t have to dig through packed boxes to find what you need before you get moved.

5. Watch Out for Hazardous Materials

If your garage contains hazardous materials like chemicals, paints, or fuel, handle them carefully. Store these items in their original containers and follow safety guidelines for disposal and transportation. Check with your moving company to determine what items they do not allow on the moving truck. Here are some of the things movers can not take. 

• Fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Oil
• Gas
• Paint
• Propane tanks
• Unused charcoal
• Anti-freeze
• Car batteries
• Paint thinner
• Pool chemicals

Find ways to responsibly dispose of these and other items before you pack. 

6. Use Teamwork for Heavy Items

For heavy and bulky items, like large power tools or machinery, enlist help so you are not lifting heavy objects on your own. Teamwork makes the job more manageable and reduces the risk of injury. For reference, the general recommendation for lifting a single item alone is to keep the weight at about 51 pounds or below. Also, always use proper lifting techniques to protect your back.

7. Follow Labeling and Inventory Best Practices

Label boxes “GARAGE” so your movers know to take special care with these boxes. Label all sides of each box with its contents and where it should go in your new garage. Creating an inventory list can also help you keep track of all your items. Labeling and inventorying your garage as you pack also simplifies the unpacking process.

8. Securing Tools and Equipment

The typical garage can have a lot of sharp objects and equipment with a lot of removable pieces. Secure your tools and equipment by removing any detachable parts or accessories and packing them separately. Additionally, ensure sharp objects like saw blades are well protected to prevent accidents during transport.

Transition to the Next Chapter with the Help of Professional Movers

Following these steps and staying organized, you can efficiently pack up your garage for your upcoming move. Need help getting to the next chapter in your new home? Reach out for a free moving quote to get started.

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.