Quality Moving Tips
From the experts at Moving Stars
1. Do your research
Not all moving companies treat customers the same way, have the same billing practices, employ the same techniques and carry the same coverage. Imagine, you’ve just arrived at your new home and the moving company has a padlock on the van and thousands of dollars of extra charges that they say you have to pay before getting your things back. Yuck. A Moving Stars, we don’t believe in hidden charges or in depriving you access to your belongings. We use a simple hourly rate is the lowest in the country and never pack on extra fees because “there was more to this job than we expected.” Big Hint: Large faceless companies do this ALL the time.
2. Book As Early as Possible
When it comes to moving, it truly is the early bird that gets the worm. Especially if you’re planning on moving during the summer, most booking companies become totally booked up by mid June. Why give yourself the added stress of a last-minute move failure, when you can call us today or 2 to 3 months before your scheduled move date for a time that fits your needs.
3. Collect Moving Materials or Schedule a Full Service Move
Buying boxes from a moving store is very expensive as is packing tape, shrink wrap, Styrofoam, etc. Start collecting moving materials if you plan on using your own several months before the moves there’s adequate time to gather everything you’ll need:
● Boxes
○ Fragile Item Dividers
○ Wardrobe
○ Large Boxes for Light Items
○ Small Boxes for Heavy Items
● Packing Materials
○ Newspaper
○ Shrinkwrap
○ Bubblewrap
○ Styrofoam “peanuts”
● Tape
○ Clear Packing Tape, Not Duct Tape or Masking
● Sharpies for labeling
● Protective Wrap for furniture
● Bags
○ Keep cords and electronics separated
4. Pack Rarely Used Items early
It might seem silly packing a few months in advance, but if you’re like us, there’s lots of stuff laying around the house but you don’t use on a regular basis. For example, if it’s winter-start packing your summer clothes that you don’t wear and pool gear. Or start in a room that you don’t spend much time in. You’ll be glad that you started early when you’ll save valuable time closer to move day.
5. Pre-move purge
Lily is the perfect time to get rid of junk that you collected over the years. If you haven’t you something in about a year and it doesn’t have sentiments of value, it’s okay to get rid of it. You might find it easiest to go through each storage space twice. The first time around go ahead and get rid of the obvious things. The second time around, closer to the move, you’ll feel a lot better about letting stuff go. Try it!
If you’re getting rid of stuff you think others might enjoy try one of these methods:
● Moving Sale – Extra cash for you!
● Donate your items to goodwill – Many national thrift stores will come to your home to collect goods – saving you the gas and time!
6. Notify Friends/Utilities/Post Office of Your Move
Don’t forget to have all your utilities disconnected by the time you move out of your home or business. The post office will also want to know of your new address and offers a nearly free Millfording service for a three-year. Also, make sure your children’s school knows of the move to send vaccine and educational records. Lastly, make sure you let your friends know so they don’t show up to an empty house with no way to reach you!
7. Plan Meals to Use Up Food in the Cupboard
Save yourself the pain of giving away perfectly good food by planning meals that use what you have. You can be extra inventive here combining ingredients that might not go together in your normal dinner plans. Might we recommend casserole?
8. Heavy Items in Small Boxes. Light Items in Big Boxes
It might seem counterintuitive, but it’ll save your back and prevent box breakage down the road. Always use clear, specifically designed packing tape is it has the best adhesion to cardboard. Books are the most typical culprit here. Even a few can quickly add up to quite a load! As a general rule, keep boxes below 50 pounds maximum and below 30 pounds whenever you can
9. Label Label Label
We can’t stress this enough. Accurate and consistent labeling makes placing boxes in your home much easier. If the contents of the box are fragile, be sure to label that as well as well hope you and our movers know when to take a little extra care. If moving glassware or sensitive electronic equipment, also including an arrow showing the correct orientation for the box.
10. Hire a Trustworthy Company
We know that moving is neither stress-free nor inexpensive. That’s why Moving Stars, Inc. is dedicated to making your experience as pleasant and affordable as possible. When you choose a trustworthy company like Moving Stars, you can rest assure that all your belongings will arrive safely under professional care with absolute coverage. Call us today to experience the difference!