Moving 101
Figuring out all the right things to do when you’re planning a move can be difficult. There are ways to make the move easier and more manageable, but if this if your first move you may have the find these out through trial and error. Save yourself the time and trouble by following a couple of quick and easy tips. With these Moving 101 tips you will be packed, moved, and unpacked in no time at all.
1. Set a moving date. One of the first orders of business when you decide to move is to set a moving date. This way you can start calling moving companies to see if they are available. It will also give you a good idea about how much time you have for packing. You can start calling friends and family to see if they are available to help.
2. Interview and hire movers. Before you choose a moving company you should always take the time to interview them first. Start by checking availability and then always ask for references. A good company like Boyer- Rosene should be able to provide you with all the answers you need to your basic moving questions.
3. Start packing right away. It is never too early to start packing! Even if your moving day is months away you can start on the closets, basement, and garage. The earlier you start packing the easier the move will be in the end. You can start by doing as little as a half an hour’s worth of packing each day to get you going in the right direction.
4. Get help on moving day. You should always ask for extra hands on your moving day. Even with movers doing most of the heavy lifting you will need help with last minute packing, organizing and cleaning. If you have children or pets you can also use help watching them while the movers are there. Ask friends and family to pitch in or you can hire help too.
5. Set up a plan for unpacking. Many people forget all about unpacking! After the moving company leaves you will find your new home cluttered with boxes, furniture, and packing materials. Get a little extra help sorting of it and putting the right boxes in the right rooms. It’s a good idea to focus on the most important items first such as unpacking kitchen supplies so you can cook and making up the beds.
What to leave behind on your international move
Most people think that when they are planning to move everything in their home will be coming with them. This might be true of most things but for an international move it is time to think about leaving some items behind! Since the items you will be moving during an international move will be either shipped or flown (instead of driven on a moving truck) there are limits to what your movers will pack for you. Here are some items you should plan to leave behind during an international move.
1. Large furniture. Though experienced moving companies such as Boyer- Rosene will certainly move any sized furniture you have overseas, you may want to rethink that giant china hutch. Large and heavy furniture will be very difficult and expensive to move. It is also more likely to get broken. Instead, think about storing the furniture until you return. You could also have a family member or friend take care of it for you.
2. Plants and flowers. Unless you have a very special reason for carting love plants across the ocean it is simply not a good idea to move your plants and flowers. Moving companies won’t take them even for a domestic move. They don’t travel well at all and can often bring bugs, dirt, and debris around to the other items. You can carry on a plant or flower during your flight but it will be messy and often the plant doesn’t do well. Give your plants and flowers away to someone who will take good care of them and buy new ones in your new home.
3. Easy to replace items. Instead of spending a ton of time packing easy to find and replace items such as plastic garbage cans, cleaners, and household items you can easily just leave them behind and purchase new ones overseas. Do a little research to find out where you can purchase these items in your new home and how difficult they will be to obtain.
4. Valuables and family heirlooms. Unfortunately when you move anywhere, especially internationally, things will get lost, stolen, or broken. If you have very special, expensive, or irreplaceable items you might want to consider leaving them behind. You can get a storage unit, a safety deposit box, or have a friend or family member take care of them for you.
5. Seasonal items and clothing. Instead of carting your entire closet abroad you can figure out what clothing you will need.
Hold a Moving Day Yard Sale
A yard or garage sale that is just for moving is a little different than a regular yard sale. Of course you want to make a little extra money, but the main goal of having a garage or yard sale before your moving day is to get rid of the clutter. The less stuff you have to pack and take with you the more time and money you will save in the end! One of the first things you should do is try to schedule your yard sale a good month or more before your move. This way you will know how much is leftover to pack up and you’re still giving yourself plenty of time to pack. Here are a couple more tips on moving day yard sales.
1. Clear out all the clutter first. Go through every closet, drawer, and the basement to get rid of anything you haven’t used in a year. If it looks like it’s in good condition- sell it!
2. Decide if you or the movers are packing. Many moving companies like Boyer- Rosene will do the packing for you for a higher fee. If this is your plan you may be able to save big bucks but paring down how much packing you need to do. Factor this in when you are planning what to sell in your yard sale.
3. Is storage an option? Consider how much room you will have to your new home for storage. Are there basements or attics? Lots of storage space? If not you may have to get rid of many things or think about getting a storage unit.
4. Plan to donate anything left over. Whatever you put out in the yard sale doesn’t go back into the house. Remember, this yard sale is about getting rid of items! Plan on having the rest of the unsold items packed up and taken to donate or toss.
5. Offer goods for bargain prices at the end. When the last couple hours are approaching it’s time to sell, sell, sell! Offer super low prices for everything in an attempt to get rid of it all. You won’t be taking anything with you so accept whatever price is offered. Think of how much time and money you’ll save packing and moving!
Help Your Pets With Moving Day
Moving can be tough on everyone in the household and that includes your pets! If you are planning to move this year and are taking your pets along you should know that it can often be a stressful and scary time for pets. They can act out by regressing in their training, refusing to eat or play, or simply becoming over stimulated. There are ways to make the move easier for your pets though. You can help to keep the environment as calm and soothing as possible during the chaos of the move. Here are some other tips to help your pet with moving day.
1. Leave one room alone. When you’re busy with all the packing and organizing your old home tends to get a bit messy and disheveled. This can be very distressing to a pet that is used to things being the same way. To help with matters, keep one room in your home the same so your pet will feel safe and familiar.
2. Keep your pet on their regular routine. Pets also can get very stressed out when their routines are off. They are creatures of habit and do best when they eat, sleep, and are played with at the same time every day. Even with all the moving craziness, do your best to keep your pet on their regular schedule.
3. Introduce them to their new environment early. One way to keep your pet from getting upset when you move into your new home is to show him the environment before you actually move. A week or so before the move take your pet over to the new home. Allow them to sniff around the home and the yard and get used to the new sights, smells, and sounds. This will make the transition easier for everyone.
4. Have a friend or family member watch them on moving day. It can be difficult for you, the movers, and your pet when moving day arrives. Do yourself and them a favor and try to keep them away from the movers from Boyer- Rosene and all the moving day chaos. Ask a family member to watch them for the day or consider boarding them for the afternoon until the movers are finished.
5. Designate one room for your pet. When you move into your new home make one of the rooms just for your pet. This will help them get used to the home faster and they will feel like they have one safe environment to go to.
5 Steps to Easy Packing
Packing is often considered the most difficult and time consuming chore when it comes to moving. There must be a way to make packing easier, right? One way is to read this article! You can find all kind of little tips to help you streamline your packing and make it a breeze. Whether you’re moving tomorrow or in 6 months you should read on and find ways to help you make packing easy as pie.
1. Start early. One of the best ways to make packing easy is to start the process as early as possible. If you start packing right away you’ll have time to sort, organize, and pare down your belongings. This means there will be less stuff to pack! It will save you tons of time and money in the end. Plus you won’t be packing like a crazed homeowner the night before.
2. Throw a packing party. If you’re looking for a fun way to gather friends together and get your packing done think about throwing a packing party. You serve wine, cheese, and dessert and have friends stop by and help you back a box or two. Keep the party festive and fun and you’ll be packed up in no time!
3. Buy good packing materials. Nothing is worse than having to repack a box because your last one broke Invest in good, sturdy packing materials and you won’t have to worry about doing anything twice. You can get them pretty cheap online so plan ahead!
4. Label all your boxes. You’ll save tons of time and money in the long run if you label and color code all your boxes. Label them with the room you want your belongings in and if there are multiple people in the house you can add the person’s name too (this works great for roommates). You’ll be able to remember what’s already been packed and which rooms you need to work on. Also, the movers will be able to place the right boxes in the right room, which saves you hauling time when you’re trying to unpack!
5. Ask the movers for assistance. If you really find yourself in a packing bind you can always hire the movers at Boyer- Rosene to do the packing for you. Most moving companies will pack up all your belongings for a fee. This will make the packing process quick and easy and they’ll likely do a much more professional job than your friends.
Dealing with lost items when moving
Dealing with lost or damaged items is a very unfortunate side of moving but it does happen from time to time. Even the best moving companies like Boyer- Rosene have accidents from time to time and if you’re planning on moving in the near future you should be prepared for anything that might happen. You don’t want a lost or damaged item to ruin your day and there are steps you can take to insure that the problem is taken care of with the moving company. Here are the steps to take if you believe an item is missing or has been damaged during your move.
1. Search through all your boxes. Before you panic and start calling your moving company about those boxes of vintage books you should double check that it’s actually missing. Sometimes a box or item gets misplaced, or put in the wrong room in your home. Go through everything, even boxes you have labeled in case something was mislabeled. Once you’re sure the item is gone you can move onto the second step.
2. File a loss or damage claim with the moving company. Call the moving company and inform them that something from your move is missing or damaged. You will want to file a claim with them and they should inform you of their policies. You will need the name of your movers, the date and time of the move, and any other information you can give them.
3. Call your insurance company. After you’ve filed your claim give your insurance company a call. They can tell you what steps to take to file an insurance claim for the cost of the item. Give yourself plenty of time to answer questions for this phone call. If the item in question is damaged you should take photos of the damage for documentation.
4. Be prepared (insurance and photos). One way to deal with a lost or damaged item is to be prepared before it happens. Get moving insurance to protect yourself, talk to the movers about their policies for accidents, and have a list and photos of all your items in case something happens.
5. Consider moving valuable items yourself. If you have items that cannot be replaced or are very valuable or fragile, consider moving them yourself. This will insure that nothing bad happens during your move!
Moving on a budget
If you’re planning to move this year you’ve probably already started looking into hiring movers, buying boxes, packing materials and getting mover’s insurance. The costs can add up really quickly! There’s no way around it, moving is expensive and in these belt tightening times you need to save every penny. There are ways to cut costs though and keep your moving budget to a minimum. If you need to save extra money while moving this year, here are a few tips to help you out.
1. Consider alternatives to movers. Hiring a good and reputable moving company like Boyer- Rosene is always the best way to go, but if your budget won’t allow it you can consider some alternatives. One way is to hire a moving van and do the move yourself. By asking for help from friends and family you can do a small move like into a college dorm or an apartment relatively easy by yourself. I wouldn’t recommend this for a large move though. If you still are over budget with a moving company try asking about discounts for off peak days and seasons to see if you can negotiate a lower rate.
2. Do the packing yourself. One big way to save money is to hire movers to do the actual moving but not the packing. You can save hundreds of dollars but doing the packing yourself. It will shave hours off your move and save bug bucks.
3. But packing materials online. Don’t waste your money buying packing materials from the moving company or big chain stores. You can get massive discounts buying boxes, packing materials, and wrapping paper online. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time for it to be shipped.
4. Ask the moving company about insurance. If you don’t have extra money to spend on moving insurance you can ask the moving company if they offer a policy. Or ask what is covered automatically, it may be enough for you and your belongings.
5. Pare down your belongings. The less you have to pack and move the less it will cost you. Spend a couple afternoons paring down your closets, basements, and attics. Get rid of everything you haven’t used or seen in a year. You can hold a garage sale to sell off unwanted items and make a little extra towards your moving expenses! Anything else can be donated or tossed.
Moving valuable items
Moving day is fast approaching and you’re probably up to your ears in packing, boxes, bubble wrap, and moving companies. It can be hard to get everything done in such a short amount of time. For many people packing is the most difficult part of the moving process. If you’ve started buying your boxes and packing materials like labels and packing tape then you’re on the right track. But what if you have specialty items that need to be packed and moved? Items that are expensive, fragile, one of a kind, or have sentimental value often pose problems for people when they are moving. No one wants to have sleepless nights worrying over their priceless artwork or family photos. Here are some tips on moving specialty items.
1. Consider crating for artwork. If you have artwork to move, especially if it’s in frames, you will want to spend a little more time and care on moving these items. You should never wrap an oil painting in regular paper as it will stick to the paper and ruin the painting. If you are moving a frame with glass be sure and put an X of tape across the glass to help keep it fr4om shattering. Always wrap everything in bubble wrap and buy a special crate or frame box.
2. Bundle your fragile items together. The right way to pack up fragile items is by bundling them together. Make sure to put packing paper around each item so they don’t crash together or chip each other. Then bundle 4 or 5 plates together and wrap in more packing paper. Always place dishes on their side and fill in any holes in the boxes so the items won’t move while in transition.
3. Wrap furniture in pads. For any furniture you’re moving, including TV’s and electronics, you should always wrap them in quilted furniture pads. This will keep the furniture from bumping into other items and causing damage, cracks, or nicks. If you have the original boxes for your electronics it’s a good idea to repack the items to keep them as safe as possible during your move. If you don’t have the original box consider buying a specialty box and wrapping it with bubble wrap or padded paper.
4. Consider moving items yourself. If the items are very valuable or difficult to pack for a Boyer- Rosene moving truck you may want to consider moving the item yourself. You can pack it up in your car (or even have a friend hold it in their lap for quick drives) and transport it to your new home without worrying about packing or dealing with the movers.
5. Ask moving company for advice. If you’re truly stuck on the best way to pack up a fragile item give your moving company a call. They can often offer advice on the right way to pack something.
When Should I Start Packing?
No matter how far away or close your move seems it can be really hard to know the right time to start packing. Obviously you can’t pack up your entire home weeks before you move; you still have to live there after all. You also don’t want to create more chores and stress for yourself by packing up items you will need before the move. No one wants to be rummaging around in their boxes before the movers from Boyer- Rosene even show up! The best way to start packing is to begin right away, but start out slowly. Here are some good tips to get you started.
1. 6-8 weeks before- start sorting. Before you can properly pack anything you need to sort through your belongings and decide what goes and what stays. Since this can be done anytime it’s best to do it as soon as you can, really as soon as you know you’re going to be moving. You can do a little bit each day so it won’t feel like so much work.
2. 4 weeks before- garage sale, donations, throw away. Now that you’ve finished sorting it’s time to really pare down the items you need and want to take with you. This is a great time to hold a garage sale and sell off all those items you didn’t even know were still in your closet. Anything that doesn’t sell take it to a donation place or toss it in the trash. You will be grateful not to have so much to pack and unpack!
3. 2 weeks before- start packing out of the way places. This is the perfect time to get packing! With the move only a couple weeks away you should be working on your closets, attics, basements, and other out of the way places. This way you can focus your time and energy on the bigger rooms when it gets closer to moving day. You also won’t notice any of these items are missing.
4. 1 week before- start on the main rooms. Time is getting closer and you don’t have too much to do thanks to all your good planning! Now is the time to pack everything but the bare essentials. Make sure you get the right boxes for the kitchenware, breakables, clothing, and small and big items.
5. Last few days. Unfortunately at this point you might feel like you’re living out of a box yourself. I would suggest packing a small suitcase with the items you need for a week or so and pack up everything else.
Moving Out Checklist
Whether you’re leaving an apartment, condo, house, or dorm there are certainly things you need to accomplish before you fully move out. Many of these things will be stated in your lease or you can ask your real estate agent if you have one. It’s important that you focus some of your time and energy on getting your former home in the best possible shape it can be before you leave it. This can help you get your security deposit back or to help sell or rent the home after you are gone. Aside from all the packing and moving, take a few minutes to check out this list of things to do before you go!
1. Check the fine print. If you have a lease, real estate agent, or anything like that you should definitely read it before moving out. They often inform you what is expected before the move like how much to clean, what items should be removed, and more. You can also call and find out what you need to move and clean before the movers at Boyer-Rosene arrive.
2. Start cleaning! This is one of the most important tasks for when you vacant your old home. You can decide whether or not to hire a cleaning crew to clean the entire home or you can do it yourself. Many landlords will simply charge a cleaning fee but make sure you discuss this with them before you leave. It’s also a good idea to make sure your new home is being properly cleaned before you move in.
3. Check the outside areas. If you have basements, a back yard, garage, shed, or any other structure that is outside the house it’s a good idea to double check before you leave. Many items can be left behind such as tools, car equipment, toys, etc. Have a friend help you if you are too overwhelmed or busy.
4. Make sure you forward your mail. This is another thing people often forget. Even if you have changed your mailing address with the post office all the mail doesn’t always get forwarded. It’s a good idea to leave a self addressed, stamped envelope with directions to the new owners to forward any of your mail. If you are living nearby you can even offer to pick it up.
5. Check and double check all the closets and spaces in your home. There’s nothing worse than losing something you value in the move. Go through the house on final time before leaving and make sure you check the laundry room, closets, drawers, etc. It’s worth the extra effort!