Month: May 2019

You’ve signed the contracts, you’ve planned how to use each room, and you’re looking forward to moving into your new home. If you miss one of the many details that moving requires, it will put a serious damper on the fun.

It might not be as exciting as choosing paint colors, but setting up utilities for a new house is an essential step. Where do you start and what do you need to know?

Here’s your handy guide.

Setting Up Utilities for a New House

The last thing you want to do is forget about your utilities and show up to a new home with no power. Here are the primary services you need to consider.

Gas and Electric

Depending on your home’s power source, you’ll need to set up your gas, electric, or both. Ask your property manager or real estate agent who the providers are for your new house.

If you’ve never had an account with this particular provider before, they may request a utility deposit. The deposit is usually a few hundred dollars that they retain as good faith money. They credit it to your bill after a set number of months.

You may be able to avoid a deposit by getting a letter of good standing from your previous power company. This process can take time, though.

Start the process of setting up your power a few weeks before your local or long-distance move, so you have time to complete all these steps.

Water and Sewer

Your new home’s city will most likely handle the water and sewer. Call them a month before your move to set up your account because it’s not always a quick process.

If your new home is an apartment or townhome, you also need to find out how the water is metered. Does each unit have a separate meter or do they add the whole building’s water together and divide it among the units?

Cable and Internet

While most utilities can be hooked up with a quick phone call, your cable and internet may be a different story. You’re likely to need an installation appointment. To make sure you can get the time frame you need, call about a month in advance.

Keep in mind that you probably only have one or two options for cable and internet providers. Your real estate agent or property manager will be able to tell you what they are.

Trash Pick-Up

Depending on your new home, your trash and recycling pick-up may be the apartment complex or homeowners association’s responsibility.

In other cases, your city or village works with a waste management company to collect trash and recyclables. Contact your city hall to find out if your city handles this arrangement.

Other times it’s your responsibility to subscribe to a local refuse service. If that’s true for your home, it’s a good idea to ask your real estate agent who the primary providers are. You may be able to call around for price comparison.

Getting Your New Home Ready

As excited as you are for your new home, it won’t be nearly as thrilling if it doesn’t have power, running water, or entertainment available. Use the list above for setting up utilities for a new house, so you have everything ready in advance.

Need help with moving to your new home? Call our skilled movers to work out the details.

Almost all of us have experienced the stress of a big move in our lives. And if you’re stressed out, just imagine what your canine pal is going through.

Moving can be a major cause of stress and anxiety in pets as well as humans. This can cause loss of sleep and appetite and other distressed behaviors. As a loving pet owner, of course, you don’t want to see your pooch stressed out.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of helpful tips for your furry friend. Here are some of the top ways to relieve your dog’s anxiety after a move.

1. Keep their old toys around

Dogs don’t like to break from their normal schedule. They like to maintain their habits and see the people and places that they know. Needless to say, moving can be a source of stress.

One good countermeasure to this is to arrange their new space in a similar manner to their old space. Putting their toys, bed, and things the way they were is a good way to put their mind at ease.

2. Show the dog around

Once you’ve arranged everything like their old space, take them around the house and let them explore.

It may take some time to adjust so give them some space.

Allow them to sniff around the house and get a feel for the layout and familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Let them go at their own pace

Do this a few times a day for the first couple of days and your dog will make the new house their home in no time.

3. Keep your old routines

As mentioned, dogs don’t like to break from their normal schedule. They like to be fed and walked at their regular hour.

This is why it’s important to set a routine early on following the move. The closer to their old routine the better.

Walking, feeding, and playing with them at regular times can greatly reduce the stress they feel during the chaos of a move.

This may be a bit difficult to do during moving time but it’s one of the most important things for your dog.

4. Exercise patience

Moving can be a lot to put a dog through. That’s why it is important to exercise patience with your dog during the process. Perhaps even a little more than usual.

It’s not unusual for pets’ behavior to change a bit following an event like a move. Don’t be alarmed if there’s extra kibble leftover in their bowl or they seem more anxious than usual. They may even have a few accidents in the first several days of living in the new place.

Be sympathetic and patient, especially the first night. It’s probably been years since your dog slept anywhere other than your old house.

Tips for Reducing Your Dog’s Anxiety After a Move

Make sure you give your pooch some extra attention during the moving process. They can experience just as much stress as you and you’ll have to be there to help them manage it.

If you’re looking for a reliable moving company to help you and your pet’s relocation, contact us today.

MOVING A BUSINESS? FOCUS ON THESE THINGS TO MAKE YOUR MOVE GO SMOOTHLY.

Packing up and moving a business is a stressful endeavor. It can be expensive as well as disrupt normal operations. 

As an employee, if you want to help your company relocate, follow our set of tips we’ve put together. It’ll help your company and ensure that everything you need to do your job gets there in one piece.

Commercial relocation can be costly. Whether it’s to another state or even just down the street. Here’s how you can make the process go just a bit more smoothly and easier on everybody.

Familiarize Yourself with the Plan

Communication is a crucial part of a business and in the midst of a move is no different. Familiarize yourself with the plan during a move and make sure you and your peers know your role. What’s being left behind? Are you taking the furniture with? Is anything being replaced in the process?

Ensure you know what’s going on. Know who’s responsible for what. Who’s packing what, what’s getting discarded, what’s the timeline, what are the deadlines.

File Cabinets

If you’re the one responsible for the file cabinets, find out your company’s retention policy. You don’t want to get rid of any files you’re meant to hang on to.

Sorting and staying organized is an important part of this job. You’ll likely have three piles: file you’re taking with, ones you’re shredding, and those you can recycle. Getting rid of redundant or unnecessary files is an important part of the process since it can cut costs during the move and make unpacking and setting up a much easier process.

Packing Up Your Own Desk

Packing up your own space is obviously a very important part of the move. Go through every drawer and wrap anything that’s fragile in bubble wrap or packing paper. Don’t put off packing either. Be conscious of your deadlines and make sure you’re on schedule.

Don’t forget to label your boxes and clearly mark who it belongs to so you can avoid any confusion.

The Computers

The moving company your business hired should provide a set of instructions on how to properly pack and protect your computer. Follow these directions carefully. You don’t want to damage expensive equipment like that.

Before you begin the process, backup your data. Take out all disks and drives before the movers get there.

Follow Directions

Your boss and movers should hopefully provide a specific set of instructions for your move.

Follow these carefully and be mindful of the set timelines. Contact your supervisor right away with any questions or concerns you or your peers have.

Working together is a crucial part of a successful move.

Make Yourself Useful

We hope these tips have been useful to you and your upcoming office move. A move is a great time to step up and be a leader for your team. 

For help on your move, contact Arrow Moving & Storage today!