Category: Moving Tips

Having a baby is a significant life change, but having to move soon after the new bundle of joy arrives can feel overwhelming. Nevertheless, you can easily manage a household move with an infant with a few tips. Look at a few helpful tips when relocating with an infant.

Before You Go: Preparing Your Baby and Your Home for the Move

Getting prepared for the transition in advance will make moving simpler. Be sure you save packing all the baby’s things for last, so they are easily accessible until moving day. Additionally, take the time to label everything clearly so you can easily find what you need in the new place. Lastly, pack a separate bag or suitcase with all the essentials your baby will need during the move, including diapers, wipes, formula or breastmilk, snacks, toys, and a change of clothes. It is a good idea to keep more in this cache of supplies than what you would keep in a usually packed diaper bag. Keep this bag easily accessible throughout the journey.

On the Move: Making Traveling with Your Infant Easier

Traveling with an infant can always pose a few additional challenges. If your move will have you traveling a long distance, a few tips to keep in mind along the way include:

1. Plan for Pit Stops: Plan for frequent breaks to feed, change, and get in some cuddling time. Look for rest stops with family-friendly facilities where you can comfortably tend to your little one’s needs.
2. Comfort is Key: Create a cozy environment for your baby during the journey. Pack their favorite blankets, toys, and a familiar pacifier to help soothe them on the road if they get fussy.
3. Stay Flexible: Be prepared for unexpected delays or detours along the way by allowing extra time for travel. Traveling with a baby requires flexibility, so be ready to go with the flow and adapt to whatever challenges arise.

New Beginnings: Helping Your Baby Adapt to a New Home

Once you have made the primary transition to the new home, some work may still be left to help your little one adapt. Set up your baby’s nursery or sleeping area as soon as possible after moving in. A familiar and comfortable space will help them feel secure in their new surroundings. Additionally, stick to your baby’s established routines for feeding, sleeping, and playtime as much as possible. Consistency will provide a sense of stability during this period of change. While there may be some unavoidable bumps in the usual routine, the closer you can stick to the typical, the more secure your baby will feel.

Plan Your Transition with the Help of Professional Movers

Whether heading out on a long-distance move or relocating to a new neighborhood, remember to take it one step at a time and prioritize your baby’s comfort and well-being throughout the journey. To ensure your load is lighter, work with a professional moving company to help you handle the logistics so you can focus on the most important. Contact us for a free quote.

With more than 65 million households in America owning at least one dog, people will likely have to relocate with their furry friend. While some dogs can go through a residential move and change of scenery without any distress, others can be much more finicky about the process.

Moving can take extra planning and care if your pup falls into the latter group. Look at a few tips to keep your picky, easily distressed canine comfortable during your move.

Planning Ahead: Strategies for Pre-Move Pet Preparation

Arrange a caregiver for your dog before the move. On the day of the move, having a designated family member to hang out with your nervous pooch can be helpful. In some cases, this may mean that the person may not be involved with other aspects of the day, such as packing boxes or helping to move furniture, but the sacrifice will be well worth it.

A nervous dog is bound to get even more antsy when its surroundings are being dismantled, the humans are involved in a lot of motion and commotion, and there are strangers (movers) in the house to help. A designated caregiver will ensure the dog can be removed from alarming areas of the house and given attention as needed to keep it comfortable.

Making the Move Stress-Free: Tips for Traveling with Your Dog

If your dog is alarmed by traveling or has motion sickness, discuss this with your veterinarian before moving day. Your vet may recommend or prescribe medications or calming supplements to keep the dog calm during transport.

Be sure to invest in a dog crate to keep your pet contained and keep you safe while driving. A scared dog can pose a hazard to whoever is driving and others in the vehicle simultaneously.

Fetch Find offers a good list of tips to help when traveling with an anxious dog, such as conditioning your pet with short drives in advance and avoiding feeding just before a car ride.

Pack Essentials to Have On Hand

Prepare an essentials kit for your dog so the crucial items are readily available throughout the move. These ensure your dog’s comfort and well-being during the transition. Include:

• Food
• Collapsible bowls
• favorite toys and blankets 
• Medications 
• Medical records
• Identification tags 
• Leash and harness 
• Poop bags 
• First aid kit 

Home Sweet Home: Setting Up a Familiar Environment in Your New Place

Before transitioning your pet to the new home, take the initiative to make the location feel more like home. Dogs can be highly sensitive to smells, visuals, and even sounds. Therefore, addressing these elements in the space could be a good idea before introducing your pet.

For example, prepare a room in the house with something unwashed that smells like your family’s home. Bring in a few pieces of furniture or visual elements, such as a dog bed or a few toys. While noise may be beyond your control, you may be able to mask sounds or mimic the sounds of your former home. For instance, if you consistently watch a particular TV show, make sure this show is playing on the TV when the dog enters for the first time.

Get Professional Moving Help and Focus on Every Family Member

Moving is a significant transition, and dogs can have difficulty understanding the change. When you have four-legged family members to focus on during the move, having professional movers on your team can make things even more manageable. Contact us to discuss your moving needs.

A whirlwind of emotions often accompanies moving day as you prepare to say goodbye to your current home and embark on a new chapter of life. Acknowledging and understanding these feelings is essential for navigating the emotional rollercoaster of a household move. However, it can be easy to get so caught up in the emotional aspects of the move that it becomes difficult to handle the logistical applications of the process. Look at a few things to remember as you face a challenging move.

Acknowledging and Understanding the Feelings

Before the moving trucks arrive, take some time to reflect on the emotions you’re experiencing. Whether it’s sadness, excitement, anxiety, or a mix of everything, know that it’s perfectly normal to feel various emotions during this transition. By recognizing and accepting these emotions, you can process them more effectively. By contrast, trying to push them aside can sometimes lead to feeling more overwhelmed later on.

Supporting Each Other Through the Emotional Rollercoaster

Moving affects everyone in the family differently, so supporting each other through the ups and downs is essential. Openly discuss your feelings and listen to each other without judgment. As you navigate this emotional journey together, lean on your loved ones for comfort and encouragement. It may first seem like some household members are handling the change better than others. However, you may realize through open dialogue that you all feel the same emotions. This realization can make it easier to support one another as you move forward.

Documenting the Relocation Through Photos and Videos

One way to commemorate your time in your current home is by capturing memories through photos and videos. Take snapshots of your favorite rooms, memorable moments, and cherished belongings. Creating a digital or physical album of these memories can bring comfort and remind you of the good times you had in your previous home. In some ways, this act can be a symbolic process of saying goodbye and moving forward.

Symbolic Acts to Bid Farewell to Your Current Space

Engage in symbolic things to say goodbye to your current space and welcome the new chapter ahead. This could involve planting a tree in the backyard, leaving a note for the new owners, or hosting a farewell gathering with friends and family. These acts can help you find closure and create a sense of continuity as you transition to your new home.

Talking to Friends or a Professional Counselor

If you’re struggling to cope with the emotional challenges of moving, don’t hesitate to seek support from friends, family, or a professional counselor. Talking to someone who understands can provide valuable perspective and help you healthily process your feelings.

Soothe the Emotional Elements by Trusting Movers for Help

Moving is undoubtedly an emotional experience, but you can transition with grace and resilience with the proper support and coping strategies. If you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of saying goodbye to your current home, remember that you don’t have to go through it alone. Our experienced moving team is here to help with the transition and ensure a smooth relocation. Find out how we can help you by contacting us today.  

You just landed your dream job in a new city and now have to pack up your home and move quickly. Where do you even begin?! With so many moving pieces involved with a move, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But, with careful planning and quick action, you can have a successful, relatively stress-free residential move even on short notice.

Make a Plan

While your head is spinning from the news of an unexpected move, you need to take a moment to get organized and come up with a plan. Write down a list of everything that needs to happen to get out of your current home and into your next one. Create your list, placing time-sensitive tasks at the top of it. Keep to your to-do list so you can meet your tight moving deadline.

Start Making Calls

After making your to-do list, start making phone calls to help facilitate your relocation. For example, you may need to arrange short-term housing in your new city while you look for a house. Or, you might have to give your current landlord notice that you’ll be leaving. Call your utility companies to notify them when you’ll end your service. Contact a realtor to get your current house on the market if applicable. Of course, contact movers early to ensure your moving date is available.

Out with the Old

Now is the perfect time to purge your house. As you move from room to room, pack your belongings and discard anything that you haven’t or won’t use in the future. Putting the time and resources into packing items you’ll never use doesn’t make sense. Make sure to sort your discarded items into piles. Have a pile for items you plan to sell, items you want to donate, and those that can go straight to recycling.

Packing Supplies

Gather as many packing supplies as you can. While you can purchase your supplies at a store, remember to use your home resources. Shredded paper, plastic bags, and towels can all help protect some fragile items in boxes. Contact local businesses for boxes that vendors may have used for shipments, or contact your friends to see if they have moving supplies at home you can use.

Don’t Overthink—Pack

With limited time, you need to pack now and sort later. Do not worry about box “themes” or grouping similar items. Your goal is to get all of your belongings from your current home to your new one safely. If a limited time frame means you can not sort items optimally or keep an itemized list of what you packed where that’s okay. If you must combine dissimilar items when packing, ensure you wrap everything safely and securely. You can handle the sorting once you arrive at your new place.

While it might be tempting to skip the labeling task— don’t. Take the time to label your boxes. It will be to your advantage when you arrive at your new home. The boxes will make it into the appropriate rooms, and if you need something right away, you can scan your labels to find it.

Many Hands Make Light Work

Remember that you don’t have to pack your entire house alone. Many hands can make light work, so contact local friends and family to help you move. Have a fun weekend with friends while you work to pack your house. The more people who chip in to help, the less of a load the move will be on your shoulders.

Dedicate Time

It will be very easy to become engrossed in day-to-day activities while attempting to organize your move. Make sure to dedicate a particular amount of daily time to packing and organizing. Even if it is just an hour a day, keep that time aside to be productive with your move. When you have a deadline fast approaching, it can be shocking how quickly time can fly away.

Moving Quickly

With a professional moving team in your corner, you can rest easy for your next move. Caring, dedicated, and experienced professionals can move you and your family, even on short notice. To get a quote for your next move, contact us today.

The need for more office space indicates that a business is expanding and doing well. Not only do you get to help define your company culture based on the space, but you can better connect with your customers and employees. Choosing new office space for relocation is a big decision, with several complicating factors. Considering the many elements that go into a successful office location will help keep you and your team successful.

Commute Times

The office is a place for employees to gather and function for your business. It only makes sense to consider their concerns and overall quality of life. Before choosing a new office location, consider the average commute times for your employees. Many companies will perform a commuting analysis to determine how beneficial a new office location is for employees. Not only will a short commute time keep current employees happy, but it can be a significant incentive to attract new talent to your business.

Flexible Space

Many businesses use a hybrid business model, blending traditional office space with a work-from-home application. Make sure your new office space has the flexibility to work with the changing flow of employees. Typically, employees seek a large, open workspace with plenty of natural light. Ensure employees can escape for a recharge in private and quiet spaces. Modern office spaces allow collaboration with large desks and a relaxed gathering space.

Lease Flexibility

In the current economic climate, business owners must plan for uncertainty and the unexpected. Even if you run a fantastic business, remember that external circumstances can quickly cause a business to take a right turn. Be sure your office space has a flexible lease option to allow you to break the lease and relocate if necessary.

Budget

Consider your overall budget when searching for a new office location. Keep in mind that your budget should include more than just monthly rent. There are often hidden fees associated with large office complexes and buildings. Ask about potential association dues, janitorial service costs, or maintenance fees. Consider the location and how it’ll impact taxes and utilities. For the sake of your employees, ask about the current IT setup and any potential parking fees. These additional costs can quickly add up and put you at or over your maximum budget.

Space

Of course, you want your new office location to have enough room to fit your employees comfortably, but you must also consider auxiliary space. Does your new office location have room for breakout meetings or conference space? An integrated conference room is ideal for employee gatherings and can save money in the long run by hosting meetings and events on-site. Of course, having too much space is also problematic. Paying to power, heat, and cool an unoccupied oversized building is a waste.

Customer Base

Customers are crucial to your business, so you must consider their needs. You’ll want to find an office location close to your customer base. You’ll have more success drawing from your existing customers and potentially expanding your base further if you’re in an easily accessible part of town.

Moving Your Business Simplified

Setting up a new office location is exciting and a sign of growth and success. A moving team helps contribute to your success with a smooth and seamless moving day. Contact our experienced team today for a quote on your next office move.

As the saying goes, bigger is often better, and that’s never more true than when searching for a new home. Moving into a larger space is always satisfying, especially if you have outgrown your previous home.

People tend to fill their living spaces with “stuff” they accumulate over time. Also, if you’re used to living in a smaller home, you may need to figure out what to do with so much extra space. Fortunately, these steps can help you adjust seamlessly.

Step One: Start With What You Have

When moving into a larger home, at least initially, one of the biggest shocks can be how much space there is. That said, once you move all your belongings, you must set them in place and live with them for a little while.

What you want to try to avoid is creating unnecessary clutter. Just because the room looks empty doesn’t mean you should spread your stuff out to fill it. Instead, it’s better to keep everything organized and start planning what would make the most sense in those unused spaces.

Step Two: Don’t Rush Into Any New Furniture or Decor

If you have empty rooms in your larger house, you may be tempted to buy furniture or knick-knacks to make the place feel used and lived in. However, before you rush out to the nearest furniture store, it’s best to devise a game plan.

Ideally, you should live with the extra room for a few weeks or months. During that time, you’ll come up with different ideas on how to use the space. Consider elements like which rooms you use the most, how often you host guests, or whether you plan to increase your family size.

Overall, filling in your extra spaces organically over time is better. If you rush into something, you may decide you don’t like it later, and you will replace it.

Step Three: Consider Cleaning and Upkeep

One of the struggles of living in a larger house is that it requires more maintenance and upkeep. Further complicating the problem is if you accumulate a lot of clutter. The more belongings you have, the more dust they collect, and the more time it can take to clean a single room.

So, when learning how to live in a bigger house, start coming up with action plans to stay on top of cleaning. Unfortunately, falling behind doesn’t take much, so this step requires extra diligence and perseverance. However, you can utilize technology to make the process easier. For example, a robot vacuum and air purifier can help care for dust and light messes, allowing you to focus on deep cleaning every other month or so.

Step Four: Think About Long-Term Goals

As we mentioned, one of the best ways to determine how to use an empty space is to think long-term. Are you trying to have more kids? If so, will they each have their own room? What about hosting guests and family members?

If you have a few extra rooms, consider whether you want to work from home in a dedicated office space. Similarly, you could focus on your fitness goals by setting up a home gym. Also, remember that you can wait to furnish these spaces. For example, with a home gym, you may start with a treadmill and slowly add more items over time.

Get Help For Moving Into a Larger House

Moving into a bigger home is exciting, and we want to help you transition as smoothly and efficiently as possible. We know you can’t wait to start this next chapter of your life, so let us take care of the hard work for you! Contact us today.

It’s hard to overstate how valuable elevators are in modern life. Not only do they allow us to access tall buildings, but they make moving so much easier. So, if you’re moving into an apartment building without an elevator, you must adapt accordingly. Another consideration is that some elevators may not be operational on moving days or are too small to accommodate large pieces of furniture.

Regardless of the circumstances, here are some top tips on managing when moving into an upstairs location without elevator access.

1. Measure All Large Items

Moving heavy furniture like a couch or table up the stairs can quickly become tricky if you jam it into a narrow space. In such a scenario, you might have to resort to destructive measures like breaking the furniture to remove it.

To avoid this, measure your larger items (like a couch) and the stairwell. As long as the piece isn’t too wide or cumbersome, you should be able to wiggle it around and make it work.

2. Disassemble Everything You Can

Sometimes, you can take apart furniture before moving it. While this process can be time-consuming, it will make moving much more manageable. While items like couches and chairs can’t be broken down (without significant challenges), certain tables, dressers, and other pieces can. Just make sure to keep any accessories with the piece so they don’t get separated (i.e., screws and bolts).

3. Consider Shedding Bulky Furniture

If you’re moving without a working elevator, you may have to make some hard choices. Is it better to keep your existing furniture or downsize to something small and compact? You don’t want to take this decision lightly, but consider how easy it will be to move in and out of your new home.

4. Use Dollies and Hand Trucks As Appropriate

A dolly is a flat piece with wheels, while a hand truck has a tall handle for grabbing. A hand truck can often navigate each step easily when carrying items up a flight of stairs, while a dolly cannot. That said, dollies can make moving heavy items through hallways easier so you don’t overexert yourself.

Also, remember that you should strap your belongings to a hand truck so they don’t fall off accidentally.

5. Start With Heavier Items

Depending on how much stuff you’re moving, you want to be strategic with how you use your time and energy. At the beginning of the move, you’ll be able to handle heavy belongings more easily. If you wait until the end of the day, you’ll be tired and sore, and moving a heavy piece may seem impossible.

6. Use Bumper Pads to Protect Walls

Bumper pads are thin, padded sheets that you can place on the corners of furniture to protect it from dings and scratches. They are also helpful in preventing wall damage from heavy furniture.

7. Get Lots of Help

Ideally, you can have three or four people helping you with moving items up and down the stairs. This way, individuals can take breaks without disrupting the flow of the move. Also, having more people makes it easier to block off stairwells, doorways, and hallways when moving items through the building.

8. Utilize Full-Service Movers

Professional moving experts are always the best to ask for advice when moving large furniture. Hire a professional mover if you need serious assistance. They have the experience and know how to handle various, unique moving situations.

Let Us Lighten Your Moving Load!

If you want to avoid moving your belongings yourself, let our professional movers handle the stress for you. Not only do we have a vast amount of experience moving items, but we also know what to anticipate and can plan accordingly. In most cases, hiring movers is significantly more convenient and stress-free, so contact us immediately for a free estimate!

While many people make it their goal to move to larger homes each time they relocate, there are some benefits to moving to a smaller property. From money savings to energy savings and other benefits, there are many reasons to move from a large home to a smaller home. If you have an upcoming relocation and you’re trying to decide where to live, these reasons to move into a smaller home can help you decide whether a smaller home is the right type of house for you.

1. Save Money on Utilities

Smaller homes require less heating and cooling energy, which means lower utility costs. You can further reduce the money you spend on utilities every month by weatherstripping your home and boosting insulation in the attic. Wearing sweaters in the winter and running the ceiling fan in summer is another way to keep yourself comfortable indoors without spending more money on heating and cooling costs.

2. Easier to Maintain

Smaller homes tend to be easier to maintain than larger ones because they have fewer rooms and less square footage. For many people, this means less mess to clean up weekly, potentially a smaller yard to maintain, and some maintenance tasks (like painting the walls) taking less time. If you’re tired of cleaning and maintaining your current home, a smaller one could be a welcome change.

3. Less Expensive to Maintain

Just as a smaller home is easier to maintain, it costs less. The smaller your house is, the less you’ll spend on cleaning services and products. The same goes for specific maintenance tasks like painting the walls: the smaller your home is, the less money a contractor will charge.

4. Frees Up Funds for Other Things

Choosing a smaller home can free up funds for other priorities, such as travel, business investments, or even a dream water view. Consider what you might gain by sacrificing some square footage before deciding you “need” a certain amount of space.

5. Easier to Sell Later

Smaller homes tend to cost less, and that often makes them appeal to a broader range of home buyers when the time comes to sell. Larger, more expensive homes appeal to a smaller number of people, and that can make them hard to sell when you put them on the market.

6. Modest Homes Can Feel Roomy

A house does not necessarily have to feel small inside because its footprint is modest. Compared to a much larger home with an awkward floor plan, a smaller home with a well-thought-out design can feel just as spacious (if not more so) and has fewer hassles.

Ready to Relocate? Find the Right Movers

It’s essential to find a reputable moving company you can trust to be reliable and careful with your things. If you’re moving soon, find the right moving company. Contact us today for a quote.

Are you thinking about listing your home for sale soon? If so, and if you’re interested in maximizing resale value with some home improvements you can enjoy in the meantime, the possibilities are endless. Of course, not all projects come with the same return on your investment—so you’ll want to be savvy about which ones you decide to tackle.

Here’s a list of a few home upgrades with the best return on investment (ROI) to boost your resale potential while enjoying your home a little more before you sell.

1. Adding a Deck or Patio

If your property doesn’t already have a great deck or patio space, adding one can yield an 80% ROI (or greater) when it comes time to sell. That’s because today’s home buyers prioritize outdoor living space more than ever, preferring to spend quality time with family and friends while enjoying some fresh air.

If you decide to add a deck or patio to your home before you list, thoughtful design is key. Your deck or patio should serve as an extension of your indoor living space—so if there’s a way to add an exterior door that leads directly to your new deck, that’s ideal.

2. Refreshing an Outdated Bathroom

Updating an older bathroom can also be a great way to boost the sale price of your home while enjoying a decent return on your investment. Ultimately, the ROI you can expect from this project will depend on how extensive of a remodel you’re doing. Even for a minor bathroom update, however, it’s not uncommon to enjoy a $1.71 return for every dollar you spend.

If you want to maximize the ROI on your bathroom upgrade, start by making necessary repairs (like replacing cracked tiles or installing a new vent fan). From there, you can focus on more cosmetic upgrades, like painting a dated vanity and refreshing hardware/fixtures.

3. Upgrading an Older Kitchen

Kitchen spaces are among the most important considerations for today’s home buyers. If your kitchen looks a little dated, making some much-needed upgrades before you list could drastically increase your final sale price. A kitchen remodel yields an average ROI of about 81% for most homeowners.

If you decide to go this route, opt for a design that will appeal to the broadest segment of buyers possible. Rather than choosing bold colors and polarizing patterns that may turn off some buyers, it’s generally best to stick with more traditional and neutral choices. This will help you maximize the ROI of your project and sell your home as quickly as possible when the time comes.

Preparing for a Move?

Sometimes, spending a little money now makes sense to make more money down the road. If your home lacks a great outdoor space or needs an updated bathroom or kitchen, you may want to tackle these projects before you list your home. From there, you’ll easily sell in a competitive market. Check with a local realtor to see how an upgrade can boost your forthcoming sale.

When it does come time for your next move, hiring an experienced team of professional movers can also make all the difference. Contact us to request your free quote!