Best Price Moving and Storage News

Local moving/Choosing A Mover
When you’ve narrowed the field to a couple of movers,
check with the state agency to be sure the companies
are licensed and that there have been no complaints
filed against them.

Local moving/Choosing A Mover
When you have narrowed the field to a couple of
movers, check with the state agency to be sure
the companies are licensed and there have been
no complaints about them. Visit the movers place
of business. What is the condition of their facility
and of its trucks?  Are they rundown? Clean and well
maintained? this may reflect on how they will treat
you and your belongings.

Local Moves
For local moves, some people prefer to use a national
mover with a recognized name and reputation,
rather than a smaller company they’ve heard nothing
about. However, the service you get from an indepedent
mover can be just as good or even better than that of a
big name mover. The key is to ask the right questions when
you are making a selection, so you know what you are getting.

There is a way to survive.  ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE! That is the goal here.  Everything that you have done in the way of organization up until now will expedite the move and thereby keep the costs down.  Just as we did when we departed the old home, begin again with introductions and use the movers names often.  This is important.  Personalize your move in this way and you will have a good working relationship with all the movers for the day or days they are with you.  When the relationship is smooth, the whole moving process will function better.  Next take time to show all the movers your entire home, acquainting them with the room plots as you move on.

Label anything not to be packed, you can even store items  in the trunk of your automobile so these do not inadvertently get put into cartons. Despite labeling, things can go awry.  During an early move, we have a growing pile of equipment to take with us, including clean diapers, baby food, our own clothes and some things to be laundered., including a bag of soiled diapers, all labeled with a big sign “DO NOT PACK.”  You guessed t.  They packed the whole thing.  By the time we arrived at our new destination, the soiled diapers were really ripe, to say the least.  although the diapers we used were 27 years ago are no longer a problem, the point here is that it is very important to be aware of the moving process at all times.   This is why you need assistance from family or friends on this day.  Mistakes can happen at this hectic time.

The greatest number of people who relocate do so between May and October. If you are planning a move during this time, you should reserve dates and equipment as soon as possible.  This applies to moving with professional mover or moving on your own with rental equipment.

Consider hiring professionals to pack or custom crate your fine china, crystal, antiques, and collectibles. Your moving company or a packing and crating company can do the job. Don’t forget to have the goods appraised before the move.

Moving can be an expensive proposition. One of the costliest elements is the charge for packing. You can cut your total tag price by a third if you do the packing yourself. One Caveat: Check with your moving company or insurance broker to determine their policies on liability when you do the packing. Some will require proof that the box itself was damaged or crushed before they pay a claim.

• If you are doing your own packing, finish the rest of it today.
• Professional packers usually pack on this day. If the packers are late, call the moving company and make sure they are on their way.
• Introduce yourself to the packers and walk through the house with them when they arrive. Explain how you have organized rooms and point out items that are fragile.
  Bring to their attention items that should not be packed (these should be marked) and those marked DO NOT PACK or STORAGE. Ask them to take note of the items that should be
  put in boxes labeled LOAD LAST (cleaning supplies, childrens things) because you want easy access to these things in your new home. These should also be marked so it is clear
  to them what goes where.

• Empty and clean garbage cans you will be taking with you. Drain your garden hoses.
• Drain fuel and oil from the lawnmower, snowblower, and other power equipment. Empty the barbecue tank, clean the grill and pack loose parts.
• Take down draperies, drapery rods, and attachable shelving moving with you.

• Make breakfast and wash all the dishes so they can be packed. Make this your last meal in the house.  Clean up the kitchen after your meal.  Empty, defrost, if necessary and dry out your refrigerator/freezer.  Place baking soda in each compartment.  Block doors so they can’t accidentally close on pets or children. Put soft drinks and lunch foods in a cooler.
• Disconnect the T.V. and the other electronics equipment.
• Check the gas and oil in your car.
• Make sure you have tickets, charge cards and other essentials for the trip.

• Pay any outstanding fines and settle bills with local merchants.
• Return any video tapes; Pick up dry cleaning and carpets.
• Cancel newspaper delivery.
• Buy some prepared foods, snacks, fruit and drinks for the day of the move. Have hot and cold drinks on hand for packers and movers.
• Put together a hospitality sheet for the new owners of your home, with names of neighbors, repair people and local services, garden instructions, baby sitter names and a city map. Include any other information about the house or the neighborhood you feel is inportant to know. Leave this out furnace directions and appliance manuals and warranties.

• If you are doing your own packing, spread the task out through the week. Stack boxes in corners so rooms can still be used. Label everything carefully.
• Pack or set aside those items that you want to have with you as soon as you arrive at your new home, such as children’s items, medicines, and cleaning supplies for your first couple of days there. Label these LOAD LAST.

I have to move next week. Moving is a job no one can love. No one likes change, and changing your home can do personal, self-inflicted, violence to your sense of place. To add insult to injury, moving as a senior citizen brings with it a number of added burdens. Typically, you are -

• learning of a whole raft of tasks that must be completed by a firm deadline,
• forced to part with some treasures that are either too heavy or fragile to move sensibly,
• required to dispose of some items, e.g. plants and paints, that movers don’t handle,
• faced with the need to find a “new home” for furniture and accumulated “stuff” that simply will not fit into your new surroundings,
• picking out a responsible mover from a fairly large group of suppliers,
• packing cartons yourself, possibly with the assistance of friends, or paying the professional movers to do the job, and
• paying out of your own pocket.

Still Clickin: Moving (Oh, my aching back) Your Home