Monthly Archives: March 2023

The reality of why moves sound so overwhelming and terrifying is because of the packing part. Just the thought of having to break down and store a lifetime’s worth of things into boxes is enough to send one into a full-blown panic attack. Your experiences with packing for a move might be limited or unfortunate, which is why you’re not looking forward to having to go through the experience again.

If you approach this the right way, packing for a move can be a very disciplined, structured, and pleasant experience. So, unlearn everything you already know about packing and completely redo the narrative in your mind. We’re going to offer you a crash course on how to pack for a move, and you’re going to take it. Stick around to learn the best tips to pack efficiently for a move!

Put thought into your packing material.

What you might have been imparted about the equipment you need to pack is that it’s disposable, so quality doesn’t really come into the picture. However, if you really think about it, cheap packing material will cost you more in the long run. Think of the items that are heavy and likely to spill out of the boxes and tape, unable to hold them together. This means breakage, damage, and a whole lot of unexpected costs.

This doesn’t mean you have to spend considerably on packing material. Instead, just ask around; lots of your friends and family will have in their storage good quality packing material that has come in handy for them in several moves. When packing for a move, be realistic about how able a particular material is to safely hold the items you’re putting inside it.

Make an inventory.

This might sound like an unnecessary added step in the packing process because you’ve never had to do it before, and the moves turned out just fine. Except the packing and move didn’t turn out just fine, which might most likely have been because of skipping this step in the first place. Knowing your items and then packing them accordingly will save you from the loss that comes from misplacing items during a move, which is actually very common.

You’ll also find it easier to locate things when you need to unpack them. Doing inventory is also important when packing for a move because you’ll be having movers in and out of your house, and the likelihood of things going missing is always there. Save yourself from the unneeded stress of locating things and eventually coming to the conclusion that they’re gone for good.

Have a sequence.

Nothing says ill-done packing like one that consists of you stuffing items from every part of the house into random boxes. Think of the absolute nightmare all of that is going to be when you have to unpack and settle in. The most functional way to avoid this is to have a mind map to approach the packing process. Do one room at a time, so the items for it are close by and easy to locate too.

The one rule when packing for a move is to make sure to progress from harder rooms to easier ones. This demands that you do your kitchen items first because there are just too many categories of items to pack there, and they’re fragile, so they’re going to take time. Move on to the common spaces of your house where the bigger furniture is, and then address bedrooms, which can be divided for every person to pack their own belongings.

Labels need to be in the picture.

Although social media might currently be telling us that putting labels on relationships is a bad idea, putting them on your packing boxes is certainly not. Having gone through the entire process of making inventory and packing things in a sequence won’t come in handy until you label boxes according to their contents. Boxes can get misplaced or end up in other rooms even when you’ve monitored everything to the last dot.

Make sure to label according to rooms, too, so movers know where to put boxes without having to take directions from you at every turn. The thing about efficient packing is that it doesn’t only make a move easy but every process that comes after that too. Labels are especially helpful for keeping disassembled furniture together because nothing stresses one out quite like losing parts of furniture items that ultimately render them useless.

Pack essentials separately.

When packing for a move, the goal isn’t to get everything into boxes and have it only accessible when you’re moving in. There are going to be many items that you’ll need while you load, during the journey, and immediately as you move into the new house. Make sure to pack these essentials in easily accessible storage materials like duffel bags or backpacks.

Items like toiletries, chargers, and a change of clothes, should all be packed efficiently and always within reach. Other important things that might be needed during the journey to the new home need to be carefully thought of and packed accordingly.

Mark items that need extra care.

Nothing renders a move as sour as having valuable items damaged. While not every element can be controlled during a move, you need to make sure that you pack efficiently to avoid as many obstacles and bumps as possible. Mark fragile items as such and keep them in a separate room so that they can be loaded last and carefully too. Everything from furniture, electronics, and décor pieces that are a risk of breaking easily need to be packed with extra attention.

The essential thing to keep in mind when packing for a move is that this is the process that’s going to largely determine out the rest of the move pans out. It’s better to be safe and take precautionary measures instead of later going through the trouble of seeking compensation when damages occur during a move.

Selecting a responsible and trustworthy moving company is perhaps the most crucial part of planning and executing a successful move. Think about it; you’re entrusting the entirety of what makes up your house in the hands of people that have to safely pack it, load it, and transport it to another location. This demands that you put a lot of consideration into picking a moving company.

Most first-time movers aren’t sure where to start looking for a moving company, and it can feel intimidating beginning the process of searching for when and figuring out what things you need to consider before hiring them. Picking a moving company doesn’t have to be a long and daunting process. Instead, it only requires a couple of contemplations. Consider us a helping hand because we’re breaking down how to choose a moving company in as little as five definitive steps.

Start with word of mouth.

Looking up moving companies online usually doesn’t end well for people, which is why hesitant people about to move houses want to have solid and reliable sources to approach moving companies. The most efficient way to do this is to ask the people around you. Friends, family, and neighbors will all collectively have the contacts of at least a couple of good moving companies that they can vouch for firsthand.

Use these referrals to build up options. Remember that one of the rookie mistakes people make when choosing a moving company is to simply hire the first company they come across. Take your time and have at least three to five movers lined up before settling on one. You have to conduct your own little investigation before a moving company is in the clear for being chosen for your move.

Check for credentials.

Most moving companies will promise you the moon and stars, and while the promise of a smooth and professional experience is a sign of good marketing, it isn’t enough to choose a moving company. Check their licensure and also take a look at their insurance policy. What you’re after is making sure that the moving company you’re considering is everything it claims to be. Unfortunately, moving scams are very common, which is why confirming everything in advance is a reasonable move.

You can also check for the moving company’s performance record online and find feedback from other customers too. Other accreditations and logos need to be looked into too. A lot of moving companies want to attach unwarranted accomplishments and certifications to their name, which is why it’s always a good idea to make sure that the moving company you’re considering can put their accreditations where their mouth is.

Go through the technicalities.

Not reading the contract that a potential hire moving company provides you with is an absurdity. You need to look into their insurance policies, how they compensate for damage, whether they ask for a deposit, and so on. These aspects are very important in communicating how professional and reliable a moving company is. Remember that reputable and professional moving companies do not ask for a deposit beforehand, so beware of any scams that might be coming your way.

Other considerations like a company’s adherence to time and schedules and the measures that they take to ensure safety during a move are all things you need to consider when selecting a moving company. Keep in mind that the little knots and frictions that you’re thinking of overlooking right now can build up and become real obstacles during the move, and moving is already stressful enough as it is.

Recognize reasonable estimates.

After you’ve made sure everything else about a moving company adds up, it’s time to look into one of the major factors that are going to determine whether you’re going to work with a moving company or not: the financial side of it. Moving is expensive, so it’s natural that you’ll be looking for a company that’s charging within your affordability. But beware when a company’s estimates appear just too good to be real. Some clever moving companies incorporate a lot of hidden estimates that eventually build up to have the entire move cost an arm and a leg for you.

This will create a lot of friction and confusion for you and eventually strip you of the little faith you have in moving companies in the first place. Make sure to read through the fine print and identify any hidden costs that might threaten to pop up later on. Also, have a detailed discussion with the moving company to go through the financial aspect of the contract. Surprises are the last thing you need or want during a move, so actively do everything you can to avoid them.

Check their customer support.

The way a moving company treats its customers and entertains their queries and complaints say more about them than anything ever will. Take your time to do an online and physical perusal of how the moving company you’re considering hiring responds to its customers. You’ll find depictions of this up on their website or in the review section where customers have penned down their experience.

If a moving company truly values its professional relationship with customers, it will do its best to live up to the promised moving experience. A moving company that downplays issues faced by customers and takes hours and days to get back to you for queries is just bad news. All of this is an insight into the way you’ll be treated by them in the future. Don’t shy away from testing a moving company every way you can before you make the decision to hire them.

Here’s the bottom line:

Choosing a moving company is only as hard as you make it. If you stay focused and have a clear, laid-out plan about what things to look for, you’ll find the experience enjoyable and rewarding. Luckily, you have a set of indicators already placed out step-by-step for you!

Relocating an office can sound like a pretty intimidating task. Whether your office is moving because of an expansion or due to unfortunate circumstances, what remains constant is that a whole lot of preparation, planning, and teamwork go into conducting and executing a successful office move. Moving an office is essentially like moving houses but on a much bigger and more complicated scale.

If you’re fretting over a potential office move and can’t seem to figure out where to begin with the relocation project, take a breather and listen up. We’re giving you the only office moving checklist you’ll need to consult to ensure a smooth and timely relocation. We’ll also be squeezing in the timeline you need to consider to execute every step and proceed to the actual move!

Find the right place.

The first step you need to take as you entertain the thought of an office move is to locate a reasonable space for the relocation and sort out the details of the property you’re currently occupying. Take a look at the lease and remember that leaving earlier than the decided date could demand that you give up the deposit. Moreover, you also need to take a look at any damages or improvements that you might be liable for after occupying the space for a certain amount of time.

Once you’ve figured out these aspects, only then can you move on to seriously looking for another potential office space. You need to keep into consideration the needs of your organization, the growth you expect for it in the coming years, as well as what’s possible for the company on an affordability level. Ideally, this is the time you start to look around for spaces and obtain quotes relating to them. The right timeline to do this is at least a year before you’re scheduled to clear your current office space out.

Figure out your needs.

Now that you’ve settled on good office space for the move, you need to take a look at the stuff you’re going to take with you as well as the additional items that might need buying. If your office move is an expansion, then you’re definitely going to have to purchase furniture and appliances for potential new hires as well as fill new spaces and positions. This can’t be done on guesswork. Instead, you need to take time to discern what is needed, what you already have, and what needs to be discarded accurately.

You also have to evaluate the technology and technological devices you’ll need to safely transfer your data as you move to another location. These are all tangible items you need to enlist and secure before or immediately after an office move. Bigger items take quite some time to come in after being ordered, so make sure you finalize and place orders at least three to four months before your big office move.

Make the bigger arrangements.

You can’t even think of announcing an office moving date before you’ve hammered down the essentials required for a move. Booking a moving company and finalizing a date is at the top of this list. Hiring a moving company for an office move is no light task; moving an entire office demands a lot of effort and planning and a great deal of time too. This means that coming to a date or multiple ones that work for both parties is a very intense task.

In this step, it would help to make an inventory of all the items in the office as well as the new ones scheduled to come in later on. This helps arrange and transfer things during the move and keep track of them too. This is not a single-person task; rather, it requires the input of multiple teams, so make sure to efficiently allot duties for every department or floor and then obtain and organize input accordingly.

Pass on the word.

Now that you’ve addressed and accomplished the initial considerations for your office relocation, it’s now time to inform the concerned people. Inform your property manager of the move and discuss details pertaining to the lease. Professionally inform your team members of the moving date and location, so they have ample time to prepare and contribute. It’s wise to let staff know at least six months or more in advance so they can be ready for all the adjustments that will be coming their way.

Clearly communicate to workers what the expectations of them are during this office move and how soon everything is expected to commence and be settled in. It’s unwise to keep office staff uninformed until the last minute because this will cause confusion and mistrust, not to mention a lot of trouble for employees who have to make changes relating to the distance of the new office from their current address.

Have the essentials ready.

When planning an office move, you need to be far-sighted. Remember that your only concern shouldn’t be packing up and moving the office but also making sure that everything can go back to normal work-wise as soon as possible. Moves are costly, and the time invested in them cost offices their work days, too. This is why the goal should be to transition back into work mode as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Aspects such as securing a good Wi-Fi connection, having the utilities set up and going, and setting up the workplace enough to have essential operations going are priority tasks. These have to be considered when arranging the entire office moving process. Otherwise, the result will be a disastrous transition process that will cost the company a lot of precious work time.

Once you’ve settled in, make sure to update your new address on all professional fronts and portals so your official mail and other aspects can come through. Now all that’s left for you to do is follow this office move checklist and relocate as smoothly as possible.