If you’re planning a household move, you might consider paring down your belongings before you pack. A thorough decluttering before moving saves you time and energy on both ends of your move. It might even save you a little money, too, because the more stuff you have, the more it can cost to move it.

Start early and do a little at a time to make your move more manageable and stress-free.

Use Up Extra and Bulk Items

Many people buy things in bulk at warehouse clubs or when items go on sale. Over time, this can take up a lot of space in your home. Once you are sure you plan to move, start using them up so there will be less to pack. Great things to scale down on include:

• Paper goods, like toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins
• Toiletries, such as shampoos, conditioners, soaps, etc.
• Pantry items, especially jars and cans, which are either breakable or heavy
• Cleaning products such as detergent, dish soap, floor cleaners, etc.

If you have stacks of magazines piling up with plans to read them later, start reading, then pitch them into the recycle bin! Also, properly dispose of expired or close-to-expiring OTC medications you are unlikely to use before moving day.

Make Separate Piles

Decluttering before a move is a daunting task. An easy way to reduce clutter in your household is to make separate piles:

1. Keep, donate, and discard.
2. Go through everything and place your belongings in the proper pile.
3. Keep only the things you’re confident are relevant.
4. Donate items that are still useful for others.

For your home office area, set up separate bins for shredding (e.g., documents with sensitive private information), storage, and recycling.

Start With the Things You Use the Least

Excellent areas to start decluttering include basements, attics, garages, sheds, and closets. If you’re like most people, you have a ton of books, clothing, bedding, and other items stashed in various nooks and crannies throughout the house.

Leave any memorabilia or sentimental items until the end so they don’t distract from the task. It’s easy to get caught up in the sentimental challenge. So, stay on track.

Let Go of Items You Won’t Use in Your New Home

If you have furniture, knick-knacks, clothing, or other things that don’t have a place in your new home, pass them on to others who can use them. For instance, your new home’s configuration, windows, and other differences won’t be like your current home.

If you are downsizing and have fewer bedrooms or baths, you can leave items for those areas behind. For instance, you may no longer need specific power tools or machinery (e.g., a snow blower) at your new home. Now’s a great time to donate, sell, or give these items away.

Ready to Plan Your Move?

Decluttering is a terrific way to start afresh in your new home. Your new rooms can be an empty canvas for you to design the way you’ve always dreamed. 

Ready to schedule your move? Contact us today for a free quote! We’re happy to help.

Most homes on the sales or rental market are typically clean-looking when viewed. However, you’ll still want to clean and disinfect certain areas before you begin to unpack your things. Chances are lots of germs, bacteria, or other undesirables are lurking.

Give yourself a sparkling clean welcome to your new home; the following are essential areas to prioritize cleaning before you unpack after your residential move.

Supplies to Bring

Before you begin, gather all of the items you’ll need so you aren’t running out to the store or not thoroughly cleaning the areas you want. Critical supplies you’ll need to include are rags, paper towels, scrub brushes, sponges, toilet scrubber, broom, mop, vacuum, soaps, disinfectants, and any other cleaning products you use.

Bathroom

You’ll rarely find anyone who says they love cleaning bathrooms, but it’s an essential chore—especially when moving into a new home. Since this will likely be one of the first areas of your house that you will use, get this task out of the way first, especially since germs love bathrooms.

• Replace toilet seat
• Scrub toilet
• Disinfect the sink, showerhead, bath area, and any faucets
• Wash floors
• Wipe down high touchpoints, including light switches
• Clean mirrors

Remember, when it’s finished, be sure every nook and cranny has been disinfected, including storage areas. Also, a thorough cleaning ensures you identify potential moldy areas that need addressing ASAP.

Kitchen

The kitchen has numerous areas you will need to deep clean and sanitize. Start with the refrigerator, if the previous home occupants have left that since it’s empty and easier to clean before you start filling it. Next, scrub the stove, oven, dishwasher, and built-in microwave.

Other essential tasks include washing walls, disinfecting light switches and outlets, and wiping down cabinets and handles/pulls. If you have windows in your kitchen, give them a good wipe-down. Finish cleaning the kitchen by disinfecting the sink and countertops.

Bedrooms

You’ll need a place to sleep when you move in, so be sure it’s clean before making your bed. Wipe down light switches, vacuum or sweep the floor, and wipe down windowsills (remember to check for condensation). Clean the closets and ensure they’re free of dust and other grimy buildups.

Carpets and Floors

If possible, have your floors cleaned before you move in, especially if you have carpets. Or, if you have verification from your real estate agent, landlord, or previous occupants that they did it, you can forego this step. If not, arrange to have the carpets steam cleaned by hiring a professional or taking the DIY route.

Other Key Areas

Go through your home and disinfect all doorknobs and critical areas. Wipe down light fixtures and ceiling fans to remove dust or grime. If your new home has a laundry area, sterilize the washing machine and wipe down the dryer. Disinfect any counters or cabinets.

Pro-tip:

1. Check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
2. Test each smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector in the house.
3. Replace the batteries to ensure that they are fresh and in good shape.

Moving Made Easy

Having a sparkling clean home provides a great start to the next chapter in your life.

Hiring a professional mover to relocate your belongings to help with packing and unpacking can also help get your transition off to a great start. For a free quote, contact us today! We’re happy to answer any questions you have about the moving process.

Moving can feel exhilarating, exciting, exhausting, and a bit scary all at once. A move involves so much mental and physical energy that it’s easy to see why moving is consistently rated among the most stressful life events.

But while a household move is disruptive, it comes with many benefits, too. Relocation offers the chance for a fresh start and new adventures — so why not embrace these opportunities by acclimating to your new home quickly?

These tips will help you settle in after the move so you can get on with the next stage of your life in no time.

Before You Unpack

Though we understand the urge to quickly unpack and put all your items in their place, consider waiting a bit longer. Why? Because deep cleaning your new home is a lot easier while the rooms are still empty.

Hiring a cleaning service to do the job will take one more task off of your (already very full) plate. If that’s not possible, set aside a special box of cleaning supplies and equipment to take along with you.

The same goes for repairs and renovations. If you’re thinking of applying a fresh coat of paint to the walls, refinishing or replacing flooring, or completing other significant updates, try to get it done before moving day.

Familiar Comforts

Often, small touches can make a new house feel like home. For example, familiar objects like throw pillows, blankets, and art personalize your space, making it feel cozy and welcoming.

Sensory elements such as scents and music can help too. Research shows that olfactory cues help reduce stress, increase relaxation and improve mood. While unpacking and settling in, light a candle with a familiar scent and put on music from your favorite playlist.

Over the next few days, keep the scents and sounds coming. You’ll quickly start to feel at home.

Safety First

Taking steps to secure your new space can help you feel comfortable. For example, one of the first things to do after you move is change the door and window locks. Even if you know and trust the previous occupants, you simply don’t know who else may have access to the keys.

Ensure all electricity, gas, water, and phone service are working correctly. And add local emergency contact information to your phone lists, such as police, fire, utility providers, pharmacies, and nearby hospitals and medical facilities.

Explore the Community

Once you’ve completed your initial moving day tasks, set aside time to explore your new neighborhood, taking a stroll, bike ride, or leisurely drive around the area will help you get your bearings.

Along the way, look for places where your new neighbors may gather. Community centers, public libraries, parks, coffee shops, and rec centers often offer programming and activities. Many communities also have festivals, street fairs, and farmers’ markets.

Joining local groups or seeking volunteer opportunities will help you meet people, so you can start to form new networks.

Moving In

Relocating can be disruptive. Fortunately, you can take steps to ease the transition. Following these tips can help you feel at home in your new space. Contact us for more information and to get a free quote.

The initial thought of new office space can be exciting! Then the list of upcoming moving tasks runs through your mind. The to-do list seems endless, and panic sets in.

How will you make an office move without business coming to a screeching halt?

Don’t worry; a seamless office move is possible! All you need is some planning, open communication, and a little help.

Let’s look at a simple guide to making your office move a success.

Start Planning Early

Moving an office is no small task! Do your business a favor and start planning at least six months before the scheduled move.

Get a project plan and team together to keep everything running smoothly. This plan should outline things that need to get done, who is in charge of what, and when the deadlines for each task are.

Have regular meetings to keep all project leads on task and in the loop.

Talk to Your Employees

Keeping employees informed about the office move is just as important. If you don’t, it could cause confusion and delays.

Let them know who the project leads are, when the move date is, and if they get assigned to any moving duties. Also, let them know who to contact should they have any questions.

Closer to the move date, give your employees all the information they need to know about the new building. Highlight any key features of the office space. Setting up a tour may even get their excitement levels up.

Notify Your Service Providers

The key to moving offices with little to no business disruption is the ability to unplug from the old office and plug into the new with ease. To do this, you need to notify all your service providers of the move well in advance.

Make sure you schedule services such as utilities, internet, and phone to be ready to go. Don’t forget to notify the mail and delivery services.

Also, make sure your IT department is available to help if any issues come up.

Hire Corporate Movers

With something as important as moving your office, you can’t rely on just any movers. You need a crew who has experience with minimizing downtime during a commercial move.

Corporate movers know exactly what goes into an office move. They can help you plan in a way that meets your needs, whether it’s moving all in one day or moving in phases.

Plus, they will help pack your things and reinstall them in the new place, taking one more task off your shoulders.

Tell Your Customers and Clients

Notify all your customers and clients of your move well in advance. That way, they know where to find you and anticipate any possible delays in communication or service.

Don’t rely on one form of communication to get your message across. Send letters, post on your social media accounts, send emails, and add the info to your website. You can even issue a press release or host a party for clients in your new office to celebrate.

Make Your Office Move Seamless

You can keep business booming, even through an office move. By using these tips, your move will be just as exciting as you hoped it could be. Need experienced corporate movers for your new office space? Contact us today for a free quote!

Did you know that more than 40 million people move every year?

If you’re one of the 40 million people that’s moving this year, packing up all of your precious belongings so that they’re safe during transportation can be overwhelming.

Are you interested in learning how to pack your guitar for a safe move? We’ve created a guide for you here. Keep reading to learn more!

Prepare the Guitar

First, prep your guitar for the move. Remove all loose pieces and things that can be detached, like the strap, bridge cover, tuner, capo, or any other accessory that you have attached to your guitar. Place those items in a labeled plastic bag or box.

Next, loosen the strings of the instrument. Loosen them enough so that they’re almost lying on the fingerboard. Tight strings put too much pressure on the neck of the instrument which may result in cracks in the guitar, broken strings, or snapping the neck of the guitar altogether.

By de-tuning the guitar down two octaves, you’ll be able to relieve enough tension off of the neck to prevent any damage from occurring.

Use the Right Guitar Case and Box

It’s best to move your guitar in a hardcover case within a cardboard shipping box. Though they are sturdy, hardcover guitar cases don’t provide enough protection for a move in which it will be jostled about in transit. A specially sized shipping box is an excellent way to help protect your instrument further.

Measure your hardcover case, then check with your moving company, your local music store, or postal facility to obtain the right-sized shipping/moving box for your guitar case. The box should be several inches longer and wider than the case to allow for the necessary padding inside.

Pack the Guitar

With the strings loosened, place the guitar inside the hardcover case. Use packing paper to add support under the headstock, around it, and on top of it. Make sure the headstock is padded well and the guitar fits snugly into the case.

Place slide several sheets of soft packing paper between the strings and the fretboard to separate the two. Prevent fret damage from the strings, be sure that the strings aren’t touching the fretboard during shipping. Also, check to see if there is a space underneath the heel of the guitar. If there is, support it with some tightly wadded packing paper.

Close the case, and do a gentle shake test. Make sure nothing is loose and shifting inside the case.

Now prep the shipping box. Place several sheets of crumpled packing paper or bubble wrap on the bottom of the box. Place the guitar case centered in the box. Add wads of crumpled packing paper or bubble wrap all around the guitar case to keep it from moving around inside the cardboard box. Nothing should be able to shift inside the shipping box. 

Before sealing the box shut, lift it and give it a shake. Make sure nothing can shift around on the inside to prevent damage during transit.

Finishing Up

Close the shipping box with packing tape. Label the package fragile and indicate “this end up,” so the movers know to handle the box with extra care. 

By finding the right guitar boxes for your guitars, you’ll be sure to keep your guitar safe while you’re moving. Are you interested in hiring a professional team to help you successfully move? We’ve got more moving tips on our blog! Click here to learn more.