Moving Timeline: When and How to Prepare for a Move

If you are trying to put together a move that will work, it pays to link up with a professional and put together a timeline. The best time to move depends on your needs and how much you would like to spend. 

Regardless, there are some planning steps that you can take to help you with the process of moving so that it is as seamless as possible. 

Use the tips below to put together your ideal moving timeline. 

1. Select an Off-Peak Season Move

The decision of when to move depends on your needs, budget, and preferences. If you want to save some money on your move and you have the flexibility, choose late fall, winter, or early spring to relocate.

Peak season is considered any time between April through September when the demand for movers is high. Steer clear of peak season unless it is absolutely necessary. 

2. Create a Budget

Decide on a moving budget. Include all of your moving costs, plus how much money you’ll need immediately after the move for furniture, upgrading, etc. Remember to include travel expenses, storage costs, and packing supplies.

3. Purge Before Packing

Be practical about the household goods you own. You probably don’t have to bring all of it with you. It will save time and money if you can scale back on your inventory. 

Sometimes these things might be of better use to others if you donate them or give them away. Go through all of your belonging before you pack them up and answer these questions:

  1. Do you absolutely love it, or could you live without it?
  2. Do you remember the last time you used it?
  3. Did you remember it until you just saw it?

Challenge yourself on everything you go through. Your answers will demonstrate how important these items are in your daily life.

4. Start Packing Early

Packing happens to be one of the most tedious parts of the moving process. Set aside as much time as possible to pack up all of your belongings. 

This means also getting your hands on the best boxes and shipping containers, and making sure that you keep an inventory of everything that you are putting inside of each. 

5. Notify Utilities

Schedule your utility service termination two weeks before your move. This will give you plenty of time to make adjustments in case your schedule changes.

Allow for some overlap of services. Keep your utilities in your current home in place for one or two days after your scheduled move date so that you’ll have lights and water if you have to come back to clean or finish up tasks at your old home. You will also want to have the utilities at your new house turned on a day or two before you move in to allow for changes in your moving schedule or to allow you to come early to prep your new home.

6. Prepare Your New Home

Prime and prep your new home before the move. If possible, before bringing that first box into your new home, spend some time prepping it. Change the locks and toilet seats. Clean the baseboard, ceiling fans, vacuum up and scrub down the kitchen and bathrooms.  If the walls need minor fixes like patching picture hook holes, take the opportunity to do this before you begin your own decorating.

Put Together the Best Moving Timeline For Your Needs

A successful move begins with a solid moving timeline and quality assistance.Contact us. We can help you put together a complete moving timeline as well as help with your move.


Moving Day Tips: How to Make the Day Go as Smoothly as Possible

When you’re trying to find help with your next move, it’s essential to put together a to-do list. By controlling the variables that you can, and leaving the rest to a mover, you can count on a successful move. 

So, what should you know about planning your move?

Use the moving day tips below to start your to-do list. It will make the moving process easy. 

1. Book Your Move as Early as Possible

When you can plan a move out in detail, you can count on it being effective and speedy. 

As soon as you know your moving date, call to schedule your moving company. Calling as early as possible will save you headaches later. 

2. Get Specific About the Services You Need

Moving pros can provide many services. Quality movers can pack your boxes, load the truck, move your household goods, and provide help with special items that are heavy or difficult to lift and move. 

You can also get a more accurate price quote when you explain your moving needs in detail. Give your mover time to put together everything that you need, so that your service is customized to your move. 

3. Schedule Your Utilities 

Notify your utility companies so that you can get your accounts switched over to your new address. Or, if you are moving out of the area, schedule to have your utilities turned off at your old place and on at your new one.

By confirming in advance that you have service at the new address, you won’t be left in the dark on moving day. Likewise, schedule the activation of your internet and television service so that your communication infrastructure is set up correctly. 

4. Use Self-Storage to Ease the Burden of the Move

Renting a temporary storage unit is an excellent idea for anyone planning out a move. 

For some, this is an important option when your new home isn’t quite ready, or if you need to store certain items until the timing is right. 

Price out these services so that you can factor it into your moving budget. 

5. Have an Overnight Box

Finally, you need to make sure that you are personally prepared for the move. By the time you get to your new home, you will likely be exhausted and ready to unwind before unpacking everything. 

While packing up your old home, designate a box or bag that has all of the things that you will need immediately in your new home. Be sure that you include toiletries, medications, electronics chargers, snacks, and cleaning products. You might also want to include a change of clothes so that you have them available right away.

Make sure that you prepare your kids for the move, and set their favorite belongings aside as well. Pack their favorite items like stuffed animals and necessary clothes in your overnight box as well. They will feel reassured upon arrival in your new home if they have their cherished belongings right away.  

Use These Moving Tips to Make Your Day Go Smoothly

These moving day tips will prepare you for whatever the day brings. Keep these tips in mind and put them to use, whether you’re moving locally or to a different state. 

We’re the moving company that you need to reach out to when you need competence and professionalism. 

Take the time to contact us online or give us a call to see how we can help you with your relocation.


Declutter Time: What to Sell at a Garage Sale to Make It Worth It

All told, the total weekly income from garage sales is about $4,222,375. There is an average of 165,000 per week. That’s only $25 per yard sale. 

Still, you hear tales of people raking in anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per yard sale.

How do they do it?! 

The answer is more simple than you might think. They sell the right items. 

Do you want a bigger piece of that four million-dollar pie? Read on, and we’ll tell you what to sell at your garage sale so you can. 

Picture Frames

You may not think it, but picture frames are big sellers at garage sales. 

Amateur photographers need them so they can display their works of art. Moms and dads want them so they can show off their growing families. Even Do It Yourselfers claim them to complete their projects. 

Depending on the quality and size, you can price 8 x 10 frames at $5 and large poster-size frames at $20. 

Furniture

This is the era of shabby chic. People love finding old furniture and restoring or repurposing it.

Even if you think your old coffee table is a worthless piece of junk, don’t throw it out. What’s one person’s junk might be another person’s treasure!

At the very least, it will catch someone’s eye as they pass by, drawing them into your sale to browse around. This opens the door to other sales opportunities. 

There is one caveat. Most people want to haggle at garage sales. Work in a 15 to 20 percent cushion on furniture items so you can get what you want out of it. 

Jewelry

Vintage and costume jewelry is always in style. Brooches, necklaces, rings, and earrings attract the young and old alike. 

A parent might buy a child a shiny trinket to complement their princess gown. A Halloween goer may need an ornate retro headband to go with their flapper dress. The elderly woman down the street may find herself transported to better days when she looks at a vintage necklace. 

Even if a piece is tarnished, it may still sell. DIYers are always looking for something cheap they can clean up and turn into something extraordinary. 

Tools

Tools that are in good, working condition are best sellers at garage sales. 

Over the years, people accumulate lots of tools. 

When you go through your garage, you’ll likely find a whole slew of tools, many of which are duplicates. Your customers can restock their tool kits with missing items from your collection, and you can reap the rewards when they do. 

Sports Equipment

Kids outgrow old hobbies and start new ones all the time. Buying new equipment every time they do gets expensive fast. That’s why many parents skip the sports stores and go to yard sales instead. 

It’s a win-win for both you and your customers. You’ll get to recoup some of your original costs. They’ll get the equipment they need at a fraction of the price. 

This is another item you’ll probably want to pad the pricing on in preparation for haggling. 

Now You Know What to Sell at a Garage Sale

It’s time to get to selling! 

Once you’ve reduced your load and are ready to move, let us know. Browning Moving & Storage offers relocation and storage services that fit your needs. 

We have more than 100 personnel, 85,000 square feet of warehouse space, and 90 moving trucks. Plus, our United agent status gives us access to so much more. We’re ready to fulfill your needs no matter what they are. 

First, figure out what to sell at your garage sale then, contact us, and we’ll take care of the rest of your move! 


Labeled ‘Fragile’: How to Pack Dishes Before Your Big Move

When you are preparing to move, you might discover that off all the rooms in your house; the kitchen is often the most frustrating. Every kitchen cabinet and drawer, jam-packed with hundreds of perfectly organized essentials, must be sorted into boxes one item at a time. Plus, many of these items are fragile and quite heavy once packed.

In this guide, we’ll teach you how to pack dishes correctly so you can avoid breaking your dishes and glassware. Follow these steps to pack your dishes safely and securely for the big move.

Preparing the Box

First, you need to prepare your moving box for the safe transport of your breakable kitchenware. Start by securely taping the bottom shut with heavy-duty tape. This will prevent a heavy load from bursting through the bottom of the box.

Next, cushion the bottom of the box with a layer of bubble-wrap, wadded-up packing paper, a styrofoam plate, or other cushy packing material

Alternatively, you can purchase dish packs, moving boxes designed specifically for transporting fragile dishes.

Wrapping Plates and Bowls

Place the plate or bowl in the center of a piece of large packing paper. Wrap it by folding all four corners into the center of the dish. Repeat this for three more dishes of the same size. 

Stack four of these individually-wrapped dishes together and place the stack on another sheet of packing paper. Wrap the entire stack the same way you wrapped each dish and tape the bundle closed.

Packing the Plates and Bowls

When packing these bundles into a box, place each one vertically (on its side). They’re less likely to break this way.

Pack enough of these bundles into each box that they form a snug fit, without making the box too heavy. Cushion the four sides and the top of the box the same as you did the bottom. 

Seal the box tightly and label the top as “Fragile—This End Up.” Label the sides the same, with an arrow indicating the top.

Packing Drinkware

Fill each glass, mug, and stemware snugly with crumpled packing paper. Surround the stems of wine/martini glasses with folded packing paper as well. Tape the paper that’s protecting the stem. 

Place one of these filled glasses or mugs on its side on the corner of a sheet of packing paper. Roll the glass diagonally toward the other corner, folding in the other two corners as you go. Do the same with stemmed glasses (with the packing paper cushion around the stem).

Cushion the bottom and sides of a box as you did with the plates and bowls. Place the wrapped drinkware bundles upright in the box with packing cushion between them. Label the box as you did with the plates and bowls.

How to Pack Dishes Safely and Securely

Remember, it may seem like extra work to pack dishes the right way, but it’s worth it. So, don’t cut corners when packing up your kitchen. Follow this advice on how to pack dishes properly.Now check out these 5 Apps for Moving That’ll Help You Stay Organized.


Tools, Clothes, and Furniture, Too: Where to Drop off Donations Before Moving

When you’ve been living in a home for several years, clutter starts to accumulate. So much so, that the average American household harbors over 300,000 different items. That’s a daunting thought when you’re planning a move. 

The best time to scale down on the clutter and get a fresh start is while you’re packing your boxes for your move. Numerous charities that will gratefully accept your hand-me-downs and other useful unwanted items.

Here’s where to drop off donations while de-cluttering your home. 

Where to Drop Off Donations of Clothing

According to recent statistics, there are around 5.3 billion items of clothing that never get worn hanging in women’s closets across the USA. That’s a surprising statistic considering that there are so many needy people who could benefit from these garments. 

Instead of putting all your clothing into a box and taking it with you to your new home, take a little extra time to sort through it. Set aside items that don’t wear anymore. If you haven’t worn it in over a year, it’s time to let it go.

Don’t throw anything out. The Council for Textile Recycling and The American Textile Recycling Service recycles textiles, so they don’t end up clogging up landfills.

The best place to donate clothes that are still wearable is at one of the Goodwill or the Salvation Army collection points. Other organizations like the Vietnam Veterans of America will pick up your used clothing at your home. 

Donating Furniture

If you’re downsizing to a smaller house, chances are you’re going to have some excess furniture. Numerous organizations will gladly give your unwanted items a new home. 

Get in touch with one of the following organizations, and they’ll make good use of any furniture you can’t take along with you:

  • The Furniture Bank Association of America
  • Donation Town
  • Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Places to Donate Old Tools

Most charities that run thrift stores will accept anything they can resell to raise funds for their cause, including tools, kitchen items, and toys.

Habitat for Humanity also accepts donations of tools that they use in their building projects. Get in touch with Pickup Please on their website, and they’ll arrange to collect any goods in working order. All proceeds to the Vietnam Veterans of America. 

The Joy of Giving

Donating unwanted items benefits more than the recipients. It also means you’ll have fewer things to pack and transport, and less to unpack on the other side.

You’ll also feel better about getting rid of things when you know they’re benefitting a good cause. If you’re going to donate items, you’ll also have to start packing sooner, saving you from last-minute stress down the line. 

More Tips on Moving 

From where to drop off donations to tips for settling into your new home, our blog has lots of useful information for a stress-free move.Keep browsing for more information or get in touch for assistance with your relocation.