Packing Your Home Office for a Move: Tips for Success

Packing up your home office for an upcoming relocation can be stressful. Not only do you need to safeguard your electronics and important documents—but you want to make the transition to your new home office as seamless as possible so you can return to business as usual.

Where to begin when it comes to packing your home office? We’ve got some practical tips that will save you time, hassle, and frustration down the road!

1. Label Cords and Wires

Nothing is more frustrating than arriving at your new home office only to be faced with a jumble of random wires and cords. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to remember which cable goes to which device. Instead, take the time to wrap a small piece of masking tape around each cord and label it with the name of the device to which it connects. This will make setting up your home office so much easier, especially if you work with many different devices (such as printers, computers, and the like).

It’s also a good idea to use twist ties to contain cords and wires before you pack them. This will prevent them from tangling with other cords while minimizing space and keeping things as organized as possible.

2. Invest in Quality Packing Supplies

The last thing you need when moving your home office is to deal with a broken or damaged device due to poor packing. When purchasing packing supplies for your home office, you should invest in quality supplies. Select sturdy and durable cardboard boxes, plenty of bubble wrap, styrofoam, and other supplies to keep your devices safe during the move.

From there, take the time to pack each item carefully. Ensure you cushion all electronics with bubble wrap, towels, and soft blankets during transport. High-strength cardboard boxes can hold up to the weight of heavier office items like books and electronics. Label any boxes containing electronics as “fragile” so your moving crew will take extra precautions.

3. Back Up Important Documents

Last but not least, back up all important files and documents before you pack everything away. This way, if something happens to your laptop, external hard drive, or other device, you’ll still have access to your most important data when you arrive at your new home office.

You should back up your information in at least two additional locations. This may include an external hard drive and, ideally, a cloud-based server that your move cannot affect.

Get Expert Help With Your Next Move

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to packing up your home office. By following these tips, you can minimize frustration while protecting critical equipment and sensitive data. These practical tips will also make setting up your office in your new home easier so you can get settled in quickly.

Are you looking for some additional help executing your upcoming move? Our professional movers are here to assist you every step of the way! Contact us today to learn more and begin your quote.

 

Tips to Move on Short Notice

Planning for a big move takes a healthy amount of time and energy to ensure the move goes smoothly. Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t have as much time as you need and are forced to move on short notice. Luckily, with some quick thinking, strict deadlines, and easy organizational tactics, it’s possible to still have a successful household relocation, even with just a few weeks’ notice.

Make a List

A sudden move can cause people to hit the panic button. If you are moving quickly, the best and most effective step you can take is to get organized early. Make a list of what has to get done before you can successfully move into your new house. Some examples of to-do list items include packing, contacting a moving company, cleaning your existing home, or setting up your utilities in your new home. Make your reservations for services, like professional movers and cleaners, early, especially if you move when services are the busiest in the summer.

Consider a Packing Kit

Finding packing supplies can add stress to your move as you collect boxes, tape, and labels. Save time by purchasing an all-inclusive packing kit. These kits come with different box sizes, labels, packing materials, and tape. Packing kits are a one-stop shop to make packing easy and stress-free. Check with your mover to see if they sell packing materials.

Pack Non-Essentials First

Be sure to get started packing your belongings. Move through your home and start packing non-essential and seldom-used items first. Packing and organizing them will make loading the essentials easier. Remember to mark your boxes and keep an inventory of what you’ve already packed.

Set Deadlines and Stick to Them

Your moving date can quickly creep up, so set a reasonable timeline for the moving process. Give yourself a hard deadline to pack each room and coordinate various parts of your move. A deadline is of no use unless you hold yourself accountable. Try your best to stick to your deadlines to make the move easier.

Prioritize Speed Over Organization 

If time is of the essence, it is more important to prioritize speed over efficiency when packing. You might be the type of person who prefers everything to be in its proper place, but there is a better time to become overly particular about such things.

It would be great if you had the time to organize your belongings while packing, but if you are moving in a hurry, you might need to start packing everything immediately. The objective is to reach your new residence quickly.

Get Your Essentials

Sometimes moves are fast and happen in just a matter of days. There is a real chance you’ll live in your new home before your belongings even show up. If so, you’ll want to pack an essentials box to travel with you. That way, you have everything you need to survive a few days without the comforts of home. Remember to pack items like bedding, cookware, dinnerware, and personal essentials to stay functional for your first week in your new home.

We Can Help with a Fast Move

Our team understands sometimes moves are unplanned and happen on short notice. Contact us today for a quote for your next move. We are here to ease your stress and help with the moving process.

 

Tips for Adding a Bathroom to Your House

If you want to renovate your house, a new bathroom is one of the best add-ons. It can add real value to your home. No matter where you live, adding a bathroom will increase the value of your home. 

We’re sharing five tips to make the challenging process smoother.

1. Consider Interior vs. Exterior Renovation

There are two primary ways to install a bathroom in the home – you can build it into an existing room or add it to the exterior, effectively creating a whole new space from scratch.

Realistically, installing a new bathroom inside your property is much easier because you don’t have to worry about adding to your foundation or putting up new sections of walls. However, if you can afford the renovations, it’s almost always better to increase the square footage of your house, even if the new bathroom is relatively small.

Not only can an increase in your home’s size add to the resale value, but you don’t have to reduce the amount of livable space in another room, which can sometimes lower the appeal for new buyers.

2. Full Bath or Half-Bath?

Not all bathrooms are the same. A half bath is a toilet and a sink, while a full bath includes a shower or bathtub too. As you might expect, a full bath installation will cost more, but it could add more value to your home when you decide to make a residential move. Also, if you and your family are constantly waiting for the shower, installing a new one can alleviate this issue significantly.

That said, even a half bath can be valuable, particularly if you put it in a recreational area like the basement. Finally, consider converting a current half bathroom into a full bath to accommodate it more.

3. Determine Your DIY Limit

One of the best ways to save money on home renovations is to handle most of the work yourself. However, installing a bathroom requires professional input since you’ll work with plumbing and electrical systems. That said, if you’re pretty handy, you can have the pros create the foundation and connect the different ports while you handle the rest (i.e., fixtures, cabinets, decor, etc.).

4. Create Multiple Designs and Layouts

Before starting any home renovation project, you need to plan as much of it out as possible. When installing a bathroom, you may have grand ideas of what you want it to look like, but reality may prevent you from realizing your dream. For example, you might be limited by pipe or outlet placement or even the types of walls you’ll have inside.

It’s best to develop a few different ideas, so you have alternate options to fall back on if your first draft won’t work. This way, you can still get what you want, even if it’s not your first choice.

5. Know What You Want vs. Need

Yes, it may be nice to have a Jacuzzi bathtub in your new bathroom, but will it fit, and can you afford it? Writing down a list of wants vs. needs can help you budget and plan efficiently. Also, writing it all down can help you visualize what matters with your new bathroom so you don’t go overboard with the project.

Get Help Moving Into Your Dream Home!

Are you moving into a home you plan to renovate to become the place of your dreams? Let us help with the logistics, so you can focus on what matters most. Contact us today for a free quote.

 

Household Moving and the 5 Things People Forget to Do

If you’re preparing for a residential move, you know it’s time-consuming. Maybe you thought the pieces would quickly fall into place once you secured your dream home, but now you are discovering your to-do list growing.

When moving, there are so many things to remember that it’s easy to overlook something important. You don’t want to find yourself in that situation. The following are five items that people often neglect when preparing to move.

1. Activate Utilities

A lot of people think about packing first. While packing takes time and effort, remember to plan for your utilities.

Ensure utility services are transferred and activated in your new home before the truck arrives. Generally, you want to keep utilities activated in your home one to two days after your move day in case things are delayed or you have to return to your old home to finish anything. Then ensure you set up services at your new place to start at least a day before you move in. 

Working electricity, water, and gas is essential for a smooth transition.

2. Update Subscriptions

More people embrace the convenience of delivery, from meal subscription plans and wellness boxes to wine clubs. So you must notify these companies about your address change.

Whether a long-distance or local move, update these services with your new address. For example, when you move to a new home, you don’t want your week’s meals delivered to your old address.

3. Inventory Belongings

People often forget to perform a complete home inventory when it comes to packing.

Taking a detailed inventory of each room before loading boxes is a good idea after you decide what you want to keep and what you want to sell or give away.

Keeping a list of everything you packed is essential if something gets lost in transition. Filing a lost or stolen item claim after moving into a new residence can be a real inconvenience.

4. Gather Packing Materials

Now that you have scheduled your utilities, updated your subscription addresses, and completed your home inventory, it’s time to pack.

Make sure you have an abundant supply of 

• Boxes in various sizes
• Packing paper
• Bubble wrap
• Tape
• Labels
• Markers

You should always purchase more packing materials than you think you will need. Moving is challenging enough; ensure that your moving supplies are adequate.

5. Prepare an Essentials Box

Packing a box to hold all your moving necessities is a helpful moving hack. You can fill one box of essentials for each family member or pack one box with all the family’s necessities. The essentials box should contain enough supplies to sustain a family of four for 24 hours.

Some of these items include:

• Snacks and beverages
• Dishes
• Chargers
• Small toolbox
• Small emergency kit
• Change of clothing
• Towels
• Toiletries
• Medications
• Soap
• All-purpose cleaner 
• Pet food, leashes, disposal bags

Hire Pro Movers

Some essential steps may slip your mind as you prepare for a move. That is all the more reason to hire professional movers to help. Contact us today for a free quote. 

If you plan to move soon, you’re likely searching for a high-quality moving company to help pack and transport your belongings. As unfortunate as it is, not all movers are committed to providing their customers with the highest level of service. 

Interstate movers with valid licenses are held to higher standards of professionalism and reliability by law. Therefore, it is possible to spot a dishonest moving company by keeping an eye out for these frequently disregarded standards. 

Before signing a moving company contract, you should ensure you can recognize the red flags of a questionable business. Here are five warning signs to look for as you consider various moving companies.

Hidden Fees

Before your move, you should be able to get an accurate estimate of the final cost, including extras like packing or moving insurance. If a mover can’t provide this estimate or says it could change at any time, that’s a red flag. Reputable movers should be able to guarantee their prices and be transparent with any fees or surcharges.

Rights and Responsibilities

You should familiarize yourself with your legal protections before relocating. When you hire a professional mover, they must give you a packet of information titled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” This 25-page pamphlet details ethical business procedures, mandatory standards, and your legal protections as a customer. If your mover doesn’t offer this packet or provide this information, you should question them about it.

Suspicious Terms and Conditions

To avoid the law, some fraudulent movers will use forms designed solely to safeguard their own financial interests. Some will offer ambiguous contracts that don’t adequately protect your belongings or payments. Others will try to mislead you with legalese, using phrases like “choice of venue” to limit your ability to pursue legal action. You should consult an attorney if you have any doubts about the agreement’s content before signing it. 

Upfront Deposit

Professional movers shouldn’t require any down payment before loading the truck. It’s a warning sign that the moving company you’re considering hiring is deceitful. So make sure you understand the payment terms before signing any contracts.  

No Valuation

When transporting household goods across state lines, interstate movers must provide customers with valuation (also known as moving protection) in case of loss or damage. If your long-distance mover doesn’t give you this choice, you might later face difficulties. 

Bad User Reviews

These days, everything has user reviews. One of the best ways to verify if a moving company is legit is to look at what other customers say. Pay attention to the bad ratings and look for issues that pop up consistently within the comments. However, this only tells you part of the story. Also, look at

• The date of the complaint. Sometimes, old complaints stay on a review page for a while, even though the company has resolved the issue.
• Comments from the company. Reputable moving companies will address negative reviews and try to rectify the situation. If the business responds regularly, it’s a better sign that it cares about its customers.

General Unprofessionalness

You can often tell if a business is reputable or not based on how it conducts itself when working with customers. If you get a negative vibe from the company, you’ll likely have a bad experience. Unprofessionalism can include elements like:

• Lack of contact information
• Dirty or unkempt storefront
• Lackluster workforce
• Aging or broken equipment

Another huge red flag is if the images on the website don’t match what you see in person. In this case, the company purposely misled prospective customers and is far more likely to take advantage of your business.

Move With the Professionals!

Now that you know what red flags to look for when comparing moving companies, you’ll be glad to see that we offer high-quality service at a price that meets your budget. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!