How Proper Packing Protects Your Property:

When you pack away your belongings for relocation, it must be done in a particular way so that the contents in the box arrive at the next location unharmed. You can’t just throw miscellaneous items in the box then seal it and expect that everything is safe. Movers are trained to pack properly.

Each individual piece should be wrapped in bubble wrap, foam sheets or newspaper if it stands a chance at breaking during the handling of the box it is in. Dishes should be stacked with foam sheets in between them and smaller boxes should be used for such heavy items. Larger boxes should be used for linens, pillows, winter clothes, and other light weight items.

As you pack, it is suggested that you leave the boxes in the room you packed them in. Each box should be stacked nicely and there should be room left for the movers to get in and out easily. Make sure each box is taped well and sealed. The room that the box is to go in should be written legibly in permanent marker on the sides. If there are fragile items in the box, write “fragile” or “this way up,” if it shouldn’t be flipped over.

In order to avoid all of the packing, you could purchase full service packing. The movers will then come in and pack everything away before the scheduled moving date. They will even bring their own packing supplies and tools. When you get this service, you can avoid packing and spend time doing other things to prepare for the relocation.

Tips on Tipping Movers:

Consumers put a lot of faith in professional movers, which is why good ones are as prized as a competent and fair mechanic. As a customer, you are entrusting all of your possessions, prized and otherwise, to people you may not even have been introduced to before they started taking your stuff and loading it into a truck.

Although movers are considered part of the service trade, there is usually a lot more riding on their job performance than, say, a waitress or someone who cuts your hair. If the waitress drops your rye toast, she can quickly get you a new order and, hey, your hair will grow out.

If a mover, however, does a poor job packing, drops your family heirloom or drags your furniture across the wood floor, there is a lot more at stake. Besides, there are few people in the service industry that work as hard as movers.

Perhaps because consumers rely so much on a mover doing a good job that they don't consider them as a service professional. But they are and proper etiquette requires that they be treated as such. This means it is proper to offer a tip, whether it is cash at the end of the day or you buying the crew lunch or even both.

As with any other service provider, you would base your "tip" on job performance – a bad attitude and indifferent work habits would hardly be considered tip worthy. If, however, you think your crew was attentive, helpful and professional, then give what you believe is fair.

Movers usually don't expect a tip but is appreciated when given. More than anything, it's a sign that you recognized their effort and thought it worthy. You may think you're paying a small fortune to the moving company, but what trickles down to the guys actually lugging your stuff won't have them driving home in a Beamer.

Moving is a stressful life event overloaded with thousands of small details that need attention. One of those is how to treat the crew moving your life's belongings, so here's a quick reference that should keep the guys happy and moving:

• Moving is hard, back-breaking work so it would only be common decency to have cold bottled water, soda or sport drinks on hand.
• Some people prefer to buy the crew lunch in lieu of a tip and this is perfectly fine. Some do both. It's whatever you are comfortable with. If you do offer to buy the crew lunch, make sure to ask if they have a preference as to food choice. Many people think, "Oh, we'll get some pizza," so you can imagine how much pizza these guys might have had that month.
• You will hear varying advice on how much to tip. Percentages don't really work as they do in restaurant work. The difference between a $2,000 full-truck move and a $20,000 full-truck move is likely the distance the moving van travels, not how much time it took to load the vehicle. Basically, if it's a half-day (4 hours) move, $10 per person is considered appropriate. If it's a full-day move (8 hours), then $20 is the consensus. If you have a lot of heavy furniture, narrow or winding stairs, a steep lot, etc., you should consider adding to the amount. If the crew works 12 hours to get your belongings packed, figure $40 as fair.
• A tip about tips from movers themselves: Don't give the lump sum to the foreman or driver. Give each worker their tip. First, it shows that you recognize and appreciate their individual efforts. Second, there are some unscrupulous foremen, who will keep the entire amount for themselves.
• Avoid giving the guys beer at the end of the day. It's a bit stereotypical and most legitimate moving companies have rules against drinking on the job. It also opens liability issues. Make the tip cash and the movers can spend it how they wish.

PACKING 101 CHECKLIST THE BETTER YOU PACK, THE EASIER IT IS TO UNPACK.

Getting started

• Start by packing the things you aren’t using and won’t need until after you move. (Think camping equipment, sporting equipment and out-of-season items). Work backwards from least to most needed so that your everyday necessities won’t need to be packed until moving day.
• Your soft and lightweight goods in drawers need not be removed and packed in boxes; they can be moved as they are. Your movers will wrap dressers with plastic and blankets to keep drawers closed. However, anything breakable, spill-able or that may damage other items should be removed from your drawers prior to moving.

Tips for packing items in boxes

• Group like items together. Pack kitchenware together in one box and label it accordingly. Do not mix fragile collectibles with pots and pans, or otherwise throw together contents haphazardly.

• Wrap items individually with multiple layers of clean packing materials like news wrap, paper towels, tissue paper and/or bubble wrap. Towels, blankets and other soft items may also be used to pad boxes.

• Each box should be packed firmly but not overloaded. You don’t want items to shift. The box lid should close easily without bending inward or being over-packed.

• Each box should be tightly sealed with tape unless it contains any items that are listed on the Mayflower High-Value Inventory Form. Boxes with high value items need to be left open for inspection by the van operator prior to transport.

How to pack a standard box

• Before adding items to your empty box, create a two to three inch layer of padding at the bottom with crushed news wrap.
• Place the heaviest items on the bottom of the box, then build up in layers with medium weight items in the middle and lightest weight items on top.

• Each layer should be filled with crumpled news wrap or other packing materials to eliminate empty spaces.

• You may further define layers by using sheets of cardboard for dividers.

• Everything should be completely covered by paper or other padding.

How to pack small, fragile items in a box

• Small and fragile items should be individually wrapped. The more delicate the item, the more padding required.

• They can then be packed separately in small boxes, either one item per box, or a few together in each box.

• Ensure these boxes are fully cushioned with paper or other packing materials.

• These smaller boxes can then be placed in a larger box, with each small box cushioned by additional news wrap to fill the gaps between boxes.

Organizing and marking boxes

• As you seal each box, list its contents on the side in permanent marker. You can also keep track of your boxes and contents in a notebook. You may also wish to number each box for better tracking.

• Which room should the box be directed to? If you mark each box clearly by room, you can tape signs on each room at your new home, which will help the movers quickly distribute the boxes to their appropriate rooms.

• Which boxes will you want to unpack first at your new home? Indicate these priority boxes with a special mark so they can be set aside when you get there. Your United team should have “Last Load” stickers for you to use.

Packing electrical equipment and items with multiple pieces 

• Group parts and pairs together. Put hardware in plastic bags and tape them securely to the articles with which they belong.

How To Move A Safe By Yourself: Stay Safe!

And if your move has already been scheduled, then you must be already working on the jobs in your personal moving calendar. And if that is the case, have you noticed how some tasks are relatively easy to complete and offer some kind of breathing space for your busy schedule, others will certainly give you a run for your money?

The fact that some items are much harder to pack, transport, and unpack than others cannot be really disputed – how could you possibly compare moving your book collection to deciding to take your antique piano with you? You can’t. And what about transporting huge and heavy furniture pieces? Taking your pool or snooker table with you?

Wait a second – what about moving a big safe to another home? In fact, that safe moving job does sound like a true challenge, doesn’t it?

It certainly does. Ready for some good tips for moving a safe?

What to know before moving a large safe

Before you even decide to do that extra challenging and dangerous job on your own (with a few reliable friends, of course!), you should be aware that there are a bunch of important points to take into consideration first.

Safety above all

Safety should be your primary concern. After all, we’re talking about the best ways to take a huge metal beast of a safe and move it safely to another home altogether. If you own a much smaller portable safe for important documents and cash, then you don’t really have anything to fret over – you just take it with you as if it were a metal packing box. In reality, that’s all it is, isn’t it – a much more secure and heavier metal box where you store really essential and expensive items.

The problem here is not really how to move portable lightweight safes, such as document safes, data safes, and jewelry safes. The real problem you may be facing when moving to another home is how to move a huge safe – your High Security commercial safe that could weigh up to 500 lb, or even more. And when you add extraordinary weight and large dimensions to the world of moving, things can go from easy to hard, and then from safe to dangerous in mere seconds.

Thus said, if you do own a commercial safe that was designed to offer the ultimate protection against theft (burglar-resistance), fire (fire-resistance) and other forces of nature (environmental resistance), then your best bet is to hire professionals to do it for you. Re-assess the whole relocation situation with a clear mind and keep in mind that your monstrous safe is surely no joke to be moved around safely.

The safe moving dilemma





Big. Heavy. Dangerous. Sounds like a safe thing. Or does it?
Although you do realize that the best way to move a large and heavy safe is to hire the services of specialty movers, the thing is that, under specific circumstances, you may be tempted to complete that daring moving task without any professional help. Such circumstances may include:

You only need to move your heavyweight safe to another spot in the same room;
You want to move your High Security safe to another room inside your own home or office;
You have previous experience moving huge safes around, and you know exactly what it takes to get the tough job done with no accidents of any kind;
You have a group of reliable friends whom you know you can trust to help you complete successfully that risky relocation task;
You have the proper safe moving equipment that gives you confidence that things will turn out to be okay in the end;
The price quotes you received to have your huge strongbox moved to its new resting spot are not much to your liking, so you decide to save some money by moving the safe by yourself.
So, if you feel like you’re really up to the task, then you should get familiar with the necessary preparations before you get down to the job at hand. Follow the safe moving checklist below to get ready to move your safe by yourself.

What to do before moving a heavy safe

It’s important to understand that the successful relocation of your personal safe depends primarily on how well you are prepared for the challenge ahead.

You must secure the proper safe moving equipment first if you want to have a fair chance of pulling off that tough task. You’re going to need a wheeled helper – a heavy duty appliance dolly (the “L”-shaped two-wheeler which is also known as a hand truck). Also, you’re going to need a few supporting straps or a considerable length of rope to secure the heavy safe once it’s loaded onto the dolly, as well as a number of thick moving blankets.
Measure up your safe. Before you go ahead and rent the above equipment for moving a safe from a local moving company, make sure you know the dimensions and exact weight of your home or office safe so that the movers know what type of moving dolly to lend you. The specifications of your strongbox should be clearly noted in its documentation. If not, as long as you know the model of your safe, you can always look up that specific data on the Internet.
Confirm, again, that your helpers will show up on the scheduled day and will give you a hand with that super heavy monster of a safe that you own. This is the make-it-or-break-it moment of your bold decision to move a safe by yourself – if you can’t seem to secure at least 4 helpers for your safe moving cause, then you should just give up on the idea and seek professional assistance. Do not attempt to move your heavyweight safe entirely on your own as you’re risking not only costly damage to your property, but serious personal injury as well.

Where’s the heavy-duty moving dolly?
Consider emptying your safe to make it lighter, especially if it happens to be a heavy-duty gun safe. Besides, the unorthodox movements that the valuables inside your safe will be subjected to may pretty much damage them, so you are advised to remove all the items from your safe box before you begin the moving procedure. Once you get those valuables out, be sure to pack them separately and then find the best way to move them safely.

Be careful how you dress up for the occasion. Yes, your clothing and footwear will probably be the least of your concerns, but trust us – they matter. Avoid baggy clothes and long jewelry pieces that may get caught on something and compromise the safety you’ve worked hard to achieve. In fact, what you wear, regardless of whether you’re moving your safe to a new home or moving it to a new place around your current home, should offer maximum comfort and utmost protection for your body. Choose the most comfortable pair of closed shoes you have and double check to see if their soles are provide the excellent traction you need. Moreover, do not begin the safe relocation procedure before you have a high quality pair of work gloves on your hands for a better grip and even better protection for your fingers.
Before you begin the safe moving operation, you need to be perfectly clear on what you want to do and how you will do it. In other words, work out your relocation strategy to the smallest detail. Walk the intended path beforehand and make sure there are no obstacles of any kind that can make things riskier than they already are. Identify any dangerous zones and make them safe. Plan each safe moving step in your head and don’t keep that exit strategy to yourself – share it with your friends so that all of you are on the same page. If the escape route includes tight corners, narrow corridors or flight of stairs, then re-evaluate the whole situation and don’t hesitate to seek professional assistance if the risks appear to be too high.
Take precautions to keep your home damage-free while wheeling your huge safe around. Place protective coverings along the exit route (film protectors, old carpets or blankets, or simply large pieces of cardboard). Also, tape think moving blankets along tight corners, staircase banisters, wall frames or any other places which you think might get into contact with the big safe during transportation.
If you’re moving a safe to a new home, you’re going to need a moving van for its actual transportation. A borrowed pick-up truck or a rental moving vehicle should do just fine – only make sure that that vehicle is equipped with a loading platform to make things easier and safer for everyone.
How to move a safe by yourself


Gun safes are especially tricky to move for obvious reasons.
Now, the moment you’re done with the preparation stage, it’s time to get down to the serious business of moving a safe with a dolly. This is the right time to forget about all kinds of unusual and plain dangerous ways of transporting a large and heavy safe, like moving a safe with golf balls, skateboards or metal pipes. For best results, stick to arguably the greatest invention in human history – the wheel.

So, how to move a safe with a dolly? Follow these tips for moving a safe to keep things safe!

Close the door of your safe and lock it in place. Remember that its accidental opening during transport could do plenty of damage, including to itself;
Wrap your safe completely with moving blankets until no metal part is visible, and then tape the protective covers in place with packing tape, straps or rope;
Slowly, tilt the safe with the help of your friends and slide the heavy-duty dolly underneath the bottom of the stronghold. Do this particular task with great caution;
Wrap the entire body of the safe with straps or rope and then fasten it tightly to the dolly. This is probably the most important step when moving a safe – the heavy and bulky metal structure must remained firmly attached to the moving dolly at all times;
The moment your safe is perfectly secured to the dolly with straps or rope, use all the manpower you’ve got to tilt back the two-wheeler so that the entire weight of the valuables keeper rests balanced onto the rubber wheels of the L-shaped first class lever;
Have at least 3 of your friends support the safe onto the moving dolly while you’re already making your way out of the house or you’re heading towards the pre-selected spot inside your current home;
Your helpers should keep the strapped up safe steady at all times just to make sure things are running as smoothly as possible. If possible, assign a person to walk a few meters before you and warn you of potential trouble along the way;
No one should be allowed to make any sudden or unexpected movements as they might confuse the rest of the helpers, or even throw them off balance. Sharp turns or bumps along the way could actually cause the safe to fall off the dolly, so avoid them as best as you can;
Moving a safe downstairs or upstairs is a risky business and if you’re not sure how to do it, then don’t do it at all. The main idea is to down or up one little step at a time while the safe is being supported by as many persons as possible;

Choose the safeR way to move your safe safely.
When you’ve made it safely to the awaiting moving vehicle, use the loading ramp to wheel up the loaded moving dolly or even better – use a motor-driven ramp to go up to the storage space;

Once inside, get the strapped safe against one of the vehicle sides and strap it securely to survive the bumps of the road ahead. Use as many straps and ropes as you deem necessary to achieve complete immobilization until the new home is reached;
The above steps for moving a safe should be repeated in reversed order the moment you get to your new residence.
IMPORTANT: Safety is your top priority when moving a safe to a new location. Do not risk your health or that of another person if you’re not 100% sure that you’re up to the challenge. When in doubt, do the sensible thing and turn to experienced professionals who know what it takes to move a large and heavy safe.

7 Ways to Save Money Moving—Without Begging Your Friends for Help:

Moving may be right down there with root canals in the nether regions of life’s bucket list. While the thought of nesting in a new home is exciting, the act of getting there is often stressful, exhausting, and expensive.

According to the American Moving and Storage Association, a typical in-state move will set you back $1,170; move to another state and you’ll cough up $5,630 on average.

So to help your bottom line, we gathered these tips on how to save during your move without bribing your poor friends to help.

Use a piggyback service

Ghostruck is a service that lets a mover piggyback on another mover’s empty truck space for a flat rate.

Here’s how it works: Snap a photo of what you want moved and upload it to Ghostruck’s app or website. Type in when and where your stuff is going, then an algorithm will calculate the exact cost to transport it with licensed and insured movers. Customers can review their rate before they book, and while prices vary based on what you’re moving and where, it’s all but guaranteed to be at least one-third cheaper than renting a whole truck just for yourself.

Move during winter

Sure, a winter move may entail inclement weather and icy sidewalks. But it’ll also save you a bundle. The industry’s “dead season is the perfect time to get a deal on your moving quote,” says Lior Rachmany, CEO of New York’s Dumbo Moving + Storage.

While winter jobs may be generated at a better rate, Rachmany advises that during negotiation customers mention they’re aware it’s the slow season and that prices should be lower.

Another cash-saving tip? Avoid an end-of-month move, which “is like taking a taxi at rush hour—the moving companies are overwhelmed. Moving on off-peak days is cheaper.” Choose wisely!

Avoid guesstimates

Moving company estimates are just that, meaning your final bill could be way over your budget.

“A simple local move should be a guaranteed price,” says Rachmany—or, at most with a maximum cap if the hours go over so you know the most it could cost. “Avoid hourly estimates and even flat prices that seem too low. Lowballing is common in the moving industry.”

What about tipping, which can run from $10 to $50 per mover? “Tipping isn’t mandatory,” he says. When in doubt, ask the company beforehand about its policy.

Lighten your load

Moving is a time of reckoning. That fringed leather jacket you wore once? Yard sale! Or donate it to the Salvation Army. Besides the emotional capital of doing good, charitable giving is tax-deductible—a working refrigerator could net you $250! You can find more savings in this donation value guide.

Bonus: You’ll save on your moving costs by having less to move. According to Realtor®Bill Golden, moving too much unnecessary stuff is a common lament of home buyers.

“They don’t do enough weeding out beforehand and end up jettisoning things they paid to move,” he says. Since it costs $3 to $5 per box to move locally, according to Rachmany, six boxes of old clothes that ultimately get tossed just cost you upward of $50.

Find free boxes

New boxes cost anywhere from $1 to $2 each, so look on Boxcycle, where a used box can run as little as 15 cents. If even that’s too much, go to Freecycle to find a recent mover looking to get rid of boxes.

You could also save money and the environment by “going green with Rent-A-Green Box.” These plastic bins with lids run “half the cost of buying cardboard boxes. You don’t need to tape—simply pack, stack, and move,” says founder Spencer T. Brown. Most companies drop off these bins and pick them up at the new location for free.

Break out your toolbox

“Take beds, tables, and wall units apart yourself and put them back together” after the move, says Rachmany. “Because fewer services are required of the movers, you’ll save on your rate or duration of the move. If you’re taking your bed and furniture apart to reassemble them upon delivery, it should take off about 10 to 15% of the total price.”

Keep all your receipts

You can claim moving expenses on your tax return within one year of starting a new job that’s more than 50 miles from your old home, even if you didn’t have that job lined up before moving. Eligible expenses include moving and storage costs as well as monies spent packing, transporting, and insuring your personal property.

Planning a Move to South America? Get Prepared with A. Arnold!

Moving anywhere takes a lot of hard work and effort. You need to pack up your old house or business (or hire reputable movers to do it for you), book a moving date, coordinate logistics, transfer utilities and accounts, make travel arrangements…the list seems nearly endless! When you’re moving internationally, you add even more items to your moving checklist.

You’ll need to make sure you’re familiar with and capable of handling all the necessary paperwork, passing through customs, addressing potential language barriers and understanding a new set of laws, rules and regulations in your new place for home or business.

Why not let a team of professionals take some of the stress out of your move to South America? When you work with A. Arnold World Class Relocation, you’re working with a company that has been helping people and businesses successfully move all over the globe for more than 100 years.

During our time in business, our top-notch service offerings and continued commitment to excellent customer service has even earned us an unbeatable “A+” rating from the BBB, status as a Registered International Mover and the prestigious designation of ProMover from the American Moving & Storage Association. Our long history of excellence, professional accomplishments and credentials are second to none when it comes to moving and storage—especially internationally!

Because we know that every relocation is unique, we always begin each project by sending one of our highly-skilled professionals to your current home or business for a free estimate and consultation. During this time, he or she will discuss our various service options with you and help you develop the perfect international moving plan to meet your specific requirements, budget and schedule. We help make sure that you get all the services and amenities that you need to make your move to South America as smooth and stress-free as possible. Some of the valuable services and amenities we offer include, but are not limited to:

Relocation Services:

·  Needs Assessment

·  Policy Development

·  Cross-Cultural Training

·  Corporate Relocation

·  Destination Adjustment

·  Repatriation

Transportation Services:

·  Ocean, Air, Truck and Rail Transportation

·  Customs Brokerage

·  Bonded Storage

·  Warehousing & Distribution

Once your relocation is underway, your move coordinator will be there to guide you through every step of the process. From navigating the “red tape” and regulations like Law 1565 and Plan Retorno, to coordinating logistics and keeping you in-the-know about the status of your shipments, our knowledgeable staff members will assist you from start to finish during your move to South America.

If you’re ready to get started on your own international relocation to South America, call the pros at A. Arnold Relocation! We can provide you with more information, answer any questions you may have and schedule your FREE, in-home estimate and consultation. Don’t delay—call or fill out our quick quote form today!

Everything You Need to Do 8 Weeks Before You Move Your Home:

By Diane Schmidt

Moving Expert

 

 

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In order to keep your move on schedule, you'll need to keep atask list of things to do eight weeks before you move. Remember, it's just two months before you say goodbye to your house, your neighborhood, family and friends, and by now you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. Not to worry. Will this task list you'll find yourself actually looking forward to moving day!

1. Purchase a journal or use a coiled binder, and keep notes on your move.

Include "to do" lists, reminders, phone conversations and what you've already accomplished. This is particularly important as you start to call movers, shippers, truck rental companies and other companies that will be helping with your move.

2. Obtain a floor plan of your new residence.

Using a floor plan can help you sort through your things, helping you decide what household goods you want to keep and which ones you need to give away, in particular, if you're downsizing your space or are moving long distance and want to save costs on hiring movers.

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How To Hire Movers

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In other words, more stuff = more weight = more money.

3. Take an inventory of all household goods.

Taking a household inventory will help you keep track of what you're moving and what's staying behind, plus gives you a list of stuff that a moving company will need.

4. Decide if you're going to move yourself or hire professionals.

If you're hiring a moving company, you'll need to start the process. Before you hire, know what to look for and how to choose the best. Contact a minimum of three and set-up estimate interviews. To help with your interviews, read Questions to Ask the Moving Company, then write out your questions in your moving book. Or use the handy moving company checklist when making your calls.

5. Hire a mover.

It's important to research moving companies and hire a mover early, especially if you're moving during the summer when movers are often booked months in advance. The earlier you research your mover, the more options you'll have in terms of who you hire.

6. Purchase insurance.

Will you need to purchase additional insurance? Find out how much the moving company will cover, then contact your insurance agent and ask if your homeowners or rental policy can apply to moving your household goods.

7. Establish a file for all moving papers and receipts.

Collect and sort your records. Arrange to transfer or obtain your child's school records and make sure you have all other records that you need.

8. Rent storage if you need it.

If you need to use storage facilities, check out your options, compare prices and book the space. Storage, like movers, should be booked in advance. If you're not sure about the amount of storage space you need, use this guide to help you decide on storage size.

9. Make a running list of people you need to notify of your change of address.

Keep a list of who needs to know you're moving (on the refrigerator) so you can add to it as the days tick by. Or print out the change of address checklist to ensure you don't miss anyone.

10. Get the packing supplies you'll need.

Make a list, and if you're ordering off the Internet, order your supplies now. Confused about what to order? Go to Packing Supplies: What Do I Need?. You can also check out this easy-to-follow video guide to packing essentials - it'll show you quickly what you'll need to pack and move.

11. Complete any home improvements/repairs you have agreed to do.

Home renovations or improvements are necessary when selling your home. But if you're renting, then you also need to consider what you need to do to ensure you can collect your damage deposit when you move out. Either way, there will be things you need to do to get your old home ready for your move out