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Moving Help 20 Hints for Moving in the Fall

20 Hints for Moving in the Fall

Fall is the best time of year to move as the busy and usually costly summer season has come and gone, families looking to relocate before the beginning  of back-to-school are settled in, and the housing market isn’t as intense. Lower prices, lower temps, and lower competition all work in your favor. That said, you’ll still want to plan ahead as much as possible. With changing seasons come different challenges and considerations.  Below are twenty hints for moving in the fall:

.fall moving help

20 Hints for Moving in the Fall

1.  Take Advantage of Lower Moving Costs

Depending on the housing market, moving in the fall is typically much more affordable than summer. Moving companies have cleared the summer rush, gas prices can be lower, and there is more truck/crew availability.

2. Declutter Your Summer Gear

You may have a number of clothing items, swimwear, beach gear, outdoor furniture,  toys, and other seasonal items that just won’t make it to next summer. Instead of packing and moving these items, only to discard them next year, take some time to declutter and items you don’t want to pay to take with you. And, if there are old cold-weather clothing items you or your family have grown out of, consider donating those before the colder weather hits.

3. Rethink Storage

If you live in a climate with challenging seasonal weather, reconsider the benefits of putting some items in storage during your move. This will help clear your moving truck of heavy or bulky items you may not use until late next spring or summer (like outdoor furniture, gardening tools, and barbecues), and can streamline your move by helping you pack everything at once. It will also make move-in that much easier when you arrive.

4. Pack for the Season

While you’re considering bulkier items, don’t forget about clothes and sporting gear that you may not need right away after the move. Pack seasonal items together so you can find them easily later – and make sure you’ve left out all those cold-weather items you’ll need shortly after you settle into your new place, like rain boots and raincoats, snow gear, and snow-removal equipment. If you’ve stored them away, now’s a good time to make sure they’re easy to access and unpack after you’ve arrived.

5. Unpack for the Season

If you’ve stored away crock pots and sandwich presses, large dutch ovens, and other seasonal dishes and service wear, consider talking to your movers about placing them in more accessible locations in your house or apartment upon your arrival. Instead of trudging out to the garage or down to the storage closet to find items you packed away last year, they’ll be in your kitchen or dining room, ready to be put into service for the fall and winter seasons.

6. Setup Utilities in Advance

There’s nothing worse than arriving in a new place during the chilly, wet fall to find you haven’t set up all the proper utilities like electricity and gas. Often times, waits for new accounts can be several days. Not so great when the temperature drops. So be sure you’re clear on what’s required to setup or transfer your accounts, so that you arrive to a warm, bright environment on day 1.

7. Put Down Plastic During Your Move

When both moving in and moving out during the fall, the potential to track in wet leaves, dirt, and mud increase. You want to get back your security deposit, or at least ensure your post move-out cleanup doesn’t involve plastering holds in the walls of your apartment or steam-cleaning rugs. So buy plastic painter’s sheeting, or cut open large black trash bags and tape to entryways and other pathways where movers and friends will be coming and going. When you arrive at your destination, be sure the movers wait for you to lay down more plastic before unloading your items.

8. Keep a Broom Handy

During the fall, no matter your preparation, you’re going to track in a lot of leaves and dirt. Have a broom, paper towels, and sponge mops ready so you can clean as you go. This will ease the post-move cleanup, and help to avoid tracking materials into and out of your moving truck, onto your furniture and boxes, and into your new home or apartment.

Fall Moving Tips
Fall Moving Tips

9. Clear Outdoor Pathways

Despite your precautions for protecting your existing and new home or apartment, you should take extra steps to clear the outdoor paths to and from the moving truck to avoid dangerous situations. Sweep away leaves and shallow puddles with a stiff broom, and put down flat pieces of cardboard in any particularly wet, muddy, or slick spots.  Another helpful fall moving tip requires cleaning while you go can help keep your place tidy and can also help avoid injuries you might sustain while carrying heavy items to and from your place.

 

10. And an Umbrella for that Matter

Rain is the worst for moves. There’s simply no avoiding taking your things outside into the weather to load them into the truck. So be sure you have an ample supply of umbrellas and other plastic covering to keep furniture, upholstery, and boxes dry as they’re loaded into and out of the truck. Wet boxes can break or mold—especially if headed for prolonged storage. And it’s just no fun starting out in your new place with a wet couch.

11. Dress Appropriately

We know, you’re probably used to the tried-and-true moving uniform: running shoes, shorts, and old T-shirt and a baseball cap. But during the fall you’re going to have to plan ahead or colder, and potentially wet weather. Be sure you’re wearing shoes with good traction, have a hooded rain jacket on hand, and that you’ve considered layers so you can dress up or down depending on temperature fluctuations, and how challenging your move becomes.

12. Sell Your Stuff

Start early on your vending efforts to maximize profits. Personally, we’re fans of services that allow you to make money from the comfort of your own couch (who isn’t?).

And, of course, there’s always the classic standby: Craigslist and Nextdoor.com

13. Get creative with how you transport heavy items

Heavy items are one of the main reasons people hire expensive help on moving day. After all, no one wants to throw out their back while lugging an outdated stereo system down the stairs. But trust us, with a couple of hacks, you’ll be able to keep your cash and your back.

Let’s talk about books. Your expansive, curated literary collection is impressive when it’s up in shelves; on moving day, it’s just a pain. Rather than tossing those tons in boxes, pack them in a rolling suitcase, and voila: a portable library.

Think creatively with other heavy items, such as furniture. Remove any attached parts, like legs and drawers, to make the bulk significantly lighter. And always place a piece of cardboard under a heavy item to prevent scratches on the floor. Finally, push instead of pulling -– it’s easier on your body.

14. Hire Movers You Can Trust

Moving Help
Fall Moving Help

Find Google Guaranteed Movers – they have to be licensed, insured, have an actual brick and mortar location and have high insurance.  We recommend Monster Movers serving the following states: MA, RI, NH, ME, VT, PA, DE, NJ, NY, VA, DC, SC, NC, FL, GA, TN, MN, CO, CA, OH, MI,

15. “Save the date”…  for your move

We know, we know – it’s moving day, not your wedding day. But go ahead and get into that planning mentality anyway: Pick the date and time you want to move well in advance, and you could end up saving a ton of cash. Moving in October, November or December moving both mid-month and mid-week will save you the most money as every moving service from storage to moving trucks and full-service movers – is cheaper in the middle of the month.

16. Get the weight  of every item you’re contemplating moving  

help moving
help moving

Finding out how much your furniture weighs in key to getting a guaranteed quote – find a moving calculator here.

If those two boxes of kitchen supplies are all that’s standing between you and a smaller, significantly cheaper storage unit or moving truck, it might be time to implement some tough love.This is where decluttering and a minimalist living approach to your home come in handy – the less stuff you have to move, the all-around cheaper your move will be.Are you still paying for single-use, flimsy cardboard moving boxes? There are so many moving box alternatives, ranging from delivered-to-your-door box rentals to recycled wine crates or banana boxes

When it comes time to wipe down your old apartment, instead of picking up new cleaner, use what you already have. A half-empty bottle of vinegar, a past-ripe lemon, and some old rags may be all you need for a through ceiling-to-floor clean.

17. Got pets or kids? Leave them with a friend while you move

As for kids, your move is exactly the time you should call in a favor with your family. As lovable as they are, kids and pets can cause damage during a move and make the move take longer as movers aka. friends you’ve bribed have to negotiate around them as they run around during moving.

move help
move help

18.Moving out-of-state? Find a Private, Flat Rate Moving Company

Using a private, flat rate moving company that won’t swap, sell or unload your shipment is crucial to avoiding damage, missing items or  pricing that drastically changes.

19.  Check Your Personal Vehicles

While this isn’t necessarily related to your move, relocation is a good reminder to do those things you’ve been putting off throughout the year. While there’s a lot you can do online, some things, like your car, require professional support. So take your ride for service to ensure it’s running and in good shape prior to the colder, wetter seasons.

20. Keep Personal Items with You

You should keep personal papers, social security card and other irreplaceable items with you in a suitcase.

Should You Help Your Friends Move?

Should You Help Your Friends Move?

Have you ever wondered how strong of a friendship you and your bestie have?  You can gauge your comraderie by their level of help during a move.  Let’s put it this way  – if there was a ceremony for friendship the “friendship vows” would be  ” in moving and in chillaxing.”   Check below for our “Should You Help Your Friends Move?” guide – also an accurate evaluation of your bromance.

Everyone who has moved while in college or shortly thereafter knows how precious moving day help can be.  Let us help you find out if you should help your friends move:

TYPES OF FRIENDSHIPS and RESPECTIVE MOVE SCORE

  1. Enabling Friendship:  Move Score 8                                                            This friendship is a special bond between buds that empower each other to do the impossible.  This friend will boost your ego and are definitely one of the best types of friends to call for a move.
  2. Hot and Cold Friendship: Move Score 5                                                           The Hot and Cold friend is like a corked bat. Your hot and cold friend may show up, show up late or not at all but they do, they will easily provide that extra umph to get you home.
  3. Class Clown Friendship: Move Score 3                                                              One of the worst friends to help with a move – this friend loves pranks and those are not appreciated while moving.  Also, you will be so busy laughing – nothing will get moved.
  4. Bromance: Move Score 9                                                                                              You know that friend who completely admires you for whatever reason.  This is the best friend to invite for a move. This friend will do the entire move for you – to show up and just to be around your awesomeness
  5. Drinking Buddies: Move Score -10                                                                        Just.  Don’t.
  6. The Long Distance Friend: Move Score 6                                                       If you are moving long distance and actually hiring long distance movers – the long distance friend is a great for moral support – mainly because they won’t actually have to do any heavy lifting.

Helping your friends move can make or break a friendship.  Your patience will be tested but after all the back-breaking effort – you’ll become better buds after a move together.  Just don’t forget the pizza and drinks.

Of course, you could avoid all of the moving drama by hiring local movers, movers within 100 miles of your original residence or long distance movers.

MOVING IN THE SNOW

MOVING IN THE SNOW BY MOVER HELP


Moving in the snow is probably one of the most annoying things in the entire world. Carrying a 200 lb. dresser across slippery ice – a problem for most moving companies but movers in Boston and other New England movers have been practicing the art of “moving in the snow” for many cold, frost-bitten years. Our moving crews have been moving for over 37 winters of snow and are happy to share some really important moving tips for those wintery months.

  1. SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE – There are so many things that can go wrong during winter moves. But safety of the crew members, you and your furniture is the top priority. We highly recommend hiring movers during winter months. The inside of your home and the truck itself can get as slippery as the ground outside and most people don’t realize this until its too late. All of our moving crews carry shovels, rock salt and sand with us but you should always call your mover anyway and make sure they have these things handy.
  2. DRIVING A MOVING TRUCK IN THE SNOW – Unless you are an expert truck driver – don’t do it. I have seen other moving trucks literally slide down the hills of Boston. Snowy roads are not something for an awkward moving truck to be travelling in – leave this feat to the experts. In the case that you do get stuck – call roadside assistance immediately and place the orange markers out. Our moving trucks get winter overhauls but renting a truck you may be shocked to find the lack of winter snow tires and/or moving chains.
  3. BE PREPARED – Things you will need for a move in the snow – ice melt/salt, sand, shovels, window scraper, floor and truck runners to minimize slipping, heavy-duty gloves – hands get slippery in the winter too.
  4. DON’T RISK IT – I remember a customer who wanted us to move a hot tub that had just been unhooked ( leaking water ) across a football field of ice an down icy steps. We did everything we could to get that across but the ice was a foot deep and did not melt with all of our salt, ice melt and sand. We did our best without it but in the end we needed to use a crane to get that bad Larry out. Sometimes there is nothing that you can do about the weather – better safe than sorry.
  5. WATCH THE WEATER – It can change drastically. A sunny day in the North East can easily turn into a blizzard before your offload.
  6. WINE BOTTLES BREAK IN COLD WEATHER – I know, it’s not fair. If you are doing a long distance move – or one that is going into storage during winter months, please make sure you hire a mover with climate-controlled storage or your expensive wine collection could be ruined. Also, overnight storage is not recommended for bottled liquids. They may break overnight in the cold.
  7. ELECTRONICS and PLANTS DON’T LIKE SNOW – Like wine, plants don’t fair well during winter month moves. When hiring long distance movers in Boston or other snowy cities, make sure your mover is using climate-controlled storage facilities and not offloading your shipment into a warehouse. Electronics generally do fine in the winter but may need a thawing period.
  8. TURN THE HEAT ON – Make sure your heat is on in the new house or this will only prolong your moving issues.

Moving in the winter can be a challenge but by following our mover help, you will be prepared to weather any winter storm.

Moving in the Snow
Moving in the Snow

Mover Help

What is mover help really?  Mover Help is a blog to help the average consumer learn all about preparing, planning and performing a move.  The first helpful moving tips are usually the first thing people look up – the good ole’ moving checklist.  This is really the only moving checklist you will need.  It will prepare you for from up to 6 weeks before your move.  I suggest clicking the checklist link for a comprehensive list or here is a quick download  of a shortened version:

 

moving checklist
Printable Moving Checklist PDF

 

Another useful tool that I have found when you are planning a move is a moving company comparison form.  Of course, first you have to decide if you are going to move yourself or not – but that’s another post.  Frankly, unless you are just starting out and don’t have “real furniture” I always recommend hiring a mover.  Why? To ensure the furniture you just purchased arrives at your new home unscathed.  If you choose a good mover – one with full time labor, licensed and insured, etc.  they should come with shrink wrap to wrap all upholstered items as well as thick moving blankets to protect wooden and metal items.  When comparing movers, I suggest using the printable compare movers form from Monster Movers.  It gives a run down of pertinent questions to ask any movers that you may be considering.