Moving Day Resolutions

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pixabay

With the new year fast approaching, most people are readying their list of resolutions.  Whether it’s a promise to get in shape, lose weight or save money, for many the reason to make a resolution is to start off the year with a bang.  With that thought in mind, I have created a list of 10 Moving Day Resolutions to help all of you make the most of your next move.

Moving During the Holidays

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pexels

Have you heard the term, “Home for the holidays?” Today I’m going to cover the ins and outs of what you need to know if you plan on moving from home during the holidays. Face it, the holidays are stressful to start with. Add to it the fact that during any major holiday, the roads become more crowded, since you and 100,000 of your best friends have decided to share the highways with you as they migrate to visit relatives. Depending on the holiday, such as the new year, there also comes the possibility of having to deal with snow and ice, should your move take you north. Should the time come when you are forced to move during the holidays, I have come up with 10 points of which you need to be aware if you want to avoid having a nervous breakdown.

Packing Your Garage

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

The American garage has become different things to different people.  Originally intended as a place to park your car, this space has been transformed in some cases into everything from a home workshop or man cave, to a domestic storage facility.  Whether you use your garage as an extension of your living space, or as a place to store little-used items, today’s blog is intended to help you get whatever it contains ready for transport.

Moving Day Donations

By Scott Boone

Image from Creative Commons

Since this is the season of giving, I thought I would take the time to walk you through the ins and outs of donating some of your belongings to charity prior to a move.  While donations can be a blessing to the charity receiving them, if you are looking to maximize the benefits in terms of efficiency and tax deductibility, there are a few things you need to be made aware.

Stormy Weather Moving

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr

Living in Florida means never having to deal with snow.  That being said, when the skies open up, the rain squalls in the Sunshine State can be epic.  Not to mention frequent.  With that in mind, I decided it was time to address the ins and outs of dealing with inclement weather when you are fixing to move.  (For those of you moving either from or to areas where snow can rear its ugly head, read the last two paragraphs of this blog.)

Moving Day Turkeys

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr

With Thanksgiving only a day away, I thought I would regale you with a few pet peeves that can all too easily spoil an otherwise flawless movie.  I refer to these as moving day turkeys, and they are a movable feast of infamous blips and blunders. 

How to Move an Aquarium

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Having been a former aquarium owner myself, I thought I would take the time today to tell you the right way and wrong way to move your fish tank.  To start off with, an aquarium is touchy, to begin with since it’s made of glass.  While there are other fragile items that you will no doubt be moving, nothing comes close to the fragility of an aquarium, especially since it won’t exactly be empty when it gets moved.  While you will want to drain the tank 95% of the way, you will need to leave enough water in the bottom of the tank to keep the gravel or other bottom media moist. 

Packing Your Clothing for a Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of pexels

In past blogs, I have told you how to move everything from books and plants to workout equipment and patio furniture.  Today, I am going to tell you the proper way to pack your clothes for a move.  I know it sounds all too simple a task to accomplish.  But you would be surprised at how many people manage to do damage or destroy their apparel by error or omission.  So, today’s blog is dedicated to helping you get your duds from Point A to Point B in one piece.

Moving Day Horror Stories

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Since today is Halloween, I thought I would share with you some of the horror stories I have heard from people who had previously tried to go the DIY moving route. 

10 Things People Forget to Do When Moving

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Even under the best circumstances, moving is a complicated, nerve wracking endeavor that disrupts your family’s routine for months.  Everything from choosing a mover to packing, dealing with kids and pets, to unpacking in your new home can get to you.  What makes it even harder is the fact that since this is something that most families only do a few times in their lives, it is all too easy to forget to do something that could have made the move simpler.  With that in mind, I have taken the time to point out 10 things that many people forget to do when they are moving.

How to Pick the Right Packing Material

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pxhere

Last week I ordered a wood-fired outdoor pizza oven online, only to have it arrive broken in half.  When I looked inside the box I discovered the manufacturer had chosen to protect a 30-lb clay oven with a single sheet of bubble wrap.  As a result, the distributor was forced to give me a full refund.  This incident also made me consider how many times people have items broken by movers, not due to negligence on the mover’s part, but because they didn’t know how to properly pack these items. In today’s high-tech world, there are many choices when it comes to packing materials.  Everything from newspaper and blankets, to bubble wrap, peanuts and packing foam are available to help you protect expensive and/or fragile items that you intend to move.  The secret to success is knowing what material to use with which item.  Below is a list of packing common materials along with their intended uses.

When is a Mover NOT a Mover?

By Scott Boone 

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Riddle me this, Batman, when is a mover, not a mover at all? When said mover owns no trucks.  Believe it or not, there are companies that advertise online looking to book your next move that fit this description to a tee.  In fact, should you respond to their ad, they will ask all the same questions any mover would ask.  They will give you a quote to move your belongings as would any mover.  They will even send you a contract that promises to move you from Point “A” to Point “B” on a specified date.  Are these entities con artists?  No.  They are what is referred to in the industry as Moving Brokers. 

How to Pack Your Car for a Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Flickr

When it comes to moving, most of your belongings will be transported by truck.  However, there are a number of personal and what we movers consider perilous items that are best moved by the client.  To help you maximize your success at moving these last few items, I have taken the time to show you how to best accomplish this task.

What Additional Services Do Movers Offer?

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Flickr

When most people hire a mover, they assume that all the company will do, is load the truck, drive the truck and unload the truck.  How complicated is that?  What many do not realize is that moving companies offer a number of extra services that are designed to make your move less of a hassle… for a price.  They also have a list of what are considered additional services that can cause your bill to become inflated beyond the agreed upon price quoted prior to the move. Below is a list of additional services of which you need to be aware.

What Does It Cost to Hire a Mover?

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr

Having made more than 4,000 moves, I am all too conscious of the fact that the first thing a business or homeowner is going to ask me is what it costs to hire us.  My standard answer is, “That depends.”  Just like a person who walks into an auto showroom and asks a salesperson what a car costs, the asking price depends on the make, the model and the options.  Like it or not, the moving industry works much the same way.  In order to help you make sense of the costs and options involved, I will take you for a quick tour of the world of moving.

Should You Move After a Major Storm?

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

As I write this, Hurricane Irma is lashing Florida with winds of up to 130 MPH and more rain in a couple of days than most places will get in a year.  Once the storm passes and any flooding subsides, there will be those who rebuild and those who decide it’s time to move out of the state for good.  Inland migration is a common occurrence after major storms.  After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2004, more than 24,000 residents reportedly left the area.  No doubt Houston will also see a decline in population, having recently been flooded after catastrophic rains brought on by Hurricane Harvey.  So, it goes without saying, that the areas hit hardest by Irma will more than likely experience a sudden migration of residents.

How to Get the Best Deal on Your Next Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr

Having owned and operated a business called “Scott’s Discount Moving” you would assume I was the poster child for helping people get the best deal on a move.  I am.  That being said, it still irks me when someone tries to get me to go lower than my already discounted prices.  Mind you, I don’t blame the consumer for this.  I blame competitors in the moving business who advertise ridiculously low prices, then fail to deliver as advertised.

Managing a Long-Distance Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

When it comes to moving, nothing comes easy.  From the chore of packing away everything you own, which can take a month or more, to managing your family, your job and the lengthy ordeal of unpacking, moving is stressful to say the least.  Now add the hassle of moving cross-country and you are talking about a whole new level of aggravation.  For those of you planning to make a long-distance move, there are a few things you need to consider.  Below are the top-5 considerations you need to factor into your moving plan.

Boxing Your Books Without Breaking Your Back

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pixabay

When it comes to packing, some chores are more difficult than others.  For instance, packing breakables such as glasses and dishes can be a challenge.  So, too, can packing books, although most people don’t realize this until the next day when their back is killing them.  Of course, back strain aside, there is a right way and a wrong way to pack books for shipping.

Packing Your Pets

By Scott Boone

When it comes to moving from Point A to Point B, most of us tend to forget about the tiniest members of the family.  I’m not talking about your children; I’m referring to your pets.  As stressful as it is for the rest of the family to relocate to a new and unfamiliar location, take it from me that your pets can be even more stressed out than you think. 

Doggie See, Doggie Do

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

As ingrained as you are to your surroundings, most animals are hardwired to protect and defend their territory.  It’s built into their genetic code.  Especially if you happen to have any dogs, the act of packing up your home is enough to throw them off their routine.  While they don’t understand what is happening while you begin the arduous task of boxing your belongings for shipping, they can sense that something unusual is afoot.  If you notice your dog is giving you strange looks while you are packing, take care to provide it with a little extra reassurance, or you could wake up to find your carefully packed boxes torn to shreds come morning.  Even worse, some dogs will instinctively soil the area as a way of marking their territory.

How to Avoid Busting Your Moving Budget

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Movers

If you have ever moved before, then you know the logistics involved are only slightly less complicated than rocket science.  That’s because moving a home or business is complicated.  Not only do you have to negotiate the slippery slope of packing up all your stuff, but you have to coordinate the transportation of your family, your belongings and your pets while relying on movers you don’t know from Adam.  Make one wrong move, or rely on the wrong moving company and you could very well find yourself out of time and over budget.  During this week’s blog, I will try to provide you with a map that will help you find your way down the treacherous road of moving without breaking the bank.

What Your Mover Won't Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Free Stock Photos

People hire movers to help them relocate their home or business.  As such, there are a great many things the typical homeowner or business owner wishes to transport from Point A to Point B.  This is all well and good, provided that the business or homeowner understands the limitations that professional movers are under.  What I mean by that is there are a number of things that a mover won’t move.  This is due to regulation, jurisdiction or restrictions imposed on moving companies.  Below are a number of reasons you need to talk to your moving company before you sign the contract.

Moving with Children

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr.com

Even in the best of times, moving all your possessions is stressful.  The logistics involved in deciding what to pack and when can take even the steadiest of individuals to the breaking point.  Add to that frustration the patter of tiny feet and tiny hands getting into everything and you can have a recipe for disaster.  You’ve heard the old adage, “Two is company and three is a crowd.”  If you are a family of three or more, let Uncle Scott give you a few words of wisdom when it comes to moving with children. 

How to Organize Your Next Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Moving

If you have read any of my recent blogs, you are familiar with my advice to plan your move well in advance of moving day.  That being said, what do you do with the ever-swelling sea of boxes that begin to pop up like mushrooms all over your home?  While some people bite the bullet and order a POD, this can necessitate spending an extra $100 or more per month.  But, what if you could get the convenience and extra storage space of a POD without having to spend one red cent?  Would that help make your move more convenient?

How to Pack a Pack Rat

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Packing for a move, even in the best of times, resembles organized chaos as you tear down and box up everything you own.  After a few weeks of preparation, you home starts to look more like an Amazon warehouse than a house.  This can add a lot of unwanted stress to an already difficult task.  However, if one or more members of your immediate family are what is known as “pack rats,” then the level of difficulty and anxiety associated with the move takes on a whole new dimension. 

Moving Your Most Precious Possessions

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pixabay

All of us have precious possessions.  In fact, that’s one of the most obvious reasons to move, so we have more room for yet more stuff.  That being said, there are those of us who are better at collecting valuables than others.  Whether your obsession is art, fine wine or other collectibles, when it comes time to move them, special care needs to be taken to ensure they arrive safe and sound.  Being a professional mover means I can offer those of you who like to accumulate these treasures a leg up on the best way to pack them away safely.

How to Move Out Your Workout Gear

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr.com

If you are one of those workout fanatics whose idea of a relaxing afternoon consists of pumping iron, followed by running 5-miles on a treadmill, then you may have turned one of your bedrooms into a home gym.  While working out is great for heart, mind and body, the thought of moving all your workout gear can cause your heart to race.

No Pain, Your Gain

Moving Your Outdoor Gear

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Flickr

When most people start thinking about moving, they usually begin by working their way through the interior of their home.  This is simply because what is outside is out of sight and therefore out of mind.  The problem is, packing and moving your outdoor gear can present some of the biggest challenges to moving, as you will soon discover.  That being said, moving your outdoor gear doesn’t need to be a major source of stress, provided you use a little foresight along with a dash of common sense.

The ABC’s of Moving Your Plants

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of maxpixel.freegreatpictures

So, you have a green thumb.  Bravo.  You probably pride yourself on your ability to turn your home into an oasis inside and out.  That being said, what do you do when you decide to move your oasis across town or across the country?  Before you wind up losing half your precious plants in the process, you had better read my blog below.

A – Always Plan Ahead

Just as you need to plan ahead to manage the arduous task of packing and moving all your belongings, the same needs to be done with your plants. 

Moving Into a High Rise

By Scott Boone

Courtesy of Pixabay

Well, you finally decided to move out of your house and into a condo in the sky.  Congratulations!  Living in a high-rise building can be exciting.  The views are spectacular.  The living arrangements are a little different.  Instead of being part of a neighborhood of flatlanders where you hardly know anyone on your block, life in a high-rise means having to deal with those who live cheek to jowl with you.  This can present challenges, starting with the day you move in.  That’s because condos have rules.  Lots of them.  Run afoul of any and you run the risk of rubbing your neighbors the wrong way, or even receiving a fine.

Take moving day, for instance.  Unlike residential neighborhoods, in a high-rise, moving in is not as simple as parking the moving truck and unloading your belongings.  Believe it or not, your neighbors, not to mention the management, expect you to make a reservation before you move in.  That’s because you will need to park your truck near an entrance and commandeer the freight elevator for the better part of a day in order to move your stuff from the truck to your unit.  This takes coordination and planning.

10 Tips for Labeling Your Moving Boxes

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr.com

One of the biggest problems with moving is the mountain of boxes that suddenly inundates your home. Like some kind of Tetris Game come to life, the battle of the boxes becomes all the more difficult to win once the move is complete and you try to make sense of where all your stuff has gone.  In order to make your move a little less stressful, I thought I’d give you 10 ways to sort your move out. 

All About Boxes

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Movers

If you are getting ready to move, then you are about to learn all about boxes.  That’s because between now and the day of your move, you will need to take everything you have accumulated in the past few years and dismantle, sort out and pack it into a dizzying array of cardboard boxes.  What you will quickly discover during the packing process is that having the right box can make a huge difference in getting your prized possessions safely from one place to another. 

Moving During the Summer

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of maxpixel.com

Summer is fast approaching.  That means 2 issues: heat and rain. Being a Floridian I know all about making a move when the temperature hovers in the mid-nineties.  While my crew and I understand that working in the heat necessitates applying sunscreen, slowing the pace down a bit and staying hydrated, that doesn’t mean most homeowners do.  Moving in the heat of a summer’s day can make the average homeowner swoon, or wind up with a case of sun poisoning the following day.

10 Ways to Save Time and Money on Your Next Move

Aside from being stressful, moving can be expensive in terms of both time and money.  Even if you outsource the bulk of your move to a professional, there are still a number of ways for you to save when you get ready to break camp.

Image by Scott's Discount Movers

      1.      Furniture Finesse – While you want to let the movers do the heavy lifting when it comes to moving heavy furniture, there are several things you can do to make the mover’s job easier and less time consuming.  When it comes to sofa’s and loveseats, pack the pillows separately.  If your bookshelves are removable, remove and box them. It also helps to take the drawers out of dressers and china cabinets.  The movers will need to do this before they shift large pieces of furniture, especially those that barely fit through the door.  By doing a little disassembly ahead of time, it will save your crew time and that saves you money.

Moving Day Mistakes

By Scott Boone

So, the big day has finally arrived.  You have gathered, sorted and packed your belongings into a seemingly endless pile of boxes.  You have protected your breakables and expensive electronics.  The kids have been packed off to a relative or friend to free you up to move some of the essentials in your own vehicle.  It should be smooth sailing from here, right?  Before you start giving your spouse or significant other a high five, allow me to point out a few flies in the ointment that could mar an otherwise flawless move.

Here Kitty, Kitty!

Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia/org

While you may have trundled the kids off to a friend or relative for their sake and yours, did you think to take care of the pets?  Having a dog, cat or bird at large, or lost somewhere in a sea of boxes is the last thing you want when you are trying to execute a move.  Not only can they be a hazard to your moving crew, they can be in danger themselves.  Just think of what could happen were the movers to trip over or step on your pet.  What if your pet should get out of the house while the move is underway?  Having to comb through the neighborhood for a pet on the loose could throw a monkey wrench into your carefully laid moving plans.  A better bet would be to have a friend or neighbor take the pets until after the move is complete.  All parties concerned will breathe a lot easier. 

10 Reasons to Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Movers

Nobody likes moving.  It’s disruptive, it’s messy and it’s expensive.  Still, there many reasons why moving makes sense.  If you have been wrestling with either staying in your current abode or heading for the hills, let me give you 10 reasons to consider pulling the trigger.

Learning the Language of Movers

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

As if moving wasn’t stressful enough, if you have recently spoken to a professional mover, you realize that they have a language all their own.  The reason that many movers seem to speak in tongues has to do with the fact that the freight hauling industry got its start not in air conditioned trucks, but in Conestoga wagons.  That’s right pardner, while professional moving companies might be cellphone enabled and computer equipped nowadays, the industry itself still uses jargon that was coined during the horse and buggy era.  So, if you don’t know your Accessorial Services from a hole in the ground, this blog should help you learn the language of movers.

6 Reasons to Hire a Professional Mover

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Movers

When you take into consideration the fact that 14 percent of the population in the US moves within any given year, the odds are better than 1 in 6 that you will move this year.  That being the case, when it comes to moving, the choice comes down to hiring a professional mover or trying to do it yourself.  While a DIY move sounds like a way to save some money, at least on paper, allow me to present you with 6 reasons why you should consider hiring a pro.

Overcoming the Unpacking Blues

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy Scott's Discount Movers

You finally finished moving into your new home, which is always a high point in most people’s lives.  While moving up in the world can provide a sense of elation, the next logical step always brings people back down to earth.  I’m talking about the unpacking blues, that moment of sheer panic when you are forced to face the prospect of days or even weeks to unbox and rearrange everything you packed. Instead of winding up lost and frustrated among a mountain of boxes the next time you move, take a few tips from a moving pro who has been there and done that thousands of times.

How to Avoid Moving Scams

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr.com

Whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, it’s likely that sometime in your life you will fall prey to fraud.  During the past decade, scams have mushroomed out of all proportion.  Whether you are targeted online, on the phone, or in person, most Americans are ill-equipped to deal with the sheer volume of con artists that prowl the country looking tor targets of opportunity.  Sad to say, but the moving and storage industry is not immune to shady operators.  Below are some moving scams that you need to make yourself aware of.

10 Ways to Simplify a Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Movers

While everyone enjoys the novelty of moving into a new home, nobody enjoys moving.  Moving is stressful.  First, there’s the packing, which can prove a difficult task.  Not only do you have to gather and sort all your possessions, and those of your family…but you have to pack them in a way that will ensure they arrive in one piece.  If you have kids and/or pets, packing for them can prove even more of a challenge.  By the time the big day arrives, you may find yourself worn to a frazzle, which is not the frame of mind you want to be in before you begin the laborious task of unpacking.

To help you keep peace with your family, not to mention peace of mind, I have prepared a list of 10 things that can help you organize and simplify the task of moving.

How to Find a Great Moving Company

When the Spirit Moves You 

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Scott's Discount Movers

Are you moving or getting ready to move? Most of us will move at one point in our lives or another. Every year, millions of people move in the US. There is a lot of speculation as to how many people move and why, but it goes without saying, lots of moving is taking place. An article I read by David Bancroft Avrick called; How Many People Move Each Year – and Who Are They? , gives us a little insight.  If we look at the US Census Bureau data, we see that, out of their database of 282,556,000 people, around 40,093,000 moved. That’s a little more than 14% of the US population annually. Of the 40 million plus that moved; 23,468,000 moved within the same county, another 7,728,000 moved to a different county within the same state. Still another 7,628,000 moved to a different state, and finally 1,269,000 moved to a different country. That’s a lot of moving. But the question remains, how do you find a great moving company?