Preparing for a Move

Beyond packing, loading, and hauling your goods, there’s quite a good bit of planning and preparation that needs to take place.  Below is a list of tasks that you should take care of prior to your actual move.

Cleaning Out Your Closet

Moving is the perfect time to declutter.  Well before your move, you’ll want to go through your closets, drawers, storage sheds and garage.  You may find things you haven’t seen in years.  Now’s not the time to get sentimental, if it’s been out of sight, chances are good that you do not have use for it. 

Either have a garage sale, or donate the items to charity.  Either way, it’ll save you money.  If you donate your goods to charity, make sure that you obtain a receipt.  It’ll be a great write off at the end of the year.  And don’t forget that you may be eligible to write off some of your moving expenses.  For more information, please check out our blog on claiming moving expenses. http://sorensen-allied.blogspot.com/2012/02/claiming-your-moving-expenses.htm

Contacting Utility Companies

If you are moving locally, you will want to change over your water, electric, cable and phone services.  And of course if you are moving out of area, you will need to cancel your current services, and secure timely service at your new residence.  Make sure that you have your water and electric turned on in your new home before you arrive.  Moving in with out water or power is not ideal.

Insurance

You may need to make changes to more than just your homeowner’s insurance depending on where you are moving to.  Check with your auto and medical insurance providers.  You will need to notify your auto insurer that you are moving, and of course you will need to find out if your medical insurance will cover you in your new location.

If you need to obtain new policies for your home, auto, or medical insurance, do not forget to cancel your current policies.

Post Office

The post office makes it easy to complete your change of address.  Visit your local post office in order to obtain a change of address form as well as a movers kit.  The movers kit is used to notify correspondents and publications of your change of address.

Financial Institutions

Check with your current financial institute to ensure that there are branches in the area you are relocating to.  If not, you may want to consider finding a bank in your new home town.  Even though most banking can be done online now, it’s nice to have a branch to visit in order to obtain free services such as cashier checks and notary services.

Follow the above tips so that the only hassel you have in your new home is deciding how to arrange your furniture in your new living room.

And of course, please don’t hesitate to visit our website in order to learn more about the services we can provide to you or your company, as we service local, out of state, corporate, and commercial moves. 

http://www.sorensen-allied.com/

You can also reach us toll free at 1-800-926-2770 with any questions regarding our moving services.

Communicating With Your Relocation Specialist

When working with your relocation specialist, make sure that you don’t forget to share with them all the details of your move.  Not sharing certain information can make your move less than ideal.  Below are a few things that you will want to communicate to your relocation specialist in order to make sure your move goes as smoothly as possible.

Access To Your New Home

Your relocation specialist will determine if a large truck can access your current home just by looking at it.  However, if you are moving out of state or across the state, your relocation specialist will need information from you in order to determine if a large truck can access your new home.

Are there small roads leading to your new home?  How long is your driveway?  Can a truck access your driveway?  Are there low hanging trees?  Are you moving to a city or location that requires the truck hauling your shipment to have parking permits?

Giving this information to your specialist will eliminate the frustration you and your driver will face on day of delivery.

Contact Information

Make sure that you provide your relocation specialist with a cell phone number, your new home number, or the number of a close friend or relative.  Your driver will need to contact you prior to delivery.  Problems can arise if your driver cannot reach you on the day of delivery. 

After two hours of trying to contact you, your driver has the option to put your household goods into storage.  This allows him to continue on with his trip and make his next delivery in a timely manner.

If your goods are put into storage because your driver cannot reach you, you will be responsible for paying to get your goods out of storage.  To relieve any undue stress and to prevent a pricey mistake, make sure that you are reachable in order to avoid unnecessary and costly fees.

Additional Items

The estimate that your relocation specialist provides to you includes a shipper inventory sheet.  When your driver comes to load your household goods, he will use the inventory sheet to verify that additional items are not added to the shipment.

If you add additional items to your inventory, make sure to let your relocation specialist know.  If you don’t communicate this to your relocation specialist, your driver may refuse to load your goods until your relocation specialist comes out to re-inventory and re-price your move.

Following the above tips should allow for a smooth and stress-free move.  And of course, please don’t hesitate to visit our website in order to learn more about the services we can provide to you or your company, as we service local, out of state, corporate, and commercial moves. 

http://www.sorensen-allied.com/

You can also reach us toll free at 1-800-926-2770 with any questions regarding our moving services.

Importance of a Parts Box

Whether you are moving yourself or you have hired a professional mover, you will want to make sure that you use a parts box for your move.  A parts box will keep all of the smaller items in one place and will ensure that hardware, cables, wires, and remotes are easily accessible at your destination.

If your mover is disassembling furniture or any of your belongings, request that they use a part box if you notice that they have not set aside a box specifically for parts.   A small book box will work just fine at keeping all of the small parts and pieces in one place.

Missing hardware or parts can be difficult to find among the vast amount of boxes in your new home.  Do you really want to unpack every single box in order to find your TV remote?  Hardware and parts can also be difficult and expensive to replace. 

What’s more annoying than not being able to find that one bolt that ensures your TV console is safely assembled?  Also knowing that you’re likely not going to find the missing piece of the console until you unpack your very last box.  What about that TV remote?  After a big move, all we really want to do is relax.

If you are looking to move in the near future please don’t hesitate to visit our website in order to learn more about the services we can provide to you or your company, as we service local, out of state, corporate, and commercial moves. 

http://www.sorensen-allied.com/

You can also reach us toll free at 1-800-926-2770 with any questions regarding our moving services.

Moving With Pets

There’s a lot of planning involved when preparing for a move.  It’s simple to overlook an important step in the moving process.  It’s always important to make a checklist for your move so that you can ensure that you are fully prepared for the big day. 

There are plenty of obvious items for your checklist. Even though we love them oh so much, it’s very easy to overlook Fluffy the cat or Spike the dog.  Of course they are moving with you, but have you made necessary arrangements for Fluffy and Spike during the move?

Make sure you have a safe place for your animals during the actual moving process.  Not only will your pets get in the way of the moving crew, they will also be very nervous and likely upset.  Could you imagine someone coming into your home and moving out all of your belongings, without any prior knowledge?  This is likely how your pet will feel.  The same goes for moving into your new home.  If you don’t know anyone who can pet sit for you, use a spare room of each house to keep the dog in until the moving process is complete or look into kennel services.

When traveling with your pet, make sure that all of their tags are up to date with your contact information.  And of course, the best way to travel with your pets is to keep them in a crate to avoid the chance of them escaping.  Leave a favorite toy or blanket in the crate with them for comfort.

Of course you want to bring enough food and water as well as any medications with you on the day of the move.  If you are traveling by plane, make sure to make arrangements with the airline well in advance of your move.  Also, you may want to check with your vet to see what can be done to ease the stress of traveling.

Once you are ready to settle into your new home with your pets, place some of their familiar items around the house to put them at ease.  Don’t leave your pet outside unsupervised, even in a fenced yard, until your pet is settled in.  If you give your pet the opportunity, they may try to find their way home… to the old house, that is.

Pets are like family, and it’s important to make sure that they are safe, comfortable and secure during your move.  Following the above steps should allow just that.

If you are looking to move in the near future please don’t hesitate to visit our website in order to learn more about the services we can provide to you or your company, as we service local, out of state, corporate, and commercial moves. 

http://www.sorensen-allied.com/

You can also reach us toll free at 1-800-926-2770 with any questions regarding our moving services.

Preparing Your Family for a Move

Moving in general is stressful, but what about moving your entire family across the country? Moving your family can be difficult and everyone in the family, including your toddler will likely experience anxiety. 

Your children will not want to give up their friends and they certainly don’t want to be the new kid in school.  Does your spouse have to give up his/her current job for the move?  Moving the family is going to be a difficult transition but there are ways to cope.  With a little time, and the below tips, your family will eventually settle in to the new home.

Toddlers and Preschoolers

Even though you may feel that your toddler or preschooler will do fine during your move, they may feel just as much anxiety as the rest of the family.  The only difference is that they may not know how to express their fears in words. 

Reading the following books to your children may allow them to understand their feelings on moving and help them to cope with the change.

·        We’re Moving by Heather Maisner

·        Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day by Stan Berenstain

·        I’m Not Moving, Mama by Nancy White Carlstrom

·        Who Will Be My Friends? By Syd Hoff

·        Alexander Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me?  I Mean It!) Going to Move by Judith Viorst

·        A Tiger Named Thomas by Charlotte Zolotow

Make sure that you discuss the move with your child.  Allow them to ask questions about the move and ask them how they feel about the move.

School Aged Children

Research schools in your new area as well as programs and sports for your school aged children.  Have your child to pick an after school activity or sport to join in order to allow making friends a bit easier.  This will also keep them occupied and help ease the anxiety they may feel from the move.

When you pick out your new home, allow them to see the home with you before the move.   Most children feel like they have no control or say over the move.  Allow them to make suggestions on colors, decorating, and arranging the furniture in their bedroom. 

Drive around the new town and show them restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters and other family fun places that you will visit together as a family, give them something to look forward to.

Your Spouse

Your spouse knows that the move is good for your family, just as much as you do.  But it’s still going to be a difficult transition for them, especially if they have to quit their job in order to move for yours. 

If your spouse doesn’t have work lined up in your new town, there are many things they can do in order to keep busy and make new friends.

·        Volunteer work will help your new community as well as introduce you to new people and could possibly lead into a new job.

·        Joining your child’s PTO will allow you to be a part of your child’s new school and meet their teachers and other parents.

·        Another option is taking classes at a local college or even taking up a new hobby such as painting or crafting.

Even though your family may not be excited to move, there are ways to make the move more tolerable and less stressful.  If you are looking to move in the near future please don’t hesitate to visit our website in order to learn more about the services we can provide to you or your company, as we service local, out of state, corporate, and commercial moves. 

http://www.sorensen-allied.com/

You can also reach us toll free at 1-800-926-2770 with any questions regarding our moving services.