They've Taken Care of You, Now it's Time to Take Care of Them

Growing up, we never put much thought into where our parents will be once we are adults.  Our parents take care of our needs when we are young, and for some, even when we are grown.  As time goes by, the tables begin to turn, and before we know it, we are caring for our parents just as they did for us.

For most adults, with elderly parents, there comes a time when you will have to make the decision of how to best care for them.  When mom starts a kitchen fire while boiling water, or dad falls asleep with a cigarette in his mouth, it’s time to start making those plans.

There are several options when it comes to your elderly parent’s living arrangements.  You can narrow down your options by factors such as finances and comfortability of all involved.  You certainly don’t want to move your parents into your (2) bedroom condo if someone will be put out of a bedroom and onto the couch.  The same goes for putting them into a fancy high priced living facility if neither you or your parents can afford it.

Bringing up new living arrangements to your parents can be very difficult.  It’s likely that they are going to have a hard time facing the fact that it’s no longer possible for them to live alone.  When discussing the subject, make sure that you present all possible options to your parent(s) and allow them to help make the choice of where they will spend the rest of their lives.

Whether you decide to have your parent(s) move into your home, into an assisted living facility or a nursing home, be there with them throughout the entire move.  Your parent(s) will more than likely need to scale down on the items that they own.  Help them to decide what to do with certain items; can they go to family members? are they sellable? and don’t forget about charitable organizations.

Whatever choice you and your parent(s) make, please remember that we are just a phone call away and can certainly help make moving your parents a less stressfull experience on you, your parent(s) and your entire family. 

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.

Protect Your Belongings, Purchase Valuation Coverage

You’ve done your research, and you’ve hired a reputable mover, good work!  Now it’s time to discuss valuation coverage with your relocation specialist.  You may be unaware of the term valuation and you may wonder how it differs from insurance.  Valuation coverage is the amount of liability a moving company will accept for the value of your goods if damaged or lost while in the mover’s possession.  By Federal Law, your mover is required to provide you with basic valuation coverage at 60 cents per pound, per article. 

The basic coverage is not the best option to cover your life long possessions. Loss or damage claims under basic valuation are settled based on the weight of each article multiplied by 60 cents.  If the moving truck collided with a semi on the interstate and all of your goods were damaged, you would receive 60 cents per item per article.  If each article of your household goods added up to 10,000 lbs, your claim would be settled at $6000.  This wouldn’t be near enough to replace your belongings.

Your relocation specialist can offer you full replacement valuation at a cost and will highly recommend it. The cost is based off of the weight and value of your household goods.  You can always add value to your coverage for an additional fee.  In addition, you can decide to purchase valuation under different deductibles.  The cost of valuation coverage is minimal compared to what you will be paying for your move and it’s worth the extra money just to have peace of mind.

If you have full replacement valuation on 10,000 lbs, you would receive a minimum of $60,000 if all of your belongings were damaged in an accident.  Of course, an accident that damages all of your belongings would be very devastating; knowing that you will receive compensation to replace your goods will ease the pain and stress of your loss.

So, whether you are moving your goods across town, across the state, or across the country, it is important to know that you have adequate protection in the unlikely but possible event of a catastrophe.

If you have questions regarding your current coverage or coverage for a future move, please do not hesitate to contact your Sorensen Account Executive, or our office at 800-926-2770.

And of course, feel free 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/

Welcome Home, Now It's Time to Unpack

You’ve finally reached your new home but before you relax, it’s time to unpack.  This should be the easiest part of your move.  That is of course as long as you have organized and decluttered before you started packing.  For tips on organizing and decluttering please visit our blog at http://sorensen-allied.blogspot.com/2012/04/declutter-and-organize-prior-to-your.html

Many times we unpack what we need right away and then live out of boxes for weeks or even months after a move.  The stress from a move can be exhausting and after packing and hauling your goods across town or even the country, you likely just want to relax. However, you truly won’t be able to relax until your new home is in order and everything is in its place. 

If you don’t have the time or energy to unpack, discuss unpacking options with your relocation specialist.  Just as your mover can provide packing, unpacking can be provided as well.  Depending on the size of your new home and the amount of belongings you have, your unpacking could be completed in as little as a day.

However, if you decide to do your own unpacking, you may not want to do everything in one day.  Do take your time, but don’t procrastinate on the project.  Start with unpacking the necessities such as kitchen, toiletries, and wardrobe items. 

Once you have finished unpacking the necessities, start unpacking the boxes that include your books and DVD’s, collections, art, and décor.  Once these items are unpacked, putting your new home together will not only be easy but it should be lots of fun.

Once you complete your unpacking, you should feel refreshed, relaxed and at home.  And as always, 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.

Declutter and Organize Prior to Your Move

Take the stress out of moving by thinking of your move as a fresh start.  Think of your new home as a whole new space to decorate, create, and call your own.  Take your time during the packing process to declutter and organize your household goods.  The last thing you want to do is store box after box of items you may or may not use in your new home. So, make it a brand new start and make the most of your brand new space.

Packing every item you own and waiting to declutter and organize yourself once you are in your new home is a waste of time and money.  Time, because you didn’t have to pack all of that “junk”.  Money, because you didn’t have to pay to have it shipped.

If you start early enough, use the packing process as a deluttering tool.  You’ll want to label four boxes for trash, donate, sell, and of course keep. Go through every drawer, closet, and cabinet and determine what you need and what you don’t need.  Sort your belongings amongst the four boxes.

This can be a time consuming process, don’t try and do it all in one day or even one weekend.  Start with the room you use the least and only work a few hours at a time.  It’s hard to get rid of certain items for sentimental reasons or just for the pure fear that you’ll need the item as soon as you get rid of it.  Face it, if it’s buried deep in a closet, you likely don’t have use for it. 

Just think, if you declutter before you move, the unpacking process is going to be a lot easier and certainly less time consuming.  If you think you’ll need to use a room in your new home as storage or might need to purchase storage outside of your home, do yourself a favor and hop on the decluttering stage of your move as soon as possible. 

And as always, 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.

Do It Yourself or Hire A Professional

Often times we decide to do things on our own in order to save a little cash.  However, if we don’t think everything through, we may end up spending more money in the long run. 

Do it yourself projects are normally best when it involves painting a bedroom or regrouting bathroom tile.  When it comes to certain things like auto mechanics, plumbing, and jobs that normally require skilled professionals with their own equipment, do yourself a favor and hire a professional. 

The same goes for moving, believe it or not.  It seems simple, you pack your goods, place them on a truck, drive them to your new home, unload the truck and voilá, home sweet home.  Seems ideal but normally not the case depending on your personal experience with moving as well as the complexity of the move.

Before making the decision to hire a mover or do it yourself, ask yourself the following questions and weigh everything out before actually jumping in head first.

Size and Distance

How large is your current home?  How far are you moving?  If you currently live in a one bedroom, first floor apartment and are moving a few blocks down the street, moving yourself may be the best route to take.

If it’s a three bedroom condo on the third floor and your moving across the state, you may want to start the process of finding a mover. 

Equipment and Manpower

Do you have the necessary equipment and manpower to handle your move?  Do you have friends or family members at each location to help you load and unload?  Do you even have a truck large enough to haul your goods? 

Cost of Renting a Truck

If you are still on the fence, get estimates from reputable movers and compare the cost to renting a truck.  Remember that you will likely have to pay gas and mileage when renting a truck.  Also realize that you may have to have a CDL in order to rent and drive a certain truck.

Time is Money

Time is money, no matter how we look at it.  If you are going to move yourself, consider all of the costs involved, including the time you will spend.  Could you be working while someone else is hauling your household goods across the country?  These are costs we don’t always think of.  Do you really want to use your well earned vacation time in order to complete your own move?

If you are wondering the best route to take when it comes to moving, do your research and take the above into consideration.  If there’s any question, 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.

The Benefits of Crating

There are many benefits of hiring a professional mover.  Hiring a reputable mover with trained professionals will ensure that your goods are properly packed, handled, and moved. 

A reputable mover will most likely request that an estimator or relocation specialist visit your home in order to complete a survey of your household goods.  Not only will this allow for an accurate price to be determined, the estimator can also identify items that need special attention, such as crating.

The same box used to pack your linens or cookware isn’t going to cut it when packing oil paintings or certain glass pieces.  Crating is recommended for fragile, expensive, and even priceless items.   

It may seem more cost effective to wrap a glass table top and place it in a cardboard box, but one bump in the road could cause damage to this special piece.  A wood crate allows for extra security.  In the long run, your expensive or priceless item will make it to your new home in one piece by choosing to use crating services.

In some instances, you may not have a choice when it comes to crating.  A driver can decline to take certain items on his truck if they are not properly secured.  A very large, thick piece of glass, such as a dining room table, will likely be damaged if not properly secured.  Your driver will not want to take the risk of an unnecessary claim due to improper packaging.

Your estimator or relocation specialist will be able to determine which items will need to be crated.  Your items are likely very important to you, please take their advice and spend the extra money to ensure the safety of your valuable items.

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.

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.