The Essential Trip Kit A pleasant household move involves more than entrusting personal possessions to a reputable, professional mover. It also means planning for personal comfort and safety during the trip to the new home. Mayflower Transit's moving experts recommend putting aside essential articles in what Mayflower calls a "trip kit." The kit, usually made of a moving box small enough for a family to take with them to their new home, acts as a collection point for important papers and necessary items that should not be boxed up during the busy sorting and packing process. We suggest including the following items in the "trip kit:"

The Ten Most Forgotten Items

With more than 43 million Americans planning to move this year, odds are that even the most organized person may not remember every detail of a move, or every item. Remembering the “out of sight, out of mind” objects increases your success in moving all of your belongings. Mayflower suggests adding the following 10 items to the top of your preparation list:      

1. Medical records: Don't forget to obtain copies of your family's medical records. This includes any dental and vaccine/ immunization information, as well as any veterinary records for the family pet. While you are at it, it is also a good idea to transfer any current prescriptions to a drugstore in your new town.

2. School records: Another record you will want to be sure to remember is your child's permanent school record. This is usually required to register your child at his/ her new school. Often, copies are not sufficient and the original document with a raised seal is required.

3. Buried treasure: If you've hidden any valuables around the house, be sure to collect them before leaving. You should carry valuable items such as jewelry with you or keep them in a safe deposit box instead of packing them on the moving van.

4. Taken to the cleaners: Remember to collect all items that are being cleaned, stored or repaired (for example, dry cleaning, shoes, watches, etc.). Also, remember to return library books, movie rentals and anything else you may have checked out.

5. What's your new address? Keep your new address handy in your wallet or purse. In the flurry of preparing for a move, you may forget your new address. Having it easily accessible will be important when forwarding periodicals, mail and credit card bills, as well as keeping in touch with old friends.

6. Cleaning supplies: Remember to leave out cleaning supplies for the final “once-over” before closing the door for good, or make arrangements in advance for a service to clean for you. Hopefully you won't have to clean your new residence upon arrival, but if you do, having your cleaning supplies handy will also help to make this task a little less stressful.

7. Garage door opener: People often forget to take the garage door opener out of their automobile before leaving. Remember to leave the opener for the new residents.

8. Pets/ plants: Most moving companies cannot transport animals or plants. Plan ahead and make arrangements for their safe transfer.

9. Bank on it: Make sure that your current bank has a branch in your new town. If it does not, consider opening a checking account in your new town about a month prior to your move so that you have immediate access to your funds. This enables you to have a little cash on hand for unexpected expenses. On occasion, retailers will decline to cash “out-of-town” checks.

10. Keys: Remember to collect all of your spare house keys. Whether it means retrieving keys from neighbors or from under the rock next to the front door, don't forget to gather all sets before you depart.

         

Thank You Space Coast Uniforms, Signs & Graphics!

Sorensen Moving and Storage appreciates our vendors and all the outstanding support they provide us, allowing us to continue to provide our clients with first class relocation services. As a sign of appreciation, we will be doing a quarterly spotlight on some of our vendors that have gone above and beyond for us. For this year’s first quarter, we would like to recognize Space Coast Uniforms, Signs & Graphics for their wonderful service.  A full service, in house screen print, embroidery, signs, banners, and graphics company located in Melbourne, FL, Sorensen began working with Space Coast Uniforms, Signs & Graphics in 2013. Initially, they provided us with all of our uniforms’ screen printing and embroidery needs; however, after doing such an excellent job, we began utilizing them to design, print, and install all of the large format vinyl graphics on our fleet of vehicles. Finally, Space Coast Uniforms, Signs & Graphics has grown their business with us to provide all of our business cards, post cards, carbonless copies, and general print collateral needs. As evidenced by the wide range of services that they provide for us, Space Coast Uniforms does it all, and they do it very well!

We have really enjoyed working with Space Coast Uniforms, Signs & Graphics for several reasons. Like us, they are a tightly held, family-owned, local business. We have experienced firsthand their excellent customer-service and responsiveness. They truly care about their customers and are always willing to quickly make changes and decisions on the fly to adapt to our ever-changing needs, which is crucial in today’s marketplace. Thank you, Space Coast Uniforms, Signs & Graphics, for your continued outstanding service!

To learn more about Space Coast Uniforms, Signs, & Graphics, check out their website, http://ift.tt/1nINeR2or call them at 321-777-7446.

Employee Spotlight on Jennifer Grant

This week, we are spotlighting one of our best and longest standing employees, Jennifer Grant. Jennifer started working for Sorensen Moving and Storage on April 1, 1994. Although she applied for an accounting position, she was hired as a COD move coordinator, the first one for Sorensen. Before Jennifer took this job, salespeople were responsible for scheduling their own appointments and registering their own shipments. Jennifer did a great job in this position, and by January of 1995, became Scott Sorensen’s assistant. Since then, Jennifer has worked in several different roles. She has worked in Operations as a local dispatcher, has held the position of VP/ General Manager, and has also been the National Account Coordinator and Director of Customer Service and Quality. Jen is currently the Manager of Customer Service/ Administration. As evidenced by her many different positions and job titles, Jennifer is a great team player and is always willing to step in and meet the company’s needs.

When asked to share her most memorable moment as a Sorensen employee, Jennifer responded that there has been several. The first was when Sorensen won Allied Van Line’s Global Agent of the Year, a huge milestone for the company. Another highlight of her career was when Sorensen was awarded the AAR move, which was the biggest move that Sorensen has ever performed. Jen also cites Sorensen’s conversion to become a Mayflower agent as a great moment in her career.

After 20 years as a Sorensen employee, Jennifer says that her favorite part of the job is her coworkers. She stated, “They are like family to me. Everyone is very supportive and we have fun together.” She has also really enjoyed knowing and working for Joan and Scott Sorensen, and says that she is “looking forward to another 20 years!”

This feeling is most definitely mutual. Scott Sorensen, President/ CEO of Sorensen Mayflower, speaks very highly of Jennifer. He describes her as “a person who represents our company’s core values in every way possible. She is extremely loyal, and is committed to our customers and the Sorensen team. I want to recognize and thank Jennifer for all her years of hard work, and always being there for the Sorensen team.” Congratulations, Jennifer, for twenty years of a job well done! 

Unpacking Tips

Well, it has been a whirlwind last few days, but we made it to Oklahoma. I am happy to report that everything went smoothly! The Mayflower packers and movers were great, and we could not have asked for a better outcome with the moving and handling of our goods. Now that we are to our new home, we are in the process of unpacking. Here are some tips to make the task of unpacking as efficient as possible.

-Place your furniture first. If you are able to know the layout of your new home ahead of time, try to plan where you want to put your furniture so that you can have the movers place your furniture in the desired areas.  If you don’t have access to the layout of your new home, try to decide where you want your furniture as soon as you arrive. This way, you can get help from the movers and don’t have to rearrange larger pieces after the movers leave.

-Check to make sure the electricity has been switched on. If it has, go ahead and plug in all of your major appliances (the fridge and freezer especially) so that they will be ready to be used as soon as possible.

-Set up your beds. Pack all of your bedding and pillows together and clearly label them. Ask the movers to place them towards the end of the truck so that they are easily accessible to you. We were very tired by the time moving day was over, so we were glad that our beds were set up and ready when we were. The last thing that you want to do after a long day of moving and unpacking is to try to hunt down bedding and put together beds late into the night!

-Locate your essential boxes. These are the boxes that have all that you need to get you through the first day of your move and the next morning (toilet paper, shower curtain, towels, coffee maker, paper plates, etc.) Again, ask the movers to clearly label and load these boxes last. That way, they will be easily accessible to you when you need them.

Once you have taken these first steps, you will be ready to take on the task of unpacking the rest of the boxes. What you decide to unpack next is up to you. The main thing is to remember to unpack first the things that you need and use most frequently.

Now, it’s time for me to put these tips into practice and get started unpacking!

Until next time,

Elizabeth

 

The Day Before Moving Day...

The packers get here tomorrow, so today we are busy getting things set and ready for them to arrive. Here are some things that can be done before the packers arrive to make moving day go more smoothly:

-Point out to the packers any extra-fragile items needing special attention. Mark appropriately any items you do not want packed or moved, as well as cartons you will want first when the van arrives at destination.

-If you are doing your own packing, make sure everything is ready to go before moving day. Upon arrival, the van operator will check to see if boxes have been properly packed.

-Collect things you definitely want packed together, such as children’s toys, and place in separate groups.

-Unplug all electronic appliances 24 hours in advance of your move, except plasma televisions, so that they will be at room temperature on moving day. This includes home computers, stereos, and audio/ visual equipment.

Since we will be staying in Oklahoma for a few months for my husband to train before moving on to our final destination, I will also be busy separating which items we will need to take with us to Oklahoma, and which ones will go into storage. It should be a busy day, so I better get going!

Have a great week J

Elizabeth

 

Two Weeks Away...

The countdown continues… only two more weeks until our move! Here is what is on tap for us this week:

Make Travel Plans

It will be a twelve hour drive from here to our new home. Because we will be traveling with two dogs and a baby, we are planning to break up the trip. Therefore, I will need to go ahead and make a hotel reservation this week for the night that we are on the road. 

Service Cars

It is definitely a good idea to make sure that our vehicles are in good working order. That means I will need to take both of our cars in for an oil change. While I am there, I will have them check the tires, brakes, windshield wipers, fluid levels, etc. The last thing that we need is to have car trouble while we are on the road!

Prepare Household Items

We will need to prepare all of our household goods for the move. Mayflower provides a guide to assist with this. The following suggestions are taken directly from the Mayflower website:

-Federal law requires that you dispose of flammables such as fireworks, cleaning fluids, matches, acids, chemistry sets, aerosol cans, ammunition, and poisons such as weed killer. Drain fuel from your power mower and other machinery. Discard partly used cans of oil, paint thinner, bleach, or any other substances that may be flammable or combustible, or those stored in containers that may leak.

-Discard propane tanks which are used for barbecue grills.

-Set an appointment with a service technician to prepare your major appliances for shipment- or have your agent send someone out who is authorized to perform this service.

-Set a date for having utilities disconnected. If possible, plan to keep utilities in service through moving day.

            -Have rugs and draperies cleaned. Leave both wrapped when they are returned from the             cleaners.

-Obtain a written appraisal of antique items to verify value. Avoid waxing or oiling wooden antiques (and fine wood furniture) before moving because some products might soften the wood, making it vulnerable to imprinting from furniture pads.

-Do not clean your upholstered furniture before moving. Moisture could cause mold if furniture must be placed in storage.

Saying Goodbye

With only two weekends left here, it is time to start saying our goodbyes. Because we are so far from home, our friends have truly become like family to us, so saying goodbye is no easy task.  A great way to say goodbye to friends is to host an open house, host an informal dinner, or have a barbecue. 

All of this should keep us busy this week! I look forward to touching base again next time! 

Until then, have a great week!

Elizabeth