Moving During the Holidays

With the break in the school year, many families find themselves moving during the holidays. Moving on its own can be a stressful time, so moving during the holidays can be especially challenging. We want your holiday season to be joyful, even if you are moving. Here are some quick tips to help you to have a special holiday, even if you find yourself far from home.

1.       Find a festive place to stay. If you will be in a hotel over the holidays, try to stay in a place that is planning a holiday celebration.

2.       Bring holiday spirit with you. If you have room in your car, pack some of your favorite holiday decorations and use them in your hotel room. For example, stockings pack easily and can help make a hotel room feel more like home.

3.       Ship your gifts. Shopping for Christmas gifts online might be your easiest option this year. Have them shipped to where you will be staying so that you don’t have to worry about taking them with you. If there is an option to have the item giftwrapped, this might be a good idea as well. This way, you won’t have to dig through moving boxes to try to find scissors, tape, etc.

4.       Pick your favorite holiday traditions and do them anyways! Whether it’s going to church or reading a special story on Christmas Eve, everybody has their own favorite traditions. Despite being on the move or in a new place, try to carry out a few of your traditions this year. It will help to keep you grounded despite all of the changes going on around you.

5.       Begin a new holiday tradition. This is a great year to step out of the box and try something new. Rather than staying home, go out to dinner on Christmas Eve or check out a local holiday concert. You might find that you like it enough to do it again in the coming years, even when you are settled.

6.       Stay connected: With the latest technology, it is easier than ever to stay in touch with friends and family. Video chats are a great way to “see” family during the holidays. Although it is not as good as actually being together, seeing family and friends over the internet/ phone is a great way to feel close to them despite the distance.

7.       Don’t forget to budget: Both moving and the holiday season can be expensive times. Make sure to keep an eye on your budget to keep financial stress at bay.

8.       Have a good attitude: The holidays are meant to be filled with peace and joy. Remember to keep the spirit of the holidays with you, regardless of where you find yourself celebrating. 

If you are in the midst of a move this holiday season, please let us know if there is any way that we can make this time easier for you. No matter where you find yourself this Christmas, we hope that it is full of love and joy! Merry Christmas from all of us here at Sorensen Mayflower!

Reaching Out this Holiday Season

What better way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas than to give back to the community that has blessed us with so much? For the last twenty years, Sorensen has done just that by participating in Florida Today’s Reaching Out program.
 
Florida Today created the Reaching Out Holiday Fund to brighten the Christmas season for less fortunate children in the community and local seniors in need. Florida Today collects donations from individuals, groups, and corporations to buy and distribute books and toys to thousands of children in Brevard County who otherwise may not receive a gift this holiday season. Reaching Out funds are also used to provide small gifts of comfort to local seniors who are living alone. 

We at Sorensen are happy to be able to use our warehouse as a place for the toys to be delivered and sorted before they are distributed throughout the county. Tomorrow, our employees will partner with others from the community to sort the toys and load them onto our truck to be distributed to various sites throughout the county later this week. We feel blessed to be able to participate in this wonderful event.  Merry Christmas from Sorensen Moving and Storage!

Tools that Promote a Safe Move

Last time, we discussed how you can take care to avoid injuries during your move. Today, we will continue on that note by sharing with you some moving tools that you can use to decrease the strain on your body as you move. As stated last time, the best thing that you can do to avoid move-related injuries is to hire professional movers to carry the load for you! That being said, during the days preceding and following your professional move, it is likely that you may find yourself trying to move or reposition a heavy box or piece of furniture. Here are some moving tools that will make this task safer for you:

Gloves provide padding for your fingers, help you to avoid splinters, and give you extra grip as you lift heavy items.

Hand trucks/ dollies ease the strain of lifting oversized items.

Furniture sliders  assist you in moving large pieces of furniture across the room, and decrease the length of time that you have to use your own strength to hold items as you move them from one place to another.

Forearm forklift devices come in handy when you are moving items that are awkward in size because they provide leverage and encourage correct lifting techniques.

Steel toe boots protect your toes if something falls on them. They also provide your feet with padding, and their treads offer you grip to prevent falling.

Sorensen Mayflower wishes you a safe move!

Taking Caring of Yourself During Your Move

Moving can be a strenuous exercise. Hiring professional movers to help with the task definitely reduces the physical strain on you, which is why we highly recommend it! With that said, even with the help of professionals, you will probably still find yourself getting less sleep, feeling more stressed, doing more lifting, and spending more time on your feet during a move than you would any other time. For this reason, we will spend the next few weeks giving you tips on how to take care of yourself during your move. Today, we will focus on how to avoid common injuries associated with moving.

One injury to look out for on moving day is an injury to the finger. If you aren’t careful, fingers can get pinched between walls, doors, and other heavy objects. Be careful if you find yourself moving boxes or furniture through narrow hallways, doors, and the like. The last thing you need around moving time is a trip to the doctor for stitches or to repair a broken finger!

Anyone is at risk of pulling or straining a muscle when lifting objects that are heavier than they are accustomed to. Stretching is always a good idea before doing any lifting. It is also very important to stay hydrated on moving day, as you are more susceptible to muscle strains when you are dehydrated. Do you know which part of the body is most commonly injured during a move? If you guessed the back, then you are correct! To avoid this injury, here are some tips to follow:

-Use slow, smooth movements. When your movements are rushed and erratic, you are more likely to strain a back muscle.

-Avoid twisting your body when lifting. Your body should always be facing the object that you are lifting.

-Keep the object that you are lifting close to your body. Reaching out to lift and carry an object increases the strain on your back and can lead to injury.

-Try to carry the object in the space between your shoulder and your waist. This puts less strain on your back muscles.

-Lift with your legs. This means bending your legs, and not your back, as you pick up a load. Your back should remain straight as you are lifting.

When you put your muscles through more than they are used to, injuries can occur. For this reason, it is very important to know your limits and not to exceed them. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to move something that is beyond your physical capabilities, ask for help!  On moving day, you should definitely let the movers handle all of the heavy lifting. That is what they are there for! Don’t be shy to ask them to move a piece of furniture or box if they have placed it in the wrong area, or if you have changed your mind about where you want something placed. If you need help in the days following your move with some heavy lifting, you might need to ask a family member or friend for assistance. If you don’t have friends or family available to you, than this might be the perfect opportunity for you to meet your neighbors!

Stay tuned for next week, as we will discuss some moving tools that you can use in the days surrounding your move to lessen your chance of injury!

Striving for Success

Scott Sorensen, President of Sorensen Mayflower, attended the 2014 Unigroup Convention in Colorado Springs earlier this month. During this convention, Scott had the opportunity to attend several breakout sessions and workshops to gain knowledge and strategies for making Sorensen Moving and Storage a better company. He also had the chance to listen to Tom Morris speak. Morris is a public philosopher who is most famous for his “7 C’s of success.” These are seven conditions that Morris believes a person must achieve to find substantial and sustainable success in one’s life. He shared them at the convention, and we will share them with you! These are taken from Morris’ website www.morrisinstitute.com.

-A clear conception of what we want.

-A strong confidence that we can attain that goal.

-A focused concentration on what it takes to achieve that goal.

-A stubborn consistency in achieving that vision.

-An emotional commitment to the importance of what we are doing.

-A good character to guide us and keep us on proper course.

-A capacity to enjoy the process along the way.

Success is something that we don’t take lightly here at Sorensen Moving and Storage. We hope that you will trust us with your next move!

 

The Best Time to Move...

Here at Sorensen Moving and Storage, we believe that every day is a great day to move! However, if you are trying to determine when would be the best time for you to plan your move, here are a few things to consider:

School Calendar

If you have children at home, then their school calendar is something that you will definitely want to take into consideration. Summer is generally the ideal time for families with kids to relocate, as children have completed their grade and have had the chance to say goodbye to their school friends.  When scheduling your move date, try to arrive at your new home at least a few weeks before the start of the next school year. This gives your children the chance to unpack, get settled, meet new friends, and become acquainted with their new neighborhood. Having the opportunity to do these things and to make their new house their home will allow them to be much better prepared for the school year.

Holidays

If possible, try to avoid moving right before major holidays since being with family and friends is such a big part of these times. If you do have to move before a holiday, try to do so in advance so that you have the opportunity to meet new people, feel a sense of belonging in your new community, and have others to spend these special times with. 

Seasonal Considerations

Out of all the seasons, most people would agree that summer is probably the most advantageous time to move. Children are not in school, the weather is usually pretty good, and daylight hours are longer. However, summer tends to be the busiest time of year for moving companies, and rates may be higher during these peak times. 

The Best Time

If you are flexible with your move dates and don’t have children, spouses, jobs, and school to consider, then the best time of the year to move would probably be the late spring or early fall. The weather during these seasons is mild, moving costs are typically lower, and there are no major holidays during this time.  

What To Look For In A New Neighborhood

One of the biggest tasks associated with moving is finding a new home. Most people would prefer for this home to be in a nice neighborhood. So what should you look for when selecting a new neighborhood? Here is a list of things to consider when choosing a neighborhood.

Sidewalks: Sidewalks make neighborhoods safer. If you have pets or children, then this will be especially important to you, as you will probably find yourself walking around your neighborhood quite often. In addition to this safety aspect, sidewalks are also an indicator of an active community. If you want to be able to walk to the store, or to a local park, then sidewalks are something that you will want to look for in your new neighborhood.

Taxes and other expenses: It is easy to get so caught up in owning a home that you forget to investigate the additional expenses that living in some neighborhoods require, such as a homeowner’s association fee. Property tax is another cost that many people don’t take into consideration when selecting their home. Make sure you don’t forget to account for these expenses!

Convenience: Ideally, you want a neighborhood that is close to the shops that you frequent, the school that your children attend, as well as to your job. A neighborhood that offers you this convenience not only cuts down on stress levels, but also saves you time and gas money.

Foreclosures: Although you might think that a street lined with foreclosures is a homebuyer’s paradise, this is not always the case and can actually be an indicator that the neighborhood is not located in a very good area. This is because when real estate prices decline, so do property taxes. Property taxes support the city’s public service and safety, so when they get too low, these can be compromised.

Future plans: Before purchasing a house, it is always a good idea to check with your local planning office to find out the city’s future plans for the area to which you are thinking of moving. The planning office can tell you about any upcoming construction projects or road expansions that could affect your neighborhood. After all, you don’t want to buy a house that will soon be right in the middle of the city’s newest busy throughway.

Sounds and smells: Visit potential neighborhoods at several different times during the day so that you can detect any undesirable noises or smells in the area. Neighboring train tracks, restaurants, hospitals, fire departments, and air traffic are just a few sources of unwanted noise that could be present in your new neighborhood. And while you are listening, don’t forget to take a whiff of the surrounding air. Neighboring paper mills, landfills, or even a stagnant lake can all be sources of unwanted odors that you may want to avoid.

Crime rate: Find out the neighborhood crime rate and how it ranks against other neighborhoods in the area. There are websites out there that can give you this information, or you could ask a real estate agent.

Schools: Good schools are important, especially if you have children. Check out the public and private schools nearby. How are their academic reputations? Do they offer the extracurricular activities that your children are looking for? And for those of you who don’t have kids, you  may be tempted not to put much value into the school system. However, keep in mind that the quality of the schools in the area will affect the resale of your home. Good schools are important to everyone!

Good luck in your search for a new neighborhood! We will be excited to move you there!