How to Get Rid of Clutter During Moving
What to Expect when Using a Professional Packing Service
Whenever you move, it involved packing and unpacking everything you own. This may seem like a very tedious task and your time may be better spent doing other things. Often, it will even require taking time off from work to get the packing done. If you don't like the idea of packing up your entire home and unpacking it when you arrive, you do have the option of hiring a professional packing service. This type of service will come in and do all the packing for you. They will even take apart furniture and other items. Then, when your things arrive at the new home, the packing service will actually unpack everything for you.
Should you Hire a Professional Packing Service?
Not all moves require a professional packing service and there are times when this type of service comes in handy more than others. Here are a few guidelines to help you decide if you need a packing service:
If you're moving a longer distance, it's a good idea to hire a packing service. The long drive can be very exhausting and it's even worse after spending days packing everything up.
When you need to move a large home or office, a packing service should be used. Any home with more than 2 bedrooms will take a very long time to get packed up.
Those with a number of obligations or needing to work during the move should also consider hiring a packing service. The money spent on the service may be worth it when it comes to the time you will save.
If the move will include a number of valuable items, antiques or other collectible items, you may want to have a professional do the packing. This will ensure everything it packed properly and you won't have to worry about anything arriving damaged.
All of these situations, along with anytime you cannot physically handle the packing, a professional packing service should be considered.
How Long will it Take for the Service to Pack you Home?
The number of time needed to pack up your home and get it ready to be moved to your new locations depends on the size of your home and the number of people packing. Some of the averages are:
Under 1,000 Square Feet - 4 to 6 hours for two people or 2-3 hours for four people.
1,500 to 2,000 Square Feet - 13 to 16 hours for two people, 7 to 9 hours for four people or 4 to 5 hours for six people.
2,500 to 3,000 Square Feet - 21 to 25 hours for two people, 11 to 14 hours for four people or 7 to 9 hours for six people.
4,000 square feet or larger - 36 to 40 hours for 2 people, 19 to 22 people for four people or 12 to 16 hours for six people
With the help of a professional packing service, the job will be done faster than you could imagine. They will also make sure everything is packed correctly and there will be enough workers on site to make the process go much smoother and quicker.
Some of the other things you can expect from a professional packing service include:
Creation of a full moving inventory
Use of the right boxes and packing materials
Proper packing and labeling of fragile and valuable items
And More!
It all starts with a professional, on-site estimate for the total cost of packing your home. If you want to save time and enjoy the fact that you won't have to do any packing or unpacking, hiring a professional packing services the best choice you can make.
A Professional Timeline for Your Upcoming Move
Setting the timeline for your next move is very important. If you wait until the last minute to handle everything, you may miss some of the most important steps. In addition, procrastinating during a move will only cause more stress. Here's a professional timeline you can customize to fit your specific residential moving needs.
10 Weeks Out
When you reach about ten weeks from your moving date, it's time to start getting things organized and make some decisions. This is a good time to look into local moving companies, especially if you're considering hiring the company to pack, move and unpack your things. Check out our reviews at The Professionals and let us know as soon as you're ready!
8 Weeks Out
At the eight-week mark, you will need to think about buying your packing materials. The Professionals will be able to help you with all of your supplies, including boxes for specialty items, such as flat screen TVs. If you're considering a garage/moving sale, this is the time to schedule the dates and get everything ready for it. Perhaps you should checkout The Chicago GreenBox and see if using their green, plastic moving totes would help keep your possessions clean and out of harms' way.
Chicago Green Boxes
6 Weeks Out
When you're about six weeks away from moving, it's time to let the school your children attend know, unless they will attend the same school after the move. You want to get all the copies of your children's school records and look into enrollment at the new schools. This is also a good time to book your moving appointment with us, and also get all of your medical records, if you're moving away from your current doctor.
4 Weeks Out
If you're about four weeks from your moving date, it's a great time to start packing anything you won't need for the next four weeks. Pack things down to just the essentials so that you can get as much packed ahead of time as possible. You can also notify the utility companies and your landlord, at this time. If you have a specific clause in your lease about notifying your landlord, make sure you check this plenty early. Some require 60 days notification, but most just ask for 30 days.
2 Weeks Out
At the two-week mark, it's time to get a plan together for groceries and food for the next few weeks. It's also a good time to have your car serviced, if you're moving long distance. You may also need to transfer insurance and pack as much as possible, as you don't want to be packing on moving day.
1 Week Out
At the one week mark, hopefully, you're just about all packed up. This is a good tie to confirm with your us and anything else having to do with your move. You can also pack an overnight bag with some essentials you will need when you first get into your new place.
The Day Before
Moving day is tomorrow and it's time to get your important documents together and anything else going with you on moving day. It's also a great time to do a final sweep of your home and make sure you didn't forget anything.
Moving Day
When moving day arrives, work with your movers to make sure everything safely makes it into the truck. You can also make a final sweep, if necessary. There are plenty of things you need to do before moving day shows up. Use this moving timeline to create your own timeline based on your specific needs.
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3 Ways to Take Care of Your Movers
Professional movers will take care of you by moving your things from one place to another. While they are working, there are some ways you can take care of them and some things you should know for moving day. Here's a look at three ways you can take care of your movers and a few things they wish you knew.
Offer a Beverage
Movers work hard and they appreciate it when you offer a sports drink, water or soda. If it's a hot day and it's going to be a long one for them, make sure to stock up on water or sports drinks to help keep your movers hydrated. However, it's not a good idea to ever offer any type of alcoholic beverage to movers. Most companies frown upon this.
Stay out of Their Way
It's okay to help with some things, but for the most part, you want to stay out of the way of your movers. This will take care of them in the best way possible by providing safety. If you get in the way, it could cause issues, which may prevent the movers from being able to do their job safely.
When you hire full time movers, you should let them do their job. They are trained professionals and know how to take care of your things.
Tip Them
Be prepared to tip your movers. This is probably the best way you can take care of them and the best way to thank them. You can find plenty of information on how much to tip your movers ahead of time. Make sure you have cash ready to go and give it to each mover individually or the foreman in front of the rest of the movers.
How to Help Your Movers
A Few Things Movers Wish You Knew
Making moving day easier on movers doesn't have to be difficult. Here are a few things you can do, which they wish you knew about.
Finish Packing
Before the movers arrive, it's best to be done packing. If you're still packing, they cannot do their job as efficiently as they would like.
Use a Clear Labeling System
A labeling system makes it easy for movers to load and unload the truck. Make sure you use a clear labeling system and let the movers know the system when they arrive.
Find out Where the Movers can Park the Truck
Before movers arrive, you should know where they can park the truck. The last thing they need is to be told they have to move it in the middle of moving. In addition, you'll end up paying for extra time if they have to figure out where to park and it takes forever.
Empty Drawers, Desks and Armoires
There's nothing worse than picking up a piece of furniture and watching a full drawer fall out scattering items everywhere. It's best to empty drawers and armoires before the movers arrive.
Don't Leave your Movers
While it's important to stay out of the way, movers appreciate it when you're easy to find. If they have questions or need clarification, they shouldn't have to hunt you down.
Moving day can be less stressful and you can take better care of your movers with the tips above.
What is the Proper Way to Pack Silverware and Plates?
The kitchen is one of the most used areas of any home. It's where you'll find all your silverware and plates, which need to be packed when it's time to move. Here are a few tips to help with packing these items before the residential movers show up.
Start Early
You can switch over to paper plates and plastic silverware for the final weeks or days before you move. This will not only allow you to pack your silverware and plates early, but will also eliminate some, if not all, of the dishes you'd have to do. You'll need that extra time for the move, anyway.
Get the Right Supplies
When you're packing, one of the most important things you can do is get the right supplies together. For packing silverware and plates, you'll need plenty of bubble wrap, cardboard dividers and medium-sized boxes. You'll also need plenty of packing tape and the right color marker for labeling the boxes.
Packing Plates
Packing up your plates isn't as easy as just throwing them in a box with some padding. If you pack them the wrong way, they are more likely to break, even if the box isn't moved around much.
The best way to pack plates is to put bubble wrap or packing paper at the bottom of the box. You will also want to wrap each plate in packing paper or bubble wrap. Then, wrap three plates into a bundle and use packing tape to hold them together.
Make sure you pack the plates on their edges. If you pack plates one on top of each other, they are more likely to break. It's also a good idea to put a horizontal cardboard divider at the top of the box to create a level base. After you're done, make sure to label the box as fragile.
Packing Silverware
Packing silverware isn't exactly straightforward either. You should wrap the pieces in newsprint or plastic wrap to keep your pieces from tarnishing. If you have a silverware chest, you want to fill the voids in the chest with packing paper to keep the pieces from moving. You can also wrap the chest in a large towel to ensure it’s fully protected.
Packing Other Kitchen Items
Along with silverware and plates, you may need to pack pots and pans, glassware and appliances. Each of these should be packed in a specific way.
Pots and Pans - Pack pots and pans by size with the largest filled with smaller pots. Use packing paper to separate each one and place the set upside down on packing paper inside the box.
Glassware - The best way to pack glassware is to wrap it in packing paper or bubble wrap. Then, put each piece in a divided box specifically created for glassware.
Appliances - Appliances should be wrapped in packing paper or bubbles wrap and put into boxes separately. It's not a good idea to pack multiple appliances in one large box.
There are several things in your kitchen you will need to pack. Make sure you do it right or you could end up with broken or damaged items. If you want to make sure your items are fully protected, hire a professional moving company to handle the packing.