Relocating to a new home is never an easy process. The task of taking all your personal effects and moving them to another place can create a host of problems, logistical issues being one of many. If your predicament involves moving to Seattle or from Seattle to another location in the country, you might want to look at your options for Seattle moving services. Numerous families in the Seattle area have hired Seattle movers to handle the task of moving their belongings to and from another location safely, be it their furniture, appliances, clothes and other personal effects.

Movers can handle all these without breaking a sweat as they have the facilities and tools to handle moving of such scale. With their help, you and your family can concentrate on other matters such as saying goodbye to friends, finding work and making sure that the kids handle the shift well. With movers on board, you can proceed with your daily activities without having to worry about how you will transport your belongings. Simply put, these individuals do the dirty work for you while you do stuff that is more important.

If you have yet to find a Seattle mover to handle your belongings, now’s the perfect time to start. There are different ways for you to make contact with a moving company. These companies will have varying rates and services, as well as handling procedures of your belongings. All these variables can indeed cause confusion, so the best thing you can do is find a moving company that has received the best feedback, be it from your friends or other people who have tried their services. Although no mover is perfect, you want to have the next best thing. Bear in mind though that any search you make will yield plenty of results, so be prepared to do some research.

Here is a tip that should help you on your search-know what you need from a moving company before making your final choice. You want to make the best possible decision according to your moving needs, so examine your predicament carefully. Look at factors such as your budget, your desired services as well as the area you are moving to or moving from if it’s not Seattle. Remember that the farther the distance between your two moving points, the more you will have to spend. The type of effects you want to move will also matter greatly-more belongings mean higher fees.

Whichever moving company you choose, just remember that quality comes with a price, and you have to be willing to shell out the cash in order to have peace of mind. Make sure you have the proper resources before moving in order to enjoy a smooth transaction and moving experience. Good luck!

Many of us have never used a storage unit and we may think these are meant for people who work with merchandise; however, it is very normal today for people to rent storage units when they are in between homes.

If you are faced with any of these situations you may want to consider renting a storage unit:

1. Temporary move

This is very practical moving advice! Let’s say you have to transfer temporarily¾2 years¾for a job… in such a case you probably don’t want to move everything you own with you since this is not a permanent situation, then… a storage unit is the best solution. You are able to move only with what you need/want.

2. Home selling

It may happen that you are selling your current home. In this situation, you know that when showing your home to potential buyers the first impression is crucial, and too much clutter will make people run the other way!

Your home must feel spacious, and this is only achieved with a clean and uncluttered space. Anything that can jeopardize the sale must go… or be stored somewhere else.

3. College years

Many parents with kids in college know that once they finish studying they may come back home for a few years while they find a job and make some money to move out.

In this case, it is a good idea not to sell the kids’ furniture, but store it while they’re away so that the empty nesters can use the space in other ways for a while.

4. Inheritance

Parents may have some furniture they no longer need but want to pass to their children once they move out.

When renting a storage facility, make sure you check the contract termination policy, just in case you need to get your stuff out before the original intended date.

Also, check the locks and ensure the place has good security, because your things will be there for a long period of time without you keeping an eye on them. You should make a list of what you’re storing and review it with the person in charge of the facility.

Keep in hand the facility’s phone number and operation hours, and make sure they have your number too, in case of emergency.

If a Seattle moving company is dropping off your boxes, talk to your contact at the facility ahead of time and let him/her know who’s coming, and ask the movers to look for this person when they arrive to the place to comply with safety procedures.

Storage units are a great short-term solution for people with busy and very active lives, but it is never a bad idea to think about getting rid of some stuff through garage sales, donations, online auctions, or the garbage, if you have a lot of things that can be considered clutter.

With millions of people moving every year within the United States, one wonders how everyone gets comfortable in their new surroundings.

Most certainly, everyone has their own way, but today we want to share this seven-day approach, which seems to work wonders!
 
First day

On your first day, do some organizing at home but do not try to do it all; instead, go for a walk and explore the neighborhood. Take this time to decide to open yourself up to this new experience and to welcome the new.

Understanding what’s around you will make you feel safe and excited about the new possibilities.
 
Second day

Get a bit braver and try the subway or bus services to understand how these work. Get familiar with the city and how to get there.
 
Third day

Do a reality check. Acknowledge that your new community has good things but maybe also not so good ones. Every place is the same and at the same time it isn’t, so find out how safe the area is, how traffic works, how the weather treats it, and focus on the good.

One piece of advice: do not believe what others say; find out for yourself what the truth is. You may discover this place is your idea of paradise.
 
Fourth day

Absorb and enjoy the differences between this place and your old home. Every city has something great and unique to offer.
 
Fifth day

Get in touch with people you know who live around. Before moving, contact friends, colleagues, or family who live near your new community. Ask them about their favorite places, activities, and tips.
 
Sixth day

Move around. Be it by car, bus, or subway, venture into new parts of the city with a good map. Find your own places: choose a favorite cafeteria, restaurant, bookstore, museum, and/or movie theater.
 
Seventh day

Meet the neighbors. Once you get acquainted with the area, it is time to get acquainted with the people.

You can approach a neighbor you see working on her garden or picking up the mail, talk to the clerk at the grocery store, or walk along someone walking their dog.

If you have children, go to school meetings, mingle with the other parents, and ask their teachers to recommend good entertainment options.

It is no secret that we must try to keep waste down to a minimum in everything we do daily, and even more so when we are moving, since we are not alone… millions of us move every year and at this pace, the amount of waste is far from manageable.

Recycling has grown importantly in the last 20 years; however, the amount of garbage keeps increasing, and it is everyone’s responsibility to do their part to reduce waste in general.

Here we show you 11 ways in which you can reduce to a minimum the waste you produce when moving:

1. Do not buy boxes; instead, ask for leftover boxes at local supermarkets and other businesses, or ask neighbors who have just moved in.

2. If still you need to buy boxes, buy the corrugated kind with the highest recycled content.

3. Pack your clothes, linens, and other appropriate items in your suitcases.

4. Recycle the boxes you use as soon as you don’t need them anymore.

5. Ask your moving company if you can rent reusable storage crates.

6. Use old newspapers to wrap items that can break.

7. Choose environmentally friendly packing materials, and recycle them afterwards.

8. Ensure you correctly get rid of non-recyclable dangerous materials before moving: household cleaners, paints, and car supplies, among others. Research where you can safely dispose of these in your community.

9. Prefer recycled latex paint for your home projects.

10. Hold a garage sale before you move to sell everything you don’t need anymore.

11. What is not sold, donate to a local charity.

12. Research if your new community has a recycling program. If it does, become an active member.

13. As part of your new life, become a smarter shopper. Prefer recyclable products and items that can be repaired or upgraded. You can also buy at recycling markets and flea markets.

These tips come from people who have gone through horror story moves and are still kind enough to not wish that nightmare on even their worst enemies. These 5 are not the normal kind of tips; they relate to the move itself and how to help you move without tears:

1. Sell, sell, and then sell more

Yep! Sell everything you can before the move. You can never sell enough!

Host a garage sale, donate, and throw away, but don’t keep things just because you “may need them later”.

The benefits:

- You get rid of things that are blocking your energy because they are stacked up just gathering dust.

- You free up space that will make your home look organized, clean, and spacious.

- You will earn some money that you can put to good use.

- You save money because the moving company won’t have to carry so much “dead” weight.

2. Fix your car

A few weeks before moving, take your car to the shop for a general check up. Pay close attention to the tires, anti-freeze, air conditioner/heater, and water pump.

The last thing you want is to stay on the road without an engine while tons of boxes are waiting for you at your new home.

3. Check your insurance

Make sure you have coverage for your trip between houses. On your auto-insurance, you should have a roadside assistance rider, where you can call a phone number any time of day or night if your car breaks down.

Contact you home insurance company to tell them that you are moving and that you need coverage from your old house to the new one.

Before you move, make sure you photograph and videotape all your valuables and appliances to record their condition. In this way if something happens, you will have proof to show the insurance company.

If you hire a moving company, ask everything about their coverage, specifically what is and isn’t covered, and the coverage’s limitations.

4. Transfer utility services

Imagine this:

You get to your new home and are ready to start your new life. Filled with excitement you open the door to go in and start organizing your new place and… SURPRISE!!!!!

No electricity, no air conditioning/heating, no hot water, no phone service, no gas, no nothing!

Do we have to tell you this can become your worse nightmare? We don’t think so!

5. Plan your drive

This is especially important for long trips. You may have been down that road before, but even so, select a chief navigator and plan your drive.

Take the right maps, plan some interesting stops to release stress and take a break, take enough (and good) food for the road, play some good music, and remember to select a few good movies for the little ones to watch on the road.

More and more people today are changing and simplifying their lifestyles; they are moving into smaller spaces, getting rid of “stuff”, and focusing on enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

One of the best ways of getting rid of things that you don’t need anymore without adding to the garbage we already produce worldwide is to hold a garage sale.

Let others buy what they need from your “stuff” and earn some money to help you enjoy this new phase of your life.

Here we give you 16 tips to make your garage sale a hit, because if you are going to invest your time and energy into such a project, you better ensure it casts a good omen over your new plans:

1. Research if there are restrictions for garage sales in your area.

2. Some days in advance, advertise through your local newspaper or shoppers’ guide, and post notices on your grocery store and local bulletin boards.

3. Partner with other neighbors interested in selling some of their “stuff”, in this way, you will offer a lot more, attract more customers, and you can all share costs.

4. Put up colorful signs with arrows to guide people to your house, but make sure you check the local regulations in this regard.

5. Establish a selling schedule so that people know when to come, but always expect a few early birds.

6. Never do a garage sale during a holiday weekend; no one will be around!

7. Set good prices and expect a lot of bargaining.

8. You can mark your items in two ways:

- Put price tags on individual items

- Group items by price

- To make it easier, color-code your tags by price.

9. Take your time and clean your items before the big day; they will attract more eyes.

10. If you are selling clothes, organize them on racks, separate female and male clothing, and check all the pockets to make sure you are not giving away a $100 bill for 5 bucks.

11. Set the tables and place similar items together. Someone interested in a CD may also remember he needs a CD case if they are next to each other.

12. Plan to have a lot of change at hand for that day.

13. Be careful with your money; use a lockbox to hide it or wear a fanny pack. If several neighbors are joining in, decide beforehand who is going to take care of the money, and establish that only that person can touch it.

14. Get plastic bags (recycle the ones you have at home) for your customers and paper (old newspapers) to wrap items that can get broken.

15. When the fun is over, remove the signs you posted around the neighborhood.

16. If this is something you would like to repeat, save what was left for the next sale, but if you really need to get rid of everything, pack what’s left up and take it to a local charity.

Right after you move, it is important to take the time to make a thorough inventory of your belongings and make sure everything arrived in good condition and that nothing has been lost.

Most probably, movers will ask you to check your valuables as they bring them to your new home.  They will provide an inventory sheet with corresponding numbers and descriptions for the task.  Even though it may be difficult to concentrate with all the work being done around you during the move and with movers bringing several loads together, try to focus and organize the inventory check so that you don’t miss any items.  You could ask a friend to help you double-check every valuable, or divide the duties of checking the list and looking over the items.

Check furniture and appliances very carefully for missing feet, broken knobs, and scratches, and plug in appliances to ensure they are working correctly.   If there is something missing, mark it and tell the movers immediately.  If you see damage, make a note on the inventory list.  Do not sign the sheet until you are certain that everything has been accounted for.  It will greatly simplify things if you locate boxes or discuss damages while the movers are still there.

While you unpack, make notes about what you think is missing or damaged.  You’ve already checked for missing boxes, but not for missing things inside them.  Everyone who is unpacking should have an inventory list for the box they are working on.

Everything should be checked within the next few days after the move; otherwise, damages or losses may not be covered by the movers’ insurance.

As soon as you’re done unpacking and if you have found missing or damaged items, call the movers and ask them to track the items; maybe something was forgotten in the truck and is easy to recover.  If something is not found, call the insurance company to file a claim.  You will have to give detailed information about the item that is missing or has been damaged, and the inventory list you made prior to moving will be crucial.

Even though something could go wrong, normally everything works smoothly if you have taken the precaution of researching locally and hiring quality Movers in Seattle WA to help you handle the move.  Investing a little more could save you lots of headaches and bad experiences later.

A lot of people dread moves, but this is because they don’t take it seriously and fail to plan ahead.  When you know exactly what to expect, how to get organized, and even what could go wrong, nothing can get you off balance, and you will be ready to deal with whatever happens in an effective way.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.psmoving.com as the original source).

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After a move, most people are left with dozens or even hundreds of boxes they don’t know how to dispose of.  Obviously, you are anxious to get rid of all that stuff that is only cluttering your beautiful new home, however, you should take the time to do it right and dispose of them in a useful and eco-friendly way instead of just throwing them in the garbage.

Here we give you some tips as to how to give moving boxes a good use after you don’t need them anymore:

1.    Contact a box broker
In many cities, there are companies that specialize in buying and selling used moving boxes; find one near you and sell them all of yours.

2.    List your boxes on BoxCycle
This is a service within the US.  You access the website, list your boxes for sale, and the company will sell them for you.  The service has great reviews, a clear sign of how well it works.

3.    Post on Craigslist
This is another great place to list the boxes you want to get rid of, sell, exchange, or just give away, and it is free.

4.    Use some of them as compost containers
This is a good option if you have an herb garden or beautiful yard at home and you are into organic gardening.  You just have to ensure the boxes are protected from animals that could destroy them.

5.    Contact a charity
Normally, libraries, community groups, and shelters need lots of boxes to move books, clothes, shoes, appliances, and food, among other things.  You can find a lot of places to help with just a few phone calls.

6.    Find local recycling programs
Almost every city has a place for recycling big quantities of cardboard material.  In some cases you will have to take the boxes to the recycling center yourself, but that is not a big inconvenience.  Make sure you find out details like how many boxes they will take, sizes, and if you have to flatten them before delivery.

Seattle moving companies can help you find the different recycling, reusing, and disposing options in the area; maybe they will even offer to take your boxes to help you dispose of them.  The important thing to remember is that when moving, cleaning up and disposing of materials in the right way is as important as packing, unpacking, and getting your home organized.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.psmoving.com as the original source).

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Moving to a new place involves a lot of work and consideration.  Besides the move itself, with all its worries, possibly one of the most difficult challenges for new tenants is knowing the difference between normal wear and serious damage when asking for the security deposit back.  The line is fine when it comes to wear and damage, and you must be prepared to walk it without crossing it.

Security deposits are designed so that you work to get them back.  Here are some tips so that you learn what is normal and what is definitely not:

1.    Walls- some dirt and several pinpricks are normal, but huge holes, paint that is not the original color, and burns, will definitely be categorized as damage.  If necessary, paint and repair whatever needs it, so that you get your deposit back.

2.    Carpets- obviously, carpets and floors wear down with time due to aging, however, the landlord will not accept huge stains, burn marks or tears.  Research how to care for the carpets and floors so that you can maintain them in good condition for as long as you live there.

3.    Appliances- these must work properly, of course.  If a mechanical problem occurs, call the landlord immediately, or else, you will have an issue later.

4.    Keys- normally, these break with time, as well as locks.  What constitutes damage is due to misuse, loss, or removal of locks from the doors without proper permission and supervision.

5.    General condition- at apartment complexes, a cleaning crew will commonly clean the space before renting it, since managers know there will be some dirt.  Nevertheless, they don’t expect to find the place in a chaotic state, so you should clean before you move and hire a professional Seattle moving company that knows how to work in an organized way.  It will surely help you get your money back.

Once you are ready to move out, make sure you review the original condition report you filled out when you first leased the place, so that you can identify the trouble areas.  True, there is a fine line between normal wear and real damage; however, it is a lot about common sense.

If you are an organized, caring and clean person, you will most certainly not have any trouble getting your deposit money back.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.psmoving.com as the original source).

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So, you just moved to your new gorgeous home, and of course you want everything to look and be perfect.  This is a great way to start your new life, organizing everything so that your home, and your life along with it, doesn’t become a complete mess.

Organization is a science that demands discipline, and nothing shows how disciplined you are more than your closets.  Closets are where everyone dumps what is not used and wants to be forgotten.  Tell us… are your closets organized 365 days a year?  How about 182 days?  How about 91 days? How about a month a year?

Yes, we know how difficult it is, however, if you want to honor your new life and start it with the right foot and right attitude, you have to learn a method to keep your closets organized and user-friendly.  If you achieve this, you can be sure the rest of your house will be everyone’s envy and your biggest pride.

And without further ado, let’s show you this magic method:

1.    Assign a purpose for every closet
Before unpacking a single piece of clothing, think if the closet will be for storing linens and towels, coats and boots, or your everyday wardrobe.  Check it to see if it has all the rods, racks, and shelves you need to give it the best use.

2.    Prepare the closet to work for you
Get wire shelving or wheeled storage bins for items that need to breathe.  Consider the options that could help you get organized and uncluttered:

-    Shelving.  There are many permanent and portable units available.  Just make sure they fit your needs before buying.

-    Rods and bars.  You could add a second bar below the main one to add hanging space.  Take precise measures to make sure that what you buy will fit.

-    Storage containers.  These come in many sizes, shapes and materials.  The see-through type is very practical to store underwear, sweaters, accessories and sports gear.

-    Shoe racks.  Everyone knows women love shoes.  Shoe racks are great at holding lots of shoes out of sight, be it behind the closet door or on the floor, without having to swim through hundreds of boxes to find the ones you would like to wear that day.

-    Closet organizer system.  It offers many extra features, so make sure you know exactly what you need before going out to buy one.  These systems range from inexpensive to very sophisticated ones, so you have an ample variety to choose from.

-    Wire or wicker baskets.  You should go for baskets with a labeling system so that you can identify the content.  Wire baskets let clothes breathe, and wicker ones offer a neat look.  In order to give your closets a visually clean look, use the same kind of material in all of them.

-    Hangers and hooks.  Stay away from wire hangers!  These damage your clothes and they look horrible.  Invest in wooden hangers that look very nice, get some rubber ones that prevent slipping for delicate pieces, and look for special hangers for suits.  Hooks are great for belts, neckties and scarves.  A great tip: install a hook behind a closet door to hang the clothes for the next day, it will save you around 20 minutes in the morning.

3.    Unpack
Take this opportunity to sort out your clothes based on what you use, how often you use it, or even if you will use it again.  Next, if necessary, separate clothes by season, and within each season, sort by professional, leisure, at home, sports, etc.  You can even sort by colors and type of clothing, for example, shirts, pants, blazers, etc.  If you do this, you will never have to suffer again while getting dressed!

Being organized in every area of your life will come in very handy when moving.  It can really help your local mover in Seattle do a better job at helping you get your valuables safely and efficiently to your new place, and it will truly make you enjoy the process of moving!

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.psmoving.com as the original source).

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