Moving to a new home is an exciting adventure for the whole family.  But the furry members of our family may not so readily understand just what is going on.  Here are some main pointers to remember when moving with a pet:

Do plan ahead.  If your move is out of country, be sure to arrange all necessary travel documents and certificates.  Make arrangements for transporting your pet well in advance of the big day.  Be sure to make an appointment with your veterinarian to have any necessary vaccinations or medications administered.  Also inquire about sedation if you think it may be necessary.

Don’t feed your pet too soon before traveling.  Even if you are only moving a short distance and are moving your pet by car, it is better to hold off on feeding until you are settled in at your new destination.  Your pet will likely be fine with just a few treats throughout the day.

Do plan for regular pit stops along the way if traveling by car.  Have fresh cool water on hand that you have brought with you so as not to upset your pets digestive system, and try to plan stops  where there is some room for a bit of exercise as well.  Be careful when letting your pet out for exercise in a strange place. Never leave your pet inside a vehicle on a hot day.  If it is very warm, have someone stay behind with your pet so you can leave windows open or air conditioning running.

Do pack a moving box of your pet’s items such as blankets, beds, feeding dishes toys and food so that everything you need for your pet is readily available once you arrive at your new home.  If you will be traveling for a few days, pack a small travel pack for your pet as well.  In this kit have food, water, dishes, a favorite toy and blanket, a few treats, some shop towels or wipes and a pet waste bags.

Do be sure to give your pet some time to adjust to his new home once you have arrived.  Keep him indoors for a while and allow him to explore his environment.  Unpack his toys and familiar things right away and give him a meal of his favorite food. Supervise him carefully during the first few ventures outdoors into the new neighborhood.

Don’t get so caught up in the move that you ignore your pet.  This whole moving business can be very upsetting, especially to cats and dogs.  Take some time to reassure your pet that everything is okay and that the whole family is staying in the new location with them.

No matter where you’re moving from, New York, Dallas, Miami, or Seattle moving companies will all agree that it is just as important to prepare your pets for the move as anyone else in the family.

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While you are checking lists and packing to move to your dream home, you must remember to pay special attention to your desktop computer, and ensure the movers in Seattle do too.  If you fail to pack it appropriately, your computer may suffer mechanical failure or be damaged due to physical hits during transportation.  That’s something you don’t want to see happen if you depend on it for work or home organization activities.

In order to ensure your computer is moved safely, follow these tips:

-    Transfer copies of all of your files into an external hard drive.  Pack the hard drive safely into a computer case or other place where it will not be stepped on or hit.

-    Park the hard disk.  You must make sure nothing is working before you move the computer to avoid the possibility of shock.  The parking procedure works differently according to the type of computer, so make sure you find out how it is done for yours.  The hard disk will go back to work once you turn on the computer again.  Next, turn off the system and remove the cables from the back.  Write down which cable goes where.

-    If possible, pack the computer in the original package.  It is specially designed to hold it safely, but if you do not have it anymore, find a strong box that can fit it and get good packing materials.

-    Look after the printer.  Use the original box to pack it, if possible.  If it happens to be a laser printer, remove the ink cartridge to avoid spilling and contamination. If it is a pin printer, put a piece of paper in the platen to secure the head.

-    Cover the monitor very well with bubble wrap, cushions or cloth.  Since it is made out of glass, it can easily be scratched or broken.

-    Place the CPU standing up or on its side, with the motherboard flat on the bottom, otherwise, the interior cards will go loose and you will require technical assistance to make it work again.

-    If you have any doubts or questions about the best way to move your computer, contact the technical manufacturer’s department, browse the Internet to find the exact specifications to transport it, or simply consult your Seattle moving company.

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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When the time comes to move to a new home, office, or just move a special piece of furniture, most people spend a lot of time searching for a mover they can trust with the job.  Contrary to what you may think, finding the right moving company is not as easy as it seems once you consider that your furniture is among the most precious possessions you have, even more so if these are antique pieces or were inherited from generations back.  Thus, it is crucial that you find a moving company that can get the job done, and done right.

Once you start your search, ask yourself how valuable your furniture is.  The answer will tell you how much you should be willing to pay the moving company, as very valuable pieces will require more experienced and expensive movers.  You may even want to consider hiring a company specialized in handling expensive art collections or antique furniture if you own a considerable amount of these.  In the same way, if your furniture is nice, but not especially valuable, you will be OK by hiring an established moving company, one that will give you a good price and quality service, but not specialized service like the one required for valuable furniture.

Specialty movers make sure your pieces are handled individually and take extreme measures to ensure nothing happens to your furniture.  For example, they will build special padded wood crates to pack your furniture or art pieces.  Specialty movers are extremely skilled and know the best techniques to handle very valuable items.

There are all sorts of moving companies that are experienced in moving all kinds of pieces.  Take a piano, for example.  Not just anyone can move such a heavy and unmanageable object without damaging one or more of its delicate internal parts.  You better believe it; you will want your piano to be in the best hands if you want it to delight you with its glorious sounds for years to come.

You must search for a mover in Seattle that suits you and your belongings.  One you can be open with about your wishes and needs, and that understands the value of your pieces, be it monetary or sentimental.  In any case, always look for reputable companies with impeccable references if you want the job well done and off your shoulders.

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Moving is no easy business, or so you have heard or even experienced, however, there are several tips you can follow to make it smooth and even enjoyable, one more quality time activity to share with your family and friends.

Some of these tips may seem obvious, but this is the main reason why they are normally overlooked, causing unnecessary stress and trouble among the family members involved in the process.

These tips will work for you before and right after you have moved, so make sure you take advantage of them and include them in your checklist for constant reminding.

-    Take notes.  Write everything down, like your shipment registration number to have it available to call your moving company with any questions about your stuff.

-    Make the bed.  Remember that you will be tired on the first night in your new home, so pack separately the sheets and towels for your bed so that you do not have to look all over the place and in every single box for them.

-    Remember the refrigerator.  After it has been cleaned up, put some fresh coffee, baking soda or charcoal inside a sock and put it inside the refrigerator to keep it smelling fresh.

-    Keep your old phone book.  You may need to contact someone from your former neighborhood or a business close to it.

-    Heavy packing vs. light packing.  Heavy things go in small boxes and the light stuff goes in large boxes.

-    Give out your contact information.  Make sure the movers have your cell phone number as well as any other number they may need, in case they are not able to contact you directly.

-    Care for your memories.  As much as possible, personally take care of your valuable items, but if it is necessary to pack them, make sure you cover them extensively to protect them.

-    Learn to pack plates and records.  These must be packed on end vertically, not flat and stacked.

-    List your main necessities.  You will need toilet paper, telephone, toiletries, snacks, coffee with pot, soap, tooth brush, comb, flashlight, screwdriver, pliers, can opener, paper plates, cups, utensils, pans and paper towels, among others.  Pack these all together in a box and have it handy once you have moved.

-    Unscrew all the bulbs before packing your lamps.

-    Tag every item.  During a garage sale, be ready to wheel and deal, people love to bargain, so make sure everything is tagged.

-    Give kids something to do.  Keep them busy writing their names and new address on their boxes, in this way, they will learn their new address and will easily identify what belongs to them during moving day in the new house.

-    Protect your pet.  Keep pets away from the hassle, ask a friend to look after your best friend for a while during the move.

-    Be nice to plants.  Be careful when moving them as they are very sensitive to heat and harsh movements.

-    Give your computer a break.  Let it get used to the new room temperature before plugging it in. Crazy? Not really, temperature variations do affect its performance.

-    Enjoy the help.  Let the professional mover in Seattle do his job while you sit back, rest, and enjoy your new home.

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Moving from one office to another can be a very stressful and time consuming process.  There are many things to consider before going through an office move of your own.  How much time will this move take?  How much is it going to cost me?  How am I going to do business in between moves?  These are all legitimate concerns when confronting the possibility of moving your business, and should all be carefully considered.

An office move can be particularly stressful because of the following reasons.  You may have a lot of merchandise at your store, which means you’re going to have to take a very detailed inventory.  You will need an inventory of all your office supplies, furniture, and any other company resources.  This can be a torturous, and very slow moving affair, so be prepared for this.  You may also have certain things in your office that require specific care, or might seem impossible to move.  Some of these things may be expensive machines like X-Ray machines that need professional assistance to move because of the possible radiation leakage.  Moving offices can be a complicated process if you are not prepared.

One of the biggest challenges to moving into a new office is time.  The first thing you better do is to take a closer look at your finances and see if moving is even an affordable option.  The time alone that it is going to take to do a proper inventory, find a new business residence, box everything up, and everything else to prepare for the move, could make you lose thousands in business and productivity.  Make sure that it is cost effective.  You may be moving into a new factory that can double your output, but you don’t want to bankrupt your company doing it.  Do your research first, and then you will be prepared.

There are also other options to consider when deciding to move your business to a new location.  Will it be logistically possible?  If your business is in New York and you’re moving it to Seattle, that might be a complicated and costly process.  You will need to decide whether you are going to hire a moving company from New York or a Seattle moving company instead.  Which one is cheaper, which one is better?  You will also have to consider what your employees’ reactions might be to this move.  They are an important part of the decision as well.  As long as you consider all steps carefully, your office to office transition will be as painless, and effortless as possible.

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Ok, you have just found yourself the perfect little city to go start your beautiful family in, and an equally beautiful house you will soon call home.  But the only problem is it’s on the other side of the country.  Maybe it’s in Oregon, or perhaps Seattle?  So the question is do you hire a U-Haul truck for the move, or do you find a local Oregon or Seattle moving company and save yourself the hassle.  Well, before you can accurately answer this question you need to weigh both options.

Renting a U-haul truck can be an affordable and convenient option for moving your valuable belongings from one place to the next.  By renting a U-haul you can do it all yourself, and you don’t have the hassle, and the cost of hiring an outside moving company.  However, using a U-haul truck is not always the ideal option in all moving circumstances.  If you have a lot of valuable possessions that can’t fit in one, or two, or even three trips, it might better to hire a moving company instead.  This is also the case if you are moving long distances, where you can only, economically, afford to take only one U-haul truck.  If you have more items than can fit in one U-haul trip, then you definitely want to be calling a moving company as soon as possible.

If you have decided that hiring a moving company would be the best option, there are a few things you need to consider.  Are you going to use a moving company that is from the town you currently live in, or from the town you are moving to?  Also, what will the cost be?  Will it be much more than what you can afford?  The cost will vary depending on the distance, but you will find that local movers can be a bit more affordable than using the major corporate moving services.  Movers will typically charge a certain dollar amount for each mile they have to drive.  When moving long distances this might be a very expensive option, and if you don’t absolutely need to hire a moving company, you might be better off doing it yourself.  But when this is not an option, make sure you get the most for your buck.

When deciding on hiring a moving company, there are other factors you need to consider.  You might have to pay extra gas for the movers, if it is not already factored into the mileage surcharge.  You may have to supply some necessary equipment for the movers, especially if moving high end valuable items.  Also, you may want to buy extra insurance from the moving company, if you are worried about delicate items that might get damaged in the move.

All in all, after weighing these options, you need to consider what is the best option for my own moving situation?  Can I affordably do it myself; can I afford not to do it myself?  Maybe you just want to relax and have someone do it for you, regardless of the cost.  Making such a large transition as moving to a brand new, far off city, can be stressful enough, without the added pressure of how you’re going to get everything moved affordably.  If it’s not going to put a major whole in your budget, then make it easy for yourself, and your family, by hiring a professional moving company to do the job for you.  It will be well worth the price and save you a lot of time and hassle.

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Seattle moving companies can vouch for the number of people who move their belongings only to decide they don’t want them when they reach their new destination. The solution? Get rid of unwanted household items beforehand with a yard sale. You’ll save on moving costs and might even make enough to contribute significantly to your move!

We’ve compiled a list of 10 things to help you host a good yard sale:

1. First find out if your community or housing association has any rules regarding yard sales - there might be certain days, times or areas where you are not permitted to hold them.

2. Contact your local paper or community website to advertise your sale. Some offer cheaper prices for posting yard sale ads (or let you do it for free!). Then tell as many people as you know - advertising is important!

3. Post a sign the day before, e.g., ‘Yard Sale Tomorrow’ and put up signs on the day of the sale. Make them easy to read from a distance. Once again, check with the local authorities to find out where you are allowed to post your signs.

4. Make sure the goods you sell are in the best condition possible, e.g., give cooking utensils or bowls a good clean, dust ornaments, check pockets of clothes or inside books to make sure you haven’t left anything in them.

5. A good rule to follow is to price items at about 20% or 1/3 of their original price. But apply common sense if you think certain items are worth less or more. Be prepared to lower prices later in the day if goods are not selling.

6. Make your yard display as attractive as possible. Group similar items together, e.g., kitchenware or baby toys. Good presentation will help sell your wares - place CDs and books into boxes where they can easily be rummaged through with their covers showing, hang clothes on hangers so they aren’t crumpled, display jewelry in individual food storage bags so they don’t get tangled.

7. A good selling tip is to group items according to price, e.g have a $1, $2 and $5 table or box. Also, display your most interesting items in the area closest to the street - that way those driving past will see them.

8. Offer free coffee or soda - or start a small concessions stand for small snacks. If you have kids, get them involved in helping out with this. Refreshments will tempt customers to stay longer at your sale.

9. Wear a fanny pack or fabric wallet you can tie around your waist so you can take your money with you. Have plenty of change to hand as well as a calculator.

10. When you’re yard sale is done, take the rest of your belongings to a charity store - there’s no point in keeping items you don’t want.

Good luck with your sale!

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You’ve chosen the day for your big move, picked out your Seattle moving services, and now it’s time to get your precious household items packed. You might know exactly what you’re taking with you, but how do you make sure they get to their end destination in the same condition they started off? Follow these essential packing tips and make sure you protect your possessions as best as you can.

1. Make the most of suitcases
If you have luggage boxes to spare, don’t send them off empty. Fill them with your clothes - it saves space and keeps your favorite wardrobe items in pristine condition.

2. Worried about expensive rugs or drapes?
Chances are they might benefit from a cleaning. Get them professionally laundered and keep them in the wrappers they will be returned to you in. Then enjoy them in your new home - fresh, clean and looking their best.

3. Say no to newspaper
Newspaper may be the cheapest material to use for packing delicate items like plates or vases, but often the ink will run and stain them. Invest in some bubble wrap instead. It offers better protection and won’t leave marks. You can then use newspaper for additional layers of protection over the wrap.

4. Be careful with your bed
Buy mattress bags and cover your mattress and box spring. The last thing you want is for your bed to end up damp, dusty or damaged during your move - it might ruin your chances of sleeping peacefully in your new home.

5. Shrink wrap your furniture
A roll of shrink wrap doesn’t just stretch far in the kitchen. Wrap your furniture like sofas or wood chairs and you have an instant waterproof barrier of protection. While you’re shifting and rearranging these items, the wrap will help prevent scratches and scruffs too.

6. Choose your boxes wisely
Use sturdy, quality boxes for your fragile items, so there is less chance of them collapsing. Use bigger boxes for lighter items and for your heavier goods like books or DVDs, use small boxes as they become heavy fast and you’ll need to move them around easily.

7. Time makes a difference
Be cautious - if you plan to store your homeware for periods longer than a week, using sealed plastic covers could combine with moisture and turn your furniture moldy!
In these instances, resort to canvas tarps or sheets.

Good luck on your big move!

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The process of moving is not only physically and mentally laborious and tiring for you but can also be traumatizing for your kids if it is not handled adequately.  Put yourself in their shoes and think how unsettling it can be to think about losing your best friends and everything you know and cherish at a time when those are the most important things in life.  Some kids may feel like their whole world is coming apart, and although they will need time to completely recover and understand that it is not the end of the world, if you make them an active part of the move and give them some control, by making them feel useful and allowing them to help, it will be easier on them, and they will cope with this big decision in a better way.

Friendly Seattle movers have provided some tips to get your kids involved in the process, allowing them to be very helpful, before and on moving day:

1.    During the early stages, make sure you inform your kids about the move, its reasons, and smallest details.  Give them room to ask all the questions they need to ask and ensure them you will answer honestly and thoroughly.  You can ask them to write down all the questions they can think of, then plan a fun family meeting and answer them or discuss them openly.  Honesty will convey confidence in your kids that this is the best way to go.

2.    Invite them to share their opinions and suggest solutions to certain issues or situations, specially the ones that involve them or relate to them.  You will be surprised at how practical and intelligent their opinions can be.  If possible, take them to see their new home in advance and let them choose their bedrooms.

3.    Allow your kids to sort their things.  Give them a list of categories: keep, donate, recycle, and throw away.  Explain each category, but let them decide, with your assistance, what they want to add to each one of them.

4.    Put your kids in charge of packing their stuff in a supervised way.  Work a plan with them based on the new home’s layout and their possessions.  Teach them how to correctly label, pack boxes and categorize items, so that everything is organized when the time comes to unpack.  To go a little further, put them in charge of labeling the rest of the boxes for other rooms in the house, according to your instructions and needs.  They will feel really useful and involved.

5.    Put your kids to work on an address book so that they can keep in touch with their old friends and family, while helping you sort out all the contacts you need to keep.  Explain to them that moving doesn’t mean people have to disappear from their lives; they just have to learn to stay in touch in different ways.  Teach them how to use electronic media to call their friends.  This will give them a sense of security, giving a positive outlook to the move.  They will even be excited about inviting their friends to visit at their new home.

6.    Give your kids the responsibility for the “special box” of moving day essentials.  This box should contain all the essentials they will need during that day.  They can decorate it as they like.  Let them make it fun!

7.    Older siblings can take care of the younger ones if their age allows it.  This responsibility will make them feel very important and useful, and they will have the opportunity to exercise their older brother/sister power in a controlled way.

Your kids can be a lot of help if you know how to channel their energy towards things they are able to do well and interest them.  If anything, kids can make a move much more fun than it really is, taking away the stress and exhaustion of the process, at least psychologically, with their lively participation.

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For a successful move there is a number of things you must take care of before the moment the truck parks in front of your old house. Planning must be thorough, so as not to lose any items, either because they break or because they get lost. Now, let’s focus on the care of fragile items in particular.

Usually, fragile items are not of everyday use, so, try not to put off packing them. This is something you can begin doing a couple of weeks in advance, so as not to bump into the moving date.

Small fragile items, especially glass or china items must be wrapped up in bubble wrap, and then put into a box. The more rigid the box, the better, and it would be optimal if you could get hold of a wooden box. Try not to use newspaper to wrap these items. The ink might stain them. Bubble wrap is ideal because it leaves no residue on the objects.

If the box is rather big, you can place several fragile items, the heavier ones at the bottom. To fill up the gaps between objects, you can use newspaper, or even better the coarse wool they use to clean up oily machines. The idea is to prevent the objects from banging into each other. Cotton may also be a good option, or pillow filling. The latter is easily found in stores that provide supplies for carpeting and furniture repair.

Remember to label boxes clearly. Once you arrive to your new destination, it could all be a mess, in fact it will be a mess. Try to be as accurate as possible, for instance instead of putting “Dinnerware” try “Grandma’s set, two dishes and four cups”. You will be very thankful for having taken the time to do this. Once you’re at your new location, even drinking a glass of water might become an ordeal for the first days. You can use colored labels, to help identify things better. One color for kitchen stuff, another for bathroom items, and so forth.

Movers in Seattle, New York, or Miami always load fragile items last onto the truck. If you have very small fragile items, it would be a good idea to take them yourself in your car or as carry-on luggage on the plane. It is possible that something may eventually break. But there are always ways to minimize losses.