Tips for Moving a Cat

In a perfect world your cat would love car rides and walk on a leash. Unfortunately, if you are like most feline parents, you got a migraine from the crying last time you had to actually take your cat to the vet. For the most part they hate cars. Well, do you know what they hate even more than car rides? Change! So, you are going to need these tips for moving house with a cat more than you might expect.

• Introduce to Carrier – If Mr. Whiskers has not been in his carrier in a while, start getting him used to it weeks ahead of time. You can leave it out with a soft blanket, toys, or treats inside, and you may find he starts going in it to sleep. If he has only ever been in a carrier to go to the vet, he will view it as something negative, so this introductory period is very important.

• Pack Early – Waiting until the last minute to get your moving boxes out and essentially turn his world upside-down is not going to make him happy. Pack a few boxes a day. Cats love boxes, so leave one out for him to play with.

• Maintain a Stable Routine – Cats already do not like dealing with change, so if you tamper with his routine he could become very stressed. Aim to feed him at the same time, and make sure he is receiving the same amount of attention as always.

• Medication – If your cat is extremely skittish around people or noise, consider using a natural or vet-prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

• Secure on Moving Day – If you are moving across town, you may want to go ahead and move him first before the movers arrive. This will give him time to explore the new home before everyone gets there. Make sure you leave blankets, a sweatshirt that smells like you, etc., so he has things there he recognizes. If this is not possible, secure him in a room and tape a note on the door, so the professional movers do not open it and let him out.

Relocating for Business? Things to Consider

There are things to consider when you relocate for business. Whether your employer is giving you a promotion and moving you or if you are taking it upon yourself to move to where there is greater opportunity, there are a lot of decisions to make and things to think about.

• Relationships – If you are married, your spouse may be incredibly supportive and eager to compare movers and get on the road, or they may feel completely the opposite. If they have a career of their own, then they will likely be concerned about starting over, if they can’t get a job transfer. If you are not married, but have a significant other, you will need to decide if you are both willing to make a long distance relationship work. If not, is the job important enough to call it quits with them?

• Children – You may assume that your kids will be fine once they make new friends. For the most part, they will be. However, if you have a senior in high school, making them transfer at this point would be very hard.

• Job Security – If you are getting a promotion then you might be thinking you have nothing to worry about, when it comes to job security. However, if you are relocating for business, one of the things you need to consider is the financial shape of the company. Is your new position open because those higher up know the company is in financial distress?

• Cost of Living – Do not sing and dance over that raise yet! You need to find out if the price of living is higher in your new location. If it is, you might not be any better off.

• Activities – Is the area a place you could be happy? If you live near a state park where you can run or ride the trails every morning or take your kayak on the lake on the weekends, and you are moving to a city an hour away from a major park, you might find yourself miserable.

• Moving Expenses – Long distance moving can be expensive. Is the company covering all of it, or just a portion? Is your lodging, fuel, food, etc., covered along the way? If you need to put your stuff in storage or stay in a hotel or temporary housing until you find a place, will this expense come out of your pocket?

Planning a Crosstown Move

If you are planning to move crosstown do not make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to take care of everything. Some people assume since they are not dealing with a long distance moving adventure that they really do not have much to prepare for. There is still a lot to do. In some cases, moving across the country goes smoother because folks start preparing sooner.

• Hire Movers – No, you do not want to make several trips back and forth hauling everything just to save a few bucks. Even if you get a moving truck rental you still have to bribe people to help, hope they show up, exhaust yourself, and risk injury. If you compare movers quotes you will find they are a lot more affordable than you think. The best moving companies will answer all of your questions and offer you a guaranteed, flat price.

• Clean Your New Place – If you get the keys to your new place a day or so ahead of time, go in and clean. This way, all you have to do is unpack. Even if you won’t be signing your lease until moving day or the day before, your landlord may still unlock the place and let you go in early just to clean.

• Take Your Pets Over There – Again, if you have the keys, take your pets over at least once so they can get used to the place. This way, when moving day comes they will actually be going someplace familiar. Go ahead and leave a few toys there so they are waiting for them upon arrival.

• Secure a Babysitter – If you have children, do yourself a favor and hire a babysitter or let their grandparents spoil them for a day. You do not want to worry about a toddler getting in the way or a baby fussing. If you have older kids, perhaps they can have a play date with a friend.

• Pack Thoughtfully – First, donate or sell everything you do not need. There is no point moving it. Since you are just moving across town, you do not even have to take your clothes off hangers; just wrap them in a sheet and lay them on your backseat. Your food can be transported in a cooler on a hot day. Otherwise, a few shopping bags should be fine. Make sure you pack an overnight bag with all the essentials you need to get through the first day, as well as all important documents.

• Clean Your Old Place – Do not forfeit your security deposit just because you do not feel like cleaning your old place. You are only across town. There is no excuse to not go back and give it a final scrub and clean the carpet. Your refunded security deposit will help cover the cost of your Austin movers.

Places to Find Free Moving Supplies

If you are hiring movers, Houston has a lot to offer. However, even if you compare quotes and schedule during the off-season, the process can put a huge dent in your budget. Fortunately, there are places where you can get moving supplies and moving boxes for free, which will help with your overall cost.

• Restaurants and Bars – Whether you frequently visit the cozy neighborhood pub at the end of your road, or if you have a few high-priced restaurants nearby that you could never afford to eat at, these places have sturdy liquor and food boxes. If you get food boxes, always inspect them to make sure they are dry and clean.

• Stores – Grocery, office supply, and liquor stores all receive regular shipments. Simply call and find out if you can pick up the boxes from their next shipment.

• Craigslist – Quite often, you can find folks giving away boxes from their own move. With the increased concern over the environment, folks want to see cardboard used until it just cannot be used anymore.

• Borrow – Do you know someone who has moved lately? Maybe they saved all their moving boxes for the next time they relocate. Perhaps they will let you borrow them, if you promise to return when you are done. Alternately, if you can also borrow luggage and gym bags, then these can be put to use, too.

• Your Home – The best place to get free moving supplies is in your home. You may need to get boxes elsewhere, but you likely have a lot of things that can be used. For example, towels and t-shirts can be used to wrap breakables. Sweatshirts are great to provide the bottom of a fragile-filled box with cushioning and socks can easily replace packing peanuts. Money saved from not paying for supplies will help offset the cost of moving services.

Office Moving Checklist

Moving an office can be as stressful as moving house. In fact, if you have a business or are moving several offices the stress level is turned up a notch. Even moving your home office can get you a little frazzled, if you have a lot of equipment and important files. Making a moving checklist for your office will be one of those things you do not truly appreciate until you have that moment when you realize how glad you are that you have it. There will be a moment!

• Hire a moving company! Do not just hire any movers either! You need to secure one of the best moving companies, if you have sensitive materials or costly electronics.

• Create a list of inventory.

• Order phone and fax numbers for the new office.

• Turn on or transfer utilities and secure internet.

• Order new address labels and business checks.

• Take measurements or get a blueprint of the new space, so you can create a floor plan.

• Make sure you have the right coverage of insurance.

• Arrange for cleaning of the new and current office.

• Create moving office checklists for all employees, if applicable.

• Backup computers.

• Reserve loading dock and elevator, if moving into a building with them.

• Send change of address to all customers, clients, vendors, etc.

• Use colored stickers to disassemble electronics, so you know what cables and USB cords go into which ports. You can use a color code system for large-scale office moves, too. Just make sure all team members are familiar with the coding system.

• Reconfirm your schedule date with the moving company. You may even want to schedule a meeting to go over any important details to ensure it goes smoothly when the day comes.

Moving Out? Guide to Getting Your Security Deposit Back

Many people just assume that they will not get their security deposit refunded to them, so they do not even bother trying. This is unfortunate. Even if you only get a portion back it will still help offset the cost of your moving truck rental, or professional movers, if you hire them. Do not let your landlord keep your hard-earned money. All you need is a few tips to get back your security deposit.

• Don’t Break Your Lease – Obviously the one thing you do have to do is make sure you honor your lease.

• Clean – Spending a few hours scrubbing the place from top to bottom is vital. You do not want to know what your landlord might say it will cost him to hire someone. Sometimes it is close to $250! Clean as much as you can before you move, so it doesn’t seem like such a big job.

• Clean the Carpet – Cleaning the carpet is not a huge job. You can rent a carpet cleaner at many grocery stores, and you can typically do an apartment or small house within hours. Again, your landlord will likely take several hundred out of your deposit to cover this, even if it only costs him a fraction of this.

• Handle Minor Repairs – One of the easiest things you can do to ensure you receive your rental deposit back is take care of minor repairs. Fill holes in the wall, replace the screen your cat scratched, and the molding your dog chewed. Even if you have to hire a handyman for an hour or so, it will be money well-spent.

• Take Pictures – After you or the movers have removed everything and the place is clean, take photos of every room to prove what it looked like when you left it.

• Schedule a Walk through – If your landlord lives out of town or if you are moving house to another state, a walk through may not be possible. However, if it is, arrange for a time when you can go through the place together. Do make sure you hand in all sets of keys and garage door openers, as well.

Injury Free Packing – Tips for Moving Heavy Furniture

Every year countless people end up off work and sometimes in the hospital due to injuries sustained during a move. In many cases these injuries could have been completely prevented. Follow this guide to injury free packing, and use these tips when you move heavy furniture.

• Pack Light – Some assume that the smartest thing they can do is use large boxes. After all, fewer boxes mean fewer trips to your moving pods or truck rental, right? Well, larger boxes are generally very heavy, and therefore increase your risk for injury. Stick with medium-sized ones.

• Lift with Your Knees – While you are packing you need to be mindful of how you are lifting everything. If you are moving boxes into a spare room, so they are out-of-the-way, you can still become injured. Make sure you are lifting properly.

• Seek Help Disassembling – Large items, such as swing sets, hot tubs, and pool tables are a lot of work to disassemble. These items are made up of large and heavy components. You do not want to handle disassembling on your own.

• Don’t Strain – You may think you are strong until you are on the fourth trip back into the house after carrying a television, sofa, and two dressers. Now it is time to move the appliances and you are already feeling beat up. Well, when your body starts feeling like Jell-O, it is telling you that it has had enough. At this point you are very susceptible to injury. Lifting one more heavy item or moving the wrong way could be the final straw.

• Hire Professionals – The key to packing and moving heavy furniture without injury is to simply hire professionals and let them do the hard work. You may think you will save yourself a lot of money, if you do a self-move, but when you are in bed for weeks with a serious back injury you may feel differently. Do yourself a favor and hire local movers; NYC has a ton available. If you compare quotes and schedule thoughtfully you might be surprised at how affordable professional services can be.

Guide to Labeling Your Moving Boxes

Many people completely fail at labeling moving boxes the first time they move house. So, if you are getting ready to start packing, and you are determined to not make the same mistake as last time, you are not alone. Taking a few extra seconds with each box will make your life significantly easier once you are in your new place and trying to unpack.

• Label By Room – When all you want is a shower curtain, because you are exhausted and ready for bed, you do not want to be forced to open dozens of boxes to find it. Simply write the room right on the moving boxes. Always write on at least two sides. If you only write on one side, it is almost guaranteed that this will be the side closest to the wall.

• Colored Stickers – Instead of writing on the boxes you can simply use colored stickers. Designate one color to each room. When you get to your new place, put stickers on the doors where the corresponding boxes should go. You can also get a piece of poster board and create a sign that says where they should go. Again, make sure you put one on at least two sides.

• Fragile – Nearly every guide about labeling boxes for moving will tell you to mark boxes with breakables inside as “FRAGILE.” It is a good idea to write it in marker on top and two sides, so nothing heavy gets stacked on it.

• Inventory – For a very organized move, or one filled with a lot of valuables, you might want to number each box and write down in a notebook everything that is inside, so you know exactly what contents were inside the missing boxes. This is helpful and can be included in your moving checklist.

• Packing Labels – There are a variety of packing labels available. Some will have “FRAGILE” already written on them while others will have room names. There are also packing labels that allow you to write the contents on them. Even if you hire the best movers, never reveal too much information regarding valuables. For example, if jewelry or a coin collection is inside, use a code word, so only you know what it is, but the moving company doesn’t.

Time Saving Moving Hacks

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What Movers Say vs. What Movers Mean

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