Does it feel like you’re going to be packing up everything, including the proverbial sink, when preparing to tackle the kitchen on your next household move? The kitchen can feel like a never ending compound of odds and ends. It’s one of those rooms where you have to “draw the line” on what comes along with you on the relocation to your new home.

Below we offer a few helpful tips on how to best prepare your pantry for your next household move:

1. Expiration Dates

You’ll be surprised by the number of food items you have tucked away into the dark corners of your kitchen cabinets and shelves that have traveled well passed their expiration dates. Before packing up any food items, check the labels for expiration dates and dispose of anything overdue.

2. Food Drives

You’ll also come across canned and dried goods that have been sitting idle for quite some time. Be honest with yourselves – do you really need that case of canned of Alphagetti now that the kids have gone off to college? If you don’t intend on consuming the food item any time soon, donate it the local food bank. Better yet, donate all non-perishables regardless. You’ll be supporting a worthy cause and lightening your load in the process.

3. Perish the Thought

Chances are that frozen and refrigerated goods won’t make the relocation without spoiling to some extent. Find out if neighbors, friends, or family could use some of your unused fish, meats, or produce for their next BBQ. If you absolutely cannot part with certain perishables (unfinished birthday cakes, fresh caught ahi, etc…) then invest in a portable refrigeration system to protect the perishables in transit.

4. Accessories & Appliances

Inspect for and dispose of any cracked plates and cups which are a haven for bacteria and carcinogens. Also, moving is a great opportunity to get rid of that unwanted food processor you received as a wedding gift. Decide which small appliances you can do without and donate them to a local charity or better yet, re-gift them right back to the same people that didn’t follow the wedding gift registry in the first place.

5. Glassware & Fine China

Make sure you have plenty of professional grade wrapping on hand to protect your breakables. If you don’t have anything on hand, a full service moving company will have packing supplies made specifically for this purpose. It’s worth the small expense to protect your valuable kitchenware.

6. Multitasking Tupperware

Packing Tupperware can take up space so put its own inherent packing design to good use. Kitchen Tupperware is great mini-storage bin, perfect for packing up paperwork, jewelry, batteries, accessories, or even socks (clean socks). Leave no box, bin or container empty when packing. You can save a ton of space on the moving truck by maximizing every available container.

7. Arm Yourself 

No matter how clean you’ve kept your kitchen, there is always a meat ball or grape that managed to elude your grasp when cooking, thus rolling under the dark shadows of kitchen appliances. It then sits there for months between spring cleans and collects a family of unmentionable microscopic critters. Arm yourself with plenty of cleaning aids and pest killers when giving your kitchen the final clean up before moving away for good.

Conclusion

We hope you put these tips to packing up your kitchen to good use. Should you decide to get rid of all that excess food by holding a big BBQ before your next move, be sure to invite your favorite local moving company. We’ll bring the potato salad!

This article isn’t about how to pack your pictures (see the linking video for that). Instead, we’re referring to the value of photographing the layout of everything in your current home to assist you when it comes time to move and unpack your household items into your new place of residence.

Whether your camera of choice is a digital point & shoot, an SLR, or Instagram, these tips about how to use photos to make your next move more efficient will bring out your inner Herb Ritts of relocation:

1. Furniture & Decor

While many people take advantage of a move to rearrange furniture into their new home, it’s a good idea to photograph the current layout for a few reasons. You may forget that some furnishings and home decor were a placed in a certain way to cover up imperfections, to accommodate lighting (e.g. LCD or Plasma TVs), or to simply keep things “feng shui”. In addition, you may have placed some items in temporary storage and forgotten all about them if there were no photos to review and remind you. We also find it helpful to do the same with seasonal decorations (before you take them down) so that you remember that “just perfect” look you had going in the previous season.

2. Electronics

There’s nothing worse than unplugging and packing that mess of tangled cables from behind the Home Entertainment System or computer and then attempt to figure out what goes where when it comes time to set it up again in your new home. Before unplugging, take close-up photos of every cord, connector, outlet, and plug-in as it connects to each electronic item in the entertainment system or computer and create a digital label (name each image file accordingly) for the photos. This way, when you’re ready to watch Seinfeld re-runs in HD Surround Sound in your new living room you can do so without hassle.

3. Office Moves

Office space, whether it’s in a home or actual corporate place of business, serves as a greater testimonial to the value of photographing a pre-move layout. You’re less likely to get creative with a new arrangement when it comes to an office as it was probably set up in an optimally functional manner in the first place. You want to replicate the process as easily as possible. There are even more electronics involved as well, further validating the point.

4. Professional Movers

Finally, if you have secured a full service moving company to handle your move, then providing the professional movers with photos of the original layout of all home/office furnishings, décor, and electronics will help the movers unpack the items into your new residence as efficiently and correctly as possible, further minimizing any follow up efforts on your part. Photographs also serve as documented proof of original condition for all of your home/office possessions in case you secured a less than reputable company to handle your move. Of course, the best way to avoid that necessity is to hire an A+ Rated Mover of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

We’ve discussed the sensitive nature of Corporate Relocation before but this article deals specifically with the planning process and offers some practical tips to how to best manage your physical move, your staff, and your customers.

1. Set a Specific Timeline

We encourage our customers to follow this proven 6 Week Check List to prepare for a household move and we’ve received great feedback on the whole process. However, there is a lot more at stake (like stakeholders, customers, etc…) when you’re moving a physical business. You want to prevent any “down time” to ensure not one single day passes without revenue coming in. Businesses should begin preparations at least 3 months in advance.

2. Publicize the Timeline for your Employees

First of all, notify employees about the new location as soon as possible. They too need to make arrangements to accommodate their commuting options (and identify the nearest Starbucks). Then, make sure that they become privy to the 3 month week by week timeline so that they can follow along every step of the way.

3. Publicize the Timeline for your Customers

Obviously if your business depends upon customers visiting the establishment then the earlier the notice you can provide your customers about the move, the better. But even if the physical location isn’t as important to the B2C relationship, keeping them in the loop, week by week, is a good practice. For instance, an eCommerce website still needs to instill confidence in its customers, that even though they need not visit the physical office of the business, they can, should they feel any cause to do so. Keep customers privy to the timeline via email newsletters and Social Media updates. It also provides your business with an “excuse” to engage your customers in conversation and possibly sell to them in the process.

4. Recruit In-House Talent

Although you cannot expect your staff to help with the physical transition, small to medium businesses with a casual corporate culture have an open dialogue with their employees and can encourage them to volunteer in advance to help with some of the details. Consider offering extra days off, or half-days, in advance exchange for their efforts. Happy employees will often offer to help out regardless. You may identify latent talents that you didn’t know existed. But be careful…we’re always hiring.

5. Go Pro

If you’d rather spend your time focusing on the nature of your business then consult a professional corporate relocation company 3 months in advance. They can serve as advisors and even do a lot of the planning and preparation for you, in addition to the physical move on the actual day. In the end, this method can end up saving you a lot of money by forgoing any lost revenue felt from attention diverted away from customers.

The Logistics of Moving into a High Rise Condo

Moving into a house may be a bigger undertaking as far as the sheer size of the project goes, but the effort is often cushioned by the fact that you have more than a few days to move your sofas, mattresses, and LCD TV’s into the new abode. You’re not in anyone’s way. High Rise condos and apartments on the other hand, require some expert planning to navigate the limited space and steady traffic that flows through the building in addition to the regulations set forth by property management.

Below we offer a few tips on how to beat the clock and the watchful eye of property management to move into your new high rise residence as efficiently as possible:

1. Know Before You Go

Talk to the property managers well in advance to find out about any restrictions placed on moving. Most buildings have dates and times of day set aside for new tenants and strict rules against moving outside of those time blocks. There may also be other security rules that you need to be aware of beforehand such as limits on “swipe card” access into the building for friends or professional movers that are helping with the move and which doors may or may not remain ajar during the process.

2. Reserve the Elevator

Elevator reservations, both for residents and the loading lifts, are required in most modern buildings. Be sure to book well in advance so that you can choose a time that best accommodates your schedule. Know the dimensions of the elevators (and entry points) used in the move so that you don’t show up with that imported sectional sofa of yours only to find out that you need a hack saw to make it fit.

3. Reserve Equipment

Buildings will often have moving equipment on the premises yet neglect to make mention of it. Ask and see if they have dollies or anything else that can make the move easier. If they do, reserve it.

4. Big Stuff First

Move big furniture and heavy items in first. You’re on a tight schedule so just in case you don’t complete the move within the reserved time, you will already have moved your large belongings into the suite and the rest (clothes, small home décor, etc…) can be casually moved in, without issue, “after hours”.

5. Become a Minimalist

If you’re upgrading in view to a high rise you may be doing so at the expense of square footage. Your possessions may not fit within your new dwelling and thus it’s time to make a decision about what you really need to keep. Fret not as the “minimalist” look is hot in the world of interior design. However if you’re not quite ready to let go of your vintage juke box then securing a moving company with storage facilities to keep your large sentimental attachments elsewhere is a great option.

6. Seek Professional Help

Finally, the best suggestion for those of you relocating into a high rise condo, especially it’s your first time, is to hire a professional moving company with decades of experience in working under the restrictions of high rise moves.

Moving to a New Home Should be an Exciting Time for the Whole Family

Few things make a household move more interesting than when it involves children.  We’ve touched on this topic in the past and had some great responses from our customers. We thought it best to provide some additional details to make sure your next family relocation goes smooth and even fun for the little ones.

1. Get Them Involved

Children sometimes feel removed from big family decisions. Moving can be a big transition in their lives and they need to feel like they’re part of the process, even if they had no say in the decision to move in the first place. Let them know from the get-go that you value their input/help, even if it’s the smallest thing, such as finding boxes for the move from the local grocery store. Try not to make it a chore, make it seem as if you would be lost without their efforts, that you need them.

2. Planes, Trains, Automobiles, & Other Toys

One of the biggest challenges in moving with children is dealing with their collection of toys, books, and closet full of items that they’ve outgrown yet still have attachments to. You could cut their packing needs in half if only you could convince them to cut their “take with” possessions in half. This may sound like a tough task but by appealing to their altruistic nature you can easily convince your kids to donate their old toys, books, and clothes to charitable foundations. That way they’re giving up their goods AND feel great about it in the process.

3. Make them Decision Makers Too

In line with our assertion that children need to feel involved in the process, they should be allowed to also make decisions that impact their own personal space. Ask them what color they would like to paint their new room and if there are any reasonable minor adjustments they would like to make to it. We’re not suggesting building a walk-in closet for your pre-teen diva, but perhaps they would like blinds instead of curtains or a different ceiling light fixture in their room. Allowing them to make decisions about their personal space will go a long way in getting them excited about the move.

4. Make the Clean-Up Fun

You know those clean-up montage scenes common to 1980’s movies? The ones where the new owners enter a disaster area of a home or business with a frown and a sigh, only to be get ignited by inspirational pop music, grab a mop, throw on some gloves and go to work? While you may not have the benefit of living in fast-motion camera time, you can make the clean-up process fun for you and the kids. Play games and see who can get their assigned room packed up and cleaned first (accompanied by reward of course). Have impromptu water fights in the front yard when cleaning the exterior. Whether cleaning the old home in preparation for the new tenants/owners or moving into your own fixer-upper, the cleaning process need not feel like a chore for the children.

5. When in Doubt – Bribe

Whether it’s pizza & pop on moving day, or a new puppy for the new home, sometimes the old stand-by – bribery – can go a long way. While this may not be the most noble of methods, we have yet to see a parent who hasn’t used this very effective tactic. Warning – use sparingly, it may set a precedent (yikes!).

Conclusion

We hope this article was helpful. It’s taken years worth of first hand research to figure this one out (as much as anyone can). Please enjoy these other popular Moving Tips from Great Canadian Van Lines.

We’ve discussed a lot recently about moving outside of the country in our Canada to U.S. household relocations article and most recently on International Overseas Moving. However, we thought it pertinent to address the process of changing addresses within Canada, specifically for long distance moves.

Whether this exciting transition is for a new job, school, or relationship, you want to make sure that your long distance relocation is placed within good hands so that you can focus on what’s most important – you.

Below we have detailed important elements to consider when selecting a professional company for long distance moving within Canada:

1. Get an Estimate You Can Trust

Moving long distance is not like an A to B move within your own city where all you have to anticipate is rush hour traffic. There are many elements to consider when moving across Canada and securing an accurate estimate you can trust is important so that you can plan everything around that quote. Make sure any moving company you inquire with provides you with a free estimate on long distance moves and has a team of experts that can account for every contingency to arrive at an accurate estimate.

2. Computerized Dispatch Network

Choose a moving company with a Canada-wide computerized dispatch network, ensuring that your shipment can be tracked within seconds. They should always know where their drivers are so you know where your possessions are.

3. Communication System

Choose a moving company that communicates with its drivers at least twice a day. As well, they should have the capability to monitor driver weights, locations, availability, capacity, tracking and reporting by means of an efficient electronic communication system.

4. Professionalism

You’ll feel more comfortable when your possessions are picked up and transported by friendly, professional, uniformed movers that are extensively trained in the entire process – packing to unloading. As well, look for a moving company where drivers are rewarded for delivering your goods safely. Finally, make sure your professional mover has testimonials from recently satisfied customers.

5. Safety

Before loading your possessions for the long journey ahead, a trust worthy moving company will create an accurate, itemized inventory of your goods. Each article should be carefully wrapped in a quilted moving pad to ensure it travels and arrives safely to your new residence miles away.

Treat the above like a checklist. If you’re looking at hiring a long distance moving company and they don’t fit the complete the criteria, find one that does.

Be sure to contact a professional moving company that specializes in long distance relocations before planning your big move across country.

We touched on Canada to U.S. relocations in a previous article to help smooth the transition for our customers contemplating a move across the border. But we often get questions about International Overseas Moving. Moving within the same land mass is one thing, but overseas? You’ll need more than a sturdy moving truck for that task.

Below we’ve provided a list of things you’ll need to look for to ensure that you are securing a moving company best capable of handling any international overseas move:

Geography

Often you’ll find moving companies with partnerships in specific overseas markets, but not all. The best indicator that you are dealing with an ultimate full service mover is if they can handle international moves to any of the continents/regions outside of North America – South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. If there is a gap in their geography, then you may consider looking elsewhere to secure a mover with complete overseas capabilities.

Land, Air, and Sea

You can’t exactly pack an SUV on an airplane but you also can’t wait for your more essential possessions to enjoy the weeks it may take for a sea voyage. Make sure your international overseas moving company can transport your goods from land, air, and sea.

Personal & Household

When people picture overseas shipping, they often imagine containers full of manufactured goods and hardware. But if you’re in the midst of a personal move overseas, envisioning your valued possessions leaving to and arriving in a strange land separate from your immediate grasp can feel a little uneasy. Instead, gain complete confidence by finding a moving company that specializes in personal and household international relocation.

Packing & Crating

International Overseas Moving requires a lot more in the way of packing supplies and processes than empty apple boxes from the local grocery store and duct tape. Fortunately, reputable international movers will have full capabilities in packing and crating for such necessities.

Dock to Dock or Home to Home

Many international movers offer Dock to Dock services. However, if you are in the middle of an international household relocation, nothing will ease the mind, and your time, more than having your possessions moved from your old home to the new one overseas, right to your door AND inside. Find an international mover that can accomplish that task for complete peace of mind.

Export Documentation and Insurance Protection

Not many people like paperwork, especially when it comes to figuring out what they need. Find an international mover that can prepare your documentation for you and provide comprehensive insurance protection. Leave the red tape to the pros and focus on duct taping instead.

Conclusion

With all of the above taken care of by a reputable International Overseas Mover, you can focus on your exciting new life transition.

Trust. We can’t think of one word more important to our clients. There they are, ready to move from one home to another, possessions packed in boxes full of belongings that hold more sentimental value than any insurance policy could ever cover, and they place them in OUR hands.

We can offer Price Match Guarantees all we want (we do), but the biggest factor that plays into the psyche of the public when deciding which moving company to secure is trust. They need to know that their goods will be packed onto the truck with the care that they took in packing them. They need to know that their possessions will remain intact in transit to their new location. They need to know that their belongings will be placed into a new home in a manner that not only secures the condition of the items but makes it easy to navigate once unpacked.

Below are a few considerations to take into account when placing trust as your number one priority in selecting a reputable moving company:

Are They Established?

If the moving company has been in business for over a decade you can assume they’re doing something right. Take a look at their website in the “About” section and read up on their history. If you can validate that they have been in the industry for many years your comfort level will increase.

Are They Accredited?

Depending on where you are located, be sure that the moving company is a certified member of the Canadian Association of Movers (CAM) and/or American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). These associations regulate the industry and can point the public in the right direction when attempting to secure a reputable moving company.

Are They Rated?

This is pretty straight forward. BBB reviews and monitors businesses to ensure high standards for trust are set and maintained for a variety of companies and businesses. If a moving company doesn’t have an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), then you can’t be 100% sure what you’re getting yourself into.

Are They Responsible?

Your confidence level will soar when you know that a moving company offers its drivers some sort of a financial incentive premium once it is verified that your possessions arrived in perfect condition. With a Valuation Premium in place, claim ratios are reduced, and the customer is happy.

Are They Involved?

Ties to the community are a very telling aspect of a business. If a moving company in your community is affiliated with local charities, foundations, and other altruistic endeavors (even fund-raising bake sales!) then you will get an idea of what kind of a business you are dealing with.

Conclusion

You can consider this as one of those “all or nothing” lists. If a moving company does not meet ALL of the above criteria, then you can’t walk into the agreement with complete confidence. By securing a reputable moving company that lives up to the standards and principles laid out in this article, you can trust that your valuable possessions are in good hands.

How NOT to Store Your Possessions

Many are surprised to find that professional moving companies offer long term storage services that span further than the temporary transit that holds their possessions from point A to B. It’s not that uncommon to pack up your household, or office, and find that you have more items than you ever imagined. You went into the project feeling like a well organized machine and now all of a sudden you resemble a hoarder. We can’t help cut the sentimental attachments you have to the boxed up things you forgot you had in the first place, but we can help you solve the new found crisis of where to store your excess.

The most time consuming aspect in moving is born from neglecting to streamline the process into one efficient and narrow path.  Great Canadian Van Lines continues to provide tips on how to best expedite your move with our most recent contribution on storage:

Do You Need it Now? 

This is a tough question you have to ask yourself – Do you need it now? Whether for the home or office you have to determine which possessions need to be with you “on site” and which can be boxed up and placed in holding elsewhere, leaving room to “breathe”. Does that box full of high school yearbooks (personal) or customer invoices (business) from 15 years ago need to be within reach? If not, store it!

Contain

Now that you’ve decided what you can “live without”, you have to determine how to best pack away these items. While you may be accustomed to nabbing empty boxes from your nearest grocery store, the money you think you are saving on materials can go down the drain once your possessions pile on top of one another in a seemingly perfect stack and store job. As the months pass in storage this well blocked pyramid may start to buckle under pressure, causing damage to the Ming vase you absent mindedly placed on the bottom. Instead, by securing the aid of a full service moving company, you will have access to a wide variety of box and custom crating options.

Storage 

We’ve seen it time and time again. Customers secure a professional moving company to handle their packing and transit needs yet assume they have to find storage elsewhere, flipping through the Yellow Pages under “storage” with their eyes closed and picking an option at random. Once again, choose a moving company with full service capabilities so that you can take advantage of their options and expertise in all aspects of the moving process, including both short and long term storage. You can even save money with the cost benefits associated with packaging everything into one efficient invoice.

Insure

Reputable moving companies will store your goods in safe, secure, state-of-art, alarmed facilities with around the clock video monitoring. However it is always a good idea to protect against any unforeseen events that may give you cause for concern, no matter how unlikely. These are after all your valuable possessions and every contingency should be accounted for. Contact your storage provider for more information on how to best protect your goods, in transit or in storage.

Conclusion

Now that you have the facts, doesn’t it just make good sense to place the whole process – packing, transit, and storage – in the hands of one trusted source? You don’t want to perform a juggling act with your valuable possessions, because when that happens, someone inevitably drops the ball. Secure a professional moving company that includes long term storage in its services and you’ll never have to worry about that little “hoarding” issue of yours again.

Moving from Canada to the U.S. involves a unique set of circumstances for those that have never changed residences from one country to another. You can’t simply show up at the nearest border crossing with a van full of household possessions, clothes, mattresses and kitchenware and expect to slide through as if you were taking a weekend shopping excursion. If you want to avoid unloading every item on your truck and a potential full body cavity search from border patrol then we suggest securing the services of a professional moving company with vast experience in Canada to U.S. household relocations.

Below are a few considerations to take into account when planning your exciting new move:

Paperwork

It’s all about the paperwork. It doesn’t matter how well you’ve prepared for everything else in the process if your documentation isn’t in line. Whether you are a U.S. citizen moving back to the U.S. from Canada, a Canadian citizen moving to the U.S. to work/live, or a Landed Immigrant moving to the U.S. to work/live, you will need to complete the necessary forms for moving to the U.S. from Canada.

Prohibited Goods

For many it is obvious what you can and cannot bring across the border on a short trip but there can be some confusion when moving for the long term. For example, pianos made three decades ago may have Ivory keys, in which case, a letter from the Canadian Parks Board will be required to make sure it clears customs. Otherwise, the rules remain about the same but as a refresher we have listed them here:

• Protected wildlife
• Explosives
• Ammunition
• Fireworks
• Goods made from endangered species

Packing

Even with all of your documents and forms in order you may still be required to “pull over” for a complete inspection. In fact, expect it. The easier you make it for border patrol to inspect your possessions the easier it will be to get back on the road to your new life, literally. If you are packing your own goods for shipping across the border you will need to make sure that every box, crate, and carton has been identified with its contents in big bold letters on the most visible portion of each encasing. If it’s a box of silverware, label it “silverware” and so forth. If it’s fragile, be sure to mark it so. Don’t place anything on the top that may scratch or get cut if customs has to slice open tape for a closer look. They will not exercise the same care in opening as you have in packing.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that if you are moving from Canada to the U.S. the smart choice is to use a reputable moving company with experience in cross-border relocations. To attempt such a task on your own is unnecessary when there are professionals available that have been providing such a service for decades. Contact Great Canadian Van Lines to start planning your Canada to the U.S. move now.