6 Winter Moving Tips for Cold Chicago Days

Moving in the winter isn't nearly as easy or as straightforward as moving in the summer, especially in Chicago. The winter months can be very cold in the windy city. If you plan to move during the winter, make sure you are prepared. Here are six tips to help prepare you for moving during a Chicago winter.

Keep Your Heat On

It may be tempting to save a little bit of money and have the heat turned off, especially if you’re sleeping somewhere else. However, if the heat is off come moving day, it will get very cold inside your home or apartment. You will probably have the door open quite a bit and the cold air will get in fast.

Cover the Floors

When winter comes, it tends to bring all types of slush, mud and snow inside. The last thing you want is your movers tracking dirt into your new home or even the old home you just cleaned up. Put down protective drop cloths and anchor them well to ensure they don't rip.

Keep Walkways Clear

Whether you have a driveway or a sidewalk, you want to make sure it's clear. Shovel any snow and put salt/sand down for any ice you may be dealing with. This will make it easier when the movers come and there will be less of a chance of one of them slipping and falling.

Be Aware of Temperature-Sensitive Items

Some of your items may be damaged by cold temperatures, such as house plants. Make sure you are aware of these items and take the necessary precautions to ensure they are moved properly. The last thing you want is for an old set of china to arrive with cracks due to extremely cold temperatures.

Pets Go First

Moving your pets first is a good idea any time of the year, but especially in the winter. You dog or cat may get cold if they have to wait at your current home for you to pack up and move. Moving them to the new place will ensure they are warm and secure before the movers arrive at your old home. This will also help to eliminate any chance of your pets escaping your home and getting lost in the cold city.

Be Prepared to Be Flexible

Winters in Chicago can turn ugly fast. Even moving companies with a reputation of reliability cannot control closed roads or blizzard-like conditions. Whenever you are moving in the winter, you should have a contingency plan in case of bad weather.

Moving during a Chicago winter presents many unique challenges. Navigating these challenges on your own may be more than you can handle. When the winter hits, moving becomes much more difficult with the cold temperatures and potential of ice and snow.

If you need to move your home or business during the winter, trust a professional mover to help. They will understand the risks and challenges you face. Since a professional Chicago moving company works with clients every day of the winter, they have the necessary experience to ensure your move happens without nearly as much stress.

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Tips for Avoiding Shady Movers in Chicago

Moving is stressful. Items might break, get lost or you might have to deal with a late moving truck. All of these issues can cause stress, but they certainly don't compare to dealing with a fraudulent moving company. Shady movers may try to take advantage of you by holding your items hostage and demanding more money. This is just one of the many types of things a rogue mover may do and it can get as bad as the shady moving company stealing all of your belongings. Here are a few ways to help you avoid getting ripped off by shady movers in Chicago

Do some Research

A little online research can go a long way. It's not hard to dig up consumer reviews and find out whether your mover has the federal seal of approval. You can use protectyourmove.gov to check for the seal and many sites, such as ripoffreport.com will give you reviews of moving companies.

Get Multiple Estimates

Securing more than just one written estimate will give you not only an estimate to compare, but also the interaction with the company. Most of the best moving companies will not provide a firm price online or over the phone. They will provide an estimate free of charge, however.

Price isn't Everything

A low-ball moving estimate may end up costing you in the end. You want to look at more than just the price and choose a moving company with a solid reputation in Chicago.

Avoid Brokers

When you try to hire a mover, you may run into brokers. These are middlemen between you and the mover. They don't own the trucks or provide any moving labor. You want to go directly to the moving company, even if you do go through a broker.

Make Sure they have Insurance

Every reputable moving company should have insurance o cover your goods while in transit. You should look for a "full value protection" policy, which may make the moving company a bit more expensive, but will also provide you with peace of mind.

Don't Skip the Paperwork

If you simply skim the paperwork, you might mist something important. The moving contract may be boring, but you need to read it thoroughly to ensure you understand what you are getting into.

Don't Pay a Large Deposit

None of the top professional moving companies in Chicago charge a large deposit for your move. You don't want to pay a large deposit up front, especially if the mover demands cash. This could be a sign of a shady mover.

Hold onto your Valuables

You don't need to allow the moving company to move important papers, jewelry, cash, coins and other valuables. Instead, ship these items with UPS or FedEx or move them yourself.

There are several good ways to avoid shady movers in Chicago. You don't want to get taken advantage of and if you follow the tips above, you will be in a better position to hire a professional moving company ready like The Professionals Moving Specialists to help you instead of a potential shady mover looking to steal from you.

What Should You Look for When Hiring a Moving Company?

The Pro Move - Chicago Movers

Moving is an expensive and stressful experience for most people. Nobody really likes to go through the process, but sometimes, it's necessary.

Finding a moving company you can trust will help to relieve your stress. There are several things you should look for before hiring a moving company. Here's a short list of the most important things.

Reputation Speaks Volumes

Any moving company worth using will have a great reputation online and offline. You can easily check out their online reputation by reading customer reviews. Of course, there may be a few poor reviews here and there, as nobody is perfect. However, you want to see the positive reviews outweighing the negative reviews.

Experience Plays a Factor

Another thing to look for when hiring a moving company is their experience. They don't need to be huge or even nationwide. However, they do need to be experienced. The last thing you want to do is hire some new moving company and find out they don't have a clue what they are doing.

It takes more than just a few guys with muscles to move your things. Experienced movers know how to lead their team and they know how to get your things from one place to another without damage. Check their website for an about page and find out how long they have been in business before hiring.

Proper Licensing

Every moving company should have the proper licensing for their business. If you run across a moving company without the right licensing, don't hire them. This could cause more issues than it's worth.

Check the Better Business Bureau

There are a few reasons why you always want to check the BBB before you hire a moving company. First, this will be the place you will find any serious complaints and discover if the company is a repeat offender. Second, a moving company with a high rating on the BBB is always a good sign. Finally, you will be able to search for any other business names they have used to see if they are avoiding a bad rating by switching names.

Get References

It may seem like a hassle, but any moving company worth hiring will be able to provide you with references. You can call the references and verify the company is a good choice by asking specific questions.

Watch out for the Large Deposit

When you hire a moving company, they may ask for a deposit up front. This isn't a good sign, in most cases. Reputable movers won't ask for any type of cash up front or large deposit before moving. They will ask you to pay upon delivery.

If you pay a moving company in advance, you lose control over the situation. You may never see your things again, they may not show up on time or at all or you may become a victim of some other type of scam. It's best to use a credit card, if you feel it’s okay to pay a deposit. This will give you at least some level of protection from fraud.

Whenever you need to hire a moving company, it's important to find the right choice for your specific needs. Don't take this process lightly, as there are many fly-by-night companies and scammers out there ready to take your money. Make sure you hire a reputable moving company with plenty of experience.

Tackling Office Relocation in Chicago, IL

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Commercial moving is always tedious, especially if you have a large office.  Office Relocation in Chicago, IL is more of an easier moving process when hiring the Professionals Moving Specialists. There are a number of people to account for and even more equipment and furniture.  To make you Chicago office moves easier, see our moving tips below.

Planning Always Works

For something as large scale as an office move, planning is one of the most important things to do.  Depending on the size of your office, give yourself five yourself three to eight months to prepare.  Remember that it’s never too early to start preparing and the more ready you are, the easier the move will be.

Firstly, make sure everyone in your office knows that they will be moving.  You don’t want moving day to come only to find out an entire department had not been informed.  Then get the floor plans for the new office.  You will want everything ready there before you move in.  Plot out where the desks and cubicles will go.  Is there going to be a copier room or a file and storage room?  Also remember to have the interior decorators in early.  You don’t want the carpenters still putting in carpet when you move in.

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Time To Tell The World

There is always someone you will need to tell.  It depends on what type of business you run, but some important people include vendors and contractors.  Your lawyers and clients should most definitely be notified as well.  On your stationary, all addresses on business cards and letterheads will have to be changed.  The move should also be announced on your website if you have one and altered on any advertisements you have out.  Make sure everyone knows the date of the move as well.  You don’t want anyone going to the new offices before they’re finished or going to the old offices after you’ve moved out.

Time To Re-Evaluate the Tech

Moving gives you an excuse to upgrade like you’ve been meaning to for the past year.  With technology moving so fast nowadays, machines that are 5 years old are actually 10 years out-of-date.  Here is a perfect excuse to throw out the bulky models for some sleeker, newer versions.  If you keep your current computers and machines, make sure they will all be carefully packed for transport.  You don’t want anything damaged.

For your new offices, call ahead to get phone lines and internet installed.  That way any potential problems will be resolved by the time you move in.  With everything ready, you’ll be up and running in no time.

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Time To Organize

Organization is one of the most important elements if you want a smooth move.  With so much stuff, it is really easy to misplace boxes and lose files.  Your workers will pack their own things.  Make sure they properly label all their boxes so nothing gets sent to the wrong place.  Then write up a master list of everything that is packed.  It’s a simple way to keep track of the large amount of items about to be relocated.

Hire Professional Movers

Great movers can make all the difference.  If you are moving your business within Chicago, The Professionals Moving Specialists is the moving company to call.  Our team is fast, efficient, and extremely courteous.  We pride ourselves in our customer service.  We will help you pack and unpack your equipment and machines.  We will also help you take apart and rebuild furniture and cubicle dividers.  The Professionals Moving Specialists are an all-inclusive service that aims to please.  Our goal is to help you move so that your business will have as little downtime as possible.

Not Everything Goes According To Plan

And that is okay.  You may have plan the move to the smallest of details, but there will always be surprises.  If something unexpected happens, don’t panic.  It is only a small bump.  The rest of the move has already been planned out.  Remember to be flexible and have some leeway.  Being able to adapt will make moving a lot more stress-free.

How To Avoid Moving Scams

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Scams are everywhere.  Internet scams, phone scams, bank scams, get rich quick scams, etc.  With today’s technology, it is getting harder and harder to tell what situation is a scam and what isn’t.  This goes for moving as well.

Nowadays, everything is searched for online.  Because of this impersonal form of communication, it gets harder and harder to tell if the business is as real and upfront as it claims to be.  Here are a number of waysand tips How To Avoid Moving Scams in Chicago, IL

Inspections

After giving you a quote online or on the phone, a real, licensed business will always have an in home consultation.  Why?  Because you can say you have a certain amount of stuff, but it translates differently once it’s all packed.  Experts are able to see this and calculate accordingly.  They may ask questions about your furniture and what may need to be disassembled and reassembled.  The estimate they end up giving you will be as close as possible to what they charge you.

Scam movers, on the other hand, will not give an in-home consultation.  Instead, they will quote a price over the phone or online and low-ball it.  Though everyone loves to save money, you would do well to be a bit cynical.  If it’s too good to be true, it almost always is.

Payments

Legitimate moving companies will ask for payment after the move.  That way, you are safe in your knowledge that nothing is broken or lost.  And if something is, the moving company has insurance and paperwork for you to fill out.

On the other hand, rogue movers will do one of two things.  They will demand payment upfront.  Once you hand over the money, they no longer have to worry about treating your belongings well.  If anything breaks, you can’t take it out of the money you paid them or withhold paying.  Or they will give you an incredibly low estimate and raise it substantially once your belongings are on the truck.  They will force you pay the amount as they hold you items hostage.

Paperwork

As a legitimate business, there will always be paperwork to fill out.  There are federal regulations when it comes to moving and all the rules have to be abided by.  You should always be given a “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet if you are moving out of state.  For instate, there are various insurance forms and contracts.

If you mover has little to no paperwork for you to go through, they are doing it wrong.

Location

Movers usually have a place where their offices are located.  After all, the trucks have to gather somewhere and most companies offer storage services and packing supplies as well.  There is usually an address on the website you can go to.

If there is no address, we weary that the movers are not legitimately licensed.  If there is, you might want to visit.  The state of the office can tell you a lot.  Or maybe the office doesn’t even exist and the address is a local lake!

Company Name

What else is there to look for?  The company name of course.  When your call is answered, the first thing out after “hello” should be the company’s name.  If it’s not and something generic like “moving company” is used instead, there is a high chance that the business is not legal.  Also, look at the trucks.  Legitimate moving companies all have their company name and logo on the side of the truck.  It is an indication that it is family owned and part of a fleet of trucks meant specifically for moving.

The Professionals Moving Specialists

Now that you know all the signs of an illegal moving company, See Chicago Moving Company!  The Professionals Moving Specialist is based in Chicago, IL .  Our moving Company is a legitimate business, properly licensed, bonded, and insured.  If you have any questions or worries about moving, call us and ask!  Our aim is to provide the best service for you during the stressful time of your move.