Keep These 30 Items Handy for When you Move

When you’re going through a move, you’re likely thinking about all of the things that need packed up, moved out, and how you’ll begin to unpack in your new home. What you’re likely not thinking about are the items that you’re going to want handy for the move. It may be tempting to just pack it all and get it over with, but without things like tape, scissors, and a first-aid kit, you may find yourself having a much harder time getting everything done.

Sometimes you have to cut if you forgot something in a box and need to tear it open again, and without the right tools at your disposal, you may struggle to get everything handled. How will you feed the pets, set your alarm for the movers, or make your morning coffee if you’ve packed everything up? Keep these 30 items handy for when you move.

Items for your morning routine

Start by keeping a few handy items readily available to keep up with your morning routine. Just because you’re moving doesn’t mean that you won’t want your alarm clock or a cup of coffee in the AM. Be sure to leave out the alarm clock, coffee maker or instant coffee, your creamer or sugar, and disposable cups for the morning. You’ll also likely need disposable plates and utensils to eat breakfast or snacks during the move. Be sure to have plastic trash bags handy to throw things out as you go too.

Don’t forget about the pet supplies so that your dog or cat has a bed to sleep in, leashes to be walked, and food with bowls to eat and drink. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve accounted for things you’ll need in the morning, such as medication and eyeglasses.

Items you’ll need for packing

When it comes to actually packing and moving, you’ll want to leave a few items accessible that will be important for the process. Have things available like a tape and dispenser, a box cutter or knife, and scissors in case you need to cut something open.

You’ll also likely need some basic cleaning supplies to clean up accidental spills or messes made from the move, in an already-cleaned home. Have a first-aid kit available in case anyone gets hurt and work gloves to protect from accidents. A screwdriver, hammer, flashlight, and notepad with a pen could come in handy as well.

Items you’ll need for when you arrive

When you pull up to the new house and the moving crew unloads it all, you may be overwhelmed trying to figure out where to begin. When you have a few items ready to go, you don’t have to worry about getting some sleep or using the restroom.

Make sure you’ve left things accessible like your bedding and linens, toiletries, a map of the area, and a local phone book. Make sure you’ve packed non-perishable food to get you started, a pain reliever in case of an ailment, as well as batteries and extension cords that you may need to plug in your cell phone, lamps, and other electronics right away. Be sure to have clothes and shoes readily available for the first week, some entertainment to enjoy while you unpack like your TV or books, basic kitchen items to help you start cooking, and phone numbers for the utility companies.

Recap

Make sure you’ve accounted for these thirty items for your upcoming move:

1. Alarm clock

2. Coffee maker

3. Sugar or creamer

4. Disposable cups

5. Snacks

6. Disposable plates and utensils

7. Trash bags

8. Pet supplies

9. Medication

10. Eyeglasses

11. Tape and dispenser

12. Box cutter or knife

13. Scissors

14. Cleaning supplies

15. First-aid kit

16. Work gloves

17. Screwdriver

18. Hammer

19. Flashlight

20. Pen and paper

21. Bedding and linens

22. Toiletries

23. A map of the area

24. Non-perishable food items

25. Pain reliever

26. Batteries and extension cords

27. Clothes and shoes for a week

28. TV or books

29. Basic kitchen essentials

30. Phone numbers for the utility companies

Use this guide to make sure you’ve left the right items handy. Contact The Professionals Moving Specialists today to help you with your move!

Top 5 Tips for Moving While Pregnant

If your wife or significant other has a little one on the way, you may be wondering how the upcoming residential move is going to go. It’s not a great time for her to be moving boxes or being in the heat of summer, but it may be the perfect time to be going into a new home with the perfect room for baby.

One of the most stressful things in life is moving which is why it’s really important for dad to make sure mom is not getting worn out, stressed out, overheated, or nauseous. Take a look at these five tips to make sure your upcoming move doesn’t harm the mama-to-be.

Planning and more planning

The best thing you can do if you are moving while pregnant is to plan ahead. Just like you would have to do anyway, it’s important to plan ahead for your move but in this case, keeping a pregnant wife in mind. Think months ahead for this move by thinking about how you will handle necessary tasks like cleaning, hiring a moving crew, packing the house, and getting the new house’s utilities set up for the day you’ll arrive. Make sure to make a plan and setup reminders to make sure you get everything done and stay organized along the way.

Keep stress low

The most important thing you could do is keep stress low for a pregnant mom that is moving. This means that mom needs to get plenty of sleep every night in advance of the move, needs to remember to take breaks from thinking about the move to be spend time with loved ones, and needs to take some down time to do things like read a book, practice deep breathing, or taking an hour at the spa. Make sure to incorporate activity into your daily schedule whether it’s a daily walk or light exercise to help fight anxiety, lower cortisol levels, and prepare you for a busier than a normal day at moving time.

Talk to the doctor and listen to your body

Make sure you’ve spoken to your doctor about the upcoming move and how to prepare. Your doctor will let you know what is safe and what isn’t for mom to be doing and will help you learn how to listen to your body. If you start to feel tired, it’s time to lie down and take a nap. If you get dizzy, you are likely pushing yourself too much.

It’s an emotionally and physically draining experience, and mom-to-be needs to focus on herself as much as possible. Then, make sure you have a doctor for the new town you’re moving to that can see you right away and get access to your medical records as you prepare for the little one’s arrival after the move. Your current doctor may be able to make a referral for an OBGYN and hospital.

Watch out for chemicals

One area you may not think about is that moves come with the possibility of exposure to chemicals. Whether it’s the cleaning supplies you are using to clean up the old or new house or coming in contact with chemicals that you are transporting to the new house, be sure to stay far away from these things during pregnancy. Try to choose all-natural ingredients in your products that won’t harm you or the baby rather than getting around bleach, ammonia, cleaning supplies with parabens, and paint.

Hire help

Lastly, don’t be afraid to hire help and recruit friends to help you move. You may have a friend that’s great at cleaning while another one is great at packing boxes. Recruit help to take some of the burdens off mom and be sure to hire a professional moving crew that can help pack, move, and unload your items safely and efficiently. You don’t want mom to try to lift a heavy couch or lift a box and harm the baby’s health.

Don’t let your upcoming move be put on hold because there is a pregnancy in the family. Use these tips to make a safe and efficient process that puts mom and baby first.

Top 5 Tips for Moving in the Heat of the Summer

When it comes to a summer move, you may have more time on your hands but you’re also working in less than ideal temps. That means that you can move while the kids are no longer busy with school and homework, but you’re moving during the time that it’s too hot to do anything but hang by the pool!

That means you’ll need to come up with some strategies to make the move a more comfortable process. From starting earlier in the day to stocking up on bottled water, here is a look at the top five moving tips that you’ll want to keep in mind if you’re moving this summer.

Dress for the weather

You may be tempted to dress in your favorite yoga pants and a sweatshirt, but you’ll want to prepare for a hot day. Make sure you dress in loose fitting clothes, breathable fabrics, and lightweight materials like linen and cotton.

Materials that absorb sweat and moisture will keep the moving day dry, while materials like rayon or polyester will make you very uncomfortable. Choose whiter colors for the hot sun while avoiding black clothing that will encourage the sun to beat down on you. Bring a hat to protect your face and head from the sun and choose shoes that will make it easy to move boxes and walk back and forth from the truck to the home.

Bring tons of water

You already know you’re going to need to bring some water for the day, but make sure you really stock up on a day’s worth of bottled water. It’s going to be a hot one being a summer moving day, and your body is going to be moving around like you’re exercising.

On top of staying hydrated because it’s a hot day, you’ll be rehydrating from all of the exercises your body is getting from walking, lifting, and loading the truck or house. Don’t get dehydrated and make sure you have plenty of water for the whole crew.

Start early in the day

Another trick for a safe move is to start early in the day before the hottest of the sun hours begins. Make sure you’ve handled the hardest parts of the move in the morning so that the easier parts of the move can happen during the hottest hours of the day, between 11am and 3pm, or try to finish the move by 11am. Early mornings will be much cooler and will allow you to beat the heat by up to 10 degrees. Choose early mornings and be sure to apply that sunscreen for the many hours you’re out in the sun.

Protect your heat-sensitive items

Don’t forget that your stuff won’t like the heat either. Consider what items you own that might be heat-sensitive and be sure not to leave them in the beating sun. For example, your electronics may not fare well in the heat of the sun, nor will your plants, food, pets, or anything that could melt. Make sure to pack these things separately (don't pack your pets, though!) and leave in the air conditioning for as long as possible. Be sure to have your utilities ready in your new home in advance so that you can cool the home down right away when you arrive.

Keep fans and cold towels on-hand

Another trick to keep your family and your stuff cool is to have cold towels on-hand that can live in a cooler with ice. When anyone starts to feel too hot, they can grab a towel and take a breather. When you arrive at the new house, make sure you have portable fans ready to go to cool down the house while you wait for the A/C to kick on.

Be sure to look out for symptoms of overheating, such as dizziness, headaches, and muscle cramps among the crew, and seek medical attention if anyone appears to have gotten too much heat. Make sure to follow these five tips for moving in the heat of the summer to keep you safe and comfortable during this season. Of course, you can always hire The Professional Moving Specialists and sit back and relax while they do the move for you!

How to Move Your Arcade Machines

One of those areas of the upcoming move that you may have concerns about is how you will move those classic arcade games in the game room or basement. It’s not every day that you think about safely transporting an arcade machine, but if you’re preparing to move, it’s an important consideration to make.

It’s one of the items in your home that is difficult to move in general, it’s more fragile than most things, and it’s most vulnerable to being damaged. That is why you’ll need a professional moving company to ensure it’s being disassembled, loaded, and reassembled properly for your move. Don’t try to handle this large and fragile item yourself; call The Professional Moving Specialists to make sure your arcade machines are moved into your new home safe and sound.

How arcade machines are prepped for moving

When you call The Professional Moving Specialists, they will come out to your house and handle a disassembly of your arcade machine before attempting to move it. This means that first, they will need to remove loose pieces like pinballs, fold down the back of the machine onto the playing field of the machine, and wrapping the two sections together well with plastic wrap.

Then, a professional would need to remove the back legs and set the machine to the ground before turning the machine on its side in order to remove the front legs. After that, the cabinet would be wrapped in blankets to protect the exterior of the game and any paint that may be on it.

Moving an arcade machine

Just like any other piece of furniture or delicate items like your fine china, your arcade machine will need to be wrapped and moved with care. Many people find themselves in the same situation when it comes to moving a pool table, in which the item is as fragile as their fine china but as large as their sofa. Arcade machines are like an expensive cabinet that holds sentimental value and a fragility that means it needs extra care in order to protect the item during a move.

It’s one of those items that you’ll hold on to for years to come for its sentimental value and its expense. That’s why The Professional Moving Specialists are there to take the precautions needed to not only properly pack the machine, but to move it properly so that you aren’t stuck with an expensive machine repair.

Once the most delicate parts of the machine or table have been removed, like the pin balls of your pinball machine or the felt of a pool table, it will be safe to move the machine. It’s never recommended that homeowners handle this themselves since these pieces of equipment can weigh up to 325 lbs (or more even!).

Being a job for at least two people, your professional moving crew will have no problem having the adequate amount of people to handle the item with care moving it from your home into the moving truck. In some cases, the mechanics of your pinball machine could get slightly altered during the move, but with a simple tweaking from an experienced professional; it can be good as new in your new home. Talk to your moving specialists about their experience moving arcade machines and other collectibles in advance of your move.

Don’t allow your arcade machines to lose value and get damaged moving it with a buddy. Talk to The Professional Moving Specialists to make sure it’s done correctly from start to finish so that you can keep your collectible item for years to come.