Reduce stress with a professional mover for freshman year

Do you have a student getting ready to head off to freshman year of college? It’s an exciting time for your family but it also means that you are going to have to go through the stress of a move. It seems that moves are always stressful, no matter how big, small, or well-organized.

The good news is that you don’t have to feel guilty hiring a professional student moving service for a move to the college dorm because it’s going to take a huge burden off of you as you prepare for the big change and so many new things for the student in your family. Take a look at how a professional mover can reduce the stress of moving during freshman year.

Professional movers have been doing this for years

While you’ve likely moved just once or twice in the past, a professional moving crew handles this kind of work every single day. They have the experience, the manpower, and the equipment to make it happen. You would have to rent a truck, call some friends, and handle the job just before your freshman starts brand new classes and unpacks into a dorm room. Rather than adding such a physically-demanding and busy job right before this big change, hiring a professional mover will take the stress right out of the situation.

Tips before the move

Make sure you know what furniture your freshman will need so that you don’t have the moving crew bring a bed or couch that wasn’t needed. This will also help to determine what size of truck is needed and how many men.

Plan ahead just like you would if you were handling the move. You’ll want to move early in the day to avoid the summer heat as your freshman gets moved into freshman year, and it will ensure that you are moving during the business hours of your moving company. Consider a game plan for the day-of for eating a good breakfast, having everything ready for your movers, and knowing what needs to go and what can be sold or donated before moving into the dorm to ensure that your movers aren’t taking items that you don’t have room for.

How they can help you eliminate the stress

It’s a big deal to have your child get older and become an adult that can now attend college. When your child is ready for freshman year at a local college or an out-of-state university, it can be challenging for them to leave the family, just as the family may find it difficult to have one less person living in the house.

Add to that equation that you have to pack up the bedroom, shop for new essentials, and then pack it up all up and move it to a new place, and things can become stressful in a hurry. Don’t allow this exciting time for your freshman to be tarnished with the idea of moving boxes and furniture to the new college and then setting everything up right before classes will be in session. Allow a professional mover to handle it all in a day or less so that you can soak in the experience of your freshman going off to college.

This is an exciting time for freshman around the country. Be sure to eliminate some of the difficulties of the transition by hiring a professional student moving service in Chicago to handle the move.

How to Move a Grandfather Clock

Do you have an upcoming move and you’re wondering how you are going to safely move that beautiful Grandfather clock of yours? Now is the time to learn how this process will go so that you can be prepared during the moving process.

This is not something you should move alone, as it is a delicate item that should be handled by professionals with experience. It will require everything from removing the weights and pendulum to reinstalling the access panels. It’s not an easy job and it’s one that should be done carefully. Take a look at how the moving of your Grandfather clock will go for your upcoming move.

How the process will go

The movers that you hire will first need to open the side access window to start the process. They will provide packing materials to protect each aspect of the clock with the first one being to protect the weights and the cables. They will likely put tension on the cables to properly wrap everything to begin. If your clock doesn’t have a cable, but rather chains, they will need to secure the chains to avoid them coming off of the sprocket.

After that, your professional movers will remove the weights and pendulum. This step requires gloves and markings to ensure that everything is put back into place properly at the new house. The weights will then be packaged carefully to avoid denting the brass casings. Then, the pendulum can be removed gently, wrapped in packing paper, and packed carefully for transport.

Next, the movers will need to reinstall the access panels to avoid the windows coming out during the move before locking the door and proceeding. Once everything inside has been handled, your movers will wrap your clock and protect the furniture with a queen-sized comforter. The blanket will be taped and then prepared to be moved onto the truck. Once loaded properly on the truck, the movers would then take it to the new home and unload it.

Why it’s important to hire a professional moving crew

Moving a delicate and important item like your grandfather clock is not a simple task and it’s not worth taking a risk by attempting it yourself. It is not only a beautiful item you own, but it’s likely very valuable to you. It’s important that you consider these facts before trying to move something like this yourself. That’s where a professional mover (that's us!) comes in and brings their knowledge, expertise, and experience to do the job right.

They will have the proper gloves and tools to wrap and disassemble various parts of the clock without causing any damage in the teardown and moving process. They will also properly wrap and move items that have been removed while being able to carefully re-secure these items or provide them to you at delivery.

With all of the experience and knowledge that a professional moving company has, it only makes sense to trust them with the simplest of items in your home to the most valuable items like your grandfather clock. Don’t try to do it yourself and hurt the clock or yourself; instead, hire a professional mover to do the job efficiently and carefully from start to finish.

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!