How to properly use a dolly during a move

It’s moving day and it’s time to start using that moving dolly you’ve gotten your hands on. This is going to make moving those heavy items so much easier, right? It’s important that you know how to use a tool that is designed to help you do something more efficiently, and very dangerous to use something incorrectly due to improper training on it.

You don’t want to get hurt using a furniture dolly incorrectly and ending up taking on the weight of the furniture onto your body. Take a look at the types of dollies you can use for moving, how they can help you, and how to properly use them.

Types of moving dollies

 A dolly is a platform on wheels that allows you to move large, heavy items while steering it along the way. This could be used for furniture, appliances, and more. The first type of dolly you made be looking for is an upright utility dolly which is also called a hand truck.

This is an L-shaped platform that tends to be small in size needing only two wheels and a handle. By just sliding the lower portion of the dolly under the item, you can then tilt it backward to move the item where you need it to go. This is perfect for just about anything from lightweight furniture pieces to moving several boxes at once.

The next type is a furniture dolly that you would use to move large and bulky pieces. When you need to move a couch, dresser, desk, or other big items, you can use furniture dollies for this purpose. It’s intended to work for those heavy items that you wouldn’t use a simpler utility dolly for. You can typically handle up to 1,000 lbs. using a furniture dolly. It just can’t be used on stairs.

Another option is an appliance dolly which will work similarly to the utility dolly in the way it’s made but this will allow you to move big and heavy appliances. This is perfect for when you need refrigerators and washing machines. It will secure the appliance in place with strong straps and other safety features. You can roll this one up and down stairs while it carries around 700lbs.

How to properly use a dolly

First, you’ll want t make sure you’ve cleared the space for a path without any obstacles going towards your destination. Avoid topping a stack on the dolly with anything that will obstruct your view. Use a hand truck for anything going upstairs. Simply roll over bumps straight on if you encounter bumps as you roll onward.

To apply an item to your dolly, tip the dolly forward enough that you can slip the bottom flat surface underneath an item. Then you can tip the dolly back on its wheels while holding the item in place with your other hand. Largest and heaviest items go on the bottom but make sure the whole stack is balanced and aligned.

If you are going to be moving appliances, furniture, and other fragile items with the dolly, be sure to wrap these things in furniture blankets while still leaving room to get a proper grip on the item during transport.

Take out drawers if moving furniture with loose parts to help make it easier to maneuver and a little lighter in weight. Secure items that you put on these dollies and wrap anything that you want to protect the finish of like a wooden cabinet. It’s important to tie up loose items to avoid damage, such as hoses, plugs, and wires that you don’t want dragging on the floor.

If you want to move large items in your upcoming move, call a professional moving company to handle the job for you or practice these safety tips above.

What to Wear When Moving

Moving day is just around the corner and you need to figure out what you should wear. This is a stressful, hectic day filled with plenty of emotion. The last thing you want is to be uncomfortable because you chose the wrong outfit. Even if you’ve hired a professional Chicago moving company, you need to dress for the day. Here are some tips to help you figure out what to wear on moving day.

Pants or Shorts

Depending on the time of year, you will want to wear pants or shorts on moving day. Avoid wearing a skirt as you will likely be bending over quite a bit and skirts can become very revealing. Choose a breathable and flexible fabric you feel comfortable moving around in. Plan for comfort, not cuteness and you'll we well on your way to feeling great on moving day.

Shoes

One of the most important things to wear on moving day is comfortable shoes. You will spend plenty of time on your feet, so comfortable sneakers are best. You also want to make sure you protect your feet, so skip anything with an open toe.

Don't wear shoes you love for moving day. If something happens to them, you may not be very happy about it. Tennis shoes, boots, sneakers or some type of shoes you'll be comfortable in and don't care about getting dirty are best.

Dress for the Weather

The weather in Chicago changes with the season. It can be extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. Sometimes, you don't get to choose when you move and you certainly won't get to choose the weather.

Check the weather forecast the day before and make sure you dress appropriately. If it's going to be 100-degrees, you probably don't want to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. However, if you're moving in the winter, you may want several layers to keep you warm.

Wear Clothing with Pockets

Moving day will have you needing to keep track of things, such as keys, your wallet, your phone and even pieces of furniture or other hardware. If you have pockets, you can easily throw these items in your pockets and go on about your business.

What to Avoid Wearing on Moving Day

While there are certain things you should wear on moving day, there are some things you want to avoid wearing including:

• Avoid any long jewelry that could get in the way or get hooked on something. If you love it, don't wear it on moving day.

• Don't wear baggy clothing as it will make you uncomfortable during moving day.

• Avoid wearing flip-flops, sandals, high-heels shoes or basically any cute shoes as they are not safe on moving day.

While there are no rules set in stone for what you should wear for moving day, you do want to make sure you dress appropriately. Dress for the weather, for comfort and for function, not fashion. Moving day isn't the day to make sure you look cute. It's the day to be dressed to move boxes, furniture and get a little dirty.

Top Ways to Sell Your Unwanted Items Before a Move

Before you make the move to Chicago, it's best to unload anything you don't want or need anymore. Maybe you're downsizing or you've bought a new house. Getting rid of the old to make room for something new is easiest to do before you move.

The best part about getting rid of things before you move, most of what you have can be sold. There are several ways to sell your unwanted items before you move. Here are a few of the top ways to sell your stuff if you're getting ready to move.

Craigslist

An easy way to unload furniture or anything too large or heavy to ship, Craigslist is the marketplace for these items. You can list your items free of charge and sell all types of things, such as appliances, yard equipment, bicycles and more.

Facebook

The Facebook marketplace is another great place to sell your larger items or more expensive items. Usually, you can get a little bit more cash for your items on Facebook compared to Craigslist. If your items are nicer, list them on Facebook and watch them sell fast.

Word of Mouth

Of course, you can speak to your family and friends first to see what they may want to buy from you. They may be looking for exactly what you have or maybe you have a friend that has loved your sofa for years. Now is the time to let them know you're selling and give them the first shot to buy what you have.

In addition, telling friends and family what you're selling will turn them into salespeople for you. Often, they will talk to co-workers, friends and other people they know. They may find someone interested in what you have for sale.

Garage Sales

A great way to unload those items that are too cheap to sell on Facebook or Craigslist is a garage sale or moving sale. Keep your prices reasonable and you will sell plenty of things and end up with some good cash in hand. You can even use this as a way to sell the large items if you get the right offer.

eBay

If you're selling something you can ship and it's worth $50 or more, eBay may be the place to sell it. You can list your item for sale and let the auction run from one day to 10 days. You can even to a Buy Now listing with just a price for sale or take offers. Just make sure you consider the price of shipping when selling on eBay.

Free Apps

There are also a handful of good free apps you can use to sell your things, such as OfferUp, Close5, LetGo, Decluttr, and others. If you prefer a way to sell your things from your smartphone, this may be the way to go.

Selling your things before you move doesn't have to be difficult. Use these marketplaces to list your items for sale and you'll likely get plenty sold before you pack up to move.

7 Tips for a Successful Move in 2019

If 2019 is the year you make your big move, you need to make sure you are ready for it and do what it takes now to make it a successful one. That means preparation, using proper supplies, packing the right way, and making sure your system is setup well to unpack when you arrive to your new house.

The last thing you want to do when you arrive at your new home is open boxes to find broken items, find boxes damaged, have trouble locating an item you need, or forget details like hiring a pet sitter and tipping the movers. There are so many details to keep track of but this go-to guide will make it easier than ever to handle each task at a time. Take a look at the 7 tips you’ll need for a successful move this year.

(This post has been updated at the end to include bonus tips we’ve learned through the years.)

Preparations

You’ll first want to prepare yourself for the task of moving by coming up with a strategy and squaring away the details. How many boxes will you need and what type of packing materials do you want to use? You’ll need a variety of shapes and sizes of boxes and you’ll need to decide between cardboard moving boxes and plastic crates that can be rented for the move.

Packing supplies could include markers and labels, packing peanuts, packing paper for fragile items, and cushioning for creating layers between items. Give yourself a plan that lasts 30 to 60 days to actually pack up and leave your house and think of a strategy for getting from point A to point B on moving day.

Author: Nicolas Huk; Source: Flickr

Buy supplies

Now that you’ve come up with a strategy for the days leading up to moving day and how the actual move can be coordinated, it’s time to start shopping for supplies. Don’t forget to get a variety of boxes that will fit all of your items in different sizes and weights.

You don’t want to overpack or underpack a box, leaving room for shifting or making it too heavy which could cause a box breaking. Get labels and markers to indicate the room and contents of the box. Get all of your packing supplies from a moving store or work with a moving crew that will be packing your items for you and provides the supplies.

Hire the movers

It’s time to talk to a moving crew to see what services can be provided for you and what tasks you’ll be handling yourself. Hire a local professional crew like The Professionals Moving Specialists who can handle your move efficiently and carefully. When you have items like plants, large antiques, and fragile china, you don’t want to worry about thing breaking during the move. Hiring a great moving company in town will set your mind at ease during this stressful transition.

How to pack

If your moving crew is only handling the moving part, you’ll want to make sure you pack with care. You’ll need to add packing peanuts to the bottom of boxes, put the heaviest items on the bottom, and then add layers between items to avoid damage. Make sure boxes don’t weigh more than 30lbs and that like items stay together. You’ll want to arrive with items packed by room and sets packed into the same box.

Take inventory

Once you’ve packed your home, make sure you take inventory with box numbers and the corresponding list of contents. It will make life easier when you need your shampoo or bedding after arriving to your new home and find there are dozens of boxes to unpack.

Tasks before moving day

Before the actual move, make sure you’ve considered how moving will go. You don’t want to worry about the pets, so be sure to hire a pet sitter for the day. You may not even want to worry about the kids, which means hiring a nanny for the day may make life simpler.

Make sure utilities will be setup when you arrive so that you can turn the lights on and have water in your faucets. Leave yourself time to greet your new neighbors and make sure you won’t be disrupting your neighbors at an inconvenient time of day.

When you arrive

When you arrive at your new house, make sure you introduce yourself to a few neighbors and utilize a box that you’ve labeled “open first” where you can locate your household essentials easiest. You may want to cook a meal or take a shower without going through every box to locate these essentials.

Make sure you’ve left some cash handy to tip the moving crew and make sure you’ve scheduled any furniture deliveries for the day after moving in to avoid too many movers trying to get in the house at once.

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Additional Tips for Your Move (Updated February 2019):

Prepare yourself and your home

Just like in previous years, preparation is always vital to a successful moving process. Start with sorting through your home into the “donate,” “keep,” “sell,” and “toss” piles in order to only take with you the things that you really want in your new home. Donating and tossing items will take a weight off while the things you choose to sell will bring in some extra cash that you can spend to enjoy the restaurants and attractions when you arrive at your new home.

Have a garage sale

Take the “sell” pile and host a garage sale well in advance from your move. You’ll love having the weight of the things you don’t need any more leaving your house and getting some extra cash in the process. This is also a great way to inform some of the neighbors that stop by of your upcoming plans to move.  Anything you don’t sell can be donated with your “donate” pile, and saving the receipts will allow you to deduct some of the value from your income taxes.

Take inventory of what’s coming with you

Now you can take inventory of what you are moving to the new house so that you can decide how much you’ll need when it comes to moving supplies. You can use sites like www.moving.com to help you determine the right amount of boxes and supplies from their Packing Calculator.

Hire the moving team

Now it’s time to hire your professional moving crew. A reliable moving company with great reviews, a license, and insurance to move, and one that you have professional and great interaction with is the one to go with. Make sure your movers inform you of what you’ll need to do and what they will do for you, as well as a moving quote, and plans for a timeline.

Choose your moving date wisely

Speaking of a timeline, you’ll want to choose your moving date carefully. It’s been found in the past and still applies today that moving in the middle of the week and in the middle of a month tends to work out nicely. Most people are moving at the beginning or end of the month and they tend to favor the beginning or end of the week. This means that the middle allows for better prices, less competition, and a less busy traffic experience.

Pack your belongings

Now it’s time to start your packing unless the moving crew you’ve hired is packing for you. Be sure to pack everything with protection, such as layering between items, putting packing peanuts on the bottom of boxes, and keeping the heaviest items towards the bottom to avoid any damage. Don’t overdo any boxes making them too heavy to carry. Organize items by room to make it easier when you arrive.

Take inventory of what’s going

Account for what is in each box and take inventory before your move. You want to make sure you can find things at the destination and that you know which boxes will be for what room. If any items come up missing, you can speak to the movers with proof of your inventory.

Notify all parties

Now it’s time to make sure you’ve notified friends and family of the move and your new address. You’ll also want to handle all of the important contacts like doctor’s offices, the dentist, and the schools of your new address. If you are moving to a new area, you’ll need to collect paperwork to help with the transfer of schools and medical offices.

Make sure to collect all the paperwork you need to transfer yourself into new these new service providers, schools, and other places you visit frequently. Make sure you’ve also hired a pet-sitter and babysitter to help you out on moving day, and had all of your utilities scheduled in advance for shutoff from your current home and to be turned on at your new home upon arrival.

Do an energy audit of the new house

One great way to set up your family for success this year is to have an energy audit done in your new home. In exchange for paying for an audit, you’ll be able to find out if there are any issues with the home that will end up costing you more in your utility bill each month. For example, a hot or cold air leak may mean you could use some work in your home’s insulation or ductwork. Knowing this and fixing it up right away will saving you hundreds in your budget.

Donate your pantry items to a food pantry

Instead of packing up the pantry, why not donate to a great cause and starting fresh when you arrive? Organizations like Move for Hunger will take your non-perishable foods and get it to a nearby food bank.

Plan Your Relocation with this Office Moving Checklist

A commercial move is a huge deal. When you're relocating your office from one place to another, you need to make sure you're organized. Whether your lease ran out or you're moving into a larger space, you need the right office moving checklist.

With the right checklist, you'll know everything has been properly packed and moved to the new location. If you need to relocate your office, here's an office moving checklist you can use to help get the job done.

Three to Six Months Before Moving

While this category says three to six months before moving, it should be things you do as soon as you're sure you'll be moving. These items include:

• Figure out the Time Frame and Schedule for your office move - Include the dates when you will be moving all the equipment, when the staff will begin working at the new location, etc.

• Find and Secure a New Location - If you don't already have a new location for your office, this is the time to find and secure your new location.

• Assign Responsibilities and Tasks - It's time to let your employees know you'll be moving and assign the necessary tasks and responsibilities to be done.

• Create an Inventory List - You should also create a list of your existing equipment and furniture. This will help you to see what you need and don't need. Consider selling anything you no longer need before moving.

• Create a Budget - You will also want to consider a budget for your move. Consider the cost of a moving company and everything else involved.

Two Months Before Moving Day

When relocation day starts to get a bit closer, you want to make sure you take care of the following:

• Change your business address with the USPS, IRS, Bank, and other important vendors

• Review your current lease to ensure you know what you need to do with your current space

• Hire the right office moving company and find out if anything you will be moving requires special attention.

• Start holding regular moving meetings to keep everybody on task.

One Month Before Moving

The day is nearly here and it's time to take care of the following:

• Transfer your utilities

• Make the moving announcement in a Press Release or public relations campaign

• ·Implement a labeling system

• Inventory and tag all equipment, furniture, office supplies, etc.

• Procure the necessary moving supplies

• ·Order new business cards and stationery

• Determine your security procedures for the move

• Get parking and moving permits

• Hiring professional cleaners for the old space

Two Weeks Before Moving

About two weeks before moving your office, you want to:

• Check the new location and make sure it's ready

• Clean as much as you can in the old space

• Back up any vital information on your computer system

• Call your Chicago moving company to confirm the date and time

The Week of the Move

The week is finally here and it's time to:

• Hand out new keys and employee cards for the new space

• Disconnect all electronics and major appliances

• Set aside anything not going with the movers

• Inspect your new office thoroughly to ensure it's ready to go

On Moving Day

It's time to relocate to your new space, but first, make sure you take care of the following:

• Designate your moving coordinators on-site to ensure everything runs smoothly

• Assign someone to do the final walk-through at the old space

• Meet with the movers and provide instructions for the day

Use this office moving checklist as a guide and customize it as you see fit. With the right commercial moving company helping you and this checklist, your office move should go very smoothly.