3 Tips for a Smoother Winter Moving Experience

Nobody really wants to move in the winter, but sometimes, it's unavoidable. When you need to move during the colder months, it can be difficult. However, you will gain the benefit of moving outside of peak moving season, which means residential moving companies may have more availability.

When you need to move during the winter, there are some things you can do to make your winter moving experience smoother. Here are three of the top tips to help you with moving during the colder months.

Pack With Extra Care

Fragile items, such as dishware and glasses may be more susceptible to breaking during the winter. If these items will change temperatures during the move, you'll want to make sure they are wrapped extra to better protect them during the move.

Anything antique or super fragile items you own may be better of packed and put into your own vehicle. The back of a moving truck will likely not offer any type of climate control, so packing your most precious fragile items in your own vehicle may be a good idea.

Fully Prepare for Your Movers

After hiring The Professional Movers to handle your move, you'll want to fully prepare for the mover to show up. If you have a sidewalk, driveway, or another pathway, make sure it's shoveled and properly salted. The last thing you need is movers struggling to get your items into the moving truck due to a slippery walkway.

You may even want to lay down cardboard or plastic drop sheets to ensure you don't have to clean up much after they are done. This will also help to protect the flooring from stains and damage.

If you're unsure what you should do to prepare for the movers, ask your moving company ahead of time. They will be able to tell you what's best and what you can do to make the job as easy as possible on the movers.

Prepare for Delays

Winter weather can be a bit unpredictable. You may end up with delays due to snow, ice, or cold. Make sure you're prepared by leaving extra time for travel and having a contingency plan.

Things can change rather quickly in the winter and you could end up delayed during a long move or even just a short move across town. Make sure you plan your route ahead of time and be prepared to make changes as the weather and conditions dictate.

Moving during the colder months doesn't have to be difficult. You don't need to be scared of scheduling a winter move. With the right moving company in Chicago, you won't have anything to worry about as your movers will know how to handle the winter months and what to expect.

Along with these tips, make sure you take extra care with your pets and children when moving during the winter. It can be very cold in Chicago and the last thing you need is something happening to those you love during the move.

How To Properly Wrap Your Belongings for Safe Transport

Protecting your items when it's time to move matters and the best solution is to hire The Professional Movers to do your packing, moving, and unpacking. Even with the right residential moving company on your side, it's best to understand how to properly wrap your belongings for safe transport.

While you may hire professional movers to handle some of the packing, you may do some packing yourself, too. Here are some tips to help you wrap your things and keep them safe during your upcoming move.

Fragile Items Come First

Pack the most fragile items first and use plenty of packing materials when wrapping these items. You can choose to purchase moving supplies for wrapping fragile items or you can use things you already have, such as towels, sweaters, blankets, and even pillows to protect these items.

The key to packing fragile items is to ensure they are padded and won't move around when the truck is in motion. Choose a box larger than the item or items. Then, wrap each item in some type of protective wrap. Once placed in the box, add shredded paper, partially blown up balloons, bubble wrap, packing paper, packing peanuts, or another packing material to fill the entire box.

In addition, make sure to label the boxes with fragile items with an arrow and the words "This Side Up". It's also a good idea to write "Fragile" on the box in big red letters so you and your movers know to be careful with that particular box.

Protecting Furniture

When it comes to packing items for transport, it may seem like fragile items take the most time and attention. However, you don't want to forget to protect your furniture. With a microfiber cloth, blankets, or another padded covering, you can protect your furniture from scuffs, dings, scratches, and other types of damage. You will also want a plastic wrap to wrap your furniture.

Before you place the padded cloth or blanket over the furniture for protection and wrap it, you want to make sure it has been properly cleaned. Wrapping it with a small pebble, grain of sand, or other types of dirt could lead to a scratch during the wrapping and unwrapping process.

Make sure you thoroughly wrap the furniture, especially exposed wood or other areas that can become easily damaged. If your items are properly wrapped, you won't have to worry as much about the moving process.

Wrapping Glass Items

Any glass items you plan to move should be wrapped with a layer of Glassine. This type of barrier paper offers the protection you don't get from simple packing paper or plastic wrap. Glassine offers a wax-line finish to help protect glass items from stains and smudges. Anything with paint or print on it should be wrapped tightly with Glassine.

Not only should you use it on glass, but also ceramic and porcelain items. Secure the Glassine with packing tape before packing each item into boxes to keep your items protected throughout the move.

When it's time to move, whether you're going across the city of Chicago or moving from out-of-state, you want to make sure your belongings are well-protected. The best solution is to hire The Professional Movers to do your packing, moving, and unpacking for you. With the right residential moving company in Chicago, you won't need to worry about your items during transport.

Should I trust the moving company with my fragile items?

One of the biggest concerns you are probably facing with your upcoming move is the fear of how your fragile items will get to destination safely. It’s scary to think that some of your most valuable items may not make it unscathed and that is a chance someone takes when moving.

Fortunately, you can increase your chances of keeping them safe by hiring a professional moving crew. You may think that you can keep your fragile items safer doing it yourself but you’re actually better off hiring movers. Here is why you can and should trust the moving company with your fragile items on your upcoming move.

Moving is a complicated process

Don’t try to handle a move on your own; hiring a professional moving company means things will get done properly. It’s more complicated than wrapping your china dishes in some packing paper and taping shut the box. There is a method to proper packing and handling everything with the care that only experienced professionals are going to do well and do efficiently.

They have the proper supplies

Not only do they have the expertise in managing your fragile items, but they carry all kinds of packing solutions that will fit even the strangest of items. They carry the proper boxes and packing materials for things like fine art, pianos, electronics, and fine china.

They keep a variety of sizes and specialty wrapping to ensure that your fragile belongings don’t shift, bend, break, or become punctured during a move. While you may be able to locate some of these items on your own, you may not know the proper way to pack it so that it doesn’t become damaged during the transport process.

They know special tricks

Along with their experience and having the right supplies, they will know tricks you don’t because they do this so often. They know that fragile items shouldn’t be fit to the brim of a box but that they should be mixed with soft items to avoid movement in the box.

They know how thick of a box to buy for the right items and they know not to make a large box too heavy making for a higher risk of accidentally dropping it. They know to keep electronics out of extreme weather conditions and will provide you with only new packing supplies rather than anything used that could be damaged or susceptible to problems in transit.

Research moving companies

The best way to feel confident going into your move is to research a potential moving company. Find out how previous customers felt about their move and what their reputation in town is like. Once you see that other customers had a great move and felt like the crew carefully packed away fragile items with care, you’ll feel more confident going into your move.

Any company that rushes through the process and doesn’t bring the proper supplies is not the right one for you. A great moving company will be open with communication, take the time to survey your home before the move, and will bring the proper supplies needed on moving day.

Don’t try to haphazardly pack your own home and move it in your own truck on moving day. Hire a professional moving company that won’t cause you to break your most precious items but will ensure they get to your new home with the utmost care.

5 Tips for Moving Into Your First Chicago Apartment

Moving to Chicago is exciting! If you've always wanted to live in the big city and this will be your first time, the actual moving process can be hectic. Even if you've lived in a big city before, moving into your first Chicago apartment may become exhausting.

When it's time to move into an apartment in the Windy City, a few tips might help. Here are five tips to help you with the moving process.

Move at the Right Time of the Year, If Possible

While it may not be possible, if you have the option to choose when you move, the spring and summer may not be the best time. The weather is great, but everybody is moving during the spring and summer. During these seasons, you may struggle to book apartment movers in Chicago, unless you plan many months in advance.

Choosing to move in the fall or winter might be a better option. While the need for a winter coat could be annoying during a move, the prices for moving and for apartments will likely be lower during the colder months. There will also be less competition for booking your movers as fewer people will be moving. Even the landlords become a bit more desperate and may offer better deals during these seasons.

If the fall and winter won't work for you, at least try to avoid the big move in and move out weekends for colleges throughout Chicago. These weekends happen in late April, early May, and August.

Pack with What You Own

Moving into your first Chicago apartment can certainly get expensive. Using some of the things you already own as packing supplies will help ease the burden. Even though boxes aren't expensive, when you end up buying several, along with bubble wrap, tape, and other supplies, it can add up fast.

Consider using blankets and towels as protection. Pack in suitcases and bins you already own before investing in any other moving supplies. Using what you own might save you money you can use for other things, such as hiring a residential mover in Chicago instead of trying to do it all yourself.

Eliminate and Minimize Before Packing

This tip is especially important if you're coming from a larger apartment or house in a smaller town or city. Overpacking is common for those moving to Chicago and you will likely have less space than you had in another city as the cost of living is more expensive in Chicago.

You may be going from 1,000+ square feet to less than 700, which means you won't have room for all your things. When moving into your first Chicago apartment, it's a good idea to eliminate anything you don't need or want before packing.

Use Up Groceries Before Moving

About two weeks before you're ready to move to Chicago, it's time to start using up the last of your groceries, especially anything in the fridge or freezer. Traveling with food isn't fun, easy, or practical.

Prepare and eat the last of the food you own and schedule a time to shop at the grocery store only for what you really need. Consider buying things for one day or one meal at a time and you may end up eating out a bit more than normal during the moving process.

Pack an Overnight Bag

Even if you're not staying overnight on the way to Chicago, pack an overnight bag or an essentials bag. This bag should have everything you need if you have to stay in a hotel overnight, along with the essentials you may need for the first day/night in your new place.

It's likely you will arrive at your first Chicago apartment and have very little energy once the day is done. You may not want to unpack right away and your overnight or essentials bag buys you a day to work things out.

These five tips will help make moving into your first Chicago apartment a bit easier. Of course, hiring a moving company to handle your packing, moving, and unpacking will also make the process much easier.

Renting a Moving Truck vs. Hiring a Moving Company

It's time to pack up and move. You have a specific budget you're working with and you're not sure if you should rent a moving truck or hire a moving company.

Making the decision between a moving company and a DIY move isn't always an easy decision. Renting a moving truck will usually cost less, upfront, but the added stress and work you must do will make it less convenient. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing between renting a moving truck vs hiring a moving company.

Price Tag

If you've set a moving budget, the price tag will be one of the deciding factors for you between rending a moving truck and hiring a moving company. At first glance, it will seem less expensive to rent a moving truck compared to hiring a moving company. However, you have to look at more than just the initial cost.

If you rent a moving truck, you will also need to pay for gas and tolls. Those moving across the country should also consider that you won't drive as fast, so you may need to overnight in a hotel and you may need to buy meals on the road.

When comparing the price of a moving truck to a moving company, make sure you factor in all the costs. Hiring a moving company may end up being the less expensive option.

Hands

Does anybody truly enjoy begging family and friends to help them pack? When you rent a moving truck, you will have to recruit the hands of others to help you pack the truck and move. Of course, if you're a family of 6 and 3 of your family members are teenagers, you might have all the help you need.

However, for those moving on their own or without much help, hiring a moving company means you will have plenty of hands to help pack up the truck. Plus, the hands you will have are professionals with the ability to ensure your things are properly loaded into the truck and unloaded carefully at your new location.

Control

One of the things you do lose when you hire a moving company is control. Renting a moving truck means you're in total control of the moving process. You'll get to choose the truck, the supplies, and everything else that goes along with your move.

However, when you choose a good moving company in Chicago, you'll have enough control to keep you sane, if you need control. Plus, you won't have to do nearly as much work and you'll be trusting experts that move things for people every single day.

Safety and Protection

Renting a moving truck means you have to load it, drive it, and unload it. You're responsible for the safety and the protection of your items, yourself, and the truck.

When you hire a moving company, you don't have to worry about much of anything. You won't do the heavy lifting, you won't have to drive, and you won't have to worry about how the truck is packed. Professionals handle moves every single day and they know how to make sure your move happens safely with all your belongings protected.

There are benefits to both renting a moving truck and hiring a moving company. However, if you're looking for a less stressful, easier way to move, hiring the right moving company will make a huge difference.