How to Start Planning Your Summer Move Now

Summer time is the most common time of year to move to a new home and you’ll find that everyone else is doing the same thing. The only downside to this time of year is you’re going to be dealing with that summer heat while you’re carrying heavy boxes and trying to navigate to the new place.

On the flip side, the crummy winter weather is behind us and the April showers have brought those May flowers. Fall is a busy time of year to try to move with school in session, sports, and the holidays approaching, so summertime is a great time to stop what you’re doing and get into your dream home. Take a look at these tips that will make your summer move a great one.

Plan ahead

The best way to have a great move any time of year is to plan ahead. When it comes to your summer move, you’ll want to make sure you start planning the winter before so that you can start implementing the tasks in the spring up until the move.

Three months in advance you’ll want to choose your moving date, look ahead at the weather for that date, get your moving quotes, and start de-cluttering your space. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve found your new home.

A month before the move, you’re going to want to order your moving supplies, donated or sold items you are going to purge before the move, start packing and requested time off work for the move. You’ll also want to use this time to start switching over utilities and updating your payment records and addresses on everything from credit cards to services you use.

Two weeks out is when you’ll hire a cleaning crew or clan yourself. You’ll need to update your insurance to make sure you are covered during a move and you’ll want to make sure the new place will allow truck parking for the day.

The week before is the time to empty the fridge, clean the oven, pack your bags, snap photos of your stuff, and double check the weather. That way the day before you are just confirming arrival times, grabbing cash from the ATM for anything you need, preparing for the heat with sunscreen and bottled water, and packing for your pets.

Stay cool

It’s going to be really important to stay cool on moving day. Consider children and pets’ heat safety as well. Stock up on cold water and ice for everyone to stay hydrated. Also, be sure to have a personal mist fan available and cooling towels to keep your body temperature lower.

While many fear moving in the winter for too cold of temperatures, moving during hot temps can be just as dangerous. Be sure to wear breathable closing, keep air-conditioning ready and available, wear protective footwear, and have sunglasses and a hat ready to go for that bright sun.

Hire a great crew

Of course, hiring a great moving crew is going to make the move all that better. A reputable Chicago moving company will be able to keep you and your household goods safe during a hot summer move and will help you to avoid any heat-related disasters. Make sure to book well in advance because this is a popular time of year to move and the moving companies are more popular than ever.

Be careful of extreme temps

Speaking of extreme temperatures be careful with your belongings in these temperatures. While it may not seem that bad when you first step outside, you’ll quickly find that that sun beating down on you is not ideal. That means that you have to take some extra precautions to protect your things from the heat.

If anything needs climate control, be sure to pack that last to allow it to stay in the air conditioning longer and consider it going in your vehicle to ensure it has room to breathe and stay cool, such as your plants or valuables.  Heat-sensitive items should be packed carefully, such as electronics that could be damaged from extreme temperatures. Consider purging some things and holding a yard sale to sell some of the things you won’t need in the new house in order to have less stuff to move on moving day.

Watch your budget

Finally, watch your budget during your upcoming move. It may be tempting to go out for a cold drink after your move or eat out at restaurants all week during your move, but you will incur a lot of expenses doing so.

Summer is already such a popular time to move that you may have spent more on the home than you planned and now you’ll be spending on things like outdoor patio chairs and swimming supplies for your new home. Be careful about working out a great deal with your moving crew, choosing reusable moving supplies, and try to keep your routine as much as possible to decrease extra costs during the move.

It’s time to start planning for your summer move now. Use these tips to stay cool, be prepared, and start getting to work just a few months ahead of the move!

Moving Day Etiquette: What you should and shouldn’t do for your movers

When moving day arrives, you want to be properly prepared. Moving day etiquette is important you should know what you should and shouldn't do for your movers.

Some of the things you may or may not do for your movers also depend on what you hired them to do for you. For example, if you hired your movers to pack for you, it's not necessary to finish packing before they arrive. However, if you didn't hire your movers to do your packing, you should be done packing before they arrive.

Here are a few other things you should know about moving day etiquette before your big day arrives.

Label Your Boxes Properly

Labeling your boxes with the room they belong to will make it easier on your movers. You can even color-code the labeling for each room to make it even easier for your movers to know where everything needs to go once it arrives at your new home.

In addition, make sure you label any fragile items clearly. Put the word "fragile" on all sides of the box and make it obvious.

Don't Make Boxes Too Heavy

It's better to make your boxes smaller and lighter than larger and heavier. Make sure you pack in a way that allows every box to easily be picked up and moved. Even the strongest movers may struggle to lift large, heavy, and awkward boxes on the day of your move.

Get Out of Their Way

While you should remain present on the day of your move, you don't want to be in the way. Make sure you give your movers access to easily move your things and make sure you let them do the job you hired them to do.

Reserve an Elevator

If you live in a high-rise building, make sure you reserve an elevator, if possible, for the day of your move. It's not a good idea to expect movers to carry your items down several flights of stairs because you didn't book the elevator for the time of your move.

Provide Hydrating Beverages

Your movers will appreciate a bottle of water or a sports drink during the process, especially on hot days. Even in the winter, providing a beverage (maybe a hot cup of coffee in the morning) can be a nice way to welcome your movers to your home.

Remove Pets and Small Children, if Possible

If you can, send your spouse with the children and pets ahead of time. Even if they just go to the local dog park, keeping them out of the way of the movers is best for all parties involved.

You don't want your children getting hurt because they got in the way and the same goes for your pets. Plus, this can be a very stressful thing for small children and pets. It's best to keep them out of the way on moving day by removing them from your home while the packing is underway.

Make Sure You Are Present

If one of the movers has a question, you should be present to answer the question. They will also need to double-check things as they pack and sign the paperwork. Make sure you're easily accessible on moving day or at least make sure they know where to find you, if necessary.

Moving day is a big day for most people. After you've hired the right moving company for your residential move in Chicago, make sure you follow the tips above. You'll have better moving day etiquette simply by following this advice and your movers will appreciate it.

Top 3 benefits of using a professional packer for your move

Have you considered hiring a professional packer for your move? If you didn’t know, you can actually skip the packing process yourself and just hire someone else to do it for you. It’s a great way to make your household move much less of a burden and something you can look forward to again.

In fact, it might actually be cheaper for you to do hire someone rather than to try to handle the move yourself. Take a look at this factor and more benefits of using a professional packer for your move.

It’ll save you worry

One of the emotions you may be feeling with this move is worry. You may be feeling worried about how you will get everything done in time. You may be worried about how your items will fit on the moving truck. You may even be worried about things happening to your household goods in shipping.

When you hire professional packers, the stress can melt away. They will efficiently pack and move your goods in a matter of so many days rather than weeks on your own, they will handle the safe transfer of the goods, and all you will need to do is get yourself and your family from one home to the other. All you will have to do is schedule the dates you want everything to happen and let the packing and moving crew to handle the stress for you.

It’ll save you time

Not only are you saving time with all of the weeks you won’t be using to pack up the house, but you’ll be saving time throughout the whole move. Professional movers will pack everything up in a jiff and in addition will be able to load everything faster than you would on your own using their larger trucks that are eliminating extra trips. 

While it will feel good to have that time saved for other things before the move, you’ll also find that it cuts back on your time needed away from work and other obligations. You’ll be able to keep working all the way up until the move since you’ll only be needed for a few hours here and there for supervising the packing and moving, while the process at destination will also be a quick one as the movers bring the boxes to the room of the house you need for you to unpack at your leisure. Isn’t time really money?

It’ll save you cost

Speaking of money, you’ll save a bundle too. It may sound more expensive to hire packers and movers, but in reality, you’re hiring someone to save you time, energy, and packing supplies. The cost of moving yourself compared to hiring packers and movers will likely end up being more.

You’ll be giving up your time, your availability at work, your wallet to all of the supplies you need, and the additional time you’ll spend hosting a yard sale when you realize you have more than you want to pack.

You’ll also have the safety net that your items are insured under the transit insurance provided with hiring a professional packing and moving company which means that in the very small likelihood that you have a problem, you’ll be able to get it resolved without losing money that you’ll spend replacing it yourself if you moved your own goods.

Stop wasting time deciding if you should DIY your move. Hire a residential moving service and make sure everything gets done cheaper, more efficiently, and much faster! Contact The Professionals Moving Specialists today!

How to Safely Pack & Move a TV

Moving your TV may seem like a chore. It's a huge undertaking and if you have a nice, flat-screen TV, you don't want it to get broken. The right box, along with packing the TV properly will go a very long way.

After hiring movers to help with your residential move in Chicago, you want to ask about the specialty boxes they offer. They will likely have a flat panel TV box you can use to better protect your TV during the move. In addition, use these tips to help protect your TV when moving.

Remove the Power Cord

There is no sense and leaving the cord plugged in when moving your TV. Remove it from the back of the TV (if possible) to make moving the TV easier. Cords get tripped on and cause accidents.

Remove the Base

This may not be necessary with every flat screen TV, but if your TV has a large base, remove it. Without removing it, the TV may not fit into the box, which can make it a hassle to move.

Keep All Hardware Together

There's nothing worse than arriving at your new home, unpacking your TV, and realizing you don't know where the hardware or cord is to use it. Make sure you keep all the hardware with the cord and the base.

Cover Your TV Before Packing it

A layer of foam or bubble wrap will go a long way to help protect your TV during a move. If you want to safely pack your TV, you will want to cover it with foam or bubble wrap before putting it in the box.

You can use stretch plastic wrap to secure the foam or bubble wrap, as well. This will also ensure the TV doesn't get scratched.

Another option is to use furniture pads, a sheet or a blanket to cover your TV. If you don't have the right packing materials, this is a good choice in a pinch.

Make Sure the TV is Secured in the Box

Once you've covered the TV and placed it into the box, you want to make sure it's secure. Without the right packing materials, it could shift, which could cause issues during the move. Make sure you use furniture pads, blankets, foam, bubble wrap, or something else soft to ensure it's completely secured inside the box.

Load the TV Upright

One of the biggest mistakes people make when moving a TV is loading it the wrong way. You want to load it upright and store it properly. It's best to store it in between sturdy objects, such as a mattress or dresser. The best way to pack a TV for the move is to make sure it won't move around or fall.

When you pack your flat-screen TV for moving, make sure you have the right box and you use these tips. Without the right packing, you could arrive to a cracked, scratched, or damaged TV, which could cost you quite a bit of money to replace.

If you're worried about your TV, hire residential movers to pack and move it for you. Professional movers will ensure it arrives in the condition it left your old home in.