Monthly Archives: September 2014

Moving Day Tips

Moving day can be very stressful and exhausting, but if you’ve hired professional movers in Vancouver, it will be easier. Here are a few extra tips to make things go smoothly:

Be Available:

Hopefully, you have had plenty of time to prepare and your belongings are fully packed and ready to load. If not, you are likely still packing up the last of your things while the movers are loading what is ready to go. While they are professionals who know what they are doing, they may still have questions for you while they are loading, so make sure you are easy to find in case they do. This is even more important at your new home when they are unloading. If you have labeled everything as to the room it belongs in, the movers will have an easier time putting things in the right place, but you will still need to give input as to where you would like your furniture placed.

Plan your meals:

You will not want to be preparing meals or dirtying dishes during the move. Everything will be packed up already and you will be busy. Plan ahead and lay in supplies the day before so you will have quick, ready to eat options. Pre-made sandwiches, prepared vegetables and fruits, granola bars and refreshing beverages are great to have on hand for quick, nutritious meals and snacks. Of course, there is the quintessential “no-time-to-cook” option of ordering pizza. Always a yummy alternative!

Pawn off your pets:

If you have pets, especially cats or dogs, it is a good idea to ask a friend to keep them for the day, or take them to a kennel. Moving day can be stressful for them too, as well as possibly dangerous. Doors will be left open and pets disturbed by all of the unusual activity may bolt. You do not want to have to run around the neighborhood searching for Fido while your things are being loaded or unloaded.

Offload your offspring:

The same principles apply to your young children. They will likely be much happier at a friend’s house for the day, rather than having to stay out of the way during the move; and you won’t have to worry about occupying them so they don’t wander off or get hurt.

Yes, moving day can be stressful, but with professional movers and a bit of pre-planning, you can relax.

Packing for Moving in Vancouver

It’s no secret; packing for your move is an enormous job. The easiest way to make sure your packing is done quickly and that your belongings are protected is to have professional movers do it for you. Mountain Movers is one of the top moving companies in Vancouver and we treat your belongings with the utmost care.

Whether you choose to have us do your packing or to tackle the job yourself, there are some things you will want to do in advance to make the job easier.

You will want to start a few weeks in advance and begin by giving away, selling, recycling or throwing out items you no longer need or want. Why move something you will likely never use again? Paring down your possessions will mean less to pack, unpack and accommodate in your new home, as well as saving you money. The less you have, the lower your moving costs.

Next, consider if you have particularly precious items that you prefer to pack in advance and store safely or move yourself. Or you can place them in a designated area and ask your movers to be especially careful with items in that area.

Pack non-essential items first. Clothing and sports equipment that is out of season can be packed early on, for example. Consider what items you use rarely and pack those in advance.

Organization is key to making sure you can find what you need quickly after the move. Making sure that you pack items together that belong in the same area in your new home will mean less work for you after the move. Don’t pack items from the master bedroom with items from the guest room, for example, if those rooms will be on different floors in your new home.

Label, label, label! When you close up each box, make sure you label it with a list of contents as well as the room it is destined to be moved to. That will make the move faster and save you from a frantic search for items that have gone astray.

Just before the move, pack essential personal items in an overnight bag so you will have what you need without having to unpack to find it. Then on moving day, you can focus on unpacking the kitchen first – which is really the heart of your new home and the area you will want to have ready to use first.

Moving your company, keeping your customers happy

A commercial move is a massive undertaking with many factors to consider. You must find a new location that suits your needs much better than the location you’re leaving, arrange for commercial movers and have a plan in place for packing up your business for an efficient, smooth move. Mountain Movers Vancouver can help with accomplishing the smooth move you are hoping for, but there are other things to take into account.

One area you should give much consideration is the impact of your move on your customers. The moving process can be time consuming and can lead to problems that will leave your customers frustrated. Here are some things to consider:

Customer Access:

If your business location is one that your customers visit, there will be a period of time leading up to the move, during the move and after the move during which you will be less than polished and possibly more difficult to get to. Try to keep a clear access to the entrance of your business at all times and at least a small operating area within which will be packed up at the last minute. That way, you will show your customers that they are important and that you are making an effort to accommodate their needs.

Downtime:

For most businesses, a move will result in a period of technological downtime. Your computers and equipment will be disconnected, packed, transported and then set up again. In the meantime, your customers may have trouble reaching you. And if a server or vital piece of equipment is damaged, the downtime could be extended. Make sure to back up everything and test your backups before the move to ensure that you will be able to restore your company to business as usual quickly.

Informing Your Customers:

The best way to minimize the negative impact of your move on your customers is to make sure they are informed. Communicate with your customers via your website, social media accounts, voicemail system and on-site at your business in advance of your move. Update them on moving day and clearly define your scheduled business-as-usual day at your new location in all of your communications. Leave a notice at your old location for as long as possible after your move so that any customers who missed your notifications will not wonder where you have gone.

Moving your company will inevitably impact your customers and cause confusion, but good planning and effective notification will minimize the impact and demonstrate to your customers that you value their business.

Benefits of Using Pros on a Commercial Move

From time to time a business will find it has outgrown its existing space and be forced to find a new location. Undertaking a Commercial move is no easy task and can be stressful for the many people working in the organization as well as management who wants to oversee the move, and minimize impact on the day to day operations of the company.

This is true for large companies moving to new buildings or multiple floors, medium sized operations moving into office space, or retailers who have outgrown the floor space and are expanding. Whatever your situation, any commercial move is a multi- faceted operation that must be dealt with on several levels prior to moving day. The initial logistics will seem like an almost impossible undertaking, but broken down into small pieces you can gradually prepare for the big day. Talking with a coordinator at a professional moving company will be a crucial step to making this an easy transition. The professionals always have tips and tricks that seem so obvious once you know them, but may completely escape your train of thought prior to having that important couple of conversations. One simple element that many forget is that most office buildings don’t allow move-ins during the week which necessitates a weekend move most of the time. You can be certain there will be staff resentment about being forced to attend the move on a weekend, if not outright complaining. It’s why hiring professionals makes it easier.

Most reputable commercial movers will do their very best to minimize your downtime. By assigning a project coordinator to your move you will have a go to person for questions and answers and someone to manage the details of a commercial move. The planning is the most important part of a business move and the project coordinator will be crucial help before the big day arrives. They will coordinate truck arrival and departures. Ensure timeframes and loading dock access in advance. They use the best equipment for the movement of key office equipment like file cabinets, computer servers, and printers, and they are experienced at relocating this very equipment safely and intact. When it’s time to move your Vancouver office choose a commercial moving company that will save you time, headaches, and the related stress of managing it all yourself. The professionals make a huge difference in a commercial move.

For a Low Stress Move Get The Full Pack Option

In Vancouver, even moving within the city can be a very challenging task. The best and safest routes to get to your new place are important considerations. The time of the move, and the availability of parking or street limitations can all be serious issues on moving day. Condo’s and apartment buildings also may have loading dock restrictions or during busy seasons may even require booking appointments. Most moving companies will have good ideas about the best way to approach your particular move. They also look up road closures and detours that may come up, in an effort to ensure your things are delivered on time.

Almost any move can be stressful, but if you approach things in advance, deal with the things you can and let the professionals handle things that are outside of your experience it can be a pleasant experience. A complete pack and unpack is the absolute in luxury and peace of mind. They arrive at your current place a day in advance and log everything, which is tagged and packed into easily handled boxes. Any furniture that can be disassembled will be, and all elements noted and packed together. You will have to handle a few things on your own that the company can’t or won’t move. I call it the four P’s: Plants, Pets, Precious Pieces and Propane.

The delivery crew usually arrives the next morning and puts everything safely and securely in the truck. Then depending on the timing and the amount of household inventory you have they may even deliver it to the new location the same day. If not, the unpack crew will arrive and put everything back together and then place everything where it goes according to your valuable direction. Imagine how amazing you will feel after moving to your new home to see your entire china cabinet arrive safe and sound. The unit will be put together by capable people and then every item placed back inside safe and intact. Think of the entire contents of your kitchen and cupboards put away in almost no time. The time saving and expertise you gain by not doing this type of thing yourself is incredible. It allows you to think about your future in the new place like where to put your art, or what is missing that you will need to acquire. For some reason entry rugs never quite seem to go in the new place.

And that really is all there is to it. A Vancouver moving company will handle all the complicated stuff, the heavy lifting, even shifting the couch until you are happy. They will take all the boxes when they are done and give you the inventory list as well that they have checked off as it came from the truck. Everything will get to where it’s going. You just put your plants where you think they will live and leave the rest to the pros. Your sanity will thank you, the family will thank you, and instead of unpacking piece by piece over a couple of days or even weeks depending on your time, everything will be in place almost immediately. It will be up to you to remember where you chose to put everything.

Planning Ahead With a Moving Company Eases Pressure

Moving day always arrives much faster than you expect. There seems like thousands of little things to do that aren’t directly related to the actual moving of your furniture and belongings. Changing addresses, notifying all kinds of agencies of your new place. Cancelling current services and getting new ones lined up at the new location. Starting earlier is one thing that will make it easier when the big day comes.

Once you are certain of your move out and move in dates, it is wise to contact as many agencies as you can think of and request changes for the day before you move out, and a couple of days after you move in for cable and phone services. Healthcare, and insurance just need a change of address notice and you may need to close accounts for things like water, gas, and electrical, and open new ones in your name, or at least notify them of the end date and new address so they can bill you accordingly, and get your new accounts opened at the right time. Don’t forget to call your cell provider so they bill the new address, and getting you mail rerouted from the post office will identify other places you may have missed as the mail will come marked with the old address indicating you need to be in touch. The post office service is for limited time and there is a small charge involved but it is a big help.

One friend of mine put a checklist in his wallet and every time he thought of someone to call or an account was changed he added it to the list or checked it off. That is a great tip you can start using as soon as you have the moving dates. Setting up many of these services in advance will allow you to get them out of your mind well before moving day arrives.

Moving day is challenging enough on its own without trying to remember to call the phone company because you forgot to tell them. All your regular furniture, belongings and dishes should be packed in boxes by now. If you are moving within Vancouver, hopefully you hired a local moving company to box everything up, and even unpack for you. The piece of mind you will get from professional movers is amazing, and it frees you up to just handle really delicate or special items and your plants, which most moving companies don’t take. If you didn’t get a full pack move, at least all you need to worry about is directing them where to put things at the new place. A little advanced work can really make moving simpler.