Moving Tips and Hints

GENERAL MOVING TIPS

Moving, whether you are doing it on your own or you’ve opted to hire a professional moving company – it’s a chore, no matter which way you look at it. Not only is it time-consuming, it can have negative physical and mental aspects, such as headaches, stress, and backaches to name a few.
However, we hope to help you “lighten the load”, so to speak, by providing you with some helpful moving tips that will go a long way to help you alleviate some of the common moving ailments. By using a bit of common sense and a few of our uber-helpful tips, you can make your move a little bit easier.

  1. Anything the movers would need tools to disassemble needs to be taken care of prior to the mover’s arrival. For example: mirror off dressers, headboards unbolted from the frame of the bed, appliances disconnected, etc… If you would like Apple Moving to perform these services, we will at a minimal charge.
  2. You may leave clothing items in dressers, etc. Please remove all paper, breakables and fragile items and pack them in boxes.
  3. Desk drawers must be completely empty. Legal, letter, and lateral filing cabinets must be empty.
  4. Please have all boxes sealed with tape on both the top and the bottom.
  5. Make sure to stand plates, glasses, stemware, etc… on their ends when packing.
  6. If you need packing material such as boxes, tape, paper, etc… Please call and we can arrange to deliver it to you.

If you have any further questions or any way we can make your move easier for you, please call (972) 239-0399

When you are going to move matters

While you may be forced to move because of certain circumstances, such as marriage, “growing up”, buying a new house or getting a new job – moving in a fair-climate is recommended. Some areas of the country are more or less pleasant year-round, but other areas are plagued with seasonal rain, extreme heat or snow and ice – which can make the moving process either uncomfortable or even dangerous.

If you have a choice in the matter, it’s better to move in the spring or autumn months so that you can hopefully avoid hot summer days and the dangers of moving when travel is more dangerous due to road conditions.

Packing – The biggest chore

Packing is one of the “necessary evils” of moving that you must endure unless you plan on replacing nearly everything you own at your new destination. In all honesty, packing and unpacking is probably the hardest part of the move – and if you’re not hiring a company to do the packing for you – soliciting the help of family and friends for either process can help you out immensely.

There are a number of packing tips that will help you to reduce stress and increase efficiency; we happen to have a packing tips guide ourselves on our packing tips for moving page.

Loading and unloading the moving truck or van

If you’ve hired a full-service moving company, your tasks and responsibilities are more organizational than physical. However, for those who are taking on the responsibility of using a one-way truck rental or who are borrowing vehicles to make the move, loading and unloading the moving vehicle(s) can be a weeks’ worth of working out in itself – and some of us just aren’t used to that type of activity.

You can save yourself a backache by using a little bit of common sense:

  • Park the moving vehicle as close as is comfortably possible to your front door
  • Have somebody in the back of the moving vehicle to arrange boxes (when loading) and hand out boxes (when unloading) to save wear and tear on your body from continually climbing in and out of the truck or van
  • If you have a lot of help, creating a “chain” and passing boxes and lighter items on to another will make both loading and unloading the truck much easier
Family with the moving service worker unloads boxes for new house

Contact us and discover how our Dallas moving company can help you.

Family getting ready to relocate to a new home

Using your kids to help

Truth be told, if you have a family with children that you are looking to transport, it exponentially increases the amount of things that you have to take with you and it can be a real pain if your kids happen to be at “that age” of unruliness or rowdiness. However, if your kids are old enough and strong enough – they can certainly help carry lighter boxes and at the very least, if they’re responsible, you can have them help you watch any younger children that are around.

Using friends and family

Friends and family are around for encouragement, fellowship and support – when you’re moving you’re going to need all of the “support” you can get. By getting help from your close-knit supporters, especially those of the “muscle-bound” variety with strong backs, you will be able to make the process of moving much more bearable; for the cost of a few pizzas and a cold beverage or two you may even be able to make the moving process almost enjoyable. A little bit of food, chit-chat and unpacking boxes… shouldn’t be too bad, right?

Learn more about our Dallas moving company and get a free estimate by calling (972) 239-0399 today!

Making the drive to your new destination

Some people enjoy driving and don’t have a problem with driving a big-rig sized vehicle while it would be a terrifying event for others. First of all, if you’re unsure whether you would have a problem driving a moving van either across town or across the country – you should find somebody who is confident that they could handle it. If you can’t find anybody to do so, it may be in your best interest to hire a moving company; a few bucks out of pocket is better than getting into an accident or adding stress to an already stress-producing event.

Now, if you feel up to the challenge, you should be sure that you prepare yourself for the drive, especially if it’s several hundred or several thousand miles away.

Family moving to new home

If you’re going to make the drive yourself:

  • Be sure you’re in good health. If you’re not feeling well, and especially if you’re taking sleeping aids medications that can make you drowsy, it’s better to have somebody else drive.
  • Get a good night’s sleep the night before you head out.
  • Know where you’re going. Plan it out, print it out and allow plenty of time to get there, even if you have to stay overnight in a hotel.
  • Check your planned travel route against known road construction to avoid unnecessary delays.
  • Bring water and healthy snacks, possibly apples or the like to help keep you hydrated and alert for the drive.

If you’ve never moved before, especially when it’s a multi-room or multi-person family move, it can be an outright challenge on your wits. However, by using the tips in our moving guide you might find that your move really didn’t go as bad as you thought it would.

HOME MOVING TIPS

  • Flammables. All items that are flammable or explosive must be transported by the customer and cannot be placed in the moving van. Some examples are: aerosol cans, propane tanks, thinners, gasoline, etc.
  • Engines. Gasoline engines must be emptied (i.e. lawn movers).
  • Garden hoses should be drained and the ends connected together. Place hose in empty trash container to avoid leakage.
  • Dressers. Chest of drawers and dressers can be moved with the drawers full. Any items that could spill, break or move around should be removed. Some examples are: perfume, cologne, jewelry, coins, pens, pencils, paper clips, glass items.
  • Live plants are considered to be perishable items. We can move them, but cannot take responsibility for their condition at destination.
  • Outdoor items made of concrete, cement, or plaster can be moved but we cannot take responsibility for these items. Changes in weather causes external and internal cracks that can cause breaks and/or crumbling
  • Guns and/or ammunition cannot be transported.
  • Refrigerators and freezers should be emptied prior to the time of the move.
  • Computers and electronic equipment should be disconnected and be ready to move prior to loading. Small electronic components should be boxed.
Office employees getting their stuff ready to relocate

OFFICE MOVING TIPS

  1. Labeling: Everything should be labeled, no matter how small or inconsequential. When a desk has a removable return, both pieces must be tagged.
  2. Tagging: Bundles of computer cables, floor mats, white boards, trash cans, typewriters, individual computer components and peripherals, etc. must all be individually tagged.
    • Tag items in locations that are easy for the mover to spot. Examples;
    • Chairs on the back rest
    • Desks, tables and credenzas on the top of work surfaces
    • Bookcases on the top
    • Storage cabinets and file cabinets on the front top
    • Boxes on the ends – not on top or bottom
  3. Contents: we ask that you to empty completely the contents of the following articles:
    • Desks
    • Table drawers
    • Credenzas – shelving
    • Storage cabinets
    • Bookcases
    • Filing Cabinets 2-drawer verticals are moved intact; 4-drawer verticals we ask them to empty first 3 drawers; weight tends to spring the mechanism
  4. Connections: All mechanical and electrical disconnections must be made prior to the time of the move.
  5. Personnel: Do NOT have a lot of extra personnel at your facilities on moving day. They will only get in the way of the movers.
  6. Leased Equipment: Do NOT move photocopiers with toner installed inside. You must notify all service or lease agents that you are moving the photocopier or computer equipment that is under contract.
  7. Building Access: Arrange to provide the movers with clear, direct and exclusive access to entrances, work areas and any required elevators at the origin and destination facilities.