7 Moving Hacks to Make Unpacking Easier
Packing up all your belongings is one thing–you’re ready for a new start and excited to get things moving. Unpacking, on the other hand, can be a very different experience. Suddenly you’re faced with a once-empty home that is now filled to the brim with boxes upon boxes of your belongings. Make unpacking easier by trying out these helpful moving hacks, and don’t forget about your local movers Castlegar, moving professionals ready and willing to help you with your move.
Tips for Packing Your Breakables
Moving to a new home, though stressful, can be a very exciting time for many families. You get an opportunity to start fresh, set up all your furniture and other belongings the way that fits best in your new house. But nothing ruins the excitement like opening one of your boxes — that was correctly labeled “fragile,” mind you! — only to find it full of broken wine glasses or china plates.
Stay Safe During Your Summer Moves
Lots of people move during the summer. It is actually the busiest moving season. The thing is the summer can actually be one of the most dangerous times to move due to the heat. Sunburn, heat stroke, dehydration and injuries can all occur during a summer move. Here are some tips for staying safe during your summer move.
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Moving a Piano
So you really want to move your piano? While it is great that you have a piano and you want to take it with you, you really should consider having yours moved by professionals. Not only is it complicated and dangerous to move a piano, but they can also be easily damaged or cause serious injury if you aren’t careful.
If you still think you can handle the job yourself here are a few of the things that you should keep in mind when you are going to move a piano.
Moving Your Pinball Machine
Do you have some unique items that you want to take with you to your new home? Many serious electronic gamers have pinball machines in their game rooms or man rooms. They can be somewhat problematic to move as pinball machines are notoriously sensitive. Here are some tips on how to move your pinball machine and minimize the impact on it.
Start with the Back Box
There are three main parts to a pinball machine, and you are going to need to deal with all three of them to successfully move yours. The first is the back glass or back box. This is the part that the ball doesn’t touch and usually keeps score.
Most machines, unless they are really old, will allow you to fold the back glass down. If you have an electromechanical pinball machine (from the sixties or early seventies), then you will need to disconnect the wiring harness. Do this by opening the back of the back glass and looking for the large wired connector. Once you have unplugged this, you can fold the back glass down.
Newer machines will either have a locking or latching mechanism. These can be engaged through the use of specialized Allen key tools or latching mechanisms right inside the back glass.
Older machines might require that the box is removed entirely. Open up your back box and look for two or four large bolts to remove in order to take the box off.
Remove the Legs
To make the machine easier to move, and to take up less space in the truck, you will need to remove the legs from the machine. This isn’t difficult, but it will require that you open up the pinball machine.
If you look inside at the corners, you will see two bolts in each corner. Those bolts run through the machine to the outside where they hold the legs on tight. You will need a socket or two in order to remove these bolts. Remember to support the machine as you take the legs off.
Wrap and Protect Your Machine
NEVER put the legs inside the machine or wrap them onto the pinball glass. They can cause damage. Use furniture blankets to wrap the back box and main body of the pinball machine. Carefully secure them to the machine using adhesive that you stick to the blankets, not the machine itself.
Use stretch wrap to protect each of the legs from scratches, then tie them together if you wish. Then wrap the package with blankets or something else to protect them during the move.
Remember to Get a Hand Truck
Pinball machines are notoriously heavy. You will need a hand truck to move it around and keep it from being damaged. Make sure to pad the truck as well in order to avoid damaging your pinball machine.
Let the Expert movers in Castlegar Help
Need help moving your pinball machine? Contact Kootenai Storage and Relocation for an estimate today!
Keeping Safe in Your Moving Truck
Looking to save money on your move? One of the best ways to do it is by renting and driving your own moving truck. Moving trucks are very large and can be somewhat difficult to drive if you have never had experience with one previously. Before you go and pick up your moving truck, here are some tips for keeping safe behind the wheel. That way you and the contents of your home will make it to your new home in one piece.
Give It the Once Over
Before driving your rental truck off of the lot, give it a good once over. Take a look at the tires and make sure they are inflated properly. Look to see if there is any damage to the truck that might cause it to function improperly. Make sure that the lights, horn, steering and turn signals are all working.
If you find any problems with the truck, report them immediately to the rental office. Do not drive away with a truck that is not in 100% working order.
Obey the Weight Limit
Don’t be tempted to overload a smaller truck just to save a few dollars. Moving trucks have very specific weight limits, and they are in place for a reason. Overloading a moving truck can compromise the ability of it to perform and put you and any passengers in danger.
Also remember to obey the proper weight distribution of the back of the truck. Typically larger trucks want 60% of the load towards the front.
Keep a Safe Traveling Distance
A large moving truck takes much longer to bring to a stop than a car. You want to make sure that you leave enough room between yourself and the cars in front of you to come to a stop, even if the car in front of you jams on the brakes. A good rule of thumb is to maintain double the normal distance between you and traffic in front of you than you normally would.
Beware Bad Weather
A large truck handles differently in bad weather than what you may be used to. You want to pay special attention to the speed limits in the area and remain about 10 kph below them to stay safe. Leave even more space between you and the traffic around you. If the weather gets too bad, pull over and wait for it to pass. It is much better to wait out a storm and pay some extra when you turn the truck in than to get into an accident.
Leave Yourself Enough Time
Your GPS might give you the right directions, but don’t trust the time estimate. GPS devices are geared for use in cars. Trucks, particularly loaded moving trucks, need to move much slower. Give yourself plenty of time and don’t rely on the GPS ETA.
Hire Professional Movers in Castlegar
Save yourself the stress of driving your own truck by having Kootenai moving do the heavy lifting for you. Contact us today.
Keeping Your Movers Happy
A good moving crew is capable of turning the most difficult move into a cake walk. If you have decided to go with professional movers, you may be wondering about the proper way to keep them happy. Obviously, you are going to do things differently with professional movers than you would if you had friends or family helping you out. Here are some ideas on how to keep your professional movers happy and ensure that the job gets done quickly!
Don’t Forget the Beverages
Moving is hard work. No matter what time of year that the moving is getting done, you are going to want to have beverages on hand for your movers to drink. Bottled water is always a good choice, but if you want to add a little variety, you might want to have coffee, soda or iced tea. Whatever it is, keep it in the fridge (except the coffee) so that it is cold. Until they move the fridge, that is!
Stay Away from Alcohol
A quick note about alcohol: avoid it. It may seem like the “cool” thing to do to offer alcohol to your movers, but it can just lead accidents or impaired ability. If you want to, tip in cash and let them spend it at the bar on their own time.
What about Lunch?
While it is certainly a great idea to give the crew lunch, they won’t come expecting it. If you are going to do lunch, having something quick for them is probably best. Think of food that you can eat while you are on the move. Things like pizza, sandwiches or other hand foods are a great option. If you want to stop and offer a full lunch as tip, that is perfectly acceptable. If you do choose to do this, ask the crew what their lunch preference would be so that you ensure that you get them something they will enjoy.
Cash Tips
So if you are considering giving a cash tip, the big question is how much? Obviously, you don’t want to be insulting to a mover, but it can be difficult to figure out what the proper amount is. Don’t try to work out a percentage of the cost. Moving tips just don’t work the same way. Think about it more as a per hour basis. The longer the crew is there working, the more that you should tip them.
Then there are the additional things to consider. Was the day overly long? A short day is 3 to 4 hours. An average day is 7 to 8 hours, and a long day is 12 hours. The longer the day, the more you want to increase the tip.
Don’t forget to figure in things like long difficult stairwells or any additional things they might have done for you. Make sure to reward for good service.
Kootenai Moving Are Your Expert Movers in Castlegar
Looking for a moving crew that can get the job done? Contact Kootenai Moving today!
Keep Your Valuables Safe during Your Move
Planning on packing things up yourself to save money? While that can be a good idea if you are moving on a limited budget, you don’t want to end up costing yourself more by damaging your valuables. While books can easily be packed into paper boxes and clothes can be put into suit cases or boxes recovered from grocery stores, Grandma’s china needs a little more TLC. Here are some tips for packing your china, crystal and other fragile items.
Get Insured
While some homeowners polices will cover a move, others will not. To ensure that you are going to be covered, you should contact your policy holder and ask what their moving coverage is. If they do not cover moves, make sure to purchase insurance for anything that you are going to be loading into a moving truck. Make sure to take it out for the specific value of any antiques you might be taking with you as often times they require special coverage.
Keep Small Things Close By
Knowing what not to pack into the truck can be as important as knowing what to pack. Items like jewelry, small family heirlooms or important documents should be kept with you and carried in your car. If you are not able to do so, pack them up separately and mail them using a commercial mail carrier. That way you know that the items are safe.
Don’t Skimp on Packing Material
For items like crystal or china, there are special boxes and packing materials available. The added cost is worth it when you consider the cost that it might take to replace those things. Some of them might be irreplaceable. Ensuring that you have the right boxes to get the job done will help prevent any accidental breaks or items getting ruined.
Tape Up Paintings
During a hurricane many photographers and art galleries will put an X made of painter’s tape across anything that is under glass. Why do they do this? The tape-X will help to prevent the glass from shattering should something happen to it. This will help to prevent your photos or paintings from being damaged by any accidental glass breakage.
Don’t Stack Dishes
If you are packing china, remember that dishes should be packed side by side, not stacked. A stack will slowly increase the weight of the dishes upon the ones at the bottom. This increase pressure can and will eventually crack those dishes on the bottom. Prevent this by packing dishes side by side and making sure that nothing heavy is stacked on top of them when they are loaded into the moving truck.
Trust Your Movers in Castlegar
Why not give yourself the peace of mind of having a professional mover pack up all of your valuables for you. Kootenai Moving can help you get your move done right and at a much lower cost than you might think. Contact us today for a quote!