Spring Cleaning Tips From Our Grand Fork Movers

 

As your Grand Forks movers we are starting to see a lot of households take on their spring cleaning.  If you are planning a move in the next few months, now is the perfect time to start chipping away at the work load. Even though summer is known as the moving season, by planning ahead you can enjoy the summer weather more and clean while it’s still a bit chilly. With that said, we thought this would be the perfect time to go over some quick spring cleaning tips.

5 Spring Cleaning Tips for your Grand Forks Home

1. Baby Steps – Don’t try and get all the big jobs done in one weekend – like cleaning under the fridge or even repainting. Make a list of small job as well as big jobs and split them up over the weekends so you can get all your work done and still enjoy your social life.
2. Clean Green – No one wants to be cleaning all day with nasty chemicals and fumes. Opt for green cleaners, either store bought or homemade. If you are considering making your own cleaners, here is an article which provides instructions for glass cleaners, degreasers and more.
3. Yard Sale – Once you’ve made a list of cleaning projects start some piles for donations, yard sale nominees, recycling and garbage. Hosting a yard sale before the move or even just to get rid of some old belongings is a great way to make more room in your house and give it a fresh feeling.
4. Donations – Donations go a long way, so whatever you couldn’t sell in your yard sale should be considered for donations. Spring cleaning is a perfect opportunity to rid your home of unnecessary items and forgotten clothing.
5. Mind the Yard – Spring cleaning doesn’t stop in the house it only begins there. Once you’ve made a list of interior projects take a walk around outside and look for projects you’ve always wanted to complete but never had the time too. The momentum that you’ve started with the interior projects will help you jumpstart the exterior cleaning projects. Even if you don’t have any major projects, after a few dry days you can begin weed whacking, mowing and planning your garden.

During your spring cleaning you may come across winter recreational equipment that you may want to store over the spring and summer months. Please feel free to contact us regarding our short term and long term storage solutions.

Nelson Movers Tips for Creative Packing

Even though we sell packing supplies we also understand that a lot of people like to make use of what they already have in their homes. There’s very good reason to this as using items from your home is efficient and it will also help with the loading and unloading process. As Nelson Movers, we see a lot of creative ideas in regards to packing and we thought we should offer some of the best tips for saving space, time and a little bit of money too.

Unexpected Items for Creative Packing

1.      Blankets, Sheets and Towels – Use these to provide as extra cushioning in your next move. With the extra padding there will be less movement within the box and less chances of possessions breaking. Plus it eliminates a box or two that would normally be filled with linens.

2.      Old T-shirts and Socks – Old t-shirts and socks can even be used to cut out the wiggle room in boxes of electronics or knick knacks.

3.      Old Plastic Bags – While most of try to cut down on the amount of plastic bags we accrue from the grocery store, there’s usually a stash somewhere under the kitchen sink. These plastic bags can be used for providing extra padding or for separating cutlery, kitchen utensils, bathroom supplies or loose items from drawers.

4.      Books and Magazines – Because of their sturdy nature, books and magazines can make excellent padding in the bottom of a box. This will ensure for a weighed down box which will prevent any chances of tipping. Rolling a magazine and stuffing it in the corner of a box will also prevent movement in the box.

5.      Luggage, Backpacks and Gym Bags – For the items that don’t necessarily need to be packed in a wardrobe box, using your luggage or other bags is a great substitute. We often pack empty suitcases, luggage and backpacks. Some people even put empty backpacks in boxes. This also works great if you are moving long distance and you would like a specific suitcase for your clothes for the next couple of days.

We hope that these tips help you lighten the load and pack more efficiently. Of course, some items just don’t work in backpacks or surrounded by blankets and old t-shirts. But, as Nelson Movers we offer a full line of packing supplies to ensure your move is organized and packed right. Please contact us for more information on our storage facilities and moving services.

Nelson Movers tips for Moving in the Winter

The snow has fallen and the kids are counting the sleeps until Christmas – it really looks like winter is here. And as your Nelson movers we wanted to offer some tips for ensuring your winter move is safe and enjoyable.

Tips for Moving in the Winter

Heat and Lights
Call ahead and ensure the utilities are all working and if you have access make sure to turn the heat on a day before you move. This allows the house to heat up and will make the warm house a haven from the bitter cold. Even though this is important no matter which month you’re moving, it’s especially important during the winter months with the shorter days and colder nights.

Sidewalks and Driveways
Sometimes you just got to get out the shovels and salt and start shoveling. Ensure there is enough room for the movers as well as yourself to navigate the walkways while carrying heavy loads. Salting the icy patches will also prevent any nasty spills on the stairs of walkways as well.

Protect your Floors
Lay down some plastic or cardboard to protect your floors from being covered in snow water, dirt and debris. If you have a carpeted floor, tape down the cardboard or plastic. Test the tape on an inconspicuous spot to ensure it doesn’t leave marks first.

Be Prepared
Watch the weather and plan for the unexpected. If you haven’t already, pack an emergency winter kit for the trunk of your car. It should contain blankets, salt, gravel or sand (even kitty litter), small shovel, flashlight, and some snacks. If you’re moving to a region that receives a lot of snow, include chains for your tires in your emergency kit too.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Plan to have warm beverages available as a hot drink can really keep the energy festive. You could even plan to have house warming party with family friends and loved ones. Make sure to socialize and attend seasonal events of all sorts as moving around Christmas can sometimes be too much to manage.

We hope that your move goes on without a hitch and there’s no unexpected snowfall. However, sometimes it’s best to go with the professionals who are experienced with moving during the winter. Please contact us with any questions or for rates on moving and storage solutions in Nelson, BC.

From all of us at Kootenai Moving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

5 Tips to Winterize your Home

As local movers in Nelson, we are well acquainted with moving families in colder weather. But, before the winter months roll in we want to share some tips for making your home as warm as possible.

Autumn is now in full swing, the leaves are turning colours and the night is beginning to shorten our days. It will soon be time for us to turn back our clocks and pull out the flannel shirts, wool socks, and winter tires. If you’ve recently moved and you haven’t had a chance to winterize your home or if you have an older home that needs some general maintenance – this list is for you.

5 Tips for Winterizing your Home

Air Leaks and Door Sweeps – No one likes a cold draft, run your hands along the baseboards to see if you can feel cold air blowing in and if you have leaks around baseboards, additional caulking or insulation will work fine. Next, have a look at your doors that are on an exterior wall to see if you can see any gaps. Installing a metal or rubber door sweep will do a great job at keeping the cold air out.

Weather Stripping and Sealing Windows – While your checking for gaps near the bottom of your door you may as well inspect the doorway for gaps around the full perimeter of the door. Installing weather stripping around the doorway will enhance the seal around the door and keep the cold air out. We also recommend using a window insulation kit around the exterior of your windows. This will help keep the warm air in and keep the cold air out.

Electrical Outlets – Electrical outlets are another common spot for drafts. Run your hands along the outlets on exterior walls to check if you can feel any cold air blowing in. If you do, we recommend picking up some foam insulation cutouts from your home improvement or hardware store.

Clean the Fireplace and Furnace – If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to maintain a clean fireplace, woodstove, furnace and chimney. We recommend changing the furnace filter and making sure that the fireplace flue is closed when not in use. If you don’t have glass doors on your fireplace it’s a good idea to install them as this will help keep the warm air in and cold air out.

Stock up on Fire Wood – Winter is coming, make sure you have plenty of firewood and remember safety first! We recommend pre-cutting kindling and having an assortment of full logs and spilt logs as full logs will burn long into the night.

We hope these tips on winterizing your home can keep your home as warm as possible this fall. For all your seasonal storage needs remember Nelson storage and if you have any questions related to moving please feel free to contact Kootenay Moving anytime.

Nelson Moving and Storage Company Tips on at Home Storage

Our Nelson moving company is not just the Kootenay BC region’s most reliable local and long distance relocation company, we are also sought out by residents and businesses for our Nelson storage service. In particular, our offering of safe, secure, and affordable storage provides households with the peace of mind needed when they are moving to a new home with less square footage (and thus excess personal “inventory”) or if they simply need a temporary holding place for possessions when in the middle of a large scale relocation. However, we of course recognize that there are many items that serve your day to day home life by being kept within immediate reach even if they are not used day to day. In an effort to provide or readers with some easy-to-follow advice on the moving and storage process we thought we’d launch our new blog with a few pointers on home storage.

5 Easy to Follow Home Storage Solutions

1. Store It Where You Use It

This tip certainly seems like common sense but all too often people keep their household excess stored in one spot within the home. When they need to retrieve something they end up unearthing boxes and piles of possessions to get to the one thing they actually need – which is ALWAYS at the bottom of it all! Instead of following this inefficient method, start fresh by storing the items within close proximity to where they will actually be used. Keep portable kitchen appliances near the kitchen, keep all linens near the bedroom, keep outdoor recreational equipment near the point of exit (garage, etc…) and so forth.

2. Books, Magazines, & Periodicals

First of all, take a proper accounting of your bookshelf and be honest with yourself as to what you will ever read again, and then donate the ones you won’t (about 50%) to your local public library. Second, come to terms with the fact that scrapbooking is not just for teenage girls and fans of Martha Stewart. You’ve likely hoarded a stack of magazines/periodicals because each contained one article or series of photos you cannot live without (yet you can). Cut these articles/images out and create a scrapbook that can continue to grow with subsequent magazine purchases yet pale in comparison to the periodical pile that has formed in the bedroom, attic, and/or bathroom.

3. Vacuum Sealing Your Seasonal Clothing

Visit your nearest house & home retailer and hunt down a vacuum sealing kit for your seasonal clothes and linens. This is one of the most closet space saving solutions around and it’s actually kind of fun watching a vacuum suck the buoyant life out of your parkas and quilts.

4. Display, Don’t Hide, Your Collectibles

We all collect some sort of personal treasure that makes us happy. Be it souvenirs from one’s travels, antiques, curio, or vintage decor (etc…) we have a collection yet all too often these items have been relegated to the dark corners of the home, stored in boxes for safe keeping yet not fulfilling their destiny to be admired, all the while consuming storage space. Be proud of your collections and display them somewhere within the home that “ties the room together” (or whatever). Most items can be displayed on walls and tall shelving units thus negating the need to take up storage space on the floors of closets, basements, and attics.

5. Above Ground Attack on Children’s Toys

Stepping and tripping on toys is an activity that every household with children counted into its census can relate to. Toys need to be stored not just for cleanliness but for personal safety as well. Store your kids’ toys above ground for optimal efficiency. Buy or build a tall shelving unit so as to not take up width in their room (thus maintaining a more spacious environment) and store toys in a top to bottom hierarchy leaving only the educational playthings within their short reach. By keeping the fun stuff out of arm’s length they depend upon you to take them down, which you will happily do when they’ve first returned the one that they were playing with previously. Another option for storing your children’s toys out of sight (but conveniently located) when their room can contain no more is to use decorative steamer trunks to serve as inconspicuous toy chests that can be placed in the living room and tucked into hallway corners. Just keep a lock on the trunks and follow the same play & put back program mentioned above.

We hope these easy-to-follow home storage ideas contribute to your household space saving solutions. If you are still in need of local Nelson storage service please feel free to contact Kootenai Moving anytime.