Monthly Archives: June 2018

A Pre-Moving Checklist to Help Your Move Go Smoothly

No one enjoys the moving process. Even when you hire professional movers in Richmond Hills, ON, there is still much to do to prepare. It’s stressful, to say the least. Though, expert advice claims that it is, in fact, possible to plan an organized move. To do so and to remove stress in the days and weeks leading up to your move, try following a step-by-step timeline.

Follow this checklist as closely as you can, and you’ll breeze through your move:

Eight Weeks Prior to Your Move:

  • Throw stuff out as you sort. There is no point in moving items and clothing you do not use to your new home. The fewer boxes, the less money you spend transporting your belongings.
  • Due diligence. Investigate moving companies in your area that specialize in the type of move you need (last-minute, cross-country, etc.). Also, be sure to request an on-site estimate.
  • Create a folder, spreadsheet, or three-ring binder to keep track of your estimates, timeline, receipts, inventory, etc.

Five Weeks Prior to Your Move:

  • Use it up. Get creative in the kitchen and use up as much as you can so you don’t waste it. Cleaning supplies are a good idea to use up, too.
  • Purchase materials. Boxes, packing tape, totes, and other packing items need to be purchased or ordered. Of course, this only applies if you do not plan to have your Richmond Hill, ON movers pack your belongings for you.
  • Measure your doorways, stairwell, and large furniture items to provide to the movers prior to Moving Day.

Four Weeks Prior to Your Move:

  • Choose your moving professionals.
  • Pack and label as you go. Be sure to keep your valuables separate, though; i.e.: jewelry, important files, special keepsakes.
  • Notify important people/companies. This includes providing your new address to family and friends, any companies you hold accounts with, health care professionals (to have records transferred if need be), and the mail system.

Two Weeks Prior to Your Move:

  • Take time off work. Notify your employer of time you may need to be present for your Richmond Hill, ON movers.
  • Vehicle service. This is especially important if you’re moving far away and intend to drive your car or truck instead of having it shipped.
  • Touch base with your movers to reconfirm arrangements. Be sure to double-check the arrival times and various other specifications, including directions to both locations, contact information, payment methods and amount(s), timeline of events, etc.

One Week Prior to Your Move:

  • Check medications. If you need a refill soon, get that taken care of prior to moving.
  • Pack your “go bag.” This should include the items you’ll need in transit and for your first few days at your new home: toiletries, bath towel, pyjamas, change of clothes, etc.

Moving Day

  • Verify the company upon arrival. Scams happen all the time; be sure the company vehicle and professional moving team are correct.
  • Bill of lading. Sign the inventory and receive a copy before the move is underway.

The moving process is easy when you work with the experts here at ABS Movers & Storage. Give the team a call at (416) 588-1499 or stop by to discuss your pending move with our professional Richmond Hill, ON movers at 17 Dora Avenue, Toronto, ON M6H 1J5.

PROFESSIONAL PACKERS: ARE THEY WORTH IT?

The fact is, moving homes is overwhelming. If you’ve never experienced it, know that most everyone dislikes it, especially those who choose to handle it themselves rather than turning to a professional moving company. Why? Well, when you’re prepping to move you have to balance three very important tasks:

  1. Researching moving companies or moving trucks to rent
  2. Sorting, organizing, cleaning, and packing—unless you hire movers to handle the packing portion.
  3. Surviving the process

Moving homes feels endless; survival is important! Beyond these three tasks, you also have to find time in your busy schedule to do all of it, come up with the funds to handle everything anticipated and unforeseen, and function normally in your everyday life.

Why does anyone ever voluntarily choose to move?

These days, with our busy schedules, it seems those who are moving are doing it for one of a handful of reasons:

  • Move away from or closer to family
  • New job
  • Fresh start (after a trauma of some sort)
  • First venture out of the parents’ home

Truth be told, the worst part about moving is the packing. Can we all agree on this? In fact, packing is arguably the most stressful part of the whole moving process because it is time-consuming, highly organization-driven, and boring. That’s right; packing is a killjoy.

Here’s the thing, you have to make the right decision for you. But, we here at ABS Movers & Storage would encourage you to use us and our services. Let us pack up your Markham, ON home for you! Not sure about it? Check out these reasons to hire a professional moving company to help you pack:

  • Save yourself time. Packing up an entire home can take days, even weeks, for the average person to handle it him- or herself. Mainly, this has to do with lack of expertise, TIME (no one wants to take off work to pack up their home!) why not let a pro handle it so you can spend your time doing what you need to do?
  • Professional efficiency. It’s crazy to see how fast a professional can handle packing up your entire
  • Safety. There is so much room for injury if you pack up your home yourself. If you have bulky, antique, or heavy items, packing can become tricky… Let our experts climb the ladders to take down your artwork and lift heavy items into appropriately-sized boxes!
  • Insurance. If we break it, we buy it. But, if you pack up your own stuff, guess who’s responsible when a vase is dropped and broken? You. Hiring a moving company to handle the packing process will give you peace of mind—your belongings are protected.

We hope you’ll consider our team of professionals here at ABS Movers & Storage a moving company in Markham, ON for your next move. Skip the packing part; it’s a pain! We’d love to take care of that for you!

ABS Movers & Storage | 17 Dora Ave Toronto, ON M6H 1J5 | (416) 588-1499

PACKING MOTIVATION—HOW TO GET MOVING

Packing for a big move can be one of the most deflating tasks—it feels as though it takes forever. Is there anything less exciting that sorting through your own belongings and packing them away? YOU AREN’T ALONE! Unless packing and hauling is your profession, chances are good that you—hating it every step of the way—are in the majority.

What needs to be done to get you motivated? Here at ABS Movers & Storage, we have a few tips we’ve learned over the years to share with you! The following 4 tips will help you get motivated to pack!

  1. Break down the packing process into manageable-sized tasks
    Putting your whole home into boxes is a big project. Do you find yourself standing in the middle of the room wondering where and how to begin? The trick is to trick yourself into accomplishing a lot without realizing it. Standing in front of the One Huge Task (packing up your entire home) and wallowing in self-pity won’t do you any good. You need small projects to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling. Here’s an Example Checklist:
  • Separate clothing your wear and love from clothing you don’t
  • Throw away/donate clothing from the “don’t love/don’t wear” pile
  • Pack kitchen
  • Pack bedroom #1
  • Pack living room décor
  • Pack books

Before you know it, you’re done!

  1. Eliminate distractions
    Moving houses can rapidly become problematic if you find yourself dealing with constant interruptions. Stopping, addressing the interruption, resuming… Stopping again… It’s demotivating, to say the least. So, do something about it, preemptively. Check this out:
  • Phones: silence them.
  • Pets: cordon them off in a room you aren’t working in or let them run around in the backyard.
  • Kids: send them to a friend’s house if they aren’t old enough to assist.
  1. Make it fun
    What are friends for if they won’t lend a hand to make the packing process more efficient? Call your closest two or three friends, order some pizza, and make a day of it.
  2. Reward yourself
    We’re all children at heart. Remember your manageable list? As you complete a task, reward yourself, just as you would reward your child for finishing chores! Honestly, it’s funny what we adults are willing to do for a “gold star.” Here are a few ideas to help you feel excited to accomplish a checklist item:
  • Take a well-deserved break (like… a nap…)
  • Order your favorite delivery food
  • Treat yourself to a spa day
  • Catch a movie you’ve been wanting to see

Don’t let the packing process get you down! You can do it! But, should you decide packing just isn’t for you, or if you do not have the time to handle it yourself—that’s ok, too. Give our team here at ABS Movers & Storage in Markham, ON movers a call and let’s discuss our packing, storage, and transport services together! Our professional movers can help you choose the timeline and moving/storage services that work best for you for your pending move. We’ve got your back!

ABS Movers & Storage | 17 Dora Ave Toronto, ON M6H 1J5 | (416) 588-1499

MOVING TO THE CITY: 4 SURVIVAL TIPS

Are you moving to a big city? It’s exciting, isn’t it?! Truly, there’s so much to be excited about—especially if you’re leaving a small town behind you. There are more professional opportunities, an endless list of entertainment choices, cultural diversity, and a chance to discover new hobbies!

Now, even though you’re probably ecstatic about your pending move, you may also feel worried about the process. Moving is rarely something people look forward to. Further, moving to a densely-populated city can be a bit unnerving; lots of unknowns!

Don’t worry! The following four tips from the pros here at ABS Movers & Storage in Woodbridge, ON can help you avoid mistakes and get you adjusted! Here’s what you need to know!

Tip #1: Do your research
Moving anywhere—whether it’s to a big city or a small town—requires preparations. Do whatever you can to learn about your soon-to-be surroundings:

  • Know someone? If you have a friend or acquaintance in the area you’re moving to, give them a call and gather information they think you “need” to know: places to go or avoid, favourite restaurants, etc.
  • Housing options. Spend a lot of time researching. We suggest you physically visit to inspect—even if you plan to move into an apartment.
  • Check out the job market! This may go without saying, but, just in case: please have a job lined up before you move! Unless, of course, you’ve saved yourself a BIG nest egg.
  • Get acquainted with the weather. We’re all familiar with the Woodbridge weather—but, what will it be like where you’re going? Wet? Dry? Long winters like we have here? How’s the snow removal system? Get familiar so you aren’t unpleasantly surprised!

Tip #2: Bring only the essentials
Know this rule of thumb: the bigger the city and the closer the residence is to the “inner city,” the smaller the apartments and homes. If this is true for your destination, think very seriously about paring down the number of belongings you have! Bonus: the fewer things you bring with you, the less you have to pack and pay to ship!

Tip #3: Embrace public transportation
Metropolis areas aren’t too conducive to joy rides… Big cities just aren’t car-friendly, unless you like stop-and-go traffic and own a tiny car. Public transportation may sound unappealing, but it’s not! Dare to try! Buses, trains, subways—so convenient!

Tip #4: Hire a professional moving company
Truthfully, how experienced would you say you are at maneuvering a big truck through a big city? Moving is stressful. There’s no need to put too much on your shoulders while you’re in the process of preparing for new views, a new job, uprooting, etc. Leave the prep work and the transportation to our team here at Woodbridge, ON movers!

If you’re moving from a small town to a densely populated area, our team here at ABS Movers & Storage would love to help make your transition as smooth as can be! We can’t wait to meet you!

ABS Movers & Storage | 17 Dora Ave Toronto, ON M6H 1J5 | (416) 588-1499