Author: lAxGpCF3Pf

Most of us are trying to be more environmentally conscious these days and that can mean doing a lot of things differently. One way you can help is to reduce the amount of stuff you throw out while finding ways to reuse things in your home. 

When you move into a new home, one of the biggest items that usually go straight into the garbage can is the enormous number of moving boxes. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can find a way to reuse those moving boxes after your move in some truly creative ways. 

Here are five of our favourite uses for boxes after a move:

1. Storage boxes — One of the most obvious ways to reuse moving boxes is to reinforce them with heavy-duty packing tape and use them as storage boxes. Many of us have items like holiday decorations or yard supply items that need to be kept stored neatly in the garage or attic. 

Use your moving boxes as storage boxes for those items so they are organized in your new home. Be sure to put a large label on the outside of the boxes so you don’t have to search through each box to find out what is inside.

1. Gift boxes  —  Ever notice how you always seem to need and never seem to have on hand different-sized boxes for gifts, especially around the holidays? If you’ve ever tried to wrap a gift that is an odd shape or oversized, then you know that a large moving box would be a perfect option. If you want to keep your moving boxes for the next holiday season, simply break them down and then store them flat in a closet or garage along with your collection of wrapping papers and Christmas bows. 
2. Gardening — There are actually a couple of options for your boxes if you are into gardening. First, you can go with a simple option and add them to your compost heap. If you do this, then it can become part of the mulch that will go on to make your garden grow well.
   You can also take some of your boxes and turn them into home planters. Especially if you have an apartment or a smaller house without much of a yard, you can turn them into planter boxes that can grow small plants or flowers.
3. DIY Projects — The cardboard found in the moving boxes can be used for a variety of DIY projects. You can make everything from homemade cat-scratching posts to smaller things like thank-you-notes that are much sturdier than your normal store-bought variety. You can also save the pieces for your kids’ school projects. From dioramas to science fair project backdrops, cardboard boxes can be used for a variety of school projects and other arts-and-crafts projects. 
4. Playtime — Probably the best use of an empty box is the simplest—use it for your children’s playtime. When we get down to it, most kids don’t really need expensive store-bought toys and fancy electronics. 

Many young children are perfectly happy using boxes to express their imagination. Use the boxes to make forts that they can play inside or homemade doll houses that they can paint and decorate as they want to personalize their play.

Being Creative with Your Moving Boxes Is Doing Good for the Earth

No one wants a bunch of old moving boxes lying around the house, but there is also something kind of wasteful when you dump them for the garbage crews to pick up. That’s why we suggest you use some of these tips to repurpose your old boxes so that you can find new uses for them.

Move Without Worry or Stress. Hire Experienced Movers That Care.

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely, and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation moving quote.

The adage “Your home is your castle” is absolutely true. But what happens when your castle must face outside invaders? Earlier this fall, in British Columbia,  the unseasonably warm weather has brought with it an invasion of stinkbugs and other insects not normally found this late in the year.

If you’re having problems with any of these insects, or you have a new home and you want to head them off before they become a problem, you’re in luck! There are a few steps you can take to protect your new home.

Take these 4 steps to pest-proof your home:

1. Start Fresh with a Bug Inspection/Fumigation If you’re moving into a new home, then you want to start with an inspection by an extermination expert. Your home should have already been inspected for termites to determine there is no damage to the home. But you also want to get someone who can look around for spider and roach infestations and even larger “critters” like squirrels or possums. If you can, hire an expert to fumigate the house before you move in so that is one less thing for you to worry about as you start living in your new home.
2. Clean Out the House
   Before you move in, make sure that you clean the new house from top to bottom. Insects and animals will come in looking for food and water. If there are leaks that might cause puddles to form or crumbs hidden in the corners of the baseboards, this could be a smorgasbord for ants and other bugs. Get all the cobwebs out as well.
3. Check Your Boxes and Toss them Out Quickly
   If you’re moving into a new home, you’ll be bringing a lot of boxes with you. What you may not realize is that pests can hitch a ride inside these boxes and you may actually be bringing them with you from your old home.
   As you are boxing things up for the move, make sure that you check them and seal them to ensure that nothing has gotten inside. If you are using a storage center temporarily while you wait to move in, make sure that it is reputable and has a good record for cleanliness, ie. being pest-free.
4. Finally, once you’ve moved in, empty those boxes and toss them out as quickly as possible. If an insect or critter did hitch a ride, you want to get rid of the box (and the pest) before they can move out and set up shop in your new home.

Clean Up the Yard and Trees

It’s the last area we think about when moving into a new home. The lawn and area surrounding the home. If you have high weeds surrounding the house, you’ll want to do a thorough inspection of everywhere you and your family will be spending time. Don’t forget your pets!

Depending on where you live, you could find anything from ticks, ants, snakes, or rabbits setting up home in the cover. Don’t put ant poison out for ant hills as they may move inside your home looking for food or shelter.

A good exterior inspection of the house is important here to look for any places where larger pests could possibly use to get inside. Finally, make sure your trees are trimmed so that the branches are not near your home. Not only will this protect you during storms, but it will keep squirrels from using the branches to get into your attic or crawlspaces.

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure

Nobody wants a house overrun with pests. Unfortunately, the changes in weather have left some parts of the country with an unseasonably warm fall and early winter, which is making bugs more rampant. If you are moving into a new home, take these steps to ensure that you start things off with a pest-free abode.

Use Experienced, Professional Movers Who Know Your Area

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely, and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Rain or shine, summer or fall, we’re there for you! Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation moving quote.

Buying a new home that allows you to have your own home gym and workout space is something to celebrate. It’s important to set the room up the right way in the beginning. The equipment is large and heavy. Perhaps most importantly is the fact it’s helpful to have everything set up in a way that encourages maximum potential.

As you get acclimated after the move, here’s how you can create your workout area is set: 

Start Off Right — As you move in, one of the best things you can use to get your new home’s workout space set up is a professional moving company. Let’s face it—you might like lifting weights, but that equipment is incredibly heavy and bulky. 

Not only that but if the equipment isn’t moved properly, it can be thrown out of calibration causing it not to work properly when you get it set up. Professional movers can ensure that all your heavy equipment—including your ellipticals, exercise bikes, rowing machines, and weight benches—make it safely. 

Get your home gym set up correctly without breaking your back.

Personalize the Room — You’ll want to work out more if the workout space is appealing and inviting. Paint your room something bright and energizing. 

Dull and dark colours mellow out the vibe while slowing down the energy in the room. Ideally, you want colours that you personally find invigorating.  Also, consider putting a full-length mirror on one side of the room. This isn’t so you can be vain and check yourself out in the mirror. Instead, it will let you keep an eye on your form when you are working out. You don’t want to misstep and lose the appropriate posture injuring yourself. 

Finally, add a television in one corner of the area. If you plan to do workouts from videos or apps like YouTube with great aerobics or yoga teachers, you’ll appreciate the TV. Even if you don’t use workout videos, you can prevent boredom while you are on the treadmill by catching up on your latest Netflix binge.

Protect Yourself — Constant repetitive movements on hard surfaces can really take it out on your joints. To prevent this, lay interlocking padded mats down on the floor. 

This will ease the impact on your body when you are working out. Even something as simple as a yoga mat will reduce some of the stress on your body. Anything that can help you to be more comfortable while you are working out is needed.

Get the Right Equipment — If you are moving into a new home without a lot of personal space, then you may not be able to set up a full array of workout machines. If that’s the case, you can switch up things by trying resistance bands that are compact and still provide you with a rigorous exercise experience.

Store Your Equipment — Finally, one of the best things you need to add to your workout space is a place to store your equipment. If it’s totes/storage boxes or a large cabinet, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure that you have a place to keep everything tidy and tucked away.

Enjoy the Health Benefits of Your Home Gym and Workout Space

A workout space is a great thing to have in your new home. Whether it’s a corner of your garage or a dedicated separate room used as a personal gym, it is important to put some planning into this area and make sure that you set it up properly. A great way to do this and get started right away is to hire professional movers who can do the heavy lifting and get your exercise equipment moved in properly.

Use Experienced, Professional Movers Who Know Your Area

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely, and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Rain or shine, summer or fall, we’re there for you! Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation moving quote.

It’s a toss-up for many people as to what part of the moving process they hate the most—getting packed or actually moving. A reputable moving company can relieve you of the packing. But for our money, it’s the unpacking that comes afterward. It’s actually a good idea to look at this, not as a chore, but as a chance to make your new home truly your own. 

Here are ways to get settled into your new home so you can feel cozier and happier:

• Prioritize Your Unpacking — One of the best things you can do early on is prioritize all the boxes and rooms so that you start with essentials. We generally suggest a room-by-room approach at first, with the bedrooms being the starting point. (No one can unpack a house full of boxes without a good night’s rest!) 

Then, move into the kitchen so you can start cooking as soon as possible and not have to worry about eating takeout pizza for a solid week. Next, move into the other rooms like bathrooms, den, and dining room. Save the least used areas like guest rooms and the garage for last.

• Clean — Now that you have a prioritized plan for what you are going to unpack (and in what order), there’s one thing you need to do first: clean everything! Once you start unloading boxes, it will be harder to get to those nooks and crannies in the corners. Instead, give everything including the walls and baseboards a thorough scrub-down before you start the actual unpacking process. 
• Safety First — There are several tasks you need to complete to make sure your new home is safe and secure. First, change all the locks on the house. You have no idea how many people the previous owners may have given a key to. Change the locks to be safe. 

By the same token, reprogram your garage door entry and other keypads in case the previous owner’s codes were compromised. Start fresh by changing the batteries and testing your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. 

If you don’t already have a fire extinguisher for the kitchen, now is the time to buy one. Start your life at the new home with peace of mind.

• Take Care of the Utilities — Before you move in, you are going to want to transfer all the utilities from your old home to your new one. Nothing could be worse during a move than to get to the new house and not have power or running water. While you are getting set up, don’t forget to also get the internet service turned on so you don’t have to stay offline. 
• Personalize — One way to make the new house truly yours is to find a way to personalize it. Hang your personal pictures and decorations as soon as possible. If you are an outdoors type person, then consider planting a flower at the entry to your new home as a way of making it your own. 
• Party — Finally, make this truly your own house by having a party with your friends. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a “housewarming party.” Just a cookout in the backyard or a potluck dinner can help you create your first memories with friends and family in your new home.

Besides Moving, Getting Settled Is the Most Important Aspect of Home Moves

Moving into your new home is a significant step in your life. The memories that you create early on will stay with you for years to come. If you are stressed out and not able to get unpacked quickly and orderly, then you could wind up with boxes stacked high for days or weeks. But by following these steps, you’ll be settled into your new home as soon as possible.

Move Without Worry or Stress. Hire Experienced Movers That Care.

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely, and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation moving quote.

Whether you have a home office as a nice place to work on your budget and pay bills or work every day from home, it’s important to create a place that contributes to your success. Keeping distractions at bay can be quite the task. Whether it’s kids, calls, or visitors, being able to focus while working takes planning. 

Here Are Steps to Take to Create the Best Distraction-Free Home Office Space:

Decide What Your Needs Are — First and foremost, you must realize that no one office is going to work for every person. For instance, if you are constantly talking with vendors or customers via Zoom, then you are going to need specific requirements such as good lighting, a quiet setting, and a background that looks professional. 

By comparison, a freelance writer may not need a similar setting as they may never get on video meetings. Instead, they may need a quiet location, but the décor may be more personalized to help inspire the creative flow of words.

Create an Isolated Area — Many people dream of being able to sit on their couch or in their recliner and do all their work in comfort from their living room. But this isn’t going to work out well. Besides the possibility of naps killing your productivity, the draw of television and other distractions is too great. 

Instead, you need a room that is separate from your family’s living area. This may be difficult with open floor plans but convert an extra bedroom or bonus room into a personal office. Another possibility is converting a garage or a covered back porch or even a sunroom into your work area. Also, make sure the area can be locked if necessary or at least that your family knows to stay out while you are working.

Make Your Area Comfortable — If you are converting an area into an office/workspace, then make it comfortable (without being so comfortable that you are going to be too relaxed). But if you are converting a porch or garage as your workspace, then you will probably need a portable air conditioner or heater to keep it comfortable during the hot summers and cold winters. 

Also, be sure to decorate your space. If you are going to need to do a lot of video meetings, make it look professional but with your own personal style. If you want something that will spark creativity, then surround yourself with posters/artwork or even little knick-knacks that might give you that jolt that you need.

Pack Your Stuff — Another thing you may need to do to clear out an office space is to put some stuff into storage. If you are like most people, you may have a bonus room or extra guest bedroom that has become more of a “junk room.” (Kind of like that junk drawer in the kitchen but blown up to full room status.) 

If that’s you, put all this into a storage facility. Go through the room and sort things into piles—storage, donate, and trash. Once you’ve cleared out most of the items, you can either pack up the rest for storage or even hire professional movers to do this for you so you can save your energy (and prevent injury).

Creating Your Own Dedicated Office Space Takes a Little Work

Finding a distraction-free area in your home may seem impossible to you. But if you follow these steps and make a careful plan, then you can create an office that works for your individual needs and home situation. If it seems daunting, get help from professional movers.

Need Help with a Home Project That Requires Moving Heavy Objects?

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact one of our friendly customer service representatives for a free estimate.

When it comes to problems with moving, one of the biggest you will ever encounter is when you are trying to move in with someone else. Whether you’ve been dating for years or are newly married, trying to take “your stuff” and merge it with someone else’s can be frustrating and stressful. 

Here are tips to help you combine your styles and stuff with that of your significant other without letting it turn into a huge argument:

Start With a Purge — Before you start to go through your things and figure out how you can merge your two households, start by purging yourself of the things that you know you don’t want to keep. Over the years, we accumulate a lot of clutter. 

You’ll guarantee success if you start this process by purging as much of your things as possible. If you haven’t looked at it or used it in over a year, it’s probably a good idea to get rid of it. As organizing expert Marie Kondo suggests, look at the item in question and ask yourself if it, “Sparks joy.” If the answer is “no,” then it’s probably a good idea to toss it before you try to combine your stuff with your partner.

Make a List and Compare — Next up, make a list of all your major possessions—furniture, appliances, and electronics especially. Then, compare this list with your partner to see if there are any duplicates. 

If you both have a refrigerator, there is no reason why you should have two of them in your new home. The best idea here is to look closely at what you have and then figure out which one is the best (or newest) and donate or sell the one that you don’t need anymore.

Be Ready To Compromise — Once you start going through the items that you do (or don’t) want in your new home, it’s important to realize that you are going to have to compromise. It can be a one-to-one compromise: you get to pick an item to bring and your partner gets to pick an item. 

Whatever system you choose, this is going to be a test of how well you and your partner can navigate these types of issues and how well you work together as a team. Just be patient and don’t worry if your partner hates that “ugly” painting you made when you were in school.

Start Fresh — If you absolutely can’t agree on a compromise, it might be a good idea to start anew. It may not be practical to start out with all new furniture and appliances in your home, but you might want to consider getting one item together. Even something small can give you a feeling of shared ownership. 

So if you can start out buying a new bed together—great! But if you can’t afford that, then get a really nice set of sheets and a new comforter or duvet that will be less “his” and “hers” and more “ours.”

Define Your Own Personal Space — The final thing to remember in a new shared space is that you don’t have to give up all of your individual style. If you have a lot of stuff that your wife or girlfriend doesn’t want in the living room, consider converting the garage into a “man cave.” (This works both ways—ladies can also have their own private “she sheds” to keep their own personal and private room.) Having this can actually strengthen a relationship by giving you a place to be alone and meditate or just vegetate.

Plan Ahead to Avoid Conflict While Moving in Together

Unfortunately, the act of moving in together can be the first major argument between a couple. But if you keep open communication and compromise when you need to, the process can be a lot easier.

And don’t forget to take some of the pressure off having to move everything from two different places to a third location by getting professional, experienced movers who can give you solid advice along the way.

Move Without Worry or Stress. Hire Experienced Movers That Care.

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely, and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation moving quote.

If you’ve ever moved before, you know how the post-move chaos goes. You get into your new home and then you begin to franticly tear through boxes looking for that one item you know you packed somewhere.

Then, the panic sets in as you wonder what might have happened to it. If you want to avoid that, consider creating an inventory for your belongings. This is a great way to not only track what is being moved, but also to help you later if you need to file anything for insurance purposes.

Here’s What You Need to Get Started with Your Home Inventory List:

1 – Determine What You Need to Inventory — You can’t inventory everything that you own. There’s no need to document everything you keep in the pantry and the fridge. (Unless of course, you happen to have a priceless wine collection.)

And you probably won’t need to inventory all of your clothes unless you have high fashion pieces. But you will want to inventory things like electronics, antiques, artwork, and the like. Basically, any big money items should be inventoried before you move so you can verify that they don’t get lost along the way.

Specific items/categories include:
• Electronics including computers, tablets, smartphones, printers, televisions, stereo and sound equipment, and game systems.
• Appliances like washers/dryers but also smaller appliances like microwaves, food processors, and blenders.
• Furniture will include beds and couches, but also smaller items that may still be of value like lamps or area rugs.
• Musical instruments and antiques

2- Devise a System — Next, you’ll need a system. We recommend keeping a spreadsheet with a description of each item, a value for each one, a picture, and the serial numbers of each item if they have one.

If your inventory is move related, number your moving boxes and list the exact box number so you can find them faster. If this system doesn’t work for you, there are numerous apps you can try like Sortly or Encircle. Each of these has features that make the process easier. What also makes these apps so great is that they have free features, and you don’t have to worry about expenses when making your inventory.

3 – Start Small — If you try to inventory everything all at once, you’ll never get started. Instead, find a small area to start like a closet or your work area. Once you get over the hurdle of starting, it will go much smoother.

4 – Keep Updating — Once you have a start on your inventory, make sure you update regularly. For instance, if you buy a new computer or tablet, add it to your inventory immediately. Keeping the new purchases updated will help you stay current. This will be especially important if you ever move again or if you need to make an insurance claim.

5 – Label Your Boxes Accurately — When you’re packing your inventoried items, make sure that you make a note of which box has which item. Here, we recommend having a labeling system.

For instance, as you box up your bedroom items, label the box “Master Bedroom Box # 1 of _____.” Then, when you finish, count your boxes for that room and write the number in the blank space.

When the boxes arrive at your home, you know what goes in each room and you can see at a glance how many boxes you have (and will know if one is missing). You can also figure out quickly which box has your items you want to unpack first using this system.

Home Inventories Serve Multiple Purposes & Are Helpful in a Move

If you are getting ready for a move or even if you just want to keep track of your things so you can have an accurate inventory for insurance purposes, then you need to devise a system and stick with it. An inventory is something every household needs to keep updating regularly so that you know exactly what you have on hand.

Move Without Worry or Stress. Hire Experienced Movers That Care.

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years providing reliable, timely, and safe moving services for businesses and homeowners in the Vancouver area. Find out why so many trust Crescent Moving to care for their most valuable assets. Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation moving quote.