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If you’re moving into a new home, you already have the excitement ahead of you for a fresh start. But if you’re making the move with a baby, this is compounded with excitement and, perhaps, tinged with a little bit of fear. 

Certainly, trying to move with an infant can be a scary proposition. You can only imagine all of the possible scenarios of your baby crawling into things that you’d rather them not get their hands on. And all of this will be going through your brain as you try to unpack your home. One way to get peace of mind is to babyproof your new house before you move in. 

What you can do to get your home ready for your child and family:

1. Make a plan — Before you do anything else, it’s necessary to make a plan for how you are going to babyproof your home. Talk to your movers beforehand. Longtime, professional movers may offer ideas and it will be helpful for them to know you have a little one so they will be extra cautious. Do a walkthrough of the home (or closely inspect pictures) to find problem areas that need to be addressed. These will include:

• • Stairways or stepdown areas that will have to be blocked off;
  • Entryways where you can install baby gates;
  • Cabinets that will need to be locked;
  • Windows with cords that need to be secured;
  • Electrical outlets that will need to be covered; and
  • Sharp corners that will need to be taken care of.

2. Order your babyproofing items early — When you were making your plan, two of the things we mentioned were cabinets and electrical outlets. Make sure that you count all of these items throughout the house so that you can order outlet covers and cabinet locks. The covers will prevent your child from exploring and sticking something into the outlet. The cabinets are especially important because kids love to explore their surroundings and you don’t want them getting into cleaning supplies or other chemicals that could be harmful. Also, get safety wraps for your window cords. These can be major strangulation threats that should be taken care of immediately.

3. Double check entryways — Another thing you are going to want to do is put up gates in various entryways to prevent your infant from crawling around the house on their own. Most baby gates are adjustable and can be adapted to fit many entryways. However, some of them may be irregular in size or so large that they require a custom gate or a gate extension. We strongly suggest measuring all of the entryways and ordering the appropriate gates for your home.

4. Secure pools (and other drowning risks) — If your home has a pool or a hot tub/jacuzzi, it is imperative that you set up a lock to prevent your child from getting out to them unsupervised. We strongly suggest a door chime/alarm system that will let you know if the exterior door to the pool is opened. (It’s also a great idea to prevent your child from wandering around unsupervised even if you don’t have a pool.) But you should also install locking covers on the toilets. You would be amazed how easily it is for a curious toddler to fall inside and potentially drown even in the smallest amount of water. If you are toilet training your child, you may want to put a simple piece of tape over the bathroom door lock to prevent your child from locking themselves inside by accident.

5. Start with the nursery — When it comes to unpacking your house, there are a lot of theories and suggestions about where you should begin. We recommend that if you have a baby, you should start with the nursery. Ideally, you should set this up completely if you can get into the house a few days before the official move. The earlier you can get this room set up, the better. The nursery will give your child a safe place to stay, rest, and play while you unpack the rest of the house (which can be quite chaotic). If possible, you may also want to get a family member to watch your baby for you on moving day to keep things simpler and keep the little one safe.

You want your house to be more than just a place to hang your hat. It should be a safe home for you and your family starting with day one of your move in. To achieve this, you need to do a little bit of planning and work ahead of your move to ensure that your new home is totally baby proof. But doing this will give you peace of mind and a safe place for your little ones.

Your movers want your family to have a great experience. Be sure to tell your movers ahead of time that you have infants and toddlers they should know about and discuss a plan for the day of the move. 

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.

 

Right now, millions of people around the world are on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to put everything on hold until a vaccine is found for the virus. For some people, this includes having to relocate, whether it be for family or business reasons. However, as with anything during this uncertain time, moving is something that has to be done with a large dose of caution. 

Here’s a guide to how you can move during a pandemic while staying as safe as possible:

1. Follow the Rules — The first thing that should inform every part of your move is following the proper CDC guidelines. This means that during the moving process, you should stay at least six feet away from everyone else. You should also wear a mask to prevent the spread of the virus in case someone in your group is infected but asymptomatic.

 

1. Extra Moving Supplies — If you’ve moved before, then you know that you have to include lots of tape, boxes, and bubble wrap (or similar padding for breakables.) But with COVID-19, you have some other things that you need to pack along. Namely, you’re going to want a disinfecting spray (such as Lysol), soap, hand sanitizer, and disposable rubber gloves (such as surgical gloves). These are going to be incredibly important as you move into your new home.

 

1.  Get New Boxes — Those of us who have made a career (or at least it seems that way) out of moving to new homes with regularity have probably gone for the cheap solution when it comes to boxes. Namely, we stake out the dumpsters in grocery and liquor stores for the packages that are tossed into the recycling. However, this isn’t going to be the safest bet with COVID-19. Instead, opt to buy the new boxes fresh out of the packaging that you can find at your nearest shipping or packing store.

 

1. Disinfect EVERYTHING — Even if you buy brand new boxes, we still suggest not leaving anything to chance. This means you should disinfect everything that you plan on coming into contact with. Be sure to visit your new home before you begin moving in. Clean the house from top to bottom, thoroughly disinfecting all of the surfaces. You have no idea who has come in contact with these surfaces in the days leading up to your move, so better safe than sorry. The point is that if you can’t smell the disinfectant in the air, you probably haven’t cleaned it enough.

 

1. Consider Buying an Air Purifier — When you’re getting ready to move into your new home, you want that home to be clean. Now, we already told you to disinfect everything in the house, but you can also consider buying a HEPA air purifier for the new home and leaving it running for a time before you move in. This can help clean the air and possibly remove COVID particles from the air. If a purifier isn’t an option, at least leave the windows open to air out any trapped particles in the house (and clear out the smell of the disinfectant).

 

1. Be Careful on Move Day — When the big day finally rolls around, you should adhere to all of the requirements set aside by the CDC. Wear your mask at all times. If you have gloves on, then don’t touch your face (especially the eyes or nose) at all. If you take off your gloves for any reason, clean your hands with sanitizer and then put on a new pair of gloves. If you don’t have gloves available, wash your hands regularly. 

 

1. Be Careful Who You Invite Over — It’s a time-honored tradition to recruit your friends to help you out with the moving process. But with there being a lot of worries about who may (or may not) have COVID-19, it is important to be careful with who you ask to help. This is where hiring a professional mover is a great idea. You want to make sure you’re asking your movers how they plan to keep safe and keep you safe while moving your items into your new home. They will be prepared to move using best practices.

 

1. No Contact Post-Move Dinner — Another big tradition with the move is the post-move dinner of take-out food from a local restaurant. But when you partake of this tradition, make sure to order from the local restaurant and have it scheduled to be left at your door, so you don’t come in contact with the delivery person. (But, please, leave them a nice tip. They are delivering food during a pandemic after all!)

If you’re forced to have to relocate during this rather scary time in our history, it’s not the end of the world. Just be sure to be careful and disinfect everything and follow the proper guidelines as closely as possible.

Today, there are more than 2200 COVID-19 cases in BC (including Surrey) and at least 3 million cases globally. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, we’ve had to adapt our lives to practice physical (social) distancing. We’re avoiding gatherings, delaying our travel plans, and spending more time at home.

 

But, you can’t stay home if your lease is ending or you’ve sold your house. So, how can you keep your family safe while moving during the coronavirus?
Luckily, we’ve taken steps to keep everyone safe. Read on to learn about the safety measures our Surrey moving company is taking as well as what you can do to keep your family safe.

We’re Offering Virtual Consultations

For a typical move, we’d come to your house for a pre-move consultation to assess the situation. But with our new coronavirus safety guidelines, we’re now offering and encouraging a virtual option.

At Crescent Moving and Storage, we can handle the consultation over the phone or through an online video conferencing program. This update limits the face-to-face contact between our staff and your family. It will keep everyone safer. If you’re looking for a quote on moving costs, you can fill out the form on our website. We can provide an accurate and no obligation estimate without coming to your house.

We’re Monitoring the Health of Our Moving Crew Members

As part of our new guidelines, we’re also telling our crew members to stay home if they have any of the official symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, trouble breathing, or pneumonia.
We’re also asking our employees to stay home if they’ve traveled outside of Canada in the past 14 days, even if they don’t have any symptoms. 14 days is the length of the incubation period for the virus, according to public health experts.

We’ll also call twice in the days leading up to your scheduled move—48 hours and 24 hours before the move. We’ll ask if anyone in your home is sick or self-isolating since our crew members have to go inside your house. We do this to protect our crew, your family, and our other customers.

We’re Encouraging Proper Hand Hygiene and Disinfecting Surfaces

Public health experts recommend everyone to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or longer. If water isn’t available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. These same hand hygiene guidelines apply to our moving crew.
To help our crew follow these guidelines during the moving process, we’re recommending our customers provide a hand washing area for the crew. Our crew members may also bring hand sanitizer to use.
If it’s possible, designate a sink in your home and provide soap and disposable towels for the crew to use. Disinfect the sink area and throw the towels away after the crew leaves.
We’re also encouraging our customers to disinfect high-touch surfaces like light switches, handrails, and door knobs. You should do this both before the crew arrives and after they leave.
You are also encouraged to use your own pen when signing our paperwork on moving day.

We’re Maintaining Physical (Social) Distance During the Move

You can also expect our crew and staff members to follow physical (social) distancing guidelines. That means keeping at least 6 feet or 2 meters between our crew and customers.
These safety guidelines will protect both your family and our crew members.

More Safety Measures You Can Take to Protect Your Family

While postponing your move is ideal, sometimes it’s not possible. If it’s necessary for your family to move at this time, here are a few extra steps you can take.
These extra precautions are in addition to our own health and safety measures.
1. Limit the Number of People Around During the Move
Another simple way to stay safe during your move is to limit the number of family members in the house. In fact, the Canadian Movers Association recommends having only one or two people in the house when the moving crew is there.
If you have kids or pets, set up an area away from the movers. This can be the backyard or a room that the movers won’t need to access.
Designate one family member to deal with the movers and sign the paperwork. That way you’ll limit your family’s exposure. Plus, the movers can focus on efficiency when they’re not worrying about kids or pets underfoot.

2. Try to Use New Moving Boxes
There’s been evidence to suggest that the coronavirus can live on hard surfaces for several days. That’s why using new moving boxes is ideal.
If you need to go out for moving supplies, try to get everything in one trip. Stock up on cardboard moving boxes, tape, labels, and anything else you might need.

3. Plan the Details of Your Move
If you’re renting an apartment, decide ahead of time how you’ll get the keys to your landlord. See of you can set up a contact-free return.
If you’re moving long distance, have a plan for hotel stays on the way. Understand cancellation policies and what to expect. It’s also a good idea to bring along disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and non-medical face masks.
If you’ll be crossing provinces during your move, make sure you understand the local health and safety guidelines, especially when it comes to Canadian travel. Knowing what to expect when you arrive will take the stress out of the moving process.

Start Preparing for Your Move Today

Moving has always been a stressful event, but it’s even more stressful during the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is, with the right planning and preparation, you can take away some of that stress.
It’s also never been more important to hire a moving company you can communicate with and trust. If you’re looking for moving services in Surrey, contact us today.

A Message from northAmerican® Van Lines

Over the past few weeks, the world has experienced a circumstance the likes of which none of us has seen before. The Coronavirus pandemic is not only threatening the fabric of our daily lives, but more importantly, the health of every member of our global community. At this time of uncertainty, we at northAmerican Van Lines, would like to reassure you of the following:

1. We recognize the gravity of this situation and are taking every possible precaution to ensure the safety of our employees, agent family, customers, and clients. More information on the steps northAmerican has taken to protect against the virus can be found here.

2. We are in this together! Communication on both sides is vital to everyone’s safety. We have directed our crews to practice “social distancing”, and we are working to ensure that they have not visited high-risk areas or show any symptoms of illness. Our network can give you the option of performing our pre-move survey virtually. If you are moving, you can help us keep you safe by limiting the number of people in your home during the moving process (packing through delivery) to as few people as possible. Should you or someone in your home have been exposed to the virus”, call your northAmerican agent right away. We’re here to help. We will do everything in our power to be flexible with rescheduling and making your move successful.

3. We’re here and available to help with your moving needs. If you are looking for a full-service mover for yourself or an employee, our agent network of moving professionals is waiting and ready to help. When you’re ready to move or ready to relocate employees, northAmerican will be there to provide the professional, quality service you’ve come to expect.

History has shown that we can come through unbelievable challenges as a nation–and be stronger for it. Let this crisis be no different. Take care of yourself and your family and be safe.

You may also be interested in reading:  A note on Covid 19 and how we are taking care of our community

Packing your own things for a move may be the single most tedious job that a person can do. It seems like every single item in your home requires a specific way to pack it to ensure it arrives at the new location safely. This is especially true if you are a fan of wines and you have a large collection at home. 

If you simply throw your wine into a box, you are likely to end up with a lot of broken glass and stained carpeting. Even if the bottles don’t break, you may damage the quality of the wine inside the bottle. 

Let’s look at some things to consider when you are packing and moving wine:

Clear out before the move 

First, consider cleaning out your wine and liquor bottles before your moving day. All these items can be really heavy. If you’re using a professional mover, some charge by the pound, so it may not be cost effective to pack all of your bottles. The cheaper ones or the ones you know you will never open again can just go into the trash. 

Or, consider having one final blow-out in your old place with your friends and family. Make it a fancy dinner party or just a drop in with the intention of cleaning out as much as possible from the liquor cabinet, pantry and fridge so you don’t have to move these items. 

Assemble your supplies 

There are several different types of boxes you can use to pack your wine. Some stores make specially reinforced boxes meant to only ship wine bottles. If you can’t find any of these at your local moving store, then get several reinforced boxes that are meant to hold books. 

Remember the old adage: it is easier to move twenty light boxes with one item in each than to move one really heavy box with twenty items in it. You will also need A LOT of packing tape. Once you put together the boxes, you need to reinforce the bottoms with extra tape. Finally, invest in reliable bubble wrap or similar packing material.

Properly position the bottles 

Although it makes sense to pack bottles vertically (standing tall), many wine experts will tell you that this can damage the wines. Others will even suggest packing the bottles upside down for distribution of the sediment. We aren’t going to weigh in on these, but it does seem like the little time you are shipping your items will not cause long damage to the bottles. 

In addition to packing them heavily, however, we do suggest using cardboard dividers to split the box into “cells.” This makes the packing that much easier. (One of the best places to get these is to go to your local liquor or package shop. They will probably have lots of empty wine boxes complete with the dividers that you will need.)

Hire professional Movers

Finally, if you’re really concerned about shipping expensive wines or other liqueurs, then it’s a good idea to hire professional movers. These are experts in moving and will know the best ways to ensure that your wine goes undamaged.

Moving may not be a fun experience, but it doesn’t have to be a major hassle. If you take the time to pack your items, including your wines, carefully, they’ll make it to your new home and you can celebrate the move in style.

For years, moving from one home to another has been about getting help for the big move. You called the movers to pack the boxes, move them onto the truck and then repeat the process in reverse when you arrive at your new home. 

That excluded all the tasks that need to be done to prepare for moving as well as the post-move tasks. How can you remember everything that needs to be set up, researched, organized and completed?  Through the use of apps and programs developed. Technology can make the moving process easier than before.

Here are ways you can make your computer and phone work during your move:

1. Research Your Movers—One of the first things that you want to do is research who you are hiring for your move. That’s why you should start with Yelp. These reviews are created by past customers and give you a real sense of what the moving company is like. Be sure to check out the company’s responses to bad reviews as well. Every business has a bad day, but their response can really tell you if they are upfront about fixing problems and mistakes. 

2. Plan Your Move — First, you’re going to want to get your move organized. You can use apps like Evernote and Google Keep to create checklists/task lists you need to complete before the move. (Google Keep can also sync these lists to the cloud so that you and your family can share the same checklist and update them together.)

3. Get Rid of Unneeded Items — A lot of us have tons of stuff cluttering up our homes. This makes moving a real headache, especially if you’re paying your movers by the hour. The more stuff they have to move, the more it will cost you. Get rid of some of those unwanted items. If you don’t feel like having a yard sale, there are several apps to sell items.  Letgo is one app that lets you take a picture of what you want to sell and then post it online for people to buy. Decluttr is another similar app. Check out our blog post on packing up a cluttered house.

4. Organize Boxes — There are several apps currently on the market which help with organizing your moving boxes. One such iOS only app, Home Inventory, allows you to catalog all of your stuff in each room. What makes this such a useful app is that you can estimate the weight and size of each box so you can have a better idea of how much you will be charged for moving. You might also want to consider the premium Sortly app. While the free version is great, giving you the ability to inventory up to 100 items in your home, the premium version lets you create QR labels for your moving boxes. All you have to do is scan the code to know exactly where the boxes should go and what is in them without having to rummage through to find the right one. Sortly is available on both iOS and Android phones.

5. Plan Your New Home — Consider these apps which allow you to map out your new home, so you know where everything goes. This fun app, MagicPlan, lets you scan each room and create a 3D floor plan so that you can plan your décor before you move in. Moreover, this will help you know exactly which boxes should go in which locations and plan your move accordingly. Another great app is NextDoor (which just became available in Canada in 2019). This one lets you connect with your new neighbors so that you can find out all the information you need to get settled in.

6. Avoid Downtime — Another major issue with your technology is the feeling of disconnection when you first move in. As soon as possible, make sure to get the Internet company to get your system up and running in your home. Also, it may be important to get repairs and other tasks taken care of BEFORE the move so that you can get everything set up without having to wait on someone. TaskRabbit is a great app to help connect you with freelance workers (all of whom are background-checked) who can help you with these jobs. 

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone, Let Technology Help!

Technology has changed every aspect of our lives and moving is no exception. As we each wish we had additional arms to complete all the tasks of everyday life while also preparing for a big move, it’s so nice to know technology can lift some of that burden. These apps and tips can assist you in getting your home ready and organized before your big move.

Are you ready to find a BBB-accredited and certified moving company in Canada? 

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’re planning on moving your office, then you know you have a lot of materials that must be packed and transported—everything from the furniture to the computers to the files. 

And this task can be gigantic, requiring the work of dozens of people even before the movers arrive. Planning is essential and you need to have all hands on deck to do their part to make sure the move is successful. 

But if your business involves confidential work, such as insurance or medical records, you have to take an extra layer of precaution to ensure the move is a smooth one. 

Here’s what you need moving an office with sensitive and confidential records:

 

• Find a company you trust 

(Read our 6 tips on how to find a moving company you can trust)

One of the first steps you need with any move, regardless of what you’re transporting, is to find a moving company that you trust. 

A few things you need to look for include reviews and credentials. Be sure to read through all the reviews carefully, paying special attention to any of those left by businesses. If the business doing the review is identified, you may even want to contact them if you have any other follow-up questions. 

Additionally, you’ll want to verify a potential moving company’s credentials including that they are insured, bonded, and licensed in their field. This will show you which companies are legitimate and which ones are a fly-by-night enterprise of a couple guys with a moving van.

 

• Keep it simple

 

Keep everything with the move as simple as possible. Assign one person to be responsible for sensitive or confidential material. You may have teams working on moving all the equipment and other items from the office, but this is something that should be assigned to one person who can be trusted to get the job done. If you have a multitude of people assigned, you increase the chances records will get misplaced and mishandled. 

 

• Keep accurate records

 

As you box up confidential files, create a detailed spreadsheet of what files are found in each box. After all the files are boxed, print the list and take it with you to the new location. Then unbox the materials and check off each file to make sure they are all present and accounted for. You definitely don’t want to move, put your files away, and then find out that files are missing months down the line.

 

• Do it yourself

 

If you’re worried about finding someone you can trust to move confidential files, you may wish to consider taking care of it yourself. Sure, you can hire movers for all the other equipment. But the confidential files can be moved by individuals in-house so outsiders don’t have access to the confidential records.

Follow These Steps for a Smooth Move

Moving confidential and sensitive records can be a logistical (and legal) problem for big companies. If just one file becomes lost or gets leaked, it can end a company’s reputation as someone who can’t be trusted. That’s why it’s important to ensure you follow these steps to keep your records safe.

If you’re getting ready to move to another address in the same city, then you may be stressing out about all of the things you HAVE to do. But there’s really no need to panic. Our local movers have put together a handy list of tips to help you with you move.

There are several things you can do as you prepare that will ensure your move comes off smooth and without a hitch. Let’s take a look at some of these items including the best timeline for your local move.

Give Yourself Two Months

A smooth move – even if it’s just a local move – takes about eight weeks to prepare for. This means that you need to plan accordingly.

• Week 1 — Book your local movers early on so that you can have them locked in.
• Week 2 — Start clearing out your home of unwanted and unnecessary items. Create a three-pile system: Items to Keep, Items to Donate, and Items to Throw Away. If you live in Surrey – there are several resources you can utilize for to help make moving and purging easier:
  • The City of Surrey allows households who are moving or simply just decluttering  4 “Large Item Pick Ups” per year. This is a great – free resource to use when getting ready for your move.
  • There are several Recycling Centres in Surrey where you can bring unwanted electronics and plastic items – check out the City of Surrey Website for more details.

• Week 3 — Do an inventory of everything that you have kept and plan to move. You can even get an app for your smartphone that will help you coordinate this. You want to make sure that everything you pack actually arrives to your home.
• Week 4 — If you haven’t already started, now’s the time to get the boxes that you need for your move.
• Week 5 — Contact your local utility and service providers (like Internet) and let them know when you will need these services switched over to your new address. Now is also the time to start packing nonessential items that you won’t need in the next month.
• Week 6 — Continue packing your belongings but also make sure you have a file folder set aside for important documents.
• Week 7 — Get your car serviced. There’s nothing worse than trying to move to a new home and finding that you’ve got a flat tire or your car ends up overheating. Also, contact your bank, your doctor, and any other major institutions (such as your school or your child’s school) to alert them to your new address.
• Week 8 — Finish packing, await for your local movers to arrive and then MOVE!

 

Tips and Tricks to De-Stress Your Local Move

1. 1. First thing, determine if you’ll be packing yourself or having movers pack and move your belongings. Talk with reputable movers in your area that have been in business for many years and have great reviews. It’s not always as much as you think and movers can help you with just the move or the whole packing and move. If you decide to have friends and family to help, at least you’ll know what their help means financially and if having items accidently scratched or packed incorrectly is worth it.
   2. Most people move on Saturday so they don’t have to take time off from work. If you can, try to schedule for a Tuesday or Wednesday move. The moving company may offer you a discounted rate because it’s not peak time.
   3. Garage sales are a great way to help clear out your unwanted stuff before a move. Take everything outside to be sold. If it isn’t gone by the end of the day, call up your local charity and see if they can come pick up the items as a donation.
   4. In week 6, we mentioned compiling a folder for documents. This should have everything you need for the move itself as well as documents that you absolutely must have yourself. (These can include Social Security cards, birth certificates, and the like.)
   5. Around two weeks before your move date, stop buying groceries or at least significantly cut back on what you buy. This will mean less stuff for you to have to move. Now is the time to use all those frozen meals or pantry items that you’ve been stockpiling in the kitchen.

Moving locally does not have to be stressful. With these tips, tricks, and timeline, you can get your household ready for a local move in as little as 8 weeks.

If you are planning on moving locally – Crescent Moving and Storage has been serving Surrey, Delta White Rock and Crescent Beach for over 40 years. Call Us today or book your FREE moving estimate online.

 

One of the biggest decisions you make for your business is where to locate your office. This is going to be your home-away-from-home for years, or at least until your business outgrows its space and you have to upgrade. 

Ideally, you won’t need to relocate your office for a long time, but once you’ve reached the limits of your current space, it’s important to take the leap of faith on a new location. 

If you thought finding a new home was difficult, then you need to prepare yourself for finding a new office. It has its own special obstacles that we will look at today.

 

• Find your new office space

First, you need to define exactly what type of space you need for your new location.  There’s no point in moving your office only to find that it doesn’t have everything you need. Start by creating a list of your must-have/non-negotiable items. You also need to find a real estate agent who has familiarity with the commercial needs of the area to ensure that you get the best location.

 

• Create an office moving plan

Once you’ve settled on a new space, it’s important to create a plan and stick to it (as much as possible). Decide exactly who’ll be responsible for each point of the move. It’s essential you don’t try to handle this all yourself, instead delegate to department heads and others who can handle the moving duties for their specific divisions. 

 

• Meet with your IT department

If you have your own server or other specific IT needs, you need to make special considerations with your IT department. Determine exactly how you’ll switch over the server so as to minimize the downtime for your company’s computer network. You’ll want to be sure to set up the phone lines and internet connections as soon as possible so that these can be up and running almost immediately.

 

• Hire experienced movers

When you’re hiring your movers, make sure you don’t hire just anyone to move your office furniture and equipment. Check reviews for licensed and bonded movers who are familiar with the needs of breaking down, setting up your furniture and other equipment. The bottom line here is you don’t want a lot of down time and you certainly don’t need a lot of broken equipment. Check out our guide on 6 Tips for a Smoother Office Move for more tips.

 

• Get Moving Insurance

One way to ensure your moving needs are met is with moving insurance. This ensures that if something does go wrong (and accidents can happen), then you’ll be compensated fully for such a claim.

Office Relocation Is Easier with a Little Planning Ahead

Once you pick your location and set a moving date, it’s important to create a detailed schedule of exactly when you need to finish everything to stay on track for the move. If you miss one of these deadlines or benchmarks, you need to adjust so that your move can still go as smoothly as possible.

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

 

If you’ve ever packed up your apartment or house, then you know it takes a lot of planning and strategy to get everything ready for the big day. This is especially true for an office move.

If you take too long for your move, then you’re not only paying for the move itself, but also for the lost work time to make the transition.

With that in mind, here are a few musts you should follow to get ready for the move:

1.   Make a plan way ahead of time.

This is not something you should do over a week or even a month. Most small businesses require a minimum of six months to plan. The more lead time you give yourself, the better chances you have of not running into issues.

2.   Talk to both your new and old landlords.

If there are other businesses in your building, many landlords require that you handle the move outside of business hours so you don’t disrupt the other tenants. Regardless, it’s important to establish a firm last day in your old building and a first day in your new one so there are no problems with either.

3.   Hire respected movers.

You need quality movers who are licensed and bonded so that you don’t have to worry about insurance if things get broken. Also, you’ll need to work closely with this team to determine your timeline for moving, which is the next BIG tip.

4.   Create a timeline.

It’s crucial to create a timeline along with a rundown of who is in charge of each step in the process. Have your department heads determine what specific needs they have. Delegate all the work to as many employees as possible so that no one person is responsible with the onus of work. Make sure you build in regular updates with your staff so that you can touch base, make sure everything is on track for the move, and adjust the schedule/work load as necessary because of any unforeseen circumstances.

5.   Give the employee’s some personal time.

Another thing to remember right before the big move is to let your employees have some personal time to pack up their desks and get what they need and to pack up their personal belongings for the move.

6.   Prioritize unpacking.

If you’re bringing your server and other IT essentials, then these need to be the first priority for setting up so that you don’t have any unnecessary down time for your computer systems. You should probably also set up the phone systems at this point and then move from there to lower priority unpacking.

Taking the time early on to plan and follow these tips will ensure your business move goes smoothly. You should be up and running in your new business quickly! If you enjoyed this post, you might also like: How to Plan for An Office Move

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