Moving Tips

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.

If you were to ask anyone what the most challenging part of moving is, the answer may surprise you. For many, it’s not the packing or the maneuvering heavy furniture through tight spaces. In fact, the hardest part can be the unpacking. 

Looking at the stacks of boxes, you can become overwhelmed at the idea of having to do all that unpacking. You just can’t get motivated to start! 

But, the reality is that you can’t create a home out of packing boxes and use those as furniture. You have to unpack. 

Here Are Tips to Motivate Yourself While Making the Unpacking Process More Efficient:

Get Your Tunes Going (Or an Audiobook…Or a Podcast)

Have a little fun with the process as you’re working. That’s easier said than done, but one way to do this is by listening to something to keep your mind occupied. Whether it’s high-energy music, an enthralling audiobook, or an interesting podcast, listening to something while you unpack can make it go faster. 

Don’t turn on the TV, though, as this can be way too distracting. You’ll find yourself sitting on the couch watching that new episode of Stranger Things and not getting anything done. You want something that will distract you enough to keep you working but not enough to stop working altogether and become absorbed in something else.

Work a Little Along

Another important tip is don’t do everything all at once. If you look at the piles of boxes and think, “This has to be finished today,” you’re never going to want to start. However, if you look at the same piles and think, “I’ll do this stack today, this stack tomorrow, and so on,” then you’re breaking it into more manageable increments and you won’t feel so overwhelmed. 

Keep in mind that the actual unboxing isn’t that hard. What’s holding you back is psychological not the actual unpacking.

Stack Boxes on Your Furniture

This one may sound silly but hear us out. If you don’t have a place to sit and relax, then you must deal with the boxes. So, stack your boxes on top of the couches and chairs (and your bed if you must). 

That way, you can ensure you will unpack the boxes so you can have access to your favourite comfy recliner. And, if you’re taking our advice and working a little along, stack up more boxes at the end of each day so you can do it all over again the next day.

Don’t Worry About Getting It All Done Perfectly

Another big challenge that can slow down the process is thinking that you must put everything away perfectly the first time. The idea here is to get everything out of the boxes and unpack all your stuff. 

Items don’t have to go in the right spot. You can save the organizing and putting away for later when you have more time. Right now, you just want the boxes out of your way so you can get more done.

It’s a Tough Job But Someone Has to Unpack

Ask anyone and they will tell you they dread moving. The packing and physically moving items can be demanding. At least there is a time limit when packing to move. 

But unpacking is more problematic because you don’t have movers looming over you. If you don’t act proactively by getting the boxes unpacked, you could end up with those boxes sitting in your living room for weeks.

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.

It seems like there is never a “right” time to move. Instead, there is always something else that you wish you could be doing, like getting a root canal or filing your taxes. But, if you do have to move in Canada, many people wonder when the optimum time is. Most folks that you ask would say “summer.” 

But is that really the case? Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of a summer move so you can make an informed decision about when you should plan your next move.

The Pros — First, let’s look at the advantages of a summer move:

More Daylight — One of the obvious advantages of moving in the summer is that the days are longer, so you have more daylight to work with. Even in most urban areas with lots of outside lighting, you don’t want to move at night. Not only will this be a safety hazard (i.e., tripping over something in the dark), but it can also be impractical as you could more easily misplace items or damage them during the move.

Easier Driving — Let’s face it: during the winter it can be hard to drive even the most rugged truck with snow tires through some areas. Now imagine trying to do that with a moving van with all your breakables and valuables inside. The weather in the summer will make it easier to drive your van as well as carry your belongings into your new home.

Better Housing Market — Outside of the move itself, the summer is usually a better time to buy a new home (or sell your old one). More homes are on the market after a good spring cleaning and the prices tend to be more competitive. (Unfortunately, that also means that you might be paying more for your new home, so consider this a pro and a con.)

The Cons — Before you decide that summer is the way to go, here are the disadvantages to moving during this time of year:

Moving Availability — Because summer is considered “peak” moving time, a lot of moving companies will book up quickly. So, if you plan to hire professional movers or even just a moving van, you’re going to need to do this as early as possible. Also, because of the high demand, you will probably see price increases for moving goods and services during the summer.

The Heat — Contrary to popular stereotypes, it does get hot in Canada, especially during the summer. Sure, summer generally provides better weather for moving than the rainy/snowy/icy months of winter, but it can also be a hot time to move as well. If you do choose to move during the summer, make sure that you stay hydrated and schedule plenty of breaks so that you don’t overdo it.

Having a Hard Time Recruiting Friends — During the summer months, most of us plan day trips or vacations to get out of town. So, if you are moving during the summer, it may be harder to recruit friends and family members to help you with the move. Even the enticement of pizza and cold beer as payment may not be enough to lure them away from their summer plans. That being said, it may be a good idea to look at booking a professional moving company so that they can do all of the work for you.

Consider the Pros and Cons Before You Move

Moving during the summer comes with a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. What you need to decide is what works best for your health, budget, and home plans before you schedule your move.

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.

When it comes time to moving, it can be aggravating, time-consuming, and back-breaking when everything goes right. But when you make mistakes, it can really drive you crazy. 

One way to handle this is by hiring experienced, professional movers. They have the experience to know exactly what can go wrong and how to avoid these situations. 

But, there are some things that you can look out for, from the lead-up and packing to the actual move itself. We want to keep you informed so you can have the best relocation experience. 

Here are common mistakes people make when they get ready to move to a new home:

1- Not updating addresses — When it comes to moving, one of the details a lot of people overlook is just how many folks need to know about your new address. You should definitely do a change of address form with your local post office to get your mail forwarded to you. 

At the same time, though, you need to update all of your billing information with any online retailers or creditors so that you have no issues receiving new bills (which could lead to late fees if you don’t pay them on time). 

Additionally, let everyone else in your life from friends and family to your magazine subscriptions know about your new address. Finally, it’s essential that you let government benefit offices including your insurance office know about your new address.

2- Not updating utilities — Once you’re done with your change of address information, you need to look at informing your utility companies about your move. You will need to shut off things like water, power, cable, and internet in your old home and make sure that it’s all set up in your new one. No one wants to move into a new home and find out that it will take a week to get the lights on because they forgot to communicate with the power company.

3- Packing too much in one box — When it comes to the actual packing, one issue that is all too common is overpacking your boxes. It seems like we have this idea that we need to cram as much as possible into every single box. 

This is going to be problematic on two levels. First, if you pack a lot of heavy items (books, pots and pans, etc.) into one box, you aren’t going to be able to move the box without breaking your back. And then, if you do manage to pick it up, you run into the second problem—namely the box and packing tape is liable to rip sending everything spilling out. Just keep it simple and pack only a few things in each box.

4- Not keeping their essentials separate — If you’re a moving expert, then you already know about this. But novices make the mistake all the time. 

It may take you several days to unpack your boxes (or weeks in some cases). So anything that is an essential item should be packed in an overnight bag and transported separately from the rest of your items. 

This would include a couple of days’ worth of clothes (minimum), your medicines, toiletry items, and technology like phone chargers. If you have kids, pack a bag for each child as well and include a favorite toy or game to keep them occupied until you can get everything else unpacked.

5-Not hiring a certified moving company — Finally, a big mistake that people make is trying to do everything themselves. Professional movers are just that—professionals. They know the ins-and-outs of moving and they know how to avoid the pitfalls of getting you packed up and moved. 

Finally, if you choose to go it alone, you’re looking at a longer move time and the potential of hurting yourself trying to pick up those heavy items. 

Moving Can Be a Great Experience…with Help

Moving doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. In fact, it should be the start of a new adventure as you get ready to start over in a new place. But if you don’t follow this advice, you run the risk of falling into the trap of these common mistakes which can make your move a tough one.

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, 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.

When you move, you’re taking a risk and hoping that your cherished belongings will make it safely from Point A to Point B. This is especially true of porcelain objects such as figurines and fine china. 

Porcelain items aren’t just incredibly fragile. They’re also often incredibly expensive. But if you want to make sure they arrive safely to your new home, you need to make sure you follow these guidelines to protect your porcelain items. 

Here are steps you can take to protect your valuable porcelain possessions:

 

1. Let the professionals do it for you — Probably the best tip we can give you is don’t pack your porcelain items yourself. Professional movers have years of experience at handling the most fragile items such as your porcelain and fine china. 

The reality is that you have a lot of other things to worry about when you’re getting ready to move into a new home. You don’t want to compound this by having to pack your delicate things safely and then worrying whether you did it correctly. 

Instead, professional movers have the experience, the tools and can quickly get your personal valuables moved without harm.

1.  Make a list — If you’re going to pack yourself, the first thing you need to do is create a complete list of all the items you plan to pack. When you get to the end of the packing and find one extra item, you don’t want to cram that into a box with anything else. Know exactly what you must pack before you do anything else.

2. Assemble your supplies — Once you have an idea of how much you must pack, be sure to assemble a good supply of high-quality packing materials. This isn’t the time to skimp on packing boxes and try to get by with banana boxes or left overs from the back of the package shop.  Instead, buy high quality, reinforced packing boxes. By the same token, be sure to get bubble wrap, or something similar, to cushion the porcelain items so they don’t crack in transit. Also, when you’re putting together the boxes, be sure to use heavy duty packing tape that won’t tear or split open leaving all your breakables to fall out of the box’s bottom.
3. Pack properly — Start the actual packing by separating your items into two groups. The most fragile and delicate of your porcelain items should be put aside and packed separately. Also, when you are packing these, make sure you are standing on a soft surface like a heavily carpeted area (or packing on a cushiony bed). The last thing you want is to lose your grip and accidentally drop an item on a tile or hardwood floor. 

If you’re packing plates or bowls, stack them inside of each other (or on top of each other) with a layer of bubble wrap separating them. This way, they will take up less space, but they will also be properly protected in the boxes.

Precious Porcelain Items Need Extra Attention and Care

Porcelain objects can be among some of the most beautiful and delicate pieces of art and craftsmanship in the world. However, that delicacy also makes them incredibly fragile and not something you want to just toss into a box during your next move. Instead, the care and respect they deserve is important so that they can make it safely to your new home, whether it’s across the street or across the country. 

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, 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.