Moving Tips

A question that has come up recently is if floorplans are a good idea for preparing to move. Let’s look at how to use this tool to your advantage.

Creating a floorplan for your move can be an important step in the process. After all, when you’re moving into a new home, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by how much work there is ahead of you. Understanding what needs to happen and where everything goes will keep things organized and running smoothly on move-in day. 

By knowing exactly where each piece of furniture belongs, you won’t have to worry about putting something away in the wrong place or having a bunch of empty boxes left over after your big day. That being said, creating a floor plan doesn’t need to take up too much time or effort if you know what steps are necessary from the beginning! 

What advantages can floorplans provide during a move? 

First, let’s talk about what a floorplan is and how it can help you. A floorplan is a map of your new home’s rooms which allows you to map out where each piece of furniture should be placed. 

Completing one of these early on can be a huge help. As your professional movers are bringing in your furniture, you can give them a detailed description of where you want the furniture placed. Too often, clients vaguely say “Put it over there and we’ll move it later.” 

But then, when it comes time to set up your room, you must break your back moving the furniture across the room. Having a plan upfront can make moving in go smoother and easier because you can have your movers place the furniture exactly where it needs to go.

How can you make a floorplan? 

In the past, floorplans were created using graph paper, a ruler, and a pencil. But now, technology has made this process even easier. These apps allow you to create an accurate map of your room with proper dimensions so that you can lay out exactly where everything should go. 

Three of our favorite floorplan apps include:

• Amikasa 3D Room Designer
• RoomScan Pro 
• magicplan 

Any of these can give you a quick (and highly accurate) floorplan you can use to plan your room’s layout.

More tips and tricks for creating a floorplan for your move

One of the biggest things you need to do is ensure you have accurate measurements for every aspect of your floorplan. If you plan to place a couch along one wall, make sure you measure not only the wall but also the couch itself. 

Use these measurements to put together your room like a set of building blocks. But you should also be willing to change things up on the fly if you realize something doesn’t look right once you place it. 

Look for other aspects other than space. For instance, if you plan to place a big screen TV along one wall, you’ll certainly need to know the dimensions. But, you will also need to know if there is a window along any of the other walls that may let in light that will cast a glare on the TV. This can be fixed with blinds or curtains, but it is something you need to take into consideration. Also, don’t feel that you have to use the same furniture set-up in your new home as you had at the old house. Some pieces may work better in a different room. Have the flexibility to look at all your options.

Including a floorplan as part of your move prep is worth your time

A floorplan of your new home is a great way to plan out your house’s floorplan and where you plan on putting everything. It can also save you a lot of time and energy. There’s already so much to do during a move, you will thank yourself for planning ahead and saving yourself another hassle.

Easily 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’re moving a block away or across town, there’s still a lot of preparation and planning necessary to make a move go smoothly. One of the best ways to organize yourself is with a moving checklist. 

Not only will it give you an idea of “what’s next” when you feel overwhelmed, but it will also help you to feel a sense of accomplishment as you check off your “To Do” items. 

Here are items you need to have on your checklist if you plan to move across town:

1. Clean out the house — First, start by cleaning your house and getting everything organized. Throw out anything you don’t need or donate it to a local charity. But the idea here is to not only clean but also reduce the amount of stuff you must move. The less you move, the cheaper and easier your move will be. 
2. Set your budget — Once you’ve got things as cleared out as possible, begin to estimate your budget. Remember that large items (like a piano or oversized furniture) will cost you more to move.
3. Research the moving companies — Don’t try to throw out your back or stress yourself out with moving yourself. A professional company can really make the difference between a good move and a nightmare. Instead, spend some time researching your options. Get quotes from multiple companies with a long history of moving with a good reputation and compare their price points and options.
4. Schedule your move — Now that you’ve got your moving company picked out, be sure to schedule the date of your move. Once you have this information, begin the countdown until moving day.
5. Get your supplies — Check with your moving company to get supplies for the packing process. You will want to store up on heavy-duty boxes and packing tape as well as paddings such as bubble wrap or Styrofoam “peanuts.” If you’re having them pack, you can “forget about it”!
6. Begin packing — If you’re planning to pack your own belongings for the move and just have the movers relocate them, then now is the time to start packing and labeling boxes. Make sure you label them like this “Kitchen 1 of _____.” Then, when you finish packing, count your boxes and write that total on each box so you can quickly count and make sure that everything arrives at your new home.
7. Label your electronic connectors — Take pictures and clearly label all your electronics and their accompanying cords and cables. That will make it easier to set them all up when you unpack them in your new home.
8. Plan out your new home — Plan on where you want to put all your belongings when you move into your new home. Layout in your mind where each piece of furniture should be placed so you can quickly inform the movers when they arrive. The longer you keep them moving around your furniture and other items, the more your bill is likely to be.
9. Switch over the utilities — Get the power and water (and cable/internet) shut down in your old home and switched over to your new home.

A Checklist Brings Order to the Chaos During a Move

Taking time to plan out your move is one of the surest ways to make the move go smoothly. Be sure to go through this checklist and use it and other tools such as a moving calculator to make the best choices for your budget.

Easily 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 families 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.

As anyone who has dealt with a company can attest, there is a big difference between those who claim to be “professional” and those who are. The same is true for professional moving companies. 

Most of these businesses are qualified movers who take their work seriously and are in this to help customers with their expertise. However, there are some who will ruin the reputation of the field for everyone else with their unprofessional behavior. 

Here are red flags you need to be on the lookout for when determining if the company you are considering is a group of qualified professionals or a fly-by-night operation that will take you for a ride.

1. They just give you a number over the phone — Be very careful of a company that just offers a “flat rate” for all moves. Any good moving company will tell you that each move is different with its own special considerations. To accommodate this, a truly professional company will insist on a site inspection/evaluation before they give you a quote on how much it will cost to move you. If a company doesn’t want to know what you are asking them to move, then the alarm bells should start going off.

2. They don’t have a professional office — Not only should the movers come to inspect your home, but you should also be able to visit their offices. If all you have is a PO Box and a phone number, you have no way of finding them if something happens to your belongings. Many fly-by-night businesses are just a couple of guys with a pickup truck operating out of their home. Don’t trust them.

3. They give you a blank contract (or no contract at all) — Another thing you need when you are hiring a moving company is a comprehensive contract that covers as much detail as possible. A good contract should cover the costs, mover’s responsibilities, customer’s responsibilities, and the anticipated time frame for the move. If a company doesn’t offer you something like that (or if the contract they give you doesn’t have specifics), then you have no legal recourse if they try to change the terms of the move. (This would include trying to jack up the price when the movers arrive.)

4. They won’t give you information about their insurance — A big issue with “bad” movers is that they don’t carry the required insurance that will help replace your belongings if they are lost or damaged by the company. If a moving company doesn’t give you a copy of the insurance paperwork, then you can bet that your valuables aren’t covered. Don’t just take their word for it.

5. They don’t have their own professional vehicles — As we’ve said, sometimes an unprofessional moving company will just show up with a pickup truck and say they are there to move you. Other times, they may arrive in a rental van from another company. In this case, they have literally rented a van for your move! Instead, you want to find a company with its own fleet of branded vehicles so that you know exactly who is moving you. A reputable business will have special moving vans equipped to carefully move your items.

Don’t Get Swindled. Choose Movers You Can Trust.

No one wants to trust their precious valuables to just anyone. This is not only your furniture or clothes—it’s also family heirlooms and breakables that can’t be replaced. Because of this, you should only work with a reputable moving company and not trust your stuff to those who set off these warning signals.

Easily 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.

Every fall, thousands of university students across the country begin to move in with complete strangers who will become their roommates. For others, they may be moving out of one location with a roommate and moving into another with a different roomie. 

In doing this, it’s important to make sure that you have a plan going into the move. Any move can be complicated, but when you are moving out of a home after sharing the living space with someone else, it can be even more complex. 

Here are tips for how to handle the move without losing your sanity:

1. Make a List and Check It Twice — The first thing that you need to do is get organized. Make a list of everything you’ll need to do to get packed and moved. One of those items should be listing out all your belongings (or as many as you can). Then, talk to your new roommate to decide if you need to bring those items. If you’re living in a dorm, or moving into a rental with your roommate, you both don’t need a microwave and your own refrigerator, especially since space is limited.

2. Start Early — This is an issue that many people don’t take care of as they should. No one likes to move. Because of this, a lot of people hold off on the logistics of moving until the last minute. (This is especially true for students who have made a habit out of procrastinating.) Don’t do that! Start early making your plans and packing up your stuff. This way, you won’t be working until 4 in the morning the night before the move.

3. Hire a Professional Moving Company — As with any move, one of the biggest things you can do is hire professional movers. Don’t put a strain on yourself and your relationship with your new roomie trying to pack things up and move them yourselves. Instead, let the pros come in and move you with ease. (And trust us, if you are moving out of your parents’ house into your rental home, they will really appreciate not having to pack all your stuff.)

4. Communicate Clearly About Bills — It is important to always keep open the lines of communication with your roommate. This is especially true as you move. If you’re moving into a dorm, then you won’t have to worry about utility bills. But if you’re moving into a private apartment building with a roommate or sharing a house with one or more people, then you are all going to have to talk about how these bills will be paid. Internet, cable/satellite TV, water, and power bills will have to be shared by everyone living there. How will you split this up? What will happen if someone doesn’t carry their weight? Who will be responsible for paying the deposits and having the utility in their name? All these need to be decided before you move in.

Keep the Fun of Moving in With a Roommate 

If you are planning to move in with a roommate for the first time or if you are just moving in with a new roomie, then you need to make sure that the process goes smoothly. This will be the beginning of a new relationship and you want to start off with your best foot forward.

Easily 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.

When it comes to young children, moving can fall into two distinct categories. For some, it’s the beginning of a great adventure as you say goodbye to your old home and embrace the new. 

However, for some, it can be traumatic as they only focus on the negative side of leaving behind the home that they’ve grown up in. 

Here are ways to prepare your new home while also preparing your children so that your move goes smoothly:

 

Hire Moving Pros 

You want to make sure that you aren’t trying to move yourself if you have small children. First, this is because trying to move your belongings will take up all your time and energy. It’s not very convenient to try to take care of your kids while also packing and moving your belongings. 

Secondly, with professional movers, you won’t have to worry about your kids being under their feet and getting in the way of the movers. Movers can handle large items from furniture to pianos, but anyone will have trouble moving these items with a child getting in the way. By hiring pros to move you, you can ensure your child stays safely out of their way.

Have the Kids Help When Possible

Even though it’s a good idea to hire professional movers, you should still let the kids take part in the early stages of the move. This way, they can feel like they are a part of the move. 

It’s good for the kids to say goodbye to the old house and hello to the new one. So, what is it that they can do? 

Start by having them pack up their belongings as much as possible. Also have them pick a favorite toy, game, and book that they want to pack in their overnight bag. This will be what keeps them occupied on moving day until their other toys and belongings can be unpacked.

Have Your Children Clean Out Their Stuff

Getting kids to clean up their room is hard enough, but it’s harder when you’re trying to get ready for a move. To make this a little smoother, have them go through items with you and sort them into three piles. 

These should be your pack, donate, and trash piles. Encourage your kids to get rid of toys and games that are broken or incomplete. Also, ask them if they want to donate their old (unbroken) toys to kids that might not be able to afford them. Encourage them to think of others and clear out their room as much as possible.

Talk Openly with the Kids

Since the move itself can be emotionally charged, be sure to talk openly with your children so they feel good about the move. Answer all their questions that may pop up. 

If possible, take them to visit the new house and see what it will be like. Find anything you can to feel positive about. For instance, let them know if they have a bigger room in the new house or if the new house is closer to a park or playground. 

Finally, make sure they know that the move doesn’t mean they have to leave their friends behind. Tell them they can visit sometimes or (if the move is a distant one) still communicate by phone or email.

Moving Can Be the Best Kind of Adventure for Kids

For anyone, a move to a new home can be exciting. But that is especially true for little kids. Keep these steps in mind so that you keep your kids safe and out of the way so the pros can do their job and get you moved quickly.

Easily 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 families 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.

As a couple, the day that you move in together is a mix of emotions. While it can certainly be a joyous occasion, it can also be a stressful proposition. 

Trying to take two separate lives and blend them together into one cohesive unit is a difficult task. So, the move itself needs to be as smooth as possible. 

Here are tips to make moving both of your belongings easier and stress-free:

1.Decide on your new home — The first thing you need to do is decide where you’re going to live. It may seem easier for one of you to keep their home and have the other one move in. But this may not be the best solution. 

Many people who have lived alone become used to having things a “certain way” in that home. By choosing a new house together, you can set the traditions and routines that will make it a home for both of you instead of feeling like one person is a guest in the other’s house.

2. Make the moving day as easy as possible — Anyone who has ever moved will tell you that it can be stressful. Tempers often run short, and arguments can happen even amongst the most even-tempered individuals. So that’s why it is a good idea to hire professional movers to take the burden off you. 

You don’t want to start off moving into your new home together with arguments and fussing over furniture. This will also give you the chance to focus on having the movers put everything exactly where you want it so you can start the next phase of your relationship.

3. Make a list of shared items — If you’ve been living alone for a while, chances are you both have a lot of duplicate items you use every day. However, it may not be necessary to keep two of each item in your new home. 

Dishes, cookware, and even electronics such as televisions are all items that you might need to get rid of if you have more than one. The best thing to do is to list all these items out and decide which of the two has the better items. Then, you can donate or sell any of the extra items that you don’t need.

4. Get a storage unit — If there are items that you don’t have immediate space for, then a storage center is the perfect solution. Place these nonessential items in a climate-controlled storage unit. Move these items in gradually (or decide for sure that you don’t need them and donate them).

Make Moving in Together Fun. Take Some of the Stress Off.

Combining two households into one should be a wonderful experience—and it can be! But to achieve this, you need to have serious conversations about expectations and what you both want in your new home together. Once you’ve settled on a place, then it’s time to organize your belongings and let the professionals move you into your new together home.

Easily 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.