- How hiring a professional Moving Company protects your properties
- Tips for packing efficiently
- Uplifting advice for planning a move with tight elevator windows
How do we protect your property and Furniture
Check out this video to learn more!
How hiring a professional moving company can save you money in the long run.
Whether you are a homeowner, property manager, building owner, or renter, we speak from experience when we say that it is in everyone’s best interest that you or in some cases, your tenants, hire a professional mover. A professional moving company is licensed and insured, which protects you from potential costly workmans comp lawsuits in the event of an injury while performing the move. It also protects your property in several ways. A professional moving company with a good reputation will employ experienced movers and Foremen, meaning that the crew that shows up at your home will know how to handle bulky items safely and efficiently. They will also know how to properly wrap furniture items, protecting both the furniture itself as well as your floors, stairs, walls, and railings. This will save you from potentially costly repairs that could add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars in the aftermath of a move that is done by careless movers.
Tips for packing efficiently
If you are planning on packing your own boxes, it can be a daunting task if you aren’t sure where to begin or how to organize items to make the job easier.
- Try to tackle one room at a time instead of attempting to pack everything from your entire living space at once. Packing one room at a time can ensure that no small items are overlooked and it can help you stay organized for when you need to unpack as well. Mark all boxes or bins on a couple of dimensions with the room they go in, this helps the moving crew know where you want them when they arrive at your new location which will help the move go faster and more efficiently, as well as help you know where to unpack and organize those specific boxes and items.
- Pack lighter items in larger boxes, and heavier items in smaller boxes. To assist the moving crew (and save their backs and yours later on) avoid packing heavy items into large boxes. The last thing you want to do is cram 50 books into one big box. This makes the box too heavy for you or the crew to lift, and creates the potential issue of the box ripping, and the contents spilling out which can lead to damage and injury.
- When packing fragile items like dishes or glass nick nacks, be sure to use a few layers of packing paper or bubble wrap to line the bottom and side of the box. Wrap those items individually, and place a layer of paper or bubble wrap between them for extra protection. You also want to place a layer of paper or bubble wrap on top before sealing the box with packing tape for all around protection and padding. Doing this will negate the possibility of your fragile items jostling against each other during transport.
- Does all of this sound like too much work? Moovers Chicago Inc. provides expert packing services, ask us about full and partial packing!
Uplifting advice for planning a move with tight elevator windows
In our experience, tight elevator windows can be a difficult obstacle to overcome for anyone moving into or out of a building, especially a highrise. Planning ahead with your Property Manager or HOA as well as the moving company that you are partnering with can save you headache and stress.
- If you are only allotted a 2 or 3 hour elevator window, try to book a moving company and the elevator at least a month in advance of your moving date. This ensures that you can book the moving company for the timeslot needed for the elevator. Never assume that the elevator will be available because the property manager knows you are moving that day, ask ahead of time and secure a timeslot. Be sure to secure the loading dock as well, even if you are only moving from one unit to another in the same building, the moving company will need a secure place to park while their crew is moving you.
- Be sure to ask your property manager or HOA if they require a Certificate of Insurance with specific verbiage from the moving company. The Moving company can provide this for you, but they need to know the specific verbiage in advance to ensure their insurance can process it and prepare it accordingly. Getting the COI in advance will negate unnecessary delays in securing your elevator and loading dock on moving day.
- Ask if there are alternate elevators to use in the event that you run out of time to use the reserved elevator. Sometimes our customers plan on being completely packed on moving day, but are unable to finish despite their best efforts. This can add time to the move that was not factored into only being able to reserve the elevator for 2 hours. It’s always good to have alternate options for a worse case scenario than to be caught without a plan.