May, 2014 | Gainesville Movers and Moving Companies in Gainesville

Moving into Off-Campus Housing

Students are typically eager to leave the dorm and move into their apartments. Image is from jumpoff.tv.

Every University of Florida student probably knows someone who lives in off-campus housing. Gainesville caters to students with a wide variety of hip and affordable housing options.

Students are typically eager to leave the dorm and move into their apartments. They view it as a part of gaining independence and becoming an adult.

As with any move, students often run into pitfalls. These pitfalls can sometimes be more than they bargained for.

Complications can be categorized into locating a property to rent, issues with the property owner and moving belongings.

Gainesville has a competitive renting market because of the abundance of students who choose to live off-campus. Students search for housing as early as the first few weeks of the semester before they move.

To compete, you have to find roommates and living quarters before the semester is over to ensure you have a place to live. Too many students wait too late.

Do not let the pressure interfere with caution, however. Thoroughly inspect the property in question before signing a lease.

Look for damaged or broken elements in the house. These elements include peeling paint, broken appliances, non-working light switches and health hazards.

Document any of these issues at the beginning. If you do not, your landlord might try to deduct them from the security deposit at the end of the lease.

Landlords oftentimes attempt to reduce the money returned from the security deposit for natural wear-and-tear. Do your shopping and try to pick a landlord that will treat you with respect and consideration.

Another big dilemma is actually moving your stuff into your new apartment. This part is where UF Mover Guys comes in.

Our company aims to take the stress off your shoulders. We will pack everything into our truck and transport it for you. The only thing you need to worry about moving is yourself.

You can drive to your new place with the assurance that your things are in good hands. We are careful to pack all of your things away quickly and without any breakage.

You might not think using a moving company is necessary. You may also think hiring a moving company is too expensive.

While it is true hiring a moving company is not necessary, being able to move with comfort and ease is well worth the price. And our prices are set with the goal of being cost-efficient for a college budget.

Despite some of the challenges presented in this article, one should not hesitate to move off-campus. Moving into an unsupervised, off-campus residence is a great adventure for any student.

The personal responsibility living off-campus teaches is excellent for any adult and the freedom it grants contributes greatly to personal growth and cultivates new relationships.

Whether this is your first or fifth time moving, living outside the dorm and in the community can be a rewarding experience.

Moving Terminology

You have to read the fine print before you hire moving professionals. Unfortunately, reading the fine print can sometimes be as daunting as trying to read Arabic.

UF Mover Guys understands how confusing the terminology can be to people unaware of the moving industry as a whole. Never sign anything unless you know what each term means.

Here are a few definitions for you to be aware of the next time you hire movers to tackle your transportation project.

Accessorial services, also known as additional services, include extra offerings beyond the actual move that you can request.

From packing and unpacking to shuttle services, you will pay extra for these in addition to the standard fees for transportation.

High value articles are rated higher than $100 per pound. Tell your movers about any artwork or expensive furniture to ensure they are properly protected with bubble wrap and other casings.

Inventory is a detailed listing of all the goods to be transported from your existing home to the next. The condition of each object should be noted and matched with a corresponding number.

You as the consumer can request this service at an additional charge.

Advanced charges include fees for services that are performed by people other than the mover. You will pay extra so look for these services on your bill of lading as a separate fee.

The bill of lading is the receipt you receive as the contract for your transportation charges. The bill should outline all line items that contribute to your overall amount owed.

Keep a copy in a safe place. If you disagree with anything listed on the bill of lading, request clarification from the mover. Do not sign it unless you understand every element.

Order for service shows your authorization for the mover to provide transportation services for all your belongings.

Transportation charges cover all costs incurred for the actual process of transporting your belongings from one place to another. These charges are in addition to the accessorial charges mentioned above.

A moving broker coordinates moves between two parties. A broker can take the legwork out of finding a reputable mover for you.

On the other hand, many brokers do not know the local landscape. The mover they book for you may not have the licensing and reputation you are looking for.

Storage-in-transit refers to the temporary storage of your belongings in between transport. If you must be out of your home at a certain date, many mover companies offer a storage option until you are ready.

These charges are extra and depend on how long your items are in storage. Final delivery charges may be tacked on at the end.

Learning the lingo when it comes to movers will help ensure a smooth transition from one home to the next.

How to Move Kitchen Utensils and Appliances

The kitchen is one of the most difficult areas to pack. Image is from 4homeinterior.com.

The kitchen is one of the most difficult areas to pack. A wide variety of things must be packed: appliances, glasses, utensils, etc.

How do you move a kitchen? Make sure you are ready to dive in before you actually do.

Grab a pencil and some paper, sit down and make a list. This list should include what you want to pack immediately, what you want to wait on, what is breakable, what you are going to get rid of, and the timeline you want to achieve all of this in.

After you finish your list, gather the supplies you need. The supplies should include your packing boxes, bubble wrap, newspaper, tape, labeling supplies, blankets and anything else you anticipate needing to pack.

Obtaining your supplies will keep you motivated. Having them on hand will prevent unexpected road bumps while packing.

Start With the Big Appliances

If you were to hire UF Mover Guys, we would likely start with the big appliances. Once these appliances are packed, you can fit the small utensils around them to save space in packing.

Also, large items are quicker to pack and will present the appearance of having the kitchen further along than it is, which helps you stay motivated to keep going. Then you can start with the breakables.

Packing fragile dishes will take a long time because you will want to wrap them carefully to make sure they don’t get damaged during the move. You need to stack them carefully in the boxes, and you need to make sure the boxes are stacked appropriately in the truck the way professional movers would stack the boxes.

You could always just hire us to do this for you. We will have the supplies to pack appropriately, the expertise to do it right and the experience to do it fast and efficiently.

When packing your kitchen, unless it is moving day, you will want to keep the things you will actually continue to use until the move unpacked. The last thing you will want is to be unpacking your boxes to pull out items you need to use.

Common items to pack are serving dishes, all-in-one makers, even toasters and blenders if you don’t use them daily.

Always make sure you label your boxes with words like fragile, breakable, kitchen, and this side up. Lack of labeling has resulted in many broken dishes over the years.

What about the Food?

Food is the one area everyone has a hard time with. If you aren’t going to consume your food before the move, get it packed.

One place people often struggle with is canned items. Pack these in small boxes because they will get heavy and fast. You will find yourself unpacking cans if you don’t follow this advice because you won’t be able to lift the box, and even if you can the box is likely to break.

Start using items that will go bad, and stop buying refrigerated and frozen items until the move. You will be shocked at how much food you throw away if you don’t consider this process immediately.

Cookbooks are just like cans; be careful not to back too many of them in one box. How much can paper weigh? If you don’t follow this advice you might find out in an unpleasant way.

UF Mover Guys have this technique down and are ready to help you with any questions you have.

Lastly, remember that you still have tables, chairs and possibly other large items that you won’t necessary pack in boxes but you need to account for when loading the truck.

Source: Packing and Moving a Kitchen — All Tips in One List

How To Properly Wrap And Pad Furniture

The No. 1 rule to remember is that all of the items should be carefully wrapped and padded. Image is from customstoragesystem.com.

Few people look forward to the work, preparation and planning involved in moving. You can make the day less stressful if you approach it in a thoughtful and strategic way.

The first step is to hire a reputable company. UF Mover Guys is one of the most respected moving companies in Gainesville.

Our company is a full service company that will take care of all your needs. One service that we take pride in is offering tips and advice for our customers.

In this article, we will give you a short but thorough overview about how best to protect your furniture during your move. Furniture and heavy items should be properly padded and protected before being moved in a truck, trailer or automobile.

The No. 1 rule to remember is that all of the items should be carefully wrapped and padded. This is the best way to prevent injury or damage to the item as it is being moved from your old home to your new one.

All furniture should be wrapped with blankets and plastic stretch wrap. Bubble wrap, pads and blankets provide the best protection.

Moving blankets are expensive, which tempts some people to use regular home blankets and towels. While these are better than nothing, ordinary home towels much less protection than moving blankets.

Professional quality blankets can be rented, and they are worth the money. You want to make sure that you have enough blankets to fully cover and wrap all of your furniture.

The number of blankets obviously depends upon the number and size of the items. At Gainesville Moving, we have found that the typical customer usually requires 30 to 100 blankets.

As a general rule of thumb, 30 blankets are usually sufficient for a small one-bedroom apartment. Most items require two to five blankets for full coverage.

The first step in padding and wrapping furniture is to secure any movable parts such as drawers, doors and the legs if they move back and forth. We suggest that you should always stop at the top of the furniture item and work downwards when covering it with furniture pads.

The pads should completely cover the furniture. Make sure that no part of the furniture is exposed. Any exposed area is at risk during the moving process.

Coverage also makes loading the furniture quicker and more efficient for the movers. They do not have to worry about nicks, scratches or other injuries to the furniture as they carry and load it onto the truck or trailer.

Wrapping the covered furniture with stretch wrap provides additional security and protection. The plastic should be tight as you wrap it. Avoid leaving any space between the wrap and the item you are wrapping.

Inspect all the items once they are wrapped. Make sure that all the surface areas are covered and protected.

Take your time and do not rush. Properly covering and wrapping all of the furniture takes a little additional time to, but you can move it with much more security and confidence.

If you have any additional questions about heavy furniture contact us. UF Mover Guys will be happy to answer all your questions.