Category: Moving Tips

Moving can be a stressful but also an exciting time. Whether you’re moving into your first off campus apartment or moving into a new home, a smooth and easy process is what every mover wants. Our Gainesville moving professionals at UF Mover Guys have come up with some tips for new and veteran movers alike to make the moving  process simple and easy.

Have A Box Of Necessities Ready And Labelled

After a long day of moving, searching through boxes for toothpaste or a towel can be a nightmare. When packing, set aside a backpack or box for essentials, like a toothbrush, a set of pajamas, toilet paper, medication, and anything else you’d take on an overnight trip. If you have a pet, check that they have toys, food and water bowls, and beds readily available to make their transition as easy as yours. Having labels on everything can prevent last-minute headaches on move-in day. Our professional movers can assist in getting your items to their proper place and room, so you have one less thing to worry about when moving in. Let our Gainesville movers do the work so you don’t have to.

Get Acquainted With Your New Area

With moving comes a lot of new — new home, new neighborhood, new roads, and the list continues. Get acquainted with local markets, gas stations, and other convenience stores so you’re not caught with an empty tank or pantry on move-in day. Even if you’re just moving a short distance, you’ll be better prepared and ready for last-minute emergencies.

Confirm Your Address Is Updated

Picture this: boxes are stacked neatly in your new home, the Gainesville movers are on their way with the furniture, and you’re ready to unpack and relax, but wait — the lights aren’t coming on. What gives? It’s important to have utilities and internet ready before moving in. Sitting in the dark without AC, internet, or water is a less than ideal way to spend move-in day, so call your providers early. You’ll also want to update your mailing and billing address, otherwise, you may be missing out on important mail or the newest season of your favorite Netflix shows.

If you’re new to Gainesville, here is some information on the local utility and internet companies.

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) provides electric, natural gas, water, and other services. Check with your landlord or realtor to confirm which services are your responsibility.

Cox Communications provides cable, internet, and phone services to the Gainesville area. It can take a few days to get everything set up, especially for new accounts, so make sure to call in advance.

Plan Where You Want Furniture

Our movers in Gainesville are highly trained, professional, and ready to set up your new apartment or house to your liking. By planning where your furniture is going in advance, our local movers can ensure a smooth and quick process, allowing you to relax and get to unpacking in peace. If you need help unpacking or putting together items, UF Mover Guys has got you covered. We offer an array of residential moving services to accommodate your needs.

Check For Damages

Before settling in, take a quick look around your new home or apartment. Finding damages or leaky pipes is always upsetting, but it’s better to address any damages or repairs that need to be made before you’ve unpacked. The last thing you need is to lose a deposit due to looking over a chip in the paint or, even worse, losing some of your sentimental items due to a leaking pipe causing water damage.

Pick A Moving Company In Gainesville, FL

Whether you’re making a long-distance move or just moving down the street, UF Mover Guys can help. We offer a wide variety of moving services, including full and partial packing, local and long-distance in-state moves, climate-controlled storage, and more. Contact us to schedule a move today.

Once the truck is unloaded and the movers have left, it’s time to start unpacking. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you feel like you’re surrounded by a sea of unopened boxes, so Gainesville movers with UF Mover Guys have compiled this list of tips to make unpacking a breeze.

Smart Unpacking Starts With Smart Unloading

When unloading, if boxes were placed randomly around the home, unpacking will become complicated and frustrating. This is why it’s important to take the time while packing to clearly label each box with its contents and the room it belongs in. This way, professional movers can unload the box straight from the truck to the proper room, saving time and effort in the long run. Remember, when it comes to moving, a little organization goes a long way.

Start With Your Priority Box

It’s always a good idea to pack a “priority box.” This is a box containing essential items needed for the first night or two in a new home. This generally includes items such as medications; toiletries; entertainment objects such as books or games; and enough clothes for the first day or two in the new home. This will save you from the frustration of tearing into boxes looking for that one item that you really need.

Go Room By Room

Create and stick to a plan of action, rather than moving back and forth between rooms. Start with the rooms that are used the most, which usually means the kitchen. Hook up any small appliances such as the coffee maker and microwave, and get the dishes, pots and pans, and utensils into drawers and cabinets. Remember that this doesn’t have to be where they live forever; you can always go back and rearrange in a day or two.

After the kitchen, tackle the bathroom, starting with important items such as medications, toilet paper, and towels. Next, unpack the bedrooms. Families with older children can put children in charge of their own bedrooms, saving the adults the effort and helping kids feel like active participants in the move.

Take Your Time With The Peripherals

Once all the most important areas have been handled, it’s time to slow down and enjoy the rest of the unpacking process. Items such as artwork, books, and other decorative objects should be the last items unpacked.

If space is available, lay out all the artwork and decorations on a table and take some time to envision where each should go. Try out different locations before settling on a final position. Remember that there’s no hurry to get everything just right — there will be plenty of time in the new house to figure out where everything goes and feel at home.

The first step to ensuring a smooth unpacking process is finding the right moving company in Gainesville. For a free estimate, contact UF Mover Guys today.

Sometimes an event comes along that requires you to make a residential move in short order. Perhaps it’s a new job offer or you want to be closer to the family. Whatever the reason, there are some ways you can speed up the process — and maybe save a little money, too. Here’s a to-do list before moving from the Gainesville movers at UF Mover Guys to make everything as fast as possible.

1. Hire Local Home Movers

When there isn’t much time to organize, a Gainesville moving company can respond to your needs faster than a national moving company. Gainesville residential movers at UF Mover Guys are professionals who will give your valuables superior care and attention, freeing you up to handle all the last-minute details.

2. Get Your Packaging Supplies Organized

Before you spend all that time and money at a moving supplies store, take a look around your home for materials to help you pack in a hurry. You can wrap fragile items such as large plates and glass in a towel or blanket, instead of bubble wrap. Other breakables, such as glassware and ceramics, can go into boxes padded with bedsheets, pillowcases, and socks.

Speaking of boxes, look for some extras sitting around in your garage. If you need more, visit your local grocery store and ask the manager for eggs boxes from the dairy department. (Eggs boxes are built strong, and they’re free for the taking.)

3. Start Packing Early

If you put off packing, you’ll be rushed at the last minute. As a result, you might leave something behind or forget to do an important task. So, begin packing as soon as you have your boxes ready. Label each box as you go, listing what’s inside and which room it belongs in.

4. Ask Friends & Family For Packing Help 

Putting stuff in boxes all by yourself is hard. Fortunately, you have plenty of assistance waiting in your neighbors, coworkers and family members. Why not invite them to a moving party? Offer them food and drinks in exchange for their packing labors. Play some great music and have lots of laughs. Before you know it, everything will be packaged, labeled and ready for the moving truck.

5. Donate Or Give Away Unwanted Stuff

Do you really need to take everything, or are there some items you don’t need anymore? Before the packing party, look through closets and storage spaces and separate out unneeded clothing, knickknacks, and gadgets. Also, look for items that:

• Are damaged
• Belong to someone else
• You use only one time of the year, such as seasonal decorations

Toss the broken stuff, and pack the rest to donate. Then, take the items to a local charity where they can be put to good use, or give them to friends. The less you put on the moving truck, the more time and money you’ll save.

6. Plan A Pre-Move-In

Does your lease start before moving day? Take some things over to the new place early, if you can. Bring small items that you might not need right away, such as spare clothes, collectibles or kitchen tools. If you can make multiple trips, do it. The time you invest now will pay off in a faster move on the big day.

7. Have Your Move Ready The Night Before

The night before the movers arrive, double-check to make sure everything is ready to put on the truck. Did you:

• Clean out the refrigerator?
• Inspect the bathrooms for unpacked toiletries?
• Peek under sinks for stray cleaning products?

Finally, put personal items like prescriptions and important papers in a small tote or other container. Pack them in the car a few minutes after the movers arrive in the morning.

8. Do Your Last-Minute Cleaning Before Moving In

Now it’s morning, and the truck is here. To help complete the moving in one day, clean up while items are being removed. Wipe dirt off windows or shelves as boxes get taken off them. When everything is out of a room, vacuum the floors and look for any items you may have missed. Then put the cleaning items in the truck and you’re ready to go.

Call Gainesville, FL Movers Now

For more than 10 years, Gainesville residents have depended on UF Mover Guys to handle last-minute moves. With our expertise and friendly service, you can expect a well-planned and organized move, even when time is critical. Contact UF Mover Guys today for moving services in Gainesville, FL, and let’s get this move on the road!

All across America, summer is peak moving season. Just how busy is it? Of all moves that happen annually in the United States, roughly 80 percent occur between April and September. Of course, the motivations for relocating at this time vary. In much of the country, summer months have ideal weather for being outdoors and driving long distances (not quite the case in North Central Florida if you want to stay cool).

Gainesville still subscribes to the summer moving craze, though, but mainly because of its student population. When the spring semester ends, many students either graduate or move home temporarily, and return in August for fall semester along with first-year and transfer students who arrive for UF move-in day and orientation.

What are the effects of consolidating this many moves in a season? There are actually two: one good and one bad. On the upside, moving is usually viewed as a stressful activity, but it is less intimidating if you know there are other people doing it. If you have friends who are moving, for example, you could help each other pack. On the downside, lots of people moving around the same time means they’re all vying for the same resources. And what happens when stores run out of boxes, or you’re on a waitlist for movers in Gainesville?

Here, UF Mover Guys offers ways to avoid the pitfalls of peak-season moves while also taking advantage of its opportunities. Use this guide with a standard moving checklist for the easiest move this summer.

Hire Movers First, Not Last

Waiting until you’re packed to hire movers could leave you scraping at the bottom of the barrel of moving companies in Gainesville. Instead, choose your moving company first. By doing so, you can find experienced movers who have positive reviews and competitive prices and will be available when you need them. Most professional movers allow customers to schedule services up to three months early. So if you’re planning to move in June, start searching online for movers in March.

Transfer Utilities As Soon As Possible

Sometimes, new residents pick up keys to their homes or apartments a few days before they move in. If this option is available to you, take advantage by transferring over your utilities immediately upon gaining access to your new abode. It’ll be hot outside, so you’ll want to have the electricity turned on and the A/C unit working. Also, cellular data can be patchy in Gainesville. Have the Internet hooked up early in case you need to search for moving company contact info, find helpers for unloading boxes on the fly, or most critically, order lunch.

Get Inventive With Packing Supplies

During peak moving season, cardboard boxes, tape, and even packing peanuts are often in short supply locally. If you have spare cash and storage space, you can buy these packing materials early and horde them. Alternatively, you can make do with the items you own already. Using suitcases, backpacks, and even plastic bags as storage vessels not only saves you the ruthless competition for supplies. It also reduces your moving expenses. Sweatshirts, pillows, and socks make great buffers for fragile items in boxes, and blankets, sheets, and towels can be used to wrap furniture to avoid scratches.

Be Safe, Stay Hydrated

The average daily highs in Gainesville during June, July, and August are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. With the high humidity levels, caused by the fact that one-third of those days experience rainfall, you could be dealing with a swelter on moving day. For the sake of your health, keep a cooler of electrolyte-enriched beverages in the back of the moving truck to stay hydrated. You can’t go wrong with Gatorade, which was invented in Gainesville in the 1960s by a doctor at UF’s College of Medicine (much to the benefit of the Florida Gators football team of that era). Or, if you’re not a fan of sweet drinks, try bottled water with electrolytes. Stay away from beverages with high amounts of sugar or alcohol, which can leave you feeling thirsty and dehydrated.

In addition to your standard moving checklist, these tips for moving in the summer will help you make the most of your relocation. And for local and long-distance residential moving services for families, businesses, and students; packing supplies or climate-controlled storage for rent; or help with packing or loading and unloading; turn to UF Mover Guys. Contact us today to schedule moving services!

Summer is the busiest moving season of the year, but May, which is the last month of spring and when many people start preparing to relocate, is National Moving Month. Here’s everything you need to know about this month-long holiday along with tips for how you can make the most of it for your upcoming move.

What Is National Moving Month All About?

As the busiest time of the year for home sales, summer is also when the most moves occur for houses, apartments, and dorms alike. Altogether, out of the 11 percent of Americans who move every year, more than one half — nearly 6 percent of the population — do so between June and September.

Summer moves have become so prevalent, in fact, that the federal government was prompted to designate May as a national holiday. But this month isn’t so much of an occasion to move (although you certainly can, if you want to) as much as it is a month-long, summer moving kickoff. Throughout May, students, renters, homeowners, and others who will soon be moving can find loads of tips, advice, and resources to help them set everything into motion.

So, if you’re thinking about changing your address this summer, whether by moving within Florida or across multiple states’ lines, use National Moving Month as a time to plan and prepare. To help get you started, our movers in Gainesville have put together the following moving tips. Apply these to your situation, or call us today to schedule moving services!

Summer Moving Tips For Gainesville Residents

What drives summer moving in Gainesville? It’s a mixture of necessity and choice. Since most college dorms close in the summer, and many off campus housing rental contracts end around then, students who are involved in summer athletics, camps, or courses or planning to work a summer job usually have to move. Meanwhile, many homeowners choose the summer to move because the real estate and job markets are hot, while parents also need time to enroll their children in school before the fall.

Whether you’re relocating to Gainesville or starting a new life outside of the area, use these tips from our professional movers to have a successful move this summer.

Call The Movers In May

If you’re moving in the summer, May isn’t too early to call your local moving company in Gainesville. Demand for moving services spikes in June and July as students vacate dorms and apartments near the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College. (This trend contrasts with what would be typically a steady demand for moving services in a non-student town.) Therefore, if you want to make sure and secure the movers you want, schedule them in May.

Sell Your Unwanted Items In May, Or Wait Till August

To cut down on moving costs, lighten your load by selling the items you no longer need, such as clothes, furniture, or electronics. Downsizing reduces both the size of your moving job and the costs of packing and delivery. If you’re trying to make a few extra bucks, a good time to sell is in May (before students leave the campus) or August (after they return). Students are among the largest consumers of secondhand products, which they buy to save money or accentuate their image with vintage flair. During the summer, however, the buyer-market shrinks considerably.

If You’re Moving Bulky Items By Car, Try For July

When most of Gainesville’s student population is gone in July, local traffic is lighter, which creates a window for moving bulky items. Sure, driving on Archer Road with a mattress on the roof of your Camry is like tempting fate when the roads are congested during the school year, but this maneuver becomes easier to pull off during the summer slowdown. That said, renting a moving truck or hiring professionals to move bulky items is always a safer choice, both for pedestrians and your belongings.

Whether it’s May, January, or October, UF Mover Guys is available to help you out with residential moving in Gainesville. We handle local moves as well as long-distance moves, and we offer both single moving services and full-service packages. Call us today for a free, no-obligation price quote!

Moving day ends when you unload the truck at your new house or apartment. However, the moving process continues for several days as boxes need unpacking, furniture needs arranging, etc. In order to help you settle in faster, our movers in Gainesville made this easy-to-follow, post-move checklist divided by timeframes — feel free to add or subtract tasks per your situation!

Moving Day Preparations

1. Set Up Utilities

Before moving into your new home, be sure to set up the utilities, so you don’t have to spend the first night with no electricity or (gasp) Internet.

If you’re moving to Gainesville, here are links to local utility companies.

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) provides electric, natural gas, water, and other services. Check with your landlord or realtor to confirm which services are your responsibility.

Cox Communications offers cable, Internet, and phone services. It takes a few days to process a new account or transfer your services (and longer if you’re not doing self-installation), so call in advance!

If you’re changing your cellular plan to get a local number, AT&T and Verizon purportedly have the best cell phone coverage in Florida according to WhistleOut. As for the cheapest cell phone plans, NerdWallet reports that Sprint ranks high for non-prepaid plans while T-Mobile ranks high for pay-as-you-go plans. And when you need to buy, sell, trade, or repair a phone in Gainesville, a popular location is Re-Tech in Butler Plaza.

Lastly, before you move, don’t forget to cancel the utility accounts for your previous address. You don’t want the new residents filling their backyard swimming pool while your name remains on the water bill.

2. Inspect Your Furniture & Other Belongings

Once your belongings arrive at your new home, inspect individual pieces of furniture and fragile items. We’re not saying it’s necessary to use a magnifying glass to find hairline scratches, but you should take a quick look over each item as it comes off the truck to ensure the item is in the same condition in which it was loaded.

Professional movers accept liability for damaged items. They also take care not to damage items when moving them. But if you spot any scuffed or broken items, let the movers know.

3. Unpack The Essentials

You’ll have time in the coming days or weeks to finish unpacking, so get to the essentials first. If you planned ahead, you may have set aside boxes with special items to get you through the next couple of days. These might include toiletries, shower items, clothing, and food.

If you didn’t pack a first-day box, hopefully, you at least labeled the boxes. Check which ones contain your toiletries, especially towels, clothes, and kitchen items for cooking.

Steps For The First Week

Now that you’ve gotten through moving day, your attention should turn to tasks that should be completed during the first week.

4. Finish Unpacking

There’s not much to it but to do it. Grab a box, pull out the contents, and put them in their correct places. Finish unpacking one box before moving to another, and always throw away or recycle packing materials to avoid a mess and save the planet.

Not everyone has the stamina to unpack a full house. If that’s the case for you, check with your moving company for packing services. They also can help with assembling furniture, transporting items to storage containers, or carrying bulky items up stairs.

5. Map Out Your Commute

Many of us have to move for purposes related to work or school. Whether you came to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida or Santa Fe College, or you moved here to start a job, it’s helpful to plan your route before your first day’s commute. The best route might not be the shortest distance. Sometimes, preferred routes have the least traffic or the fewest tolls or potholes.

In addition to giving you the shortest route, Google Maps also has filters you can set to find the fastest route and spot traffic well ahead. iPhone users can take advantage of Apple Maps, which lets the user avoid tolls.

Both apps are free. But if you’re willing to cough up some dough, MotionX GPS Drive is another highly rated paid app that gives directions in multiple voices and even remembers your parking spot.

The First Month

After a week, you should be settling into life in your new home. Before you call the move over and done with, you’ll want to address a few final tasks.

6. Head To The DMV

Most states have laws requiring residents to update their driver’s licenses within 10 or so days after changing addresses. If you’re a Gainesville resident, you’ll want to head to the nearest office of the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).

To save time and avoid standing in line, you can take care of new licenses, tags, and plates online.

7. Throw A Housewarming Party

A housewarming party is a great way to meet your new neighbors — once your home is fully unpacked and presentable. If you’re in a residential neighborhood, try going door-to-door to meet your neighbors. Just be mindful of the fact that some people are less welcoming of drop-ins.

If you have friends in the area, be sure to invite them, as well. Having a few familiar faces in the crowd can help to cut through any lulls in conversations between new people who are just getting acquainted.

Whether you’re planning a move, in the middle of one, or finishing up the last steps, UF Mover Guys can help. We offer everything from full-service moves to individual services, such as packing, loading and unloading, and even temporary storage. We also handle local moves within Gainesville as well as long-distance relocations. Contact us to schedule your move!