Packing Tips for a Big Move

Packing all of your belongings into boxes can seem like a daunting task. However, just like many things, if you follow the correct steps, your Gainesville moving process will be over before you know it. Here is a list of several measures you can take to ensure your procedure goes smoothly.

Pack an Overnight Bag

Before you begin packing all of your boxes, set aside a duffel or small suitcase. Fill it with a couple changes of clothes, toiletries, pajamas and a few snacks. This will help you find essentials without needing to open multiple boxes to find toothpaste or a hairbrush. Additionally, you will want to assign one box to be opened first. Inside, it should contain all of the possessions you need to for the first couple days including bedding, towel, silverware, paper towels and a flashlight.

Collect Necessary Materials

Gather packing materials before you begin packing. First, you will need something to put all of your belongings in. Utilize any containers you already have such as plastic bins, suitcases and tote bags. Then head to your local hardware store where you can buy boxes or to the grocery store where you might be able to acquire some for free. Next, buy packing tape, permanent markers, bubble wrap and tissue paper.

Declutter

Spend time ridding yourself of unnecessary items. If you have not used or worn something in the last year, donate it. It is not beneficial to spend time packing, moving and unloading objects that you have no real purpose for. Take this as an opportunity to start fresh. Once you decide what you no longer want, decide what should be donated and what needs to be thrown away. You may even be able to sell furniture, electronics or clothing before you move.

Organize

As you begin putting belongings in boxes, pack them with items that are similar. For example, place all kitchen items in boxes together and then move on to each new room. This will make unpacking much simpler. Keep in mind that you will be living in housing that may have a different layout. Therefore, if you now want to put your DVD collection in your room instead of the living room, you will want to consider that when packing.

Label Boxes

Use a permanent marker to label not only which room each box goes in but what items are inside. As your Gainesville movers are unloading boxes, they will know which rooms they should place each one. Then, when you begin unpacking or are looking for a specific item, you will also have an idea about which box you are looking for. Further, you will want to write “fragile” on any box that has breakables. This will help your movers know which boxes they should be especially careful with and avoid placing them underneath heavier boxes.

Moving Company in Florida

After you finish packing, you will need assistance from a Gainesville moving company transporting your possessions to your new home. Let UF Mover Guys assist you by safely and efficiently load and unload your boxes. We can even do all of the packing and unpacking for you to make your job that much easier. Call us today to begin coordinating.

What to Pack Last When Moving

The Last Thing You Should Pack for a Move

Once you finally motivate yourself to being packing, you may just want to move from room to room until every box is filled. However, this method may lead to complications further down the line. Instead, before you begin packing, you need to consider which items you will need first and they should be stored separately.

Items You Need While Moving

Whether you are moving down the street or out of town, you will want to have access to several items during the Florida moving process. Most likely, you will find a few pieces that you have forgotten to pack. Therefore, you should be sure to bring an extra couple bags or boxes, tape and marker to store them. If you take any prescriptions or have allergies, pack your medications in a small bag so you can use them as needed. The Florida heat is particularly harsh so pack some snacks, water bottles and Gatorade to keep your movers refreshed. Other items you may need include phone chargers, paper towels, toilet paper and speakers for music.

Possessions You May Need Immediately

When you are packing boxes, be sure to load one box with essentials. Find this box immediately after your Gainesville movers bring it in so you will have access to various things you will require on your first night without needing to rummage through multiple boxes. In this box, you should include a change of clothing, towel, toiletries, bedding and clean sheets, basic cleaning supplies, flashlight, small tool kit and several kitchen utensils.

Pieces That Will Satisfy Your Office Needs

If you have a commercial property and are moving to a new location, you will need to box with items that you need immediately. Consider what files you will need to help current clients and do not place them with older paperwork. It may take a while for your computers and internet to be set up so you will want to find some work that your employees can work on without a computer. For your everyday office needs, pack some toilet paper, paper towels, paper, pens and of course the resources necessary to make everyone a round of coffee.

Moving Companies in Florida

A professional Gainesville moving company will make all the difference during your move. If you need assistance for a commercial or residential move, UF Mover Guys is here to help. We strive to make the process as simple as possible for you or your business. Contact us today for a free quote.

How to Move into an Apartment

Apartment Moving

Moving into a new apartment is an exciting process but it can also be an overwhelming task. There are a variety of moving parts that you must keep track of. In order to have a successful Gainesville moving experience, you will want to remain organized and consider these helpful tips.

Make a Schedule

Though you may not feel as if you have time to sit down and come up with a concrete schedule, it will save you much more time in the long run. When you attempt to “just wing it”, you may find that your Gainesville movers are only available certain hours of the day that does not coincide with the time you must leave your apartment. First communicate with the landlords in your old apartment and the one you are moving into to determine when you will have access. Then, relay this information to your moving company so they will be able to come at the correct time. If you do not live on the first floor, ask your landlord about your ability to book the elevator (if available) so you will be able to exclusively use it for a short period of time.

Label Boxes Clearly

Unorganized moving processes usually result in a chaotic mountain of boxes with no knowledge about where anything is. You can avoid this frustration by clearly labeling what is in each box as you pack it. Write what is inside on the top of the box as well as two of the sides so that you will not have to worry about rotating heavy boxes. Along with a description of the contents, also label which room they will go into. Then, when your Gainesville moving company is bringing in packages, they will be able to place them in convenient locations. You can even set up drop off zones within each room to ensure you will have enough room to place all of your boxes.

Leave Nothing Behind

Everyone has experienced that unexplainable feeling they are forgetting something when they are driving away from their house. You can avoid that by remembering these commonly forgotten items. Remember to check out of site areas such as the attic, your local storage unit, shed or garage. If you forget about these areas until you are packing up the moving truck, you will be greatly inconvenienced. Take time to consider local places that may have your items. Is your grandfather’s old watch at the shop getting repaired? Did you send your clothes to the dry cleaners? Make sure you grab these items before you leave. The same is true for friends. If you borrowed a movie from a friend or your neighbor has your favorite book, do not forget to give or retrieve them before you move.

Let the Movers Do the Heavy Lifting

When you are moving in or out of Gainesville, hire a Florida moving company that you can depend on. UF Mover Guys will offer a personalized moving plan for each customer that adheres to the regulations of your complex. Let our team at UF Mover Guys keep track of the moving process so you can worry about one less thing. Contact us today to get a free, no obligation estimate.

Moving Lights

Techniques for Effectively Packing Holiday Lights

Everyone knows the difficulty of taking boxes out that your Gainesville moving company brings in that contain decorative lighting and discovering all of the lights are tangled. When packing them up, it is important to store them correctly so you can remove them later without the hassle of untangling the lights. There are three different techniques that may be effective.

In a Circle

This is probably the most common approach to packing Christmas lights. Start by taking one end of the lights in one hand. Then use your other hand to grab the string of lights at a different spot. There should be about 1 foot of distance between your hands. Then create a v-shape by bringing your hands together. Then grab both points with your first hand. Continue doing this until reach the final bulb. Carefully place this circle on a flat surface. Use the remaining cord to tightly wrap around the circle and secure it until it forms a shape similar to a bow.

Small Bundles

This method involves starting on the end of the string of lights that does not contain the plug. Hold the string by pinching the second light between your first and second finger while the first light hangs along the bottom of your palm. Fold the two sides together so the first and third lights are side by side. Then put the fourth light at the top and continue to pinch and fold the string until the entire length has been used and you have a small bundle in your hand. Now, take the rest of the cord and wrap it around the cluster tightly and plug it into the other side. This version not only keeps your lights securely in place, but it also consolidates them so you will be able to fit more of them in your box for your Gainesville movers.

Cardboard Wraps

Another option is to cut a rectangle out of cardboard. Then cut two slits on opposite sides. Begin by securing one end of your Christmas lights into one of the cuts and begin wrapping it around the cardboard. Once you run out of string, secure the other end into the slit on the opposite side. You can now easily place them in a box that can readily be moved by your Florida moving company.

Disassembling Furniture Before a Move

How to Properly Disassemble Furniture

During the moving process, it can be difficult to move all of your possessions. This task becomes much more difficult if you have large, bulky furniture. Therefore, it is much more beneficial to take time to disassemble your furniture before your Gainesville moving company team arrives. When altering your valuable items, it is important to do it well.

Measure Furniture

Before you begin the moving process, take time to measure your furniture in order to determine if it will fit well within the moving van. Also, make sure your large pieces will be able to fit through door ways and hallways and the room at your new home each item will go in.

Analyze Furniture

Once you decide which pieces need to be disassembled, you need to look for disassembling points. Often, there are areas that are specific points where you can take them apart such as screws. This is especially true for bookshelves and desks. Sometimes, they are beneath fabric and you must thoroughly search them.

Get the Proper Tools

In order to properly disassemble your furniture, you will need to obtain the necessary tools. This includes items such as a hammer, Phillips head and flat head screwdriver. You may even need a small hex wrench, which will be helpful for tiny screws.

Consult a Manual

Some pieces of furniture may be easy to disassemble. However, others may be more difficult. Therefore, it may be helpful to read your manual. If you can not locate the manual, you may be able to find it online. Manuals will be particularly helpful for pieces that do not have obvious disassembling points.

Secure Hardware

After you remove the screws, it is important to keep track of the hardware. If you lose it, it will be much more difficult to find similar screws when assembling the piece of furniture again. Place the screws in small plastic bags and label with the accompanying name of the furniture, or you can tape the hardware to the furniture so you can find it once your Gainesville movers finish.

Disassembling your furniture may take time, but it will make your Florida moving process run much smoother. There is also more danger associated with carrying cumbersome furniture. You can accidentally drop it, which may cause an injury or damage your furniture and will then require repair costs. It will also make the task much easier for your Gainesville moving company.

How to Pack Small Appliances

Tips for Packing Small Appliances Before You Move

Knowing how to pack small appliances can make a big difference for your move. While most people never notice, appliances such as coffee makers and microwaves often have delicate parts made of glass and plastic that can break during transport. For this reason, you will want to take the following steps to make sure your favorite appliances arrive at your new residence in tact.

Clean and Inspect Your Appliances

It is important to carefully wash and dry your appliances before packing to ensure that no bits of food or water are left behind to create rust or mold. In Gainesville, movers also recommend using this time to carefully inspect your appliances for signs of damage or wear to ensure that they are in top condition before the move.

Remove Intricate Parts

Blender blades, coffee filter holders and other little parts on your appliance can tumble around and break if they are not packed securely. For this reason, you will need to disassemble any removable parts and pack them separately. If you are worried about being able to reassemble your appliance, then write the steps you take down on a notecard and tape it to the appliance. This way, you can work through the steps in reverse order when you set up your new home.

Choose the Right Box

The ideal box for shipping small appliances is the original one that it was packaged in, however, a sturdy small to medium sized box should do fine. Just make sure that the appliance fits snug in the box with enough room to add packing paper or bubble wrap. A quality Gainesville moving professional also performs an inspection of each box to ensure that it can bear the weight of the appliance and has sturdy tape applied to the bottom seam.

Wrap the Parts & Add Cushion

Begin packing your appliances by wrapping the cards and securing them with a twist tie. Then, add some packing paper to the bottom of the box, and use the same paper to wrap the appliance. If your appliance has bowls, then you should fill these with crumpled pieces of paper as well. Finish up by adding more crumpled pieces of paper or packing peanuts to fill in any gaps, and secure the top of the box with packing tape.

Correctly packing small appliances takes time, but it is worth the effort to do everything you can to prevent breakage. Fortunately, a Gainesville moving company can make it easier to know that your appliances will arrive in perfect condition with their professional packing services. Whether you need to move a few appliances or an entire household, using some extra care will protect your belongings.

How to Move Items from Your Garage & Shed

Moving Tips: How To Pack Up Your Garage & Shed

A garage or shed is a convenient place to store dangerous or messy items, but it is often the most difficult room to tackle when packing for a move. Typically, these rooms are filled with objects that are heavy, mechanical, oddly shaped, sharp, or filled with combustible or toxic fluids. The sort of items should be handled delicately and with special care. Sometimes the services of dependable Gainesville movers are needed to handle the job properly.

How to Pack Tools & Machinery

The first recommended step is taking a basic inventory. Take note of items that can not or should not be transported or shipped. This includes gasoline, paint thinner, pesticides, charcoal, fertilizer, motor oil, and other messy or hazardous materials. Discard these items before packing or calling your Gainesville moving company.

It may also be helpful to take stock of objects that need to be disassembled. Power tools, for example, often come with attachments that should be packed separately. Any oil or gasoline within them should also be drained to prevent leakage. Being mindful of removable parts will reduce the risk of damage during transport.

Another benefit to disassembling items is convenience. Bicycles, for example, are large and difficult to move when fully assembled. By taking such items apart, they can be stored in smaller containers and easily fit with the rest of your packed belongings.

Many items in your garage or shed my have blades or sharp edges. If improperly packed, these can tear through boxes or damage other items. It is also a safety hazard when handling. Be sure to carefully wrap them with soft material such as old towels or rags.

Moving Items from Garage/Shed Storage

Some of your most fragile belongings may be found in the garage. This includes things like old toys, pottery, glassware and holiday decorations. Be very liberal with cushioning material when packing these items. Materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and tissue paper will prevent delicate items from breaking. A common rule of thumb is to take the worst case scenario and plan accordingly. If your box and its contents can survive a fall down the stairs, it is safely packed.

Items that are sensitive to dust and moisture, such as electronics, should be sealed and protected from the elements. Polyurethane bags, or “poly bags”, are a cheap and effective solution.

Of course, the best tip for packing your garage for Gainesville moving is to leave it in the hands of professionals. Our movers specialize in carefully handling dangerous and fragile materials. To ensure that your belongings safely arrive to their destination, with nothing left to chance, give our company a call.

Weird But Useful Packing Tips for Moving

Lifehacks for Packing You Never Knew Existed

There is no denying that moving can be stressful, especially if you have a large number of items to pack. While our Gainesville moving company can always help you pack your items safely, there are certain items that you may want to pack yourself. Even though packing up your entire home can feel like a big job, there are several weird but useful tricks of the trade that can make packing easier.

Be Creative When it Comes to Packing Delicate Items

Part of the frustration with packing is that packing materials can be expensive and you’ll most likely be tossing the materials once your move is complete. Instead of pouring money down the drain, get creative when it comes to protecting your fragile items. Socks make great packing materials for fragile glasses and stemware. Sheets can be wrapped around your furniture to prevent nicks and scratches, and can be used to pack around plates, vases and any decorative items that could break in transit. This is also a great way to cut down on the amount of moving supplies you’ll need and saves bubble wrap.

Get Colorful

Everyone knows that labeling your boxes will make unpacking a little bit easier. However, adding a splash of color can also make the unpacking process go much smoother. By color coding your boxes, your Gainesville movers will know exactly where to take your boxes when they unload them from the truck. This way, you won’t have to searching through all of your boxes to find your work clothing or a set of dishes to use as you unpack.

Use Sandwich Bags for Your Small Items

Taking apart large pieces of furniture can make moving houses a little bit easier. However, there’s also a chance that you can lose the hardware that you need to put your furniture back together again. To avoid this, putting your screws and nails in zip-lock bags can help you keep all of your pieces together. For extra security, you can tape your hardware baggies directly to a piece of the furniture or use a permanent marker to write on the baggie itself.

Plastic Bins Make Day-to-Day Life Easier

When it comes to moving, there is no set method that Gainesville moving companies require. Although boxes are usually preferred, you can use clear plastic bins to help you move the stuff that you’ll need right away. Using clear bins allow you to see what’s inside, so finding things like trash bags, power strips, phone chargers and even toilet paper will be a breeze. This way, you’ll have all the items that you need to make your first night in your new home as comfortable as possible.

Custom Boxes Are a Must for Certain Items

If you are moving, then packing can be a chore that you put off until you absolutely have to. However, this is a really big mistake since your belongings may get broken or damaged from not being secured away correctly. The best thing to do is start packing up nonessential belongings at least eight weeks before your move. You can slowly work your way toward the items you use the most one or two weeks before the day.

In addition to making sure you do take time and get everything stored in boxes, you need to pack in the right way. There are specialty boxes made for specific items that you should always use. If you don’t then you are taking risks with some of your more fragile belongings. You may not even know about some of the specialty materials that are available to you, but your professional movers will be able to help you out.

Plasma TV Boxes

Plasma televisions can never be laid on their side and they are extremely fragile. If you don’t take proper precautions with them, then the result could be disastrous and you certainly don’t want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new set after you have just moved. There is a specialty box that is made specifically for these televisions. They will include thicker cushioning and packaging to ensure no extra stress is put on the fragile front screen on the set.

Glassware

Glasses are extremely breakable to the point that they often end up on the store shelves cracked in their boxes. You can’t simply put them in a box and hope for the best and you certainly shouldn’t just depend on newspaper wrapping. Instead, you need to choose specialty moving supplies that are designed specifically for glassware. These durable and sturdy boxes will include dividers that will keep the glasses from clinking together and causing any damage.

China and Plates

If you have expensive china, you certainly don’t want to take any chances with it. That means knowing how to properly pack and store everything for moving. You can find specialty packing materials that are designed specifically for these items. They include cushioned dividers that will sit between each piece of china.

The vast majority of damage from moving comes when pieces clink together during rough patches in the road, so by keeping them separate, you can ensure the items have a much better chance of making it safely to your new home.

When you start packing to move, keep in mind that you have options that will ensure all of your belongings are safe. Not all things should be packed in standard boxes or wrapped in moving blankets.

Instead, talk to your moving company about options that will keep fragile items safe. These types of specialty materials include boxes for glassware and china as well as plasma televisions. Remember that the sooner you get started packing, the better you can take care of your belongings.