Moving Tips
See our video how to wrap plates, bowls, cups, silverware, knives, pots & pans, and glass containers with wrapping paper (newsprint) and how to pack them safely into a dish barrel box using extra paper to make layers of padding in between layers of fragile items.
First of all, box (almost) everything, including plants and lamps, etc. Furniture doesn’t have to be boxed, and neither do large heavy items such as pianos, gun safes, gym equipment, etc. But they should be stretch wrapped several layers thick, then wrapped all around in moving blankets to guard against scratching and dents.
It’s difficult to know beforehand how many boxes and what sizes you will need. While there might not be boxes designed for a bassoon or trombone, there are special guitar boxes, boxes for skis, wardrobe boxes, and boxes for mirrors and paintings and dishes and glasses and flat screen televisions.
Perhaps the best approach is to buy a half dozen each of various size boxes, and then see how much of your household items you can fit into them. From there, you can probably get a very good idea of how many boxes you need. And if you buy more than necessary, you can keep them for future use or return them for a refund at the store where you bought them. But do remember to keep the receipt.
Buy enough bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts for fragile items. For decorated (painted) items, or for porcelain and other such items, you should wrap them first in acid free paper, then wrap them in stretch wrap and bubble wrap, then put them in a box surrounded by foam peanuts.
Fragile items, including paintings with glass, should have at least two inches of bubble wrap around them to protect them from the bouncing and jarring that typically occurs in the cargo area of a truck. Then they should be put into a sturdy box in which they fit snugly, but not too tightly. You can use foam peanuts to fill in any voids. So remember to buy boxes that have interior dimensions that are at least two inches larger on every side than the length, width, and depth of your fragile item.
You should mark each box with what items are in them and what room they’re going to in your new home. You should also mark the boxes with “FRAGILE” labels as needed.
Dishes should not be stacked on top of one another (the way you put them in cupboards), but should be wrapped in paper or thin foam and set on their sides (as you would put them in a dishwasher or dish drainer) in a container designed for them.
Certain very fragile items can be wrapped in a blanket and laid carefully in the back seat of a car if they won’t roll around there. Very valuable items, such as jewelry and precious coins might be carried with you. Be certain to keep them with you at all times and never leave them unattended. Keep them out of view of others, also.
Posters can be rolled up and placed in special tube boxes designed just for this purpose.
Yes. Moving Connections is federally licensed and insured, with a federal Motor Carrier Number.
Yes. Local moves are done by an hourly rate with a minimum of 2, 3, 4 or 5 hours depending on the nature of your move, the number of men needed, and the time of year. Minimums are typically higher during summer months (May – August) which is the peak season for the moving industry.
Only 2 things go on a truck. Furniture which we will blanket and boxes. So...
- For Local Moves put your china, glassware, computers, monitors, printers, jewelery, high-end artwork, family heirlooms etc. in the back seat of your car with boxes and blankets. Nothing is softer, nothing is safer.
- Box all your loose non-furniture items.
- Have your pathways clear
- Have a clear plan in your mind of what goes where. Maybe colored sticky notes on your boxes and furniture.
- Hydrate and maybe even feed your movers on bigger jobs. Pizzas and sandwiches always go well.
- Have back up plans i.e. have a storage unit lined up if everything doesn't fit, e.g. what if a couch won't turn a corner or fit in a loft or basement.
We don’t have any added or hidden fees, no taxes, no fuel charges, etc. The cost is very
straightforward and transparent: labor time (including the time for the drive to your
residence/office, and any time over one half hour on the trip back from your new residence/office
to our office, so you get a half hour of drive time on the way back for free).
With that in mind, the only thing that can increase your final bill is materials. We provide stretch wrap and blankets to protect your furniture at no extra charge. There is an extra charge, however, for boxes, tape, and other necessary packaging items that we provide to pack up loose items or fragile items such as tv’s, small appliances, lamps, and paintings.
When the last item is moved, the lead mover will compute at the end of the move by multiplying the hours times the hourly cost, plus any materials (boxes, etc.) used, minus the initial deposit.
You can pay the final balance using the same credit card you used for your deposit, another credit card, cash, or check.
First of all, make an inventory of all your valuable items and check them off as you see them being loaded. Let the movers know what you’re doing, and take pictures of these valued items if you wish with your cell phone or camera. You can also take pictures of furniture items and appliances, etc., to show the condition (scratches or dents, or lack thereof, etc.) of the items just before the movers start to work with them. This can prevent disputes should there be damage to the items while moving.
You can also prepare for a move by boxing some of the non-fragile items yourself. This could be books, utensils, towels, pillows, laundry items (not liquid detergents, we can’t take these), and other such household goods. If you’re packing books, be certain to use small boxes for them, as books tend to be very heavy.
You might also want to “break down” some furniture items that can be (or have to be) disassembled, like beds, etc. If you have any screws or bolts to remove, be certain to put them in a plastic bag and mark what piece of furniture they go with on the bag. Make sure that you point these out to the movers before they move a particular item, so that they don’t get lost. The movers will probably want to tape the bag directly to the item in some inconspicuous spot, such as the underside of a dining room table.
Be certain to let us know in advance of any fragile items, high value items, or extra heavy, large, or other such items, like gun safes or pianos or hot tubs. This is particularly true of glass, as there is a huge safety issue involved here. So glass table tops, paintings with glass, etc., will require special handling and we will need time to prepare in advance, and then bring the appropriate packaging tools and equipment for these things.
Just one more thing: please provide us with a telephone number that will be in service the day of the move. This will usually be a cell phone as land lines are usually disconnected on the day residents move.
If you feel our movers have been polite, professional, and efficient, you can reward them with a tip. The amount is up to you. If you aren’t sure about if or how much to tip your movers, this short article by Consumer Affairs has some helpful advice. Get help on common tipping practices in the moving businesses by following this link Tipping Your Movers
1) We can refund your deposit completely if you call us or email us at least three days before your scheduled move.
2) In certain situations, if you cancel your move within three business days of your scheduled move, we can sometimes apply your deposit to a future move. This is done on a case by case basis.
No, you just pay the flat rate for drive time as part of the move, plus any boxes or tape or other packing supplies that your move might require. There are no hidden fees or extra charges. Our time starts when we leave our office until your move is completed. The return trip drive time is free for up to one half hour.
Our movers are experienced professionals and follow standardized procedures for moving these items safely. Please let us know of any such items when first scheduling your move. Pianos, statues, paintings, antique vases, gun safes, high value items, paintings, and so forth are all things that we should know about well in advance.
If you’re not certain whether an item is considered fragile, just ask us and we’ll let you know whether it requires extra packaging.
We can move them, but we cannot be held responsible for any damage to your live plants. If they’re small enough to fit in your own vehicle, you might consider transporting them yourself.
Yes, we do have storage available, including both regular and climate-controlled storage areas. The former start at $80 per month, while the climate controlled storage rooms start at $100 per month. Please let us know well in advance if you want to store any items so we can plan for this.
We cannot move hazardous materials or items considered dangerous. Such items include, but are not limited to, firearms, ammunition, propane tanks, any flammables such as oil or gas, gas cans, paints, and such things as herbicides and pesticides. Even cleaning supplies, bleach, liquid detergents and liquid containers that are already open are not allowed.
We do not move pets or livestock or any live animals.
We do not move high value items, such as rare coins, cash, credit cards, documents, jewelry, etc. We recommend that all such items be kept with you.
Yes. Our experienced professionals expertly pack everything from office equipment to rocking chairs. Just tell us what items you want us to pack and we will arrive with all the boxes, tape, dollies, and so forth in order to pack and move your goods professionally.
You will not have to pay for any unused packing supplies. You only need to pay for the packing supplies actually used. Any extra supplies will go back to our store at no charge to you.
three movers can handle most jobs, but larger moves might require additional men. We will evaluate your particular needs according to how many rooms you intend to move, whether you have any very heavy, large or fragile items (such as gun safes or pianos or marble statues), and whether you have a lot of items in storage, or in your attic or basement, etc.
We use standard 26’ box trucks with interior side rails.
The trucks come with approximately 100 moving blankets, plus professional grade moving dollies, furniture dollies, and stretch wrap, plus whatever specific equipment we might need for your particular job, such as piano boards or pallet jacks.
No, lunch breaks and other breaks are deducted from the total time computed for labor costs.
For morning moves, about 8 a.m. Afternoon moves vary, depending on when a crew finishes a morning move. In any case, one of our movers will call you to finalize details just before leaving for your home or office. They will give you a close estimate of when they will arrive during this phone call.
You’re always welcome to call, but it will rarely be possible to book moves for the same day, and not very likely even for the following day. But moving is a very dynamic business, and sometimes a crew might only have a morning job with no afternoon job, and they might welcome an opportunity for an afternoon job.
So always call. Moving Connections even did a rush job in which the customer called us one afternoon and explained that he just received a call to move that day to a Midwestern state for his company. He left the keys to his home for us, and he had to leave in such a hurry that he left unwashed dishes in his kitchen sink. So sometimes we can respond to rush jobs.
The best way to save money on your move is to think about ways to make your move go faster once the movers arrive. For example, stage your items in the garage or on the ground floor where the movers have easy access. The less tight corners, long hallways, and stairs the men have to go through, the faster and easier they can move your items.
Believe it or not, the one thing you can do to save money on your move is to pack as much of your belongings as possible in boxes. Moving Connections recommends using standard size moving boxes such as Uhaul small, medium, large, and XL boxes. A stack of boxes that are all the same size can be moved easily and loaded efficiently on to the moving truck. When you pack your items in random-sized boxes or leave your items unboxed, the movers have to take extra time to stack each item individually and sometimes restack the load to make sure everything is safe and secure.
Not all items fight in a standard sized moving box, so if you are having trouble finding the right box for your belongings, please give us a call. We have well over one hundred different box sizes in stock including specialty boxes such as guitar boxes, ski boxes, flat screen TV boxes, etc. In addition, we have tape and tape dispensers and dozens of other items.