METCALF MOVING BLOG

Cleaning for a Move: DIY or Hire Professionals?

Moving brings a long list of items on your “to-do” list, and one of the least exciting ones is cleaning the house before you leave for good. This is especially true if you are moving from a rental home. Depending on how long you’ve lived in your home, you may have an incredibly daunting task ahead of you. So, the question becomes – should you clean everything yourself or hire a professional cleaning crew?

There’s no “right” answer to this question, as quite a few variables are at play. Instead, assess your situation and determine if going with a professional is the best option.

Considerations To Hire Home Cleaners When Moving

Another point to consider is that the question isn’t necessarily binary. Realistically, you can do some of the cleaning yourself and leave the rest to the professionals. However, here are some questions to figure out how much you want to handle on your own.

What is Your Moving Timetable?

If you have a month or more to move out, you can start cleaning now and do a little bit every day until you leave. Parceling the project into chunks makes it much easier to get pieces done incrementally. Then, by the time moving day arrives, there should only be a little bit left to clean, meaning you can save the costs of a professional service.

Conversely, if you’re trying to move as quickly as possible (i.e., a week or less), you likely will need more time to deep-clean your entire house or apartment.

How Much Clutter and Dirt Do You Have?

Clutter is a problem virtually everyone experiences, and we tend to accumulate more clutter the longer we live in a space. So, if you’ve been in your house for several years, it’s likely much less clean and more disorganized than if you were only there for six months.

Although moving is the perfect opportunity to shed items and reduce your overall clutter, there’ll still be a hefty mess to clean up afterward. Plus, the size of your home can matter, as larger houses accumulate more clutter, so the cleaning process will take much longer. In that case, hiring professionals may make the most sense.

Do You Have the Right Equipment to Clean Thoroughly?

While you don’t need industrial equipment or chemicals to deep-clean your house, the job will be much more challenging if you only have a broom and a vacuum. Sometimes, you may need to choose between investing in higher-quality equipment to get the job done faster or hiring a professional team.

Do You Own or Rent Your Current Home?

Whenever you rent a property, you have to pay a security deposit. While minor messes and scratches won’t prevent you from getting this deposit back, you still want to leave the place in good condition.

Some property managers may offer cleaning services, which you can deduct from the deposit. Since you don’t have that money in your pocket anyway, it may make sense just to get less of it back and allow your landlord to pay for cleaning.

Bottom Line: Professional Cleaners are Ideal, But DIY Can Still Save Money

Realistically, hiring professionals makes the most sense unless you have a naturally clean house and lots of time to clean as you move. However, if you’re on a tight relocation budget, you’ll have to be strategic about cleaning everything yourself so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Get Help With Your Move!

One way to make cleaning more manageable is to let us handle the logistics of moving all your belongings to your new home. We offer various services to meet your needs and budget, so contact us to learn more!

5 Tips to Help Protect Yourself (And Loved Ones) During a Residential Move

With so much to coordinate and prepare for your upcoming move, it’s easy to overlook some of the inherent relocation risks. Fortunately, you can do a few things to protect yourself and your loved ones during your next household move.

1. Practice Safe Lifting Techniques

If you’ll be lifting any heavy boxes or furniture, familiarize yourself with proper lifting techniques. Specifically, you should focus on always bending at your hips and knees when picking up something heavy. Likewise, make sure you are lifting with your legs rather than straining your back—and avoid twisting or turning as you lift. Always maintain firm footing and keep heavy items close to your body as you transport them from point A to point B.

In addition to following safe lifting techniques, know when to ask for help. Some items are simply too heavy, large, bulky, or awkward to carry alone. By understanding what you can and cannot handle on your own, you can reduce your risk of injury.

2. Consider Boarding Your Pets

Moving day can be stressful for pets. Seeing movers relocate furniture and boxes out of the home can trigger worry and anxiety in even the calmest pets. From there, all it takes is for someone to accidentally leave a door open for a pet to escape and risk injuring itself. To keep your pets safe and secure on moving days, consider taking them to a boarding facility or place them in the care of a trusted friend until things have settled down.

3. Find a Sitter

If you have children (especially young children), you may also want to plan loading up the moving truck for a time while they’re in school/daycare or with a trusted caregiver. It can be hard to keep a close eye on small children during the chaos of a move, so having them out of the house may be the safer and easier option for everybody involved.

4. Use the Right Gear

The right clothing and gear can also make a big difference on your moving day. Wear close-toed shoes (such as boots or sneakers) to protect your feet from accidents. Meanwhile, a good pair of work gloves can improve your grip on boxes/furniture while protecting your hands from blisters, cuts, and other injuries.

In addition to suitable clothing and shoes, equipment such as dollies and small hand trucks can also make moving heavy furniture and boxes much more manageable. If you don’t have this equipment already, you may be able to rent it or even borrow it from a friend or neighbor.

5. Hire Professional Movers

Above all else, the easiest thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones on your moving day is to leave the heavy lifting and loading to the professionals. By hiring movers, you can simply sit back and relax while your possessions are carefully loaded and transported to your new place. Finding a sitter for your young children and a boarding facility for your pets may still be helpful, but professional movers can be an excellent investment.

Ready to make your move easier and safer? Request a moving quote by contacting our team today!

Moving? Be Prepared with the Right Moving Supplies

Having the right supplies ready before tackling a big project can make a huge impact. Moving is no different, so gathering your moving supplies before packing is vital. Gathering your moving supplies will make quick work of packing and help you stay better organized throughout the move.

We will review some of the essentials you need to pick up and have ready for your residential move.

Boxes

While it may seem common sense to have boxes ready for your move, understanding the type of boxes needed can help. You’ll want a range of box sizes, from small boxes that protect delicate belongings to large cartons that can fit lightweight bedding. Plastic bins and totes can help organize books, clothing, or toys. Consider using specialized boxes like a wardrobe box to help transport your clothing or dish pack boxes to move dishware and glasses to your new house.

Tape

Before moving, invest in some high-quality packing tape for your move. Good quality packing tape ensures your boxes remain closed, even with shuffles through the relocation. Invest in a packing tape gun with a serrated edge blade on the tape roll to help you speed through packing even faster. Ensure you have multiple rolls of tape to avoid running out partway through packing.

Labels and Markers

Organize your boxes with clearly marked labels. Some people color-code their labels to designate the boxes by the room they go to. Clearly label the boxes on the top and the sides so you’ll still be able to read labels with the boxes stacked on top of one another. Write large and legibly so you and your movers can quickly identify the boxes.

Bubble Wrap

Using bubble wrap can help protect your glasses, plates, and decorations during a move. Bubble wrap is easily purchased from most home improvement stores and is available in large rolls. Of course, homeowners should always move their most fragile and delicate items themselves.

Furniture Pads and Blankets

Have plenty of furniture pads and blankets on hand to help protect your furniture (and walls) while moving. Furniture pads can protect furniture from scratches and cushion sharp corners preventing dings in the walls. Putting blankets under heavy furniture can help slide large dressers or tables over hard floors.

Plastic Bags

Unfortunately, not every belonging will fit into a box. Sometimes large plastic bags are perfect for packing and moving items. Bedding, towels, blankets, and pillows are ideal for large plastic bags. Or you can also use plastic bags to cover and protect awkwardly sized items like lamps.

Bungee Cords and Straps

If you are moving certain items or boxes independently, consider using bungee cords and straps. Driving with boxes in the bed of a truck or the back of a car can quickly shift as you drive. Securing containers in place with straps can help protect your belongings and prevent damage.

Dolly

Moving boxes and heavy furniture out of a home is back-breaking work. If you’re not using a professional moving company, consider investing in a dolly or hand truck. The dolly will allow you to stack heavy boxes and wheel them into your home. You’ll be able to save your back and move faster by loading three or four boxes into your home on each trip.

Hire Professional Movers

You don’t have to devise your relocation strategy and do all the work yourself. Reach out to a professional mover for a quote. It’s worth having them handle as much of the move as possible — then, you won’t have to worry about dollies, moving blankets, etc. Contact us so we can help get you settled in quickly.

Practical Methods for Relocating Your Office

Moving an office differs from relocating a residence, notably because far more moving parts and people are involved. This kind of transition can be expensive and overwhelming in many cases, but it doesn’t have to set you or your bottom line back too much. 

Fortunately, there are several ways to trim costs and make the moving experience much easier and more streamlined. Here are some practical methods for relocating your office.

Step One: Do Your Research

Once you get the ball rolling on an office move, it’s hard to stop it. So, you need to ensure your destination office is ideal for you and your employees before making an official announcement. 

Consider elements like the cost of living, proximity to customers and clients, and ease of access for your workers. Sometimes, you may be scaling up, so you’ll need a higher operating budget. But, if you’re scaling down, you want to ensure you’re cutting costs in all the right places. 

Step Two: Determine You Can Do In-House

While packing and moving isn’t part of an employee’s job description, most workers are willing to help pack their belongings and other small items. If everyone can do that, you’ll be able to get most of the smaller pieces packed and ready to go in no time.

You can even schedule an “in-house packing day” where all workers pack their desks or offices so the movers can just take the boxes to the truck. 

Step Three: Assign a Project Manager

With so many moving parts and individuals involved, it’s easy for an office move to become hectic and overwhelming. Since the goal is to cause as little disruption to your operations as possible, you’ll want to assign an internal project manager during the whole process. 

Having a single person (with one or two assistants, as needed) oversee the transition makes it much easier to coordinate each component. When everyone is trying to figure things out at once, that can lead to redundancies, delays, and inflated costs. 

It’s also imperative to know what kind of authority the project manager will have, especially when directing staff members or approving expenditures. Overall, it’s best to set a budget and have a dedicated moving team to handle logistics and details. 

Step Four: Start With Practicality

In most cases, there will be a transition period after moving, where you and your team settle into the new office. So, while it is nice to have decorative items and showpieces ready immediately, you should wait for those added costs.  

Alternatively, you can be strategic about which areas are “customer-ready” once you move. For example, instead of decorating the entire office, you only decorate a single conference room or lobby. 

Get Help Moving Your Office

While employees can help with some of the packing and unpacking, there will be too much for one set of people to move on their own. Instead, it’s best to call in the pros to ensure everything runs as quickly and smoothly as possible so that your office is up and running quickly. We’re your go-to resource for office moves, so contact us when it’s time!

10 Tips for Quick and Easy Moving Techniques

With proper preparation, moving can be a manageable ordeal. Consider these suggestions to ensure your relocation goes off without a hitch.

1. Purge Your Belongings

Purge things you haven’t used in a while and all the clothes that no longer fit. You can donate to charity, hold a garage sale, or give items to friends. The less you have to move, the easier and less expensive your move will be.

2. Make a Packing and Moving Checklist

A moving checklist is essential when you’re relocating. Your moving checklist is a list of everything you need to do and when you need to do it, in order of importance. This way, you can clear your mind and stay on track. Download a moving checklist and adapt it to your needs. Go through the list and mark things off as you finish them. Make a separate list to ensure you do not leave anything behind. Always keep it rigid but realistic; this is the secret to success. 

3. Get Estimates from Reliable Movers

A good rule of thumb is to gather estimates from three reputable movers before contracting with one. Ask friends and family for recommendations. Check reviews on the Internet.

If you are moving to a different state, the mover should be registered with the Department of Transportation. You can check registration and complaints on the DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.

4. Plan Meals Around Your Move to Use Perishables

Every year, Americans throw away 103 pounds of spoiled food from their refrigerators, according to a survey conducted for Bosch appliances. Wasting food affects your budget, and it also affects the environment.

5. Take Measurements

Carefully measure the rooms in your new home. Then, plan the layout of each room online before your moving day. You’ll help the movers know where to put your furniture on arrival, and you won’t pay to move furniture that doesn’t fit.

6. Have a First Night Box

Include all the items you’ll need the first night, including sheets, pajamas, toiletries, a change of clothes, and supplies for a simple meal. Also, pack a first-night box for your children, including a few favorite toys and snacks.

7. Arrange Child Care for the Children

Your move will go more smoothly if someone cares for your children on your moving day. You’ll want to be available to answer movers’ questions. Also, you want to keep your child out of the movers’ path.

Pro Tip: Make sure you make arrangements for your pets too. It is dangerous for them and the movers if they are present without a plan for their care.

8. Care for Documents

Make copies of the documents you need, including moving contract, lease, or mortgage papers, driver’s license, passport, car registration, and professional licenses. Keep one copy in a small box or manila envelope with you. Keep another in a safe place.

9. Unpack Child’s Room First

When you arrive at your new home, unpack your child’s room first. Children become anxious during the move, and familiar furnishings and toys around them will ease their anxiety.

10. Rely on The Experts

Expert movers know all the tips and tricks to make your move easier. Contact us today for a free quote.

7 Tips for Reducing Anxiety Before a Move

Moving, especially with short notice, can be highly stressful. Organizing and packing with a strict deadline can make anxiety and stress skyrocket. Taking time before your move to relieve stress will make you feel better and help make the moving process easier and more efficient. Practice pre-move stress relievers to give yourself a break and ease your mind into tackling a big move.

1. Exercise

Even with a looming deadline for your move, it is essential to take time for yourself. Remember that your own health and wellness come first, and everything else in your life is secondary. Take about an hour a day to practice some form of exercise or physical activity. Exercise will keep you healthy and help you burn off stress with boosted endorphins. Some great ways to exercise include walking, hitting the gym, or relaxing with peaceful and meditative yoga.

2. Find a Brief Distraction

To avoid exhaustion, you should not devote every waking moment to your move. Find something each week to act as a distraction. Whether you curl up with a good book for a few hours or go to see a movie, finding an escape for a few hours can ease your mind and make the moving process less stressful. Just ensure your distraction is only a few hours and doesn’t entirely monopolize your free time.

3. Connect With Friends

Enjoying time with friends lets you blow off some steam and enjoy the company of others. Friends always make you feel better and can help you maintain a clear perspective for your move. Invite a few friends over to socialize while they help you pack. Many hands make light work, and you’ll get the added stress relief benefits of spending quality time with your loved ones.

4. Enjoy Time Outside

Break out of your home’s four walls and enjoy time outside. Being in nature is a perfect way to relieve stress and slow down. For example, you can visit a park or hike in the forest. Studies show that within minutes of being in nature, your body responds positively with boosted endorphins and dopamine flowing to the brain.

5. Make an Organized List

For some people, stress relief comes from visualizing the moving process. Consider making a to-do list. While it may seem like your tasks are overwhelming, visually seeing a short list can be soothing. Plus, the to-do list will help keep you organized and on schedule with your upcoming relocation.

6. Tackle Small Projects

The sense of accomplishment can make you feel great and relieve pre-move stress. Consider working on a small task even when you think the move is too much to handle. Set a small goal to complete each day. For example, you can pack one box or clean one room. Afterward, you’ll be amazed at how great you feel knowing you checked another item off your to-do list. Consistently completing small projects can quickly add up, making light work of an otherwise daunting move.

7. Use Professional Movers

If you are anxious about your impending move, consider hiring a moving company. A professional and experienced moving crew can take the load off your shoulders. You’ll feel less stress knowing you’re in good hands with a courteous and caring moving company. Contact us for a quote for your move.

5 Things to Consider When Choosing New Office Space

Finding the right office location is vital for your business relocation. The right area should be where your staff feels comfortable working and commuting, with amenities that make coming to work a pleasant experience. There’s a lot to consider when trying to choose a new location.

• How will it affect your worker’s commute? 
• How far are your employees willing to commute?
• Is the location affordable for your business? 
• Should your company choose an open layout or a traditional office space? 

You should answer all of these questions, and more, during the official selection process. 

Here’s what you should know when choosing new office space for your company.

1. Location and Ease of Access

Location and ease of access are essential, especially if your business wants to retain most or all of your employees after the move. Many factors come into consideration when choosing location and ease of access, including:

• Is there sufficient parking for everyone who works in your office?
• The location —relative to employees. How far will your employees have to commute to reach the office?
• Routes to the new office. What is the drive like? Can the office be reached via easy-to-drive roads?

2. Affordability

Budget carefully before signing a multi-year lease on commercial office space. Consider revenue trends as they exist, and forecast future revenue before deciding whether you can afford the commercial office space you’re considering. Shop around to find the most competitive prices.

3. Long-Term Space Considerations

If your business is growing, or if you anticipate that your business will grow in the coming years, ask yourself how much space your business needs and ensure that the area you choose has room for growth. Remember that your company can use flexible seating arrangements in an open office layout to add workstations for future employees.

Even if you anticipate that your business will not grow any time soon, keep in mind that unexpected changes can lead to additional hiring. Choose an office space with enough room for your business to add new workers, or choose a building where you can lease extra space if needed.

4. Open Layout or Traditional Office Space

An open office layout is where workers spend their time in an ample, open space. Workers may have their own desks or share desk space with others. An open office layout is a flexible layout that you can rearrange to create meeting spaces, waiting areas, and more. Collaboration is easy in an open office layout.

Traditional office spaces tend to sequester workers in their own separate office spaces. These spaces allow for easy privacy but far less collaboration. Decide which type of office space works for your business model.

5. Condition of Building

When you arrive at a potential office space you’d like to lease, consider the condition of the building before making a final decision. Is the carpet clean? Are the bathrooms well maintained? Is the parking lot in good condition and well-lit at night? Consider the answers to these questions before deciding to accept a lease.

Choose the Right Movers for the Job

When it’s time for your business to relocate, choosing the right movers for the job is essential. Look for a professional moving company with a good reputation in your community.  We have the tools and expertise to get your operations up and running quickly, no matter how large or complex. Contact us today for a quote.

How to Take Real Estate Pictures When Selling Your Home

Good real estate pictures can draw people to your home’s listing, which can help you sell your home when the time comes. Having high-quality photographs taken can make or break an open house. While some people hire a professional to handle real estate pictures, you can save money by taking your own.

If you’re going to take your pictures, it’s essential to take the time to get quality photos that show your home’s character in the best light possible. Below are some suggestions that can help with this.

Let In the Light

Light-filled homes bring buyers calling. Good lighting also makes rooms look larger and more cheerful. There are many ways that you can get light into each room.

• Open drapes and sheers at each window
• Replace lightbulbs with higher wattage, turn on every light in the room
• Take pictures at a time of day when the lighting in the space is optimal
• Capture the photos on a sunny day

Clear the Clutter

Clutter makes a room look smaller than it is and can distract from attractive qualities like a beautiful view or soaring ceilings. Clear the space of any clutter before taking pictures.

Remove clutter from surfaces like countertops and coffee tables. Clean up the floor. Put away any toys, paperwork, and magazines. Put away countertop appliances like the toaster and mixer.

Use a Good Camera

If you need a good camera, consider borrowing one from someone you know. A good camera will capture more details and a sharper image, which can help buyers feel secure that they’re seeing a complete picture of the property. If you have a tripod, consider using it to avoid blurring the image.

Choose a Good Composition

It takes a lot of work to capture good home interior pictures. Take several photos of each room, capturing different points of view with each image. This will give you a selection of images to choose from and allow you to select a composition that works for each room.

Notice the vertical and horizontal lines in each room. If the shot captures horizontal surfaces, align the surfaces to be perfectly level. The same goes for vertical lines: ensure vertical lines appear perfectly vertical. Cock-eyed pictures can appear sloppy.

Pay Attention to the Details

Before submitting a picture to your real estate agent, look critically at each image. Is there a mess on the floor? Can you see a reflection of yourself in a mirror? Eliminate any images that include awkward details you’d instead not show in your photos.

Discuss Your Options With Your Realtor

Consult with your realtor about using a professional photographer to capture the ideal images of your home. 

Listings with higher-quality photos typically sell faster and for a higher price. Talk to your realtor for recommendations if you need help finding a professional photographer. The listing agent may have already scheduled professional photography of the property.

Relocating? Contact a Reputable Moving Company

Before you list your house for sale, contact reputable moving companies to discuss your upcoming relocation. Moving is a lot of work, so get started early. Get a quote and have a plan for moving your things out of your home. Contact us today to make an appointment and get a free quote.

5 Tips for Moving When You Have A Large Family

Moving when you have a large family can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, there are more people to help with the packing and moving boxes. On the other hand, young children can make life more complicated, while older children can have strong feelings about leaving their homes behind. Getting everyone on board, assigning everyone a role, and letting the kids participate can make life easier for everyone. 

If you’re moving with a large family, these tips can help.

1. Have a Discussion; Let Everyone Participate

Call together a family meeting as soon as you’re ready to talk about moving with your kids. Let your children voice their opinions and feelings, even if those feelings aren’t entirely positive. This will impact their lives dramatically, so they deserve a chance to say how they feel.

Tell everyone where you’ll be moving to, when, and why. Take their thoughts into consideration about features they’d like to see in their new house. If there are hard feelings about relocating, start a list of the positive aspects of moving. Try to keep your kids looking on the bright side, even as you give them a chance to voice their concerns.

2. Make It An Adventure

Whether you’re moving to a new state, town, or neighborhood, there will no doubt be many exciting things happening in your new home. So spend a lot of time discussing the stuff you can’t wait to enjoy about your new house, whether it’s a giant sandbox in the backyard, proximity to some new parks, or perhaps a new state with new entertainment.

3. Give Everyone a Role

Assign everyone a task. For older kids, duties include packing their room, painting a bedroom for selling the house, or decluttering the basement. For younger kids, the task might be sorting through toys they no longer play with or just drawing pictures for their new bedroom. Giving everyone a role in the move will help them feel ownership over the process and reduce the burden on you.

4. Establish a Timeline and Deadlines

Your kids will want to know when they’re moving out of the old house, when they need to be finished packing, when they’ll be arriving in the new home, and so on. Giving your kids a timeline (and some deadlines for finishing packing) can help your children know what to anticipate next. This can relieve stress and keep the process moving.

5. Stay Organized

It’s essential to stay organized when relocating, and it’s doubly important to stay organized when you have a lot of children. Keep a binder of all the information you want to keep track of while moving, whether that’s information about your new home, the new school where your kids will be going, your new job, etc. Show everyone in the family the binder, and discuss that it’s important not to pack it.

Find the Right Movers

The moving company you hire will be your partner in this process. You can spend more time with the people who matter to you and less time stressing about the move if you hire reputable movers. Contact us today.

The 5 Essentials of a Smooth Office Relocation

Office moves are complex. They require careful planning, communication, and organization. Here are tips to make your office move a success.

1. Assign a Move Coordinator

The move will go much more smoothly if a manager is designated to lead the moving team. The move coordinator should be well-organized, budget savvy, and detail-oriented. They should be able to work with a team to develop a moving plan, interview movers, and choose the best company. They also should have good communication and collaboration skills.

2. Communicate About the Move

Communicate with your employees first. Tell employees about the move’s date and the new office’s location. Give them opportunities for feedback into the process; for example, suggesting office layouts. If the relocation is long-distance, be prepared with relocation packages for those employees you want to keep.

You will also communicate with customers across multiple media: advertisements, websites, in-person, written word, and social media. Stress how the move will benefit them; for example, put you closer to them or provide space for expanding product offerings.

Finally, draft a letter to communicate your move to suppliers. Tell them your new address and the effective date well before your move. Be sure to thank them for their support.

3. Plan Any Downtime

Develop a plan to deal with any downtimes. For example, many companies prefer to move over the weekend to reduce downtime. Others may move in phases. Still, others have employees work remotely for several days. Decide which options will work best for your company, then allow a few-day grace period during which you avoid scheduling customer appointments.

4. Get IT on Board

Your IT staff should begin planning for the move as soon as possible. IT should be involved in discussions of building renovations to prepare for technological needs. The staff should also carefully review equipment to determine which company should move and which they should replace and recycle.

Once you’ve decided which hardware to move, carefully check it for potential problems and pack it carefully. Take steps to protect your data. Maintain clear custody of each data storage device, checking the seal at each location for tampering.

Finally, document everything about your system, even down to where each cable goes, so you can set it up again after the move.

5. Hire Professional Movers

A professional mover with experience in commercial relocations is a must for a smooth move. The professional mover can offer advice and resources to help smooth the relocation. The mover can also provide packing and unpacking services. Having the mover pack allows you and your staff to remain productive and customer service friendly with less disruption.

When interviewing companies, be sure they have experience moving companies similar to yours. Also, check their track record through online reviews and phone calls to their references.

Office Moves Made Easy

We have experience in commercial relocations. We are ready to answer your questions and provide an estimate. Contact us today.