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5 Top Tips for Apartment Moving

Your apartment’s lease will be up soon, and you’re ready to upgrade to a new place. Although the move is undoubtedly exciting, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Maybe you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed with how much needs to be done in the coming weeks or months. Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Moving brings stress to everyone, no matter how many times they’ve done it. But with our five most important moving tips, you’ll be in good shape to complete your move without a hitch. Keep reading to find out how!

Plan ahead

As with many other things in life, having a plan to move makes the process exponentially easier. Allow yourself enough time to get ahead of the game and stay organized throughout the task of moving. Start with a to-do list – a laundry list of items to accomplish before the big moving day. If you’re overwhelmed by everything you need to complete, that’s okay. List out what you can, and you can worry about putting them in order of priority later. Start jotting down whatever comes to you that you know needs to be done.

Undoubtedly, you’ll have plenty of people to contact, lots of supplies to get, countless items you want to pack, and a budget to figure out. Keep track of these things so nothing slips your mind and gets left to chance. Figure out as many of the details as you can so you can handle things calmly, rather than stressing about what you have left to do.

Notify the right people

Before you move, there are a few important services you’ll need to alert about your upcoming relocation. First, you’ll, of course, want to notify your landlord that you won’t be renewing your lease and give ample notice; your lease should have how much notice you need to give in writing. Next, you’ll need to contact the postal service, your bank, the DMV, the IRS, your insurance, and your employer and let them know about your change of address. Doing this will ensure that everything comes to the right place and that your records are all up to date.

It’s also best to take care of all your various utilities ahead of time. From internet to electricity to water, you’ll have quite a few different people to contact. Your landlord may include some of these utilities in your rent, therefore having the service in their name, but otherwise, you’ll need to take care of canceling or transferring your utilities. Don’t forget to set up utilities at the new place as well. Make sure not to save this for last minute to avoid any issues arising.

Be mindful of space

For a few different reasons, it’s crucial to be mindful of the space you have. Apartments typically have less capacity than a house. Not only do you have less space in general, but you specifically have less storage space too. Because of this, you can’t have much too much excess. Be mindful of the places you have to store things in your new apartment. If it’s less than you have at your current place, keep that in mind – you may need to cut down a bit or invest in a storage unit.

Another reason to be mindful of space is the doorways in your home. You may struggle to get some larger pieces of furniture through the door in any move, but especially with apartments, you might have a few thresholds to get through just to get into your unit. Be prepared by disassembling your furniture as much as possible for the big move. Bring tools just in case you need to disassemble things further on moving day, and try to be tactical about your approach to fitting everything in.

Declutter before you go

Decluttering is an essential part of any move, but it can be especially important when working with less square footage. Even if you’re sizing up, we all tend to accumulate clutter the longer we live somewhere, so a move is the perfect opportunity to rid yourself of what you no longer need.

Each of your items will fall into one of the four categories — donate, sell, trash, or keep. Many people have trouble getting rid of their items and may hold onto them for any variety of reasons. Although it can be difficult, try to be logical and remove emotions from the items. If you truly never use something anymore or even forgot you had it, now may be the time to let it go. After all, you may be able to rehome it to someone who can make better use of the item in question.

If you’re struggling to declutter, start in a spot that’s piled up with items over time. Usually, that’d be a closet or the back of a cabinet. You’ll probably find yourself surprised by what’s stuffed back there — and by how much you didn’t miss it. When you find those items that you didn’t even miss, you can start the momentum of decluttering your space.

Clean your old space

Before you leave your old place for once and for all, a good, old-fashioned clean is in order. This serves a few purposes. First, it allows you to make sure you got everything and didn’t leave straggler items in drawers or under beds. Next, it enables you to ensure the space is well-maintained. If your apartment is in solid condition upon moving out, you’ll be much more likely to receive your security deposit back in full. Cleaning up makes the space look much better for that final review, and it may call to attention some minor aesthetic faults you want to scrub extra hard at for the sake of your deposit.

Don’t forget to keep record of how your old space looked upon move-out and how your new space looks upon move-in. Take note of any damages when you arrive at your new apartment, and take photo evidence in case it’s needed at a later date.

Apartment moving made simple

Now that you have the necessary steps to handle your move with ease, moving to your apartment will feel much simpler than you expected. If you’re looking for even more help from professional movers, look to McGuire Moving and Storage for solutions. With trusted professionals and a strong reputation, we get the job done efficiently and with care. Get your free moving quote today!

How To Pack Your Belongings for Residential Moving

One of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of any move is packing. Understandably, it’s difficult to pack up an entire home full of items. The task requires a lot of time and energy, and it can feel never-ending at times. Especially as you think about everything that needs to get packed before moving day, it’s easy to feel stressed about how you can possibly get it all done. Although the process of packing can be overwhelming, there’s good news – packing doesn’t need to feel like a nightmare. With the right steps, you can pack like a pro with confidence and ease. Interested in finding out the best ways to pack effectively for your next move? Find out our seven best tips!

Allow plenty of time

Because packing can take so long, it’s important to allow ample time to complete this task. Rushing through packing will only result in stress. Instead, start as far in advance as you can so you can take your time to go through the packing process. If you split the task up to do just a little bit each day, it can do wonders to reduce your stress and make the job feel more manageable. Plus, moving more slowly allows you to pack in a more organized manner. This means you can be more intentional about the way you organize your items, rather than just throwing things into boxes in a rush with the sole purpose of getting it done as fast as possible. With more time, you can do your future self a favor by making the unpacking process less hectic.

Declutter your home

A great way to make packing easier and more manageable is to complete a declutter before you begin. Decluttering involves sorting through your items to determine what you no longer want or need. Think of it as a big spring cleaning, but instead of being for spring, it’s in preparation for your move. You’ll want to sort your items into four categories: sell, donate, trash, and keep. The more you’re able to get rid of, the better. This will decrease the amount you need to pack, ultimately saving you some precious time and even saving money as it lessens the amount you need to bring in a moving truck. If you have a lot to donate, consider rehoming your items at a local secondhand shop. If you have loads to sell, host a yard sale before your move. These are quick and easy ways to cut down on what you don’t want to bring to your new home.

Don’t leave any empty space

As you begin packing, it’s important to remember not to leave any empty space in your boxes. However, this doesn’t mean filling your boxes to the brim without considering the weight of them. You don’t want to concentrate too many heavy items in your boxes as you fill them. Instead, keep track of how heavy your box gets as you fill it, and once it starts to reach a solid weight, fill the empty space left with something lightweight. A great option for this is hangers. Alternatively, you can use bubble wrap or something soft like a towel to fill the space. You’ll want to do this to prevent most movement while in transit, preventing any damage.

Label and organize

While packing, it’s important to consistently label your boxes. Try to be as detailed as possible when you’re doing this to make unpacking easier. Rather than simply writing the name of the room that the box belongs in, include details about the items in the box. This will make sorting through boxes much easier and quicker once you arrive at your new home. You should be consistent about labeling your boxes on more than one side so you can see what the contents are from numerous angles, no matter how you have the boxes packed in a moving truck or storage unit. If you want to take it even further, you can create an inventory list to correspond with your boxes. For this process, you would assign a number to each box and list the contents within each number on a document or spreadsheet. Then, you can easily see where you’ve stored each of your belongings.

Protect fragile items

When in transit, your belongings can easily shift and jostle if not packed properly. This can lead to broken or damaged items if you aren’t careful about the way you pack. To avoid any potential issues with your fragile items, take protective measures to safeguard your belongings. Rely on the help of supplies like packing paper or bubble wrap to offer some extra padding to your items. You can also repurpose what you already have, such as heavy clothing or blankets, to wrap around your fragile belongings. You can also add some extra padding with pillows or cushions.

Use high quality supplies

Using the right supplies when you pack up your home is a crucial consideration. You should make sure you have high quality, sturdy boxes for your belongings to decrease the chances of the boxes breaking when lifted. Additionally, you should stock up on packing tape, permanent markers, moving blankets, bubble wrap, and any other materials as you see fit. These supplies can make a big difference in the ease of your move, allowing you to pack more carefully.

Pack room by room

Finally, one important moving tip consistently recommended by experts is to pack your house one room at a time. First, packing this way provides an easier method of separating the task into chunks, preventing it from getting too overwhelming from the get-go. You can more easily give yourself small goals when you’re moving from room to room in this fashion. Additionally, this makes packing much simpler, ensuring that items from different rooms don’t end up commingling in one box. This is a surefire method to make unpacking a lot simpler and less stressful.

Stress-free packing for your next move

When it comes to packing, you don’t need to feel stressed and overwhelmed. With the right methods in place, you can handle packing calmly and with ease, preparing you for your move without any hassle. After packing, if you’re looking for a moving service who you can trust to get your belongings to your new home without any issues, depend on McGuire Moving & Storage! For over 80 years, we have provided our clients with the best of the best when it comes to packing, moving, and storage. Interested in our services? Request a quote today.

St Louis Movers Coronavirus Alert

McGuire Moving & Storage St Louis movers would like to inform current and potential customers that we are still in business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving companies are considered to be essential businesses for those that need to relocate during this time. We are following health and safety measures put forth by the CDC and are offering local and long distance moving services.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns at 314-241-0600.

Thank you

Arpin’s Agent of the Month for August!

Good news! We are proud to announce that we are the Arpin Van Lines’ Agent of the Month for August 2017! Arpin released this statement on September 28th.

“Congratulations to McGuire Moving & Storage in St. Louis, MO, on being selected as Arpin’s Agent of the Month for August! For about seven years, McGuire has consistently been a major contributor to the Arpin system. Their quality scores clearly exhibit the high quality of service they provide to our customers, as well as receiving countless awards, one being the Gold Quality Agent award. We truly appreciate the entire team at McGuire for their ongoing contributions to the van line, our agency family, and drivers.”

St Louis Mover Suggests Quick Fixes-Repairing Home before Sale

Welcome Back to McGuire Moving & Storage, your go to St Louis mover for resources, tips, and services to make your entire move process a smooth success!

With a grand portion of the United States under weather-watch from a string of continuous snow storms, we thought we’d take the time to check in about winter home maintenance. Are you a future St Louis mover? Planning an upcoming move? A good way to make sure that your home is ready for market is to take inventory. We touched on this in the last article, concerning personal items, but it is also important to take inventory of the condition of your dwelling. Does anything need to be replaced or repaired in order to sell the house for its maximum value?

If there is a repair that needs to be done, an appliance replacement, or painting, winter is the time to get it sorted so that come market time, your home sticks out on the housing market as a great buy. Take some time this winter to walk around your home and property with a notepad and note repairs and touch-ups that need attention. Prepare your action plan for taking care of any noticeable issues. As a future St Louis mover, we thought you might find it helpful to read this great article on About.com-“Repairs Before Home Selling Return Rewards”. Click Here to read about the quick fixes that make all the difference in selling your home for top dollar.

Whether you fix the repairs on your own, find somebody to do it for you, or start putting a little money aside so that you can hire a company sometime soon, now is the time for an action plan. Come market time, your home will be a shining star. So get painting, caulking and touching up. It can really go a long way in terms of the value and appeal of your home.

Wishing you all the best this winter,

McGuire Moving and Storage, your St Louis mover for all your moving & storage needs

Cool Moving Facts This Hot July

Here we are in the middle of the warmest month of the year. It’s a hot July. Movers in St Louis are looking for ways to keep cool and calm as they prepare and carry out their St Louis move. We here at McGuire Moving & Storage do not have control of the weather, but we would like to offer a time out from the heat of the day to offer some COOL moving facts with our movers in St Louis.

Fact #1-The moving industry took hold in the 1800s surrounding the expansion of the railroad system. The first specialized horse drawn moving wagons were introduced at the turn of the century.

Fact #2-Hiring a local moving company to handle your move can cost less than renting a truck and moving yourself. At McGuire Moving & Storage, we cover labor, packing, insurance and transportation including gas and tolls. It really adds up when you cover the entire moving process yourself.

Fact #3-According to the US Census Bureau, the average American will move 11.7 times over a life-time. We are proud to report that many of our customers choose us again and again for their moving and storage needs.

Fact #4-43 million Americans move each year. That is the same number of people that enjoyed camping in 2011. That is a lot of movers and campers! Are you camping this summer to stay cool?

Fact #5 According to the Employee Relocation Council, moving is the third most stressful life event following death of a loved one and divorce. At McGuire Moving & Storage, we feel that it doesn’t have to be. We pride ourselves on delivering a stress-free move.

Fact #6-Ok, this one is not a moving fact but we just had to include it! In 1984 President Reagan announced July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. Movers in St Louis, why not take a cool break from all things moving and enjoy an ice cream?

At McGuire Moving & Storage we are dedicated to providing all the support and resources our movers in St Louis need to ensure you keep your cool during your move. Enjoy that ice cream!