Tis the season. Thieves are looking for homes to hit.  There are times when your home is more vulnerable to theft. McGuire Moving & Storage wants our St Louis movers to be on the lookout and protect their homes throughout their move process.

There have been unfortunate news stories around the country of thieves pulling vans up to homes with sold signs and clearing them out when the owners are not at home. Neighbors will not notice that something is off unless they are informed. To an uninformed neighbor, it might just look like your moving out day but could actually be a thief getting away with the contents of your home. Protect yourself. Once your home sells, please inform your neighbors of your move date. Give them your cell phone number so that if they notice anything suspicious ahead of that date, they can contact you and let you know what is going on.

Another vulnerable time for your home is if you have to move out before it sells or after it sells but before settlement day.  Even if you have taken all of your personal belongings with you, thieves may target your empty house for appliances, fixtures and even copper piping. Again, having at least 1 or 2 neighbors who can keep an eye on your property can make all the difference in protecting your property from theft and vandalism. If you have home security, continuing paying for monitoring until closing.  It is also a good idea to contact your local police department as well so that when they do their regular rounds in your neighborhood, they can keep an extra eye on your property.

If you are having construction done on the home after you move out to prepare it for sale or as a contingency of sale, make sure your neighbors are informed about when contractors will be there and the companies they represent. They can always give you a call if they are not sure about someone who is “working” in your home.

McGuire Moving & Storage wants our St Louis movers informed and protected from theft during the move process. Chances are you will have nothing to worry about and that is what we hope for you. Be safe and be proactive against theft. Good luck throughout your move and remember we are here for all of your moving and storage needs.

October is National Crime Prevention Week. Since 1984, the National Crime Prevention Council has designated October as the month to promote awareness and education surrounding crime prevention. McGuire Moving & Storage would like to take this opportunity to discuss this topic with our recent St Louis movers. Being aware and proactive is your best defense against crime.

Moving to a new area is a huge undertaking and probably the busiest time of your life.  It can be all too easy to put off thinking about all kinds of things that have to do with your new home as you tackle the tasks in front of you. Recent St Louis movers certainly have plenty to do. October is here and speaking loud and clear about National Crime Prevention.  We hope you are listening.

It is important after moving to take the time to know your home, surroundings, your neighbors and the resources available to you about safety in your unique community. Certainly home security merits your immediate attention.  We suggest our recent St Louis movers use this Checklist for Home Security provided by the National Crime Prevention Council.  When your mind is flooded with post moving details, this is a really simple way to organize and stay on top of home security in your new residence.

After you have seen to home security issues, you will want to turn your attention to your community.  Perhaps October is a great time to visit your new local police department to inquire about Crime Prevention events in your town and gather information about safety issues and concerns in your new community. If you have school age children, schools often acknowledge Crime Prevention Week with activities at school and/or delivering communications about community events. There may be opportunities to volunteer and get involved in community safety activities and events and what a great way to meet new people and feel a strong part of your new community. Check out this list of articles provided by the National Crime Prevention Council that are all related to Neighborhood Safety.

There are so many issues involved in crime prevention we want to be sure you are aware of them. We encourage our recent St Louis movers to connect with all the crime prevention programs offered through NCPC. Their entire site shares a wealth of information surrounding this important topic.

McGuire Moving & Storage wish all of our recent St Louis movers a happy and safe new home experience. Celebrate National Crime Prevention Month along with us. Be safe!

September is National Preparedness Month sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US Department of Homeland Security. The month serves to educate Americans on how to prepare for all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and possible terrorist attacks. Whether you are St Louis movers about to move or have moved recently, McGuire Moving & Storage wants to bring National Preparedness information to your front door.

Moving to a new area will present many unknowns that will be understood in time as you settle in and adjust. At McGuire Moving & Storage, we think understanding the risk of certain disasters occurring in your new community is one unknown St Louis movers will want to understand before or shortly after a move so that you can be prepared as soon as possible.

We encourage St Louis movers to join us for this eleventh annual National Preparedness Month by knowing the risks for disasters in your new area and preparing for them. We have compiled this list of informative internet articles to educate our St Louis movers and help them take the steps necessary to be prepared. We hope you take some time to read over the many resources for protecting yourself, your family and your home in case of an emergency.

• Ready.gov-Be Informed
• Ready.gov-Evacuating Yourself and Your Family
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Be Ready, Nat’l Preparedness Month is Here!
• Weather-Ready, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Preparedness Month: What Can You Do?
• Community.fema.gov-America’s PrepareAthon!

Stay informed and be prepared in case of a disaster. National Preparedness Month reminds us to and shows us how. McGuire Moving & Storage wish all of our St Louis movers the very best in your new homes and communites!

We are in the green of summer and the busiest moving season. It is a perfect time for St Louis movers to consider making choices for a greener move. St Louis movers can lessen the impact that a move can have on the environment by following a few easy tips.

Recycle-People often clean out and clear out what is no longer needed before a move. They often find items in the home that are no longer used or needed. We encourage you to recycle as much as possible rather than just throwing these things away. To find out what can be recycled in your area, we recommend earth911.org where you can find a recycle guide as well as a search tool for finding recycling in your zip code area. Plus, you can lower your move costs by moving fewer items that you really don’t need anyway.

Donate-There are many organizations who would be willing to take things off of your hands and keep them out of the landfills. We recommend donationtown.org where you can find a charity that will pick up your donations for free.

Boxes-You will need many boxes for packing up your things but they do not need to be brand new. Consider recycling boxes by using them again. There are several ways of doing this. Some stores give away boxes from shipments of goods. Sometimes you can find these boxes stacked in the front of a store free for the taking. If they are in good shape, sturdy and dry, they can be used. If you know you are moving in a few months, start collecting boxes and packing material from packages you receive in the mail and let your friends know you are collecting them as well. Even better-if you know a friend that has recently moved, ask for their boxes once they are finished with them. Bet they would be happy to have you take them off their hands. When you are finished with your boxes, be sure to recycle them or pass them along to another friend who will be moving. Another way to save on purchasing new cardboard is to use containers that you already own to pack things in. You can also rent heavy duty plastic tubs. Check with your St Louis moving company-McGuire Moving & Storage for green saving packing ideas and resources.

Packing materials-Consider using items around the house for packing your belongings instead of purchasing bubble wrap, packing peanuts and other new packing material. You can use towels, blankets, pillows, newspaper, junk mail, used office paper, shredded paper, plastic bags, brown grocery bags and many other items you regularly have around the house. You will help with the environmental impact and save money too. Ask us for advice – we can offer information about safe and green packing materials, as well as money savings tips.

McGuire Moving & Storage hopes that we have inspired our St Louis movers to consider a greener move. There are countless sources and ideas on-line for reducing waste and the environmental impact of your move. We hope this just gets the ball rolling with your thinking and choices surrounding your move.

June is National Safety Month and McGuire Moving & Storage would like to provide some timely reminders for St Louis movers to practice safety during the move process. We are dedicating this month to sharing tips and resources for safe moving. This week we would like to draw your attention to safety matters having to do with the packing.

Your home is about to be turned inside out. All the contents are moving and shifting as you prepare for loading day. With everything out of place, your surroundings become less familiar to you increasing the chances of an accident.

Please look over the following list of safety considerations for the packing process of your move:

Packing Boxes-If you are packing and moving boxes yourself, you should be able to comfortably lift the box according to your strength. Know your strength. For step by step lifting instructions, please check out this helpful slideshow on heavy lifting provided by the Mayo Clinic.

Keep common passages clear-Hallways, doorways, steps, etc. should be kept clear of boxes, packing material and loose household items to avoid tripping and slipping in your home.

Keep packing tools such as box cutters, knives, tape cutters and scissors out of reach of children and off the floor to protect your family and pets.

Use heavy duty protective packing materials-To protect your belongings, be sure to use sturdy and strong boxes that will handle the weight of the contents. Also have padded wrapping materials such as bubble wrap to protect fragile items.

Of course, McGuire Moving & Storage would be happy to provide St Louis movers with our professional packing service. Give us a call and we will provide safe and secure packing. Also, you can read more moving and packing tips on our site.

Let’s kick off National Safety Month with healthy and safe packing! We invite our St Louis movers to check back later this month for more moving safety tips.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the third week in April is National Pet ID week. This prompted us here at McGuire Moving & Storage to remind our St Louis movers to have your pet identification updated immediately upon arrival. It is a good idea to prepare at least a collar tag before you get there so you can place the updated tag on your pet when you arrive in your new home.

For St Louis movers traveling a long distance with your pet, it is also a good idea to get a temporary tag that you place alongside the regular tag on the collar with the location of the places you plan to stop and stay along the way. This is a good idea for regular traveling as well.

You can visit American Humane Society for tips on Identification Tags and Microchips. You will need to pick up your pets veterinary records shortly before you move. This would be a good time to bring up pet identification options with your veterinarian. Also, do not forget to research ahead to find a new veterinarian so that you are prepared with that contact upon arrival. You can call ahead, introduce yourself and ask questions about your pet moving to the new environment.

Moving can be a bit disorienting or stressful for your pet. They may respond to the move by running and hiding somewhere outside in the new unknown environment. Please protect your furry family friend with proper pet identification. Check back next week for tips for St Louis movers on helping your pet have a stress-free move. At McGuire Moving & Storage, we are all about your stress-free move. That goes for your pets too!

Here we are again. April 15 is right around the corner. Many have already filed their taxes but for those St Louis movers who have not, McGuire Moving & Storage wants to remind you to look closely at your moving expenses if your move took place in 2013. Please be sure to go to the IRS section for Moving Expenses to see if any of your moving expenses qualify for deductions.

There may be other home owner deductions for St Louis movers to consider as well. If you are preparing to move, you may have completed home improvements to ready the home for sale. Some of these improvements may be tax deductible. Or perhaps you made major improvements in your home over the course of time you lived there. Whether you moved recently, or are moving soon or thinking about moving, you will want to be sure to save all necessary receipts for home improvements that may be deductible on your tax return. Go to this IRS section on Tax Information for Homeowners for more information about what a home owner can deduct. Also covered in this section are all specifics concerning mortgage interest credit, real estate taxes and mortgage insurance premiums. And of course, check with your tax professional before making any tax decisions.

St Louis movers who just moved into a new home should consider preparing a file folder for storing records of any home improvements made to the new home now and in the future. The organization of these documents will save much time and money later when it comes time to selling.

McGuire Moving & Storage wishes St Louis movers a stress-free tax time!

National Volunteer Week is coming right up. This year it falls on April 6-13, 2014. McGuire Moving & Storage is happy to take this timely opportunity to encourage our recent St Louis movers to deepen their connection to their new communities through volunteering.

We have been in the St Louis moving business since 1935. We know the importance of understanding the needs of the community that we live and work in. Reaching out to volunteer rewards us with pride for our community while strengthening our roots in the community.

We have offered articles in the past sharing ideas for feeling at home once you move to a new place. We would like to honor National Volunteer Week by encouraging our recent St Louis movers to consider reaching out by lending a hand in their new community. Through volunteering you will make wonderful connections with new friends. You will learn more about your community and the needs there. There is probably no better way to feel at home in a new place then to begin to invest your time, energy and heart into that place.

You may already have a favorite organization that you volunteer for. If so, a great place to start would be to look into whether that organization has a branch or presence in your community. Religious affiliations are another way to find connections to volunteer opportunities. Also, local hospitals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, animal shelters and schools might be places to start your search, but there are many organizations out there waiting to be found.

We found a fabulous resource on-line for connecting with volunteer opportunities. At http://www.volunteermatch.org/ you can search based on what you care about and the city you live in, and they will match you up with a non-profit organization that could use your help.

Just another simple and meaningful way for St Louis movers to plant roots and feel at home in their new communities. McGuire Moving & Storage wishes you happiness wherever you move.

It has finally arrived, if only by date, but winter is in fact fading away and most places in the country this year can say, “Good Riddance!” Major cities nearly everywhere dealt with more snow than usual and colder than average temperatures. And according to most long range forecasts, winter is not finished with the US just yet with below normal temperatures forecasted next week and the possibility for another major snow event for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

One thing is clear, winter is losing, so face the bright future and begin thinking about your spring plans. Many St Louis movers will be choosing to list their homes on the market to take advantage of the busiest upcoming home selling season. Are you ready? We are. At McGuire Moving & Storage, we stand by our St Louis movers ready to handle local, long distance and international movers.

Perhaps you are getting ready to list your house. Here is our short list of reminders for things to do outdoors now that the weather is breaking, to prepare your home for the market.

• Spring yard clean up-time to remove the dead debris of winter. Clean out your garden beds, add fresh mulch and some ornamental annuals to cheer everything up.
• House washing-renting or hiring a power washer to make your home sparkle and look its best
• Paint your front door with a fresh coat and maybe even the shutters and porch trim etc.
• Purchase a new doormat-any little touch to present a clear and welcoming space is helpful.
• Clean your outdoor light fixtures so that the glass shines and the light glows beautifully
• Look for any winter damage to trees and shrubs and remove what is unsightly
• Place a pot of flowers by your front door
• Clean up any outdoor furniture to make your patios and decks look their best
• Give lampposts a fresh coat of spray paint
• Consider any driveway repair or a fresh asphalt coat if needed.
• And….do not forget to do that final walk around your yard. Stand back on the street and look at the overall appearance of you home. What did you miss? Take a photo for a different perspective.

Of course your realtor will also give you all kinds of tips too and be most helpful in deciding what you need to do. There are so many little inexpensive things you can do to make your house look like the perfect home to a buyer. Good Luck St Louis movers! And when it is time to get moving, McGuire Moving & Storage is here to help!

McGuire Moving & Storage has been taking this winter month of February to bring our St Louis movers ideas for finding connections that will help them feel more at home in the new community they anticipate moving to.  We enjoy helping our customers to be proactive with this by providing ideas and resources.

Read our earlier posts this month if you missed them. We are sure that you will find some of the information useful. It is a time for getting excited about moving and anticipating what it will be like where you go. St Louis movers have shared with us the things that helped make them feel at home when they moved. You will find some of these ideas in the posts from the last 2 weeks.  Here are a few more ideas from our St Louis movers:

• Fitness-check your local community for where you can enjoy your favorite classes and work-outs. Classes are a great way to meet new community members while staying fit. Perhaps you want to sign up now to ensure your spot once you move.
• Museums and art galleries-connecting with the history and culture aids in feeling more invested in where you live
• Music and theater venues-for those of you who enjoy the performing arts, check out what is going on. Perhaps you would even like to purchase tickets to an event in the future providing you with a new community activity to look forward to.
• Dog friendly places-for our dog loving St Louis movers, you might want to look into fun places to take your furry friend and meet other dog lovers and their dogs.  Dogs are a great way to break into conversation and meet new people.
• Cafes and coffee shops-Who doesn’t want to find these ahead of time? Perfect places for learning more about where you live and striking up conversations.

The ideas are endless and you are sure to find gobs of good stuff in your research so we suggest you keep a file on all these possible new haunts and set the intention of visiting soon after you move.

We hope we have inspired St Louis movers to think and dream about where they are going. When you move to a new place, finding your creature comforts in research you do ahead of time can create a sense of belonging there.  Check back here in the future. McGuire Moving & Storage likes all things moving and has much to share to help out our St Louis movers before, during and after their moves.