Welcome Back! McGuire Moving & Storage has been sharing ideas the last couple of weeks for how to help St Louis movers connect to the communities that they will be moving to in the near future.  These quiet months are a good time to dream about what is coming up. A move is always easier when you can look forward to things about where you are going.

Recently when speaking to St Louis movers about what helps them feel at home and connected to a new community, we heard about the importance of farming communities and the availability of locally grown food. It makes perfect sense that one of the things that helps us connect with community is connecting with the growers and products that come from local sources. So while looking ahead, you might enjoy researching what is locally available in your area.

We here at McGuire Moving & Storage found two useful resources for looking up local farming.  We found that at localharvest.org, you can simply put in your zip code and get connected to Community Supported Agriculture, Small family farms, Food Coops, and Farmer’s Markets. It is quick and easy and provides a lot of information on all the local farming businesses that are located in your future home community.

Another great resource for St Louis movers who are searching for local farming communities is the USDA National Farmers Market Directory. Here you can find one of the most comprehensive listing of farmer’s markets across the country. They update regularly and often for the most accurate information. Again it is as easy as putting in your zip code and then you are on your way to connecting with farming in your future community.

Check back next week where we will be sharing more ideas for feeling at home in a new community. It is all about home at McGuire Moving & Storage. We want to help our St Louis movers gets there.

What? You are moving where? Your friends and family may be surprised by your announcement to move to an international destination. You on the other hand, may be overwhelmed. What an exciting time! A new chapter and adventure begin. McGuire Moving & Storage understands first-hand the challenges and considerations surrounding an international move. We have been helping St Louis movers relocate internationally for years and years.

As a Prime Arpin Van Lines Agent, McGuire Moving & Storage utilizes the worldwide assistance of the Arpin International Group providing us with the global resources, expertise, and knowledge to pick up and transport your goods to a new country, clear customs, and deliver your possessions to your final international destination.  Check out the Arpin International Group Resource page for useful information and international moving tips for St Louis movers. Rest assured, we can handle every aspect of your international relocation.

What about settling in once you get there? You might be unfamiliar with the culture, community, language etc. There are numerous resources on line to help you connect with others in an expat community. Here are just a few that we found useful:

• InterNations-online community for people who live and work abroad.
• Expat Exchange-Useful Expat Resource Guide
• Expat Info Desk-an international resource guide for moving overseas

Organizations such as these can help you connect with your international community. You will feel more at home when supported by others who understand what it means to live as an expat in your new foreign country.

Good luck St Louis movers! Your new adventure awaits. McGuire Moving & Storage is standing by to assist you every step of the way to your foreign destination.

McGuire Moving & Storage would like to wish our St Louis Movers a Happy New Year. 2013 proved to be a great year for our moving company and we have our St Louis movers to thank. We look forward to more opportunities to serve you 2014.

Enjoy a safe and prosperous New Year!

McGuire Moving & Storage, your trusted St Louis movers for 4 generations

McGuire Moving & Storage would like to wish our St Louis movers and their families a peaceful and joyous holiday season. We appreciate your business over these many years and the trust you put in us to handle your St Louis moves.  Here’s wishing you and yours safe, warm and happy holidays!

McGuire Moving & Storage-On the move with St Louis movers.  Santa’s not the only jolly good fellow who can deliver your goods on time!

It is still officially autumn, but tell that to Mother Nature. She seems to have a different schedule for us this year. With over 63% of the country currently covered by snow, it seems that winter has indeed arrived despite the calendar.

Traveling has been treacherous across much of the nation with yet another large storm predicted for this weekend to affect a huge area.  How does this affect the moving industry? Well luckily it is not our busiest time of year, however, we still have St Louis movers on the go who need to get their household contents to their new destination.

Liberty Moving & Storage is a long distance moving company serving St Louis movers and the greater Missouri area. In addition we are a Prime Arpin Van Lines agent. Arpin has been providing long distance move services for over 100 years. Arpin has recognized by Consumer Reports Magazine as being #1 in customer satisfaction, and by Logistics Management magazine as being #1 in customer service, value, and on-time performance. As a Prime Arpin agent, Liberty Moving & Storage is prepared and experienced when it comes to harsh weather and long distance moves, and has the nationwide resources to move you in any weather conditions.    No matter what the weather, and how many states we need to cross, we will bring your goods home.

Just a reminder to our St Louis movers- please be safe along your own move journey. Whether you are flying to your new destination or driving, be prepared if you are moving to or from a winter weather affected area. Be sure to pack the essentials in case of a weather emergency. Keep an eye on the weather reports and airport closings/cancellations etc. You could be stuck at an airport or on an interstate.  Airports aren’t the best place to be stuck but they are warm and have pretty much what you would need for a longer than planned stay. Stuck in a storm on the road is another story.

We highly recommend that our St Louis movers planning a winter move, read the Winterize Your Vehicle Checklist on FEMA’s ready.gov website for preparing your vehicle for long distance winter travel and what to have on hand in your vehicle in case of a winter emergency. Also check out the Winter Driving segment at disastercenter.com. You will want to know these life saving tips in an emergency.

Liberty Moving & Storage wish our St Louis movers a safe journey home this winter. Always check ahead and plan to avoid weather affected areas along your travel route. Stop ahead of a storm and wait it out in a hotel. Arrive safe and sound at your new destination.

McGuire Moving & Storage would like to remind our St Louis Movers that as they are preparing for their upcoming move, food storage items can weigh a lot and increase the cost of your move. Why not lighten your move load and donate your excess food items to your local food bank?

This time of year it is easy for St Louis movers to find places to donate food. There are donation drop-offs in many area stores, churches, school etc. Also you can check out Feeding America to find a local food bank that may accept your food donation or direct you on where you can drop it off.

So why not pack up your food and drop it where it is most needed instead of loading it onto the move truck? Lighten your move load to save moving costs and help feed those in need. It’s a perfect match. We here at McGuire Moving & Storage wish all of our St Louis movers a warm and bountiful Thanksgiving.

How are you doing with your fall sorting and purging? Autumn is flying by. The busy holiday season will be upon us in a flash. This is the best time of year to take stock of what you have and what you will keep before a move. Your move costs will be based partly on the weight of your move load. You will surely save money on your move by purging unwanted items now. Throughout this fall season we have been sharing ideas and resources for sorting through the contents of the home with our future St Louis movers.  There are still a couple of weeks left before the bustle of the holidays takes front stage. Time to move more stuff!

As you looked through closets, attic, basement, garage, shed, you got a true sense of what you need and want and what you will be leaving behind.  McGuire Moving & Storage shared resources and ideas for recycling, donations, on-line selling, etc.  And do not forget the possibility of holding a yard sale.

So now you are left with everything you will definitely be taking with you on your move. Some St Louis movers may have used the sorting exercise as a time to start packing up items they will not be needing before moving day. Do you have furniture and boxes that are in the way of home showings? It is always best to show a home on the market that is free of clutter, personal items and abundant storage items. This helps the buyers “see” themselves living in your home. A great way to clear the way is to use temporary storage space.  As your trusted St Louis mover, McGuire Moving & Storage offers temporary storage space. Our facilities are clean, climate controlled, and secure.  Come moving day, we can load your storage items along with the rest of your household contents and move everything to your new residence.

Also, keep our storage space in mind if you will be moving to temporary housing before you can move into your permanent home. We offer many solutions for short and long term storage. McGuire Moving & Storage can provide for all your moving and storage needs.  Good luck to St Louis movers with all pre-move preparations!

Last week McGuire Moving & Storage brought forward the topic of cleaning out the “spooky” basement to our future St Louis movers. In keeping with the spirit of this last week in October, we would like to turn your attention to the batty attic!

For those of you in the St Louis area that are planning a move in the next year, it is never too early to prepare for that move now when you have the time. It will save you money and time later. McGuire Moving & Storage makes a point of sharing ideas and resources as well as offering our moving and storage services to make your St Louis move as smooth as possible. We have brought up the topics of sorting and purging all the areas of your home including closets, garage, shed, and basement.  What about the batty attic?! Don’t forget to go up there. Like the basement, the attic can be an area you want to put off and avoid but you will be so glad you dealt with it now and not when it is time to actually move.

Attics can be filled with spooky things like spiders and webs and THINGS that no longer serve you. Take this season to get up there and see what is what.  It is another great project to get the family involved in as you sort through possible heirlooms and family history. Be sure to have a safe way to get into the attic. If you have a pull down staircase, check to make sure it is working properly and remove all pets and children from the area when pulling it down.  Go up and inspect the flooring and area to ensure your safety before proceeding.

As in other areas of your home, you will decide what stays and what goes. You can beginning packing up many items for if they are in the attic, you probably will not be using them any time soon. In past posts, we offered ideas and resources for recycling, donating and yard sales. Another great way to lighten your move load and save you costs on your move is to sell items online. There are countless online stores where you can list your items for sale. There are companies you can hire to sell your stuff for you. There are also sites that allow you to build your own online store for selling anything you come across. Future St Louis movers may see this time (months before a move) as the time to sell on line and put some cash in your pocket.

McGuire Moving & Storage encourages our future St Louis movers to research the many options available for online selling. It is another great way to get rid of what you no longer need before your big move. Check back through our older posts for great resources and ideas for sorting through the contents of your home. Good luck clearing out the “Spooky” areas of your home and Happy Halloween!

Halloween Happenings are about! In our neighborhood, porches and lawns are decked out with fun and frightful greeters ready for trick-or-treaters. Spooky things lurk about as the days grow shorter. It is the time of year for apples, pumpkins, and haunted hayrides. Halloween is time for spooky fun.

In line with our fall sorting and purging posts, the next area of the home McGuire Moving & Storage would love to help our future St Louis movers tackle is the basement. Basements can be spooky indeed. They are dark and sometimes damp places where you have placed everything you did not know what to do with over possible decades.  What is lurking down there? It is time to venture down and deal with it. You will want your basement clear of clutter and looking clean and organized prior to putting your home on the market. You will also surely want to lower the cost of your St Louis moving bill by once again purging excess weight-the things you do not need or want to move to your new home.

We suggest that our future St Louis movers make this task part of your Halloween fun. If you have kids, get them involved. It can become a treasure hunt or trip down memory lane and yes, perhaps a little spooky when you look into dark corners. Perhaps they will find great items to use for their Halloween costumes. Plus their younger legs will not mind all the trips up and down the steps to the curb. Chances are during your sorting process that you will find pounds and pounds of things that are of no use to you anymore since you stashed them down there. With every arm load, you are saving money on your move.

Pick an area of the basement and dig in. Once you have determined what you can donate, recycle, or throw out and deal with it accordingly, you will have more clear space to organize what is left.  Check out Earth911 or Donationtown for countless resources for donating and recycling your unwanted items. Perhaps you have items you could sell on-line. Now is the time to do it. Months before you are too busy with the move process. What you want to avoid is the act of just moving useless piles somewhere else in your home. That will not save you time or money. Your goal is to eliminate useless weight now to lower the cost of your move later. Clear up the clutter and move it on out!

Future St Louis movers may choose to use this time to also start packing up anything they come across that will not be used before their move. Have packing material handy and save time later.  McGuire Moving & Storage can help St Louis movers with the packing tips found here.

Finish the day or weekend’s spooky basement clean-out task with the rewards of some hot cider, pumpkin carving and a spooky movie. Your basement will no longer be a spooky place and you can sit back and enjoy Halloween fun. Good Luck future St Louis movers! McGuire Moving & Storage is standing by as you St Louis mover ready to provide you with the resources and services you need throughout your entire move process. BOO!