How to Move Successfully in the Summer Heat

                                                                

                 How to Move Successfully in the Summer Heat   

      Do you feel that? Your cheeks burning, nose running, sweat dripping down every nook and cranny? Yeah. That’s the heat of the middle of summer. It’s great if you’re spending it BBQing in the shade, diving into a lake or sipping an ice cold drink with an umbrella in it. If you’re moving during the summer, however, the sweltering heat can make you feel like you’ve created your own little day of HELL!  While summertime may be peak moving season and the most popular time of year to move, it can also be the hardest time of year to move because it’s too hot outside for people to be lifting heavy boxes all day. When is the best time to move? If you can, consider moving during Memorial Day and Labor Day when the weather is still nice, but not as hot as the summer months.  But hey! If you are planning on moving during the summer, don’t panic yet! You found this blog, didn’t you? So let’s make this summer moving day a bit more pleasant and tolerable, shall we? Read on for some tips on how to stay cool, hydrated and happy during your summer move!

Do You Know The Signs of Overheating?
If you can stay ahead of dehydration, your move will go a lot faster and you won’t feel like you’ve been run over by a moving truck by the end of the day. It’s important to pay attention to signs of dehydration before it’s too late to do anything about it (yes, there is a point of no return). Here’s a list of symptoms to look out for.

Nausea, dizziness
Headache
Excessive sweating
Fatigue
Excessive thirst
Irritability
Hot flushed skin
Rapid heart rate
Shortness of breath

It’s also important to know the dangers of excessive heat.  If any of these symptoms worsen,  it may result in a trip to the hospital.  Heat stroke is no joke and requires immediate medical attention. So keep that water bottle close!

Get An Early Start
It’s true what they say: the early bird gets the worm and it’s most likely because if the bird waits any longer, it will be too dang hot for the work it will take to get that worm! Do as the bird does, get an early start. When you book your move, ask for the earliest arrival time. It’s also a good idea to be prepared before the movers come so that you have as much morning time when it’s cooler to move as possible. What can you do to prepare?

Have a game plan of what’s moving first, second, third, etc.
Cover hallways and the corners of furniture to avoid scratching
Plan a pathway for the movers to take that is the clearest and has the least amount of obstructions (through the garage, for example)
Make sure all of your boxes are labeled, sealed and ready to be placed in the moving truck when the movers arrive.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate And Then Hydrate Some More!
You will lose much more water moving on a summer’s day than a sitting on the beach on a summer’s day. You can walk up to 10,000 steps moving heavy boxes of your stuff back and forth and back and forth. If you start to feel thirsty, that’s a sign that you’ve been thirsty longer than you think and that dehydration is starting to set in. Don’t let it get to that point! The next thing you know you will have a headache, fatigue will set in and you will have a harder time keeping a steady rhythm.  Don’t keep moving under the pressure to get it done. Instead, stop to rehydrate from time to time. Have drinks on hand to at all times (coconut water, sports drinks or just regular H20 are the best!)  In addition to drinking, it’s a good idea to eat hydrating foods too like jicama, watermelon, cucumber and popsicles.

Clothes to Wear When Moving in the Heat
Wearing light, breathable clothing will help your body stay cool in the heat. Don’t wear dark clothing as it absorbs sunlight and will make you even hotter. Instead wear breathable natural fibers like cotton.  Alternatively, moisture wicking clothing that can help keep the sweat off of your body.  Cooling scarves are perfect for keeping your neck cool and sweat free. Also wearing a hat to shade your head from the blistering sun and wetting it periodically is another great way to stay cool.

Take Breaks
Resist the urge to go, go, go because you want to get your moving done yesterday. If you don’t take breaks, you may overexert yourself in the heat before you finish moving.  Not to mention, increasing your risk of heat stroke. So pull up a chair under a tree and have a chat with your movers. Find out their favorite hobbies, where they’re from and if they’d like a cold beverage from the ice chest.

Other Tips For  Moving In The Heat
Here are a few other suggestions you might want to keep in mind while moving in the scorching summer heat:
Protect your skin. Moving is hard enough. Moving with a sunburn is super hard. So lather up with some SPF before stepping foot outside.
Leave the AC on in your home. Set the cancelation date on your utilities in your old home the day after your move and set the start date for your utilities in your new home the day of moving. That way you’ll stay cool while you move out and while you move in!
Be aware where you put boxes that may have items that can suffer damage from the heat. Anything that can melt (think candles and photos that can end up sticking together), electronics and art are things you might want to take special care in protecting from the heat.
Conclusion
We all love summer, but maybe not so much if we have to move in its 100 degree weather. When you’re ready to move, whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, give the professional movers at Moving Forward San Francisco movers or Moving Forward Palo Alto movers for a FREE quote. Good luck out there and stay cool!

How to Make Moving Stress Free for Dogs

                                                      

                   Moving With Your Dog: 10 Tips For A Stress Free Experience

A day in the life of a happy dog goes something like this: Wake up, go for a walk with the human, eat some delicious food, sleep all day waiting for human to get home, jump up and down and do a happy dance when human arrives home, go outside to play catch with favorite frisbee, come back to some delicious food, sleep in human’s lap while they watch a square that lights up, go to sleep, repeat. But what if one day, your dog wakes up to no furniture, their bed is in a different place, no walk at the usual time and all the while wondering why all these strange humans are coming in and out of the house taking all the things, including his favorite frisbee? Moving day is stressful for humans, but it is especially so for dogs. Not only does it disrupt the routine (something that dogs thrive on), but it uproots their life as they know and love it. As a result, dogs can become anxious. Watch out the following physical signs of stress and anxiety:

Loss of appetite
Aggression
Isolation
Digestive issues
Increased sleep

If you noticed any of the above symptoms in your dog, these tips for moving with your dog and how to make moving with your dog stress free may help.

Prepping Your Pup For the Move
Dogs are like children: they need nutritious food, lots of love and attention and help adjusting to big changes in their lives. Just as you would with your kids, it’s important to follow these tips for moving with pets to help prepare them for a move:

Have a positive chat with Buster. While it may seem a little strange to talk to your dog about what to expect from the move, dogs pick up on energy. So if you tell them about all the great things they will get to experience in their new home with a positive and excited tone, you will help your dog embody that positive energy. If you get excited, they’ll get excited. So tell them about the great new dog park they will go to where there will be other doggies to play with, where they will sleep nice and cozy next to your bed and the big backyard they will be able to roam around in.
Give your new home that new-pet smell. It is common knowledge that a dog’s keenest sense is their sense of smell. No dog will feel at home with another dog’s scent inhabiting their space. Before you bring your dog to the new home, make sure you’ve done your best to rid the place of previous pet smells, stains and scratches.
Let your dog roam his new digs. Before you move in, take a moment to let your dog get a feel for the lay of the new land that will soon be home. Set him free to explore all the rooms, sniff around, find a good nap spot and practice going in and out of the doggie door. That way when you actually move in, it won’t be such a strange and scary place. This is particularly important when moving with a dog with anxiety.
Let him know where his space will be. Dogs like to know what space is theirs. When you get to the new home, put his bed, toys and food bowl in a particular spot so he knows that’s where he can feel safe and comfortable.

Helping Your Dog During the Move
Moving when your dog has anxiety is tough. It may be too stressful for your dog to be present while he watches you pick apart his world piece by piece. Consider the following to help your dog cope on the day of the move:

Put him in doggie day care for the day of the move or have him stay with a friend or neighbor that he loves. This is particularly necessary if your dog is overly anxious or does not take kindly to strangers (aka movers) who will be in and out of your home all day long.
Find a safe, quiet space for him in the house.  If it’s not an option to take your dog out of the house for the day, make your dog comfortable during the move by putting him in his crate with his favorite blanket in a cool and quiet place in the house away from all the commotion.
Talk to your vet about giving your dog something to calm him during the move. There are natural, safe alternatives to heavy sedatives such as essential oils and CBD oil that may help your dog to relax during the move without completely knocking him out.

Settling Into Your New Home
Once you have moved into your new home, it’s important to help your dog feel safe and comfortable in his new environment. The following tips might help:

Preserve his routine as much as possible. Keep meal times, walks, play time and bedtime at relatively the same times you’ve always had them. As mentioned before, dogs thrive on routine. If you have trouble getting your dog up because he is oversleeping due to stress, encourage him by offering their favorite treat. Hold off on trying anything new like the dog park or a change in food. Best to keep everything as consistent as possible for the first week or so.
Introduce him to the new neighborhood by going for a short walk around the block. It gives Fido a chance to smell the new smells, hear the strange sounds and check out his new environment for himself.
Help your dog make new furry friends. Once your dog has had a chance to feel more comfortable in his new home and neighborhood, invite some neighbors and new friends over so he can get a sense of familiarity. Encourage friends that have dogs to bring them to meet your dog. After all, dogs are social animals and like to make new friends too.

Conclusion
Dogs, like people, are sensitive to change. The stress of a move can really take a toll on their physical and mental health. To achieve moving stress free with a dog, take the time to familiarize them with their new surroundings and maintain their routine during the move. As a result, you will keep your pup happy and healthy throughout the whole moving process! When you’re ready to move, give the professional movers at Moving Forward San Francisco a call for a FREE quote!

How to Say Goodbye to Your Old Home

                        Say Goodbye to Your Old Home The Right Way: With Love 

We all remember that final episode of the hit TV series Friends, when the gang says goodbye to the apartment. We watch them all take their first steps into the next phase of their lives. Rachel and Ross off to start a life together, Chandler and Monica headed to the suburbs. Phoebe off to enjoy married life. And Joey, well he has an extra room at Chandler and Monica’s.
We watched this group of friends live full and happy lives in that apartment, so it was heartbreaking for the audience to see them go. Now if you’re preparing to leave a home that you’ve spent 10 or 20+ years living with your significant other, raising a family, or developing lasting relationships with your “chosen” family, moving away can be a hundred times more heartbreaking than that last episode of Friends.
It’s a weird situation, you’ll miss your house, but of course it won’t miss you. So how do you properly say goodbye to a home that you cherished a good era of your life in? We have some ideas

san francisco house moving service 

 

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Leave Your Mark

 
While you are on your way out, that doesn’t mean your memory needs to leave entirely. Find a place to leave your mark on the home. Maybe etch your name in the tree in the backyard, or if you need to repave any steps before you go, write your name in the cement. If you want to have some real fun with it, leave a secret message somewhere. Have you ever come across a message in a house or apartment and it completely tripped you out or made your day? Why not leave the same little spark of joy for the next residents? Wouldn’t be funny if you left directions to washer and dryer in morse code? You can even leave a cookbook behind with your signature and a note for the new owners. Use your imagination.
Take Photos
Preserve the memories you have, and for areas of the house you want to remember, take photos of those too! Photos are great for both sentimental and practical reasons. If you love the way your office space is set up, for example, take a photo so you can recreate it in your new home.
Why not get the whole family together and snap a few photos in front of your beloved mantle, so you can hang that photo up in your new home!
Host a House “Cooling” Party
You know what house warming party is, so why not have a house cooling party? Invite your friends and family over for an evening of fun, laughs, remembering good times … and taking some of your stuff! Set up some items that you don’t want to fall to the thrift store or sell online, and let your friends pick through them.
It’s best to do this well enough advance so you can get rid of stuff that no one takes, but also close enough to move in day that everyone can enjoy your relatively cleared out home. There’s just something about a party in an empty house that makes it a little more fun. Of course, make sure there’s enough seating and amenities for people. Don’t turn off your water before the party!
Take Something With You
You can’t take the whole house, but why not take a little something that no one will miss? Steal something from your precious home for the sentimental part of this. Maybe there’s a loose shingle on the roof where you spent countless nights looking up at the stars with your honey. Or maybe there’s an old crystal door knob on your bedroom door. Whatever you take, just make sure it’s meaningful to you. When you hold it, a rush of fond memories will flood your imagination and make you smile.
Send Well Wishes to the New Owners/Renters
You know this house better than anyone, so why not welcome the new residents and let them know what to expect. Tell them the best place to read a book in the summer, and when trash day is. Let them know about the outdoor cat that often hangs around the front yard to sunbathe. All those little details you may have taken for granted will be much appreciated by the new residents. Show them how much you loved this house and they are sure to love and respect it just as you did.
Break the Bad Memories
Of course, not all memories are fond memories, so what do you do with the bad ones? You definitely don’t want to bring them along with you to your new house. But why would you leave them behind for someone else? Make sure you energy cleanse your home before you move out, so none of that lingering energy from long nights fighting or bad phone calls lingers in the house.
Say Hello to Your New Home
Part of saying goodbye to the old is saying hello to the new! Embrace your new space with as much love and excitement as you did in your first home. This is a fresh start, a new beginning, so make the most of it!
 

Tips for Nailing Your Long Distance Move

                                    
                                             

          

                                 Don’t Forget These Essential Tips for Moving Across the Country 

 Moving across the country, whether it’s for work or for a change of scenery, is a big deal! You are uprooting your entire life and starting over. While we know it’s likely to be a significant emotional overhaul, remember that it will also be a physical overhaul. one more thing , when you want move , always find san francisco Professional movers .
Long distance moves require a lot of planning, strategizing and flexibility. Even the best plans can go wrong, so that last one is critical. If this is your first time moving across the country, make sure you keep these essential tips in mind before you hit the ground running. Good luck!
Insure Your Items
The farther away you move, the more risk there will be for your items to be damaged or stolen. The best way to enjoy peace of mind while also protecting your belongings is to insure your items. While the professional movers will offer liability insurance to cover damage or theft on their watch, oftentimes there can be issues with covering the full cost or a disagreement as to what the damage costs are. Additionally, if you have valuable items like art, antiques or collectables, you will need specialty insurance based on the value of those items. In any case, it’s better to have your own insurance so you know exactly what you’re signing up for and what you can expect is any of your items are damaged or stolen.
Move During Off Season
Moving is an expensive job, and moving across the country often costs even more. Save yourself some money by moving during the off season. Peak moving season is between May and September, because school is out and families often decide to move during this window. Because the demand is higher, movers are busier so quotes usually reflect that.
If you’re moving for work, talk with your employer to find an appropriate time ti move to keep the costs down. If they are assisting with relocation expenses, then they may be keen to heed your advice.

Make Arrangements to Move Your Car
Your car needs to move too. But do you really want to drive it out yourself? If you are moving 2,000 miles, that may not sound too appealing. You do have other options. You can either pay  to have it hauled, which can cost anything upwards of $800. You can also pay someone to drive it out for you. This job is appealing to those who want to see more of the United States whil they’re working. Pay for gas and make sure the car is serviced before departure, and you could have a win-win situation on your hands.
Be Realistic About What You Can Take
You’re not moving down the street -- you need to get everything to your new location in one shipment. This may sound overwhelming if you have a lot of stuff. But don’t stress out too much. This is an opportunity to get rid of items you keep holding on to for sentimental reasons (or plain laziness).
Take a look at your furniture and larger belongings. If you have been meaning to get a new sofa anyway, post it for sale and buy a new one when you arrive to your new home. Moving across the country is a fantastic opportunity to start fresh and ditch items you’ve been holding onto for years.
Create an Inventory of Your Belongings
Once you purge your home of all the stuff you labeled “no-go” then take an inventory of everything that is coming. An inventory allows you to double and triple check that your items are on the truck and packed safely for shipping.
Organize Belongings While Packing
The more intentional you are with packing, the easier time you will have when you need to unpack. Do your best to organize your belongings as you pack them. Keep your kitchen appliances together, for example. Wrap your silverware so they are easily identifiable and retrievable when you need them. Believe us, it’s a lot more satisfying to unpack organized boxes than it is to dump the contents of a junk drawer from the box to some other drawer. When you don’t organize beforehand, you’re only procrastinating. Help your future self out!
Pack For the Long Haul
Packing for long distance moves is a little different than packing for same-city moves. For one, your items are traveling a lot farther, which means there’s more jostling and potential for damage during transport. Make sure you wrap and protect your items securely before packing them. Even slight movement can cause something to break during transport. Remember, any trip across the country has more risk, so you want to prevent that risk as much as possible by packing well. 
Label Your Boxes Appropriately
Don’t rely on your memory to know which boxes belong in the kitchen and which belong in the living room. Save yourself some time during the unpacking phase by labeling boxes by room and owner, if there are multiple people in your household. Make sure to also label boxes with hauling notes like “Fragile” or “This Side Up.”
Update Important Documents
If you’re moving out of state, that means some important documents -- like your ID, passport or health insurance cards -- need to be updated with the most current address. If you also receive most of your billing statements by mail, you will need to change your address on those as well. You can also switch to paperless billing to save yourself time in the future.
Check Outdoor Furniture and Appliances for Critters
Some states can be pretty strict about transport certain insects and animals across state lines. Check your outdoor furniture and appliances for spiders, insects and other critters that could cause you to get a fine if state employees find them as you cross state lines. Better to be safe than sorry.
Invest in Speciality Boxes
Some items are going to transport a lot easier if you invest in specialty boxes. For example, dishes can make it safely if you buy boxes with separators in them. Mattresses are also a great item to box up. Grab a mattress box to protect your mattress from grime, weather, and wear and tear during transport.
Make Sure Essentials Are Easily Accessible
It’s so easy to pack the stuff you use most often first, simply because it’s front of mind! But make sure you do the opposite. Pack the essentials last so they are the most accessible off the truck or in your vehicle. Only you know what those essentials are -- maybe it’s the coffee maker, or maybe it’s your desktop computer. Whatever it is, make sure it’s packed well but easily accessible for your arrival.
Leave Food and Liquids Behind
Sorry, but you’re going to have to go grocery shopping when you arrive at your new place. It’s a risk to bring food along for the ride, due to food decay and any bugs or critters that find their way on the truck. Even cans can be iffy, you don’t want to have a box drop and a can of beans explode all over your stuff. It’s a better call altogether to skip the food and donate to a food bank or give your canned goods to friends who can use them before you leave.

Quote Several Moving Companies
Don’t settle for the first moving company with the cheapest quote. There are a lot of details to consider when choosing a moving company for your long distance move, so make sure you vet their credibility by researching reviews and checking out their insurance and liability plans. Make sure to also ask about additional fees based on distance and weight of the truck.
Talk to Your Movers About The Delivery Window
When moving across the country, it’s nearly impossible for movers to predict the exact time they will arrive at your location. Between weather, traffic, and other unforeseen delays, it’s important that you remain flexible with your movers in terms of their arrival time. This is why professional movers provide a delivery window, so you can have a rough estimate of when they will arrive.
Tip Your Long Distance Movers
Your movers are travelling a long way to ensure your belongings arrive safely and on time. For such a service, it is common practice to tip your professional movers. Anywhere between $4-5 per hour per mover is standard. But of course, a tip is a tip, so however much you feel your professional movers deserve, that’s just fine!

How to Downsize When Moving

                                                     

Moving? Use These Tips to Downsize Like a Champ

The more you move, the more often you have an opportunity to get rid of your stuff. We have moved people who simply have a room’s worth of belongings, and we have also moved people who have accumulated 30 years of stuff -- the difference is astonishing.

Whether you are sunnyvale moving across the country for a job or it’s time to downsize now that the kids have moved out, downsizing can be a rewarding experience. Oftentimes the trouble starts when you don’t know where to begin.

It’s amazing how much stuff we can accumulate in a year, let alone 20 or 30. If you’re getting ready to downsize, use these tips to make the most of your time and ensure you get rid of the right stuff and keep the items that have true value. So throw on your cleaning playlist and channel your inner Marie Kondo, it’s time to downsize!

Ditch the Big Stuff
Have you held onto your monstrous sectional due to convenience? Odds are that thing won’t fit into your new home if you’re downsizing. What other items have you held onto because it was the perfect fir for your current home? How about hand me downs? Did you great aunt give you an armoire that just sits gathering dust in the guest room? Consider how much big stuff you have and decide whether you really want to bring those to your new home.

Also think about bedrooms -- are you moving from a 4 bedroom to a 2 bedroom? You may have several beds and dressers to get rid of. Compare your new square footage with your current square footage to decide how many big pieces you can really take with you, then sell the rest.

Appraise Your Valuables
Appraising your items is an excellent way to help you prioritize what items are worth taking with you. Most of your items are easily replaceable, but you may have some heirlooms, art pieces, or treasures you found thrifting that are worth more than you think.

Hire an appraiser to valuate your items before you donate or sell them. If you still don’t want them, you can sell them for good money, which you’ll need as the moving expenses add up.

Address Your Boxes and Junk Drawers
How many boxes have moved with you from place to place, without opening them? This is so common. If you’re downsizing, you’re going to want to open up those boxes and start getting rid of the non-essentials. Are you hanging onto these items because actually going through them seems burdensome? Think of it from a different perspective. You will have less room for superfluous boxes, so you may as well toss or donate the items that are following you around like a ghost.

The same goes with junk drawers. If you’re just tossing everything from your drunk drawer into a box, and then unloading that box into some other drawer in your new home, you’re not really downsizing. Take a good long look in that drawer. Do you really need all those rubber bands? How about those coupons for the pizza place down the street? Unless you plan to use them before you go, give them to someone who will.

Be Mindful of the Small Stuff
It’s tempting to toss and sell the small stuff in your house immediately because, well, it’s just easier than packing it up. But while in some cases it’s better to start over, you don’t want to show up to your new house with nothing to unpack. Keep the appliances that still work well and allow you to continue your daily routine. For example, if you use your blender every day, you’re going to want to bring that with you. Getting rid of all your kitchen and bathroom stuff before you move will only disrupt your daily routine further in your new home.

Give Special Items a New Special Home
Over time, you will accumulate items that have sentimental value, but may no longer fit the aesthetic of your home or simply don’t have a place in it. If it’s something you have a hard time selling, see if a friend or family member has room for it. That way you have access to it if you decide you would like to find a place in your home for it down the line.

Follow the One Year Rule
As you begin decluttering, you will find yourself humming and hawing over items that you don’t use but you don’t want to get rid of. What if you need it for a themed party? You think. Well, the best way to decide whether to keep something is to ask yourself whether you’ve used it in the last year. If you haven’t, then it isn’t worth it.

Consider Your Storage Plan
While there’s probably plenty of items you can get rid of without too much thought, don’t sell and donate everything until you consider your storage options. Do you have an attic, basement or garage at your new place? Are there affordable storage units nearby? If you have storage available for, say 200 sq ft worth of stuff, then make sure to account for that space while packing. You may be able to bring that armoire after all.  

Remember: It’s All Just Stuff
If downsizing is proving to be an emotional experience for you, remember: it’s all just stuff. Most of the items you own are easily replaceable, so just make sure you pack the stuff that isn’t. Downsizing can help you reevaluate what is truly important in your life. So as you begin the process, take a second with the stuff that was once important to you but no longer serves a purpose, thank it for it’s time, and let it go. 

Sunnyvale Movers