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Apartment Moving Checklist

When preparing to move out of an apartment in Michigan we recommend giving yourself 6-8 weeks. Giving yourself enough time will reduce stress levels that come with apartment moving, and ensure that everything is prepared for your first day in your new home. If you do not have that much time, its okay, use this information as a guide for apartment moving in Michigan.

6-8 Weeks Prior to Apartment Moving

Begin your apartment moving preparation by creating a moving journal where you will keep notes countdownor important information during your moving process. This is the time in which you will want to decide if you will be moving or hiring a professional moving company in Michigan. Plan your moving budget, if you are moving long distance, moving intrastate, or even moving interstate, and will be shipping items prior to moving, be sure to incorporate that into your Michigan moving budget.

Check with your apartment landlord to see how much notice is required before moving, also check with your new landlord to see any restrictions the complex may have on moving into a new apartment. Look into new school districts, begin the change of address process, and make a list of who you need to notify about your move.

Begin planning how you will arrange the furniture in your new home, this will help if you need to downsize prior to your move. Also, start gathering moving boxes or moving supplies.

4-5 Weeks Before Moving

Remember that moving companies typically charge based on weight and distance. Use your last 4-5 weeks prior to a Michigan Move to use some of your food, detergents, or other items that you routinely purchase from the store. If you have valuable items that you wish to not have on the moving truck, plan what you will be transporting or shipping. Begin packing your items and continue to make address changes if necessary.

2-3 Weeks Prior to Your Move

moving-guysContact your hired moving company to make sure they do not have restrictions on what they can move. Look over your lease and see what types of cleaning or maintenance you must do on your current apartment to ensure that you receive your security deposit back if applicable.

Call your utility companies and schedule a day to have your utilities transferred to your new residence. This will ensure that everything is livable the day of your move and ready for you the first night in your new home.

The Week of your Apartment Moving

Take time to confirm all scheduled appointments, meetings, or child care arrangements. Be sure to include a follow-up call to your moving company to ensure that there are no changes and everything is still on schedule.

Double check that everything around your apartment is ready for your move out inspection. Have a box of cleaning supplies handy in case you need to touch up or realize you missed something. Also, ensure that you keep a priority box out and accessible so that you have what you need for your first night in your new home.

Moving Day

If you have any last minute packing to do, do it. Be sure to do a walk-through of your apartment, turning off lights to rooms you have completed your walkthrough in. Also, turn off your thermostat and any appliances that need to stay in your apartment.

Before the moving truck leaves your apartment to ensure that they have your cell phone number and you have yours to keep contact in case something happens during transit.

When you arrive at your new home directly the movers in which room each box or item goes so that it is easier to unpack and set up your new home.

For more information be sure to check out our printable PDFs on moving tips for Michigan residents. Allow us to give you a quote for your residential apartment move in Michigan today.

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Tips on Moving With Children

Moving can be a large project. Moving with children can add to your moving stress because your child’s entire routine is disrupted. Learn how to make this transition for your children as easy as possible by following the tips below.

The best way to prepare your child for an upcoming move is to communicate and keep them involved. Let them know that the family is relocating and that everything is going to be alright. Children trust parents and depend on them to keep them in a loop with what is going on. If you are unable to take the children with you while searching, show them photos of homes. This will keep them involved throughout the entire process.

Long Distance Moving With Children

If you are moving a ways from your current movinglocation, you may have to switch schools or doctors for your children as well. Speak with your child’s current pediatrician to see if they have any recommendations to help with the process. You will want to ensure that you have enrolled your child in their new school. Do this prior to the move so that they do not have to miss much school.

When you bring your children to the new house, it is best that you have their room set up. Your child will experience feelings of loss by moving into an unfamiliar environment. Having their room set up when they get there, will help your child to relax and feel comfortable in their new environment.

To help you and your child adjust to your new environment, give your child a tour of the neighborhood including their new school and doctor’s office. If you have not already, make sure to secure their new daycare as well.

The trusted movers at Men on The Move in Michigan are committed to helping you make your move as nonstressful as possible. To make your move easy, we offer free quotes and moving supplies. Hire Men on The Move for your next move, because we are licensed, insured, open 7 days a week, and offer long distance moves. So contact us today.

Click here for more moving tips.

Tips For Packing Clothing

So, you are preparing for your upcoming move with Men on the Move, and you have almost everything packed and ready to go…..except your clothes. As you look at your neatly folded drawers or your closet that you have spent so much time color coordinating and organizing, you begin to get overwhelmed. “I wish I didn’t have to re-fold all of these clothes and put them into boxes only to have to reorganize them after the move”, you tell yourself.

We have some handy Packing Clothing tips to save you time and the hassle!

Clothing in Drawers

Before you start emptying your drawers like a mad man dumping each drawer onto your bed only to have to refold them and put them in boxes, head to your kitchen. Find your clear plastic wrap (you may have to buy more, but it’s worth it!) and head back to your drawers. Starting at side of the drawer tape the end of the plastic wrap down. Pull the plastic wrap to the other side, tear it, and tape again. You can also go all way around the drawer, which will be much quicker but will also use nearly twice as much plastic wrap. The choice is yours.

Be sure to repeat the process multiple times, covering your drawers tightly, preventing your clothing from getting dirty or falling out. The more times you repeat the step the stronger the covering will be. We recommend buying a large restaurant size roll of plastic wrap to reduce waste and having to keep opening small rolls.

This process will also work on more than just drawers with clothing, you can use this handy packing tip for silverware, desk drawers, junk drawers, and much much more.

Hanging ClothingPacking Clothing

You huge master bedroom walk-in closet is full of clothes, right? Maybe you have spent tons of time color coordinating and getting it just right. Let it be known that there is a way to pack your hanging clothes without taking even one item off of a hanger

Head to your kitchen once again and grab the box of drawstring kitchen garbage bags then head back to your closet. Take about ten hanging clothing items  (possibly more if they fit) and squish them together really really tight. Use your garbage bags to slide over the bottom of the squished together clothing and pull the drawstring tight. The hangers hooks should still be outside of the garbage bags.

We hope you enjoyed our quick time saving moving tip! Please Like Us on Facebook and let us know how they worked for you, we would even love to see your photos!

Downsizing Your Home

Now that the kids have begun moving back to college and some have even moved out for good, you may be thinking about downsizing your home.Why do you need all the extra space for just you or you and your spouse? Downsizing your Michigan home may relieve financial struggle as well as decrease maintenance in or around your home. Downsizing Your Home

So, how do you start preparing yourself to downsize? What are you going to do with all of your stuff? The one thing we always tell clients who are looking to downsize is before you move, pretend that everything you own, has disappeared. Imagine standing in your new, smaller home, apartment, or condo and making a list of what needs to be replaced.

Downsizing Your Home Tips

As you go down that list, put a neon sticky not on the items. So, your list may start with a bed, your appliances if needed, a couch, TV, table, and so on. It is always a good idea to know the measurements of your new place and your current furniture so you know if it will fit just right.

With all of the items that you have not marked, get rid of them. Of course, you may want to keep some small decor items, but keep it simple. Sell, donate, or throw away what you have not marked. Many people will try to move items that they haven’t marked as a necessity to try and get rid of them later. Try to do this step before you move, not only will it reduce your moving cost, but 9/10 times an item enters your new home you will “find a spot for it” even though it is not needed.

Parting with your belongings is hard. Many people carry items that have sentimental value, or other items they just can’t seem to let go. Find a climate controlled storage facility where you can store the items so they do not have to enter your home. Downsizing can be a challenge especially if you are coming from a very large home.

Finally, contact Men on the Move today for more tips, or to get a free residential moving quote today!

Deciding What to Keep When Moving

Deciding What to Keep When Moving

Figuring out what to keep and what to throw away, give away, or donate when preparing your move can be a pain. You have to decide which items mean more to you than others and which really are useless to you and your family. The moving process can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be.

First and foremost, breathe. It is much easier to move when you’re relaxed which tends to help the moving process go by faster. While going through your things, make a “to go” and a “to stay” pile. By organizing your items, you will be able to see which items you would like to keep for your new home and which items you are less interested in now.

Before finalizing your decision, look over the items you’ve decided to keep one last time. Ask yourself “Was it worth a long of money?” “Did it take me a while to finally get it?” If your answers are yes, then these are the types of items you should keep. Of course, you should never throw away memorable items such as a photo album or a videotape of your baby’s first steps, but if there are some items you haven’t looked at or touched within the past five years why hold on to them?

What To Keep When Moving

Moving to a new home is like turning over a new leaf. The only way to move forward is if you leave the unnecessary things behind.

Remember, when going through your valuables, ask yourself “Do I really need this?” If your answer is no, throw it out or give it away. If you ever need help with moving from one place to another, Men on the Move is here to help. We can assure you that your moving process will be easy. Give us a call today at any one of our locations. We look forward to being assistance to you!

Knowing Your Box When Planning Your Move

When you think about the actual process of moving, what is one of the first things you think about? Well, after you think about hiring the moving professionals from Men on the Move as your moving company in Michigan, you probably tend to think about boxes. How many you’ll need, which sized boxes you’ll need. Also, exactly what items you own you’ll be storing into those boxes to avoid damage.

Knowing Your Box Options When Moving

The box selection ordeal is a little more complicated than you may think. Here are some different types:

  • 1.5 cubic foot small carton – This is the smallest box that generally is used for the smallest. But also heaviest items such as Books, CDs, DVDs, video games, records, canned goods, etc.
  • 3.0 cubic foot medium carton – Although it is a little bigger than the 1.5, the 3.0-foot box serves a similar purpose in that it is designed to hold small but heavy items like toasters, blenders and other kitchen appliances, pots and pans, and outdoor tools.
  • 4.5 cubic foot box If you’ve got clothes that don’t need to be hung, tablecloths, linens, or kitchen items and toys that can’t be broken, this is the box to use.
  • 6.0 cubic foot large carton – Bulky but lighter items like coats, hoodies, stuffed animals, or Knowing Your Box When Planning Your Movepillows go into this bigger, all-purpose box.
  • Mirror carton – These boxes adjust and expand and are perfect for storing mirrors, pictures, small tabletops, and other glass products.
  • Multi-layer specialty boxes – Widely considered the safest and strongest of all moving boxes. This is what you would use to hold your china, crystal, glassware, and other breakable dishware. Men on the Move has dish pak cell kits available for purchase, to keep your glasses and dishes divided.
  • Other Specialized Cartons/Crating – Items of specific shapes and sizes. Items like pole lamps, bicycles, grandfather clocks, big-screen televisions, etc. They can go in specially-made crates or cartons that are built to keep extremely fragile pieces intact.
  • Wardrobe Carton If you have hanging clothes that you want to keep wrinkle-free during the move, this box’s design allows for that. Drapes and curtains folded over hangers store nicely into wardrobe cartons as well.

Hire Men on the Move Today

The friendly Michigan Movers at Men on the Move carry boxes of all shapes and sizes, as well as other supplies like packing paper, bubble wrap, paper pads, and more. We can supply you with the boxes they need to be stored in too! Finally, contact us or fill out a free moving quote today.