Tag: #asmartmove

Top Tips to Packing Liquids Without Spills when Moving!

Most moving companies frown upon packing liquids when moving, because of the inherent dangers packed liquids in a constantly shifting vehicle can cause. However, due to sentimental value or necessity, movers still carry along certain liquids when moving. If you need to pack some liquids during your move, it is necessary for you to learn how to properly pack them for moving without spills, as a spilled container can cause damage to other items or possessions being moved.

Before you pack liquids for moving, first check with your moving company to make sure that the liquids you want to pack are not prohibited by them. Some of the prohibited liquids include aerosol cans, lighter fluid, fertilizers, kerosene, pesticides ammonia, bleach, nail polish/remover, rubbing alcohol and poisons. If you had planned on moving with any of these liquids, it would be safe to dispose of them or give them to people who need for them before .

For liquid items not on the prohibited list, outlined below are the safest and most secure ways to pack them for moving without any spills.

• Before packing any liquids, make sure that the lids on their containers are tightly shut. You can also apply a piece of tape over the top of the container to prevent it from spilling. As an extra measure, you can choose to remove the top of each liquid container, seal the opening with a plastic wrap, return the top back on the container and then fasten a piece of tape over the top.
• After securing the lid of the liquid container, place it in a re-sealable zipper or plastic storage bag. To save costs, you can place several containers into each plastic bag, but ensure that they sit upright when in it. Seal the bag tightly shut. If the zipper is loose, get another bag or simply place a piece of tape along the opening to the bag.
• Next, set the sealed storage bags containing the liquid upright in the box, keeping them as close as possible to each other. If there are empty spaces inside the box containing the liquids, fill them up with old newspapers or towels.
• Close the lids the box shut and label it clearly with bold arrows and the words “LIQUIDS -­ THIS END UP! Also, include any other important identifying information such as “Drinks” or “Cleaning Supplies,” Doing this will alert your movers that; it is a box containing liquids, as well as which end of the box to be placed on the foot of the moving truck.

The above mentioned are safe and secure ways to not just prevent spills, but also guarantee the safety of your other belongings. However, in addition to these, you should use plastic moving boxes rather than cardboard boxes to pack liquids – and other belongings, for your move. With plastic boxes, which are more durable than cardboard boxes, you can limit the risk of a spill that could damage your other possessions or worse, cause a dangerous accident.

You can rent high-quality plastic moving boxes, as well as other supplies you need to pack your liquids at A SMART MOVE, at affordable prices.

Place an order now or call us 858-790-8349 if you need more information.

Proudly serving the San Marcos and surrounding areas, A Smart Move is your number one moving supply specialist!

5 Top Tips to Help You Unpack After Moving

Unpacking is the final stage of the moving process, and many people enjoy it, so they take their time in doing it. However, unpacking for many is as challenging for them as struggling not to make mistakes when packing, and they sometimes need help with it. If you are one of such people, and the mere thought of sorting through giant mountains of moving boxes is stressing you, then this article can help you figure out the best way to unpack.

To prevent you from feeling lost and overwhelmed by all of your possessions, it is necessary to have a plan first before you begin unpacking. The plan will help keep you organized and tidy, and also save you a lot of time. We’ve outlined some more simple and easy steps to help you unpack after moving.

1. Essentials Box

The first thing to do when unpacking is to unpack your essentials box. The essentials box gives you enough time to recover from the stress of moving by providing you with the bare necessities you would need. It is usually kept somewhere in the truck where it can easily be accessed or with you in your car. It is important to unpack this box first because, without it, you would spend countless hours trying to settle in. Items such as toilet paper, tape, pens & cleaning equipment would be in this box.

2. Bedrooms

Next, set by putting the beds together and unpacking the linens for each of the bedrooms. Setting the bedroom up will prepare you for your first night in your new home after such a stressful move, especially if you want to sleep in a familiar and comfortable bed. Other bedroom fixtures and organization can come after you have settled in .

3. Kitchen

After recovering from the stress of moving, the first point of call is to unpack the kitchen. This should be relatively easy if you labeled your moving boxes properly. Begin by arranging pots, pans, plates, and cutlery in the cupboard first, then proceed to sort out the major appliances. Connect major appliances like microwave, kettle, toaster, etc. make life in your new home a lot easier until you have settled fully. You can leave the organization of the kitchen until after the house has been completely unpacked.

4. Bathrooms

Unpack the bathroom next. If you have a cabinet already fixed in there for you, you can unpack and arrange things like toothbrushes, soaps, medication, body lotion, etc. You can also hang your shower curtains and body towels, so you can easily lay your hands on them. Otherwise, you will have to manage the bathroom without the curtains until you are settled in.

5. Furniture

Unpack the furniture after all other boxes, such as the ones listed above, have been sorted. Arranging your furniture should be easy and straightforward if you have the plans your new home. Construct a plan first before unpacking your furniture because it is one of the largest items to unpack and can easily overwhelm you. Assemble furniture only when you have determined where it will be placed.

Although these steps can help you unpack quickly, it may take you anything from a couple of days to weeks, to completely unpack all your boxes and settle in fully. Therefore, to ensure that your possessions remain safe, you should pack your possessions in plastic moving boxes, which are more durable and weather than cardboard boxes. If you are moving to a new property in San Diego, you can easily rent high-quality plastic moving boxes at affordable prices at A SMART MOVE.

Place an order now or call us 858-790-8349 if you need more information.

Proudly serving San Diego City and surrounding areas, A Smart Move is your number one moving supply specialist!

Top 3 Tips For Choosing the Right Moving Company

Hiring a moving company helps to take out some of the stress and anxiety associated with moving. Apart from alleviating some of the stress involved in the process, the right moving company also comes with many other benefits, such as helping you plan, ensuring your belongings are safe and insured, providing the right equipment, preventing you from heavy lifting, saving you time and money and many others.

When hiring a moving company, it is important that you get recommendations from family and friends to have a list of moving companies to choose from. This will help relieve you of the stress of starting from scratch and saves you a lot of time. Outlined below are other top tips which can help you in choosing the right moving company.

1. Perform an Initial Screening

After getting a list of recommendations, go online and do background checks on them. You can also call them on their business line or visit their website to make inquiries and find out more about them. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau to find out if a particular moving company is a registered member. Registered members are more professional and customer-oriented because they have agreed to abide by the organization’s published rules and also participate in its arbitration program. Check online for feedbacks and screen out companies with the least number of positive reviews. This will help streamline your recommendation list.

2. Request for an Estimate

Ask for a written binding estimate or a binding not-to-exceed estimate from companies on your list. These estimates will put a cap on the total amount you get charged for moving. Non-binding estimates are legal if they are given to you free of charge, but bear in mind that the final cost may be more than the estimate. Reputable moving companies will perform thorough inventory taking of your belongings to determine the bulk and weight of your move. Avoid companies that give you an estimate without taking inventory of your possessions or one that does a shabby job of it. The estimator should thoroughly check all your storage spaces such as cupboards, bookcases, garages, and drawers. A large chunk of the mover’s price will be based on the weight of your possessions, as well as the amount of space it takes up in the moving truck, so it is necessary that they perform a thorough inventory taking.

3. Compare Bids

Collect the estimates from various moving companies and compare bids. Be wary of companies that have much lower bids than the others. Examine the proposals with higher costs and determine the source of the extra costs. If there is anything you are confused about regarding the estimates, call them and ask questions. Also, you do not necessarily have to go with whatever bids given to you. If there is a company you fancy, do not be afraid to negotiate and get the best possible rate. Moving companies have a lot of competition out there, so most movers will want to work with you on pricing.

After you have chosen the right moving company, you will be needing plastic moving boxes, which offer more benefits than paper boxes, for packing all of your possessions. At A SMART MOVE, we offer the highest-quality plastic moving boxes for rent at affordable prices.

Place an order now or call us on 858-790-8349 if you need more information. 

Proudly serving the Oceanside and surrounding areas, A Smart Move is your number one moving supply specialist!

Planning For a Stress-Free Move!

Moving houses is one of the most stressful life experiences, and it can quickly become overwhelming, especially in a city like San Diego. In fact, 58% of Americans say that moving is more stressful than planning a wedding. Therefore, we at A SMART MOVE have put together this useful article to us guide you as to how you can calm the chaos of moving.

Obviously, the first thing you would have done is rented your clean and sanitized boxes and any packing supplies from A SMART MOVE – so you are already onto a great start! But once that has been done – what should you do next? Outlined below are the top tips that will help ensure that moving to your new home is as stress-free as possible.

6 to 8 Weeks Prior

• If you are a renter, read your current lease to discover for informing your landlord that you’ll vacate.
• If you are an owner, speak to your to discuss what may be required of you in your local area like informing HOA’s or similar.
• Decide whether your move will be DIY or if you want to hire help.
• Research & set meetings with moving companies if you plan to hire professionals. Make sure whomever you use is fully licensed and insured to protect your possessions.
• Have an old-fashioned paper file at hand where you can store important moving information, such as agreements you sign with a moving company.
• Schedule a date with your moving company of choice. You should get a written confirmation of your moving date and an itinerary.
• Inform the proper parties of your move (i.e., your child’s school, doctors, employers, and groups you belong to).
• Transfer any insurance to your next home.

4 to 5 Weeks Prior

• Start sorting through your stuff and begin purging things by either selling or donating them.
• Fill out the change of address form from the Post Office.
• Schedule cancelation or transfer of your utilities, internet or cable service.
• Make arrangements for child and pet care.
• Get vehicle stickers for your new location, as many towns require them.
• Arrange for any necessary temporary storage.
• Change your address with your bank and move accounts if necessary.
• Start using perishable items you don’t plan to move, such as food.

2 to 3 Weeks Prior

• Pack all nonessentials.
• Return all those books and DVD’s that you have borrowed from family, friends & the library
• Finish making arrangements with the utility companies, and reconfirm your date with the movers/wonderful friends who are helping you out.
• Work out what needs to be cleaned at each property and schedule a crew to help you if need be.

1 Week Prior

• Finish packing. Label each box with our easy-peel labels, perhaps using different color markers to distinguish what is in each box or which room it needs to go into.
• Create an inventory of all the boxes you have. You might even want to number them. This will help you ensure you have everything after you move.
• Pack one essentials box that has everything you need for your first night in your new places such as toothpaste and toilet paper!!
• Fill a cleaning supplies box, you need to do some touch- ups before you leave or arrive at either property.
• Confirm plans for pet or childcare.
• Confirm the installation date of new utilities, internet, and cable.
• Confirm details of moving day with your moving company or your helpers.
• Withdraw any cash you’ll need for moving day, such as money for the movers and cash for ordering food. And then take out some more!
• Where relevant, schedule and complete a walk-through of your old home with your landlord or Relator.
• If necessary, see you can reserve a parking spot for moving day.

Moving Day: Your Old Home

• Pack up your bed linens in the laundry bag you have ordered from A SMART MOVE. See below for reasons why.
• Check every nook and cranny to be sure you didn’t leave something behind and then get someone else to double-check.
• Take out the trash and complete any other last-minute cleaning tasks.
• Keep pets and kids away from the action.
• Pick up your moving truck (if you’re moving yourself) and inspect the vehicle. If you’re using your own car, make sure it’s in good condition. You don’t want to deal with car troubles on moving day.
• Turn off all the lights and put your keys in the designated spot.

Moving Day: Your New Place

• Arrive before the moving company or your helpers and unlock the property.
• Prop open any gates that lead in and out of the building, so you have a safer and clearer path to your unit.
• Where applicable, walk through with your new landlord before you start moving your boxes. Take photos and detailed notes. This is important when it comes time to get your security deposit back.
• Start moving in boxes & take inventory of your belongings to ensure all the boxes are there and nothing visibly is damaged.
• When you are sure that the work is complete, pay the movers and don’t forget to tip them –they have worked hard!!
• Return any rental truck you used.
• Take the laundry bags that hold your linens & make up the bed – if you don’t get anything else done today, at least you will get a good sleep!
• Then, if you have the energy, get to work on anything else you want to do.

And most importantly – Enjoy your new home!

With these tips, your move is sure to be stress-free and most importantly, you would start enjoying your new home immediately. To help with making sure you have a stress-free move, A SMART MOVE provides high-quality plastic moving boxes which offer more benefit than cardboard boxes and make moving your belongings a breeze.

Place an order now or call us 858-790-8394 if you need more information.

Proudly serving the Encinitas and surrounding areas, A Smart Move is your number one moving supply specialist! 

There is no denying that with the advent of technology, our lives have been simplified in many ways than one. Modern day technologies such as mobile phones and tablets have taken an important aspect in our everyday lives. With mobile phones, communication has been made a lot easier than conventional methods of communication. However, besides communication, it might surprise you to know that your mobile devices can also be used for other unusual tasks like health screening, metal detection and even moving between houses.

Top 5 Applications for Moving

Indeed, your mobile phone can be used for moving between homes. Certain applications in your phone’s application market make it easy to not only plan and execute your move but also everything in between quick. Some of the applications even go as far as choosing the best mover for you within your vicinity, thereby reducing the stress associated with finding a professional mover. Outlined below are 5 surprising apps which can make your move a breeze.

Unpakt

This is one of the top apps you can use when moving. It helps you find the right moving company around where you reside, as well as you to design your home inventory. Based on all the information you provide, Unpakt will then recommend a top mover for you and give you an estimated price to pay. The app can be used in several cities, in more than 35 states in the U.S.

Wunderlist

moving app which can make your move a breeze. It works by allowing you to create a dedicated checklist that helps you organize in the best way possible. This app is free to use and is available on mobile platforms like Android and iOS. The app can also be accessed outside your phone, on your tablet and computer.

Move Advisor

If there is any moving application which offers you an intuitive and on a mobile phone, this is it. All it requires from you is information such as your moving date, moving execution method, and means of transportation.  After imputing all of these, the provides you with a customized weekly to-do-list which can guide your move.

Sortly

With you can make an inventory of everything you have packed. This application comes in very handy for knowing exactly where each of your items is packed. Although it is free, has a premium version which provides you with more features like QR code label for your moving boxes, export lists to Dropbox, and many more.

Offer Up

Before you move to your new home, you will most likely need to get rid of some stuff you don’t need. However, finding what to do with these things can be exhausting, but with this app, it does not have to be so. you the opportunity to get rid of unwanted household items to local buyers. In a couple of seconds, you can list your items and begin selling.

Moving from one house to another can easily leave anyone stressed out. However, with applications like the ones mentioned above, you can make the entire process less exhausting. In addition, you should also order durable plastic moving boxes from A-Smart-Move, which will make packing your belonging easier. You can also call us 858-790-8349 for more information.

Proudly serving the Oceanside and surrounding areas, A Smart Move is your number one moving supply specialist!