8 Weeks Before Moving:

Buy a journal or binder to collect notes about your move, including reminders, phone call notes, "to-do" lists, and pertinent receipts.

Sketch or obtain a floor plan of your new home and decide which household goods to keep and which to let go.

Decide whether you're going to do the move yourself or hire professionals. If you're hiring movers, now is the time to start the process by getting at least three estimates.

 Arrange for transfer of your child's school records

Start creating a list of people who need to be notified about your change of address and keep it handy so you can add to it as you think of people.

 Make a list of packing supplies you'll need. If you plan to order them online, go ahead and do that.

Buy a lockable box for important files and documents like birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.

Moving day checklist:

Spring and summer are high season for moving in Canada. Even if you’re moving into your dream home, the actual process of moving itself can be highly stressful. But if you stay organized and pace your preparations over a few weeks, you’ll do a lot to make the big day go more smoothly. Just follow our guidelines below, and good luck in your new home!

Four to six weeks before the move

1 Create a master list of everything you need to do, and keep it handy to jot down things that occur to you in the coming days. Make note of special tasks like booking piano movers, sending change of address forms out, cancelling newspapers and utilities, special packing and storage needs.

2 Clean out closets, drawers, cupboards, chests, shelves, garage, attic, basement. Divide everything into four groups: Throw Away; Recycling; Giveaway/Yard Sale; Keep.

3 Hold a yard sale to get rid of things that are too valuable to throw away or recycle, but that you don’t want to take to your new home. Check your municipal website for items that can be donated for recycling or reuse: electronics, leftover paint, appliances and reusable building materials are a few items that can be dropped off there. Charities like The Furniture Bank will pick up old furniture and mattresses at no charge and give you a tax receipt.

4 Send out change-of-address forms to magazines and other correspondents. (Many periodicals now allow you to do this online.) Arrange with Canada Post to have mail forwarded to your new address starting on moving day. Begin changing over driver’s license and registration, passport, health cards, and other official forms.

5 Notify utilities, cable company, alarm companies, lawn service companies and other service providers of your moving dates.

6 Plan to use up as much of your food as possible, especially frozen items.
 
7 Call your insurance company to set up insurance for your new home and cancel your old policy on moving day.

8 Research schools in your new neighbourhood and register your kids at the new school.

9 Have upholstery and rugs cleaned; book window and eavestrough cleaning services.

10 Begin researching moving companies and getting estimates. Once you have chosen the company you want, confirm and sign the contract. If you are doing the packing, obtain boxes and other packing materials from your mover, or a moving supply or discount store.

11 Start packing less used items and storing the boxes in a convenient but less central room, such as den or family room. (Avoid storing them in the basement, which will just make headaches for the movers on moving day.)

12 If possible, visit your new home and make note of any special issues for the movers, such as narrow hallways or steep or winding staircases.

Two to three weeks before moving day

1 Keep records of all your moving expenses; in some cases, you can deduct them on your income taxes.

2 Continue packing boxes. Be sure to label all boxes clearly with the rooms they are going to.

3 If you live in (or are moving to) a condo, book the freight elevator for moving day.

4 Make sure appliances and house are in good working order and make any repairs agreed upon in your house sale.

One week before moving day

1 Defrost (if necessary) and clean out refrigerator, and clean oven. If you have a wood fireplace, have the chimney cleaned.

2 Start cleaning the house as much as possible, to minimize this task on moving day.

3 Finish packing all but the essentials you’ll need right before and right after the move.

4 Arrange to have pets and small children spend moving day with a sitter.

5 Start to plan for changes to the new house, such as booking painters or contractors.

6 Take down artwork and mirrors and pack them in special boxes or crates designed for this purpose.

7 Be sure arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth handover of keys to both the old house and the new house on moving day; usually these are given to the buyers’ and sellers’ lawyers.

Tacoma Long Distance Movers:

Long distance moving can be easy and less stressful with the help of a good Tacoma long distance moving company. Here at Pacific Movers, we value our customers and want to ensure they all have a great moving experience. As a BBB accredited business for sometime now with an A+ rating, you can rest a sure you are dealing with a good moving company in Tacoma. Read more about us on your site for more information, or give us a call! We would be happy to answers any questions you may have.

 Our services in Tacoma are not limited to long distance moving.

• Local moving
• Storage
• Commercial moving
• Specialized Moving
• Packing services
• And more!

Moving Packing Tips:

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Use the right size boxes.
Put heavy items, like books, in small boxes; light items, like linens and pillows, in bigger ones. (Large boxes packed with heavy items are a common complaint of professional movers. They not only make the job harder but also have a better chance of breaking.)
 

Put heavier items on the bottoms of boxes, lighter items on top.
And if you’re loading the truck yourself, pack heavier boxes first, toward the front of the truck, for balance.
 

Don’t leave empty spaces in the boxes.
Fill in gaps with clothing, towels, or packing paper. Movers often won’t move boxes that feel loosely packed or unbalanced.
 

Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box.
It will make your packing quicker and your unpacking a lot easier, too.
 

Label each box with the room it’s destined for and a description of its contents.
This will help you and your movers know where every box belongs in your new place. Numbering each box and keeping an inventory list in a small notebook is a good way to keep track of what you've packed―and to make sure you still have everything when you unpack.
 

Tape boxes well.
Use a couple of pieces of tape to close the bottom and top seams, then use one of the movers’ techniques―making a couple of wraps all the way around the box’s top and bottom edges, where stress is concentrated.
 

If you’re moving expensive art, ask your mover about special crating.
Never wrap oil paintings in regular paper; it will stick. For pictures framed behind glass, make an X with masking tape across the glass to strengthen it and to hold it together if it shatters. Then wrap the pictures in paper or bubble wrap and put them in a frame box, with a piece of cardboard between each framed piece for protection.
 

Bundle breakables.
As you pack your dishes, put packing paper around each one, then wrap bundles of five or six together with more paper. Pack dishes on their sides, never flat. And use plenty of bunched-up paper as padding above and below. Cups and bowls can be placed inside one another, with paper in between, and wrapped three or four in a bundle. Pack them all in dish-barrel boxes.
 

Consider other items that will need special treatment.
Vansant says his movers treat TVs like any other piece of furniture, wrapping them in quilted furniture pads. He points out, however, that plasma TVs require special wooden crates for shipping if you don’t have the original box and can be ruined if you lay them flat. If you’re packing yourself, double-box your TV, setting the box containing the TV into another box that you've padded with packing paper.

Reality TV Star Phaedra Parks Sells Her Peach of a House:

The women of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives” reality TV series are known for their outsize personalities—and they usually have outsize fancy homes to match. But Atlanta housewife Phaedra Parks just sold a house in Smyrna, GA, that’s relatively modest, which probably helped her find a buyer just a few weeks after the house went on the market.

TMZ reports that Parks bought the house in 2001 for $322,000. With the help of listing agent Brandi Hunter, the house sold in October 2014 for $349,000. Parks made a tidy $27,000 profit, but you have to wonder what’s left after closing costs, commissions, and taxes.

The Traditional-style home is 4,062 square feet and has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a half-bath. Everything appears well-kept and in excellent condition, which breaks from “Housewives” tradition of homes having ostentatious features.

You could quibble about the sweeping staircase, the dual ceiling fans in the finished basement, and the red cabinets and track lighting in the guest suite kitchen, but we wouldn't want to start any drama with a Housewife.

The two-story carpeted family room features built-in shelves and a fireplace. The kitchen has a center island and modern black appliances. The master bathroom has a handsome patterned glass window above the tub. And the back deck is great for weekend barbecues.

Parks is an entertainment attorney and the managing partner of the Parks Group. She joined the cast of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” during the show’s third season and has been throwing shade ever since. In May, Parks’ husband, Apollo Nida, was convictedof identity theft and bank fraud and is currently serving an eight-year sentence. In December, Parks confirmed that she and Nida are divorcing afer five years of marriage.

How to Move Your Refrigerator:

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When you are moving your home, surely the excitement of it all may get you baffled as to where to start and how to prepare. Luckily, you have TheMovingBlog.com where you can find plenty of tips and advice on all sorts of issues related to your move. This time we’d like to say a few words on how to move a refrigerator by yourself. Since moving appliances and equipment is often the case with most people who relocate, moving a fridge is also a matter lots of people are interested in. So, how to move a big refrigerator and what do you need to know when moving a small refrigerator?

How to Move a Fridge By Yourself

Moving a fridge by yourself could be a tough job, especially if the fridge is a big one. When considering the best way to move a refrigerator it is important to have in mind the safety for the people doing the work – whether that be yourself or someone else, and the protection of the item being prepared for a move and transported as well.

Prepare For the Move


Remove the food, cosmetics and medicine from the fridge before relocating it.
That is why the first thing to do is to get the fridge ready for what’s about to come next. Unplug the fridge and pack the cord in a plastic bag. Disconnect the water if you have an ice-maker. Surely you understand that all the content of your refrigerator must be taken out before you proceed with the move. There should be nothing in it since during the move it will surely shift while inside and may damage the fridge. Take out the food, ice, cosmetics, medicines and whatever else you may be keeping in the fridge. You can give away the food or make a plan how to consume all of it, plus the frozen items, before the move itself. Do you need to defrost your fridge? That could take some time as well, so plan it ahead. You can do it the night before the move and just clean it in the morning.

After you’re done with those things, remove the other items that belong to the fridge like trays and shelves. Do it even if you are moving a refrigerator short distance like in order to clean behind it. In this way there will be no risk of spilling drinks inside or breaking bottles or jars because of the move. If you will be moving long distance, wrap the removable items from your fridge with bubble wrap or towels to protect them, label them and put them together in one or two boxes, if possible, along with the power cord. In this way the process of unwrapping and setting up the refrigerator in your new home will be easier for you. You may not want to keep movable items within the refrigerator as there is still a risk for them to shift, even if you tape them – for example, the vibrations that come out as a result when the fridge is being transported could also cause glass to crack and you don’t want that. If you have time, clean the fridge and its removable parts before packing them. If not, you can do this after the move is over and before plugging in your fridge again.

Once you’re ready, it is time to secure the fridge doors. If there are handles, tie them together. Make sure the doors are well closed and use rope to secure them. Don’t over tighten the ropes or they could shift the doors. Tape is not a good idea – it is neither that strong, nor that a clean option as it could leave stains and residue on the finish of the fridge or even damage it. If the fridge will be out of use for a while or you want to store it, the doors should be left slightly ajar in order to prevent any mold from growing there.


Always use helpers for moving your fridge - even if it is a small one!
Always Move a Refrigerator Upright!

Get people to help you with the move – at least one person, besides yourself. In order to move a fridge short distance, use rollers, and for long distance – a dolly with straps. The right equipment may be tempting for you to try and do it yourself, but you risk your health and the safety of your fridge as well in this way. But once you have to maneuver around the hallway, stairs, through the door, etc. it is easier if you have a friend with you or you hire moving labor. It is not a good idea to move a fridge on its side or back because the coolant in it or the oil in the compressor could leak. Lift the fridge carefully from one of its sides and slowly slide it onto the dolly. If you really must place the fridge on its side, try to do it under an angle to prevent leakages because if they occur, the oil may not fully return to the compressor once the fridge is in upright position again and it may not be able to function normally any longer. If you have to go up or down the stairs, go one step at a time and definitely get a helper to assist you. Be very, very careful. When moving the fridge inside the truck or trailer, best thing would be if there is a ramp that you could use. If there is no ramp, there should be one person on the vehicle to pull up and two people down by the fridge to lift it simultaneously. You should secure the fridge once it is inside the truck with ropes so it won’t be able to move once the truck is on its way.

When you’ve shipped your fridge to your new home, use the same steps to bring it inside, unpack it and start using it again. Just wait for a few hours for the liquids in the fridge to go back to their place before plugging it. Allow for a couple of days for the refrigerator to return to its normal cooling abilities.

Get Moving Help

If you have for moving a large refrigerator, if you haven’t moved such an item before or you are moving to a high rise, it is advisable that you get movers to help you. Get quotes and compare moving companies. Especially if your fridge was quite an investment for you there is no point in risking your health and safety and risking causing damages to your fridge. That is why considering to use a moving company is a good option. But whichever you prefer to do, we wish you good luck!

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7 Simple Tips For Hiring Movers:

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So you finally decided to pull the trigger and move to the city of your dreams, one that offers everything you could ever ask for: good homes, great jobs, lots of culture, and tons of awesome entertainment options.  Well congratulations on reaching for your dreams… Oh wait!  I forgot in order to end up in your own nirvana you first have to pass through the depths of moving hell.  One of the most treacherous can be selecting the right movers to handle your personal belongings.  I thought it would be helpful to provide you with just 7 simple tips for hiring movers:

1. Make sure that the driver and relocation crew sent by the moving company has good instructions before you leave them with your belongings and/or they leave you.  I don’t know how many horror stories I have heard about movers getting lost and people having to spend days or even longer without their stuff… don’t let that happen to you!
2. There are so many fraudulent/scammers in the moving industry that it can be difficult to make sure you pick a reputable company but definitely before hiring them make sure they have all the needed documentation and permits to be able to legally operate as a moving company (two guys and a truck can get you in trouble if you aren’t careful).
3. If at all possible make sure that your moving truck has a GPS onboard that you can access at least while they are transporting your belongings.  That way, if the mover ever gets lost or even if you just think they are taking too long you can at least see how close they are to your new home.
4. Try if at all possible to use movers that have been referred by friends and family and/or companies that have been reviewed on this site.  Sometimes these reviews can really save you from a rough experience so definitely take advantage of the mistakes of others whenever possible (at least when it come to moving).
5. Another great idea is to have a backup plan in the event that the mover blows you off or no-shows the move.  Believe me, it happens all the time as the workers tend to be more transient.  Make sure you know enough about how the company gets there help and whenever possible know who you will call at the last minute if you have to.
6. Always, always, always check the insurance that the mover carries.  You want to be certain that they can and will cover anything that is broken in the move and/or you already decided that you just don’t care.
7. Find out if the people moving speak multiple languages (especially Spanish as well as English).  In several areas of the country right now people can really only comfortably communicate using Spanish.  Especially if you are in the SouthWest or West Coast, the ability to communicate with your moving crew needs to be known in advance.

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