New York Moving & Storage

6 Questions To Ask Before Hiring Commercial Movers

Moving a house might be a headache, but it’s nothing compared to the stress of relocating a business. You’ll encounter plenty of complications from processing permits to explaining to customers to halting your operations. Not to mention the need to move a mountain of equipment, furniture, and boxes. As much as you want to save money doing everything independently, it’s almost impossible to move a business without the help of professional movers.

Still, you’ll have to be careful with the people you hire. To ensure your move’s success, below are six questions to ask before hiring a commercial moving company.

 1. What Are Your Experiences With My Type of Move?

Unlike residential relocation, commercial moving is a broad industry. With hundreds of business types out there, professional movers won’t be able to master moving them all. Unless, of course, it’s a big company that can afford to distribute its workforce.

Knowing this, make sure to ask your potential movers if they’ve completed a move similar to yours. If you run a hospital, you don’t want incompetent people to handle your expensive equipment. If you own a restaurant, you’ll want people who know how to pack breakables safely.

Movers with ample experience can work efficiently to reduce your downtime dramatically. More importantly, you also want a company that specializes in your business location. This means hiring one that knows the ins and outs of the city your moving to.

 2. Do You Offer Storage Services in Your Own Facilities?

Admit it. Your new workspace won’t be the same as your previous one. You could be moving to a smaller office or buying more equipment and furniture. The thing is, your business is growing. It won’t be long before you have to find a place to store extra stuff temporarily. Hiring a moving company that also doubles as a storage facility will save you time, so you can immediately get back to resuming operations after the move.

Another situation where storage movers prove helpful is when you’re moving a retail business. Sooner or later, expect that you’ll need a place to store your stocks and supplies. You’ll save a lot of space stowing away your merchandise in your mover’s warehouse. That being said, make sure to check if the facility’s security protocols are up-to-date and can be trusted.

 3. What Things Will You Move?

As much as they want to, commercial movers might not be able to move everything in your inventory. Depending on the state rules, they won’t transfer certain items such as alcohol or highly valuable personal collections. Additionally, there might also be some things you don’t want them to handle, like important archives and trade secret files. It’s best to discuss with your movers this matter beforehand.

4. What Things Will You Pack?

Relative to the point above, commercial movers won’t be held responsible for damage to objects they didn’t pack. For example, they won’t have to compensate you if the coffee machine your staff packed gets broken. That said, letting them pack everything would cost you a lot. It’ll be more cost-effective to let your employees pack their clutter, personal stuff, and cheap items while you entrust expensive machinery and furniture to your movers. Coming to an agreement with your movers helps prevent misunderstandings later on.

5. Are You Licensed and Insured?

While some rogue movers can be found in the residential moving business, some bad sheep still manage to plague the commercial industry. That’s why it never hurts to ask and make sure your moving company is authorized to run their business.

Below are some tips shared by The Movers NYC, a trusted Big Apple moving company, on how to check your mover’s credibility.

  • Ask for their USDOT number. If you’re moving out of state, a USDOT number will tell you if the company’s registered with the FMCSA.
  • Reach out to local authorities. When moving within the town, your local transport department should be able to provide info about your movers.
  • Evaluate their online presence. Legitimate movers should have a well-written website with several testimonials from genuine customers.
  • Ask for recommendations from friends and relatives. Nothing beats the credibility of the experience of people close to you.

 6. Can You Tell Us More About Your Pricing?

Transparency is essential in a commercial move. Besides the assurance that your assets will be protected, you’ll also want to make sure you get what you pay for. Knowing this, have the movers perform an estimate of your workspace and discuss with them additional services. It helps to tell them your full expectations and needs so they can provide you an accurate estimate of the overall cost. A commercial move doesn’t have to be stressful. Just be sure to do your research and weigh your options carefully.

How to Use Professional Mover’s Wrap When Packing for Move

Whether you are moving by yourself or hiring professionals, it always helps to know what tools you’ll need when it’s time to pack up your belonging in preparation for relocation. Movers’ wrap is one of the essential tools you will need to protect your belongings and ensure your move is a success. Professionals use this all the time, but you can too! The following is a quick look at what professional movers’ wrap is, why you might want to use it, and how you can use it most effectively.

What Is Movers’ Wrap?

Mover’s wrap is similar to the shrink wrap most people keep in their kitchen. The difference is that mover’s wrap is much sturdier and comes in larger rolls that are more suitable for covering furniture and wrapping belongings of various sizes. Like the kitchen stuff, mover’s wrap doesn’t cling to other surfaces but will cling to itself. This makes it ideal for moving as it won’t damage the furniture or artwork it is wrapped around.

wrap

Why Use It?

There are several reasons you might want to use mover’s wrap. Some of the main ones include:

1. Cut down on moving costs

If you’re hiring professional movers, you can reduce the cost by packing and wrapping your belongings yourself.

2. Protect furniture and artwork

Mover’s wrap can protect objects from scratches, moisture, and abrasive damage.

3. Compress large bundles or objects

Mover’s wrap can be used to keep rugs held together and to compress things like bedding, so they take up less space.

4. Keep draws shut and various components together

This wrap is also a great way to keep drawers from sliding out of furniture and can keep sets of objects like shelves or bed rails together.

moving

Tips for Using Mover’s Wrap Effectively

1. Make sure everything is clean and dry

You don’t want dirt or moisture trapped between plastic wrap and your furniture when it’s traveling in the back of a hot moving van. To avoid potential stains or damage, make sure everything is clean and dry before wrapping it.

2. Add padding

An excellent way to ensure moisture doesn’t get trapped under the plastic is to wrap your artwork, leather goods, or other moisture-sensitive objects with packer’s paper before wrapping. Delicate objects should be wrapped in blankets or padding before the plastic is added.

3. Reinforce the corners

For extra protection, add cardboard or foam to the corners of your belongings before wrapping them securely in the mover’s wrap.

4. Add the plastic

Once you’re ready to add the plastic, it’s Cheap Movers Miami says it’s best to have an extra person on hand. Most rolls of mover’s wrap come with easy-to-use handles. If your roll doesn’t, you might want to get one first. When you’re ready, have one person steady the object and hold the beginning of the wrap in place while the second person wraps the plastic around the object. Be sure to overlap the plastic as you go and completely encase whatever it is you’re wrapping before cutting the wrap with a pair of scissors. The wrap will stick to itself, but you can tuck in the end or secure it with a piece of tape for added peace of mind.

Moving with Kids Tips All Parents Need to Know About

So, it’s time to move. If you’ve ever done it before, you know what a hassle it is. If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. It can be fun, and it’s definitely a chore. But, have you ever moved with children? That’s a whole other beast. Here are some great tips to get you through a moving in Brooklyn, NY or wherever you’re headed, if you have little ones on board:

Talk to them about what’s about to happen

It might the first time that they have moved. Let them know exactly what is about to happen before it happens. They can help you pack, and you can talk about their new home and neighborhood. And, if they will be with you during the move, let them know what they will be doing. If not, tell them what your plans are so that they can get excited about an adventure.

It’s a great time for them to visit grandparents

If you have young children, you already know how much attention they need. And, quite honestly, as much as you love them, they will get in the way. You will get the job done much quicker and safer if the kids aren’t there. You could arrange for a little getaway with the grandparents, and they could bring your children to your new home after you get everything inside.

moving-kids

Block off a room

If you need to keep them with you, think about blocking off a room or some space where they can be safe, with adult supervision, of course. Have plenty of games, electronics, and toys to keep them busy. Then, that could be the last area of the house to be moved.

Get a sitter

You could either hire someone to sit with them in a room that you have ready or take them to a sitter’s house while you are completing the move. They will be a lot happier and safer if they aren’t underfoot when all of the activity is going on.

One of you could move the children first

If it’s feasible, one of could pack for a couple of days and take them to a hotel and wait out the move. If the kids have all of their toys, electronics, and a pool, they’ll be just fine.

moving-with-kids

If your children are older, keep them occupied

It will be more emotionally traumatizing for older children and teenagers to move away from their home and friends. It’s a good idea to follow their lead on this one. If they want to help with the move, so be it. If not, maybe their friends can come over and hang out so that they can spend some time together.

Perhaps, their friends even want to help out. Even though they know that they’ll be able to stay in touch with each other, it will still be difficult to say goodbye.

Be the cheerleader

They will be watching your every reaction throughout your moving experience. Starting with when you tell them about it, it’s important to keep an upbeat, positive attitude. Of course, you’ll be feeling stress. Just, don’t let them know about it.

Keep the energy going, keep them engaged, and always be there to reassure them that everything is going to be all right.

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons