tip

Make a note of your shipment registration number found in the upper right hand corner of your Bill of Lading and keep it with you in case you need to call your mover with questions about your shipment

New Year’s Resolutions for your Next Move

Chances are you have had a pretty quiet holiday season with plenty of time to pack and get ready for your move.  One thing that I am sure that we can all agree on is the fact that 2021 will be a welcoming change and hopefully a fresh start towards the end of this pandemic.  While you are looking ahead to brighter days and making your New Year’s resolutions, perhaps try to think outside the box and come up with some resolutions that will help you with your packing and moving.

As your premier movers in the Kamloops area, we would like to suggest the following resolutions that will free up time and make your next move that much easier and stress-free.

The Right Moving Company

This may be just stating the obvious, but one of the most important choices that you will make is the type of moving company that you go with. Believe it or not, not all moving companies are not created equally, and the wrong moving company will not only leave you with a bad taste, but it will also compound your worry and stress on an already stressful event.  Why not alleviate all that stress and take a minute to find the right moving company for your needs?

Some of the qualities that you should look for when choosing your movers include:

  • An accurate quote and competitive fair pricing for the services you require. Before making any final decision on any moving company, be sure to get a quote and a price breakdown of the services that you will be needing.  If a company doesn’t want to give you an accurate quote, then we suggest looking elsewhere.  The last thing that you want or need is a huge moving bill as a surprise once the move is through.
  • Reliable and hardworking with experienced movers.  Try to choose a company that has been around for a while and understands the ins and outs of the moving business.  Years of experience brings a lot of wisdom and understanding to the job.
  • Flexibility in their schedule and a commitment to get the job done. What you don’t want is a moving company that is going to leave the job half done or cannot be flexible.  One thing that we have learned over the years is that flexibility and commitment to finishing a job goes a long, long way when it comes to customer satisfaction.
  • Professional services that can meet and understand the client’s needs and types of possessions. Every move is different and therefore, every approach to each move needs to be different.  Understanding and finessing this point is a must for any moving company.

Remember, when looking for a reputable moving company, do not be afraid to check up on their references and testimonials to make sure that they are the right company for your moving needs. Both of these types of reviews can go a long way when determining the moving company that is right for you.  If the company has only received poor or mediocre reviews, why is your experience going to be any different?

Get a Head Starthappy couple packing glasses together in the living-room

If you know the dates that you will be moving, do not wait until the last minute to start packing.  This rule also applies when it comes to finding a moving company – the earlier you start, the better the chance of securing a good price, as well as ensuring that you get the moving date that you want.

There is an order to what you want to pack when taking advantage of a head start. The first things to start packing are the items that are seasonal that you are not using.  This includes summer attire and other seasonal clothing and items. Anything that you aren’t using at the moment is the next set of boxes that you should start to pack up.  This can include rarely worn clothes, extra linens, or bedsheets, etc.

Here’s the Deal:

By starting the packing process early and putting away your seasonal as well as rarely used items you may be surprised how little packing there really is as your moving date draws nearer.

Stay Organized

Being organized is a great New Year’s resolution for everyone but being organized when it comes to moving is one of the best ways to ensure a less chaotic and far less stressful move.

To stay organized when moving, we recommend a packing checklist as well as using a general label on the outside of each box or storage bin.

The packing checklist is essentially a checklist or inventory of everything that you own.  Not only will that ensure that you have packed your items in the right places, but it will also give you an overall look at everything you own which may make downsizing not only an easier task but also an essential task.

By labeling the outside of every box with its exact contents, you will not only know what each box contains, your movers or you will also know in what order to pack or unpack each box. This way when it comes to unpacking your items, you will know exactly what is in each box and can hone in on the most important and essential items first.

You can also use this opportunity to organize and think through how you want to layout your new home and surroundings.  An organized and decluttered home is a great way to start life in your new home and another great New Year’s resolution for 2021.

Downsize

A fresh beginning and a new year is the perfect time to declutter and downsize.  Use your upcoming move as an opportunity to sort through your items and clothing and either donate, sell, or discard personal items that you do not need or are no longer using.  Not only will this process greatly decrease the amount of packing that you will need to do, but you may also really like the freedom that comes with owning less.

Donate

Pick up in the New Year in the same fashion as you left the winter holidays – by donating.  Take all the items that you have set aside in your donation pile and send them off to charitable places or for those that need a little extra help.  By donating your clothes or household items you are not only giving them a second lease on life you are also helping those in need.  Being more charitable is a great New Year resolution to follow through on in 2021.

Hosting a Successful Garage Sale

Depending upon what items you don’t want to take with you, another great alternative or addition to donating is hosting a garage sale.  Usually, it’s not until we start packing for a move that we notice that we accumulate a lot of stuff. This “stuff” is usually comprised of things we no longer need, furniture that won’t fit into the new space, items that we’ve stored and forgotten about, you name it. Throwing all this out is an option, but you can also recycle it by donation, sell it online, or sell it by having a garage sale.

Garage sales can be a great way to do downsize since it won’t involve the back and forth e-mails with potential buyers and setting up time. If you decide to have one when moving, here are some helpful tips from our Kamloops movers.

Offset Costs

Decide whether you just want to get rid of things, but feel bad throwing them out, or if you want to make some money from the sale. It will of course depend on the type of items you are selling – if you have good furniture, electronics, or one-of-a-kind items that will be going, you can make some cash to help with moving expenses or for your house-warming party. However, decide in advance whether it’s important for you or not, this will set your price and the way you approach the sale.

Organization is Key

While it can be a little bit time-consuming at the beginning, it will pay-off later: keeping organized. This begins with how well you sort your sale items. You should aim to have an inventory, arrange them well for the sale and keep a list of the prices and items that you have sold. Also, on the day of the sale, keeping the space neat will help you sell more since customers will be able to find items easier.

Attracting Customers

There are several ways you can promote your garage sale. Of course, you will need to post signs on the day of and get some traffic coming in from the neighbourhood. But remember that the internet is a wonderful tool as well. Let your friends know about your sale on Facebook or Twitter. You can even see if they want to sell some bigger items as well. Post an ad on Craigslist or Kijiji, since there might be people coming from outside of your area to look at things, especially if you post pictures and descriptions of some of the main items you’ll be selling.

Don’t Bring Anything Back Inside

Remember, you are doing this because you are moving and want to get rid of things! Do not bring any unwanted items back inside the house. Instead, lower the prices at the end of the day, give away surprise bags or let them go for free. You can even make another post online to let people know that free things are available on your lawn.

By either selling or donating your unwanted or unneeded items, you are not only moving them to a home where it will be appreciated, but you are also downsizing your belongings.  Downsizing is directly correlated to fewer moving costs, less packing, and less unpacking.  Regardless of how you look at it, downsizing is a win-win situation so be sure to get started today.

Manage Your Time

Regardless of the season, time management is always a great goal.  By properly managing your time, you will be surprised at how much you can get accomplished in a day/week/month.  Set a time management goal for a resolution and apply that goal to all aspects of packing from finding and booking the right mover, to early packing, right down to downsizing.  If you are feeling inspired, take this time management goal into all other aspects of your life and see how much more organized and less stressed you are.

Here’s the Deal:

Using a visual, such as a calendar or a smartphone, is an excellent way of keeping track of the various time management lists and makes for easy editing or slightly altering them so they can better suit your busy schedule.

Stress Reduction

Reducing stress in one’s life is never a bad thing.  A move whether it be long-distance or down the block and all that it encompasses can be a very stressful situation.  To minimize the amount of stress and worry in your life, be sure to apply the following time management and stress reduction techniques:

  • A regular exercise or yoga program.  Even though gyms and yoga studios may be shut down, you can still go outside for a walk or find one of many different winter sports to participate in.
  • Time management and proper planning and scheduling– use a visual such as a calendar.
  • Making time for family and friends.  This has definitely been difficult this year with all the social distancing rules in place, hopefully, 2021 will bring an end to this and we can get back to normal.
  • Positive thinking – looking at the move as an opportunity instead of a chore.  This statement can be applied in daily life as well.  2020 has been a stressful and trying year so try to stay positive and let us all hope that 2021 is a different, more positive year that we can all look forward to.

Explore

After you have moved or if you have a few days before your move, why not go and check out your new surroundings -take the time and get out and explore your new town and neighbourhood.  Moving is never easy but you may be pleasantly surprised at just how much your new surroundings have to offer, and you just never know who you are going to meet so get out and explore.

2021 is right around the corner and so too is the opportunity for a new start.   Besides setting some personal New Year’s resolutions for self-improvement or individual goals, think about setting some resolutions that will help you better manage and cope with the complexities and stresses that are often associated with a move.

These New Year’s moving tips or resolutions will allow you to enjoy a stress-free move and free up more time to enjoy that wonderful start in your new home.  If you would like any more information or moving tips or would like to see how we can help you with your move, please contact us today.  We offer professional moving services at a competitive rate and provide excellent customer satisfaction.  We would love to be a part of your New Year’s move.

Happy New Year from Pioneer Movers.

 

 

 

 

 


We sell a complete line of packing and moving supplies, as well as providing professional Packing and Unpacking services.

Pioneer Moving and Storage

231 Andover Crescent Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada V2C 6X2
Tel: 250-573-6083
Cell: 778-220-3720
Toll Free: 1-877-746-5423

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  • Long time and active member of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and past President

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Kamloops Mover

Kamloops Mover