Our Blog

One of the first questions that people wonder about when they are getting ready to move is how much does it cost to move? The cost of a move is going to vary from move to move, depending upon several aspects.

What Determines the Cost of a Move

There are several aspects that can affect the cost of the move. These aspects include:

• The distance that is being traveled. Long distance moves are going to cost much more than if you were to be moving within the local area.
• The size of the home that is being moved, as a larger home often means more weight which is going to cost more.
• The time of year that you are moving. Prime moving seasons like spring and summer are often more expensive due to supply and demand, whereas fall and winter may give a better rate.
• Any additional services that you add onto the move such as professionals to come in and pack up your house or additional insurance.

How Much Does it Cost to Move?

These are just average estimations, as tons of things can make your move a bit cheaper or slightly higher than the national average. A local household move nationally averages at $1,250. Whereas a long-distance move averages $4,890.

For those who are ready to move, American Moving is here for you. We offer affordable rates for professional service that you are going to be impressed with. We take every move seriously, whether this is across the country or just right down the street. Get a free quote today!

What room should you pack first when moving? How soon should you start packing? Moving is a process and for some, it is one of the most stressful events in their lives! However, you can make it less stressful when you handle the packing portion with a well-thought-out plan.

Before we answer that question, we do suggest that you take inventory of your home. Are there items that you know that you don’t want to move with you? If so, now is the time to get rid of them whether you donate these or give them to a family member. Next, be sure you are prepared with the packing materials that you are going to need to pack your home up. These packing materials will include:

• Boxes
• Tape
• Labels
• Markers
• Packing paper
• Bubble wrap

The idea behind preparing now for the packing process is going to ensure that you are not having to stop and start while packing...which can save you tons of time!

What Room Should You Pack First When Moving?

There are two ideas when it comes to which room to start with first when packing. There is the idea that you start with the room that is used less in your home. The other school of thought is to start with the hardest room to pack. Keep in mind that the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen should be some of the last places that you pack, even if they may be the hardest!

Which is the best option for you to start with? That is entirely up to you. However, keep this in mind: if you were to start with the least used room in your home, then you may be able to start the packing process sooner. This can help you to spread out the packing so that you are not getting completely overwhelmed by your move.

For those who are still unsure of where to start packing, how to pack or they simply know that they do not have the time to pack, then American Moving is here to the rescue! We offer professional packers who can come into your home and handle all this packing for you. It is one more way that we make the entire moving process that much easier on our clients!

Moving your business to a new location is super stressful and there is a ton that goes into making this work. The importance of a business moving plan cannot be overstated it is a must-have!

How to Create a Business Moving Plan

Once you know that you are moving locations, then it is time to start planning a business moving plan. Remember, the more planned this move is, the better you will find the entire process. If you work with American Moving for your business move, you will find that we help to remove a lot of the stress of this move, including giving you guidance on the business moving plan!

1. What is your timeline?

You must know your timeline for this move. What day do you need to be out of the current space? What day can you move into your new space? Knowing these dates is going to help you determine what date you really need for the professional movers to arrive and get to work.

2. Have you designed the new space yet?

If you have seen the new space and know that this is where your business will be, have you taken the time to set out how items will be placed into this new space. This is a way to make it easier to unpack into your new office, which will help you get back to work even sooner.

3. Have you schedule the movers?

This needs to be done asap! And that is why it is mentioned in the step to plan out your timeline. The sooner you call, the better as this ensures that you get the moving date that you truly need.

4. Do you have rental items in your office?

If you have rented desks, chairs, office equipment, or the like, is this going with you or not? You will find that rental equipment is one item that may not go with you. Thus, you will need to contact who you are leasing this from and have them get this out of the way.

5. Inform employees of the move

Make sure that the employees are aware of this upcoming business move. When you inform employees, you can also make certain that they know their responsibilities for this move. For example, removing personal items from their desk before these are moved.

Extra Tips for your Business Move

For those who are making their business moving plan, be sure that you take these tips into consideration as it can make the business move that much easier!

• Be sure to set a date for when customers will be informed about this move.
• Have a date for getting new business cards, signs for the move, and even updating your website and social media sites.
• Consider having employees taking over certain aspects of the move rather than focusing on their normal business duties to make this move smoother.
• Choose a moving date that is not going to affect your business as much.

A business move is not something to take lightly. It requires a lot of planning to ensure that this is not a disaster. American Moving is here to help you with your business move so that some of the stress is moved to our shoulders!

Packing is one of those moving tasks that no one looks forward to, but is a necessity! What most people ask: How do I pack faster and efficiently? There are tons of things that people will tell you to make the packing go faster ranging from getting more organized or even playing some upbeat music to keep you moving faster! These are great tips, and we have a few more than you can add to the list to ensure you pack faster and efficiently!

1. Plan out the packing supplies that you need now!

Make sure that you plan out just what packing supplies you are going to need now. This way, when you need them, they are already at your home for you to use. This saves precious time that it would take you to go buy new supplies and stop what you are doing.

2. Purge your items.

Purge whatever it is that you do not need when moving into your new home. You will find that it is a waste of time to pack up items that you are not going to use later. Plus, if you are all about packing faster and efficiently, then packing extras of items or old items, is not helping you succeed in this goal.

3. Have a checklist for packing.

Make a checklist for packing that is going to help you stay on track, thus helping you to pack more efficiently than if you were to try to wing it. This packing checklist may include room by room items that you need to pay special attention to, or it could even be a simple way to stay on task.

4. Be sure that you are still packing items safely.

When you are trying to pack fast, you may find that you start to throw things into a box to move on to the next box. That is not the way to do this efficiently! You still need to ensure that there is sufficient padding in each box to ensure it arrives in one piece at your new location.

5. Make your boxes ready to go.

Go ahead and tape the bottom of several boxes so that you can get into the packing “zone”, rather than having to stop and get another box ready.

6. Mark out a time to pack and do only this.

It can be easy to get distracted when packing and moving. After all, you have several things going through your mind. So focus on the packing. If you find yourself needing to pack for an hour, then taking a 20-minute break, then do this. The key is to do what makes you work more efficiently!

7. Let the professionals do the packing for you.

If you truly want the packing to get done faster and efficiently, then let the professionals handle this move. American Moving has professional packers ready to come into your home and pack it up in a timely manner that will help to relieve your stress as well!

It is only 2 weeks before a move, so what should you be doing? The final 2 weeks before your move date can be hectic! However, with this checklist you can stay a little more organizing and make your moving experience one that is much more pleasant.

Your To-Do List 2 Weeks Before a Move

1. Make travel arrangements

Whether you are moving across town or across the country, you will find that the 2 weeks before a move is the time to make your travel arrangements. This means:

• Have your personal vehicle checked over and serviced to ensure that it is ready for a long trip, especially if you are moving a few hours away.
• Are you flying to your new location? If so, be sure that you have your airline tickets.
• If traveling with pets, be sure that they are ready to ride in their travel cages by introducing this to them during these two weeks. You will find that taking a few short trips around town can help your pets to acclimate to traveling in this capacity.
• You may also want to take this time to look at your registration and car insurance if you will be moving out of state.

2. Do your last minute errands

These last minute errands can feel like they are going to take forever to do, but they do need to be done. Some of the last minute errands that you may need to do include:

• Return anything to your local library which may be needed for those with kids
• Make sure that your prescriptions are filled and ready to transfer to a new pharmacy if needed
• Do those things that you may need to do to get your security deposit back (if you are renting) such as covering nail holes in the wall

3. Eat from your freezer and pantry to avoid food waste

Be sure that you are eating items from your freezer and pantry to avoid having to toss these, since food items are something that you cannot move. Keep in mind, cans and boxed goods that are unopened, can be moved. However, if you have a freezer full of food you may find that even eating on this for two weeks is not enough. You can find a local food pantry or shelter that would be happy for these donations.

4. Confirm your moving dates with the movers

Be sure that you are getting confirmation on your moving dates with the professionals and making any types of arrangements that they may need. For example, if you are moving out of an apartment complex, you will want to arrange with the building where the moving truck can park without interfering with the other tenants.

Take a Deep Breath

It is only 2 weeks before a move, so it is okay to feel like you are overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and realize that you are entering into the last stretch of this ordeal. If you need to take a little time to de-stress, then take a few hours to do so. If you are still looking for professional movers to help with your move, then reach out to American Moving and we can make it happen. We not only have professional movers that can move your things for you, but we also have professional packers to help with your move...making this an even easier move for you!

When it comes to kids and moving, you may find that it is a bit of a headache. Kids may not be happy about a move, they may act out, or they may become very upset. And this can be the case for kids of all ages! When it comes to parents moving with their kids, there are tons of challenges that parents are going to face. And one of these challenges is packing up a kids room for a move! The good news is that we have some tips that can help you to get through this process in one piece and hopefully help your kids feel better about this move.

Tips for Packing a Kids Room

Tip 1: Have kids involved in the packing process

Have your kids be involved in the packing process. Why is this? It helps them to feel more in control and helps to minimize those feelings that everything is changing at warp speed. When it comes to packing a kids' room, you will find that having them involved can mean that it takes longer, but it is well worth it. Let them help with sorting the items they have in their room, talking about what they may want to give away, what they want to keep, and the like. Younger kids may need a lot of guidance in this process and you may find that you are doing more of the packing, while they play nearby, but it still helps them to feel involved.

Tip 2: Pack their toys in an organized manner

It can be tempting to just throw the toys into a box and hope for the best. However, if they are just thrown into a box, don’t be surprised if parts get lost or toys get broken. Instead, take the time to wrap barbies and action figures individually. For older kids, make sure that they are wrapping their items, mostly electronics probably, in a way that you would wrap your own expensive electronics.

Tip 3: Declutter!

Decluttering should be an essential step for any move, but especially when you are moving with kids. Packing a kids' room may mean going through their closets, finding clothes and shoes that no longer fit, going through all their games and toys to ensure that broken ones are tossed, and figuring out if there are items that they have outgrown and no longer want. This is a process that is best completed with the kids in the room so that they can have some say so!

Additional Help for Packing

No matter the age of your kids, you will find that packing their rooms can be an emotional time, especially if they have grown up in this location. With this being said, here are some additional tips that can help prepare your kids for moving:

1. Talk about this move frequently, don’t spring this on kids!
2. Have an essentials box that they pack. For younger kids, make sure to include several outfits, toys, games and other items that they may want the first night after the movers have left. For older kids, this may include phone chargers, extra clothes and other essentials.
3. Make your move a journey that these kids are taking, make sure to highlight the new house you are moving into, why it is better, etc. This way, everyone is more comfortable with the end result.

And when you are gearing up for a move, remember that the professionals at American Moving & Storage are just a phone call away. We can aid in making this a simple move where we handle the heavy lifting!