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When you were in college, you likely packed for a move by loading your clothes into trash bags. When it came to fragile items, those may have been packed in boxes with towels, t-shirts and even stuffed animals.

Now that you’re a bit older, you’ve probably realized that packing for a move will involve a bit more planning.

Yes, we said it. You’ll want to plan.

A lot of our clients have told us they don’t quite realize how much stuff they have until they need to put all of that stuff into boxes.  Packing can be as time-consuming as it is stressful. The best advice we can give you is to start packing early.

Be strategic

If there are things you know you’re going to want to find easily after you get to your new home, mark those boxes with a star, or seal the using colored duct tape.  A few years ago, we moved a family that sealed all of the boxes that contained fragile items, with hot pink duct tape. This visual cue made it easy for our movers to identify which boxes needed extra care.

Pack must-have items in a suitcase or overnight bag

When you arrive at your new home, the last thing you’ll want to do is tear through your boxes looking for your toothbrush. Pack your toiletries, medications, and other items you think you’ll want to have readily accessible in a carry-on-sized suitcase or overnight bag. Keep this bag with you.

Scavenge for boxes to save money

Yes- if you want to spend money on moving boxes, there are quite a few stores that will be happy to sell them to you. However, if you’re looking to save a few bucks, liquor stores are a great source of free boxes. Not only do these types of boxes tend to be quite sturdy, but some store managers will also set them aside for you if you ask.

Will you have access to wardrobe boxes

Some moving companies provide wardrobe boxes for their clients. If the company you’ve hired offers this service, ask them if the boxes have been used by other people in the past. If someone else has already used the wardrobe boxes, you may want to think twice about using them.

If you won’t have access to moving boxes, keep your hanging clothes on the hangers, and lie your clothing flat in the back of your car.

Take things apart before your movers arrive

If you’re dismantling furniture, be sure to put nuts and bolts in a clear plastic bag, and tape that bag to your furniture. If you have rugs that need to be rolled up, be sure to do that in advance. The more prepared you are when the movers arrive, the faster the move will go.

Colorado moving experts

If you need help with a local move or a long-distance move, we can help. Call American Moving Company today at 970-949-4949 today for more information on how we can help make your move easier.

If you’ve been following some of our recent blog posts, you’ve seen more than a few blogs about the types of things you should look for when you hire a moving company, along with some of the warning signs that should have you running in the other direction.

For this post, we’d like to continue to hammer these points home.

When you hire movers, you’re hiring a company that will be charged with carefully handling all of the items in your house, your studio, or your condo, so you’ll want to make sure you’re working with a company that’s both reputable and experienced.

Below are the top 5 things you shouldn’t do when you hire a moving company in Vail/ Summit County:

If you like the quote you got from the first company you called, that’s not to say you shouldn’t call at least two others. Don’t stop with just one! When you get the quotes, you’ll want to compare costs, experience and you’ll want to get a good sense of the types of services they provide. Are they accredited with the BBB? No? Cross them off your list. Do they have a long list of good reviews on Yelp? No? Cross them off your list.

Never, ever hire a moving company that doesn’t come to your home. When a moving company comes to your home they’ll be able to get a sense of what you’re moving, how long it will take to load and unload your items, and they’ll be able to provide you with a detailed estimate based on your inventory. If a company gives you a quote over the phone, sign unseen, this is a big red flag that you’re working with an unlicensed service provider.

Never, ever hire movers that aren’t licensed and insured. Remember, you’re placing the moves in charge of every item inside your home! If the movers do damage to the home you’re moving out of, or they do damage to the home you’re moving into, when you work with an unlicensed moving company, you’ll be on the hook to pay for those repairs. It’s also worth noting that if the movers damage your items (ie: bedframe, couch, your washer and drier), you’ll be stuck paying for those repairs, too.

Don’t choose a mover based on price alone. Just because company A gave you the best rate, that’s not to say they’re the most qualified to handle your move. Again, as with the bullet point above, attempting to save a few bucks on the front end could cost you far more in the long run.

If you’re not asking questions, you’re making a mistake. Be sure to ask the moving company to provide you with their registration number, along with a written quote that includes rates and estimates. Will they be using subcontractors? Do they charge additional fees? All of these things are important to know ahead of time.

Are you in the process of planning a local or a long-distance move? We can help! Call American Moving Company today at 970-949-4949 to get started.

In our last blog, we blogged about a moving company horror story that was relayed to us by one of our prior clients. She had never hired a moving company before, so she had no idea what types of questions she should ask, and the types of things she should look for.

For this post, we wanted to address both of those items.

Be sure you hire the correct type of moving company. If you’re staying local, or you’re not moving out of state, you can start your search by looking for an intrastate mover. This type of mover specializes in shorter distances. On the other hand, if you’re moving halfway across the country, you’ll want to search for a reputable interstate moving company. Long distance movers need to follow regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Keep in mind, that an out-of-state move will cost more than a local one.

Make sure the moving company is licensed and insured and be sure to do your research! Ask them to provide their registration number! If you’re able to get a referral from a friend or family member, this will be a great place to start. If you can’t get a referral, be sure to research the company to see how they’re ranked with the Better Business Bureau. Are they accredited? Do they have a Yelp or Facebook page? What has their prior clients said about their experience with these movers? If the company doesn’t have a BBB rating and if you can’t find them listed on social media, these are big red flags.

When you start to place calls to Boulder, CO moving companies, be sure to have a list of questions ready. Find out what type of moving supplies they use and ask whether they reuse their supplies. Do you really want to move your clothes in a wardrobe box that has been used by 12 other clients? We’re guessing the answer is no. Do they use subcontractors, or do they only work with their own people? Ask if they’ll provide you with a written estimate. A legitimate moving company always provides a written estimate to their clients. You should also ask if there are circumstances in which you’d need to pay additional fees.  For example, some movers will charge an additional fee if they need to move furniture up or down several flights of stairs. Some companies require clients to pay a fuel surcharge.

Have additional questions? Call American Moving today!

At American Moving, it’s our mission to provide the highest quality relocation services possible. The relationships we have with our customers and the communities we serve are very important to us!

For more information on the types of things, you should look for when you hire a moving company in Boulder, CO, call us today at 303-402-0100. Our company is licensed, insured and we provide insurance coverage for your high-value items.

The experts at American Moving company can help you pack, store and move your belongings from your current home to your new one, but there are still quite a few things you’ll need to handle, on your own, before the big day.

Below are just a few of the items you’ll want to add to your pre-move checklist.

Decide what’s coming, what’s being donated and what’s going into the trash can

In our previous blog post, we talked about the importance of sorting your belongings into three separate categories: keep, purge and donate.

Going through each room in your home, and making these decisions, should rank high on your moving checklist.

Research moving company options

If you’ve never needed to hire a moving company before, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. Number one, are they licensed. Number two, are they insured. Number three, if you’re moving into a new state, do their trucks have a USDOT (US Department of Transportation) number on them. Number for- will they provide you with a written quote?

While there are many, many reputable Denver moving companies, Boulder moving companies, and Vail moving companies to choose from, there are still a few bad apples in the bunch. (We’re talking about the ones who aren’t licensed, are uninsured, and only give verbal quotes, which they revise way upward once they’ve started loading your stuff.)

The best thing you can do is to do your research and take your time.  You are, after all, trusting them with all of your family’s belongings.

Don’t be afraid to ask for references and whether the company is accredited with the Better Business Bureau. Yelp and Google+ are great places to check for information about prior clients’ experiences.

Take measurements

Do you remember that episode of Friends where Ross buys a new couch, only to learn that getting it up the stairwell just isn’t going to happen?

Will your bedroom furniture fit in your new space? Will that custom, 12-person kitchen table work with the square footage in your new dining room?

If you won’t be able to fit the new furniture up the stairs or in the front door, you might want to reconsider bringing it with you.

Change your address

Be sure to contact your creditors, subscription providers and the USPS to update your address. If you do any online shopping, make sure to clear out your old address and input your new one.

You’ll want to do this sooner than later, to ensure important documents and/or packages don’t get lost in the mail.

At American Moving, we understand that moving can be stressful, but the good news is that when you hire professional, experienced experts, it doesn’t have to be.

Call us today to learn how we can help.

Our Denver moving company office can be reached at 303-469-6683. Our Boulder moving company location can be reached at 303-402-0100 and our Vail moving company office can contacted by calling 970-949-4949.

Moving is stressful.

Not only do you need to box up all of your belongings, if you’re moving to a more compact living space, but you’ll also need to decide what’s coming with you, what’s going in the trash and what’s being donated.

Below you’ll find our top four tips for downsizing before the big day.

Break the task into manageable pieces

Have you heard the quote about eating the elephant one bite at a time?

When you start the process of going through your stuff, don’t look at the totality of the project—take it room by room. (Trust us, the latter will be far less overwhelming.)

Start early

You should also give yourself plenty of time to do it. Sure, we all know someone who would cram the night before an exam. When you’re 19 and in college (and there are a few pots of coffee involved), that’s manageable.

Cramming for a move (aka, putting everything off until the week before) will have an already stressful experience feeling that much worse.

If you can declutter one room a day, where you create piles for keep, toss and donate, you’re bound to feel much better than if you put it off until the last minute.

Go through old clothes

If your kids have clothes they haven’t worn in a year, donate them.

If their clothes no longer fit, donate them. Kids can grow very, very fast, so if the shirts, shorts, and (gulp) shoes you bought three months ago are unlikely to fit by the time the moving company shows up at your door, save yourself the box (or boxes). Why take it with you if you’re going to need to buy new stuff, anyway?

Now that we have the kids’ stuff out of the way, let’s move on to the adults.

You might also consider going through your (and your spouse’s) closet. The general rule of thumb is that if it hasn’t seen the light of day in more than 12 months, you might want to consider donating it to a local church, charity or second-hand store.

Go through old electronics

Do you have an old, dusty VHS player that’s taking up space in your garage? How about a first-generation Nokia cell phone, circa 1999? Is your better half still holding onto that 10-year-old digital camera (the one that’s been missing a charging chord for who knows how long)?

You can probably get rid of those, too.

Hire a local Denver, Boulder or Vail moving company to help you with the rest!

Once you’ve worked through your home and you’ve decided what to donate and what to toss, you might want to consider hiring and expert moving companies in Denver, Boulder or Vail moving company to help you with the rest.

At American Moving we have years of experience in helping families manages local and national moves. We offer packing services, storage services and moving services for residential and commercial clients.

For more information call our Denver moving company now at 303-469-6683. Our Boulder moving company location can be reached at 303-402-0100 and our Vail moving company office can be reached at 970-949-4949.

If you’re moving to or from a home in the Boulder Colorado region, we can help. At American Moving we have years of experience in providing Boulder moving services. We’re committed to ensuring our clients have a stress-free experience, which is why we are a full-service moving company.

Packing, Crating, Storing and Transportation Services in Boulder

We can help with packing and unpacking, in addition to crating, storing and transporting your items.

If you’re concerned about moving sensitive electronics, don’t be. Our highly trained staff can expertly pack your televisions, speakers, tablets, computers and gaming consoles. This way, you can rest assured your electronics are packed safely and securely in a way that will protect them.

At American Moving we can pack your entire home, or, if you just need help packing one or two items, we can do that too.

Many of our clients prefer to have our employees assist with packing fragile, difficult and specialty items. Having these types of items packed professionally can give you the peace of mind that your belongings are safely secured. We even have specifically designed cartons and crates for mirrors, artwork and photo frames!

If you have questions about how our Boulder Colorado moving company works, call us now at 303-402-0100 now to learn how we can take the stress out of your move.

Business Moving Company in Boulder Colorado

Moving a business can be challenging, but when you hire American Moving you can rest assured that the move will be handled efficiently and carefully.

Our expert Boulder Colorado movers have years of experience helping commercial clients with all of their office moving needs. If you need to have items stored for a period of time, we can help with that too. American Moving has a climate-controlled storage facility.

We can also provide guidance to your employees about the best way to label and pack their offices. Proper packing and labeling can help minimize downtime.

If you need to move an office in Boulder, call American Moving now at 303-402-0100 to learn how we can help ensure your move goes smoothly.

#1 Ranked Boulder Moving Company

At American Moving we have years of experience in helping local residents with all of their commercial and residential moving needs. Our commitment to professionalism and safety is why we’re the top ranked moving company in Boulder.

I can’t say enough good things about this moving company. We have had bad experiences with sketchy moving companies in the past and let me tell you American Moving is hands down a class act. They move, wrap, protect and pack like pros. We had the pleasure of working with Luis, Luis Jr., Charlie, Miguel and Sergio. They all did a fantastic job. The owner, Gabriel, also gives top notch customer service estimating time, meeting up with us beforehand, and making [sure] everting runs smoothly. We hope to not have to move again but if we do this will be the company we choose. We plan on recommending them to anyone we know. – Jessica D.

For more information on our full service moving company call American Moving today at 303-402-0100.