Month: December 2015

Moving in the military is pretty simple once you have the basics down.

When you’re moving in the military, you have a few different options allowing you to hire the best companies for transporting your goods. You can even pay them to pack and unpack your belongings. This makes the moving process significantly less stressful at first, but you have to know the right ways to take advantage of it. Work with the right professional moving company, and you’ll save yourself a tremendous amount of work.

You’ll have the following options available when it comes time to hire your military movers:

• Government-approved carriers can be scheduled through the Defense Personal Property System. In order to make moving ultra-easy, the Department of Defense created the DPS. It connects service members with qualified movers, as well as expediting scheduling, tracking, and claim filing, when needed.
• The Personally Procured Move – or Do-It-Yourself Move – allows you to be reimbursed for funds you spend on an alternative moving company. Just remember, DIY moves aren’t covered by insurance costs, and the military won’t get involved if you have disagreements with the company.
• DIY moves also allow you to move your own belongings and get money back on top of your expenses. Move yourself, and you’ll be faced with the hassle of packing, lifting, and shifting all of your belongings, which may make your move to a new location extra daunting. What’s even more surprising? DIY moves can wind up costing you more than it would to hire professionals.

Click this link to schedule your move with Nilson Van today, and secure the best option when you’re moving in the military. With 75 years of experience, we have the professionalism and experience you need to make the most of your move funding. Visit us online or call 803-786-1090 to get a free quote.

Moving internationally comes with some surprising restrictions.

Moving internationally is anything but cut-and-dried. Every instance is an adventure, but sometimes these come with unexpected obstacles set in your path. For instance, you may find out your grandmother’s antique piano can’t be shipped out of the United States, or that your gaming system isn’t allowed at your new location.

Here’s how to find out which items can’t be moved with you during an international move:

• Work with an experienced mover. The right professional moving company will understand export shipping restrictions for the United States as well as what items are banned in your new location. Everything from furniture to tulip bulbs poses potential problems, so make sure you work with an expert in the field.
• Check with the US Department of Customs and Border Protection about new or changing restrictions. Whether you’ve decided not to work with a professional mover or you’re just wanted to double-check their work, you can find a list of the latest export regulations and go through them yourself.
• Check with the customs department in your new location. Laws are always changing, and if you’re DIY’ing your international move, you may be unpleasantly surprised by new regulations or import charges.
• Make local contacts in your new home country. Americans are on the move, and can be found living nearly everywhere. Use the Internet to make connections before your move. They can be an incredible source of information and point out import pitfalls for you to avoid.

Protect your belongings when you’re moving internationally. Work with an experienced company, like Nilson Van, and you’ll pay the least for quality moving services. Click this link or call 803-223-9736 to learn what you need to know when moving internationally.

Commercial moves run smoothly when you have all the contact info you need.

Commercial moves for new or existing employees don’t have to be filled with stress. In fact, when working with an experienced moving company, they can make changing locations surprisingly easy. These are the types of businesses with no problem tracking shipments or putting items temporarily into storage.

Get a handle on employee moving amenities when you:

• Call experienced companies in your moving area. Nilson Van, for instance, has been providing professional moving services to individuals and companies for 75 years. It’s a landmark we’re proud to celebrate because, more than anything else, this reflects the reliability and convenience we aim to provide.
• Ask them about their additional services. From packing to storing to shipment tracking, professional moving companies often do more than just move your employees’ belongings from one place to another. Package deals can greatly reduce the cost of these special services. You’ll want to find a company capable of quickly placing shipments into storage and taking them out for delivery again.
• Pass along all the storage info to your employees. Contact numbers, shipping numbers, location of the storage facility and hours of operation are all essential for your employee to have. The more in control they feel of their move, the more benefits they’ll get from having this task handled as part of their worker benefits.
• Quickly follow up once storage is no longer needed. If you are the link between your mover and your employee, make sure you’re not the one holding up progress. Certain companies struggle to move their storage around quickly, while others have systems in place for expediting those deliveries. Be sure you know what information the movers will need, and be ready to provide it once your workers need their belongings delivered.

Knowing what your moving company needs to provide top-quality commercial services goes a long way in preserving employee satisfaction. Put your best foot forward with a call to Nilson Van. Click this link to discover our full range of services online or call 803-786-1090 for more information about commercial moves.

Residential moves are easiest when they follow a winning game plan.

What happens during residential moves tends to be controlled by the homeowner, whether they realize it or not. Investing in top-of-the-line moving services won’t help you if you’ve neglected your responsibilities leading up to the big day. Movers and homeowners benefit when you invest time in preparing your belongings.

Here’s what you can expect on a well-managed moving day:

• Your movers will show up on time. It’s important to double-check with your moving company a few days before you move to see when they’ll be at your home. Be up and ready for them at least 30 minutes before they arrive. You don’t want to be completely caught off guard if they arrive a bit early.
• You can have refreshments ready. Whether it’s 90 degrees or 9 degrees outdoors, your workers will be moving and sweating. While a smorgasbord isn’t needed, it will help your move go faster if you have cold water available. Some homeowners add coffee, tea, and soda to the mix, but what you decide to do is up to you.
• If they are packing, they’ll begin packing the items and furniture from each room. You should make sure ahead of time to remove all garbage and place odds and ends together in sensible groups. For instance, if there’s a selection of garden tools in a hard to reach closet at the very back of your shed, it will save time and prevent those items from being forgotten if you take them out ahead of time and leave them grouped somewhere together.
• Once packed, your movers will put everything onto the truck. This is one of the most cost-effective jobs to hire out simply because professional movers know how to stack your belongings. They can fit more items into a smaller truck, which can greatly reduce your expenses. They will also do a better job of securing your items, so you run a lesser chance of an heirloom being broken.
• They’ll meet you at your new location. If you’re involved in a relatively short move, you’ll leave around the same time as your movers and arrive at your new home before they do. Try to allow enough time to handle any problems you may run into, such as a door you can’t unlock or a lack of utilities. One of the most common problems is the hardest to deal with – showing up with people still living in your new home. If this happens, you’ll need storage quick, so be sure to have those types of numbers on hand just in case.
• Unload, unpack, and tip for a job well done. If your new home is in the condition you expect, there should be no issue with the movers unloading your belongings, and unpacking if they’ve been hired to do so. Many contracts give you a limited length of time to look for damages, but it rarely has to be done the same day. The final step you do want to remember though is tipping your moving team. Normal rates depend on the area, so it’s a good idea to call local movers and ask before you budget the job.

Residential moves are fraught with anxiety, but they don’t have to be. Hire a professional company to handle all of those tiny inconveniences, as well as manage the heavy lifting. Click this link to visit Nilson Van online or call 803-223-9736 to find out our residential moves secret for lasting 75 years in the business.