Month: March 2016

Moving in the military can get expensive, especially if you aren’t aware of the government benefits available for moving expenses. If you’re faced with a permanent change of station, you’re entitled to specific benefits to help decrease your out-of-pocket expenses. However, navigating the details of your benefits can be a headache in itself. Luckily, there are plenty of online resources to help you understand your benefits.

Information about expense benefits for moving in the military can be found in a couple of places:

The IRS Website

The IRS website may not be visually appealing, but it’s the most accurate place to obtain information about your moving expense benefits. Specifically, Publication 521 covers all types of moving deductions, including information for members of the armed forces.

Websites for Military Personnel

Several websites like military.com, goarmy.com, and stripes.com provide excellent information about military benefits, including moving expense benefits for members of the armed forces. These sites are geared towards helping military members understand the specifics of military life, including the government benefits that come with service.

The more you know about your covered military expenses and allowances, the less you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket when it comes time to move. Take advantage of the assistance provided to you for your courageous service!

When it comes to moving in the military, Nilson Van has an exceptional track record in helping members of the armed forces move trouble-free. Contact us about our military services. We’re happy to help you plan your next military move.

Moving internationally takes a lot of planning and preparation. On top of learning new laws and customs, getting all of your addresses changed, and looking for work in a new environment, you also have to move your physical belongings.

When moving internationally, the planning stage is best performed at least three months ahead of time for a few reasons:

1. Your Items Will Need to be Packed for Long-Term Transport

Traveling overseas will require that your possessions are well-packed and secured for safe transport. This process takes time and requires significant planning to avoid costly mistakes.

1. To Sort Out Items You Don’t Need to Take with You

Although you may want to keep your old high school yearbooks (even though you’ll probably never look at them more than twice), there will be a lot of items that you just won’t be able to take with you. Giving yourself enough time to think about what you want to keep and what you can get rid of will prevent hard decisions on moving day.

1. To Find Transportation for Special Items

Your Monet collection will most likely need special handling during a long flight overseas (probably). For special cargo such as antiques, fine art, or even your pets, it’s best to plan their safe international move months ahead of time.

The amount of work that goes into international moves can make your head spin, but giving yourself enough time to plan your move will keep you from going crazy.

Nilson Van is well acquainted with moving internationally. Contact us today to ask how we can help you prepare for your international move.

Residential moves may require storage-in-transit options for a variety of reasons. Scheduling your move around specific deadlines, a home sale, or while your new home is being built adds additional challenges to the moving process. Any professional moving company will be able to provide you with a temporary storage solution to meet these potential challenges.

Here is a list of considerations for storing possessions temporarily during residential moves:

1. Storage Facility Security

Your moving company should be able to provide you with temporary storage options that offer 24-hour security and alarm systems. This ensures your items are safe during your move.

1. Climate Control

While not every situation calls for climate control, you may want to consider what items require special care during storage. Fine art and antiques usually require specific climate and humidity conditions to retain their quality.

1. Easy Access to Your Items

You may be storing items in storage longer than several weeks, and you might run into a situation where you’ll need to access some of your items again. It’s best to label items that you may need to access for your movers so they can store those items closer to the front in case you need to access them during your moving period.

1. Gas Fueled Equipment

If you’re storing equipment that holds fuel (gas tanks, lawn mowers, chainsaws, etc.), you’ll need to drain your gear of the fuel and oil before storing it in a storage facility. This is to ensure that storing your equipment doesn’t pose a serious risk of fire in the facility.

Temporarily storing your possessions is certainly an option with any professional moving company. Having a safe place to store your items will be one less thing to worry about during your move.

At Nilson Van, we provide you with safe options for temporary storage during your move. Contact us today to ask about our storage options for residential moves. We’re happy to help.