Month: March 2018

A residential move across the country can go more smoothly by following professional advice.

If you’re about to start a residential move across the country, you might have some anxiety or worry about the move going well. Here are a few tips you can follow to reduce some of that worry and ensure a smooth move:

Tip #1: Plan Early

A big move over a great distance takes planning. You need to make arrangements for your new home to have the utilities up and running by the time you arrive, take care of any financial concerns like finding a new bank and figure out the process for getting new government documents, such as a driver’s license or ID card. Then there’s setting a date for the movers to arrive and having everything packed up for them. It sounds simple, but it will take planning. The earlier you set all this up and figure it out, the easier the move will be.

Tip #2: Get Rid of Items You Don’t Want or Need

To reduce the amount of stuff you need to pack, get rid of things before the move. Every item you sell or give away before the move means that many fewer boxes you have to pack, more available space in the moving truck and fewer boxes you’ll need to unpack after you arrive at your new home.

Tip #3: Label the Boxes

This should be a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget to write on a box what’s inside or where the box should go after unloading from the truck. Taking a moment to label the box can prevent the wasted time and hassle of opening it, then closing it and carrying it to another part of the house.

To get more tips on how to conduct a cross-country residential move as efficiently as possible, get in touch with our team of moving professionals at Nilson Van and Storage. We can help you plan the details of your move, making it go as smoothly as possible.

Keeping fragile items safe during an international move requires taking additional precautions.

Planning an international move? If you’re moving to another country, your personal belongings may be subject to additional handling by movers, shippers and government officials. To make sure everything gets to its intended destination in one piece, take the following extra steps:

1.Use a Box within a Box

Most items get put into a box with basic padding around the item, such as old clothing, foam packing peanuts or bubble wrap. But this won’t always be enough to protect the items. To add an extra layer of protection, put especially fragile items in a small box and pack it as if you will mail it. Then, pack up this smaller box and put it into a larger box that contains items that are not fragile.

2.Include Accurate and Detailed Customs Declarations

Customs is one reason that damage to fragile items can occur. Even with perfect packing, if a customs officer has to open the package, there’s a good chance he or she will not repack the box very well. So the best thing to do is avoid a customs officer from having to open the box in the first place. You can do this by providing complete and accurate information about what’s in the box. Also, make sure you’re not trying to move something that your new home country prohibits.

3.Mail the Item to Your New Home

Another option is to avoid dealing with freight shippers and movers. You can do this by mailing the item. The item will still need to go through customs, so make sure you only send something the new country allows and provide complete and accurate customs declarations. But at the very least, you can avoid movers from handling the item and possibly breaking it or not packing it properly.

If you have a lot of fragile items to move internationally or simply want help with the process, contact Nilson Van and Storage today. Our expert team is ready to help you with your international move.

Military moves are not the same as a civilian move, so it helps to have an expert to assist you in the process.

Before you undertake a military move, seriously consider obtaining the services of a professional moving company. Their expert advice can help save a lot of money and annoyance. Here are two major reasons why:

#1: They Can Help You Save Money

Besides getting the move done right the first time and in the most efficient manner, expert movers are very helpful during a military move because they can provide the information you might not know. For example, if you need moving services the moving company cannot offer, such as storage or transporting pets, an expert mover can guide you in the right direction and notify you of any moving service providers that give discounts to military personnel.

Another way they can help you save money is by identifying the best way conduct the move. For example, military personnel moving within the continental United States can move by handling everything themselves and getting reimbursed through a complex calculation the federal government uses. Alternatively, the military can handle every aspect of the move through its network of movers and packers.

The first option is good in that it allows the military family to have the exact moving services they want and need. But a drawback is that the family may not get full reimbursement from the federal government. Expert movers can help identify which option will be the most cost-effective for the military family.

#2: They Are Time Savers

Most military personnel and their family members don’t always know of certain benefits that often come with their military move. For example, moves paid for by the federal government will usually include a full unpack once the items reach their intended destination. This is a huge time saver that individuals moving on their own do not get. Expert movers will let you know how to get this benefit without having to pay extra.

A military move can be extremely hectic. To make life a little bit easier, consider using a professional moving company. Our team of expert movers at Nilson Van and Storage is ready to go to work for you; get in touch with us today.

When the residential move is almost over, dealing with damages is the last thing on your mind.

Even the most careful residential move might result in some damage to the occasional item. Depending on the price of the damaged items, you may want to seek reimbursement from your moving or insurance company. The following is a brief overview of what you should do when it comes to damaged belongings during a move:

Step 1: Review the Moving Contract

Unless you have extra moving insurance or file a claim under your homeowner’s or renter’s policy, you will only get about 60 cents per pound for your damaged items. You’ll want to confirm if this is the case with your moving company by examining your moving contract. This contract will also outline what you should do if you suffer damage and if there are exceptions from coverage.

Step 2: Do Not Sign Anything Until You Find All Damage

Before signing anything that confirms all items are at their new destination as well as the condition of the items, be sure you have identified any and all damages for which you intend to seek reimbursement. If you identify damages later, it will be harder to claim those damages took place during the move or are otherwise the responsibility of the moving company.

Step 3: File the Claim

After you find all the damage, go ahead and file a claim, whether it’s with your moving company or insurance company. The sooner you file the claim, the better. If filing a claim under your home or renter’s insurance, keep in mind that a deductible may apply and drastically lower whatever recovery you can obtain from your insurance company. In some cases, you might be better off only getting 60 cents per pound from the moving company.

If your most recent move didn’t go well and resulted in a lot of damage, think about using a different moving company next time. If your residential move is about to begin, contact our expert team at Nilson Van and Storage to handle your moving needs.

When moving abroad, you’ll need to take care of several things first.

Before moving abroad, there are a variety of tasks you’ll need to plan for and complete. Some of these are pretty obvious, like packing personal belongings. But some others may be less so. The following section discusses a few of those less obvious things.

Save Up Plenty of Cash

Moving isn’t cheap, even for a simple move across town. One overseas can be far more expensive. Then there’s the adjustment of living in a new country and getting situated. Depending on your situation, you may have difficulty finding a job, figuring out how to complete otherwise simple chores (like mailing a letter) or learning a new language. Therefore, it’s best to save up enough cash to cover your expenses at your new overseas location for at least several months. This will provide time and a buffer to get situated before you have to start worrying about getting into debt or living on the street.

Make 100% Sure the Immigration Papers Are Correct

There is no better example of bureaucratic red tape than getting a government agency to process and approve paperwork and documents necessary to move to another country. To avoid unnecessary delays, make sure all documentation is correct. This includes getting a visa or applying for a passport. If that means asking a different customer service or government representative to answer the same question, do it.

Calculate the Cost of Buying New Items

Because of the high expense of packing and transporting items overseas, sometimes it will make more financial sense to simply leave something behind. Is it cost effective to spend the time packing your basic silverware, pay for a company to ship it, then spend more time unpacking it? If it’s a family heirloom passed down over four generations, the answer is yes. But if it’s something you got for $20 on sale at Wal-Mart, it’s probably best to not take it with you. You might be able to make few bucks either selling the items or donating it to a charity-run thrift store and taking a tax deduction.

Moving abroad is time-consuming and expensive, so using a professional moving company, such as Nilson Van and Storage, can make things go a lot smoother. Get in touch with us today and let us answer any questions you might have.