Category: Blog

How to Plan for an international move so that you don’t go crazy in the process.

An international move is a big deal. You’ll be dealing with a lot of moving parts, and you’ll have many items and tasks that you must handle to ensure you have a seamless new beginning in your new home. Here are three top considerations to make in preparation for moving day:

• Make Sure the Items You’re Taking Are Packed Properly

When you pack for an international move, it’s not like packing for a local move or even a cross-country move. You’re going to be shipping items to a new country, so you need to make sure they’re packed safely and securely to ensure they survive the trip.

• Measure Your Furniture and Your New Space

When thinking about your furniture and deciding what to bring, keep in mind the size and shape of the new home as well as the size of the rooms that will contain the furniture. The last thing you want to discover is that your 96-inch sofa that you’ve hauled to another country doesn’t fit inside your new living room. Measure the size of the rooms that you’ll be moving into so that you know your things will fit so you don’t waste time and money moving them.

• Start Early

The earlier you begin the packing and planning process, the better off you’ll be. Months in advance, pack up the items that you won’t need in the short-term such as books and jewelry. Anything you can do in advance will help you to spread out the tasks so it doesn’t feel quite as overwhelming.

It’s never too early to start planning a move, especially when it means moving to a new country. Reach out to our experts at Nilson Van & Storage about your international move. We are happy to provide professional moving tips, advice, and even moving services to make your move as successful as possible.

These three tips can help make moving overseas less stressful.

Moving overseas is a massive undertaking and can take a lot out of you. Trying to figure out how to ship oversized items or if you should even take them, and then trying to figure out how long it will take for your goods to arrive can feel overwhelming. We’ve got three great tips to help ease the process:

• Determine If You Should Ship, Store or Sell

When you’re moving overseas, you’re starting a brand new life in a brand new country. The first thing you should do is go around your house and figure out what’s going with you, what you’ll put in storage (indefinitely or temporarily), and what you’ll sell.

Go around and put stickers on everything indicating what’s going where. Once you’ve labeled everything, enter all the information into a chart. You’ll then be able to plot out how to handle each item. This will help the stress and chaos because you’re breaking down this chore into manageable, executable bites.

• Have Your Travel Documents in Order

Make sure that your travel documents are in order so you don’t run into any issues leaving the country or entering your new one. Update your passports and make sure you have the right visas if you need them.

• Choose a Reliable Moving Company

Your international mover is going to become your best friend for the next weeks or months. Make sure you choose a mover that has experience moving to the country to which you are relocating. Find out how long it will take for your items to arrive and how the company will keep you updated along the way.

If you’re beginning the process of moving overseas, reach out to the team at Nilson Van & Storage for all the information you need to make it as streamlined and hassle-free as possible.

Are you moving across town? Don’t make it hard on yourself. Here are the two best ways to make the moving process easier than you thought it could be.

Is it even possible to make moving across town a breeze? It almost seems like an oxymoron. At Nilson Van & Storage, we have designed moving systems and processes to make any type of move as simple and streamlined as possible. We will let you in on two of the best ways we get things done:

#1: Start Planning 4-8 Weeks Prior to the Move

It may seem like a long time, but planning in advance is crucial to creating an organized, efficient moving plan. When you start that early, you will give yourself plenty of time to find a moving company to help you if you desire. If you decide to do it on your own, you will need every bit of that time to create checklists, purchase packing supplies, and start weeding out the belongings you don’t want to move.

#2: Hire a Moving Company

Listen, the truth is you will save tremendous time, hassle, and even money by letting the pros handle the move across town for you. By doing this, you can avoid:

• The need to guilt your friends and neighbors into helping you pack and move
• The effort and cost necessary in purchasing all of the right packing materials and boxes
• The tremendous time you must take away from your work, social life, and family time in order to pack and move on your own.
• The risk of moving large or fragile items—let the pros ensure these items are moved safely.

At Nilson Van & Storage, we are here to make moving across town a breeze for you. Connect with us online now to get a free quote for your upcoming move.

Is your long distance move stressing you out? It’s time to de-stress with these 3 simple tips.

Long distance moves can be exhausting, overwhelming, and absolutely stressful. There are so many factors to consider, so many calls to make, and far too many boxes to pack. Instead of jumping to the next moving task, let’s take a moment to talk about self-care. Your move will not be as successful as it can be if you are one big ball of stress. Here are three ways you can de-stress during your move:

#1: Step Away from the Boxes

You simply can’t spend every available moment packing and planning for your packing. You will burn-out fast. Instead, step away from the boxes and take a walk or call up a friend for coffee. It can be a short time away, but even 30 minutes is going to help you to bring your stress level down and give you time away so you can refocus.

#2: Go to a Movie or Read a Book

The idea here is escapism: the art of distracting yourself. It can be done in a healthy way. By taking some time to watch a movie or read, you allow yourself the ability to escape into a different realm where boxes and packing tape and checklists aren’t on your brain.

#3: Let Someone Else Worry about the Long Distance Move

We aren’t joking here. Just imagine how your stress level could melt away with some help. Our expert movers at Nilson Van & Storage will be happy to swoop in and save you from the stress of it all. We have been moving families and companies across town, across the country, and even overseas for more than 70 years. You can count on us to handle your move with expertise.

Contact Nilson Van & Storage today for a quote for your long distance move. We are here to help you keep your stress level low and your satisfaction high. Connect with our expert movers online now.

Your upcoming commercial move may involve some large items. Is there anything too big for Nilson Van to move?

Commercial moves often require large items. You may be wondering how big is too big for our professional movers at Nilson Van & Storage. The answer? We can move whatever you need us to move! That’s the truth.

We say nothing is too large or too small for us. There’s a reason why commercial companies, offices, hotels, and families in SouthCarolina have been trusting us with their moves for more than 70 years. We can handle it all, and we do it with excellence.

What Makes Us the Team for Your Large Commercial Moves

Although Nilson Van started back in 1938 with just two trucks and no more than $500, today we have expanded into 160 countries and have an international moving company that meets the full range of packing, moving and storage needs.
Our customers include big names in Columbia SC’s business world. They count on us to move the big stuff, the small stuff, and the super delicate and highly confidential stuff. You can put your full confidence in our abilities, systems, and top-of-the-line moving truck fleet. We will get the job done right every time. We have built a strong reputation for excellence, and we do everything we can to protect your customer experience and our good business name.

Get a Quote for Your Commercial Move Today

Let us show you the simplicity and strength of our commercial moving services. Contact us now to get your free quote and we will go over all the details—from what we will move, how we will move it, and the timeline you can expect. Connect with us online or call 800-845-2682.

If it’s time for a residential move, you need these 3 tips to help you pack like a pro.

Whether you are getting ready for a residential move across town or cross-country, packing can be an overwhelming process. It’s time to take a deep breath and dive in, but first consider these three helpful tips to pack like the pros would.

Maybe you are trying a DIY move, or perhaps you just haven’t found the right moving company yet; either way, you want to begin the packing process on the right foot. Our pro movers at Nilson Van & Storage have been packing up and transporting companies and families for years. We have the tips and tricks to get you on the fast and organized track for your move. Here are two of our favorites:

Pro Moving Tip #1: First, Make a Plan

75% of a successful move is in the plan. Are you organized, or will you just start throwing stuff in boxes. Our pro tip: develop your plan before you start putting things in boxes. You can decide to start packing and labeling your boxes based on where they will go in your new space. Label the boxes with items you know you will need as soon as you get where you are going, and pack them last so they will be easily accessible. Planning before packing will save you tons of time and hassle.

Pro Moving Tip #2: Get Rid of Stuff

More stuff = more stress, especially when it comes to packing and moving. Why move stuff that has been sitting in the basement in boxes since your last move years ago? There’s no reason to put yourself through that effort.

Instead, start weeding out, throwing away, and donating. If you haven’t used it in over a year, you probably don’t need it. Of course, you could even go extreme “KonMarie style” and get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy when you hold it. Just imagine how much less you would have to pack up if you tried that method!

If you decide you want to get professional help for your move, reach out to our team of experts at Nilson Van & Storage. We will help to make your residential move as easy as possible.

Why use professionals for a local residential move? Learn more about the benefits.

Hiring professionals for a local residential move is pretty common, but it’s different from hiring a company to ship your goods across the country. Everything from packing to pricing structure might be different. You want to know exactly what you’re going to get before you set a schedule.

Here are three things to keep in mind before hiring your local movers:

1. Find a company that provides comprehensive moving services.

If you’re too busy to move your own goods from one local place to another, you are you to need a moving company that can offer packing and shipping services. The moving pros will show up, pack your items for safe transport and move them exactly where they are supposed to go in your new home. No more worries about finding enough friends to lift your heavy couch or taking months to unpack all your boxes.

2. Accurate estimates require detailed information.

No moving company can give you a guaranteed quote online or over the phone without detailed information. For an accurate quote, they will base their prices on packing needs, miles moved and time spent completing a job. The quote you get online based on the number of rooms in your home or total square footage could be very different from what you end up paying. It’s always best to call and request a written quote before you schedule moving service.

3. Take advantage of short-term storage if necessary.

Does your lease end before your new place is ready? No worries! The right moving company will also offer short-term storage options. At Nilson Van & Storage, we can split your shipments and deliver certain items while storing others for the time being. Our moving services are completely customized to provide you with the best solutions for your situation.

Need specialized help with local residential moves in South Carolina? Give our friendly team at Nilson Van & Storage a call at 800-845-2682.