How to Pack Your Shoes for a Move

To make sure your shoes arrive in the same condition they left, take these steps to pack them before your residential move.

When it comes to packing for a residential move, most people don’t usually give much thought to their shoes. This is a mistake because, without proper packing, shoes can end up in poor condition at your new home. To ensure your shoes arrive in perfect condition, be sure to abide by the following steps:

Air Them Out

The first step in packing shoes is to air them out. This will help the shoes lose the excess moisture and odors that would otherwise stay with the shoes while they travel to their new destination.

Keep the Original Boxes

To protect the shoes, you must pack them in boxes. The most convenient box to use is the original box the shoes came in. These provide adequate protection without taking up too much space.

Wrap Each Shoe

After the shoes have spent a little bit of time airing out, wrap each one in brown packing paper. This type of paper is stiff enough to create a cushion but soft enough not to scuff the finish on most shoes. For shoes with extra delicate surfaces, you can use tissue paper first; then cover the tissue paper with the brown packing paper.

Pack Each Shoe

Depending on the material and type of shoe, you may want to use some brown packing paper or tissues to stuff the inner part of the shoe where your foot would go. This extra support will prevent the shoe from deforming or getting crushed during the moving process. For maximum protection, do not pack more than two shoes per box.

Prepare the Box

After wrapping and packing each shoe, line the box with more brown packing paper. Then place the shoes in the box, sealing the box with packing tape.

If you have any questions concerning how to pack certain items for best results during your residential move, don’t hesitate to contact our expert team at Nilson Van and Storage. Connect with us online now or call 800-845-2682. We are happy to give you advice to make the most of your packing and moving process.

Two Tips on Preparing to Move Overseas

Keep these tips in mind as you plan to move overseas.

If you decide to move overseas, there are several things you will need to be aware of to properly prepare for the move. Unlike a domestic move, moving to another country involves additional planning. Feeling overwhelmed? Here are two expert tips to help you with an international move:

Tip #1: Determine What You’re Allowed to Take with You

Depending on where your new home will be, there are certain things you may not be able to take with you. For example, certain weapons, print material and medications may be illegal in your new country. Even items that are not illegal to own, may be illegal to use. For example, certain walkie-talkies that are legal in the United States may be illegal to use in another country unless you can lower their power output or change their frequency.

Tip #2: Decide What You Can Live Without

We don’t want to say you can’t take certain things with you. Rather, you will need to decide what you must have as soon as you arrive versus what you what you can live without for a few weeks or months.

Depending on your moving schedule and the shipping method you use, you might go as long as a few months from the time you place something in a packing box to the time you can unpack it. If there is something extremely important for you to have, you probably want to pack it with you when you travel to your new home. Or at the very least, you will want to pack the item in a box that will travel using the fastest shipping method available, such as by air instead of by sea.

If you plan on moving overseas, you’ll want to take extra steps to prepare for the move. One way to ensure you get the job done right is to hire a professional moving company like Nilson Van and Storage. Contact us before your international move for the services and advice to take the hassle out of the process.

Three Things to Do After You Move

After you complete the move, there are a few more tasks to accomplish.

After your move is complete, there are a few things you will need to do before you can get on with life as normal. It may be easy to overlook important post-move tasks because it feels like the hardest and most stressful part of the move is over. However, remembering to follow through will ensure you can get comfortable and organized in your new space as quickly as possible.

#1: Unpack It All

Unpacking is the most obvious thing to do after a move, and it usually takes the most amount of time. For many months after a move, there may be a few boxes around the house, in a closet or in the garage that still need unpacking. Because you may not use the items in the box daily, it can be easy to put off the unpacking of the last few boxes. However, if you truly want to close the door on the moving experience and get back to a state of organization, go ahead and find a place for everything in the boxes.

#2: Figure out What to Do with All the Boxes

The average move will use dozens and dozens of boxes. After the move is complete, the vast majority of these boxes are no longer necessary, but you’ll need to decide what to do with them. Most people will have four options: 1) throw them away; 2) recycle them; 3) keep them; or 4) give them to someone else who can use them.

Depending on your situation, you may use a combination of these options. Whatever you decide, empty boxes take up a lot of space, so you will want to break them down and figure out what to do with them as soon as possible.

#3: Get New Government Documents

Government documents refer to things such as driver’s licenses, car titles and vehicle registration. You will need to take care of this as soon as possible. Depending on where you now live, you might have a deadline when you need to complete these tasks.

It can be tempting to sit back and relax as soon as the moving truck pulls away, but by making sure you follow through with post-move tasks, you’ll be able to better enjoy your new space. If you need advice for what to do after your move, our team at Nilson Van and Storage is always here to offer our expertise. Connect with us online now.

2 Benefits of Professional Movers for Moving Valuables

Hiring professional movers is ideal, especially when moving valuables during your residential move.

There are many reasons to hire a professional mover but protecting valuables during your residential move is one benefit you don’t want to overlook. Depending on the price of the valuable items, hiring a professional moving company can pay for itself if using the service avoids loss or damage.

Here are two more benefits you can experience when you trust the moving pros with the job:

#1: Identification of Risks

The average person who packs their own items will know which items are particularly valuable or worth paying extra attention to; however, they might not always know what potential dangers exist when moving the item.

For example, when packing the family’s fine china, you will know that there is a risk of breakage from dropping the box. But did you know that damage to porcelain can occur when it’s stored in extreme temperatures or is subject to extreme variations in temperature? This means valuable porcelain will also need to have special insulation or travel in a temperature-controlled environment. Professional movers will understand these risks and take them into account throughout the packing and moving process.

#2: Packing Expertise

Most homeowners might think they know how to pack a delicate item properly, but their assumption can sometimes be tragically wrong. Wrapping an item in the ever-popular newspaper may not be enough; the item may require bubble wrap to avoid damage, or it might require a special box. When you hire professional movers, they know the proper ways to pack a variety of valuable and fragile items, which can provide you with tremendous peace of mind and confidence during the move.

Trust Nilson Van with Your Residential Move for Best Results

It pays to hire a professional moving company, especially when it comes to protecting priceless or expensive valuables. The next time you’re considering hiring a mover, our team at Nilson Van and Storage would love to show you how the experts do it. Get in touch with us today to get a quote before your residential move.

Three Ways You Can Prepare for Office Move Success

A successful office move involves many moving parts and precise organization.

A successful office move is one that goes according to plan. But how do you ensure that happens? Here are three ways to get the job done right:

#1: Start with a Plan

Remember high school and college, where you had to write essays and term papers? Do you remember how much easier they were to write after you created a detailed outline? Moving is much the same. The better you plan, the easier the move itself will be. A good plan will account for the major components but also account for what-ifs. This contingency planning is critical because there are often surprises during an office move.

#2: Hire a Professional Moving Company

The best way to have a successful move is to hire a professional moving company. There are a couple of reasons for this:

  • First, they take on much of the responsibility of completing the move. This allows you time and energy to run your business.
  • Second, professional movers know things that you do not know. You might think about making sure your computer equipment is set up at the new office location, but the movers will also see that you need to consider getting the Internet service provider set up and ensure compatibility between your current equipment and the new Internet service provider’s equipment. They know there’s a chance not everything will be compatible.

#3: Ask Questions

When working with a professional moving company to handle your office move, don’t hesitate to ask questions. The biggest mistake you can make is assuming something during the move. The right expert moving team will handle almost every aspect of the relocation, but there may be a portion of it they don’t control. Or maybe they do manage it, but only if the customer asks them to. Make sure there is a complete understanding before the moving begins.

To find out additional things you can do to achieve a smooth office move, contact our experts at Nilson Van and Storage online or call us toll free at 800-845-2682 the moment you decide you need to move your office.

Three Benefits of Leaving Your Technology Moving Needs in the Hands of the Pros

Moving technology takes special care and planning to make things go smoothly.

Trying to put together a plan for moving technology? If you run a business, there’s a good probability you have extensive computer and networking technology to help things operate smoothly. During your move, you may wonder how to get all your information technology up and running at your new location. The quick and easy answer is to use a professional moving company. But why is this so?

Professionals Know Technology

Professional movers might be in the business of transporting items, but they also understand a little bit about what they have to move. They know how to carefully disassemble and pack computer systems, telephones, tablets, scanners and other office equipment. They also can assist in making sure everything gets set up correctly at the new location. This way, your employees can come into work at the new office and have everything up and running, as if everything is the same at the new location.

Movers Understand the Importance of Technology

Not only do professional movers understand how to move business technology, they know the importance of doing it right. This means they know what happens if things go wrong. If a computer network can’t go live because a particular networking switch is missing, professional movers understand what that can mean for business. It can lead to downtime and lost sales. This then leads to very angry customers.

To avoid these types of disasters, professional movers take special care to make sure the move goes smoothly. They understand the difference between typical office items and mission-critical office items.

Consider getting in touch with our team at Nilson Van and Storage if you have a professional move that involves business technology. We know what it takes to handle your technology moving needs.

Moving Your Business from Sea to Shining Sea

If you plan on moving your business from one coast to another, keep a few things in mind.

Moving your business across the country? A cross-country move might be one of the most significant undertakings your business will go through. Therefore, it’s imperative to make sure it’s done right by taking into account the following considerations:

Business Downtime

A key consideration during a business move is how much company downtime there will be. Every minute, hour or day your business doesn’t operate at full capacity means lost money. You want to keep the downtime to a level as low as possible, but you should keep two things in mind:

  1. First, some downtime is inevitable. No matter how carefully you plan, there will be some downtime, even if it’s the staff trying to figure out where the paperclips are.
  2. Second, sometimes it’s better to have 100 percent downtime for a short period than a small amount of downtime that’s constant and lasts for several days or weeks. It can be more cost-effective to close the business for two days than have it open at limited capacity for several weeks.

Insurance

Before anything starts going into boxes or moving trucks, make sure it’s all adequately insured. Any reputable professional moving company will offer special insurance to protect the full value of the items you’re moving. It’s always a good idea to take on the extra coverage. The last thing you want to deal with at the new business location is not just lost or broken equipment but eating the cost of getting a replacement. The insurance will also provide peace of mind, which is priceless during a cross-country company move.

Before starting to move your business from one side of the country to the other, consult with a professional moving company like our team at Nilson Van and Storage.

Two Ways to Cut Costs When Relocating Your Company

A company relocation can be especially difficult and expensive. Here’s how to cut some of the cost and hassle.

Moving isn’t cheap, whether it concerns money or time, so it’s nice to be able to find ways to cut costs during a company relocation. Consider these two ways to save money when you are getting ready for the big move:

#1: Schedule the Move Early

Moving an entire company is an enormous undertaking, with a lot of necessary planning. This planning is essential to save money for two primary reasons. First, it allows you to get the best deals on moving costs and rates. By planning the move well in advance, you have plenty of time to shop around for the best moving services and get the best price. Second, planning well in advance helps prevent last-minute surprises and unnecessary delays. Delays and surprises never save money during a move.

#2: Hire a Professional Moving Company

When you first get a quote for the cost of moving your company, you might experience sticker shock. But before you think about handling your move yourself, understand that it will almost always cost you more money than hiring a moving company. The reason for this is simple: efficiency.

Professional movers specialize in the work of moving. Your company also specializes in something, too. If you’re in the business of selling car and home insurance to individuals, can you sell business insurance too? Maybe, but you wouldn’t be able to do it as efficiently as an insurance agency that focuses only on selling business insurance.

So you and your employees might be able to handle the move, but it’s unlikely you can manage the move as efficiently as a professional mover could. And even if you could, who’s going to cover your workers’ regular job duties while they fill up boxes, load moving trucks and unpack? Are you going to hire additional workers or pay overtime for your regular employees to complete the move? If so, there’s a good chance you’ll spend more money on those extra costs than just hiring a moving company. And the move will be a lot less stressful when someone else handles it.

Increase the Efficiency of Your Company Relocation

Allowing a moving company to handle your company’s relocation will ensure you complete your move most efficiently. To speak with the pros who know how to make your move as smooth as possible, contact our team at Nilson Van and Storage before your next company relocation.

How You Can GPS Your Move with In Transit Tracking

What are the benefits of in transit tracking with GPS for your residential move? Here’s what you need to know.

Get the faster routes, lower drive times and more money in your pocket when you GPS your residential move with in-transit tracking. Advances in technology in recent years have made the moving process easier than ever. Being able to take advantage of a moving service that utilizes GPS and in-transit tracking will provide you with peace of mind and an extra layer of security while your items are going from Point A to Point B. Keep reading to learn more about the process and benefits of in transit tracking.

GPS Your Move for the Fastest, Safest Routes

The saying goes, “time is money,” and that absolutely applies to the moving process. The longer it takes for your moving company to transport your items, the more you will be paying. Choosing a company that utilizes GPS and in transit tracking means you will know they are seeking the best, safest, fastest routes for your move. Plus, you’ll be able to know where the moving truck is at all times.

At Nilson Van and Storage, we are proud to offer in transit tracking for all of our clients. We have mastered the use of GPS technology to streamline moves for both residential and commercial clients. Because of this, you can trust the trucks containing your items will be on the ideal route at all times to avoid traffic problems and keep your possessions safe and secure.

Choose Nilson Van for Expert In-Transit Tracking

As you prepare for your next residential move, be sure to consider the benefits of in transit tracking. Get in touch with our team at Nilson Van and Storage today to learn more about the cost-saving benefits this service provides.

How Full Packing Services Can Save You Hours

Is it time to learn more about the benefits of full packing services?

Full packing services can be a major time-saver (not to mention sanity-protector) for homeowners who are preparing for a residential move. Just the physical packing itself is time-consuming, but add to that the decisions about which items to pack first, what kinds of packing supplies you should use and how you should label boxes—and you have a full-time job on your hands.

Trusting your move to the professionals relieves a lot of the stress and hassle involved in the moving process. There’s really no reason to spend hours upon hours figuring out the right organization system and the puzzle of packing appropriately. Instead, go straight to the pros for a proven full packing system that they have fine-tuned and perfected over the years.

Let’s take a closer look at the time-saving benefits of full packing services:

  • Expert opinions on what to take with you, what to leave behind or give-away, and what to place in storage.
  • Skilled packing for your items that keeps everything safe and secure during the moving process.
  • A complete inventory of all items, so you know exactly where everything is at all times.
  • Unpacking services to make move-in a breeze.

Customize Full Packing Services to Meet Your Needs

You may find that you need packing services for your entire home or just one room—either way, our team at Nilson Van and Storage provides the expert help you need. Connect with us online now for your free quote for full packing services to save time and hassle during your upcoming move.