Moving Your Business: Self-Storage vs. Storage in a Warehouse

storage in warehouse

Are you working toward a business or office relocation? No matter how small or large your company, the need for storage could be a factor. Here’s what you need to know about self-storage vs. warehousing and if storage in a warehouse is the best option for your company.

What is Self-Storage?

Many Americans have more stuff than they can fit in their homes, which is why self-storage is so abundant. But self-storage can work for businesses too, including during a company relocation. If you have a gap between your move-out and your move-in dates, storage is a great option for keeping furniture, electronics, equipment, and office supplies. If your new location is in the middle of renovation when it’s time to move, a storage space can house any extra stuff until you can move it into the new building. The drawback to self-storage is that you must do it all yourself or hire a moving company to move things into the space now and then again to move it back out of the storage unit later.

What is Storage in a Warehouse?

Warehousing is like self-storage because it offers space to securely store office equipment and supplies during a business or company move. Whatever the reason, be it a timing gap or excess furniture, warehousing is a great solution, especially when your moving company is the one offering it. They will move your items to their warehouse and keep them safe and secure until it’s time for them to move them to your office location.

To find out if self-storage or storage in a warehouse is the right option for your company during a relocation, talk to moving professionals with experience to guide you to the right decision. Contact the moving experts at Nilson Van and Storage to find out more.

Preparing Your New Home for Move-In

preparing new home for move in

Moving into a new home is exciting, challenging, and a lot of work. To make things go smoothly, we’ve got a new home move-in checklist for you to use when preparing for a new home move-in. 

#1: Confirm Your Move Date

First things first – confirm your move-in date. Whether you need to schedule with a landlord or sync the move date with a closing on a new home, make sure you confirm your move-in date before you book your moving company.

#2: Update Your Address

Be sure to notify the USPS of your new address so they can forward your mail when you move. To ensure you keep getting your mail, change your address with your credit card companies, utilities, banks, schools, and the DMV.

#3: Book a Cleaning

No one wants to move into a dirty house. So before you move into your new home, consider scheduling a cleaning with a reliable house cleaning company. Whether you do it yourself or hire professionals, clean up before the movers arrive rather than scrambling while they’re there.

#4: Connect Services

Don’t forget to change over your utilities, including gas, water, and electricity, plus cable or satellite TV, and internet provider before you move. You may not have everything connected as soon as you move in, but you’ll be able to get it done sooner if you schedule before the move.

Moving to a new home can be stressful, but preparing your new home for move-in can reduce the stress and make your arrival much better. For more information on moving checklists and preparation, contact the experienced team at Nilson Van and Storage.

4 Things to Consider Before a Job Relocation

job relocation

Could a job relocation be on your radar? Before you pack the car and hit the road, there are some significant factors that you should think about before deciding to stay or go. Here are four things to consider before a job relocation.

#1: The Cost of Living

A new job can be exciting and full of promise, but not if you end up with a pay cut due to an increased cost of living. Before committing to relocating for work, research the cost of living in the new location and compare it to where you live now, your current income, and how the salary offered might impact your lifestyle.

#2: Schools in the New City

Sure, the new job sounds great, but how will it affect your kids? Look at the schools in the area in and near your new job’s location. You might want to reconsider the job offer if the schools are not up to your expectations.

#3: Advancement Opportunities

With any new job or promotion, it’s vital to look at the job itself as well as how it will affect your career trajectory. Understanding advancement opportunities, or lack thereof, will help you make an informed decision about whether the relocation is right for you in the long term.

#4: Do You Like the Destination?

The most important factor to consider when weighing the pros and cons of a job relocation is whether you want to live in the new location. Do you like the weather and the climate? Is it too urban or too rural for your lifestyle? Does it have access to recreation, culture, restaurants, and other activities you enjoy? Will your family be happy and thrive there? Before deciding, you should spend time there to be sure it’s a good fit.

If a job relocation is the right move for you, let the experts help you get there. Contact Nilson Van and Storage for a free estimate.

Keep Your Security Deposit: Moving Checklist for Renters

moving out checklist for renters

One of the most challenging things about renting can be how to get a security deposit back when you move out. There are some simple steps you can take to ensure you get your money back, all on our easy to follow moving out checklist for renters.

#1: Take the Nails Out

Removing nails from the walls is the first step to getting your security deposit back. Nothing spells “needs costly repairs” like walls damaged from nails. Once the nails are out, patch the holes with spackle or nail hole filler.

#2: Touch Up the Paint

Next on your moving out checklist for renters is paint. Once the nails are out, you can’t leave a wall covered with spackle marks. Dings and chips look bad to a landlord or management company as well. Touch up the paint anywhere it looks worn or where you’ve done some patching. If you painted the walls a different color after you moved in, you might have to repaint them to their original color.

#3: Do a Thorough Cleaning

Cleaning is the last step in your moving out checklist for renters. Along with deep cleaning the basics, including the kitchen, bathroom, and living areas, take the time to wipe down walls, ceilings, baseboards, doors, and door frames. Clean the appliances and fixtures and make sure and clean out the insides of cabinets and pantries. Finally, remember to clean ceiling fan blades and windows as well. These are easy to overlook in the chaos of moving but can have a big impact in how the rental looks and whether you’ll get your deposit back.

For all the help you need when you’re ready to move out of your rental, contact the pros at Nilson Van and Storage.

How to Keep Business Running During Relocation

keep business running during relocation

If your business is moving, one of the most crucial elements in knowing how to prepare for an office move is to keep the business running during the relocation. Instead of running screaming from the building, take a look at some tips to keep things humming along, even when you’re moving to a new building.

Get and Stay Organized

The best advice we can give for an office relocation is to get and stay organized. This means coming up with a master plan for the move from long before the trucks arrive until everything is back in order. Make a list that includes what needs to be done, who is doing what, and where things need to be when.

Communicate With Your Staff

Communication is key whether you have a handful of employees or hundreds of them. As soon as you decide on the move, let your crew know. Get them involved. Help them create committees to handle different aspects of the move, answer questions, and keep everyone on track. They’ll have more skin in the game to help make things go smoothly if they’re in the loop on the process. And you won’t have to do it all on your own, so they can help keep the business running at the same time.

Hire Professional Movers

When your business is relocating, you have a lot on your mind and on your to-do list. But, even with a small business and a few employees, you want to avoid managing the physical packing and moving yourself, especially if you’re trying to keep your business running at the same time. Professional movers can pack, load, transport, unload, and unpack your office equipment, technology, electronics, files, and furniture much more quickly, efficiently, and safely than you can, which will help you keep running the show even on move day.

It’s critical to keep your business running during relocation. A reliable moving company can help. Contact Nilson Van and Storage today for a free quote.

Benefits of Hiring Professional Packers

Packing for moving to a new home is, at best, drudgery. It might seem like a necessary evil and required part of the process, but it’s not. You can hire someone to do it for you. Before you protest, look at some benefits of hiring professional packers.

Reduce Your Stress

Are you using enough packing material for your fragile items? Are you putting too many books in one box? How should you pack your linens, towels, and clothing? All these questions and considerations can add stress to an already overwhelming process. Hiring packers for moving reduces that stress by taking the packing out of your hands. Experienced moving packers know how to protect your fragile items, what size and how many boxes you need, how to label them by room, and how to manage and stack them safely.

Save Time

If you work, have kids, take care of pets or family members, and have a busy life, you know that it’s hard to fit in time for anything extra, especially something as time-consuming as packing for a move. Hiring professional moving packers can save you time. Instead of spending days or weeks packing, you can monitor and supervise the process in a matter of hours.

Reduce Your Moving Costs

Most moving companies charge by the size of the truck and crew needed. Professional packers know how to pack more items in fewer boxes. They can pack quickly and efficiently to take up less space and reduce your overall cost of moving your belongings from one house to the next.

Contact Nilson Van and Storage for moving and packing professionals you can count on during your next move.

Navigating the Gap Between Moves

temporary storage between moves

Is your lease up but your new office space isn’t available yet? There is a solution if you have a gap between move-out and move-in. Temporary storage between moves is the answer. Here’s how to navigate that process.

How to Prepare for a Move with a Gap

Preparing for a move with a gap between move-out and move-in is like prepping for a same-day. Get organized, create a plan, and then pack your belongings or have the pros at your moving company pack them. The only thing that requires different consideration is the items you’ll need between the old location and the new one. Think about how much time you’ll have before moving into your new office, and keep that in mind when you pack what you’ll need for your staff to continue with daily operations. A move-in/move-out checklist can help keep you organized with what you’ll need and when.

Take Advantage of Temporary Storage

Whether you have one day or one month between your move-out date and your move-in date, you need a solution for storing furniture between moves, and safely storing electronics, documents, and files. The process should never include leaving them in a rental truck in a parking lot. However, the last thing you have time to manage is renting a storage unit for the gap in your move. Instead, hire a moving company that offers temporary storage between moves. Short-term storage provided by your moving company will ensure safe, secure, climate-controlled storage for your items.

Contact Nilson Van and Storage today for a free quote on your move that includes a gap, including packing, transporting, and warehousing service.

Moving Your Home Office: 3 Pro Tips

moving your home office

Moving to a new home is exciting and can be overwhelming, especially if you’re also moving your home office. However, preparing your home office for a move can make things go smoothly and reduce stress. Here are three tips to help you do it.

Tip #1: Create a Plan

If you’re moving to a new house, you have a lot on your plate, and a master plan is a great way to stay organized. Include a separate section for your home office. Though it’s moving at the same time as the rest of the house, it needs careful consideration to avoid excess downtime once you get to your new home.

Tip #2: Be Careful with Your Documents and Technology

Documents, legal papers, and other important items should go separately from your other items. Either take them with you in your car or, if that’s not feasible, be sure to pack them separately to avoid damage or loss. The same goes for packing and moving your technology. Be sure your moving company takes inventory of these items as high value so you can be sure to track them, just in case. Finally, pack these items carefully by removing and disconnecting cables, wires, printers, and monitors.

Tip #3: Hire the Right Moving Company

When you’re moving your household and your home office simultaneously, you want a moving company that can handle both. Finding one that offers packing service will reduce your stress and the risk of damage to your valuable items, including your home office equipment.

Contact the experienced moving team at Nilson Van and Storage for the information you need and a free quote for your home and home office move.

Hotel Installations: Reducing Guest Disruptions

hotel furniture installation

The first priority for any hotel is guest experience, including during hotel furniture installation. Any furniture or fixture upgrade is a significant investment in your facility, and losing customers because of a poorly executed installation process is unacceptable. Therefore, reducing guest disruptions is job number one. Here’s how to get it done.  

Preparation is Critical

Minimizing the impact of hotel furniture installation requires careful preparation and planning. Knowing essential information ahead of time will reduce hotel disturbance and make for a smooth installation day. It’s critical to document the building layout, doorway dimensions, freight elevator location, room floor plans, and short-term storage locations. Also, create a call sheet of what goes where to help the move-in and installation go smoothly with minimal disruption to the hotel operation and the guests staying during the installation.

Planning the Install

Day-of planning is as important as installation preparation. To minimize noise and common area interruption, create a logistics plan asking these questions:

  • How many pieces are moving in?
  • Is assembly required, and where and when will assembly take place?
  • Are there days and times with less traffic that will impact hotel staff and guests less?
  • Does existing furniture require removal and disposal?
  • Are there packing materials included with the new furniture?
  • Who will clean up post-installation?

Partnering with the Right Team of Professionals

Moving and installing your new furnishings requires a company with experience in hotel installation services. Knowing how to protect the pieces, move them securely, and install them efficiently is the best way to ensure a successful project while reducing guest disruptions.

For unparalleled service with pickup, transport, storage, and delivery of your new hotel furniture, count on the local team that has been in business since 1938. Contact Nilson Van and Storage to discuss your hotel installation and get a free quote.

Lifting Heavy Furniture: The Best Methods

lifting heavy furniture

Moving to a new home is hard enough without worrying about lifting heavy furniture. If you’ve got items that are heavier than the average bear, we’ve got some tips for lifting them when it’s time to move to a new home.

Protect Your Body

The priority when moving is to avoid injury, especially when you’re working out how to lift heavy furniture. Always bend your knees and use your legs when lifting instead of bending at the waist and using your back. It’s the quickest way to a back injury. Also, wear gloves to protect your hands and closed shoes to keep your toes and feet from getting squashed.

Protect Your Walls and Floors

Wrap the heavy furniture you’re lifting in moving blankets and use plastic wrap if you can. This will protect your furniture and the walls of your home. Put down furniture pads to prevent carpet tears and scratched or broken flooring should the furniture drop or land heavily.

Use the Right Tools

There are tools to lift heavy furniture, and it’s a great idea to take advantage of them. Hand trucks give you the leverage and the wheels to move items from one room to another or to and from a moving truck. Moving straps are another type of furniture moving equipment that allows for fewer people to move one very heavy item. Another tool that can help move furniture is sliders. When placed under the legs or feet they let you slide the furniture across the room without lifting.

The best way to lift or move heavy furniture without injuring yourself is to let the pros do it for you. Call Nilson Van and Storage today for a free quote on your upcoming move that includes even the heaviest furniture.

Whether your move is big or small, our skilled movers are dedicated to helping you every step of the way, no matter where life takes you.