The Moving Planner Blog

The day dawned bright and sunny, a perfect California moving day. We were bound for Oregon, with the promise of closeness to family and a new, better-paying job. We had found a house under construction and were committed to purchasing it. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

I picked up my friend and we drove to the local UHaul dealership. I requested the truck I had reserved over a month prior.
“Well,” said the cashier, “it looks like we don’t have any trucks available for out-of-state one-way moves today.”
“What? I made the reservation over a month ago, and confirmed it last week!”
“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have any trucks available to go to Oregon.”
We went back and forth like this for a few minutes, and I realized that I was going to either lose my temper and possibly regret my actions, or we were going to have to go elsewhere.

I felt cheated. How could a company do business like this? We made some calls and finally ended up with a great big, yellow Penske truck that drove like a Cadillac. The only problem was that it had to come back to California. So many people were moving away from the Bay Area in 2001; the truck rental companies had insufficient inventory to supply one-way movers.

My wife had gone on ahead with the kids in the minivan, and I still had a car to bring. My father agreed that he would bring the car and meet me halfway, when the time came to return the truck. Our great friends loaded the truck and wished me well. I rolled the door closed over all our belongings and set off. As I wished San Jose well, I adjusted my 34-year-old buns in the seat, and hunkered down for a 17-hour drive into the night.

I-5 is a trucker’s paradise. These loud and long behemoths dominate the night, often trailing two or three boxcars in their wake. My majestic Penske, so bold in the daylight, became a doddering nuisance among the rightful rulers of the roadway. As they rumbled by, often at speeds over 90 miles per hour, I wondered at the lack of police presence on the open road.

Being graced with a relatively small bladder, I was forced to stop every 100 miles or so to relieve myself. I sensed an uneasy camaraderie with the truckers, once we were out of our vehicles and exposed like so many turtles without shells. They walked upright and urinated like men, although I knew they were human avatars of metal gods, released to earth for only a moment before being chained back into their thundering cages.

I drove through the night. When I felt drowsy, I pulled off the road and slept for 20 minutes at a time, grateful to be moving along without a real schedule. The next day, I pulled into Portland with bloodshot eyes and a fresh perspective.

My impression of long-distance moving does not mean the same as that of someone moving, say, across the country or around the world. But for me the move to Oregon rises among the memories of my life for a number of important reasons.

First, it was at a time that I had lived half my life in California and half elsewhere. I romanticized my early life in Oregon, hoping I could one day move back to my childhood home at the base of Mount Hood. But California represented freedom, and sunshine, and it was there that I sobered up for the last time to date. So it wasn’t easy.

Second, this was the first real opportunity we had as a family to make a big move that would change our whole lives. Sure, we had enjoyed some success with jobs and homes, but this meant a whole new community and a different experience of family. My wife was ready to leave her matriarchal family and launch in a new direction. We had a false expectation of being able to connect with my mother on a longer term (she passed away a year after we moved) but a church family stepped into the void, and we have enjoyed deep and meaningful relationships with friends.

Third, it was the physical separation of my son from me (born to my girlfriend in 1990, the year I sobered up). I see him now on scheduled visits (and he has achieved frequent flyer status on Alaska Airlines) but there is an open wound on both of us from that separation that may never heal. My girls sometimes forget him in family prayers or wishes, and for that I am sorry.

But overall, the move has been positive. We have enjoyed increased health and vitality as a family, and have been able to address some long-standing issues with debt and emotional maturity. I recommend that type of move to anyone.

By: Alicia Crowder

I recently moved from Houston, Texas to Denver, Colorado and then, 7 months later, moved back from Denver, Colorado to Houston, Texas. The move back to Houston was really no big deal because I had already spent many years in Houston and knew what was what, where to go and who to talk to.
However, moving to Denver was much more of a challenge than I expected it to be. I was fortunate that within a couple weeks of my arrival, I found a nice house within a five-minute drive of my new job. However, what I didn’t count on was how difficult it might be to handle all of the little moving details.

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In Houston, I can find nearly everything I ever need on-line by using a simple keyword search and poof, I have the information that I need to do anything that I need to do. I never gave the level of appreciation that was owed to such magic though, until I moved to Denver, Colorado.
I found it to be an interesting place, with quite a variety of people who had moved there for the amazing scenery from all over the world. It is also quite a hi-tech town in a lot of ways. It seemed that majority of coffee shops all had free wi-fi, and almost anything you wanted to purchase was extremely easy to find on Denver. Craigslist.org. It was amazing.

However, try to find a garbage disposal service that will come to your house in the suburbs by looking online…. Trust me, it is not an easy task. I looked up every keyword I could imagine only to be hit with one brick wall after another. When I finally found my neighbor at home, they were able to go rummage through their bills to get me the name of the company that they used and finally the struggles were over in that arena, but I was living there for over a month before that miracle occurred.

Had I not been able to get my neighbors to speak to me, I would have either been SOL or I would have had to stay home from work and stalk the garbage man, standing in the middle of the street and preventing him from moving forward without threatening my life in order to get this little, simple piece of information.

I (NOT exagerrating!) called about 20 different places before receiving my neighbor’s help and of course, I couldn’t do this all in one day, as I had to work during the working hours that the other businesses were open. Ironically, none of them “serviced my area!”

Then there was the water company, the cable company, the electric company AND the gas company all to deal with. I have moved many times around Houston area, but never found it to be so amazingly complicated as it was there.

This was also not my first rodeo where cross-country moving was concerned. I have moved from Minnesota to Nevada. I have moved from Minnesota to Texas. Both of those experiences were relatively smooth and simple. There were usually moving packs that came in the mail or simple web or phone book searches always provided me with a few minutes of work and suddenly, I was moved and could focus on the important part…..unpacking!
Basically, this experience taught me that you never know what you will expect when you move somewhere very new. One lesson is to NEVER assume a house that you are moving into has air conditioning. It may not.
Wow, how spoiled we are down here in Houston. The house I rented in Colorado only had a swamp cooler, which, I’ve been advised, isn’t worth much. Not to mention that it was only located upstairs!

I never ended up getting water put in the swamp cooler and seeing how well it would do though, but don’t take my laziness in that regard to mean that it doesn’t get hot in Colorado during the summertime, because that would be another sad mistake to make. I was told that it didn’t get all that hot in Colorado, but it was all lies.

I’ve found that there are certain, favorite places that many people visit and overly romanticize. When you choose to move somewhere new, just expect that there will most likely be problems you may experience that you never even imagined having to deal with until you have moved across the country and into “unfamiliar territory.”

No matter what anyone tells you. No matter how nice a place may have seemed when you visited. You still may be hit with any number of little complications or very strange, peculiar little scenarios when you move across the country.

Moving house can certainly be extremely exciting, irrespective of it being near or far. Yet the reality is, that the further a field you move the more stress you endure. Long distance moves places us in the position of needing to undertake a whole lot more, than if the new residence was close at hand.
First and foremost, prior to committing yourself to the major upheaval, one really needs to do a little research about the new locality. If you are moving for work reasons how will you get there and how long shall this take each day? Will this move end up costing you more than if you stay put and not get that promotion? Will living here be a wise choice or a bad move (pardon the pun?)

Your local council can fill you in on the good, the bad, and the ugly in lieu of the new area. This will also include the crime rate, the equity increases and the best and worse areas to choose for your future residence. Insurance agencies can also tell you where the crime rate is the worse. The local police will do so also.

Secondly is this move rural or in the heart of a city? Living in the country does bring with it sweet images of white picket fences, sunflowers dancing in the breeze, and energetic sheepdogs. Yet the reality is that we are often ostracized from others, and at risk if our health is not good.
Thus we need to ensure that we know exactly where the medical centers are, as well as the emergency centers. Not only that, but please take into account that loneliness can and often does, lead to major depression.

Now having checked out schools, workplaces and so forth, another thing many of us tend to forget is insurance. Accidents occur every day and with that in mind note that these often occur as we are packing, and moving the goods to the new premises.
Therefore we need insurance cover while we are on the road. Many insurance policies which we have for our vehicles, do NOT cover damage to our furniture, or loss if we are involved in any sort of accident. Therefore we need additional travel insurance.
Moving is costly, and with that thought start preparing for this as soon as possible. Go to your fruit and vegetable store and start collecting boxes. Or better yet, go to the major electrical stores which sell Plasma TV’s. Often they will have numerous extra large boxes which once stored their display goods and are no longer in use.

This will save you a heap of money to spend on other important things such deposits on phone installation and the electricity or gas. Some moving companies supply these free of cost. Now while we are on the subject of gas, electricity and so forth, make sure that these are all taken care of.
In other words don’t wait until you arrive at your new address and then realize you have no telephone, electricity, or gas connection. Remember to square up all bills from your previous address. Don’t do a runner, as you will be blacklisted everywhere and there goes your good credit history!
Remember to leave the house as you would wish to find your new one, clean! Don’t leave it filthy for the next tenant to have to clean. You would certainly be irate if that happened to you. Remember that the larger the load you have the more it may end up costing you to move.
Therefore weeks ahead begin to make a list of what you do need, and what you don’t. If something has been stored in the shed for more than two years, chances are you don’t really need it. Do you really need that futon that’s broken, the record player that you can’t get parts for etc?
Charity stores are everywhere and as the old adage states “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Donate any items of furniture, toy clothes etc that you no longer use or need. Someone will be extremely glad you did!

If it’s a house you are moving from, ensure that there is no debris lying about and that the entire yard is spotless. Particularly if you have only been leasing the place. You won’t get your bond back otherwise!

Book your self-drive van or removals van, at least two months ahead. Ensure that the van will be big enough for all your processions and that it will only need to make the one trip. At times if you only have very few processions, you can actually. “Back-load” a removals van. This means that your goods are packed with someone else’s if it’s all traveling in the same direction. Not a good move,(pardon the pun once again.) I lost a hand carved bed head and a water-bed. I did get compensated, yet that does not replace sentimental value.

Remember too that many hands make light work. If you intend to join a new church in the area, ring and introduce yourself to the minister, priest etc. Often they will organize some help for you on moving day. Thus you meet new people and also move into your house quicker. You basically kill two birds with one stone.

Don’t forget that moving can be quite traumatic for children and with that in mind, attempt to be a little more patient with your children. They may feel as if they shall never see their friends again. It will take some time for them to adjust. The sooner you have them involved in sports or an outdoor hobby, the quicker they shall settle in. Remember that the children will need transfers for their new schools as well as new uniforms.

Last but not least, if there was a swimming pool where you previously lived, ensure that the pool gates are locked. Make doubly sure that there is no way possible a small child could gain entrance.

Good luck, God bless and travel safely.

Moving long distance doesn’t have to be a pain. There I said it. I know you are shaking your head and maybe you even think I have lost my mind, but it honestly doesn’t have to cause you too much trouble. If you do it right that is!

A few months ago my husband and I, along with our four children, embarked on a 3500 mile move across the country. Being internet savvy, I searched high and low for moving tips and ideas to make sure everything went smoothly. It didn’t, of course, but it was not as bad as it could have been had I not prepared myself and the rest of the family beforehand.

DE-CLUTTER
The first thing you should do when you are moving long distance is to cut down on your belongings. If you are moving by moving truck, you are most likely paying per pound. Let me tell you from experience, 3200 pounds looks a lot smaller packed up then it really is. Make sure you only take what you need. Have a yard sale or donate the items you aren’t taking to a homeless shelter. It not only cuts down on your moving cost, it helps you to figure out what you have been keeping for years that you can really do without.

ADDRESSES
Get all the addresses you can. I grabbed a cheap day planner from the dollar store and started adding every address and number I figured I would need. Doctors, schools, previous employers and of course our friends. Then I duplicated it all into my regular address book so I would have two copies in case one was lost in the move. It’s easier to have too many contacts then to have to search for the one you need later and not be able to find it.

AT YOUR JOB
Make sure you tie up any lose ends at your job and give them your forwarding address for tax purposes. Take your closest co-workers out for a lunch before you go and have a few laughs. Let them know your new address and email address so they keep in touch. Get references and anything you need to take to your new job before your last day of work. You may very well be thrown a good bye party and important papers may get lost in the shuffle.

DRIVERS LICENSE AND INSURANCE
Check with your state or province as to how long you have before you need to change your drivers license. Some places allow you between 3 and 6 months, other places want you to change immediately if it’s a permanent move. Also you may need a drivers abstract from your last insurance company to give to the new company if there are any discounts for safe driving.

FRIENDS
A neat way to make sure your friends keep in touch is to take a picture of you and your family and go to your local printing company to get cards made up with your picture and new address on them. Put a photo card in an envelope along with a long distance calling card and give them out to your friends. This way they have no excuse when they don’t keep in touch!

UTILITIES
Make sure you notify the utility companies of your expected move date. Clear up any bills before you move as well. You may be able to use your good standing with your old utility company to avoid paying deposits at your new place. Some companies, like the telephone for instance, may require a security deposit of a couple hundred dollars when you are a new customer. Try not to have any outstanding bills in case they run a credit check.

MOVERS
If you are using movers or renting space in a moving truck, make sure you contact the company a few weeks before the move date. Just to make sure they are on schedule and everything is still planned for your move. We had a company change their quote by over $1000 and try to scam us 2 weeks before the move date. We ended up having to cancel with them and scramble to find a new company which thankfully squeezed our things onto their truck. Make sure you give them at least 2 contact numbers at your new city. Movers are usually on a schedule and they may only have a short time frame to deliver your things to your new place. If you give them a call, you will be sure of no surprises at your destination.

FLIGHTS
If you are flying, make sure you have your tickets and your flight information somewhere safe. Also you should arrive early to the airport since there are often long lines and there may be changes that you should be aware of well before your flight takes off. If you have a delay, try not to get frustrated, you’ll be on your way to your new place soon enough!

READY FOR THE ROAD
If you are driving it is a good idea to have your car serviced by a licensed mechanic 2 weeks before your date of departure. Take care of any problems, no matter how small they are, before you get on the road. It is also advised to get some sort of road side assistance insurance for the trip. It is relatively cheap compared to the cost of a tow truck in the middle of the night. Sometimes they also come with a few perks for travelers, like so much off certain hotel rates and coupons for discounts at restaurants.

AT YOUR NEW HOME
When you finally arrive at your new place, make sure you check with your city hall or town center for anything you need and any bylaws you aren’t sure about. Make sure if you have a dog that you get a new license for it as soon as possible. Try to get a new doctor and dentist as soon as you have time. Some places are short on doctors and you may be put on a waiting list. If this is the case, make sure you know where the hospitals and medical clinics are located.
Well, if you’ve made it to your new place and the only thing broken was a couple ornaments, you have done better then a lot of others moving long distance. But don’t fret, you are all moved in now. After everything is taken care of, put up your feet, relax a little and enjoy your new community!

Moving overseas can be an experience of a life time and a fantastic opportunity to not only immerse into another culture but embrace the different lifestyle of that country. Undoubtedly, it is also daunting, where do you start, how do you go about it, is it the right thing to do? As a single mother of a three year old boy, moving from Australia to Malaysia was a big decision but one I have never regretted.

Fortunately for me, I had travelled and holidayed in Asia previously, therefore, I knew a little of what to expect. My work ensured some of my personal belongings would be shipped over and my larger furniture type items were to be put in storage. I planned on staying overseas for three years, so I had to be careful with what I did and did not take.

The way I recall it, my main concerns were:

1) Would my son be ok and what schooling was there available?
2) What if we didn’t like it over there?
3) How were my family and friends going to react?
4) What about tax, banking and voting?

The months leading up to your move will be stressful, however, a little research and networking goes a long way. Firstly, to put your mind at ease contact your employer or a colleague who is currently working over there and ask them all your questions. Keep your communications open, they probably had the same questions before they left and so will be happy to help. If it is an organisation that is use to employing people from other states/overseas then they will probably have an information document which they will send you. They will most likely appoint a family to be your host for the first month to ensure you settle in. If your future employer doesn’t have this, then the Internet will be your gateway to further research. Remember, Google is your friend!

Once you have had all your questions answered and comfortable with your decision to move, think about how your friends and family will react and be prepared for some anger, tears and joy. Anticipate their concerns and have answers ready for them. For me, it was all about my son, how could I do this to them and him, who would look after him, what if he forgets his family? Fortunately, I knew my family and I had all the answers albeit they still weren’t 100% convinced it was the right move.

We all handle things differently and obviously you will have your own way of dealing with friends and family. For me, I ensured my family got to see my son as often as possible prior to leaving. I had a final dinner with them two nights prior to leaving and a final celebration night the night before. My friends and family were all invited to see us off at the airport and there were certainly tears. Ensure you get lots of photos of friends and family just before you leave, this is especially important if you have young children. Remind family and friends that you are about to embark on an awesome opportunity and they are more then welcome to visit whenever they want. Communication is much easier in this day and age, so make use of it!

Contact your banks, accountant, and government regarding your long distance moving and get their advice as to what to do in regards to banking, tax and voting. This should be done at least a month prior to leaving. Make sure you redirect your mail to your new address or a family member. Make sure prior to your removal you make it clear to the removalists what you want packed and not packed, ensure you watch them as sometimes the piles get mixed up. For example on my return to Australia I discovered 3 year old cereal which had been packaged, not a good thing!

Most of all remind yourself and your loved ones how much this opportunity means to you and reassure them you are prepared for the change. Keep in contact with them regularly. If phone calls are too expensive then ring them regularly in the beginning and then start to leave it one extra day until you normally contact them. For example, if you have been ringing every Tuesday then ring them in 8 days time and after that 9 days time. This way they won’t expect a call each week or worry when you don’t ring on that same day each week.

If you are worried about getting home sick remember to take some treasured belongings and keep reminding yourself it will all be worth it. Lastly, enjoy the ride, it will be an opportunity of a lifetime.

Nice long distance comment by Shtara Williams.

Moving long distance can be a lot of fun IF YOU PLAN IN ADVANCE. I emphasize that, PLAN IN ADVANCE. That isn’t to say if something unexpected comes up you can’t move immediately, you can, but you should consult those who are out there to help you.

If you do know in advance that a move is coming up and to where the location of that move will be, half the chaos can be avoided and the actual fun of the planning can begin. Is your move going to be permanent? If so, you might get on the computer and do some checking on home values in the new area. Get to know what is on the market there, and don’t forget to do the same for your present local area, assuming you will sell your home here.

Do you plan to pack and move everything yourself, take advantage of one of the state to state truck rentals? If so you are in for a LOT of work, but it can be done. First, start thinking of what you absolutely must keep vs. things you would like to keep but isn’t necessary. The next step is to start separating these things, making a third section of the stuff you don’t want to keep, even if you could. If you would like to make a little extra money, think of a garage sale, otherwise Salvation Army or the Red Cross might be glad to haul off your castoffs; a lot of churches also might like to have things to give to the needy.

The ‘easy’ way is to call one of the coast to coast, or nation to nation movers. They will come in, pack your goods and even store them until the move. You will still have to separate the wanted from the needed and what you don’t want at all. This will leave you free to spend more time house hunting in the new area of the country and to talk to local realtors about your present home.

Kids hate to be pulled away from schools they are comfortable in as well as their friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. Today with our chat rooms and messenger services they NEVER have to be totally pulled away. The kids can chat everyday with their friends and exchange pictures as the school year advances. With the free long distance rates offered by most cell phone companies after 7pm, they can even call their friends in the evenings once the homework is finished,if your move is some states away.

The great thing about today’s world of moving is that old friends are as reachable as they were before the move, regardless of whether the move is across the nation or around the world. As long as you make sure the new home has easy internet access, you are never disconnected from ‘home’.

If you are driving your car to another state, check out the sights to see along the way. For instance, if you are making the move along I40 (Interstate 40) in the USA, and you pass through New Mexico and Arizona on the way to California, or heading east from California, you are going to see some neat things. There is the huge crater in Arizona that was made thousands of years ago when a meteor plunged onto our planet; not too far from the crater is the ORIGINAL London Bridge. It was taken up, brick by brick and reassembled here in the USA, in of all places, the desert. Then, continuing east you will encounter the Painted Desert. Here rocks of all colors reign supreme, a nature-made painting on the canvas of the desert, very close to the Painted Desert is the Petrified Forest. A forest stood in primeval glory until the meteor fell from the sky to make the crater mentioned earlier.

Make a vacation of the move, something that will be remembered as the years pass by. If you are not hauling your own belongings down the interstate, or up the interstate, your main worry right now will be getting to the next motel and what do you want for dinner tonight. If you have chosen to carry everything yourself, then make sure the cold box has enough ice in it, and you’ve got everything waiting for the next Rest Area.

In today’s world we can make a move of thousands of miles and enjoy it all the way. Gone are the months of wagon train torture, gone are the mid-twentieth century’s headaches. Kids crying because they ‘HATE’ this move or their very real fear they might not be liked at the new home. Whether you are moving from some small American town to another six states away, or to a villa north of Madrid, Spain, it can be one of the most memorable journey’s of your life. A joyous journey, one to save dozens of snapshots, thanks to the ‘new’ digital cameras.

Moving can be fun. Make the best of it and enjoy!

Nice article written by Kim Shuskey.

My family and I were planning a move from North Carolina to Sunny California! All was exciting and scary at the same time. We did not know where we were going to live. We knew the city as it was located near the location of my husbands company that he was transferring with, but we had to find the apartment. This was also not a company sponsored move. It was just a move. So, all the bills for this move were our responsibility. Our finances did not allow for us to hire movers, therefore we did all of the work ourselves.

For months, we planned, budgeted, gathered boxes and did everything that we felt we needed to do. We procured the apartment, that we found online and rented it sight unseen. I know, that sounds just crazy. We did not go with the first apartment that came along. In fact we settled on a place only a week and a half before the move. This was probably the most stressful thing of the whole move. Or at least it felt like it at the time. You see, we spent many a sleepless night searching the internet for the perfect apartment. During breaks at work, I would call places and gather information. We felt like it was a total leap of faith when we finally settled on something. It was scary and I often questioned our sanity.

It took a month to organize our household and pack the boxes as we were both working full-time jobs. We stacked all of the boxes in the dining room. There were several piles of boxes stacked up to the ceiling. I then reserved the truck, called the utility companies in California to get that all set up and faxed the necessary paperwork and sent the necessary checks to their designated locations. All seemed to be going fine. We put in the necessary two weeks notice with my employer and my husband began the transfer paperwork for his job. We enjoyed nights out with friends to say goodbye and special dinner with family members that we would not be seeing for awhile. It was all very difficult to say goodbye but yet, it didn’t feel like that is what we were doing. It felt to me like we were saying, “see you soon.”

At last moving day was here. We drove over to the truck rental location only to find that the truck was too small. We felt blessed that they had a bigger one on site so it was not too much of a problem. A few friends came over and helped us load the truck. It took seven hours but by 6:30 pm we were on the road to California without any major incidents at all.

After driving down the nearby streets for about thirty minutes we finally got on the highway, and that was where it all began to go wrong. You see, the truck would only go sixty miles per hour. It was slower going uphill of course and our route took us through many hills. What should have been a 9 hour drive ended up being a 23 hour drive. The truck also used much more gas money than what we had anticipated. Finally, however we did arrive safely at our new home in California. The office at the apartments closed at 5:00 pm and we walked in at 4:55 pm so that we could pick up the key. We had no time for a walk-through with the apartment manager. We simple only had time to get the key.

To our surprise and relief the apartment was great. It took two days to empty the truck as we decided to take our time as we were just too tired to push it any further. I called the truck rental company and complained about the slowness of the truck. After finally convincing them that something was wrong with it, (they told me there was no governor on the accelerator) they did give us a partial refund. Another nice surprise in Moving to California is the lack of state income taxes that is taken from your paychecks. North Carolina seems to have many taxes on pretty much everything. California does not have as much but does have toll roads to make up for it. The thing with those however, you don’t have to use them. Switching your driver’s license is pretty easy as well and the cost for getting tags for your vehicle is initially $100.00. Rent is expensive though, so it all evens out. It has been a month now and all seems to be going very well. I will say, however that the next time I plan a move, I will allow more time to save money and hire the best California moving company.

There are many questions that come up as one moves to an oversea country. These questions don’t come up right away, they are usually the effects that come with the move itself. The closer you get to the moving date the more pressure you get and more questions come up

Moving Overseas will be one of the biggest steps in your life. I hope that with my help it will also be the most rewarding step you’ve ever taken.

Moving abroad is a big step. Apart from any considerations concerning family and friends, there are issues about pensions, tax and health care costs that you will need to be aware of.

Most of the time spent on  a long distance move is spent on the planning. Some people take it as a total waste of time while others see it very important to make sure that their belongings reach their destiny in the best condition and everything will be running smoothly. The relocation itself is the last and most simple step of the entire move. During the move itself the movers will sometimes have to deal with very expensive furniture, paintings and other items of this sort, these are some of the things that the owners have to discuss with the movers so that the items are taken care of by our very own professionals.

Another issue that the movers have to deal with is moving pets. Pets are not always the most fun to move around with, and therefore need to be taken care of before the day of the move. Before taking your pet on your move one must have the right tools to pass the pet through the authorities, in order to do that watch the following list:

Obtain a copy of health records from your current veterinarian. This information needs to be passed on to the veterinarian at the new location
Obtain a Health Certificate less than 10 days old. Certificates must be issued by a licensed veterinarian and be accompanied by an inoculations record.
Obtain a permit allowing entry into the new destination. Your current vet can help you apply for one.
Have identification secured to your pet’s collar. ID tags should include pet’s name, your name and destination address. Most states require dogs and cats to have a rabies tag on their collars.
Check with your new destination City Clerk office for local pet ordinances. “Leash Laws” are common.

Read more and get free advice at http://www.flatrate.com/nyc_movers/long_distance.asp

It was a cold winter this past year….. these Canadian winters make life a lttle harder especially when you wanna move. Ihad a lot on my mind that week. My long distance move was planned out to be exactly a month from today. Just thinking about it killed my entire day, I just wanted to break down and cry. It was just too much to do in such a short period of time. I didnt know where to start. After some thinking I decided to call up one of my buddies. We spoke a little, chilled and had a good time…. After a few brainstorming minutes he stopped talking for a minute and said i think I got the perfect solution for you. We looked online for a moving company that will help the person moving get everything set up,before the move and after.We looked for a company that helped you plan your move from the first step of a regular move to the most complicated steps of the relocation. We were on the task for about ten minutes till I found one. We called up the company and their services seemed to be good and by that night I had my entire move plan set and ready to go. It was litteraly the happiest  night in a while. Thanx Flatrate Moving. U guys are awesome.