Moving during the winter has one downside to it – its crazy cold! There are many factors you need to be aware of when moving during the winter season.

Be sure to keep warm clothes – don’t pack them all off into the moving and storage boxes.  Apart from the ones you’ll be wearing, pack the rest in small bags or carriers and keep them with you at all times. The moving sometimes gets delayed to be delivered at the location. At such times, you won’t want to be stranded in the cold without your warm clothes when you land into your new home.

Always plan for hazardous weather conditions and extreme cold when moving from or to any location. Prepare something like a survival or weather kit to carry along with you, especially if you’re going to be on the road for a long time. If you are moving with children, you’ll need to be extra cautious.

Ensure that your car is in perfect condition before the move – a break down in the chilled weather is the last thing you’ll want to be stuck with. Also make sure you keep some emergency items in your car like flashlights, survival/weather kits, bottled water, canned food and some snacks.

Hire a moving and storage company to help you move with ease.

Clear the ice and snow off the driveway and sidewalk of both your new and old home. Any damage or accident on your property can become a liability on you, so you’ll need to stay careful to avoid that.

Make sure the heating is fully functional in your new home before moving in. You will need to deal with many things on the moving day, fixing a furnace shouldn’t be one of those things.

Plan for the moving and storage items accordingly. Your belongings will be in a cold moving van for quite a long time, so you will need to plan accordingly for that. Take care of three things:

Collect special moving and storage materials, containers or boxes from the moving company. These are usually meant for packing items for longer times in cold weather, so as to avoid getting the items damaged by the weather.

Make sure you do not put freezable liquids in your shipment.

Do not keep plants in the moving van. In fact, moving companies usually don’t allow it. You can carry plants in your car, but make sure you don’t keep them out for too long.

Offer the moving company workers something warm to drink. They’ll surely appreciate your gesture and probably give you better services.

Keep yourself and your family warm and safe during the move. Don’t let the cold sabotage your move. Make sure you:

Don’t Slip – Make sure you shovel and salt driveways and walkways to avoid slipping.

Stay warm – Keep yourself warm so that you don’t fall sick during the move.

Eat and drink up – Keep something hot to drink and something to munch on, it’ll help keep you active.

You want to make sure that you anticipate the nasty and hidden costs of moving an office. Unless this is your third or fourth time doing so, you might not be on the lookout for those little cracks your cash can slip through. Even if you have done it a dozen times before, the entire process is hectic and stressful, and if you’re frazzled you might forget to be on your guard. Keep the following tips in mind and you will be able to keep yourself being surprised by these unanticipated events that can make the process a nightmare!

Moving an Office Takes More Time Than You Think

Make sure you plan for at least twice as much time as you anticipate. If you think that the whole move will be completed in a day, then allot at least two days to the process. If you expect it to only take two hours, make sure you plan for four. All sorts of things can go wrong while packing and transporting your things. You could run out of supplies and need to make a trip to the local moving supply store, or the truck could get stuck in a nasty traffic jam.

Moving an Office Takes Lots of Supplies

If you run an office then there is always a need for boxes and tape. Make sure you stock up on more than you think you need. If you don’t want to run out of supplies and have to take a trip in the middle of the day, then this will go a long way. Even if you have lots of boxes and packing tape left over when you are done you will find a use for them. Unopened supplies can even be returned for a refund. Play it safe and get more than you think you will need!

Moving an Office Makes People Hungry!

Whether you are moving things with the help of your current staff or you are paying the movers to do it all, make sure you anticipate ordering some pizza or sandwiches. While it isn’t necessary to do so, keeping your crew well fed can keep them moving with a lot more energy and zest than if you let them carry on with an empty stomach. Bringing food to the office during the move can also keep them from needing to run out to pick up their own!

Don’t Forget the Tips

While you might not think it necessary to tip the movers (or even the friends helping you out) it is a great way to extend good will. You can let them know that there will be a tip involved for doing good work (and in the case of your friends or employees you could offer them some sort of gift) but don’t hold it over their heads. When the work is complete you can provide a nice tip and forever be remembered as the perfect moving client or boss. It’s always nice to accrue positive karma, anyway!

Moving is one of those tasks that is stressful, no matter how well prepared you are.  It seems that we don’t realize how much stuff we collect while living in the same place for a few years. Thankfully, if you have kids, you have a few extra sets of hands that can help. But putting them to work effectively can be difficult, since they may not be as delicate and sensitive with your things as you would like. These tips will help you put the kids to work without risking any collateral damage.

1. Let them pack their own things. Give them a few boxes and a marker and tell them to start packing their own things. Make sure that they don’t close or seal the boxes before you get to review them. If they aren’t using the space effectively, help them combine two or more boxes into one before sealing them up.
2. Books, video games, and DVD’s are all low-risk items. Your kids can collect these and put them into boxes. Again, make sure to check their work before sealing the boxes up. Remind them not to put too many books in one box and that the books should always be on the bottom (to avoid crushing the other items).
3. Carrying light boxes, such as those full of clothes, is great for kids. With each box properly labeled, your kids should be able to carry these into the house and put them in the right spot without much difficulty at all.
4. Unpacking boxes in the kitchen will help this chore go much quicker. Your kids can open the boxes and pass the items to you while you put them where they belong. This can cut the time of this task in half, and once you get a good rhythm it can go even faster.

The hardest thing about moving with kids, though, is helping them reestablish their old routines while making new friends. Any kid who has moved before is sure to agree that it’s quite a sad and disappointing experience. But you can use this to your advantage if you’re smart about it!

When your kids are done with everything they can do to help you unpack, send them out to start making friends. Depending on the age of your children this could happen very quickly. Once they make a few friends, you have the perfect excuse to introduce yourself to your neighbors (and hopefully your new friends).

These tips all assume that your child is at least old enough to follow instructions and head out on his or her own. If you have younger children, you may want to help them by turning the packing and unpacking into games. Of course, if your children are three years old or younger it may just make more sense to find a babysitter while you handle everything on your own.

Moving with kids can be tough, but with these tips you should be able to simplify the whole process.

Think about the garage and you undoubtedly imagine the clutter of all of the junk that we can’t fit anywhere else in the house. Some people can’t even use their garage to park their car, anymore, because there is so much in there. With a few good tips your garage can serve as a storage space for your extra things and your car.

1. Set rules on what will go in the garage. A lot of people will just toss things in there because it has become the ultimate junk drawer for the whole house. Set some rules about what does and does not belong in the garage, and then stick to those rules.
2. Before putting anything in the garage, consider throwing it out, instead. Many people find that they have things in the garage that they will never use again. Instead of allowing these things to clutter up, consider donating, recycling, or throwing them in the trash.
3. Use durable reflective tape to mark the spot where your vehicle (or vehicles) belong – and then never allow anything into these spots. This will help you ensure that you can always use your garage for parking the car.
4. Install flexible shelving. Make sure that the shelves in your garage can be rearranged and adjusted as needed. This will allow the garage to stay flexible over the years.
5. Periodically go through the garage and get rid of those items that you no longer need. Again, consider throwing them away, donating them, or recycling them.
6. Tools need to have their own designated area. A good idea is to dedicate an area where tools can be stored. This area should have peg board, which can be used to hang up the most frequently used tools, as well as a work bench for quick repairs. Just like everything else, be sure to keep it clean and free of clutter, and don’t allow anything else into this space unless that’s where it belongs.
7. Consider installing overhead racks. You may have objects that you don’t use regularly but that you don’t want to get rid of, such as a canoe or bicycle. Install overhead storage such as racks and hooks to allow you to keep these things up and out of the way.

The most important thing to remember is to stick to your own guidelines. If you simply toss anything into the garage without considering where it belongs and whether or not you even need to keep it, then you are destined to build up a mountain of chaos.

With a good plan and a periodic review, you can keep the garage organized. Go through the garage during your weekly cleaning of the house and make it a point to look over anything that you might not need.

Since you’re moving, the best thing to do is eliminate all of the old stuff that you don’t need before you move into the new location. Plan out what you want to store and how you want to store it in the new garage before you even get there.

All businesses are legally required to ensure health and safety in the workplace. That’s as true for offices as it is for factories or building sites- while sitting at a desk may not seem like a very dangerous thing to do, working long hours at a poorly set up workstation can cause long term back and shoulder problems, recurring strain injury (RSI) or carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrists and hands.

So, every office should have occupational health and safety guidelines in place, and do what they can to make the working environment ergonomic (comfortable and healthy to use). But what about freelance workers and consultants? When they’re moving an office there’s nobody to say how equipment should be set up.

Many freelancers work hours just as long as those who put in a 9 to 5 day, if not longer. They may have greater freedom to fit those hours around family and other commitments but work still has to be done.

If you regularly work from home it’s crucially important to set up your working space in a way that facilitates good posture and prevents overuse injuries from occurring. RSI, back pain, and carpal tunnel aren’t just uncomfortable and inconvenient- they can put a serious crimp in your ability to work and your ability to meet deadlines.

Let’s start with the chair. The height should be adjustable. Ideally, it should be set so that your feet sit flat on the floor and your upper and lower legs form a right angle. This will relax the spine into a natural sitting posture. The desk is the next part of the puzzle. If possible it should be adjustable too. The computer keyboard and mouse should sit low down (some desks have a special shelf) to allow the forearms to lie horizontal when working.

The monitor (screen) should sit higher up, with the top near or just below eye level. Too low and you’ll slump to look at it, too high and you’ll soon get a crick in the neck from looking upwards. Avoid working long for long stretches at a laptop or tablet computing device, as it’s impossible to get the keyboard and monitor far enough apart for long-term comfort. If you do need to do a lot of work on a laptop consider buying an external keyboard.

The office should have ample storage space and it shouldn’t necessarily be right next to the computer. Being forced to stand up and cross the room to get a file may be thought of as an inconvenience, but actually anything that forces you to take a tiny break every hour or so should be welcomed. Stand up, stretch, and go and get what you need.

Cramped workspaces are almost never comfortable. If there is too much stuff in your office, consider moving to storage or to other parts of the house.

If you do experience discomfort while working don’t just accept it as a part of life. Moving an office around and adjusting the furniture doesn’t have to take long and a few tweaks can make a huge difference.

Liquids can cause serious problems when you’re moving an office or a home. Just imagine the devastation half a gallon of water could cause if it was spilt in the back of a mover’s truck on a long trip. Artworks could be ruined, documents soaked, fabrics stained, and wooden furniture irreparably discolored, swollen, and even spilt- the combination of dampness and heat is always a killer and trucks do get very hot.

So, where do these liquids hide out? A bottle of water is easy to spot and remove from the storage & moving pile, but there are other less obvious fluids to watch out for.

The number one source of troublesome fluids is batteries. Small AAA to D cells aren’t a problem unless they get broken or crushed, but many bigger batteries often contain liquid sulfuric acid. If they get bumped or tipped over, that acid can get spilt. At best it will stain and at worst, battery acid can cause burns. It’s also poisonous.

If you are packing spare boat, car, or motorcycle batteries, make sure they’re inside a well-sealed plastic tub. Big batteries should also be kept in an upright position at all times. Pad the inside of the box with balls of old newspaper and label it clearly.

All bathrooms contain wet items most of the time. The last thing you want when moving is a pile of wet sponges, damp towels, and a soaked bath mat so as soon as you’ve completed your morning shower routine, make sure all sponges are wrung out and all towels, shower curtains, and bath mats are spread out to dry.

You can always bag damp towels and clothing into a double layer of plastic but this should be avoided if possible. Any damp fabric left sealed up in a warm environment for more than a few hours will start to smell, and if your wet stuff isn’t unpacked for a couple of days or more it’ll really stink.

The kitchen is another place fluids are commonly found. When packing pasta sauce or wine in glass bottles, pad them well and then put a plastic bag over the top just in case of breakage. Remember that half-empty bottles are easier to break than full ones, so consider throwing out any leftovers or giving them to neighbors instead of taking them with you.

House plants should be watered before moving- it helps them cope with heat and other stresses. Once watered, place the pot in a plastic shopping bag and tie the handles around the plant stem. Add a second bag and tape it around the stem to make a good seal.

If you’re moving to storage for a month or more, almost any liquid- even half an inch of plain old tap water in the bottom of a vase- can go stagnant and start to smell awful, so it pays to make doubly sure there are no liquids hidden away in boxes and packages headed for a storage unit.

When moving into a new home, it is common that you will treat yourself (or receive) a new plant.  But which  indoor plants are best for your environment? Do you suffer from plant allergies? How much and what kind of light is available? What schedule do you have? How ‘green’ is your thumb? How much room do you have for your plants?

Allergies

If you suffer from allergies, you may want to avoid blossoming plants. They all naturally produce pollen, which any allergy sufferer can tell you exacerbates congestion, sneezing and watery eyes—all uncomfortable conditions. Stick to leafy plants that don’t blossom or don’t blossom much at all. None is better, though.

Light

Plants that need direct sunlight won’t flourish with even abundant indirect sunlight. Make sure you have the space available where you need it for the type of plant you place in any location in your home. The converse is true for plants that love indirect light: Don’t place them in direct sunlight, for they will not survive the heat and the UV rays.

Space

You can fill a larger space with either a larger plant or lots of smaller plants, but don’t try to place your indoor tree in a four-inch cubbyhole. You have to provide not only the sunlight it needs but proper air flow and “growing room.”

Accessibility counts just as much. Be sure to allow you enough space to turn the plant periodically as well, by turning the container, not the trunk. You also have to be able to water it properly without tossing a bucketful of water in its direction and hope you don’t flood the carpet or flooring.

If you like vines, allow them to grow appropriately. Once the “arms” grow to a sufficient length, you can carefully pinch off the end just beyond—on the outside—of a growth bud. Your ivy or vine will stop its outward growth pattern and become lusher and fuller, but allow draping or staking for a bit of length. It’s natural for the plant type.

Personal Schedule

If you lead a busy lifestyle or are away from home a lot, don’t choose indoor plants that need a lot of care. Despite your best intentions and prior planning, even good friends can forget or become unavailable for caring for your plants.

If you like plants in your home but just don’t have the time, consider silk plants instead of live ones. Silk plants look more realistic than many plants, but they require nothing but an occasional dusting.

Silk plants work well for allergy sufferers, too.

Purpose

If you have no other purpose for your house plants other than to decorate in a way you like, choose your houseplants to preference and the above criteria. If you want to have your plants help clean the air in your home, you might want to consider specific options.

Flowering plants, such as the gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums are reported to remove many toxins from the air. Philodendron, the spider plant and golden pothos are reputed to be excellent air scrubbers for formaldehyde and similar toxins.

All living plants help increase oxygen and decrease carbon dioxide, the gas humans and animals exhale. So after your NYC movers are finished with the job, head over to the nearest nursery and pick up some plants.

Guest bio: Written by Sara Woods @ Coupon Croc, visit us for a Debenhams discount code to save on home decor, furniture, and more household purchases.

When it’s hot outside, there are some extra things to consider when moving an office or a home. In most cases the heat is easier to deal with than winter snow and sleet, but here are a few tips to make sure a summer move goes smoothly:

-Open up doors and windows or turn on the air conditioning before long distance movers arrive. Carting all your boxes outside is going to be hot work, so giving them a cool indoor environment to work in will make the task much less strenuous.

-Having a disposable jug full of cold water in the refrigerator (if it’s not coming with you) is also great. A modern one will keep things cold long after it has been turned off, so you don’t have to delay that, and staying hydrated in the heat is very important. If the refrigerator is coming with you, just add plenty of ice to the jug and leave it on the counter with some paper or plastic cups. The packers and movers will thank you, and you might enjoy a cool drink yourself!

-Remember to close all windows before leaving. It may be too hot to work with them closed, but the next occupant will thank you for sealing the place up tight.

-Wear loose, breathable clothing on moving day. This will help you stay cool and comfortable. However, sandals and open-toed shoes should be avoided for safety reasons. They may be hot but a good pair of boots will protect your feet from stubbed toes and injuries caused by dropped boxes and furniture.

-Even the newest moving trucks used by long distance movers can get very warm in summer- far warmer than the outside temperature. Sensitive electronics like laptops and tablet computing devices don’t like the heat, and they can be seriously damaged. If the weather is going to be hot ask your moving company about the ventilation in their trucks. You might want to take some electronic items with you or arrange alternative shipping.

-If you are taking any plants they will need to be sealed up in plastic, but make sure they are well watered before being packed up. Otherwise the heat may be too much for them.

-When packing up your clothing, make sure that at least one complete change of clothing is easily accessible, even if you’re not moving more than an hour away. If it’s a warm day you will almost certainly arrive hot and sweaty. A change of clothes may be very welcome. You might also like a cool shower, so keep a towel and toiletries handy.

-If you’re moving a long way, the weather might be very different at your destination. Have a look at the weather forecast for your new home and get an idea what summer temperatures are usually like. If it’s going to be hotter you might want to invest in extra lightweight summer blankets and sheets, for example. On the other hand, it might be raining there. Check the forecast and be prepared for the most likely weather conditions.

It might not be the most romantic subject in the world, but finding a new home or even moving an office can tug at the heartstrings. The old place probably saw some good times and some bad times, and now you’re moving on to new pastures. The idea of turning away from the old and embracing an unknown future is one that brings up emotions in all of us.

We know a lot about the ins and outs of storage and moving, but not so much about emotion and poetry, so our feelings about the idea of moving are better expressed by other people. Here are a few of our all-time favorite moving quotes. Some are about moving home, some are about changing the world and moving forward to a brighter future, and some are about moving on from love and building a new life.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

“Life is life a bicycle. To keep you balance you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

“How do geese know when to fly to the sun?
Who tells them the seasons?
How do we, humans know when it is time to move on?
As with the migrant birds, so surely with us,
there is a voice within if only we would listen to it,
that tells us certainly when to go forth into the unknown.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.” - Elbert Hubbard

“The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.”- George Eliot

“It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.” - Theodore Roosevelt

“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.” – Ronald Reagan

“Celebrate endings for they precede new beginnings.” - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

“Part of being a winner is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to give up the fight and walk away, and move on to something that’s more productive.” – Donald Trump

“God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.” - Reinhold Niebuhr

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Suess

” ‘Cos I’m moving on up. You’re moving on out.
Movin’ on up. Nothing can stop me.
Moving on up. You’re moving on out.
Time to break free. Nothing can stop me,
Yeah.” – M People, ‘Moving on up’

Of all our clever speaker and writers, Walt Disney might have said it best: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

????????Moving to a new home can provide a wonderful sense of starting over. It is not difficult, however, for your relocation to turn into a mind numbing experience of hassles, frustration, and mental fatigue. Below are some guidelines to follow to help make moving as simple an experience as possible.

Prepare to move

The old scouting adage is as good advice as ever before, “Be Prepared!” When moving, be sure to get a hold of a large black sharpie marker. This is your new best friend, and will help you mark boxes quickly and effectively. When marking boxes, be sure to write the contents of the box on multiple sides, as many boxes are jigsawed in place. This allows you to know the box contents, no matter where they are stored on the truck. Also, consider marking what room the box should go to. This will help the boxes be moved to the correct room on the first trip, and minimize “rogue” boxes.

While you can always buy your moving boxes, try asking around for them first. It is not uncommon for a friend of a friend to have leftover boxes, or work for some company that throws boxes away daily. Get creative, and you might save yourself a few dollars.

Also, once you know your moving date, tell your friends immediately! Giving them plenty of advance notice will help them to save the date, and this can be a tremendous help to you in your move. A job that would take a couple of movers all day to finish can take a dozen people only an hour or less. If you have friends in the new area, or if you attend some sort of worship group, consider contacting them to see if they are available to help you move in. You never know until you ask.

Storing clothing

When you store your clothing, make sure that everything has been properly laundered and folded. Consider having a laundry day the week of moving to put away all the clothes that you won’t need until you get to your new home. This also would be a great time to store seasonal clothes that you won’t be wearing for a while. For the seasonal clothing, if your moving to an area that has moths, add some cedar balls to the boxes to repel moths from infesting and laying eggs in them.

Moving furniture

If the moving truck didn’t come standard with a dolly (also known as a hand truck), this should be a priority item. This is a useful tool in home removals. It eases the moving of heavy objects, like washers and dryers. It is also very helpful during furniture removals.

Furniture removals are the most backbreaking part of the move. This is where all those friends you contacted in advance are going to be the most useful. Sometimes it is helpful to take the dimensions of each object and write them on a post it note that is attached to each piece of furniture. Also, covering furniture items in blankets can help protect against scuffs and scrapes both while in the truck and when maneuvering around the house during furniture removals. Place the boxes in first, the furniture on next, and then any miscellaneous objects on top. This rule of thumb should help prevent against items being crushed in transit.

Guest Bio: Kori is the owner of a furniture removals company in Sydney and he started writing articles to help people with useful information.