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The pictures throughout your home are treasured memories of fun times, kids as they age, older family members who may be gone from this world, and your visual family history. For this reason, learning how to properly pack your pictures is essential so that they arrive in one piece at your new location. We have a few do’s and don'ts that can help with this process so that you are not losing any of these precious memories.

The Do’s and Don’ts to Properly Pack Your Pictures

If you have read our how to on packing artwork, you will find that there are a lot of similarities between artwork and pictures. After all, both types require a bit more than throwing it in a box and hoping for the best. Here are the things that you do NOT want to do:

• Do not pack pictures to put these into storage units that are not climate controlled. You will find that heat can melt the pictures, make them stick to the glass, and ultimately ruin them.
• Do not be stingy with the packing paper...use as much as needed to help pack this.

Here are some items that you want to do when packing pictures:

• Make sure that you are using masking tape to make an X on the glass to add some protection to this frame while moving.
• Add some extra reinforcement by placing a sheet of cardboard over the glass in this picture frame for moving.
• Wrap the entire frame and picture in packing paper, then secure this around it.
• Do consider using special picture boxes that are designed to cushion the frame and picture even more.

What if you are packing loose pictures that you have not gotten around to framing or putting into a photo book? Then it changes it up a bit. You will find that loose pictures can get a lot of damage to them during a move. What we would recommend is to:

1. Take some time and place these loose pictures into a photo book. You will find that this is the safest method for moving these, as the pictures are secured in books designed to preserve these.
2. Do not place loose pictures into Ziploc bags as these pictures can easily stick together and get ruined.
3. Make sure that you have digital backups when are moving loose pictures, as accidents can happen to these delicate pieces of paper.

When you are ready to move, be sure that you have called American Moving for all your moving needs. We have professionals who can come in and pack your entire home/apartment/condo for you, and then handle the heavy lifting of moving. We are a full-service moving company meant to make your move ten times easier!

Moving is a hectic time and it can be easy to think that you should pack everything and anything for your move, however, there are tons of things that you should never pack when moving! Why are there things that you cannot pack when moving with professional movers? There are rules and laws that professional movers have to abide by when they are moving anyone. These rules are in place to ensure that everyone, including the professional movers, are safe when moving.

What Should You Never Pack When Moving?

There are several things that are on the no-pack list when you are moving. It is important to remember what these items are so that you have no surprises when it comes to your moving day.

Here is a list of 50+ items that your movers are not going to move for you, as they can be hazardous to move!

1. Paint
2. Charcoal
3. Motor oil
4. Kerosene
5. Anti-freeze
6. Fireworks
7. Solvents
8. SCUBA Tanks
9. Pool chemicals
10. Muriatic acid
11. Pesticides
12. Weedkiller
13. Nitric acid
14. Cleaning supplies
15. Batteries with acid
16. Bleach
17. Living plants
18. Guns and ammunition
19. Perishable food
20. Ammonia
21. Pets (yes, we have to include that, there are companies that transport pets for you)
22. Acids
23. Car batteries or lawnmower batteries
24. Fire extinguisher
25. Nail polish remover
26. Poisons of any kind
27. Lamp oil
28. Chemistry sets (even a kids chemistry set)
29. Matches
30. Darkroom chemicals
31. Laptops
32. Sterno
33. Fertilizer
34. Nail polish
35. Gasoline
36. Propane tanks
37. Paint thinner
38. Pain thinner
39. Aerosols
40. Lighter fluid

There are also some things that you may want to move on your own rather than letting the professionals handle this if only for your peace of mind that is not really considered dangerous. These items include:

1. Jewelry
2. Checkbooks
3. Cash
4. Financial statements
5. Keys
6. Medications
7. Cell phones
8. Tablets and other electronics
9. Medical records
10. Family heirlooms or other irreplaceable items
11. Photos
12. Airline tickets
13. Important documents like your birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.

If you have items that you question whether or not to pack for your professional movers, we are here to answer your questions. If you have booked a move with American Moving and have these types of questions, reach out to us as we want to ensure that your move is stress-free!

One of the first questions that people wonder about when they are getting ready to move is how much does it cost to move? The cost of a move is going to vary from move to move, depending upon several aspects.

What Determines the Cost of a Move

There are several aspects that can affect the cost of the move. These aspects include:

• The distance that is being traveled. Long distance moves are going to cost much more than if you were to be moving within the local area.
• The size of the home that is being moved, as a larger home often means more weight which is going to cost more.
• The time of year that you are moving. Prime moving seasons like spring and summer are often more expensive due to supply and demand, whereas fall and winter may give a better rate.
• Any additional services that you add onto the move such as professionals to come in and pack up your house or additional insurance.

How Much Does it Cost to Move?

These are just average estimations, as tons of things can make your move a bit cheaper or slightly higher than the national average. A local household move nationally averages at $1,250. Whereas a long-distance move averages $4,890.

For those who are ready to move, American Moving is here for you. We offer affordable rates for professional service that you are going to be impressed with. We take every move seriously, whether this is across the country or just right down the street. Get a free quote today!

What room should you pack first when moving? How soon should you start packing? Moving is a process and for some, it is one of the most stressful events in their lives! However, you can make it less stressful when you handle the packing portion with a well-thought-out plan.

Before we answer that question, we do suggest that you take inventory of your home. Are there items that you know that you don’t want to move with you? If so, now is the time to get rid of them whether you donate these or give them to a family member. Next, be sure you are prepared with the packing materials that you are going to need to pack your home up. These packing materials will include:

• Boxes
• Tape
• Labels
• Markers
• Packing paper
• Bubble wrap

The idea behind preparing now for the packing process is going to ensure that you are not having to stop and start while packing...which can save you tons of time!

What Room Should You Pack First When Moving?

There are two ideas when it comes to which room to start with first when packing. There is the idea that you start with the room that is used less in your home. The other school of thought is to start with the hardest room to pack. Keep in mind that the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen should be some of the last places that you pack, even if they may be the hardest!

Which is the best option for you to start with? That is entirely up to you. However, keep this in mind: if you were to start with the least used room in your home, then you may be able to start the packing process sooner. This can help you to spread out the packing so that you are not getting completely overwhelmed by your move.

For those who are still unsure of where to start packing, how to pack or they simply know that they do not have the time to pack, then American Moving is here to the rescue! We offer professional packers who can come into your home and handle all this packing for you. It is one more way that we make the entire moving process that much easier on our clients!

Moving your business to a new location is super stressful and there is a ton that goes into making this work. The importance of a business moving plan cannot be overstated it is a must-have!

How to Create a Business Moving Plan

Once you know that you are moving locations, then it is time to start planning a business moving plan. Remember, the more planned this move is, the better you will find the entire process. If you work with American Moving for your business move, you will find that we help to remove a lot of the stress of this move, including giving you guidance on the business moving plan!

1. What is your timeline?

You must know your timeline for this move. What day do you need to be out of the current space? What day can you move into your new space? Knowing these dates is going to help you determine what date you really need for the professional movers to arrive and get to work.

2. Have you designed the new space yet?

If you have seen the new space and know that this is where your business will be, have you taken the time to set out how items will be placed into this new space. This is a way to make it easier to unpack into your new office, which will help you get back to work even sooner.

3. Have you schedule the movers?

This needs to be done asap! And that is why it is mentioned in the step to plan out your timeline. The sooner you call, the better as this ensures that you get the moving date that you truly need.

4. Do you have rental items in your office?

If you have rented desks, chairs, office equipment, or the like, is this going with you or not? You will find that rental equipment is one item that may not go with you. Thus, you will need to contact who you are leasing this from and have them get this out of the way.

5. Inform employees of the move

Make sure that the employees are aware of this upcoming business move. When you inform employees, you can also make certain that they know their responsibilities for this move. For example, removing personal items from their desk before these are moved.

Extra Tips for your Business Move

For those who are making their business moving plan, be sure that you take these tips into consideration as it can make the business move that much easier!

• Be sure to set a date for when customers will be informed about this move.
• Have a date for getting new business cards, signs for the move, and even updating your website and social media sites.
• Consider having employees taking over certain aspects of the move rather than focusing on their normal business duties to make this move smoother.
• Choose a moving date that is not going to affect your business as much.

A business move is not something to take lightly. It requires a lot of planning to ensure that this is not a disaster. American Moving is here to help you with your business move so that some of the stress is moved to our shoulders!

Packing is one of those moving tasks that no one looks forward to, but is a necessity! What most people ask: How do I pack faster and efficiently? There are tons of things that people will tell you to make the packing go faster ranging from getting more organized or even playing some upbeat music to keep you moving faster! These are great tips, and we have a few more than you can add to the list to ensure you pack faster and efficiently!

1. Plan out the packing supplies that you need now!

Make sure that you plan out just what packing supplies you are going to need now. This way, when you need them, they are already at your home for you to use. This saves precious time that it would take you to go buy new supplies and stop what you are doing.

2. Purge your items.

Purge whatever it is that you do not need when moving into your new home. You will find that it is a waste of time to pack up items that you are not going to use later. Plus, if you are all about packing faster and efficiently, then packing extras of items or old items, is not helping you succeed in this goal.

3. Have a checklist for packing.

Make a checklist for packing that is going to help you stay on track, thus helping you to pack more efficiently than if you were to try to wing it. This packing checklist may include room by room items that you need to pay special attention to, or it could even be a simple way to stay on task.

4. Be sure that you are still packing items safely.

When you are trying to pack fast, you may find that you start to throw things into a box to move on to the next box. That is not the way to do this efficiently! You still need to ensure that there is sufficient padding in each box to ensure it arrives in one piece at your new location.

5. Make your boxes ready to go.

Go ahead and tape the bottom of several boxes so that you can get into the packing “zone”, rather than having to stop and get another box ready.

6. Mark out a time to pack and do only this.

It can be easy to get distracted when packing and moving. After all, you have several things going through your mind. So focus on the packing. If you find yourself needing to pack for an hour, then taking a 20-minute break, then do this. The key is to do what makes you work more efficiently!

7. Let the professionals do the packing for you.

If you truly want the packing to get done faster and efficiently, then let the professionals handle this move. American Moving has professional packers ready to come into your home and pack it up in a timely manner that will help to relieve your stress as well!