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Relocation projects are surely exciting, but in most cases, they are also very stressful, for everyone involved, houseplants included. Loading your potted plants into the cargo truck might seem simple and easy, but the hours that your precious plants spend in the dark can be really harmful for them. Fortunately, with a few easy measures you can prepare your plants for the journey and minimize their suffering – here is how:

• Prune your plants – start removing any dead leaves and branches about two weeks before the date of the move. Make sure to remove all weeds and pests as well;
• Re-pot them – transporting your plants is easier in plastic pots and the synthetic material is also more resistant to shocks than your precious clay pots;
• Proper watering is key – if you move in summer, the space where your plants will travel will probably be hot and dry and the cold, dry air that surrounds your plants during a winter move is not any better. If you move during the hot months, make sure to water all your plants on the day of the move. For a winter move, watering a couple of days before the relocation is enough;
• Find out about regulations and your mover’s preferences – the transportation of houseplant is subject to very rules, especially for interstate transport. Talk to your mover with to find out about the applicable rules in terms of packing, loading and carrying houseplants.

When you are done moving, when you have unpacked all the boxes and bags that you used for the moving process and your new place is neat and orderly, you are surely wondering what to do with your moving boxes. Many of them are probably in good condition, still useful, offering sturdiness and safety for anything that you might need to pack. The problem is that you probably have no intention to pack anything anytime soon, so the question remains: what can you do with those boxes? Here are some tips:

• Keep them – disassembled boxes can be tied together with string and kept in the garage or stacked on the top of a cupboard. Who knows, maybe you will need them in the future;
• Recycle them – if you are sure you want to get rid of the boxes, you can turn to local recycling programs that allow residents to recycle larger amounts of cardboard;
• Sell the boxes – publish some ads to sell your used boxes via your social media profiles. Many people are looking for good quality, cheap moving boxes and local moving companies like American Moving & Storage might also be interested;
• Donate your boxes – charity organizations, libraries, churches, schools and other organizations are constantly looking for spare boxes.

Winter is the most difficult period of the year in Colorado – the Centennial State is known for its harsh winters that come with heavy snowing, slippery roads and freezing weather. These conditions make relocation projects more difficult, too – if you cannot postpone the move until the weather turns warm, here is how to tackle special winter conditions:

• Be flexible – even if you have the date of the move set with your movers, you might need to postpone it if there is a snowstorm announced or the roads are blocked;
• Protect your floors – the moving process involves lots of coming and going in your old home, so it is a good idea to cover your floors with foil and cardboard to reduce the amount of cleaning you will have to do when the home is empty;
• Get the utilities in your old home turned off only on your last day – you will need water, electricity and heating during your moving day, too;
• Get the utilities in your new home up and running by the time you arrive – having heating, electrical current and running water when you get to your new location is also important. You can probably do without an internet connection and cable TV, but ideally, you should have them on your first night, too. Find some of the best help through American Moving & Storage.

The process of relocating involves packing your items at your old place, loading everything onto a truck, then unpacking your items in your new home. In most cases, the packing is done in a hurry and doing it all in a stressful way will make the unpacking process more complicated. While hiring professionals for the packing phase comes with benefits, such as ensuring that your bulky and fragile items are handled with care and in safety, hiring professional movers for the unpacking phase is equally beneficial – here is why:

• Safe moving and assembly for your furnishing items – dragging bulky and heavy pieces of furniture to their right place and assembling your furniture takes time, skill, energy and patience. Professional movers are experienced in such work, so they will probably do the job in a more efficient way than you would;
• Great help with smaller items as well – professional movers can help you put everything into place in your new home. Chances are that you not yet have many friends in your new town or city, so you can probably do with all the help that you can get, the more working hands, the faster your new place will look the way you want it to.

The peak period in the moving industry is usually between June and August – that’s when the weather is nice, the days are long and the road conditions are favourable. While finding movers in winter, spring and fall is fairly easy, if you need movers in the summer, you will need a strategic approach – here are some tips:

• Start early – be prepared to be refused by several movers before you find one of the best moving companies in Denver that can accommodate your order. Start with a little online research to find moving companies in your area, then check their reputation on online review sites and narrow your list to the ones that seem reliable;
• Start calling movers – contact the companies on your list and schedule your move. Be prepared that you will need to make quite many phone calls;
• Be flexible about the date – try to determine a period that will suit you, rather than one specific day for your move. If the mover you are talking to is not available for the best day in the acceptable period, ask them to tell you when they are available and decide whether their availability fits into your moving schedule without ruining your plans in any way.

Bubble wraps and dish packs are two of the safest, most impact resistant packaging supplies – bubble wraps are a type of foil that has small, air-filled blisters that absorb any shock or blow sustained by your package, while dish packs are boxes made from special, reinforced, impact-resistant cardboard to protect even the most fragile items. Both solutions provide superior impact protection, but they are used for packing different types of items:

• Uses of bubble wraps – irregularly shaped items, such as china figurines or statuettes, are best wrapped into bubble wrap first and placed into boxes only afterwards. The reason is simple: the irregular shape is usually associated with instability and small, protruding components that can break off easily, even without a huge blow. Bubble wraps are also great if you want to separate the items that you place into boxes, such as plates;
• Uses of dish packs – as the name suggests, dish packs are designed to accommodate dishes. Dish packs come in various sizes, so you can find the ones that will accommodate your items safely, but the best way to use them for packing multiple fragile items is to separate the items inside the box with soft cloth, pieces of cushioning foam or bubble wrap. Be sure to check out the moving services American Moving & Storage offers to have them handle your packing and move professionally.