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When you know a move is in your future, you may be asking how soon before moving to start packing your belongings? The answer will vary according to the size of your house, but to put it into perspective think about this…if you were to be going on vacation, would you start to pack the night before your flight or would you do these several days in advance? Chances are, you are going to pack a few days before this vacation. So, with that in mind, it would make sense that in order to move your entire house...it is going to take more than just a few days before the moving date to get packed up and ready to go!

How Soon Before Moving to Start Packing: A Timeline

The biggest tip to remember when it comes to how soon before moving to start packing is that it is never too early to start packing! The sooner that you start, the more organized the entire move can be. Plus, if you wait too long to start packing you are going to find that your stress levels are going to go through the roof!

Ideally, people start packing for their move at least four weeks prior to the moving date. However, there may be times in which you need more time than this, such as when you have a fairly large home with numerous bedrooms. Also consider that this is the time that you can get rid of items that you no longer need, which reduces how much the movers have to move for you...which is always a good thing to do before any move!

Tips to Make Packing Smoother

There are tons of tips out there about packing up your home for your move including tips on how to declutter, how to pack fragile items, and so forth. For the purpose of this though we are going to focus on the actual process and tips that can make the packing process organized and easier for you.

1. Create a packing calendar. This is more than just circling the date on the calendar for when the movers are going to be at your home. This calendar should have detailed ideas on what rooms to pack when. For example, if you were to be moving on September 27^th, maybe you put onto the calendar that on September 2^nd you will be packing up the garage.
2. Always start packing those areas of your home that are not used as much first. You will find that this will allow you to start earlier, and you are not going to feel the pain of having items packed up that you still need to use. With this being said, the kitchen and bathroom are those areas that need to be packed closer to your moving date.
3. Make sure that you have all the packing supplies on hand so you don’t have to stop to get more of these supplies. Start with a variety of boxes, packing tape, labels, packing paper, and markers.

For those who know that they want to move in the near future, be sure to call American Moving & Storage for all your moving and storage needs. Plus, we offer free quotes, have great reviews from real customers, and are ready to get to work for you!

If you are gearing up for a move, you are going to find that there are tons of services out there to help with this move. One of the biggest decisions to make is whether to hire full-time movers or hire a contractor? The best option is full-time movers.

Why Full Time Movers Are Better?

You will find that there are several contractors out there that offer tons of services, including moving. They may state that they do it all from packing and moving to installing a new floor in your home or even painting a home. But, do you want someone who states that they can do your move, or work with professional movers that are moving experts?

With professional movers here at American Moving, you are going to get:

1. A dedicated person to handle the entire move, even when you call for a quote, someone will be assigned to your file to ensure that everything is handled as it should be.
2. A certain number of movers will be sent on the day of your move to ensure that this move gets handled in a timely manner. The number of movers will be based on the size of your move.
3. We are insured and licensed to move people in and around the state of Colorado, outside the state and even handle overseas moves.
4. We have years of experience in moving residential and commercial properties with amazing ratings from those who have worked with us.
5. We have all the equipment to move your items with thought, ease, and professionalism.

All of these aspects add up to full-time movers being the better option for your move when compared to contractors who may not have the years of experience or the licensing and insurance that is needed.

What Could Happen By Choosing Contractors?

There are several things that could happen to your move if you decide to go with a contractor or through those websites that offer helpers for a day when it comes to moving. One of the biggest drawbacks is the amount that you have spent on this moving helper. You will find that when you add in the cost of renting your own tools to help with a move, the truck, and then paying the contractor, it would have been cheaper to choose full-time movers. Secondly, if you find that items are damaged by this contractor, chances are the damage is on you.

If you are serious about moving soon and want the professionals to handle this move to make it easier and safer, then you need to call us here at American Moving. Whether you are moving down the street or several states away, we have the professionals to handle it!

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!