Loading... MacDonald Movers Tips, Advice & Events from local professional movers that specializes in all aspects of transportation / moving services, including office relocations, industrial moves, corporate relocations, trade show displays, and high value electronic equipment. How to Save Money on Your Next Move October 7, 2021 Moving can be expensive, but with a little extra effort and the right attitude you can actually save a lot. You’d be surprised how much you can save by following a few simple steps. Of course your moving costs will be greatly determined by how far you’re moving and the size of the move, but with these factors held constant, Schedule Your Move Far in Advance While it isn’t always possible, the further in advance you can plan your move the better! Not only will you get a much better estimate than a last minute move, but you’re going to be much more organized and have a better idea of what needs to be done. With more time to prepare, you can start to employ some of the other money saving strategies we’ve put together. Don’t Move Things You Don’t Want Moving is a great opportunity to purge some of the extra belongings that sit around and collect dust. If you can, plan out as much as possible of what will go where in your new living space, so you can start to envision what you really want. We all accumulate things we don’t need over the years, and if it’s been a few since your last move, it’s a good idea to take a second look and give, sell or donate the things you don’t want. This goes double for big furniture that is difficult and expensive to move. Calculate Your Entire Budget Lay out all of your moving expenses on a spreadsheet. This will include your transportation, material costs, storage if you’re using it, and any other relocation expenses. Get Moving Supplies Cheap Need boxes? Visit your local grocery, package or big box store- chances are they are throwing away a whole load of sturdy cardboard boxes from their last shipment. These stores go through so much cardboard waste every year, most will appreciate you taking it off their hands. It’s also better for the environment to re-use these boxes rather than buying new ones. Help the environment and your wallet at the same time! Hire An Affordable Moving Company Different moving companies will give you different rates, it’s not a bad idea to shop around and get a few quotes before committing to anything. MacDonald Movers is proud to offer affordable moving services to Massachusetts, New England and beyond. Get a free estimate on our website here or give us a call at 800-225-0394. Post Move Checklist October 7, 2021 Must Do Items After Your Move There’s no doubt about it, moving is a lot of work, it can take some serious amounts of time, energy, effort and even money- which can definitely wear you down, especially without the right help. And while we hate to be the bearers of bad news, the work doesn’t usually end at the end of moving day. With so much going on and so many “moving” parts, it can be hard to keep track of everything that needs to be done after the move. But have no fear, we’ve put together this checklist of post move items, so you can take a deep breath and tackle the list while your new home comes to life! Unpack It might seem obvious, but seasoned movers will tell you that they might have a few boxes in their basement that they might have never remembered to fully unpack from their last move. We’re willing to bet you purged quite a few of your belongings before the move, but now that you have everything in your new space, it’s much easier to see how everything will come together. If you’re lucky, your movers should help you unpack to an extent, but it is up to you to really place things how you want them in your new home. Set Up Utilities and Internet You’re likely to get a few days of free electricity out of your home or apartment- but don’t wait too long! Make sure to call the electricity company and gas companies to set up your new account so that you don’t get disconnected at a bad time. You’re also probably going to want the internet, and while calling the cable companies is never a good time- it’s all part of the new move checklist. Forward Your Mail & Update Your Postal Address Contact your local post office to make sure any mail that was headed to your old address can be rerouted to your new spot. As soon as you can, get in touch with the most important institutions like your bank, school, insurance, and cell carrier to let them know you’ve migrated. Get to Know Your Neighborhood Walk around your block, knock on your neighbors door. Take a drive around the neighborhood. Whether you’ve made a small move within the same city or gone across the country, it’s going to take time to get acclimated to your new space. Contact MacDonald Moving If you have a big move coming up, MacDonald Moving Services is more than happy to offer assistance. Not only is our team extremely knowledgeable and well trained to handle all types of valuables and delicate equipment, but we also own and operate our own storage units, so it’s so easy to set aside your belongings and attend to them at a later date. Give us a call at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for more information. How to Best Utilize Your Storage Unit September 13, 2021 More and more people are utilizing storage units every year to hold onto important belongings that might not have a place in their lives in that instant. Not only are they safe and climate controlled, but most people are surprised how affordable a storage unit can be these days. While they are a great tool to help make a move easier, especially when downsizing, there are plenty of other situations you might run into that will have you thinking about adding some extra space to your life. If you are considering it, we’ve put together a list on how to make the best possible use of this extra space and improve your life with less clutter. Create an Inventory Make a list of all the things you want to store away. Not only will it be crucial to make sure everything gets there in one piece, but it’s also so handy to have a list of everything you have there in case you need to pull it out later. It’s easy to think that one missing item is gone forever before remembering you safely tucked it away in storage. Use Clear Bins If you don’t already have clear bins to keep your belongings in, it’s a small investment to make for such a huge convenience factor down the line. The right clear bin will not only be highly stackable and will even further prevent your items, but the fact that they are see-through will help you locate which bin the item you’re looking for might be in! Of course, it’s still good to label each bin and have an inventory as we mentioned before, but we’ve found that a stack of clear bins can save you a lot of time for quicker pickups. Load Large Furniture First There are many reasons you’re going to want to load in the large furniture first. The first is just common sense- if you wait too long to put in the big furniture you may not have room at all, or you’ll have to move things around in an endless game of Tetris. Big furniture is also great for stacking things on top of, or in the case of a table or bench, stack things underneath. You always want to be thinking about how to best utilize vertical space as well as length and width. Contact MacDonald Moving Services One of the best ways to choose a storage solution is to go with one already managed by your moving company. We make it easy with pickups, drop-offs, and all types of climate controlled storage units. Give us a call at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for a free storage or moving quote. When Should I Start Packing for My Move September 13, 2021 If you’ve got a move coming up, you might be putting off the arduous process of packing up your belongings. You might not even be sure what you want to bring and what you might want to toss. In any case, the more time you can get on your side the better. While there are certainly some things you’ll need to wait some time to start packing, we highly recommend starting to pack early and steadily knocking sections of your belongings off the list. Two- three weeks is usually an appropriate time frame to start on a small-medium sized move. Sort Through Your Belongings Before you even start packing or moving, this is a great opportunity to take stock of everything you need to move. If you live in an apartment it may just be your own room and some added furniture. If you’re moving houses you may need to look through quite a few rooms and their respective storage. While it can sometimes be a hassle to donate or toss old belongings that aren’t important to you, it will make your move so much easier in the long run, and it will also help you create your ideal home in your new space. Keep Kitchen Necessities Unpacked You want to make sure that you are packing up the things and spaces that you use the least first. Depending on who you are, this could be anything. Perhaps you already have a fair amount of things tucked away in your closet space for the opposing season. If you’re going to be cooking for the next few weeks then you might want to pack your kitchen appliances up last, likely the day before the move. Keep Valuables Separate If you have certain items that are extremely important, such as family heirlooms, jewelry or delicate equipment, make sure to either pack them with extreme care and as much padding as possible, or pack them separately and transport them yourself. We highly recommend having a backpack with your electronics, important documents and other valuables that you can load last and unload first. Consider a Storage Unit Once you’ve sorted your belongings, you’ll know what you want to keep with you throughout the move and what you don’t. But sometimes certain belongings can fall into a third category: you might be unsure, or you might know that you want to hold onto something but don’t want it in your living space. Most people are extremely surprised by how affordable a storage unit can be, and also how easy it is to utilize one, especially if it’s already managed by your moving company. Contact MacDonald Moving Services If you have a big move coming up, MacDonald Moving Services is more than happy to offer assistance. Not only is our team extremely knowledgeable and well trained to handle all types of valuables and delicate equipment, but we also own and operate our own storage units, so it’s so easy to set aside your belongings and attend to them at a later date. Give us a call at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for more information. Summer Moving Tips July 1, 2021 Summer is a very popular time for moving, but it isn’t without its challenges. There are plenty of things that you need to keep in mind to maximize your moving ability in the heat of summer. If you’ve already taken a look at your basic moving tips for year-round movers, consider these summer specific tips that will help you get through your move on a hot summer day. Have an Emergency Bag Packed Depending on how far you’re moving, you might want one, or two extra changes of clothes with you in a backpack, along with some food & water, your wallet, any other important documents you might need. While a bag like this is great to have during a move of any season, it’s especially important to have a change of clothes in the hot weather because you might sweat through your first change of clothes. Don’t Forget Sunscreen The sun during the summer is no joke. Even when wearing clothing and hats, it’s good to protect your neck, nose, arms or any other exposed areas of your skin while you are moving things from your home to your moving vehicle. Moving is already tough, and the last thing you need is a sunburn making it tougher. Be Mindful of Your Footwear We all know that in warmer weather people like to wear sandals and even flip flops. While sandals might help you keep cool on any other day, they are not the shoes you should be wearing when you move. When carrying large furniture, sandals can get caught on chair legs or other protruding parts. They can also slip more easily when walking up and down stairs. We recommend wearing sturdy shoes such as sneakers, running shoes, or even boots are a good option. Contact MacDonald Movers For help moving in the summer, we are experts and can help you in all types of ways. We can make your summer move easier and more comfortable by taking the load off. For the best summer moving experience in New England, contact Macdonald Movers at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for a free quote. Common Moving Mistakes July 1, 2021 When you’re prepping for a move, there’s a lot going on and it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and distracted by all the moving parts. But you also want to make sure you aren’t forgetting anything important. Believe it or not, many people end up forgetting the same couple of things right before go-time, so we’ve put together a guide on the most common moving mistakes so that you can avoid them! Forget to Organize Care for Kids & Pets If you do have kids or pets as part of your household, the best thing you can do is get them out of the way while the majority of the move is happening. Especially for pets and young children, moving can stress them out when they feel there’s a major shift going on, and it can also cause them to get injured if they aren’t careful. It’s best to have a trusted friend or family member take care of them for as long as you need to get the move done. With so much going on, we can’t blame you for forgetting to plan for your kids or pets, but the last thing you want is to have to drag them with you everywhere while you’re trying to move efficiently. Forget to Organize Parking Whether you’re moving to a city or a more rural area, parking large moving vehicles can sometimes be a challenge. In a city especially, sometimes permits are necessary for larger vehicles that are using street parking for extended periods of time. These can really put a wrench in your plans, so look into parking spaces and permits before the move to save some time! Forget to Notify Services Make sure that whatever services you utilize know that you’re moving to a new location. From your bank to your phone and cable service, to your insurance, credit cards and more. These are all places you need to get in contact with in order to transfer your services over. Also remember to contact any friends or family that might be sending you mail! Hire The Wrong Moving Company One of the worst things you can do is hire the wrong moving company. While the right moving company will strive to make your life easier and ensure your belongings are protected, using the wrong movers who aren’t trusted can damage your items and cause you extra work. For the best moving experience in New England, contact Macdonald Movers at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for a free quote. Should I Use a Moving Company for My Trade Show? June 8, 2021 Trade shows are hard work, between transportation, set up, closing down and hauling all the materials back. Not to mention the actual activities of the show, promoting your products and networking with your industry. You might be wondering if it’s worth hiring extra help for all the logistics and heavy lifting so that you can focus on bringing your A-game to the trade show. With that in mind, let’s go over a few of the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a moving company. Outline Your Budget Trade shows are a great investment to expand your network, promote your products and get your name out there. That being said, as a company you should figure out exactly what you want to spend on the entire ordeal. You might find that the money you spend on the extra help moving and setting up might actually be worth it when it comes to the performance of your staff at the actual event. That energy can be spent on more worthwhile things. Manage Your Logistics Without a moving company, there are plenty of things you need to worry about when it comes to storing the materials, including your trade show booth, display and products. These things take up space and cannot always be transported in a car or even SUV. If you find that your trade show materials take up too much space, and you don’t have a way to transport them, then hiring a moving company might be in your best interest. Review Your Time Table Lack of time is the other main reason you might want to hire extra help for your trade show exhibition. Depending on how far away the show is and who is available for transportation and set up, you may just not have enough time to make it all work on your own. We can help with that department by taking responsibilities out of your hands and putting valuable time back into them. Contact MacDonald Movers If you and your company are attending a trade show in the near future, we can help. We offer many services for trade show attendees. Our full time team of drivers, dispatches and show managers will work with you to maximize the efficiency of the trade show from start to finish. For more information, give us a call at 800-225-0394 or contact us here. Tips for Moving in Boston June 8, 2021 If you find yourself needing to make a move within Boston, the distance between your old and new locations might not be so bad, but when you are moving within a city, it comes with its own challenges. Between more limited space in most urban apartments and possible challenges with transportation, we’re here to guide you through your first city move. Measure Your Space Knowing how much space you have is so important when moving within a city. When it comes to packing up your belongings, earlier is always better so you can know what size vehicle is best whether you are renting or using a moving company. It can also help you decide if you want to complete your move in multiple trips or get it done all at once. Once you know how much space you have you can also begin downsizing your belongings if need be. This will make the move much easier when you aren’t hauling things you won’t be using anyways. Line Up Your Move-In Day It’s not uncommon to have a move in for your future apartment the day after your move out day for your previous one. Especially in areas like Southie, Mission Hill, Brookline or Allston where year-long leases from September to August dominate the real estate landscape. This can be confusing because you might not have the resources to store your belongings overnight outside your apartment. In a situation like this you have a couple options. The first is to try and negotiate for an early move in or a late move out. This is the easiest option because it will allow you to keep the move to one trip, however you might not be able to confirm your early move in until the last minute, so it does make things hard to plan. Hire a Moving Company If this isn’t possible, then hiring a moving company with storage capabilities is your best option. They see issues like this all the time and can break the trip into two parts by cleaning out your old apartment and putting your items into storage, then bringing those belongings to your new place once it’s ready for your move in. Sometimes people like to extend this to avoid the hectic September 1st moving day. Contact MacDonald Movers Need to hire a moving company after all? We are experts at helping individuals and groups move into Boston. Give us a call at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for a free quote! Best Tips for Spring Cleaning May 10, 2021 The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and there’s no better opportunity to remove unwanted clutter from your living space than spring cleaning. After all, it only comes once a year, so you might as well make it count! Although spring is a busy time, the warmer weather in the Northeast makes it so much easier to get the fresh air in and the clutter out. Embrace Minimalism You’ve already seen it everywhere, from lifestyle magazines to Marie Kondo’s Netflix series, to Youtube vloggers. Now more than ever, people are embracing the functionality of their belongings rather than clinging to the consumerist value. And while it might be trendy, this less is more attitude is more than just a trend. Get Professional Help While not every spring cleaning has to be a major overhaul. If you are looking to make some bigger changes to your home, the more help you can get, the better. Depending on what type of project you’re considering, movers, junk removal services, or just some extra hired hands, will do the trick just fine. Utilize a Storage Unit Just because you’re cleaning out doesn’t mean you have to throw out. Sometimes the best option is to store things away until the right time comes around. When you know your items have value, but you don’t want to sell, or just don’t have time. But this doesn’t mean they should have to sit around your house, take up space, and distract you from what you really enjoy. A storage unit is a great way to safely and securely store your belongings so that they don’t risk damage. Sometimes having these belongings outside of your home for a little while is all you need to realize that you really don’t need them. Get a Dumpster Dumpsters come in a wide variety of sizes, and sometimes they are the easiest and quickest way to get rid of the belongings that you just know it’s time to let go of. You can easily rent a dumpster for a set amount of time, fill it up yourself and leave the rest to the waste removal company. Contact MacDonald Moving Services If you’re looking for any help with your spring cleaning, MacDonald Moving Services is here to help! Contact us to learn more about our moving & storage company in Bridgewater, MA. Call us today at 800-225-0394 or send us a message through our contact form to reach our team! How to Do a Long Distance Move May 7, 2021 Long distance moves are certainly more challenging than an average move within a city. The distance can not only be more expensive, but also stressful. Whether the move is happening under exciting or dire circumstances, it’s not made any easier by distance. For that reason here are our best tips for doing a long distance done right, with the least amount of stress possible. Be Decisive With Your Choices The fewer belongings you have on your long distance move, the easier it will be. We understand that this is an added challenge for those who own homes, have more space and are more established in their lives. As time goes on we all gain attachments, but a pile up of items means more transportation, and more money. It also means more time spent loading and unloading one truck or more. Start Packing Early While you might not always know your exact time frame when it comes to your move, the sooner you can find out, the better. Either way it never hurts to start sorting, tossing, and packing sooner rather than later. The extra time you give yourself won’t just eliminate stress, it leaves wiggle room for last minute changes. Hire The Right Moving Company Not every moving company offers moves across state lines, some simply don’t have the resources or the right help to make it work logistically, which could leave you in a situation that is less than ideal. Do your research beforehand and save yourself the trouble. While you might think a truck rental and some extra hands will be enough, things can get more complicated at longer distances, and only moving professionals really know what to expect. Store Your Belongings When you aren’t sure whether something needs to stay or go, or you simply don’t have the space for something in your new location, a storage unit is a great option for you. These units can really help take the load off and prevent you from throwing away things you might regret. Pro tip: find a storage unit that is close to your destination so it’s easy access in the future. Contact MacDonald Moving Our goal is to make your move as stress free as can be. We offer moving services across the country or across the city. Give us a call at 800-225-0394 or contact us here for a free estimate. Posts navigation 1 2 … 9 Older → Search for: RECENT POSTS How to Save Money on Your Next Move Post Move Checklist How to Best Utilize Your Storage Unit When Should I Start Packing for My Move Summer Moving Tips This website is powered by WordPress and Aries