From your friends at: For A

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1 From your friends at: For A

2 Table of Contents Cover: The Ultimate Guide for a Successful Move Table of Contents Meet the Authors: Holly Rhoades & Mallory Hatten Two Months Before Moving Day Two Months Before Moving Day (Cont.) One Month Before Moving Day One Week Before Moving Day One Week Before Moving Day (Cont.) On Moving Day (Before the Move) On Moving Day (After the Move) Your Moving Checklist Your Moving Checklist (Cont.) Moving, Minus the Hassle FAQs & Our Services Connect with Garrett s & Request a FREE Quote

3 Content By: Holly Rhoades Content Strategist Design By: Mallory Hatten Content Strategist What are your top 3 favorite foods? Thai Food. Frozen Yogurt. Fried Chicken. Where would you most like to live? My own private island. How do you spend your free time? Planning adventures, local & not so local. Name one thing on your bucket list. See the Aurora Borealis. What are your top 3 favorite foods? Sushi. Mashed Potatoes. Cherries. Where would you most like to live? Ireland or Nashville, Tennessee. How do you spend your free time? Exploring the DFW Area. Name one thing on your bucket list. Watching the Miami Heat play live!

4 Two Months Before Moving Day Start Collecting Boxes 1 Everyone underestimates how much stuff they have. And as a result, they don t get enough boxes and end up scrambling for extras at the last minute. If that happens, you re probably going to spend a lot of extra money you didn t have to. Fortunately, you ll be able to get your boxes for free if you start early. Try asking friends and family if they have any extra boxes to give. Local businesses often have extra boxes to spare. Your best bet may be the Craigslist free board, where you can find people giving away boxes nearly every day. Moving Tip: If you don t have time to gather boxes this way, try U-Haul. They have a 100% Buy- Back guarantee, where they promise to repurchase any boxes you didn t use. Begin Packing Non-Essential Items The good thing about getting boxes early is that you can start packing early! There s no getting around the fact that packing is time-consuming. If you can do as much as possible beforehand, you ll save yourself a lot of stress. Some things you can pack this early include out-of-season clothing, decorations, and anything else you can think of that you probably won t use in the next two months. 2 Give Away Things You Don t Need 3 Moving is an opportunity to clean house and get rid of the stuff you don t really need. Make sure to do this early, so you ll have time to go through everything (you ll be surprised by the vast amount of things you really have!) A general rule of thumb is if you haven t used it in a year, you may want to consider donating it to Goodwill or selling it on Ebay. Moving Tip: Getting rid of extra stuff will help you save money on your move, as your moving company will charge you less to move less. Page 4

5 Choose A Mover (If You Need To) 4 Decide on your moving method early to ensure enough time to get estimates and think about your options. Here are the pros and cons of each way to move. Page 5 Pros & Cons DIY (U-Haul, Pickup Truck, etc.) In our experience, while any of these three ways of moving will probably work if you are just moving a short distance, a full service moving company is definitely a must if you are moving long distance. Questions To Ask A Mover If you do end up going with a full service mover, asking friends and family and looking at reputable review sites like Angie s List are the best ways to locate good ones. Once you ve found a few, contact them and ask for a quote. For smaller moves, a phone estimate may be all you need, but larger moves often require an in-home estimate. Be sure to ask your mover these questions at the very least: How long has your company been in business? What type of insurance is available? Can I have references from past customers? Is your company licensed for interstate moves (for long distance moves)? How do you protect furniture and valuables when packing? Is your pricing by the hour, number of movers, or weight? How do you determine the price of a move? What is included in a price quote and what would you consider extra services? What is your cancellation policy? Pros Most affordable option in most cases Good for local moves where you can drive a smaller truck back and forth Can be done on your own schedule, at your own pace Cons Driving a larger truck sometimes requires a special permit Long distance moves put your highvalue and fragile items at risk No option to purchase moving insurance Physically demanding Storage Containers (PODS, etc.) Pros Can pack on your own schedule Someone else will drive your stuff Cons Like DIY moves, protection against packing-related damages is not available Packing yourself still leaves high-value and fragile items at risk Full Service Moving Company Pros Completely customized to your needs Moving insurance is available to protect your belongings Best for long distance moves where you need a large truck Least physically demanding option Cons Most expensive option Research is necessary to ensure you pick a reputable mover

6 One Month Before Moving Day Let Everyone Know You Are Changing Addresses 1 We have all gone to our mailbox and found letters and magazine subscriptions addressed to the old tenant. Don t let this happen to you! Be sure to let everyone, including your post office, bank, publications you subscribe to, and insurance and credit card companies know that you are changing addresses. That way, your house s new tenant won t have to be stuck reading your subscription to Cute Baby Cats Magazine (we promise we won t tell anyone). You can get the address change form from the US Postal Service here. Turn On The Lights Getting your utilities changed over is an often overlooked step in the moving process. No one wants to come home to their new house only to find you can t have a glass of water or turn on the AC (especially if you plan to move in the summer. Yikes!) Be sure to contact all your utility, cable, phone, and internet providers and arrange to get everything switched to your new address. This might also be a good time to shop around and see if you can save some money by switching companies. 2 3 Keep On Packing At 4 weeks before the move, it s a good idea to pack everything you possibly can. You have a lot more stuff than you realize, so unless there is just no way you can live without it for a month, pack it! Don t forget to be labeling each box as you are packing so you can actually find your things when it s time to unpack. The Container Store makes a great set of color-coded packing labels that correspond to each room. Page 6

7 One Week Before Moving Day Clean Out The Fridge The last thing you want is for it to be moving day and have a fridge full of uneaten food. A week or two before the move, try not to buy too many groceries and focus on eating the stuff you have. You might also want to get some disposable silverware and pack your actual silverware early. If there is food you want to bring, buy a cooler so it will make it to your new home without turning into mush. However, bringing liquids of any kind is NOT recommended. 1 2 Prepare A 24-Hour Box Moving day is going to be tiring, so you probably won t feel like digging through all your boxes that night. Pack a box or two with the essentials you ll need for the first couple of days until you get settled in. You also want to keep some moving supplies on hand just in case. Take this box in the car with you for easy access. Some things to include in this box are: Scissors, tape, packing supplies Disposable silverware and paper towels Dish soap and trash bags Toiletries Prescriptions and pain relievers My 24-Hour Box Flashlight, light bulbs, and hammers Phonebooks, pencils and paper Page 7

8 Page 8 Quick Tip: These Five Items Can t Be Moved By Movers! Nail Polish Remover In order to get all that nail polish off your fingers, acetone is added, which is an extremely flammable chemical. Be sure to check your (or your wife s) makeup box to ensure that none is getting put in the truck. Plants Plants are very fragile, and one shifting box can mean the difference between a plant that survives the journey and one that is crushed. Also, plants can also carry bugs that can spread around the truck and damage your belongings. Liquid Cleaning Supplies Moving cleaning supplies can be problematic because they often leak during transport. The changing altitudes and temperatures during the move cause the containers to expand and contract, often leading to cracks and leaks. Opened Food Products Perishable food items can spoil in transit, not to mention attract bugs that may infiltrate and damage your other items. Empty Propane Cans Even if a propane can is empty residue can still remain, leaving the possibility for an explosion. Dispose of your cans before the move, or take them in your vehicle. If It Can Flame, Throw It Away Flammables, aerosols, bleach, corrosives, ammunition, or plastic spray bottles should NOT go on the moving truck. If you don t want to take them with you in the car, throw them out. Disassemble Furniture Make sure all furniture that needs disassembling gets taken apart so the movers can wrap it and get it in the truck more efficiently. This includes things such as mirrors taken off dressers, headboards unbolted, and washers and dryers disconnected. This will save both you and the mover time on moving day. Confirm Arrangements With A Mover Call your mover to confirm their arrival time. You may also want to discuss where the movers will be parking so you will have your driveway all ready for the movers to pull up

9 On Moving Day (Before the Move) Review Your Paperwork When your moving company arrives, go over all your paperwork with the crew chief or head mover to make sure everything is correct. Your paperwork will include: Bill of Lading (contains pricing and delivery dates) Original Estimate Order for Service Mover s Inventory Be sure to go over each of these line by line and make sure all the dates, services requested, valuation insurance, and dollar amounts are identical to those that were on your original estimate before signing. 1 Inspect Furniture With Your Mover 2 Be sure to stay with your mover as he inspects each piece of furniture and prepares an inventory sheet. This is to make sure you both agree on the condition of the furniture in the event you need to file an insurance claim after the move. After the mover has completed his inspections, review the inventory sheet thoroughly. Do A Final Walk Through After everything has been loaded, be sure to walk through your house one last time and make sure nothing has been left behind. Some places where things can easily be forgotten are cupboards, closets, and the outside. If you are moving far away, it is very expensive for forgotten items to be shipped later Provide Phone Numbers It is vital that you and your movers are available to communicate while your goods are in transit. Exchange phone numbers with the moving crew and make sure the movers have the exact address of your new home (seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at the little things one can forget in the midst of all the action!) Page 9

10 On Moving Day (After the Move) Inspect Your Furniture 1 After the movers have unloaded all the large furniture, inspect it to make sure nothing was damaged during the move. If you believe something was damaged, let your movers know immediately so you can file an insurance claim. This is unlikely, but accidents do happen from time to time, so choosing a mover with a good insurance policy is important. Arrange Large Pieces Of Furniture Arranging the living and dining room furniture right away can help to establish a sense of normalcy in your new surroundings. If you are moving with kids or pets, they might have some difficulty adjusting, and setting up furniture is a good first step in making this strange new place feel a little more like home. It s a good idea to have a rough idea of how you want your furniture laid out before you move. To avoid the extra work of re-arranging a room multiple times, try using a layout tool such as this one from Pottery Barn that lets you enter the dimensions of your room and virtually test out different furniture layouts. 2 3 Make Sure Utilities Are Working It s easy to forget how important basic utilities are until we reach for a glass of water and the faucet is dry. Make sure your water and electricity is working as soon as you arrive so you can contact the utility company to switch it on if needed. Only the bravest of the brave would try spending a night without electricity in the Dallas heat, so do this to make sure your first night home is not in a hotel room. Get Some Takeout And Hit The Sack After all you ve done today, don t even think about cooking and get some takeout, 24 you ve earned it! Being well-rested will make the next few days of unpacking go by a lot easier. Page 10

11 Your Moving Checklist TWO MONTHS BEFORE Decide the best moving option for you Choose a storage facility if needed Start packing non-essential items Start an inventory list Collect boxes and packing materials Giveaway unwanted items Create a moving plan for fragile or antique items Decide how you ll arrange furniture at the new location ONE MONTH BEFORE Schedule connection/disconnection of utilities at new location (Phone, Internet, Cable, Water, Garbage, Gas, Electric) Switch mail subscriptions to new address Switch/cancel local accounts of any kind, if moving far away Notify credit card and insurance companies about the new address Fill out a change of address form Let everyone important know that you are switching addresses (Friends, Family, Employers, Other) Page 11

12 Page 12 ONE WEEK BEFORE Clean fridge of unwanted food Dispose of flammable items Prepare a 24-hour box Confirm arrangements with mover Confirm moving of pets, if needed Take apart any furniture you can safely do yourself; Check for damages Arrange to take off work for the move Pack items you ll move by yourself ON MOVING DAY Review your paperwork with the moving company (Bill of Landing, Original Estimate, Order for Service, Mover s Inventory) Moving Day And Beyond Check for damages while unpacking - know the deadline for filing claims Begin unpacking, starting with essential items such as bathroom and kitchen supplies Makes sure you have copies of your new keys If applicable, schedule a time to get a new driver s license Update your home inventory, if you have one. If you don t, consider making one to ease the process of future moves Locate important services such as doctors, dentists, etc. Congratulate yourself on a job well done Inspect furniture with your mover Do a final walk-through of the home Provide movers with a phone number where you can be reached Leave the new residents your contact info to forward any mail

13 Moving, Minus the Hassle Thanks for reading Garrett s guide to a smoother move! From our 20+ years in the moving business, we ve seen that moving = chaos for many families. When a move happens, the familiarity and routine of everyday life turns into stress with all the odds and ends that need to get done. Why? Most of us seriously underestimate the amount of time it takes to pull off a move. There are a lot of little things we tend to forget about, such as switching the electricity. Before you know it, all those little things add up to one big headache. But it doesn t have to be that way. You only need one thing to ensure that your move isn t a disaster a plan. And that s what this handy little guide is a complete plan to make sure you get everything done right on schedule, from choosing a mover to unpacking the last box on moving day. If you have further questions about moving, please give our office a call at We ll be happy to help with anything moving related. Page 13

14 Page 14 FAQs What We Offer How much does a move with Garrett s cost? This is a question with no definite answer. The cost of a move is dependent on many factors: amount of time, weight, distance, and manpower involved. Garrett s Moving and Storage is proud to offer the most competitive rates in the industry. The best option to find out the price of your move is to contact us for a free estimate. Do you do long-distance moves? Garrett s specializes in long-distance moves both to and from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, originating or ending anywhere in the country. So whether you are moving from Dallas to New York, New York to Dallas, or anywhere in between, we ve got you covered. Will my belongings be insured while they are being moved? Most moving companies insure your items at a rate of $.60 per pound, but Garrett s insures your belongings at a 50/50 split. For example, if a 400 pound, $1000 desk was damaged, the typical moving company would pay you $240 (400 times $.60). Garrett s Moving and Storage would pay $500, half the value of the item. Where is the storage facility located? Garrett s storage facility is conveniently located near the intersection of Northwest Highway and 635/LBJ Freeway. Residential Let Garrett s take the weight off your shoulders and handle your entire residential moving experience so you can focus on what s really important, this transition in your life. High Rise Moves Garrett s has extensive experience in these types of moves so you can be assured your items will arrive to their new location in perfect condition. Estate Moves Our crew is trained to pack and crate furniture, artwork, antiques and other items of an estate. You can count on Garrett s to make sure each piece makes it to its new owners in perfect condition. Emergency/Short Notice Moves Just like our regular moving services, we offer both local and long-distance moves both to and from Dallas, as well as the same great service and care for your possessions. Senior Moves Garrett s friendly crew strives to make the moving process as worry-free and comfortable as possible. We will treat you and your belongings with respect. Single Piece Moves Many moving companies refuse to do single piece moves, but the team at Garrett s is more than willing to provide this service for your convenience. Specialty Moves Our premium packing process and attention to detail ensures that your items will make it to their new destination in perfect condition.

15 Thanks for downloading this ebook! We hope you found it helpful. You might also enjoy... 3 Reasons to Avoid Packing in One Day Moving Last Minute? Tips From Our Dallas Same Day Movers 5 Seemingly Innocent Items Your Movers Can t Pack GET A FREE MOVING QUOTE! Connect with us on social media!