United Van Line’s Household Moving Supply List
It is critical to have list of all the supplies you will need for a household move. United Van Lines has provided a guide to assist you in creating one for your move.
The Moving Industry’s Busiest Season: Summer
Summertime has traditionally been the busiest moving season. Longer daylight times and summer breaks for children make it a prime time for people to move. It is also a prime time for scam artists to prey on unsuspecting consumers.
The California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA) wants to make sure that consumers know how to avoid being a victim of a moving scam.
Here are some helpful tips:
- Don’t book your move on-line or over the phone without verifying that the mover has a location in your area. Drive by the location. Go in and meet the company’s personnel. Use your instincts to discern if the company’s personnel appear to be professional and trustworthy. Let your common sense guide you… but don’t stop there!
- Verify the company’s license. All movers are required by law to demonstrate their legitimacy on all their documentation.
- Verify the license number with the California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA) or the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
- Obtain written estimates for moves of three or more rooms. Legitimate movers are price competitive. Make sure the estimates are based on the same factors (i.e. move and pack; move only, etc.) If a company provides an unusually low bid… beware! The company could be illegal, or they may have made an error while estimating the move. If the latter is the case, the price will likely escalate on moving day.
- Illegal movers may charge by the cubic foot. Legal movers charge by the hour (local moves), and by weight/mileage (distance moves).
- Bandits “rip off” innocent consumers by charging exorbitant fees for extensive and unnecessary packing on items that should be pad wrapped. Furnishings should be wrapped with shrink wrap or protected with special moving blankets.
- Bandits will intimidate consumers to tip the crew. Tipping is not customary but it is accepted when the customer has received exceptional service.
*The CMSA is a nonprofit trade association representing almost 400 licensed and insured movers operating in California.
Moving into a New Home
Moving into a new house can be an exciting time. We have some expert unpacking and moving tips that will help you get settled quickly.
Call your new utility companies to set up services the day before you expect to move in. The first few days in your new home will be much more comfortable if you have electricity, water and heating or air conditioning!
Develop a plan for where you would like to have your furniture placed in the home, even if it’s a simple drawing. This will save you the trouble of moving furniture by yourself after your movers depart.
Start with a fresh palette by cleaning your new home before the movers arrive.
Be prepared to pay your driver for the moving services. Depending on the company you hire, accepted forms of payment could include cash, traveler’s check, money order, cashier’s check or even pre-payment via credit card.
If you can, have two people in the new home on move-in day. One person can make sure everything from your inventory list is unloaded and the other can tell the movers where you would like the items placed.
Check items off the inventory list as they are unloaded from the truck. If you discover that anything is missing, contact a customer service representative at the moving company right away.
Consider hiring a babysitter if you have small children in the house and put pets somewhere where they will be safe and out of the way.
(source: United Van Lines)
CMSA’s Tips for Avoiding Moving Scams
Summertime has traditionally been the busiest moving season. Longer daylight times and summer breaks for children make it a prime time for people to move. It is also a prime time for scam artists to prey on unsuspecting consumers.
The California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA) wants to make sure that consumers know how to avoid being a victim of a moving scam. Here are some helpful tips:
- Don’t book your move on-line or over the phone without verifying that the mover has a location in your area. Drive by the location. Go in and meet the company’s personnel. Use your instincts to discern if the company’s personnel appear to be professional and trustworthy. Let your common-sense guide you… but don’t stop there!
- Verify the company’s license. All movers are required by law to demonstrate their legitimacy on all their documentation.
- Verify the license number with the California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA) or the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS).
- Obtain written estimates for moves of three or more rooms. Legitimate movers are price competitive. Make sure the estimates are based on the same factors (i.e. move and pack; move only, etc.) If a company provides an unusually low bid … beware! The company could be illegal, or they may have made an error while estimating the move. If the latter is the case, the price will likely escalate on moving day.
- Illegal movers may charge by the cubic foot. Legal movers charge by the hour (local moves), and by weight/mileage (distance moves).
- Bandits “rip off” innocent consumers by charging exorbitant fees for extensive and unnecessary packing on items that should be pad wrapped. Furnishings should be wrapped with shrink wrap or protected with special moving blankets.
- Bandits will intimidate consumers to tip the crew. Tipping is not customary but it is accepted when the customer has received exceptional service.
*The CMSA is a nonprofit trade association representing over 385 licensed and insured movers operating in California.
Decluttering Before You Move
Why Declutter Before A Move?
Save money – The scale of your move will likely be quite a bit less after you declutter, which saves you money in moving supplies, equipment, and time on the clock. You might even make money by selling some of those items!
Clean less – You’re going to want to enjoy your new place as soon as possible. Transporting fewer dusty knick-knacks and household goods means you can spend more time exploring your new neighborhood and home and less time cleaning those space-taking items.
Feel organized – When you start to declutter, you may run across things you thought you misplaced or lost. Having a better grasp of where your things are as you prepare to move your belongings into your new home will make all the difference in settling in.
Gain freedom – Whether you’re moving across town or to another state, clutter can tie you down, emotionally and physically. In addition to cutting down on the logistics of your move, you’re likely to find that letting go of items you thought you couldn’t give up is quite liberating.
Start new – Unpacking fewer items makes it much easier to decorate. You can start to visualize more functional furniture placement and see each room through a fresh lens.
United Van Lines’ guide has tips on efficient ways to declutter before a move.
Suez Canal Cleared
After 6 days of blockage by a giant container ship, the tides help salvage teams clear the Suez Canal.
Packing Tips: Dishes
Moving across country or getting special china out for the holidays? These tips will help you keep your dishes safe.
- Wrap and stack plates in bundles up to four and bowls in bundles of two to three. Wrap china separately before bundling.
- Wrap glasses and mugs individually.
- Wrap the stem of a wine glass with a folded sheet of paper before wrapping in packing paper.
- Wrap items with lids, such as teapots, in paper and then wrap in additional paper creating a bundle.
- Pack items in the dish pack lined with crumpled paper, beginning with the heaviest items first. Place bundles of plates and bowls on their side. Build layers separated with cardboard and use cell packs for glasses and stemware, as well as collectibles or other breakables.
Crown is 100% CARB Compliant – Why it is important
CARB (California Air Resources Board) was established, “to promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants.” CARB enforces air quality rules and regulations. CARB regulations require a financial investment on the part of carriers and shippers alike: retrofitting trucks for compliance ranges from $10,000-$40,000 per unit. Trucks that are not compliant that enter California can experience delay and fines.
Crown’s fleets (local and interstate) are 100% compliant. We engage only CARB compliant trucks for all domestic and international goods hauling. We invest in our future and the future of California by purchasing the filtration systems on the market to reduce the diesel particulate matter impacting both our state and planet.
Furniture Reuse: Case Study
This year Virco, in alliance with Furniture Reuse Solutions and Crown Worldwide Moving & Storage, sent 2,550 surplus items (which filled five ocean containers) to Jamaica. The repurposing of these items saved dumpster costs to the three participating California schools, diverted 28 tons of landfill and provided an improved learning experience to the recipients for years to come.
Packing 101 Checklist: 13 Essential Steps to More Efficient Packing and Moving
Proper packing will save you time and frustration when it comes time to unpack your belongings.
- Start by packing out-of-season items and those things you use infrequently.
- Empty dresser drawers of breakables, perishables and prohibited items.
- Isolate and protect dangerous items like knives or skewers that might puncture or damage other items (or movers).
- Keep all pairs and components together. Place small hardware items in plastic bags and tape them securely to the equipment.
- Wind electrical cords, fastening them so they do not dangle.
- Wrap fine china, crystal and delicate items individually in clean, unprinted paper; tissue paper, towels or even facial tissue.
- Place a two- or three-inch layer of crushed paper in the bottom of every carton for cushioning. As each layer is completed, fill in empty spaces firmly with crushed paper.
- As you fill smaller boxes with delicate items, consolidate them into a single large box, filling in spaces with crushed paper.
- Avoid overloading cartons, but strive for a firm pack that will prevent items from shifting. The cover should close easily without force, but should not bend inward.
- Seal cartons tightly with tape except for those containing items listed on United’s High-Value Inventory Form. These must be left open for the van operator’s inspection.
- As you finish with each carton, list the contents on the side of the and in a special notebook. You might want to number and/or code the cartons as well.
- On the label, assign each box to a room in your new home. Tape signs on the door of each room at your destination so movers can get the cartons into the proper rooms quickly.
- Place special instructions on cartons you want movers to unpack first at destination.