Month: October 2017

Once you’ve decided to make your residential move a do-it-yourself one, you’ll begin to estimate the costs and potential risks involved. Then, you’ll need to calculate how much work it will take and fully commit yourself to the idea that you’ll be the one taking care of the whole project. Once you’ve accepted the task of managing your move all on your lonesome, you’ll start to really put your decision-making skills to the test. The demand on your time will be significant, so there’s really no point in spinning your wheels for too long.

On your list of moving-related tasks will surely be securing a moving truck. Since the average person doesn’t have an ideal moving vehicle, you’ll probably be renting a moving truck. Finding one is fairly easy since there are several high-quality rental truck companies out there. The challenge is choosing the one that will fit all of your items and your budget.

To help you determine what size moving truck is best for your move, you might want to consider the following:

Selecting the right truck size

It might seem a bit obvious but choosing the right moving truck for your residential move depends on what you’ll be moving and how long it takes to get there. In order to make the correct decision regarding your rental truck, be sure to think about the following things first:

How big is your home?

Obviously, the bigger your home is the more items you’ll be moving out of it. A four-bedroom house will require a larger moving truck than to a two-bedroom apartment, so be mindful of your current space.

How many items are going with you?

Have you been paring down your items as part of your moving preparation? If you’re starting to adopt a more minimalistic lifestyle, or you’re settling into a new smaller space, you’ll want to keep that in mind when booking a truck. On average, a 16-foot moving truck is ideal for relocating a two-bedroom house.

How far are you moving?

Another factor that will determine the size of your moving truck. If your move is local, you can make several trips back and forth, so having a moving truck that will fit everything isn’t a necessity. If your moving is a far one, then you’ll want to go with a larger truck. There’s no point in paying for space you don’t need, so try to have a good gauge of volume when you choose your truck.

To give you a good perspective, here’s a list of common truck sizes:

• 10-12 feet: these trucks can usually haul a studio or a small one-bedroom apartment that don’t have large pieces of furniture or appliances.
• 14 feet: best used for one-bedroom homes and small two-bedroom apartments
• 16-17 feet: good for two-to-three bedroom apartments and homes
• 20-22 feet: ideal for large three-bedroom homes
• 24 feet: the best choice for four-bedroom homes
• 26 feet: perfect for houses with five plus bedrooms

Would you like some help moving your household? Let the professional team at White Glove Movers help you move into your new home.

Packing up and moving your household can be challenging, especially since you run the risk of harming yourself in the process. Common sense and some safety precautions will come in handy for you and your family members during the moving process. However, since many things can change due to reasons that are beyond your control, it can be tempting to try to recoup your lost time by rushing the move.

When we feel rushed we become stressed and frustrated, which can lead to cutting corners. As a result, proper safety precautions may be tossed out the window, which could lead to moving-related injuries.

Since nobody wants to take time to recover from an injury and moving-related injuries are quite common, there are many things we can do to avoid getting them in the first place. Below are some of the most common moving injuries as well as tips for avoiding them.

Back trauma

In our daily routines, many of us lift light objects with just our arms. When moving heavy objects, however, the stress is placed on the back. If the weight of the object you’re moving is more than what your muscles can handle, the chances of sustaining a back injury increase dramatically.

What you can do

The best way to prevent a moving-related back injury is to avoid lifting heavy objects altogether. It’s important that you know your own limits and whether you can handle heavy items. If you’re not deadlifting 220 in the gym, it’s probably best that you avoid picking up the living room Lazyboy.

If you do find yourself moving heavy objects, be sure to lift from the legs, not your back. Try to keep your back as straight as you can so you’re using the strength of your lower limbs for hoisting.

To be completely injury-free, consider hiring a professional residential moving company.

Muscle trauma

Though you’ve been mentally gearing up for moving day, your body hasn’t necessarily been doing the same. You’ve probably been packing non-stop and shifting things around, but you’ll likely be doing a lot of movements your body doesn’t do on a daily basis. Activities such as bending, pulling, lifting, twisting, and pushing can take their toll on the body.

To avoid muscle cramps, strains, and contusions, consider warming up before you start moving your possessions. It might seem silly since you’re not starting a workout or run, but cold muscles are more likely to sustain injuries. Start your moving day with stretching and warming exercises that will warm the body and prepare the muscles for the day ahead.

Additionally, staying hydrated will help. If you need to take a water break or just a break in general, allow yourself to do so.

If you’d like to take the stress out of moving, be sure to speak to the team at White Glove Movers. We’re a locally owned business that focuses on making the moving process as smooth and painless as possible. We’d love to help you with your residential move. Give us a call today to get started.

The kitchen is one of the most important places in your home, if not the most important. For this reason, you should unpack and organize your new kitchen before tackling any of the other rooms in your new home. To help you through this process, we’ve gathered some bits of advice that will make unpacking and organizing your new kitchen easy as pie.

Begin with an assessment

First, consider the major areas in your kitchen such as the stove, sink, fridge, and main counter where your food prep will take place. Then, take a look at your stock list to see what items you’ll be working with the most. Most of the time this list includes pots, pans, knives, cutting boards, silverware, dishes, towels, spices, and more. Those are the items you should unpack first so when it comes time for a meal in between arranging your home, you’re good to go.

Locate all of your kitchen boxes

If you’ve read our blog articles on packing, then you know to label each box. Locate all of the boxes that have your kitchen items and bring them into the new kitchen. If you can’t quite remember what you packed in each one that’s no biggie. Start opening the boxes, sort through them, and take note of what you need to sort and organize. It’s important to do this first instead of opening one box at a time because you’ll be able to tackle an area of the kitchen in one go. Make sense?

Unpack all of your kitchen stuff

Your sink and your stove are the two most used places in your kitchen. Since the sink is first, take a look at the cupboard and drawer space that surrounds it. Note how much storage space you have, what areas are closest to the sink, and at what height they are. Start locating the essential items that you use everyday and place them in the accessible storage spaces. Do this by descending order. For example, cutlery will be used daily, so put it in the drawer to the right of the sink (if you’re right-handed). Put dishtowels and cloths in the drawer below that, and perhaps your recipe books in the third drawer down.

Now that you’ve got your drawers full, use the same method for your cupboard space. Put everyday items such as plates, cups, bowls, and glasses on shelves that are eye level. You use glasses more than plates, so put them in the eye level cupboard closest to the sink. The pieces you use less often can be placed behind everyday items or on higher shelves. If you have a rack or cupboards above the stove, put your pots and pans here for convenience. Make sure to include the lids too.

As far as the cleaning supplies and toxic substances, keep the toxic stuff in higher areas. Young children don’t need access to these items, so they’re best kept high up. Things like soaps, detergents, and other cleaning agents can be stored below the sink.

Do you want some help throughout the moving process? White Glove Movers is here for you. We’re a locally owned company based out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and we enjoy helping homeowners throughout the moving process. Give us a call today to discuss your upcoming move.

While the moving process can be exciting and fun, some of the tasks you’ll come across might not be so. A lot of homeowners have trouble planning and arranging furniture in their new spaces, which can make things frustrating from the beginning. The truth is, deciding on furniture arrangements can take some time because ideally, you should get a sense of the space first. Below are some ideas you can use to make your home both comfortable and functional in every room.

Examine the space

Before you start plopping things down, take a good look at the room. If you can, remove all of the boxes from the room before you start planning. Then, visualize how the space will be used. Each room in your home should be functional in addition to beautiful. Let’s take the living room for instance. Ask yourself if it will be used as more of a family room where you’ll gather and entertain guests? If that’s the case, consider how the furniture can serve dual purposes and arrange it so.

Create rough drafts

There’s no rule that says you need to have the furniture placed in a room right away, so give yourself permission to experiment with drafts. You can create paper replicas and plan it out that way so you’re not constantly moving furniture around. To do this, pick up some plain brown paper from your local office supply store. Then, take the measurements of each piece of furniture so you can trace them onto the paper. Cut out the pieces, label them, and start arranging them on the floor.

Though it might feel like you’re simply spinning your wheels, playing around with furniture arrangement in this way will help you see how big or small a room is. It will also help you discover which pieces don’t fit as well as where the traffic patterns are.

Create a balanced look

No room in your home should have all the furniture shoved to one wall, nor should the pieces be spread out thin. Balancing heavy furniture with lighter objects and pieces is a key in creating balance within the space. Don’t be afraid to use the middle of the space to evoke a sense of depth and interest. Also, take a look at the height of your furniture pieces and create multi-levels. For example, if you have a shorter piece, place a tall one next to it or put a large print on the wall that will elongate the space. You can create balance with color. Consider including a pop of color on your beige sofa or put a colorful wall element next to your black armchair.

If you’d like some help with your upcoming move, reach out to the professional residential movers at White Glove Movers. We specialize in making the moving process an easy one and would love to help you. As a locally owned business in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we’ll make sure all of your moving needs are taken care of. Call us today.