Month: December 2017

Moving comes with a task list so long that one of the best ways to make the process easier on yourself is to hire a professional packing company. No matter your budget, keep in mind that there are lots of options out there. You don’t even have to have your entire household packed if you don’t want it to be!

If you’re not following a specific budget, consider hiring a professional company to do the packing and unpacking for you. Most residential moving companies offer this as an add-on, so ask the moving company you’re thinking of hiring.

Before you commit to anyone, weigh your options. Think about the energy it would take to complete these tasks yourself versus the cost that comes with hiring a professional service.

Here’s what you can expect when you look into working with a professional packing service:

Home Evaluation

Packing companies want to know what they’re in for and you undoubtedly want a cost estimate. Most companies start by sending a surveyor to take a look at the details of your home. They’ll start a list of all the items you want them to handle including cupboard contents, furniture, kitchen drawers, and more. Not only is this a great way to give you feedback on your expected cost, but it also allows them to see what items need special care.

Most packing services will use the home assessment to discuss paperwork, valuables, jewelry, artwork, and other items that need to be moved in specific ways. These items are typically taken with you on moving day versus being loaded onto a truck, but the company may have other suggestions.

Comprehensive Packing Services

Full service packing companies will take the time to disassemble all furniture pieces, properly wrap them, and secure them with padding. They’ll take the time to remove pictures, frames, and paintings from the walls and roll away rugs or carpets that are coming with you. They will take care of the boxing, labeling, and placement, which is a huge weight off your shoulders.

When you’re in the initial stages of planning your move, a packing company should give you an estimated timeframe for packing and unpacking your goods. Most can do it in a day, so if you get a quote for something much longer than that, be weary. Keep in mind that the duration and cost really depend on how much stuff you have. If time is a factor and you’re in a hurry to move, the cost will go up as more movers will be needed to man the job.

Make Special Arrangements

As a courtesy to your packing service, make arrangements for babysitters and petsitters so your kids and pets are either entertained or elsewhere.

Is a packing service right for you?

Truly, this is something only you can decide. If your budget will allow for you to hire a full service packing company, we recommend it. The moving process will go that much faster and smoother.

Consider speaking to the experienced team at White Glove Movers. We’re a locally owned and operated residential moving company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We enjoy making the moving process as easy as possible for our clients. Give us a call today.

While you value many aspects of your home, it’s clear that your art collection is one of your most prized possessions. Whether you have one conversation piece or multiple sculptures, moving your art can be challenging. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to protect your pieces during your residential move.

Here are some professional tips we’d like you to know:

1. Take inventory and gather data: If you have multiple pieces in your collection, now is a good time to take an inventory if you don’t already have one. If you’re working with a professional moving company, they’ll need to know the size, weight, dimensions, material, and other important pieces of information in order to give you a proper quote. It’s also good to know how many pieces you’re moving so they can be easily accounted for in the new destination.

2. Make a photo album: You don’t have to print out the photos and make a scrapbook, but if any of the pieces sustain damage, you’ll need photographic evidence. This will make the claim filing process much easier.

3. Brush up on your insurance policy: Did you know that some homeowner insurance policies cover your items during transit? Make sure you know the level of protection your policy provides for your fine art and sculptures.

4. Consider moving insurance: Any high-end and expensive art pieces should be covered by moving insurance. There are companies that specialize in offering policies solely for moving fine art pieces, so seek them out. Once you have an appraisal, purchase the best policy for your collection. Your pieces will then be covered should loss, damage, or accidents occur.

5. Look into storage: You’ve invested in your sculptures and fine art pieces, so the last thing you want to do is ruin them during storage. Should you need to tuck your items away for a time, be sure you know what kind of conditions they should be stored in. If necessary, choose a facility that offers temperature and humidity control as well as filtered or natural lighting.

6. Study up on appraisals: High-value collections should be appraised before the moving process starts. You should know that there are two types of appraisals – current value and replacement value. Current value appraisals tell you the coverage based on the piece’s current worth whereas replacement value focuses on how much the piece costs to replace.

7. When in doubt, use crates: Paintings, sculptures, and other large pieces need to be protected during a move. Customized wooden crates are the way to go because pieces can be moved several times before they’re ever put onto the truck. Pro tip: Wooden crates also preserve the quality of your art.

8. Invest in climate control: You do have the option of renting climate-controlled vehicles for your art pieces, so why not use one? This is the best way to keep your pieces safe during your move.

As with any precious items you may be moving to your new home, it’s important to take the time to protect them. You’ve spent years investing and collecting your sculptures and fine art. Be sure they’re taken care of during your move by following these tips.

When is the best time to have an estate sale? Should it be in the spring, summer, winter, or fall?

What’s the best month?
Day of the week?
What’s the best time of day for a tag sale?

The answers to these important questions vary depending on your region, but here are some helpful pieces of information you should know before you plan your upcoming estate or tag sale.

Choosing a month

If you live in an area that has warm weather year-round, there isn’t one particular month that’s best. If you’re located in a state that gets a full blast of winter and snow, you probably want to aim for warmer temperatures.

The pros recommend April, May, June, and September for those of us who experience all four seasons. Springtime is quite popular because Mother Nature is starting to bloom again and homeowners have cabin fever. If they’ve spent time doing their spring cleaning, they might be interested in replacing some of their previous items with new ones, especially if it’s a bargain.

The next popular time is summer. In fact, did you know that the second Saturday of August is National Garage Sale Day? Third on the list is September. People love being out and about in the summer, but in the fall you’ll experience less competition from other estate or tag sales.

Choosing a day

The best day of the week to have your sale can vary depending on how much traffic you see on your street. If you’re in town and on a popular street, you’re likely to see a lot of people on Fridays, especially during lunchtime and after work. Most of your traffic will come from dealers and retired folks, which can be an advantage depending on your items.

Saturdays are always best because you’ll get traffic from dealers, retirees, and the working population. Traffic will most likely diminish on Sundays, however, since most people want to be home. Those that do show up on Sundays are either looking for discounted items or they’re diehard tag sale shoppers.

Keep this in mind: Unless your estate sale features rare and hard-to-find items, you’ll likely see the most traffic on Fridays and Saturdays.

Choosing a time

Don’t underestimate the dedication of regular estate sale shoppers. They’ll be early and ready to go. If you’re working with a professional estate sale company, they should be prepared to hand out numbers on a first-come-first-served basis. You’ll see the most people between 7:00 and 11:00 am. Unless you see a sudden upswing of people in the afternoon, generally 3:00 pm is a good time to wrap up for the day.

Summary

In the event that you’re liquidating an estate, you can’t control the time of year the sale will take place. If it’s a situation where the items and the home itself need to be sold, simply have the sale as soon as your items are ready. If you can afford to wait until a more opportune time of year, try aiming for April, May, June, or September. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about sorting, pricing, and displaying everything, consider working with a professional estate sale company that will handle all aspects of the sale, including the advertising.

When the time comes to have an estate sale, we might ask ourselves if a sale is the best way to liquidate our personal assets. There are many situations where an estate sale is appropriate such as homeowners moving, downsizing, divorce, or the death of a loved one. That being said, estate sales aren’t the right choice for everyone, so here are some points you should consider when making this decision.

You’ll get the best bang for your buck

When you trust a professional estate sale company to organize, price, and advertise the estate sale, you’ll end up with the highest possible value for your items. Professional estate sale companies have the resources and assets to determine the best prices for your items. If, on the other hand, you decide to have a garage sale or put your items on consignment, you might not get the best prices. Estate sale shoppers look for bargains but they’re more likely to expect fair, higher prices than those who come to garage sales.

You won’t have to worry about a thing

If you decide to have an estate sale company organize, advertise, and run the sale, then you won’t have to deal with it yourself. Instead of spending your days, evenings, and weekends planning, pricing, and organizing the items for the sale, you’ll be free to do whatever you want.

Number of items

One main reason homeowners decide to forgo having an estate sale is because they think they have too few items or they believe the quality of their items isn’t good. If the number of belongings you have to get rid of is giving you concern, speak with a local estate sale company. You’ll likely find a company in your area that will give you a complimentary evaluation regardless of the item count.

Does it make financial sense?

If you pursue a professional estate sale company, they’ll want to be sure holding your sale is the best choice for them. You should also determine whether or not it makes sense for you on a financial level. Speak to the company you’re considering about whether or not your home qualifies for an estate sale or if there are other liquidation options better suited to your situation. After all, you deserve to get the highest value for your situation.

You’re out-of-state

Estate sales can be tricky if you’re liquidating the assets of a parent or family member that’s out-of-state. Being concerned about scheduling and the logistics of the sale is normal in this situation. Working with out-of-state family members is something that a lot of estate sale companies are used to doing, so be sure to ask around. The company you’re considering should offer to direct traffic during the sale and act as a liaison between all parties throughout the sale and probate process.

If you’re in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area or you have a loved one near here, be sure to ask White Glove Movers your estate sale questions. We’d love to help make the estate sale process easy for you.