Tag: washington dc

Boston Moving Company and Northern Virginia Moving Company Trends 2015

Posted on by olympiamoving

Olympia Moving was proud to move thousands of happy families in 2015! We decided to take a look back at the year’s moves and dig out some interesting moving trends in the numbers.  Here are some infographics and observations on our findings:

Boston on the Move 2015 Trends by Olympia Moving & Storage2015 Boston Moving Trends

We started by taking a look at trends among the families we moved in our Boston moving company branch in Watertown, MA.

  • Boston-area families seem to be seeking warmer climates, as California, Florida, and Texas are among the top states we moved families to last year.
  • Bostonians also look to move to bigger metro areas in states such as California, Virginia, and New York.  The high number of families we move to Virginia might also be influenced by our second location in Alexandria, Virginia.
  • Most Boston-area moves occur in the summer, due to the good weather and the summer school break.  The most popular month to move is July, but due to the influence of universities and rental turnovers, the popularity of August moving days is higher than in other parts of the country.
  • Olympia Moving & Storage moved families all over the world in 2015, and 94% of our clients said they would choose us for their next relocation.

Northern Virginia on the Move 2015 Trends by Olympia Moving & Storage2015 Northern Virginia Moving Trends

We also looked at trends among families we moved in our Washington DC moving company branch in Alexandria, VA.

  • The most Northern Virginia families we moved interstate were relocating to the nearby states of the District of Columbia and Maryland.  A large number of Northern Virginia families shipped up to Boston and moved to Massachusetts.  One reason we moved so many NOVA families to the Bay State may be due to the location of our Boston branch.
  • Many Northern Virginia families also looked to escape the cold by moving to California and Florida.
  • Moving in Northern Virginia starts to pick up in April, peaking in June.

Are you moving in 2016?

If you’re looking to move from Boston or Northern Virginia to these states, or any other states, we’re looking forward to guiding you through every step of the relocation!  Get started by requesting a free, no obligation moving estimate or give us a call at 800.222.4744

Decluttering for your Washington DC Move: Furniture Donation Pickup in Washington DC

Posted on by olympiamoving

Furniture Donation PickupIf you are trying to declutter your home prior to a Washington, DC move, consider donating your old furniture instead of selling or trashing it. Not only is it better for the environment, but it is a chance to do some good. Donating furniture is easy with our list of organizations that offer furniture donation pickup in Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland.

There are plenty of good reasons to donate furniture prior to your move, including:

  • Saving money: the less items you have to move, the more inexpensive your move will be
  • Streamline the move: some of your furniture may not fit through the doorways or stairways of your new home, get rid of those items before move day to reduce stress
  • Redecorating: a new home is the perfect opportunity to get rid of the old to make way for a new home decor aesthetic
  • Simplifying: some studies show that less stuff equals greater happiness

These Washington DC area organizations make it easy with furniture donation pickup. If you live in the greater Boston area, don’t miss our list of organizations that will pickup furniture donations in Boston.

Charity-Net in support of Special Olympics Virginia

As proud supporters of Special Olympics Virginia, we recommend using Charity-Net to schedule a pickup of your gently used clothes, housewares, media, and furniture. Your items will go to Savers and Value Village Thrift Stores, and a portion of their sales will support the athletic programs and competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities. You can book your pickup online. Just enter your zip code, and you’ll be presented with a list of possible pickup dates.

A Wider Circle

This non-profit provides basic need items, education, and long-term support for those in need. They accept furniture, linens, baby items, and professional attire. All your donations will be used by someone in need within days! Fill out this form to schedule a pick up or you can drop off at their office in Silver Spring.

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia

Habitat for Humanity builds homes for people in need. Your donations got to their ReStores which raise money for the organization. They are in need of furniture, housewares, appliances, building supplies, and more. Fill out this online form to schedule a weekday pickup from your curb, driveway, or garage. You can also drop items at their Alexandria or Chantilly store Monday – Saturday.

Alive! (ALexandrians InVolved Ecumenically)

This non-profit is a collaboration of religious congregations in Alexandria, VA to provide a safety net for the needy in Alexandria. If you live in Alexandria, they will send a volunteer to pick up your furniture on Saturday mornings. Call 703-837-9300 x3 to schedule the pickup. Alive! also accepts housewares.

Support Our Veterans

This organization sells your donations and uses the funds for programs for veterans. Use their online form to schedule a pickup of your furniture, housewares, clothes, and more. Then just leave your items on your porch by 8 AM on your schedule pickup day.

Still have leftover furniture? You can also check out this furniture disposal directory from Wayfair.

For more packing tips, be sure to check out:
9 Essential Items You Shouldn’t Bring on Your Move
How to Pack Video Series
Selling Unwanted Items Before Moving

2013 Total Quality Commitment Award Winner

Posted on by olympiamoving

_KES3923_resizeOur interstate partner van line, Wheaton World Wide Moving, released the recipients of the 2013 Total Quality Commitment (TQC) Award on Wednesday. Olympia Moving is proud to announce that both our Watertown, MA and Alexandria, VA moving branches are recipients of this distinguished recognition!

Additionally, the Olympia Moving & Storage Watertown, MA branch has been singled out as one of the top 20 highest-scoring agents in the TQC program across the entire van line!

This is the 10th year that Olympia Moving has been recognized by this award. Olympia received numerous other awards from Wheaton World Wide in 2013 including their top honor, Agent of the Year.

The Total Quality Commitment Award is only given to the highest-performing agents in the van line for the following metrics in the Total Quality Commitment program:

  • Packing claim frequency
  • Packing claim dollar average
  • Hauling claim frequency
  • Hauling claim dollar average
  • Warehouse claim frequency
  • Warehouse claim dollar average
  • Safety points
  • Weight estimate accuracy
  • Customer Service Ratings

Olympia will formally receive these awards at the upcoming regional meeting.

Congrats to our crew, drivers, and staff for leading the way for the quality standards in the moving & storage industry!

You can read the full press release at this link.

Olympia Moving & Storage Awarded 2013 Wheaton Agent of the Year!

Posted on by olympiamoving

Wheaton Agent of the YearOlympia Moving & Storage is very proud and excited to be selected as Wheaton World Wide‘s Agent of the Year for 2013! This award is Wheaton’s top honor, and is only awarded once a year to one of their 220 agents. This is Olympia’s 2nd Agent of the Year win, our first win was in 2007.

This honor is truly a testament to the great progress the Olympia Moving & Storage has made in all aspects of the company, including sales growth, involvement in the community, contribution to industry improvements, and above all, the quality of service we provide our clients.

“Owner Michael Gilmartin is committed to employee training and takes a hands-on operational approach,” said Mark Kirschner, CEO of Wheaton World Wide Moving. “His active involvement has helped foster Olympia’s rapid growth and high-quality service. Michael has also served on the Wheaton Agent Advisory Council and the Advertising Committee. We’re proud to have them as an interstate partner for Wheaton World Wide Moving.”

Congratulations to our drivers, crews, sales team, support staff, and leadership team, whose hard work earned Olympia this achievement!

You can read the full press release at this link.

Olympia Place 9th in Plane Pull to Benefit Special Olympics VA!

Posted on by olympiamoving

Olympia and Plane PullAs part of our ongoing support and sponsorship, our Virginia moving crew pitched in over the weekend for the Dulles Plane Pull to benefit Special Olympics Virginia!

Olympia was proud to be the official logistics sponsor of the event. During the prior week, Olympia managed pickups and deliveries for the Plane Pull’s supplies. Our crew also helped the SOVA team with set up, and provided day-of logistics support.

Ellen Head, director of development with Special Olympics Virginia, had the following to say about the crew: “THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Your team was so helpful in so many ways and made such a positive impact on the event. All of your staff that were sent to assist or deliver throughout the week were always punctual, professional and so helpful. If I could throw you all in one big group hug, I would! THANK YOU!”

At our event sponsor booth, kids had fun exploring the inside of one of our moving trucks.

Olympia at Truck Pull

Team Olympia also participated in the Plane Pull. Our crew was able to pull a 164K lbs airplane in 6.791 seconds, earning them 9th place out of the 66 participating teams! If our crew can move a plane that fast, imagine how fast they can move a home!

Best of all, the event raised more than $226K for the Special Olympics athletes! The money will be used to provide year-round sports training and athletic competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Olympia is proud to donate money and our services to such a worthy cause.

You can learn more about Olympia’s ongoing sponsorship of Special Olympics at olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

Olympia works to renovate hotels for DC military families

Posted on by olympiamoving
Olympia at Fort Belvoir
Olympia on the job at Fort Belvoir

Olympia Moving & Storage is at it again! For the past three months our commercial movers out of Alexandria, VA have been working with a military logistics firm at Fort Myer in Arlington, VA. The project was to assist with renovating a 50 room hotel on Fort Myer.

This project has Olympia using its full menu of commercial moving services: warehousing, deliveries, installation, and debris removal.

Olympia received all of the new furniture for this project at our warehouse, and over the past several months we worked to ensure the renovation went as smoothly as possible.

Brock, a site foreman on the job, said “I have worked on similar projects across the country and Olympia has been by far the easiest to work with.  We get what we need from them when we need it and couldn’t ask for more.”

Recently, Olympia has been asked to assist with a similar but much larger project at Fort Belvoir. This project will certainly be a welcome challenge and our staff will no doubt handle it with the professionalism and competence we demonstrate on every commercial move!

Do you need help preparing for a renovation or another type of commercial move? Please feel free to contact Rob Weeks in commercial business development at [email protected] or visit this link to set up a free estimate.  We’d welcome the opportunity to discuss our services with you.

Read more about Olympia’s commercial moving experiences

PDF version of this newsletter

Fastest-Growing Washington DC Neighborhoods

Posted on by olympiamoving

Fastest growing neighborhoods Washington DCLast week we highlighted the 5 fastest-growing neighborhoods in Boston, MA.  This week we turn to the trends in our second location, Washington DC.

Population growth in Washington DC has been booming lately.  It’s estimated that since the census was conducted in 2010, Washington DC’s growth rate is higher than any other state.  Unlike many other established American cities, Washington DC seems to be on a path to healthy and brisk population increase over the next few years.  However, some neighborhoods are growing significantly faster than others.  If you’re one of many moving to the DC area in the near future, looking at the fastest-growing Washington DC neighborhoods is a great first step to finding your new home.

(All numbers refer to neighborhood cluster growth between 2000 and 2010, source)

Downtown, Chinatown, Penn Quarters, Mount Vernon Square, North Capitol Street, 58% growth

Almost 5,000 more people moved downtown, resulting in a staggering population boom.  This area also features many new institutions, business, and shops.

West End, Foggy Bottom, GWU, 38% growth

This area is booming with development, especially with many new luxury condos coming to the neighborhood.

Southeast, Navy Yard, 23% growth

The Navy Yard Southeast is seeing a lot of commercial and residential re-development including office parks, the new Nationals stadium, new Marine barracks, and more.

Howard University, Le Droit Park, Cardozo/Shaw, 20% growth

These neighborhoods are known for diverse populations, featuring Howard University and “Little Ethiopia.”

Woodland/Fort Stanton, Garfield Heights, Knox Hill, 18% growth

Long known as impoverished neighborhoods, this area is becoming one of the Southeast’s up-and-coming locations, especially with development in Garfield Heights.

Of course, after you find the perfect DC neighborhood, it’s time to find  the perfect DC mover!  Olympia Moving & Storage has a lot of experience moving our clients in all these areas!  If you’re looking to move to one of these neighborhoods, or anywhere else in the greater DC area, click here to request a free estimate!

Moving in Boston & DC Resources

Moving in or out of Alexandria ,VA

How to Get a Parking Permit