Tag: movers

Tips For Labeling Moving Boxes

Posted on by brandt

During a move, the easiest way to keep track of your things is by labeling moving boxes. Olympia Moving & Storage has some tips on the most efficient ways to label.

Moving can be an exciting time. You’ve found a new home, a place to make new memories. Then comes the draining part: packing and labeling all of your boxes. Whether you purchased boxes online or from a moving company, your boxes will need some type of labeling system for transport between residences. How are you going to tell which box has your first night supplies and which box has your high school yearbooks? We have some tips for labeling your boxes so you can find your belongings easily during the move process.

To begin, you will need a pack of at least five permanent markers, preferably in different colors; clear and colored tape; and labels. The markers should be permanent and waterproof, if you can find them. Weather is unpredictable, and you don’t want your label to become illegible due to rain or normal wear and tear.  

You will want labels on at least two adjacent sides of the box, and one on top. It’s going to be easier to unpack or store boxes if you can see what is in it from at least one angle.

Use the same color for all boxes going to the same room, such as red for kitchen or brown for living room. Write the main things on each label, such as books, power cords or place settings. If you have colored tape to correspond with the markers, use the tape as an additional way to easily identify the box’s room by taping the corners of your box. Use clear tape over the labels to add another means of security to the marker. The clear tape will prevent water from getting on the label and block rips and tears. A great resource is to download Olympia’s free printable moving box labels which are color-coded and labeled by room and include an area to write a short inventory.

If you are packing a box of fragile items, make sure it is labeled “FRAGILE” on each side in marker or a fragile label sticker, with THIS END UP written near the top of the box.

You should also make sure to pack and label a First Night box filled with the essentials you will need right away.  Read our blog post for a checklist of items to put in this box.

Another great tip is to use a numbering system to easily find items and identify that all your boxes have been delivered safely.  Write a large number on your boxes or packing labels, then create a chart with each box number, the room it belongs in, and a brief description of its contents.  

Finally, make delivery smoother for your movers by taping a label next to bedroom doors and other rooms that might be easily confused.  You may know which bedroom is little Sally’s and which room is the library vs. the family room, but the movers won’t. Use the same colored marker, tape, or label on the sign as on the box to make it easily identifiable as well.

If you need help packing and labeling your belongings, Olympia Moving & Storage offers several packing plans from full or partial home to fragile items. You may reach Olympia at 800-222-4744 or request an estimate online.

The First Steps to Organize a Pack to Move

Posted on by Nicole Longo

When you start to pack your home it can be overwhelming. It is hard to know where to start. To minimize the chance of losing something the best thing to do is take a step back and plan. The key to success for the steps leading up to move in day is organization. Here are some tips on how to execute a smooth pack from the start.

1. Walk around the house with a pad of paper and pen and make a plan on what rooms you’re going to pack first. The office full of stuff you haven’t touched in a few months could be first, and maybe the kid’s room one of the last. Prior to packing it is essential to have a solid plan.

2. Acquire packing materials before you dive in to packing. Olympia has excellent packing materials available for purchase & delivery. Click here to order.

3. Learn how to pack using Olympia’s “How to Pack” video series. In these videos Olympia’s training manager, John, demonstrates how to pack even the most fragile items to arrive at your new home safely and in one piece. Click here to view them now.

4. Pack one room at a time. While this sounds like an obvious solution, it is crucial for when you move in to your new house. You will have boxes labeled by room and you’ll be able to find things quickly. If you’re really feeling organized keep a running list of what is going inside the boxes and place it on top. Utilize Olympia’s free printable box labels to help keep organized.

5. Pack the most important items separately: When you’re in the process of packing it is hard to gage what you will and will not need. To be safe, make a separate box of all of these things and label it “IMPORTANT” for now put everything you might need in there, from laptop cords, TV cords, remotes, headphones, and passports. If you may need it, put it in there for now. Learn more about packing what you need right away in our blog about the “First Night Box.”

If you don’t want to pack at all, no worries! Ask about a quote for Olympia’s full-packing services by calling 800-222-4744 or request a quote online.

How to Recycle or Repurpose Your Moving Boxes

Posted on by brandt

After moving and settling into your new home, there are always going to be those empty cardboard boxes left over. Olympia Moving & Storage has some ideas for how you can reuse or recycle these used boxes.

So you’ve finally moved and began the process of unpacking your life in your new home. Soon everything is going to have its place in your new space, but what to do with the moving boxes you painstakingly collected for weeks or even months? Inexpensive boxes can be hard to come by, but you probably won’t want to keep them after your move. The most eco-friendly way to dispose of your boxes is to reuse or recycle them.

Give boxes to a friend. Do you have a friend or relative that’s close and moving soon? Save them time and money and gift any boxes that are up to another move. The boxes will be out of your home and you’ll save your friend the hassle of finding their own boxes.

Use boxes for storage. You’ll still need storage in your new home. You can continue to use moving boxes as storage in closets and basements, or even on shelves or in corners with some redecorating. You can use fabric or colored paper to make the boxes more aesthetically pleasing.  Yes – really!  Check out this DIY.

Sell boxes. If you want to try to profit off your materials, you can try selling moving boxes and other packing materials on a variety of websites. Just keep in mind that this could be more of a headache than it’s worth: demand could be low, and people may be unwilling to pay even a small amount of money for used boxes. Some good sites for selling used boxes include:

Recycle your packing materials. Any boxes that have been damaged in the moving process will ultimately need to be recycled. If you visit your town’s website, there should be a link about how your town handles recycling, and what can and cannot be recycled. You will need to break down the boxes before recycling them, in order to make them easier to transport. Oftentimes, they can be left in your regular recycling bin on pickup days. If you live in an apartment complex, you may have a specific cardboard recycling bin. You should contact your local recycling service to be sure of the specific requirements for your area.

Schedule a debris pickup.  If all else fails, an easy solution is to schedule a debris pickup with your moving company.  Many moving companies will come by your home to pick up the used boxes for recycling for a small fee.

To order moving boxes or to schedule a debris pickup, you can contact Olympia Moving & Storage at 800-222-4744. Just starting to plan your move?  Request an estimate online.

Olympia Donates Logistics to Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games for the Fifth Year

Posted on by olympiamoving

Olympia’s volunteerism at Special Olympics Summer games has become cemented in Olympia culture as an annual tradition. This June marked the fifth year of Olympia’s partnership with the organization, with Summer Games as the hallmark event for Olympia’s work with athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The event requires the donation of over 350 man-hours from our crew to transport equipment, move athletes in and out of their weekend accommodations, manage luggage, and break down the event. The Olympia team always looks forward to this opportunity to meet the athletes and play a small role in making their biggest competition of the year a success.

Our team assists in the whole week leading up to the games, picking up the equipment, food, and supplies for the competition.

The excitement then truly begins the day of the Game’s opening ceremonies, when the athletes arrive at the event.  They are greeted by the Olympia Movers, who valet their luggage to their dorms.

Between competitions, Olympia’s “Are You Stronger Than An Olympia Mover?” hi-striker game has becoming a big hit with the athletes and their families – an impressive number have proved their strength by hitting the bell!

Loading the move-out luggage on to the truck

The weekend concludes with event break-down (including extremely heavy gymnastics equipment!) athlete-move out, luggage sorting, and delivering the luggage to families as they depart for home. We love asking athletes to show us their well-earned medals from the weekend!

We’re looking forward to participating in Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games next year and for many years to come!

To learn more about our year-round partnership with Special Olympics, visit http://www.olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

What Not to Pack When Moving

Posted on by olympiamoving

The benefit of working with the moving company is not having to worry about transporting your items. However, from liability, convenience, and peace of mind standpoint, there are several items that you should transport to your new home in your own vehicle. While you’re packing, place these items and boxes in a separate part of your house to ensure the movers don’t load them into the truck by accident. You can even ask your movers to load these items into your own car or vehicle for you.

The essentials for your first night

After a long day of moving, there is nothing worse than opening all your boxes to find your bed sheets, phone charger, and toilet paper. We highly recommend packing a first night box, full of things you will need to during the first few days in your new home. These items might include:

  • Clothes
  • Toiletries
  • Linens
  • Electronics & chargers
  • Keys

Click here to read our blog on the first night box and download and handy checklist to help you pack it.

Hazardous items that are illegal to ship on a moving truck

For the safety of your shipment, there are several items that are illegal to move on our moving trucks. These items are flammable or combustible, so they cannot be moved on the truck as a safety precaution to prevent fires. Other items, such as cleaning agents and bleach, are both flammable and if they leak they could potentially ruin your furniture on the shipment. Be sure to discard these items before your move or move them in your own vehicle.

  • Aerosol cans regardless of content
  • Heating agents such as Sterno
  • Nail polish/remover
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Any type of gas in bottles or tanks including propane or oxygen (we can move lawnmowers etc. if the gas tank is empty)
  • Paints, varnishes, solvents, thinners and oils
  • Ammonia, bleach and other household cleaning agents
  • Chlorine granules or powder
  • Muriatic acid (also called hydrochloric acid)
  • Auto batteries
  • Charcoal/lighter fluid
  • Matches and lighters
  • Ammunition
  • Fireworks & flares
  • Fertilizer
  • Any other combustible product

Valuables, medication, and important documents

Although the crew is trustworthy and careful, we recommend transporting your small valuables and irreplaceable items as well as items that contain personal information in your own vehicle. Also remember to pack items that you may need during the course of your move, such as medication, closing documents, and laptops, to take on your own. Items that should not be moved on the truck include:

  • Valuable Jewelry
  • Cash, gift cards, and checkbooks
  • Guns and firearms
  • Valuable furs
  • Hard-to-replace documents such as birth & death certificates, marriage certificates, deeds and other important documents
  • Documents you may need for your closing
  • Laptops or computer hard drives
  • Social security cards
  • Insurance policies
  • Ashes
  • Passports
  • Stocks, bonds, and securities
  • Valuable collections such as wine or stamps or coins
  • Family photos and videos
  • Small heirlooms

Also, don’t forget, any items that are moved on the truck that exceed a value of $5,000 should be noted on a Declaration of Extraordinary Value form.

Perishable items

If you are doing a multi-day or long-distance move, there are many items that should not be moved on the truck because they may be ruined in transit due to temperature changes on the truck. These items include:

  • Frozen/refrigerated food
  • Plants and potted trees
  • Open non-perishable food items
  • Wine (click here for our blog on wine transport alternatives)

Transporting these items on your own will go a long way in preventing issues and ensuring you have a smooth relocation. If  you ever have any questions about what can or cannot be moved, you can ask your relocation coordinator.

You may also be interested in:

Infographic to help you plan a painless Boston move

Posted on by olympiamoving
DOWNLOAD this Boston move planning infographic!

DOWNLOAD Washington DC version

DOWNLOAD Philadelphia version

While May marks the transition to summer, for many Boston-area families, May also means it is time to start planning a move. May is National Moving Month, or the beginning of moving season. About 35 million Americans will move this year, about 11% of the population, and nearly a third of the those moves will occur during the summer. This is especially true in New England, where relocation is heavily influenced by weather and school schedules.

Local Boston moving companies, such as Olympia Moving & Storage, see a tremendous increase in moving requests beginning in May. Moving season in Boston runs from May through September, with the most moves occurring the last week in August, when the students return, and the last week of June, just after school finishes. Boston families planning a move to avoid those weeks if possible, to avoid increased hassle and higher costs.

Olympia Moving & Storage uses National Moving Month as an opportunity to educate local consumers about the relocation process. In honor of National Moving Month, Olympia Moving created a handy infographic to help Greater-Boston families plan their move. Olympia designed the infographic to help consumers find a mover they can trust, as well as take the mystery out of the planning process.

With the right moving company, good communication, and proper planning, the move will go smoothly and your family will be enjoying their new home in no time.

Planning a vehicle relocation with your move: Advice from ReloTrans

Posted on by olympiamoving

If you are moving interstate, you may require the help of more than just a moving company to complete your relocation. If you are flying to your new home, or only able to drive one of multiple cars, you may need to include vehicle transportation services in your move planning.

We asked our partners at ReloTrans®, a leading, independent provider of vehicle and specialty transportation services, focused exclusively on managed relocation, to share some advice with our customers who are need to plan a vehicle relocation with their move. With more than 14 years of experience in transportation, ReloTrans® had few tips for those embarking on a move and for those on the corporate side selecting third party service providers.

What’s a common mistake families make when planning a car transportation?

Vehicle transportation is very different from the process of shipping the family’s household goods and that is one of the most important distinctions that needs to be understood from the onset.

For household goods, the family’s items are typically on the truck alone or one of maybe two shipments, so the pick-up and delivery dates are more easily defined. With vehicle transportation the family’s car or cars are one/two of many on a car carrier, so the driver must make numerous stops both for pick-up and for delivery along the way. Because of this, it’s important, and we stress this with the transferees that we work with, to note that the car carrier is not going directly from point A to point B; they’re not going directly from the family’s existing home to their new one. Helping the transferee understand the spreads (range of dates) for pick-up and especially delivery are key.

One of the other major keys for a transferee to understand is that most often vehicles are being moved in an open air truck, or car carrier, whereas household goods are moved in an enclosed truck. This presents two additional differences that transferees need to understand.

  1. Because household goods trucks are contained, they can often get into tighter areas where car carriers cannot due to the risk of damaging the vehicles on the top row of the car carrier.
  2. Vehicles traveling on an open air car carrier are exposed to the elements, such as rain, road dust, etc., so it’s important to remind the transferee that their vehicle will likely need to be washed once it’s delivered.

Finally, and this is one that we review with every transferee, is the restriction that they cannot place items in their car for shipment. We’re often asked about this and it’s due to insurance regulations, but personal items, sporting goods, food, plants, etc., cannot be shipped in the vehicle. All household goods items must be shipped through the household goods carrier or carried on person during the final move trip.

How does ReloTrans utilize technology to differentiate ourselves from other transportation companies?

ReloTrans has a proprietary, cloud based, eTrans™ technology solution that provides all transferees with unprecedented real-time access to their comprehensive move data. Through eTrans, transferees have the ability to complete a pre-move assessment, check on the status of their move, track their vehicle, reach their Relocation Coordinator, and check the status of a claim.

Leveraging eTrans and our one-to-one counseling we tailor our experience to each transferee, based on their individual communication preferences. During our initial conversation with the transferee, we ask them about their communication preferences (telephone, email, SMS text messaging) and we align our process with those preferences. If they prefer more than one, then we make that happen. As a service based business, specializing in relocation, we understand that communication is key and we’ve invested in tools and training to ensure that ours is best-in-class.

ReloTrans works with a lot of moving companies, what are some qualities families should look for in a mover?

The moving industry is more competitive than ever today and there are many companies offering low cost, discount services. Buyer beware, because like many things, you may be getting what you pay for. Our best advice for anyone looking for a mover or transportation service is to do your research.

  • Conduct online research.
  • Did they come recommended? If not, seek out recommendations.
  • Review any and all estimates in detail.
  • Speak with them either on the phone or in person.
  • Ask about their communications processes, their support, insurance, and online tracking resources.

Responsiveness, attention to detail and excellent follow through on commitments are all qualities we pride ourselves on ReloTrans. There are many companies competing for relocation business these days, but not all of them are willing to put forth the customer service that makes a difference during this important and what could potentially turn into a stressful time in a relocating family’s life.

You can learn more about ReloTrans at http://relotrans.com 

Ready to plan your move with vehicle transport? Request a free moving estimate and select “car transport” under additional services.

Creating the Most Successful Yard Sale Possible

Posted on by brandt

If you plan on moving you will be going through every last item that has been put away in your house for years. Whether you are downsizing and need to get rid of stuff or just realized how much extra “crap” you have lying around, a yard sale is a great way to declutter your belongings while also making a couple extra dollars. To ensure you have a successful yard sale you do need to plan a little ahead of time. Follow these tips to make sure your yard sale is a home run!

Preparing For The Yard Sale

Pick a Date: Your first step is to decide which day you want to hold your event. If you plan ahead of time you can even pick the best season to hold your yard sale. We suggest starting Saturday mornings and during the spring time. The earlier you start, the bigger the crowd you’ll get, as people are usually busier later in the day.

Gather Your Goods: Go through every room in your house and pick out things you don’t want or haven’t used in months. Be sure to even go through closets, attics, basements and garages. Even if you don’t want something, there are plenty of other people that would pay money for it. The worst case scenario is people won’t buy something.

Permits: Many towns now require that you have a permit in order to have a yard sale. If you’re not sure, then double check with the city or town hall to find out if you need one. If you try to have a yard sale without a required permit you can get shut down and fined.

Great printable signs at cul-de-sac cool

Advertising Your Yard Sale

The more people you get to your yard sale, the more you will sell. The better you advertise and people know about it, the more people that will show up.

Make & Place Yard Sale Signs: Most towns have laws prohibiting posting yard sale signs. Checking in with a clerk at your local police station will tell you what you are allowed and not allowed to do. If you are allowed to make signs then make sure they are easy to read from a passing car. Write “Yard Sale” or “Garage Sale” in large letters with your address and an arrow pointing to your house.

Online: The internet has become a critical advertising tool that all yard salers should utilize. People are using websites to look for Yard Sales in your area and you don’t want to miss out. When posting an ad online be sure to include dates, starting time and your address. If the site allows it, then also take some pictures of your hottest items to spark people’s interest. Some places online you can advertise include:

Preparing for the Sale

Cute ways to arrange displays at your yard sale (Via Good Housekeeping)

Now that you have your yard sale date picked out and people are going to stop by, it’s time to prepare for the showing.

Sort Items: In order to give your yard sale some organization and order, try placing similar items together.

Pricing Items: As a general rule of thumb, price items a quarter or third of what they would cost new. There are certainly exceptions to this rule, but at least it gives you a starting point.

Display & Ambiance: Make sure that your yard sale is easily visible from the road as catching people’s attention is crucial. Another tip to catch the eye of people is to place some of your more interesting items towards the end of the driveway. You can lure previously uninterested people if the see a handful of things that would make it worthwhile.

There is surely more that goes into a yard sale but hitting these main points will get your Yard Sale off to a great start.

After the Yard Sale

After your sale there will surely be things left behind. If you can’t give items away to friends and family hold off on throwing everything out.

Check out our blog posts on charities that will pick up furniture donations in Washington D.C. and Boston. You can also check out this furniture disposal directory from Wayfair.

You can also try listing & selling your leftover items on these websites and apps:

Done decluttering and ready to get moving? Contact us for a free moving estimate from Boston, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.

Olympia Moving & Storage Launches New Website

Posted on by olympiamoving

Just in time for moving season, Olympia Moving & Storage is so excited to re-launch their website; olympiamoving.com

The Olympia team worked on the new website for almost a year, and it is their most major website upgrade yet. As almost all our customers utilize the Olympia website to plan their move, get moving estimates, and learn more about this Boston-based moving company, Olympia wanted to overhaul and streamline the entire online experience for their clients.

The new website features:

  • A sleek, modern design that’s equally beautiful and functional on mobile devices. This was essential, as more and more of our clients are now planning their move on their phone.
  • Simplified navigation, designed to guide clients through the site to plan a move customized to their needs.
  • A complete content rewrite, clarifying and eliminating fluff to ensure that all the pages are valuable and setting the table for a transparent, guided moving experience for our clients.
  • Olympia’s industry-famous Move Planning Center has a new look and more content than ever, including a new How to Pack video series, easy access to The Olympia Move Portal (where clients can track and manage their move online), and address change tools.

This website launch is only the first phase to the changes coming to olympiamoving.com, with a new commercial website and online estimate experience coming later this year.

Special Olympics Team USA Departs for World Games With Help From Olympia Moving & Storage

Posted on by olympiamoving
Victor & Nick of Olympia Moving & Storage welcome the Special Olympics World Games athletes at the airport

Over the weekend, athletes with intellectual disabilities from all over the country flew to Washington DC for final preparations for their most anticipated event of the year: World Winter Games Austria 2017. The athletes have been training all year to complete in one of the biggest sporting events in the world, featuring 2700 athletes from 107 countries.

Upon arrival in Washington DC, Special Olympics Team USA was greeted by the professional movers of Olympia Moving & Storage, a leading Washington DC moving company. The Olympia Movers welcomed the team as they arrived and loaded their sports equipment for transportation and storage while they were in DC.

On Monday, the Olympia Moving truck filled with the athletes’ equipment joined the police escort to transport to Dulles airport for their departure to Austria in style. Cheerleaders, fans with signs, law enforcement, and the Olympia Movers were all there to cheer for Special Olympics Team USA and wish them luck at the Games.

This logistics donation was just one part of Olympia Moving & Storage’s sponsorship of Special Olympics. This is the Washington DC moving company’s fifth year donating services to the Virginia and Massachusetts teams for fund-raising events, sports competitions, office moves, and more.

“Through our work with Special Olympics, our team has seen firsthand what focus and dedication can accomplish” says Michael Gilmartin, Founder & CEO of Olympia Moving & Storage. “Our crew loves the opportunities to meet these athletes, and we were excited to play a small role in sending these athletes to compete on the world stage.”

Ellen Head, Director of Development for Special Olympics Virginia, who helped coordinate athlete send off said “Thank you to our long time Dulles Plane Pull partner Olympia Moving & Storage for helping Special Olympics USA get ready to head to Austria for the Special Olympics World Games 2017. You are just plain awesome!”

To learn more about Olympia’s sponsorship of Special Olympics, visit http://www.olympiamoving.com/specialolympics