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How to Help Kids and Pets Cope with the Moving Process

Moving is a frustrating experience even without the added burden of caring for young children and pets. Often, children and pets become nervous or frightened by the experience, because everything familiar is being uprooted. However, these tips from professional movers can help you ease tension, which will help you, your children, and your pets make this transition more easily.

Helping Children Cope

1. Take the Time to Explain the Move

Before you start packing and making arrangements, it’s important to take the time to explain the move to your children. They won’t understand why the move is necessary and will have many questions. It may be helpful to use toys or stuffed animals to help explain the move in a way that will set your child’s fears at ease.

2. Help Your Children Grieve

Even if you’re just moving to a new neighborhood, your child will likely have to change schools and leave old friends behind. It’s important to understand this will be an emotional experience for them. You might make a scrapbook specifically for this purpose, where you can collect photos of your children with their friends and other keepsakes. This will give them something to comfort them throughout the process.

3. Maintain the Routine

It’s also important to continue doing your normal activities as much as possible. So much will be changing for your child that trying to maintain a sense of normalcy is especially important. While it may be easier to skip game night or forgo the Friday night pizza party, going through with normal activities will help your children see that their lives won’t change as much as they fear.

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Helping Pets Adjust to the Move

1. Consistency Matters with Pets, Too

Pets may become even more agitated by the move because you can’t explain it to them. They will simply sense the heightened emotions and see you packing everything into boxes. For this reason, helping them stick to their routines can ease their fears. Keep up with the daily walks and other normal routines.

2. Limit Change

For many families, a move is a time for a fresh start, and they may use this opportunity to throw away old pet bedding and toys. This can actually upset the pet even more about the move. Hang onto those things and bring them to your new home, so your pet will have familiar things in this new and unfamiliar place. It’s also a good idea to put his bedding in a similar place. If his bedding was in the dining room in the old house, try to put it in your new home’s dining room.

3. Keep Your Pet Out of the Way

Dogs especially end up getting in the way and may get loose as movers transport boxes and furniture. For this reason, it may be a good idea to book a kennel stay for your pets. At the very least, let them stay in a kennel, while the moving truck is being loaded and unloaded. If you’re moving within the same city, it may be easier to keep the pet in the kennel until the move is complete.

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In general, making the move easier for your children and pets will make it easier for you as well. This means doing everything possible to ease their nerves and to understand that moving into an unfamiliar home will be unsettling for them. You might even choose to consult your pediatrician or veterinarian for more suggestions on easing tensions about the move in advance.

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/ Protect New Home

7 Ways to Protect Your New Home on Moving Day

Moving can be an incredibly exciting and sometimes stressful experience due to the hassle of packing, finding a way to move all of your things, and making sure they get into your new home safely without damaging the home or your belongings. There are various measures that you can take to ensure a stress-free and safe move.

1. Cover the Floors To Move Appliances

Whether your new house has carpet, wood, tile, or another flooring material, it is important to protect it from scratches, cracks, and other damage that can occur when moving furniture into the home. The best way to move a refrigerator without ruining your floors is to make sure it is covered. You can do this using carpet masking, cardboard, moving runners, or other options to cover the areas with high traffic. This can also prevent mud, dirt, and other debris from ruining the floors as you or movers move about the house.

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2. Put Protection on the Underside of Furniture Legs

Before moving the furniture into the house, use floor protectors, such as adhesive felt, leg caps, furniture pads, and other similar options. This can protect your new home’s floors from scratches, marks, and carpet holes as you slide furniture into place or set it in a temporary location. It can guard the floors in the long run as well.

3. Wrap Furniture

Wrapping couches, tables, dressers, appliances, and other larger items can protect both the furniture and house from scratches, dents and other damage as they are being carried into the house and moved into place. Bubble wrap, cardboard sheets, plastic shrink wrap, and moving blankets are all good options, and learning how to properly wrap wood, stainless steel appliances, and other items is very important.

4. Cover Walls and Other Areas

The walls, railings, corners, doorways, and other areas can be very prone to denting and scratches when carrying items through the house. This is especially the case in smaller areas, such as hallways, narrow doorways, and stairways. Use cardboard or moving blankets to cover these areas sufficiently. If taping these items to the wall, use painters’ tape or another type of gentle tape to avoid taking paint off the walls when removing it.

5. Clean the Floors and Furniture

Before moving items into your new home, clean the floors and the furniture you plan to move. Dust and debris that may be on the floor and furniture can cause scratches and dirty your new house and carpets. This can also ensure that your new home will be cleaner upon moving in, making for a more stress-free move.

6. Disassemble Furniture When Possible

If possible, disassemble furniture, such as tables, chairs, bed frames, and other items, before moving them into the new house. This makes it easier to move these items into your home while avoiding dragging furniture across the floor, causing dents in the walls, and more. On larger items that cannot be taken apart, remove small pieces, such as doorknobs and handles, to avoid having them scratch other items or get caught.

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7. Plan Ahead for Placement

Organization is key, and part of this is planning in regards to where you plan to put the furniture and boxes you are moving. This will eliminate the need to move things around the house more than necessary. According to this piano moving service, it is important to measure doorways and spaces to ensure that furniture and appliances will fit in or through the given space to prevent damage and unnecessary headaches.

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/ Pack & Move Rugs

How to Pack and Move Rugs When Relocating in 5 Easy Steps

Moving requires many hours of planning, packing and plenty of boxes. Smaller items such as books, clothing, dishes and cherished knick-knacks are lovingly bubble wrapped and carefully placed inside of boxes, but what about those awkwardly shaped items that cannot be folded and shoved into a box? Oriental and other large area rugs are often overlooked when making a major move. Since rugs are often an expensive investment, or perhaps a priceless family heirloom, you will want to take a few quick steps to prepare your rug for the big move.

Step 1: Cleaning

Before you pack away the vacuum cleaner, you will want to give your rug a thorough and meticulous cleaning. Start by running the vacuum over the entire rug, making sure to pick up any loose crumbs, dirt or hair and then spot clean any stains with a gentle cleaner and a clean rag. If your rug is fragile or valuable, it may be beneficial to hire a professional to handle the cleaning for you, if your budget allows.

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Step 2: Rolling

While rolling up a rug may sound like common sense, there is a correct process one should follow. Failure to properly roll your rug could cause irreversible creases or warps that cannot be repaired. Always roll your rug on a completely flat surface. For example, should your rug cover a staircase, move the rug onto the ground before rolling. Make sure to smooth out any creases or bumps.

Although you may assume to roll the rug with the soft design part on the inside, it is the opposite. Rolling your rug with the backing facing outward might put too much stress and strain on the backing. Since the rug will be protected with some protective, outer cover, try not to worry about getting any dirt or stains on your rug. Besides, dirt and stains can be cleaned, but damage to the backing is a much bigger problem.

Step 3: Tying

Once your rug is properly rolled, you will need to secure the roll to keep it from unraveling during your move. Twine is highly recommended, as it won’t cause too much pressure on your fragile rug. If you don’t have any twine, Cheap Movers DC recommends moving wrap or a rope as an appropriate substitute.

Step 4: Covering

It certainly wouldn’t make much sense to go through all of the steps to protect your rug, only to toss it into a dirty moving truck or the back of a vehicle. If you’re moving long distance, or your rug will be kept in storage, you will want to use a blanket or canvas cover. For local or shorter moves, a plastic cover may be used instead. The problem with leaving the plastic wrap on your rug for an extended period (or in certain extreme weather conditions) is plastic may cause condensation, which could potentially damage your cherished rug.

Step 5: Unrolling

You will want to promptly unroll your rug upon arriving at your new destination. The longer your rug remains in a rolled position, the higher the likelihood that the corners of the rug won’t cooperate and lie flat. If this should happen, don’t despair as double-sided tape may be used under the corners.

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/ Moving Supplies Boston

Best Places to Buy Moving Boxes & Supplies in Boston MA

One of the services moving companies offer is packing your belongings. However, if you choose to pack yourself, your packing must be finished the day before you move. You should only leave out items you’ll need for the night before, the day of the move, and when you arrive at your new home. Here’s what to know about packing properly.

The Number of Boxes

Determining the number of boxes that you will need to move your home’s contents can be daunting. To obtain a count of how many will be required, you have three choices: Hire a professional mover to provide an estimate, walk through your house room by room and make your calculations, or use an online moving calculator. You may also want to consider using a mobile app to help inventory your belongings to calculate the number of boxes you’ll need, in addition to helping you through the moving process.

According to this guide, when making your calculations, you will need to consider:

  • Are you a packrat, a minimalist, or somewhere in between?
  • How many rooms do you have (including basements, attics, etc.)?
  • How many people live in your home?
  • How many square feet are in each room?
  • How much pre-move decluttering do you need?
  • How much do the boxes hold?

Historically, statistics indicate it takes an average of 60 boxes for a home, or 15-20 boxes per room, in addition to some specialty boxes (wardrobe, mirror, art/paintings). However, most experts will also tell you that you’ll need more boxes than you think. Determining the square footage of each room will allow you to correlate the square footage. Using an online calculator can also be quite helpful. You may choose to rely solely on their recommendation or make it a starting point for your calculations.

Buy New Boxes

If you have items stored in an attic or basement and the boxes are ripped or can’t be adequately sealed, buy new moving boxes to replace them. Some movers will refuse to move cartons that aren’t appropriately packed and are susceptible to damage. You should use bubble wrap, packing peanuts, towels, or blankets to wrap fragile items. Instead of traditional cardboard boxes, you might want to consider purchasing more substantial plastic boxes you can repurpose for storage.

Carefully Wrap Breakables

Glassware, China, and other breakables should be wrapped in two or three layers of paper or bubble wrap. Place a layer of crinkled paper or packing peanuts in the bottom of each carton before packing. As you pack each carton, seal it securely and mark it with a black marker. It’s a good idea to have a pen and paper to make a list of what’s in each carton.

Label Your Boxes

When you’re labeling cartons, write down what the carton contains, the room it should go into, and make a notation on the box if the contents are fragile. Boxes should be numbered according to what you want to unpack first. Here are some of the best places to buy packing and moving supplies in Boston and what each of them offers.

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A Plus Moving And Storage

A Plus Moving and Storage on Summer Street provides a wide selection of moving and packing supplies to make your move easier and less stressful. A Plus will deliver your moving and packing supplies if you live within 30 miles of Boston.

A Plus Moving And Storage

48 Summer Street

Boston, MA.

(857) 540-9531

Gentle Giant Moving Services

Gentle Giant Moving Services offers Top Box, a selection of supplies for packing and moving boxes for all your needs. Moving and packing products include:

  • Moving boxes in different sizes
  • Bubble wrap
  • Packing paper and tape
  • Free delivery of boxes and supplies
  • Free pickup of used supplies
  • Full refund for boxes you don’t use

Gentle Giant Moving Services

29 Harding Street

Somerville, MA 02143

(617) 661-3333

U-Haul

U-Haul carries a full line of moving supplies that make packing your belongings and loading them much easier. Supplies include:

  • Moving boxes
  • Bags and covers
  • Tape
  • Moving blankets
  • Bubble wrap

U-Haul carries a selection of standard sized boxes for moving. They also feature specialty boxes that provide extra protection for an array of other objects including:

  • Clothing
  • Electronics
  • Kitchen items
  • Mirrors and pictures

U-Haul

985 Mass Ave

Boston, MA 02118

(617) 442-5600

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Pony Express Moving Services

Pony Express Moving Services in Jamaica Plain offers moving and packing supplies including custom sized boxes, cushioning materials like packing blankets or bubble wrap, and packing tape. If you prefer, the professional packers can wrap and pack all fragile items for you.

Pony Express Moving Services

430 Amory Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Phone: 617-983-8700

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