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Moving? Get Organized!

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January is officially GO month: Get Organized!

What better time of year to get organized, and what better way to do so than by making your new year’s resolution to get organized? This is all the more important if you are planning a move in the coming months. Moving means get organized. The planning and organizing should take place months before you move. Not only do you have to get the house in tip-top shape to put on the market, but you also need to get organized so you can get the most accurate moving quote possible.

Let’s take holiday decorations, for example.  Packing them for a move takes more care than storing them for safe keeping in your attic or garage. It might be time to invest in some high quality storage boxes or Rubbermaid totes; wrap things a little better than you normally would, especially the handmade treasures from the kids or grand-kids, and be mindful of labeling things properly so you can easily find them next year.

Another hot spot for home goods pile-ups are closets. Any Realtor or Home Stager would advise tell you to get organized by thinning them out so they look bigger to prospective buyers. For example, if you haven’t worn an article of clothing in a year, chances are you won’t wear it again. Still have old, unused computer monitors and electronics equipment? Dispose of them now rather than paying to move and make room for them in your new home. If you’re not already familiar with out-reach programs in your community, now would be a good time to do some research and get educated about  what they have to offer. Shelters or “Re-Stores” are always looking for donations to fund their programs & some of them may even offer free pick-up.

Keep a lot of original boxes for electronics equipment and other household items? This is another common source of clutter. Go ahead and dispose of those boxes. As a rule of thumb, original boxes are only handy for moving if you’ve saved all the packing material inside the box. A mover can do just as good a job (and more efficient too!) packing these items in their own professional grade boxes. The only box I suggest keeping is for  your flat panel TV- those can be a little pricier for a mover to pack, especially for larger screen TV’s.

Thinking about storing things in the attic over the garage? Movers typically will not access attics with “pull-down” doors or unfinished floors for safety reasons; we don’t want anyone to get hurt or cause any damage to your home. If you need extra space, you might be better off renting a storage unit nearby. You can ask your mover to pick up anything stores somewhere other than your home on moving day!

Lastly, start thinking about the floor plan of your new home. Get organized by room so that things find their way into the right place in your new space. For example, think about a guest bedroom in your current home that doubles as an office. If your new home allows for a proper office, you might want to separate and get organized so like items are packed with like items (office stuff goes with office stuff and bedroom stuff with bedroom stuff). Post-it notes are a great tool to let your moving crew know how to label items from where they were to where they will go in your new home.

Ready. Set. GO!

For additional moving tips visit our website  www.arpinamerica.com

 

 

 

 

 

Dallas Quality Mover

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Dallas Quality Mover, Arpin America, receives the 2014 Arpin International Group Platinum Award.

Dallas, Texas (October 29, 2014) – Arpin International Group has named Dallas quality mover Arpin America as a recipient of the 2014 Platinum Quality Award. Arpin America  was honored at the Arpin Annual Agent Convention, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey in October.

“Arpin America” epitomizes the qualities we expect from all of our agents,” said David Arpin, president and CEO of Arpin Group. “Only those agents with the very best performance scores make it into this sought-after category. Winning this award is especially competitive as we continue to raise the bar for members of our Agency family year after year.”

In order to be eligible for the Platinum Quality Agent  Award, agents  must earn the highest combination of origin and destination quality scores from October 1, 2013 – September 2014.

Arpin America has been with the Arpin agency family since 2000.

About Arpin America

Since its inception in 2000, Arpin America has positioned itself as a Dallas quality mover providing the best possible moving services to a vast array of both private  and corporate clients. Family owned and operated with three locations in Dallas, Houston and New York/Connecticut , Arpin America employs only the best moving professionals and drivers to move your home or your business across town or across the country with ease.

About Arpin International Group

Arpin International Group, founded in 1989, is a world-leading licensed household goods freight forwarder, specializing in domestic and international moving for corporate, government and military customers. The company has offices in major cities throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Arpin International Group is the global arm of Arpin Group. Its sister companies include Arpin Van Lines, Creative Storage Solutions, Arpin Associates and Arpin Renewable Energy. Arpin International Group is a member of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, the International Movers Association (IAM) and the world headquarters, UK and Singapore offices are fully accredited by FIDI. For more information, visit http://www.arpinintl.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving in a Highrise

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Once upon a time I read you should live in a city, even if for a brief time, to experience all it has to offer. “A deluxe apartment in the sky” with an enviable view and all the amenities you can think of… But first things first, lets talk about moving in a highrise apartment building.

Moving in a highrise can create several distinct challenges for you and your mover. Lest we forget your new neighbors because you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

One of the first things to realize when moving in a highrise is where do you park the truck? Compare a quiet suburban street where a moving truck can park easily in front of your home to a busy downtown avenue where parking permits may be required, cars are double parked, and meters and fire hydrants prevent a truck from pulling up right in front of your new apartment building. Chances are there is a service entrance in your building or maybe even a loading dock but check with your leasing agent because it is not uncommon for there to be a restriction on the size of the moving truck.

If your moving from across country I would bet that your belongings are being transported on an eighteen wheeler which, in some instances due to city ordinances cannot even enter certain downtown areas. Movers have an answer for that, it’s called a shuttle. That’s where things are moved off the big truck and delivered  in a smaller truck (think delivery truck). These smaller trucks usually are much more accessible to service entrances and loading docks.

Now, the whole point of moving in a highrise is to be anywhere other than the ground floor, right? Lets talk elevators. Newer buildings are designed with a freight elevator to accommodate residents moving in and out. You’ll need to ask the concierge about a reservation for that elevator. Usually these reservations are given in four hour blocks of time, AM and PM. In an older building or co-op there may only be one elevator so a reservation is all the more so important. If there is no elevator let your mover know, a fourth floor walk-up may require additional men to facilitate your move in.

Another question you need to ask is if moving in a highrise building requires a certificate of insurance, abbreviated COI. Basically a COI lets the building know your mover is insured and will be liable for damage to the property. These forms are easy enough to get with some advance notice & at no additional expense to you. Usually the building will provide documentation as to who the COI needs to be addressed to.

Now about those new neighbors- Make a good impression by introducing yourself and informing them that movers will be delivering your belongings and there will be some extra traffic in the halls that day. Also, I find that brownies always do the trick!