Category: Moving Tips

Moving into a new home marks the beginning of an exciting journey, but the process itself can often be stressful and physically demanding. To ensure your move is smooth and injury-free, it’s essential to take proactive measures to prevent common moving-related injuries. Here are tips to help you safeguard your move and protect yourself and your belongings.

Understanding Common Moving Injuries

Before diving into prevention strategies, it’s important to understand the types of injuries commonly associated with moving:

• Musculoskeletal Injuries: These include strains, sprains, and fractures, often resulting from lifting heavy objects improperly or overexerting oneself.
• Cuts and Scrapes: Handling sharp objects or broken items during packing and unpacking can lead to cuts and scrapes.
• Back and Neck Injuries: Improper lifting techniques or sudden movements can strain the back and neck muscles.
• Trips and Falls: Uneven pathways, cluttered floors, or slippery surfaces can cause trips and falls, resulting in various injuries.

Prevention Strategies

Preparing Your Body

• Fitness and Strength Training: Engage in regular exercise routines to enhance muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility, reducing the risk of injuries during heavy lifting.
• Proper Nutrition: Maintain a balanced diet rich in lean proteins and stay hydrated to support muscle growth and recovery.
• Warm-Up Exercises: Before lifting heavy objects, warm up your muscles with light aerobic activities to prevent strains and sprains.

Packing Wisely

• Use Proper Packing Materials: Opt for sturdy boxes of uniform size to facilitate stacking and minimize the risk of overloading. Label boxes clearly to identify fragile items and handle them with care, especially if you plan on storing your belongings in a storage unit.
• Protective Gear: Wear gloves to shield your hands from cuts and abrasions while handling items. Utilize knee pads for added protection during kneeling tasks.

Prepping the Surroundings

• Clear Pathways: Remove obstacles and debris from walkways to prevent trips and falls. Trim outdoor vegetation that may obstruct movement during loading and unloading.
• Secure Tools and Equipment: Keep sharp objects like scissors and utility knives in designated packing areas to avoid accidental injuries. Attach slider pads to heavy furniture to ease transportation.

Moving Day Preparations

• Suitable Attire: Wear clothing that covers your skin and provides adequate protection. Sturdy shoes with good grip and ankle support are essential to prevent slips and falls.
• Protective Accessories: Equip yourself with knee pads and braces for added support during lifting tasks. Thick gloves offer protection against sharp edges and rough surfaces.

During the Move

• Proper Lifting Techniques: Bend your knees and lift with your legs rather than your back. Keep the load close to your body and avoid twisting motions to minimize strain.
• Use Moving Equipment: Employ dollies and hand trucks to transport heavy items safely and reduce physical exertion. Use padding supplies to secure fragile items during transit.

Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Move

By implementing these injury prevention strategies, you can safeguard your move and ensure a smooth transition to your new home. Remember to pace yourself, stay hydrated, and take breaks as needed to avoid overexertion. With careful preparation and attention to safety, you can protect both yourself and your belongings throughout the moving process.

Moving to a new office space can be both an exciting and daunting task. Whether your business is expanding or you’re seeking a more suitable location, careful planning and execution are crucial for a smooth transition. To ensure a successful office relocation, we’ve compiled a list of 11 essential tips. By following these guidelines, you can minimize disruption and maximize productivity during this significant change.

Create a Detailed Timeline

Start by creating a detailed timeline that outlines all the necessary tasks and deadlines for your office relocation. This will help you stay organized and ensure that important steps, such as notifying clients and suppliers, are completed in a timely manner.

Formulate a Budget

Develop a comprehensive budget that covers all aspects of the move, including packing supplies, professional movers, equipment installation, and potential renovation costs. Having a clear understanding of your financial resources will prevent any unexpected expenses from derailing your relocation plans.

Assess Your Space Requirements

Evaluate your current and future space requirements to determine the square footage, layout, and amenities your new office should have. Consider factors such as the number of employees, meeting rooms, self storage, and parking facilities to ensure a seamless transition to your new space.

Communicate with Employees

Open and transparent communication with your employees is crucial throughout the relocation process. Keep them informed about the move, address any concerns they may have, and involve them in the planning and decision-making whenever possible. This will foster a sense of inclusion and cooperation.

Hire a Reliable Moving Company

Engage a reputable moving company experienced in office relocations. Obtain multiple quotes, check references, and ensure they have proper insurance coverage. A professional moving company will handle the logistics, minimizing the risk of damage to equipment and furniture and allowing you to focus on other critical tasks.

Plan IT Infrastructure

Coordinate with your IT team or service provider to ensure a smooth transition of your technology infrastructure. Arrange for the installation and testing of internet, phone systems, and other IT essentials in your new office. Back up important data to prevent any loss or disruption during the relocation.

Update Your Business Information

Update your business information across all relevant platforms, including your website, social media profiles, and online directories. Notify clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders about your impending move, providing them with updated contact details and any temporary changes in operations.

Efficiently Pack and Label

Create a system for packing and labeling items to streamline the unpacking process. Label boxes by department or area, and include a detailed inventory list. Encourage employees to declutter their workspaces and pack personal items in advance to minimize downtime.

Coordinate with Building Management

If you’re moving into a shared office building or complex, coordinate with the building management to ensure a smooth transition. Confirm logistics such as access to elevators, loading docks, and parking areas. Understand any rules or guidelines for moving in and out of the building.

Plan for Minimal Disruption

Consider scheduling the move during off-peak hours or weekends to minimize disruption to your business operations. Allocate sufficient time for the relocation, allowing for unexpected delays. If possible, maintain a skeleton staff or arrange for remote work during the transition period.

Conduct a Post-Move Evaluation

After the move, conduct a thorough evaluation of the new office space. Assess whether the layout and functionality meet your expectations and make any necessary adjustments. Gather feedback from employees regarding their workspace needs and address any concerns promptly.

Conclusion

Relocating your office is an opportunity for growth and improvement. By following these 11 essential tips, you can ensure a successful transition to your new workspace. From meticulous planning and communication to efficient packing and post-move evaluation, each step contributes to a seamless relocation process.

A house move is a major task: you have to gather everything around your house, pack it all into boxes, and move it to your new home. To help you move everything efficiently, here are eight tips you can use to plan your house move.

1. Plan your moving budget

A budget is one of the key essentials in planning an efficient and successful house move. You do not want to end up with a tight budget in the middle of the transition and run out of budget to complete the move. For example, you may need to hire additional help for the move but if you did not plan a budget that included hiring additional help, you might not be able to afford the extra help. Devastating! 

There are a few factors to consider when estimating your budget.

• Whether you want to hire professional movers or do it on your own.
• Purchasing appropriate packing materials to avoid any damages on your items during the move.
• Travel costs – gas, food, lodging, oil change, vehicle maintenance, etc.
• Purchasing a moving insurance package for additional protection of your belongings.
• Bills due from your old home and for your new one.
• Self storage unit for temporary accommodation of items that will not fit into your new home or during the arrangement stage of your new house.
• An emergency fund for unexpected circumstances during the transition.

2. Develop a timeline or schedule for the move

Creating a timeline or schedule for your house move will help you stick to your plan and avoid procrastination. A schedule will help you coordinate your chosen dates with everyone who is involved in this transition – from the moving company that you hire, to your friends into whom you can tap if you are planning to do the move on your own.

3. Classify your things

It is imperative to sort items in your house into different categories so you can unbox and place items at your new house more easily. You can group similar items into one pile and create subcategories. For example, you can group all reading materials into one pile and sort them into subcategories such as recipe books, travel books, or business books. Once you have created subcategories, you can box them accordingly. When you move these boxes to your new home, you will have an easier time knowing where to place these boxes. For example, if a box says “recipe books”, you know that you can place the box in the kitchen. Easy peasy!

4. Keep track of inventory

Keep track of the number of categories or subcategories you have so you know the number of moving boxes you need to purchase for your move. You can also purchase additional spare moving boxes in case you miscalculate and need more moving boxes for your transition.

5. Book a moving company or truck

Once you have boxed a majority of items at your home and have a good idea of when you can move to your new place, book a moving company. Contact them and arrange a time for them to come to your house and pick up your items. If you plan to move the items yourself, you can book one of our moving trucks to help you move the items from your current home to your next place!

6. Book a storage unit

If you have items around your current house that you do not want to move to your new place right away, you can store them in a storage unit. Belongings such as bicycles, CDs, or older clothes can be stored securely in a storage unit.

There are several storage unit sizes that you can choose from for your move.

For starters, you can rent a 5×5 feet unit which is equivalent to a regular closet. If you only have a few items or documents to store, the 5×5 feet storage unit will surely suffice! If you have more items to store and need a bigger space, we have the 5×10 feet storage unit available. This storage unit size is equivalent to a walk-in closet and it is ideal for those who want store clothes and some documents or home-office supplies.

If you have even more items to store, you can rent a 5×15 feet storage unit. This storage unit size is approximately the same as a large closet and it has the capacity to store business supplies, a few pieces of furniture, sofas, chairs, chest of drawers, as well as some small items and boxes.

7. Buy moving supplies

There is a variety of supplies that you can purchase to help you ensure that your items are moved to your new home safely, and to make sure the transition process is seamless.

Here are the different types of supplies:

• Boxes of various sizes: boxes come in many sizes that will surely fit according to your needs and will ensure the protection of your fragile items from any damage as they are made of sturdy corrugated cardboard.
• Bubble wrap: this type of packaging is very reliable for your extremely fragile items such as dishware, ceramics, and electronics. Its material will protect such items against cracks or any damage during transit.
• Packing papers: this is an alternative in case a bubble wrap is not available. You may wrap those extremely fragile items in these packing papers before putting them in a box, as this can also protect against any potential damage when moving.
• Permanent or colored markers: this will help you easily label or mark each box. Labels can help you or the movers place the items in the truck according to their fragility.
• Box cutter and scissors: these tools are needed as well for easily cutting boxes and tapes.

8. Avoid return to sender scenarios

Before moving, make sure that you have updated your mailing address to avoid important mail or deliveries being returned to the sender. You need to ensure that you have contacted important people and organisations to provide your new address. For example: 

• Address change with the post office
• Online shopping accounts
• Insurance companies and bank accounts
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
• Family and friends
• Any company that sends you bills

Questions? Feel free to call us at 1.866.647.8673 or contact us online at https://www.selfstorage.ca/contact-us and our staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Looking to reserve a storage unit? Find a self storage facility near you:

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria