Did you know that one in five households move to a new place every year? If you’re planning to settle down in a brand new home, you might be curious about when is the best time to do so. 

Peak moving season is typically described as the time between the months of June and August but can begin as early as April or end in late October. This timeframe is usually when college students are moving out of their dorms and apartments and potentially finding new ones. Additionally, many families with K-12-aged children want to make sure they’re fully settled in and familiar with the area by the time the new school year starts. 

The spring through fall seasons makes for a much better time to move than the winter and holiday season. Who wants to stress about major holidays and family gatherings in addition to moving or looking for long term storage? 

Moving is not going to be easy, but it doesn’t need to be a miserable time either. So many things need to be accounted for during the moving process, whether it’s hiring movers, making lists, planning ahead for utilities or schools, and closing on your house. Getting a plan in place has worked wonders for a lot of people when it comes to leaving your old home and settling into the new one. By avoiding these common moving mistakes and planning ahead, you can prepare better for the unexpected and make things run more smoothly.

At Ample Storage, we’ve been helping Northern Nevadans store their valuables since 1987 and have considered your convenience and security first. This also applies to the packing process too, because we’ve been around long enough to know what works and what doesn’t! 

1. To avoid copious amounts of stress, start packing up to a month before the move. The more you pack up ahead of the date, the easier it’ll be for you to take care of other moving details and tasks as your deadline approaches. Start by packing one room at a time, and beginning with the rooms you use the least until you get to the high-trafficked parts of your home.
2. Before the big move, stock up on supplies such as box cutters, permanent markers, packing tape, paper towels, and garbage bags. This will help you stay organized and make sure your items are packed securely.
3. Other helpful equipment to look into includes moving blankets, straps and dollies to make lifting and shifting furniture easier. Be sure to clear a path to the door and put protective covering on the walls and flooring as an easy way to prevent dents and dings.
4. Don’t overpack boxes, but make sure to prevent any large spaces if items still can fit. If a cushion is needed to protect valuables, using towels, cloths and even articles of clothing can work to fill up those spaces.
5. When packing, try to keep your items together. It’s much easier when unpacking if you keep all kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom essentials together. Be sure to either label or color code the boxes to note what rooms the items are for.
6. Works of art are a common and tricky thing to pack. Our experts suggest making an X with masking tape across the glass to not only strengthen and reinforce it, but also hold it together if it potentially shatters. Wrap the pictures in bubble wrap or paper and put them in a frame box, which is a special moving box with a piece of cardboard between each frame for a cushion. Another tip to keep in mind is to make sure not to wrap oil paintings in regular paper as it’ll stick together and smudge.
7. If you’re not working with a team of movers, getting a moving truck with a ramp is a must. Even if renting a truck without one seems like the cheapest option, the struggle with getting all the furniture up and in the truck can add hours of backbreaking labor to your move.
8. Many people feel that the most challenging part of the packing process is deciding what to keep or throw out. If it has been a prolonged period of time since you used something that can be an indicator that it might be time to sell or donate it. Be sure to ask yourself if a piece of furniture that’s on the larger side is also something that is worth moving to a new house, too.
9. One of the more important tips on packing is being able to detach yourself from any emotions or sentimental value when deciding to keep or toss an item. A popular option to get rid of things is to host a moving sale, and it’s an easy way to make money for items that are still in excellent condition.
10. With packing taking up so much time, a moving sale may not be feasible. Instead, another time saving option is to donate your items to places such as Goodwill or other thrift stores that take furniture and/or clothing. The local library may also be interested in any old books in excellent condition, too!

Here are some additional tips on moving:

• Don’t empty any dresser drawers, but instead tape them shut as a way to cut down on boxes used 

 

• Use pots to hold smaller items and wrap them in paper or bubble wrap depending on the fragility 

 

• Buy the same sizes of boxes to make loading the moving truck much easier 

 

• Keep valuables separate by packing them in different boxes and treating them with additional care

 

• Book any necessary moving services mid week as that tends to be the time of less expensive offers

 

• Wrapping up your couch in shrink wrap can help protect the leather from scuffs, holes, and scratches when loaded into the moving truck and packed tightly against everything else

 

• Pack furniture tighter than you think it needs, especially pieces with spindly or fragile legs

 

• Have suitcases or travel bags? They can store whatever’s on your shelves, in addition to any clothing or accessories

 

• Keep hydrated during the move and don’t overexert yourself

 

• Make an “open first” box to have when you get to your new place

 

• Set up internet and utilities before the move

 

• Keep clothes on their hangers 

 

• Always remember to lift boxes and furniture close to your body, and to lift with your knees, not your back 

 

• The process goes much faster when the whole family helps

 

Ample Storage is Here to Help

Downsizing when moving is important, and if you’re looking to move some items into storage until you’re ready to use them at your new home, consider using our storage services to keep them safe. Ample Storage has a variety of storage unit sizes with sizes ranging from 5x5 and 20x20. 

Free up space in the moving truck and get organized today. Our team looks forward to being a part of your new journey!

Contact Ample Storage to Learn More Today

 

Moving can be stressful and can cause some necessary things to be overlooked, but Ample Storage has offered up some Reno moving help with these 2020 moving tips. The first steps you take to start moving are the most important and are often the ones that people dread the most. You can either choose to make the move on your own or hire movers for help along the way. Either way, the steps you take in the beginning make the whole process a lot easier for everyone. 

Take Inventory

Begin by taking note of everything that you plan to move. Write down what’s most important, what’s fragile, and even label what room you want each box to go in. This will help you organize your boxes and will help you keep track of where everything is. 

Purge

Throughout this process, you may begin to realize how much unnecessary stuff you actually have. Over the years, it’s easy to accumulate a lot of things that you might not need in your new home. Getting rid of these things you don’t need anymore will ease the packing load and will cut down the time of your packing process. Donate the things you decide you don’t want to take with you on your move.

Choose What Room To Tackle First

After you have taken note of everything, it’s time to decide where you are starting the packing process. The key to this step is not moving to another room until the first room you chose is completely packed and ready. Packing can be a long process, so it’s best to start with a room that you don’t use often. This will help you keep a sense of normalcy in your most-used rooms as long as you can. You can also choose to get the most difficult things to move out of the house first! Get the big, heavy things out so you can just focus on packing the rest of the house. 

Pack In Advance

You will be surprised by how much you actually need to pack! To help with this, get the non-essentials out of the way. These are the things you won’t need to use from now until you are all settled in your new home. These items could be decorations, cooking items you don’t always use, toys and even your electronics! Get those out of the way so you just have to focus on the main things in your home.

Scheduling Movers

Packing can be very overwhelming! Getting professional help can only make your moving process smoother and take away some of your stress. Do your research on companies, compare quotes, and read reviews to make sure you are hiring the best company for your move. Then let the movers take it from there and move i! 

Reno Moving Help

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when you plan on moving. Storage units are a great way to help you keep your belongings organized and hopefully ease some of your stress. Ample Storage is here to fulfill your Reno self storage needs with the right sized unit for all of your possessions. Contact us to hear about our current specials that other Reno storage facilities are not offering!

If you’re about to embark on the adventure of moving to Reno, or you’re new to Reno and looking to get to know your new home, we’ll help get you up to speed on your Reno-related trivia.

Reno is farther west than Los Angeles

That’s right. If you’re coming from LA, have some fun with your friends and tell them you’re moving west to Reno. Los Angeles is 118.24148 degrees west longitude, and Reno is 119.78949 degrees west longitude—a difference of about 100 miles.

Reno was put on the map by failed marriages

Las Vegas might be known as the wedding capital of the world, but Reno was made famous by easy divorces. Many a disgruntled bride—some of them famous—set up camp in Reno for the required six week wait until they were eligible for residency, which meant eligible for divorce.

Reno is named for a man who…never set foot in Reno

As was common back in the mid-1800s, Reno is named for a fallen soldier. In this case, Major General Jesse Lee Reno, who, as far as anyone knows, never actually visited Reno.

Reno is fertile ground for “firsts”

Including those that go on to be widely adopted, like Levi jeans, the upside-down roller-coaster, and the first non-human (a chimpanzee named Washoe) to communicate via sign language.

In Reno, it’s 20 minutes to everywhere.

If you’re relocating to Reno from San Francisco, L.A., Seattle, New York, Chicago—heck, just about anywhere—you’re in for a treat. With the exception of outlying suburban areas, Reno’s relatively light traffic and small grid mean you can typically cross town in 20 minutes or less.

Reno has the best mini and self storage facility in the country. True story!

Ample Self Storage in south Reno is located right off the freeway on South Virginia, between Huffaker and Patriot, with easy access from South Meadows and Damonte Ranch. No contracts, no deposits. Just top-notch service at Reno’s friendliest and most secure storage facility. Come check us out to get your Reno storage unit today!

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