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Entries categorized as ‘Moving Tips & Resources’

Electronic and computer recycling – going green

October 29, 2009 · Leave a Comment

When moving, one of the biggest tasks is getting rid of stuff.  By eliminating the amount you’re moving you can save quite a bit of money and time.   In my article about how to save money on your move using a cube sheet you can see how much money you can save by reducing the total weight of things to be moved.  Unfortunately some of the time savings are lost when you realize how hard it can be to get dispose of certain items appropriately and even more difficult when you’re trying to be green about it.

Along these lines some of the more difficult items to dispose of can be home electronics, computers and related equipment including monitors and printers.  I feel like printers deserve special recognition because if your experience has been anything like mine printers just don’t seem to last.  Or you may get a new printer or computer and just hold on to your old one until you can determine what to do with it.

If you do have a television or printer that still works, you might consider selling it depending on how outdated the technology is.  Old computers are different for two reasons.  First, technology advances so quickly that old computers become outdated quickly.  Second, selling a computer requires complete erasure of hard drive contents to protect the security of your old data and personal information.  You’ll need to be somewhat technically savvy to be able to do this properly or you’ll have to pay someone to do it.  Note that deleting files does NOT erase your data and old data can be recovered fairly easily from someone with the right skills.  Donating computers to a school or other program is a another worthy consideration but also necessitates proper deletion of hard drive data.

My recommendation for the simplest solution to dispose of computers and other electronics is using an electronic recycling business for all of your old electronics.  Due to the sheer quantity and rapid growth of electronic goods requiring disposal this industry is booming and the number of electronic recyclers is growing.  Although there is no single electronic recycler that I’m aware of that operates across the US, I have outlined below several electronic recycling businesses or websites where you can search for the nearest e-recycler.

  • Earth911.com:  www.Earth911.com – Probably one of the easiest to use and one of the most comprehensive of all recycling center search sites.  Just type in what you’re looking to recycle and where and you get a list of centers and businesses near you.
  • myGreenElectronics: www.mygreenelectronics.org – Another very simple and fairly comprehensive search site.
  • E-cycling Central: www.ecyclingcentral.com – A state by state clickable map brought to you by the Telecommunications Industry Association is easy to use but relatively limited in number of e-cycling locations.
  • ASL Recycling: www.aslrecycling.com – They work with moving companies and other businesses throughout California and organizations and coordinate e-cycling programs and events and do all of the recycling in house utilizing green and efficient methods.
  • Best Buy: www.bestbuy.com – Although the scope of what they collect is somewhat limited and they require you remove your computer’s hard drive before donating, they do have many locations across the US and will give you a $10 gift card for donating.  Best Buy recycling program information
  • Staples: www.staples.com – Although they have many locations, TV’s are not accepted and a $10 fee applies to all computers and related equipment.  Staples recycling program information

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How to dispose of a vacuum cleaner

October 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Recently I was trying to get rid of an old vacuum and I wasn’t sure what to do with it.  In the green spirit of reuse and recycle I just couldn’t get myself to put it in the trash (which may even be illegal).  The vacuum cleaner was aging and although the motor still worked it needed a new filter, brush and belt.  The price of the parts was about what the vacuum cost when it was new so it made more sense to get a new one.  This led to my consideration of the options regarding how to get ride of a vacuum, working or not and which methods of disposal work best for certain situations.  So whether your moving, or just getting rid of old items, consider the options below to determine what’s best for you.

1. Sell it.  If your vacuum works and is still new enough and in good enough shape then selling it using online or print classifieds makes the most sense. If it’s old or if it needs a little repair this may still be an option but it might be better to try and find a vacuum sale and repair shop that is interested.

2. Donate it. This is probably the best option if the vacuum still works but really isn’t worth the trouble to sell it and if you just don’t need the extra money.  Remember there is usually a tax benefit for donated items (check tax code for details).

3. Leave it curbside. This should only be tried in urban areas if the vacuum works and with a sign indicating that it’s free and does indeed work.  This is usually most effective on the weekend.  A note here that this may be seriously frowned upon and possibly against city code in certain areas but I know that it’s done frequently in our community and it benefits both the disposer and the receiver.  Another note, please remove the item and find another way to dispose of it if it’s not picked up by someone within a couple of days, otherwise it will be sure to agitate neighbors and make the neighborhood look trashy.

4. Give it to a vacuum repair and sale shop.  This is what we decided to do and it made the most sense.  That way they could decide if it was worth it for them to repair and resell or to use to dismantle and use for parts.

5. Recycle it. In many areas your vacuum is recyclable by your local recycle center.  If you don’t know the name or location of your local recycle center, call or visit the website of your waste removal service to find their information.  In some cases the recycle center can provide free pickup of your vacuum and many other recyclable items and appliances.  If not a drop may be required but this is still fairly easy to do and much better for the environment than simply throwing your vacuum in the garbage or dropping it at your local dump or transfer station.

6. Trash it. Truly a last resort.  Besides the fact that a vacuum in a dump just doesn’t seem right, it might not even be allowed in certain areas.

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Understanding moving insurance and valuation

July 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment

A big concern to everyone when hiring a moving company is “What happens if the movers break something or lose it all together?” and the answer is that it depends.  It depends on what state you’re in or if it’s an interstate move and whether you decide to pay for extra insurance or not.  This may seem complicated but it is actually fairly straightforward.

For all interstate moves the movers are required to provide you with what is called “Released Value Protection” at no extra cost to you.  This is very minimal coverage and the moving company is only liable for $.60 per pound for every item.  So for example if they break a 25 pound TV they pay you $15.  Not very reassuring but it’s free and it’s better than nothing, but just barely.

For intrastate moves it varies state to state with many states also offering some sort of minimal protection similar to the $.60 per pound coverage offered for interstate moves.  If the moving company has not said anything about this coverage you should definitely inquire about it and review the contract closely.  It should mention this minimal coverage somewhere in the contract.  Again, not that this coverage offers a tremendous amount of protection but gives the movers some incentive not to thrash your stuff.

In many cases the moving company will offer you additional insurance for additional cost.  They usually want to offer this because they can make a little extra money on it even though the insurance may be provided by a third party insurance company.  The amount you’ll pay for this will depend on a deductible amount (typically either $0, $250 or $500) and the total value assigned to your belongings.  It can cost a few hundred extra bucks for this coverage but does provide you with some assurance.  With this insurance coverage the mover must either: repair the item; replace with a similar item or make a cash settlement for the cost of the repair or the current market replacement value of the item.

One more thing to consider is that if you pack your own boxes, it may be more difficult to make a claim against the moving company for any breakage that occurs in those boxes, regardless of how well you feel you packed them. In fact many movers will flat out say, we will not cover any boxes you packed.  Some, however, will say if the outside of the box is damaged they’ll cover it, if the box is still in tact, they won’t.

Even though you’d like to think that your belongings are safe, accidents do happen and it’s good to know what happens when they do.  This is just one more reason to pick a moving company with a big name, they have more incentive to be careful with your belongings because they want to keep their name clean.  If you picked your moving company blindly and because they were the cheapest they just might not care as much.
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Written by the One Simple Move Team

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Categories: Consumer Protection · Hiring a Moving Company · Moving Tips & Resources
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Save Money On Your Move Using A Cube Sheet

July 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Hiring a full service moving company for your move can be expensive but there are some ways to save money.  Because movers use a cube sheet as a big factor in pricing your move then the biggest thing you can do to save money is to reduce the weight of the belongings that you are moving.

By looking at the cube sheet you can easily see which items affect your total weight the most.   Items that are indicated as having a high number of cubic feet per piece are also determined to be the heaviest when using a cube sheet, even if these items actually are not as heavy or as large as the cube sheet indicates.

Typically, (on an interstate move) if you are given a binding estimate then the actual weight will not affect your price because the estimated weight will be used to determine your price estimate.  If, on the other hand, you are given a non-binding estimate then the actual weight will be used to determine your final price, regardless of the estimate.  Although moves within a state don’t necessarily follow this pattern and are governed by that states regulations they will still depend on the weight to estimate and determine final cost.

Either way, you can see that by getting rid of certain items you can drastically cut the weight and save money.  If, for example you have a bed, couch, refrigerator, freezer or other large appliance or piece of furniture that you’ve been thinking about replacing, now would be the time to do it considering how much you’ll pay to transport these items.  This is especially true when you’re moving across country or very long distances and the cost to transport large items long distances can be several hundred dollars.

Another thing to consider especially when given a non-binding estimate are items that are heavy but don’t show up as such on the cube sheet.  Items like boxes of books, china or anything else that is small and heavy really add up.  If you really need or want to keep them you might want to take these items with you in your car if you’re driving because it will save you money.

Now I’m not suggesting that you just throw these items out but by being creative you can replace them with new items for very little out of pocket expense.  As discussed in an article from Joshua Zerkel about what to do with your unwanted stuff there are several options when trying to dispose of these items.

I highly recommend attempting to sell them using a free online classifieds service like Craigslist where you can likely get a little cash.  If that isn’t an option consider donating them to a local charity and use the donation as a write-off on your taxes.   Finally, if your stuff is in bad shape you can post them in classifieds as a free item (or leave them on the curb if this is an option in your area) and you’ll surely find takers.

Finally it’s important to remember that the amount you pay per pound to transport your goods varies greatly and depends on the whether the move is interstate, intrastate and the overall distance of your move.  As an example of how much it may cost to transport weight we can consider California where it can cost anywhere from $.30 to over a $1.00 per pound to transport your household goods.  Even with an average of $.40 per pound and figuring a queen sized bed that weighs 560 pounds it may cost you approximately $224 to move that bed, and that’s just within the state.

So, my advice is to take a really close look at what you’re moving (and how much it weighs) and make decisions on those items before you move.  It will pay off in the long run.

Categories: Hiring a Moving Company · Moving Tips & Resources
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Organizing Before Your Move – Clearing Out Paper Clutter

June 30, 2009 · 1 Comment

Moving is a great time to clear out that clutter that collects in your home and make sure it doesn’t find its way in to your new home. While it’s easy to focus on getting rid of “stuff” clutter – actual physical things – it’s important to look for ways to clear out other types of clutter in our lives that can also get in our way. One of the big ones that I help clients get rid of is paper – we all have it, we all need to deal with it, and wouldn’t it be nice if we had less of it at our new destination?
Here’s how:

Get rid of what you don’t need
In my experience, people I work with usually have been keeping far, far more documents than they need, or could ever find useful. Paper can take up a lot of space, can get messy really quickly, and can feel overwhelming when it’s stacked and piled all around you. A great way to start reducing your existing paper is by setting some retention guidelines for what you want to keep and for how long. Do you really need your junior-high reports? Probably not. Last year’s medical records? Quite possibly. The government’s information site has some helpful retention guidelines. You can customize these guidelines for what fits your life and your retention needs.

Go electronic
So much paper comes into our lives that may be available in electronic form. For instance, a little-used feature on most computers is the ability to send and receive faxes on-screen, without even printing out a document (check your computer’s instructions for how to do this). If there are documents you want the information from but don’t need the paper version of, try scanning them using a tool like the Neat family of scanners (www.neatco.com).

Do you really need those bills?
I’m thinking bills from cable or satellite TV, your cell phone, garbage bill, and the like. Most vendors are happy to help you go paperless – just visit the website for each vendor and sign up for paperless billing. When your bill comes due, you’ll receive an email instead of a paper notice. You’ll be able to pay online if you so choose, saving you stamps and checks. Less paper all around!

Stop the influx
If you’re receiving a lot of junk mail, use a service like Tonic Mailstopper (http://mailstopper.tonic.com) to do the work of getting you off junk mail lists. If you get catalogs, judiciously choose which ones to receive, and which ones will get the boot. Call the numbers on each catalog that you no longer want, and ask to be taken off their list and the lists of their partners.

Once you’re done discarding your paper, make sure to dispose of it securely and responsibly, by shredding and/or recycling as appropriate.

What are your strategies for getting rid of your paper clutter?

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Joshua ZerkelJoshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

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Organize Your Digital Photos Before Your Move

June 23, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Easily organize your digital photos in 4 easy steps!

When you prepare your computer for your move (make sure to back up your files!), consider organizing all those digital photos that have piled up. Digital cameras make it easy and fun to capture your memories, but the sheer number of photos that can come from one memory card can be a challenge. Managing your digital photos can be easy – and fun – with a few simple tips:

1. Toss the junk
Unflattering photos, bad camera angles, and just plain awful shots can take up lots of space on your hard drive. Before packing up your computer and camera, go through your digital photo collection with a fine-toothed comb, and make sure that you’re only keeping photos that you like. Not only will you free up space on your computer, you’ll make it easier to organize your photos by reducing the number of photos that need to be sorted.

2. Sort and separate
If you’ve been keeping all of your photos in one folder on your hard drive, it can be tough to find the one that you’re looking for. Instead of using just one folder, create multiple folders by month and year, or by month/year and subject or event. Once you have your folders set up, them sort your photos into their new, separated homes. As you take new photos, create folders in the same manner to store your new shots. This will make it easy to find your photos later on when you’re looking for them.

3. Software makes it a snap
Once you’ve set up your folders, managing your photos is easy, using readily available software. On a Mac, iPhoto is the standard, and on the PC, I usually recommend Picasa or Adobe Photoshop Elements. These software tools are designed to make it easy for you to organize, fix, search, and print your digital photo collection. Using software, you can browse your photos in various thumbnail sizes, repair the dreaded red-eye effect, add tags to your photos to make them searchable, and create slideshows to share with your friends and family.

4. Backup for safety
If something happens to your computer during the move, you could lose all those photos and memories – what a disaster! For that reason, I always suggest backing up your digital photos to an external hard drive, CD, or DVD (preferably the rewritable variety, so you can reuse your discs again and again). Many of the software programs used for organizing digital photos have a backup feature built-in, which can make the process of storing you files for safekeeping very easy.

Photos (digital and traditional) are meant to be seen. Once you’ve organized your photos, it’s easy to share those memories in photo albums, prints, and slideshows. Spending a little time organizing your photo collection before you move is not only great organization, but is also a fun way to pack up your memories before you move on to your new life in your new home.

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Joshua ZerkelJoshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

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Controlling Your New Closet

June 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Moving is a great time to organize that bursting closet of yours. With more clothing and belongings than ever before, it can be a constant struggle to find places to put all our “stuff,” especially if you’re dealing with limited closet space. Here are a few ideas for you:

The first step is to get rid of what you don’t need before you move – that way, you can see exactly what you need to find closet space for at your new home. One of the best ways to do this is to take everything out of your closet, and start sorting it into piles. I like to recommend that my clients create piles for “Keep” (things you definitely wear), “Sell” (things that you can probably make money by selling at used clothing stores), “Donate” (things that are usable but that you probably can’t sell), “Trash” (things that nobody will want or be able to use), and finally a “Don’t Know” pile, for things you’re not sure what to do with. The “Keep,” “Sell,” “Donate,” and “Trash” piles are pretty straightforward, but what about the “Don’t Know” pile?

“Don’t Know” is for items that you like, but never wear or use. If you really can’t part with that $300 dress that you never wore, and you can’t bear to give up those soccer cleats for that league you were planning on joining two years ago, put those items into a box, and seal the box with tape. If you haven’t opened the box to use those items in six months, it’s time to sell, donate or trash those items, because chances are you won’t be using them anytime soon.

So how do you store everything that went into your “Keep” pile effectively in your new closet? The key is to maximize every available inch of storage space in the closet. Look up, look down, look all around, and you’ll find that there just might be a lot more potential storage space in your closet than you originally may have thought. I’m often surprised at just how much storage space there can be in a closet – you just have to be creative about how you use it.

For instance, if your closet has only one rod, you can gain 50% more storage space by hanging another rod. Closet rods are available inexpensively at local hardware stores, and if you don’t want to install one permanently, you can get a removable secondary rod that hangs down off of your primary rod (I often suggest these to renters). No space in your room for a traditional dresser? Try some plastic, stackable drawers that you can use to fit in the floor space under where your clothes hang. I highly recommend the transparent or semi-transparent drawers rather than the opaque ones, because it’s very convenient to be able to see what’s in your drawers without having to actually open them up. If you have shelves above your closet rod, you can fold and stack sweaters and shirts, or use the space for transparent shoe boxes, which stack nicely. Don’t ignore the space behind the closet door, which can be a great spot for hanging a shoe rack, accessories organizer, or for installing a hook to hang long items such as coats and dresses.

So if your current closet is on overflow, don’t despair. Use a few tips that I’ve suggested, and your new closet will soon be your friend.

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Joshua ZerkelJoshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

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When it Comes to Moving, Timing is Key

June 15, 2009 · 1 Comment

One of the key factors in having a smooth move is when you choose to move.
Why? Because it can affect the:

  1. Availability of your Mover
  2. Price of your move
  3. Quality of service

To prove my point, here is some data from the AMSA’s (American Moving & Storage Association) Industry Trends, a quarterly report on data in the moving industry.

Copyright AMSA 2009<sup>1</sup>

Copyright AMSA 20091

Notice that big hump in the middle of the graph from June through August? That’s moving season. The percentage of moves in a year occurring in any given summer month peaks around 11% – 13%, compared to 8% or less for other months. The AMSA also had data on the percentage of moves in a year, broken down by weeks. Sure enough, every week that contained the last days of the month saw a jump in percentages of moves.

The takeaway here is that if you have the flexibility, avoid moving during the middle of the summer and at the end of the month. The further away from mid-summer / end of the month you can schedule your move, the better off you will be.

Reasons:
1. Availability of your Mover
The summer months are when moving companies make their money, so it’s a busy time for them. If you’re moving during the summer, you should contact moving companies early on (at least 2 months in advance) to ensure you can get in their books. As is with anything, the best ones will fill up first.

2. Price of your move
If you can avoid the peak season, the tariffs (the rates that moving companies base the cost of your move on) are actually lower, so you can save lots of money on your move.

3. Quality of service
Even the best moving companies come under pressure to perform when the season gets busy. Moving companies can overbook and have to scramble to find a truck and crew to service your move, or a tight schedule of back to back moves can be easily thrown off by a customer not being ready or other unforeseen events. Drivers and crew members are also tired from working long hours, and that could mean an increased chance of damage to your goods.

While we’re rapidly approaching mid-summer, don’t despair if you are moving during peak season this year. Simply knowing about the issues above means you can plan ahead – and good planning will go a long way in keeping your move smooth and problem-free.

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1Resources:
AMSA Industry Trends

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Moving Your Kids in to a New Home

June 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment

If you’ve just moved in to a new home with your kids, here are some simple steps you can take to organize their new room, and keep it that way.

1. Give them control
You already know your children are full of ideas, so allowing them to participate in the organizing plan is a great first step. Instead of making decisions for them about where their toys should be stored or how to sort their clothes, let your little ones make the decision for themselves. Maybe they want their clothes organized by color instead of type, when you had planned on doing the reverse. Work with your kids to find out where they think things should go, and use those ideas to find appropriate homes for all of their stuff. Your kids will feel a lot more invested in a system that they can help design, rather than one that is imposed on them.

2. Keep it simple
A common pitfall of people who organize for their children rather than with them is that they create complicated systems oriented toward adults. Keep in mind that for your kids, a simple solution is likely to make the most sense. Try to avoid too many complicated categories and hard-to-use gizmos. Instead, keep categories straightforward and age-appropriate, and make sure that any containers or specialized organizing tools, such as craft boxes, re-closable plastic bags, etc., can be safely and easily used by your child.

3. Make storage accessible
Chances are, your kids can’t reach as high as you, and can’t lift as much either. I’ve gone into a number of homes where well-meaning parents had storage bins full of toys that had been stacked nearly floor-to-ceiling. When I asked how easy it was for the kids to access the toys in the bottom bin, the parents usually say “not very.” If your kids can’t easily access their storage system, they won’t use it. When you’re ready to design your children’s storage system, ask yourself these three questions:

  • Would your kids be better suited with easy-to-slide drawers instead of stackable bins?
  • Is everything at a height that’s accessible?
  • Will they be able to put things away without straining?

4. Label everything
For kids (as well as for adults), a label on something makes it “official.” Once a drawer has a label that says “socks” and a storage container is labeled “dolls,” those become the official homes for those items. As long as everything has a clearly labeled home, the chances of items finding their way back to those homes become much greater.

5. Use color
Finally, kids love color, so use it in their organizing systems! Color-coded storage areas, drawers, and other containers are a creative way of “labeling” functions of your kid’s storage system. Pick colors that are their favorites, and even have meaning to them. For instance, pink can be where your little girl keeps her dolls while red might be perfect for all of their colorful art supplies. Find a system that works, and remember to get them involved in the process.

Spending time with your kids developing organizing ideas and solutions can be a fun and rewarding way to settle them in to their new rooms. Soon, you may find that your kids’ rooms practically clean themselves!

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Joshua ZerkelJoshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

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How Movers Price Your Move Using A Cube Sheet

May 29, 2009 · Leave a Comment

What is a Cube Sheet?
Cube Sheet
I wrote in an earlier entry about how taking inventory is the first and most important step to getting an accurate moving quote.  That inventory is typically taken using a “Cube Sheet“.  Nowadays more and more movers are using handheld inventory devices to take your inventory but it’s the same basic process and the same math is used to determine the cubic feet and the weight of your belongings.

The document that we’ve provided here has all the information you need to figure out exactly how much your stuff weighs. That weight will be used to determine the estimate given to you by the moving companies.  Exactly how it factors in to that estimate will depend on whether you’re moving interstate or intrastate and if it’s intrastate then also what state you live in and possibly where in that state. But at least you’ll know where you stand with regards to the weight. It can help you make sure you’re not being given an estimate that is too low (“low-ball”) or too high (“rip-off”).

How to use it

The Cube Sheet is a very simple document but it can be a bit time consuming to use as you’ll need to basically take an inventory of your entire house.  As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog article about completing an inventory of your household goods, it is essential that it’s done completely and accurately.

1.  Print the PDF version of a moving companies sample cube sheet.

2.  Walk through each room of your house and make a mark for article in the room in the number of pieces column on the sheet.

3.  Multiply the number of pieces you have by the cubic feet per piece.  Then just carry the numbers down to the column subtotals and add all the subtotals to get a Grand Total for all columns.

4. Multiply the Grand Total for Cubic Feet by a factor of 7 (this is the industry accepted weight of each cubic foot of household goods in number of pounds) and you’ll get your total your estimated total weight.

Optional: Instead of completing steps 3 & 4 by hand you can transfer your written inventory to the cells in this Excel version of the cube sheet found here which will do the math for you and sum up all of the totals.

NOTE:  Remember that this is only part of what goes into the final estimate but it is a very big part.  Additional factors include where the move will occur, the distance traveled, if the movers will have to walk a long way to the truck (“long-carry”) or if there are stairs or an elevator involved.  Additional insurance and other issues may also affect the end price.

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