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Entries tagged as ‘Moving Tips’

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If you do have a television or printer that still works, you might consider selling it depending on how outdated the technology is.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  First, technology advances so quickly that old computers become outdated quickly.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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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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Categories: Hiring a Moving Company · Moving Tips & Resources
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4 Ways to Find Hidden Money when Moving

May 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Moving is a great time to clear out clutter and get more organized. Getting organized can leave you with less stuff to move and more money saved. In addition to finding cash or checks buried in a drawer, in an old bag or briefcase, or under an old stack of paper, there are multiple other ways that getting organized can help your bottom line. Here are just a few:

Ask for the discounts.
Gather bills for the various utilities that you use, including cell phone, Internet, land line phone, and any others. Once you have all the bills together, set aside some time to call each vendor and ask for discounts on each of your services. Just the simple act of you calling and asking for a discount can sometimes uncover deals that you never knew existed. Don’t expect your vendors to contact you and offer you discounts – you need to ask for them. I make a practice of doing this at least every six months.

Lose the late fees.
Since you just gathered all of your bills in one spot, look them over for any late fees that you might be paying. Late fees are not only an annoyance that cost you money in the short term; they can also negatively affect your credit rating, which can cost you money in the long term. To help avoid late charges and fees, take a few minutes and sign up for automatic bill payment, which will pay your bills on time every month. I recommend charging all of your bills against one credit card, rather than having your bills debited from your checking account. That way, if a billing error comes about, you can dispute it with your credit card company.

Scrap the extra storage.
An offsite storage unit should be looked at as an expense of last resort, something that you pay for only when you absolutely have to. Most of the clients I work with that have storage units generally have very little sense of what’s actually being stored, and mainly keep renting their storage units out of sheer inertia. Granted, taking time to go through and organize a storage unit is not high on most people’s priorities lists, but if you are currently renting one, I urge you to set aside some time to weed through the belongings that you currently are paying to store. With some weeding and consolidation, you may be able to incorporate your belongings into storage spaces that you already have at home or in your office.

Donate for dollars.
It’s always a good idea to start looking for ways to reduce the amount you owe to Uncle Sam. One possible way to save money on taxes is to donate things that you no longer want, need, or use and receive a tax deduction for your donation. Any money you can save on your taxes is like cash in your pocket!

Of course, this list is not exhaustive–but it’s a great place to start. What are some of your ideas for how to save money by getting more organized?

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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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Moving Tips – What to do with Your Unwanted Stuff

May 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment

A frequent by-product of moving is usually a bunch of stuff you’ve decided you no longer want, love, or use. Getting rid of all this stuff can sometimes be a challenge – but don’t let that stymie your progress! Here are three ideas of what to do with your castoffs:

Sell them.
If your belongings still have financial value – for instance, electronics in good condition, designer clothes, or antiques – you might be able to recoup some of their cost by selling them. While having a garage sale might seem like the easiest way to sell your stuff, I generally don’t recommend it. Garage sales take a lot of prep work and planning, not to mention the time you have to spend staffing the sale. Unless you live in a densely populated area and expect most of the stuff you’re putting out will sell, skip the garage sale. Instead, try posting your most valuable items on eBay or Craigslist. You can do some research online to see how much you can expect your goods to sell for – helping you decide whether it’s worth your time to sell them or not.

Give them away.
For stuff that isn’t sellable but is still in perfectly good condition – clothes that no longer fit, the extra microwave that’s been sitting in the garage, etc. – it’s best to donate them so someone else can use them. Your local Salvation Army or Goodwill are great places to start, as they generally accept a variety of items – call them before driving over to see what they’re currently accepting. For things they won’t accept, get creative – other places may still value your stuff. For instance, if you’re getting rid of stacks of magazines, why not drop a few off at the gym or at a hospital waiting room? Have extra TVs or VCRs? See if a local shelter could use them. Many things that you think aren’t valuable may in fact be desired by someone else – try posting on Craigslist in the “free” section or on Freecycle – the results may surprise you! With clients, I’ve found that when we match their donations to places which will actually use them, they feel much better about letting those things go.

Recycle them.
Some of your stuff may not have any more useful life left and should be discarded in an environmentally-friendly manner. In many communities, recycling options abound for items like paper, plastic and aluminum, but what can you do with the rest of the stuff you want to recycle? This is where you have to get creative and do a little legwork. For electronics, some Goodwill locations and places like GreenCitizen will recycle your goods (sometimes for a small fee). See if old clothes can be used as art scraps at a local sewing center or school. Try calling your Garbage Company and see if they offer any resources or referrals for recycling beyond what they regularly pickup. Your local NAPO-affiliated Professional Organizer can also be a great resource for recycling and reuse ideas.

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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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Tipping Etiquette

March 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Every time I walk into my local Chinese restaurant for carry-out I am faced with a dilemma – do I tip or not?  I’ve heard many people asking this same question on moving day when the movers are just finishing unloading the last of the truck.  I think the exact rules are a bit fuzzy, as with all tipping etiquette, but hopefully the “tips” we’ve provided will help alleviate some of that anxiety you don’t need on moving day!

Tipping should be based on the quality of service your moving company provides.  Many question why a tip is necessary considering the high cost of the move.  If you’re receiving good customer service and the movers are taking care of your valuables, not dinging up your brand new hardwood floors and are still courteous and professional, a tip is a nice gesture.  Tipping should occur once the job is complete.

  • If the move is an all day job it’s nice to have cold drinks, such as water or soda, on hand for the movers.  Many people provide lunch, such as quick fast food or pizza, for the crew.  This is typically appreciated by the movers allowing them to take a quick break and then get back to work without an extended lunch period.

The amount tipped is discretionary.  Below are a few simple guidelines I’ve stumbled across but, as always, tip with what makes you feel most comfortable.

  • If you have one mover lifting moderately heavy furniture and boxes, tip between $20 and $50.
  • With multiple movers on the crew the general rule is to tip each mover the same as above but lower the amount by $5 per person.
  • On average, most people tip $20 or $25 per person.
  • If you’ve had your car shipped it’s recommended to tip the truck driver $20.

Phew!  Now that that’s taken care of go out and grab yourself a beer to relax.  But don’t forget to tip your local bartender $1/drink!

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