Monthly Archives: January 2017

How To Budget For An International Move

Posted on by

If you ever get the chance to move abroad, it could potentially be one of the most exciting, yet terrifying experiences of your life. There is so much that goes into moving overseas, that it can often times get overwhelming. Plus, once you count in the fact of how expensive it can get, it’s easy to start freaking out a little. However, there really is no reason too. With the proper planning, and a thought out budget, you can make even the most overwhelming move a breeze. And in this article, we will give you some tips on how to properly plan, so the only surprises you will have are the ones your friends will be throwing for you before you leave.

The first thing that you want to do in planning, especially when planning your budget, is to make a spreadsheet. You know that little program on your computer called Excel? Well, it’s time to get acquainted with it if you haven’t already. One of the best ways to create a budget and to stick with it is to provide yourself with a clear picture of the different expenses that you will incur. Go ahead and create a chart within Excel, and add any and all of the categories that you know will incur expenses along the way. Then, start filling in the actual cost amounts as you become aware of them. This process will help you clearly define how much you’ll actually have to spend to make your move, and therefore will be able to help you better budget and plan accordingly.

One important expense that you want to be aware of is a moving company expense. Often times, this will be your greatest expense so it’s important to make sure that you take your time and find a reputable moving company that will be the perfect fit for you. Be aware though, that there are several different moving companies out there that will try to take advantage of you. Avoid any companies that refuse to give you a solid price. If there are unwilling to give you a solid moving quote or price, it’s often times because there will be hidden fees or expenses that will accumulate along the way. So, make sure that before you sign a contract with the moving company you have the exact price of what they will charge in black-and-white.

Also, there are a few other moving expenses that you’ll need to be aware of when it comes to your moving company. For instance, you will have your moving company fee, but you also will want to purchase extra moving insurance to help cover the cost of your items if they are damaged or lost during shipment. This may not seem important now, but we promise you if anything were to happen you’d wish you had it. You also have to budget for tips to give to the movers on both ends of the move. Plus, don’t forget that you’ll need to purchase shipping supplies that will hold all of your items. Your best option is to find cheap moving boxes, if you can. Cheap moving boxes can be found almost anywhere, but make sure that you check with your shipping company in case they have any restrictions on the type of cheap moving boxes that you can use. Also, you may need to budget for storage unit in the country of origin for the things you may have to leave behind.

Other expenses that you may incur along the way will be your travel costs. This will include your flights, transportation to and from the airport, potential hotels if your new home isn’t ready, food along the way, travel documents that you may need to update, customs fees that you may have to pay upon arrival to your new country, and even vaccines that you may need to enter into the country are moving to. Just make sure that you are aware of all of the different types of rules and regulations that your new country will require of you, before even going.

Moving internationally doesn’t have to be stressful. Just make sure that you take your time, plan, be prepared, and expect the unexpected. If you can do these things, you will be able to help make your moving process a breeze. Good luck!

DIY Cardboard Box Ideas

Posted on by

If there’s one thing you always seem to have a plethora of, it’s cardboard boxes. Normally, you’ll just fold them up and either burn them or recycle them. But, what if we told you that you’re missing out on opportunities to transform them into some pretty cool DIY projects. In this article we will share with you some ideas of converting cardboard boxes into functional and useful items you didn’t even know you wanted or needed.

Cardboard Playhouse

if you have a little girl, more than likely at some point she’ll be asking you for a playhouse. Unfortunately, playhouse’s can get expensive. So, create a playhouse by coming up your cardboard box into different pieces and taping them together in the shape of a house. This is easy and inexpensive to make, plus it folds up easily making storage a breeze.

Cardboard Tray

You can create cute and functional trays by taking the lid from a cardboard box and either gluing fabric or scrapbook paper onto its surface. This is a quick, cheap, and easy way to make cute trays that will leave your guests wondering where they can get one, themselves.

Cardboard Cathouse

Help make your feline friend happy by creating a cardboard cathouse. All you have to do is take a couple different cardboard boxes and stack them on top of each other. The, glue the surfaces together and cut out doors and little windows. Also, so they can climb through, cut out holes on the inside of where you glued the boxes together. Then, if you want to make it aesthetically appealing you can glue on fabric or scrapbook paper to help create a finished and sophisticated look.

Picture Frame

You can make adorable picture frames by simply using some cutout cardboard in the shape of the frame. You then can glue onto its surface any fabric or scrapbook paper of your choice. Or, you can paint the cardboard add a design to make it the especially unique. Then, fill it in with your most treasured memories.

Cardboard Clock

This project perhaps will take a little bit of extra time, but you could create a unique & fun cardboard clock simply by taking a cardboard box and cutting out a large circle. Then, attach on its surface a fabric color of your choice. Once that is completed you can then attach matching numbers. To help give the clock a more finished look, glue rope around the edges to hide any cardboard that may be showing. Then, drill a small hole in the center and attach the batter operated clock unit.

Gift Tags

You can always use gift tags, but you don’t have to pay ridiculous prices to get them. All you have to do is cut out different shapes from cardboard, and then take each piece and punch out a small hole at the top. Then, put in a rope or string of your choice to help tie them to any present or package.

There are literally dozens of different projects that you can make from cardboard boxes. The trick is to get creative and utilize things you already have to create interesting, fun and useful items that you can incorporate into your home. These projects are great to do on a rainy day, or you can even involve your kids to make it a family affair. Whatever you decide to do, we wish you happy creating!

How To Properly Ship A Large Area Rug

Posted on by

If you are looking at shipping a large area rug then there are probably some tips of the trade that you might find useful in order to safely guarantee your rug reaches its destination. For instance, one of the first things you may want to do prior to shipment is give the rug a thorough and deep cleaning. Just make sure the rug is completely dry before proceeding to the next step.

Once your rug is clean and dry, you’ll want to make sure that it is folded as tightly as it can go. One way to ensure its tightness is by first folding it in half or in thirds and then rolling it up. This not only makes it tighter, but also easier to handle.

With that in mind, there are some area rugs that should not be folded. For instance, if you hear a cracking noise as soon as you begin to fold up your rug, you need to stop. The creases that are created by the folds could be permanent or extremely difficult to remove. Which could devalue your rug and certainly detract from its appearance. If you are not 100% sure whether or not a rug could be folded, you can consult with a rug specialist or a trusted freight shipping company that is familiar with these technical nuances and have all the shipping supplies needed.

After you have either folded the rug or rolled up the rug, it’s time to time off to tie it off with heavy-duty twine, box-sealing tape, stretch banding film, or other appropriate styles of packing supplies. It’s important to note that you probably won’t want to allow any of these packing supplies to come into direct content with the surface of the rug. So, before securing the rug, wrap the carpet in a bag or moving blanket.

When choosing what to wrap the carpet in, keep in mind there are several options. For instance, if you choose a polyethylene bag you will want to select an opaque colors such as black rather than transparent. Opaque bags help protect against UV rays and will protect the rug from sun exposure. Just make sure that there are no additives or coatings in the bag that will transfer to your carpet. Sheeting is also a good alternative to a plastic bag, and could be considered a better choice than a moving blanket because it provides more moisture resistance. Regardless of what you wrap your blanket in; just make sure your rug can breathe. Wrapping your carpet airtight can cause it to sweat. Which can create discoloration, warping, or a breeding ground for moths. You can help reduce the risk of moth damage by placing moth crystals on the rug before wrapping it.

Once your rug is packed and ready to go, you now need to choose a shipping option. Parcel shipping services are a good option when the area rug is smaller. Provided that it does not exceed weight or girth limits. However, the most cost-effective option is to ship your area rug with a less-than-truckload freight company. These companies specialize in transportation of smaller shipments consisting of various types of products. Often times these companies have a lot of experience with items such as rugs and other common household furniture.

Shipping a rug can be safe, easy, and hassle free. Just follow the tips we gave you, and we guarantee that your rug will get to its destination without a scratch.

 

 

How To Decide What Should Go In Storage When You Move

Posted on by

There are many reasons why people decide to move, especially to a new city. Whether it’s to downsize, be closer to friends and family, or just move into a more exciting fast-paced lifestyle. Regardless of the reason, you will probably find that you will need some form of short-term storage space to help you transition into your new place. A storage unit is the perfect go-between if you’re trying to downsize, but still are still deciding on what you want to keep and what you want get rid of. Plus, it will give you some extra time to settle in if you’re moving in the midst of a busy season.

However, the question remains what do you put in storage versus what do you move into your new place right away? Well, here are a few tips to help you decide what would be best to put in storage, and what is best to take with you.

Organize your items by season

If you’re moving into a location that experiences all 4 seasons, you won’t need all of your items year-round. For instance if you are moving during the summer months you will not need your winter coat, boots, snow shoes, snowboarding gear, and so on. Vice versa if you’re moving in the winter months you won’t need your summer gear or things like patio furniture which take up a lot of space and are perfect to store as a whole ensemble in a storage unit.

Just keep in mind that if you are packing away a lot of clothes into cardboard boxes, make sure that your storage unit you choose isn’t subject to a lot of humidity or changes in temperature. And only pack away clean clothes. Otherwise you may find some not so savory items waiting for you when you get back.

Hang on to furniture that you might want later on

As you know moving into a new place is a great time to start over and redecorate. However, you may still decide later on that that coffee table you had or sectional, might actually fit very well into some part of your new apartment. Again, just make sure that when you’re storing furniture pieces you store them correctly in order to keep them from getting damaged during this waiting period.

Don’t throw away keepsakes or mementos

Once you start downsizing it’s very easy to get into a mindset where you no longer think you want to keep old photos or mementos. This is a decision you may regret down the road after you’ve been settled for a time. So, avoid unnecessary loss and opt for a high-quality storage unit where water damage or items getting lost, won’t be an issue. One way to better organize your things is by adding shelves into your storage unit. This way you can easily organize your cardboard boxes and keep them off the ground, further ensuring water will not reach them.

Antiques can also go in storage

Let’s be honest. You love your grandmother’s rocking chair because it’s an heirloom and has sentimental value, but it doesn’t actually fit into the decor of your new apartment. So, consider having your antiques professionally packed and take them to your storage unit for safekeeping. Just make sure that your valuable items are covered by insurance, just in case something was to happen. Once again, make sure that you are keeping your items organized, in order to create less of a headache later on when you are trying to unpack the storage unit. Happy moving!

Top 5 Myths About Air Freight Shipping

Posted on by

When it comes to shipping, weather its for a business or a move, it can be a daunting experience. Do you rent a truck? Use a moving company? Go through a shipping supplies company? Send it by boat? A plane? Superman? Plus, then you have the factor of cost, and we all know it can get expensive. So the, what’s a good choice? How do you make an informed decision on weather or not one-way is better than another? Unfortunately, we can’t tell you what the right answer is, but we can shed light on one particular method and help you make a more informed decision. So, let’s talk about Air Freight Shipping.

Air Freight Shipping isn’t necessarily the most used option, but it is a good one. It tends to be fast, reliable, and safe when trying to ship a more valuable item. However, a few myths have developed over the years, and we’re here to help se the record straight.

Myth #1: Anything Can Be Shipped By Air

This is actually not true. The size of the plane will dictate its weight and size requirement. So, larger items, such as large pieces of furniture may be too big or heavy to ship by air. And then of course you have those items that pose a threat to yourself and others. I.e. gases, flammable products, explosives, toxic and biochemical items, etc.

Myth #2: Valuable Items Should Be Shipped Only By Air

While this myth has some merit, it’s in fact fiction. Yes, shipping supplies or valuable items by air tends to be safer due to high levels of security at airports. However, shipping valuable items comes down to an issue of insurance rather than shipping method. If you chose to ship by air, make sure you go with a company that offers a coverage policy that will insure your item in the rare chance that something were to happen.

Myth #3: The Heavier The Item, The More Expensive it is to Ship

This myth is definitely not true. Yes, on some level this seems to be logical. But, what dispels this myth is the fact that airplanes tend to “cube out” before they “weigh out”. Meaning your lighter, but bigger box can actually be more expensive to ship than your little heavy crate. The takeaway? Make sure when you ship by air you pack your items in the smallest possible package.

Myth #4: Items Shipped By Air Will Not Be Opened

Again, not true. Due to a crack down in airport security, bags and packages will be chosen at random by security to be opened up and inspected. So, how should this play a role in your decision process? If you choose air freight shipping make sure you use a carrier that will provide the proper packaging to ensure your items are replaced safely, were they to be opened.

Myth #5: Air Shipping Is The Only Way To Meet Your Deadline

Once more, this is actually fiction. Yes, air shipping normally does tend to be the fastest way to get your packages where they need to go on time. However, there are factors, such as bad weather, that can shut down an airport and keep your package from leaving. Yes, ground delays can happen as well, but they tend to be shorter in duration than air delays. With that being said, shipping supplies by air is on average the fastest way, but we can’t say it’s the only way for your packages to meet a deadline.

Hopefully this article has shed a little more light for you on the air freight world. This shipping option is just one of several that could help you achieve your shipping goals and needs. The key is to understand the different options so you can best make an informed decision on what’s right for you.