Author Archives: greggstewart

Whether you’re moving one neighborhood over or across the country, moves can be very difficult for families.

Sometimes, the circumstances surrounding the move aren’t ideal: a death in the family, the loss of a job, etc.

Other times, the move is for a positive reason, but it also means uprooting your children from their hometown and lives.

Moving with children is just another layer of difficulty on top of the whole transition. Today, we’re going to show you how to prepare your kids for a move!

Involve Children in the Decision to Move

As a parent, the move may be out of your control. It might be the case that this move is happening regardless of whether or not you or your children want to. However, it’s still crucial that you involve your kids in the decision-making process.

Ask for their input, weigh the pros and cons with them, and talk about the decision process as a whole family. Don’t try to take it all on yourself.

This process is essential for children over the age of six, especially teenagers. Older children likely already have an established life where they are.

Therefore, they may rebel, whine, pout, or have tantrums, but you need to allow them to express their emotions. Changing a young person’s life so suddenly can be difficult, and it’s essential to enable them to work through these changes.

Even if the move is going to happen with their consent or not, your kids will appreciate being “in the know” and involved.

Make it easier on them and yourself!

Helping Younger Children Understand

For children under the age of six, they may not be involved with the decision-making process as much. It can be difficult moving with toddlers, for example, merely because they may not understand what’s going on.

With younger children, be sure to make it a smooth transition for them by explaining the move in simple, short sentences. Before the move, use toys and storybooks to prep them for the concept of moving.

Children’s books on moving can help adjust them to what’s coming. Be sure to read books like these before bedtime for a while leading up to the move.

Packing and Moving With Children

We’ve covered involving your children in the decision-making process and helping them understand the move itself, but about the logistics?

Most of the common sense measures for packing your house applies to children as well.

Go through the packing process with your children. Don’t just tell them what to pack or what to do, but show them how to do it and do it with them.

Again, you’re keeping them involved in the process.

After moving kids, once you’re in your new location, be sure to help your children unpack right away. It’s essential that they keep a sense of normalcy in the beginning. Having their room set up the way they remember before is a great first step.

Getting Help Moving the Whole Family

Moves can be fun, sad, challenging, or easy. There are lots of variables involved in a move, but moving with children is another piece of the puzzle to consider.

All in all, it’s crucial to involve them in the process from the decision to move right down to packing boxes.

If you’d like to hear more advice about moving with your family or want to see how Community Moving & Storage can help out, then contact us right away!

Congratulations on your new home! You probably can’t wait to be settled into your new place and enjoying all the good things that come with a new home., However, moving into a new home is so much easier said than done.

The key to getting unpacked and settled into your new home quickly and efficiently is in the upfront packing process.

Not sure where to start? Read on for some helpful tips.

Pack by Room

When you’re moving your entire household, it’s important that you pack everything room by room.

That way, when your movers bring in the boxes, you will know exactly where they should go. This will make your moving process much quicker and therefore less costly.

Label and List Extensively

If you’ve ever done any significant packing before, then you probably know the importance of labeling everything as you pack it. That means putting what room it goes in on the side of the box as well as labeling which side should go up. Label each side of the box as well as the top.

To be sure you don’t lose any items, take your labeling to the next level and create an inventory list for each box. When you get to your final destination, it will make it much easier to find things, and you will be able to confidently know that all of your belongings have made it to their final location as you unpack and check off the items.

While you might be tempted to throw items in a box labeled miscellaneous and be done with it, avoid the temptation. It will make unpacking much harder later.

Stay Organized

Before you disconnect your electronics, take photos of how they are configured so that putting them back together in your new home will be straightforward.

When packing electronics, group parts, and pairs together. Place hardware in Ziploc bags and tape them to the items with which they belong. Also, wind and secure electrical cords so they are not dangling.

Group like items together. Pack kitchen items together in one box and mark it accordingly. Don’t mix fragile keepsakes with heavy things like books, and don’t throw contents together randomly.

Packing the Essentials

First, make sure you only pack the items that you need in your new home. Take the time to purge out things you no longer use or want. Donate or sell those items. There is no sense in paying to pack and transport stuff you no longer need. Plus you don’t need the clutter in your new home.

Secondly, pack an essentials box. This box should stay with you in your car during the move. It should contain items you will need the first night in your new home. Include things such as toiletries, medicines, pajamas, a change of clothes, snack, cleaning supplies, and phone chargers.

It’s a good idea to prepare in case something unexpected happens, and your items aren’t delivered on time.

Where to Find Moving Help

Now that you have read these tips on unpacking, you’re ready to get started by finding the best moving company out there.

At Community Moving & Storage, we help Tampa-area customers make the transition to the home of their dreams. For help with your move, contact us today.

Packing for a big move is both exciting and stressful. It’s a lot of work, but you’re probably excited about where your move is taking you.

However, things get a little complicated if you have to move on short notice. In that case, you could use some advice on how to pack to move in a hurry.

Let’s take a look at four excellent tips to get you on your way quickly.

1. Make a Plan

The sheer magnitude of everything that needs to be done can feel overwhelming. Also, feeling overwhelmed can be paralyzing.

Don’t let that slow you down. Sit down and make a plan.

A checklist of all the things you need to do is an excellent place to start. It’s easier for you to organize yourself when you can see everything on paper. This nails down those stray thoughts flying everywhere and helps you focus on one task at a time.

Even though you still have much work to do, now’s the time to call the movers. You want to make sure they have availability the day you need them. The earlier you call, the better chance you have of getting the day you want.

2. Set Aside the Essentials

It’s easy to forget where you put what amid the flurry of packing boxes and running here and there. You don’t have time for perfectly organizing things so if you need to find something important; you won’t know where to look for it.

Because of this, you should set aside the essential items. Pack a bag of essentials including the things you need on a daily basis. Things like medications, a couple of changes of clothes, and toiletries should go in that bag.

3. Downsize

As you’re packing, don’t be afraid to purge items you no longer use. When you start pulling stuff out of closets, you’re sure to find things you’ve forgotten you had.

Why haul them along with you if you’re never going to use them? Donate these items. It will make both your move and organizing your new place a lot easier.

4. Get to It!

This is perhaps the most important tip. When you need to move quickly, you don’t have time to procrastinate. Don’t let everything you need to get accomplished overwhelm you. However, don’t get too caught up organizing first either.

Once you’ve got your basic plan in place, then grab some boxes and start packing and labeling them! The only way the work will get done is if you buckle down and do it.

Make it a party and invite some friends over and pay them in pizza. Do whatever you have to do to get that stuff in boxes and ready for the movers.

Now You Know How to Pack to Move in a Hurry

Moving quick and in a hurry may not be the ideal way to move. However, sometimes that’s just the way it goes, and you need to know how to pack to move in a hurry.

Ready to get started? Contact us today. We can help out with all your moving needs in Florida!