Planning for Your Summer Move

You might think it's too early to get ready for your planned relocation this summer but think again. Summer is the busiest time for all moving companies, what they would call a "hot season" due to an overwhelming amount of moves they have to handle. Here are top 5 reasons why you want to book your summer move at least two months in advance -

- Reserve your spot. The main reason why summer months are a peak season for the moving industry is because many families prefer to relocate when their children, allowing for an easier transition. Some well-organized moms start shopping around for moving companies during the winter to ensure the best possible deals. No wonder popular moving companies are all booked up before the summer kicks and finding an available date could be an issue.

- Lock in a better deal. It's a common practice among moving service providers to have two pricing systems: off-season and peak season. When the demand for movers go up, so do the prices. However if you book your summer move early on, there's a chance that you will be given a quote in accordance with winter rates. Get your quote in writing and lock the low rate for your moving job. Some moving companies are not switching to higher pricing until April-May out of fear they won't get booked up for the summer - make sure to use it to your advantage.

- Book the exact date you want. Weekends go out first. So do the start- and end-of-the month dates when the new rent is due and families rush to change housing. If you don't want to be given a few random, middle-of-the week dates as the only availability, book your move at least 3-4 months in advance.

- Find the right company. If you start shopping around early, you have a choice our of numerous relocation companies. You can pick the most affordable movers, or the best-established company with a recognizable name, or the family-run business with a personal touch. The choice is yours. You also have time to explore, read reviews, post questions on moving forums. When you are scrambling to book a last minute move during a hot season, you are pretty much at a mercy of a few remaining companies that still have an availability, and the likelihood of picking a negligent, poor service company will increase.

- Use the extra time to get ready. Most people tend to postpone planning their move and packing until they set the date and book the movers. Knowing the date early on makes it more "real" in your mind , it's happening and you have a specific date for it as opposed to some abstract future that you needn't concern yourself with just yet. People who book their move early, start getting prepared early - selling or giving away the unneeded stuff, shopping for packing supply deals, decluttering and organizing their shelves and closets. And remember: the more ready you are for your move and the more packing you manage to do on your own, the less time movers will need to spend on your job, which will reduce your moving costs.

So even if it seems like summer is still a long way from now, it is never too early to plan for your upcoming move during the hot season. Getting ahead of the game will pay off on your moving date, with things going smoothly and stress-free due to your diligent advanced planning.

Check Out Grand Express Van Lines Deals!

Here at Grand Express Van Lines our mission is to smooth out our customers' transition into their new homes. We are grateful to people who use our services for keeping us in business and want to pay them back by providing the best quality work and genuine care! When someone calls us for an estimate, we strive to give a fair price. However we are willing to work with you even if you have a limited budget or looking for the best possible deal on the market. Here are some of our deals and promotions that are available year round, you just have to ask for them!

1. Free boxes 
A very handy set of 10 medium boxes and 3 large wardrobe boxes is yours at no charge with any size move, both local and long distance. The information is on our website at www.grandexpressvanlines.com yet your sales person may forget to mention it, or you may forget to remind your moving crew on the day of the move. But the deal is valid and you should make good use of it. Just inquire about it during a sales call!

2. Senior citizen discount
If you are 65 and older, you are eligible to get a 5% discount off your total bill. Make sure to mention your age to your moving estimator so that he could give the instructions to the moving foreman to apply the discount at the end of the job.

3. Student discount
 Same 5% off deal is offered to all students. All you need to do is present your valid student ID during the move and the discount will be applied to the total amount.

4. Seasonal promotions and weekly deals 
We always have a sweet deal for our customers around major holidays. In additional to that we also have weekly and monthly offerings that provide an opportunity for additional savings. All you have to do is follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay updated about ongoing promotions.

These days no one likes to pay the full amount when you can find countless deals and promos. We understand our customers' need to be frugal, since changing housing is a big expense on its own. Call us today at 1(855) 221-4838 to discuss your particular situation: we will work with your budget and get you a fair deal for a high quality moving job.

Do-It-Yourself Move or a Moving Company?

With growing mistrust in relocation companies and increasing budget constraints, more and more families prefer to rent a truck and move on their own rather than hire professional movers.  A DIY move certainly offers many benefits: you are likely to save on moving costs especially if your friends will help you carry the furniture for free;  you can be more flexible with dates and timeframes;   you know to treat your possessions with the utmost care because you don't want any damage. However  there are undeniable advantages of hiring a relocation company to handle your move:

- Damage control. Surprisingly, your belongings are at a higher risk of sustaining damage if you do your own move. You would think that you will be more careful than a moving crew since those are YOUR things, but without professional training and the needed experience you will lack knowledge and precision to handle the furniture the right way. Even if you rent moving blankets, they can be tricky to work with due to their size and thickness. Highly skilled movers know how to secure a moving blanket so that it doesn't slide off a furniture piece while on a truck. Even if your stuff is not that fancy and you don't care much about scratching it, there's still risk of damaging walls and doorways in your old/new apartment, and you may lose your security deposit as a result.

- Cost savings. Occasionally it does pay off to move on your own locally, but when it comes to long distance moving, you actually might spend less money if you hire a  relocation company.  The main reason is that they have the advantage of a scale: there are multiple shipments on a trailer and the gas, mileage and toll costs get divided among several customers, whereas if you rent a truck, you'll be the only one paying for everything.

- Injury prevention. It's not uncommon to sustain an injury during a move: a heavy piece gets dropped on your foot, you strain your back while lifting that weighty dresser or fall down the stairs, losing your balance while trying to navigate a couch on a narrow stairwell. And what if one of your helping buddies gets hurt in the process? Movers are more skilled to handle bulky, heavy items so as to avoid injuries, they have all the necessary equipment to facilitate the move and even if one of the movers gets injured on your job, their company's Workers Compensation policy will cover all treatment and disability costs.

- The opportunity cost of time. A do-it-yourself move can stretch into endless hours and even days if you are the one doing everything. You have to pack, organized your friends to help you load and unload the truck (and then treat them to thank-you-drinks), arrange for a truck rental, fill it up with gas and return once you are done, unpack, take out the boxes. It's absolutely more time-efficient to let the moving crew take over . If you value your time highly and would rather apply it elsewhere than get stuck on your moving job for days, movers is a way to go.

- Stress transfer. If you find the preparation for the move too much to handle, it pales in comparison to the actual move. Where do you begin? Who carries what? How do you position items on the truck so that everything fits? What to do if the couch doesn't go through the doorway? Paying movers equals buying yourself some peace of mind.  Remember, you still need your energy and calm to go through unpacking and settling into your new dwelling, so why waste it?

Many people end up saying "never again" after handling their own move. As painful as they are, muscle aches and bruises are not even the worst consequences of a DIY move. Carefully assess your situation, estimate the costs of hiring a moving company vs. moving on your own, throw in the time and stress variables and make the right decision.

5 Essential Tips for Long Distance Moves

As stressful as local moving can be, it's an easy endeavor compared to moving cross-country. It's no longer a project started and finished within one day. Depending on how far you are going, you might not see your belongings anywhere f rom a few days to a few weeks. Interstate moving requires a more sophisticated approach to planning and execution. Here are a few tips that will help ease the process for you:
1. Declutter. Getting rid of extra stuff before the move is always a good idea, but it can be an invaluable money-saving aspect of long distance relocation. Most moving companies either charge by weight or by cubic feet (the amount of space your possessions will take up on the truck). Every extra pound/cubic foot translates into additional charge, not mentioning the extra time it will take to load/unload your shipment.  Make sure to lighten up by organizing a garage sale or donating the unneeded items to a local charity.

2. Pack well. It's important to keep in mind that your things will stay on a constantly moving vehicle for days. Long distance moving companies  rarely transport one family's belongings at a time; they usually collect a few shipments before setting out on a trip and then make multiple stops dropping them off.  Any glassware, breakables, electronics should be packed securely using bubble wrap and cardboard. If you are unsure how to do it properly, let the movers handle the packing for you: it will then become their liability if something gets damaged during the move and insurance will cover it.

3. Take the important stuff with you. Like we've mentioned, being transported along with other family's possessions leaves room for a mix-up. It happens that a box or two gets dropped off at the wrong destination, and the fact is not discovered until the customer is done unpacking. Make sure to pack your records, passports, jewelry, medication and other essential items you would not stand to lose separately and transport them with you in a car or by plane.

4. Get additional insurance. Long distance movers normally provide you with the minimum insurance of 60 cents per pound per article, which wouldn't do much if your large screen plasma TV gets damaged.  Consider buying an additional insurance premium from a third party carrier like Baker Insurance, which will cover you more adequately.

5. Make proper arrangements at your destination. Remember, you won't be seeing your possessions for a while. Apart from the promised timeframe for your delivery, there are unforeseen factors like poor weather conditions or truck problems that can delay the trip. Whether you are booking a hotel, staying with relatives or sleeping in a sleeping bag in your furniture-less house, make sure you have everything you need until your belongings are delivered.

Additional Charges and Hidden Costs in Moving

Moving tends to be expensive: if you've decided to hire a professional moving company, be prepared to part with a hefty sum of money - from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending how far you go and how big is your move. But the high costs are not necessarily unfair: any relocation job involves hard labor, fuel expenses, packing supplies costs and insurance premiums. The tricky part is to properly estimate how much your relocation is going to cost you before the actual move. Apart from expenses you know you'll incur, there are some additional charges you might not be aware of.
- Extra heavy items. If your possessions include an upright or baby grand piano or a professional pool table – those items are extremely heavy and need to be lifted by at least 4 movers to avoid damage and prevent injury to the workers. Most relocation companies charge an additional fee for moving specified items of excessive weight so be prepared to pay anywhere between $50 to $300 extra for the service.

- Wide or large items. Some furniture items are not only heavy but also wide in dimension. A sectional couch, a huge antique chest, your granny's closet may not fit into your doorway. If that is the case, you need to notify your movers in advance and they will know to bring hoisting equipment. Basically hoisting is the process of moving a large and heavy furniture piece on the heavy-duty ropes through a window or balcony. It's usually done at an extra charge, which can be as high as $250. So make sure to take the measurements of your large items and the width of the doorway. If a piece can survive disassembling, that's a more suitable option as long as it doesn't take too much time.

- Narrow street or driveway. It happens that movers are unable to park their vehicle in front of your entrance: either the driveway is too small, or the street is so narrow that the moving truck (or trailer in case it's a long distance move) cannot enter it. If movers have no choice but to park in the distance, it will take them longer to carry the items to your house and there may be an additional charge for that. For interstate relocation, if movers are unable to get close enough to your house with their trailer, they rent a small truck and charge you an additional fee for the shuttle service.

- No elevator If you live in a building, it makes a huge difference for movers whether it has an elevator or not. Carrying furniture and boxes up multiple flights of stairs is an extra hard labor. Not all the relocation companies charge extra for the stairs, or they consider it an extra fee beginning from a certain level (e.g. more than 2 flights of stairs is an additional fee). So make sure you specify your situation when receiving a moving estimate.