Dear Friends,
Happy Valentine’s day to all our clients and faithful website visitors! We hope you will do something special for your significant other. Flowers, chocolates, and cards are always appropriate. If there is a move in your near future, perhaps bubble wrap and boxes in different sizes would make ideal gifts!
We’re just kidding. Nobody wants a box for Valentine’s day. Moving day, however, is a different story. Before moving day, you will want all your belongings neatly packed, sorted, and labeled for easy stacking into your moving van or other vehicle. You will have spoken with your moving company prior to the move, to develop a game plan. You should also know the order you will pack, and also the order you will unpack when the move is complete and the moving vans drive away from your new residence.
The most important news we have to share with you this month is about our 2017 CMSA RAFFLE, where we are raising money for scholarships and special olympics. The California Moving and Storage Association, through support of its members, offers scholarships to deserving, qualified persons interested in improving their skills in a specific vocation. The CMSA is also proud to support the Northern and Southern California chapters of the Special Olympics.
RAFFLE ITEMS:
-Two Nights at the Fess Parker Resort in Santa Barbara
-Weekend Getaway in Laughlin, NV
-Case of Oreana Pinot Noir
-$500 Home Depot Shopping Spree
Ventura/Santa Barbara CMSA chapter will donate all proceeds to the annual CMSA Scholarship Fund and Special Olympics Fund. Two very worthy causes!
Winners will be drawn on May 5th at the CMSA convention in Palm Springs. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
By the way, if those are our moving vans driving away, you can rest easy knowing you have been in good hands. Hazelwood Allied has been in business since 1918. That’s a hundred years and a lot of successful moves. We serve Santa Barbara and the greater California region, and we have also helped relocate national and international clients. We will tailor your moving plan to you and your family’s needs. We are also Senior Move certified, having served many seniors throughout our history. We are proud of our consistent A+ ratings with the Better Business Bureau, and we also offer short and long term storage in our warehouses and mini self storage facility.
Now, let’s get back to your move. It is important to remember that moving day is the culmination of an intricate dance that actually starts the day you accept an offer on your house. Advance preparation is vital for a painless, smooth, no headaches type of moving day, the kind everyone wants. Here are some tips to help moving day go smoothly, both at your old house and at your new house. After all, what good is a flawless packing and shipping plan if you can’t find your pots and pans to cook your first dinner at the new place?
In addition to meticulous planning, it pays to think about the essentials and the possible obstacles to be overcome. On your first night in your new house, you will most likely be weary from working hard and unpacking all day. You will be ready for bed, and you will need your toothbrush, toiletries, sleeping clothes and anything else you consider vital, like reading material. You will definitely not want to search through box after box looking for all these things. This is why packing an overnight bag should be one of your first tasks on the morning of moving day, or perhaps the night before. If you have a large family, you may wish to pack one master bag with snacks, games, or other forms of entertainment in addition to having each member of the family pack their own bag.
Aside from the essentials we mentioned, what else will you need to break out and use first? For many families, this will be pots, pans, utensils and other cooking or dining equipment. If your new house comes with a pool, and the weather is nice, you may want the swimming gear close at hand. Whatever the case, it is best practice to pack the first item or items you will need in a clear plastic bin. If everything you will need does not fit in one bin, you can pack more, but try limiting yourself to no more than three clear bins. If there are too many, they will not stand out as much from the rest of the boxes and bins. The main idea of using the clear bin is to identify and reach those first or second night items quickly and without a lot of searching.
When you choose Hazelwood Allied to manage your move, you can be sure that all glassware and breakables will be packed to the highest professional standards. Our goal is to deliver everything in one piece, every time, and our veteran loaders and drivers are trained to do just that. If you are going DIY with your move, you will want to protect your glassware and other breakables the same way we do, with bubble wrap, packing paper, and tape. Keep breakables together, but never put too many in the same container. Label all breakable boxes, and use small or medium size boxes.
A word about packing paper–you can never use too much of it. We recommend stuffing the breakable boxes with packing paper to prevent the contents from moving during shipping. The only time you may not need packing paper is if you are shipping several of the same size and shape glass bottles in a special box. The boxes, usually called wine kits, contain cardboard or Styrofoam dividers to prevent bottles from bumping into each other in shipping. A wine box is not a good choice if you have several lamps, bottles, or breakable artwork of different sizes and shapes.
Here is our final tip for a smooth and efficient moving day. This one is easy to overlook, but still important. If you have lived in your current house for a while, you probably have blinds, curtains, furniture, and other fixtures that will need to be taken down or taken apart for moving. The screws, bolts, and other mounting hardware can be placed in small ziplock bags and labelled. For super efficiency and convenience, you can even tape the bags of hardware to the back or side of the fixture they belong to.
We hope our ideas are helpful, if you are planning a move in the future. Hazelwood Allied is your top choice for Santa Barbara movers, whether you are moving to a new neighborhood or a new coast. No matter which moving contractor you choose, make sure they are properly licensed, certified, and insured. You can find a list of questions to ask all moving companies on our website, along with more information about our services and history in the community.
Sincerely,
Casey McCann
Phone: 805-963-4493
Email: casey@hazelwoodallied.com
p.s. As a resource to you, each month we will recommend local area partners that we feel may be of value to you. If you are moving in or out of Santa Barbara and need the help of quality cleaning team, contact Rosie’s Cleaning. If you recently had one of your home appliances stop working, give our trusted appliance repair partner Burt Yost a call.
About Hazelwood Allied Moving and Storage: Hazelwood Allied Moving and Storage is one of the oldest family-owned Santa Barbara moving companies. It has everything needed for local, national, and international moves, and manages both residential moves and commercial moves. Its affiliate, McCann Mini Storage, provides storage units in Santa Barbara. Visit the website at https://www.hazelwoodallied.com to read testimonials about the Santa Barbara movers. “Like” the Facebook page for moving and storage tips. Call 800-541-5958 for a free moving estimate or information on Santa Barbara storage units.
