Tips on Disconnecting and Connecting Utilities
Here at New City Moving, it is important to advise you of the importance of making sure your utilities are disconnected at your old residence and reconnected at your new residence in a timely manner. This is because you want electricity, telephone, and heating or cooling while the Chicago moving company is loading you up. However, you want those exact things when you are in your new place unpacking.
The most important thing you want to do before the Chicago moving services show up at your door is go to the websites of your utility companies or give them a call to find out what the disconnection rules are. It is ideal to contact your utility companies 2 to 4 weeks before you move so that you don’t leave yourself in the dark, without communication, or too cold or too hot. This advance notice also gives the utility companies time to get a last reading, allowing you a chance to take care of that last bill.
If you have any bills that are late or unpaid, it is important that you get that taken care of before the Chicago movers come to your door. This is so you can get your new service connected. Utility companies will not connect services until any outstanding bills are taken care of.
Now you want to make sure on moving day that your utilities are active to the very last minute because you don’t want to be in a bad situation in case an emergency strikes. It is important for both you and your Chicago moving services that electricity, heat, or cool air is available, as well as a telephone for emergency reasons.
Here are some helpful tips you can use during your move:
#1 Let your appliances return to room temperature before you plug them back in.
#2 Know where the cable and phone jacks are located, as well as electrical outlets in the new home.
#3 Tape doors shut such as on microwaves and even your refrigerator. Remove any glass plates or shelving.
Moving in Chicago during Tax Season
Tax season can be a stressful time. First, you have to gather up all of your statements for the previous years. These statements include 1099s, W-2s. and other tax forms. If you have items that you can write off, you need to gather receipts so that you can reduce your amount of taxable income.
Fortunately, you can write off your Chicago moving services on your tax return and receive a little bit of a tax break. So here are some tips that you should use when you moved during the tax year and are filing your taxes:
#1 Make sure you have saved all of your receipts. You will need to accurately calculate your expenses. If you have lost your receipts, check with the Chicago moving company to see if the receipts are on record.
#2 Interest paid on your old and new mortgages may be tax deductible. You may also be able to deduct other aspects of your mortgage depending on the laws in effect for the tax year you are filing for.
#3 In order to take advantage of any deductions that may apply to you, make sure you review your filing options. These options include using tax software to file your taxes or hiring an accountant.
#4 If you bought your home. Don’t forget to see what kinds of tax credits are available for homebuyers.
It is great that you can deduct services provided by New City moving for the fact that you can save even more money on your overall move, especially if your move has to do with your job. Nevertheless, it is always worth talking to your accountant or referring to the FAQs on your tax software to see what you can deduct and what you can’t. You might be surprised at just how much more money you can save.
Common Moving Scams to Avoid
Unfortunately, moving scams have nestled their way into the moving industry. This means that it is possible for some Chicago movers to not be who they are at all. It’s because they are not movers at all, but scam artists claiming to be. Then again, there are times that the issue may not be a scam at all, but an administrative problem.
Here are some examples of scams and administrative issues that you should avoid when looking for Chicago moving services that are right for you:
#1 You schedule the movers for moving day, but when it comes down to their arrival time, no one shows up or they don’t show up on time. Now if they don’t show up at all, then this is a scam. If you’ve paid any amount to them up front, then you’ve lost your money. If they show up late, it was an administrative error that a lot of times is the result of bad time management.
#2 One scam that has been around for a long time is the one where a customer finds a great deal, but once everything is loaded on the truck something happens that changes the price. The movers then say, “Unless you pay up, you won’t see your stuff.” If you refuse to pay, they threaten to sell your stuff.
#3 And yes, it has happened where a mover has had an unmarked truck and suddenly they disappear with everything. They were never legitimate to begin with, but scammers who have taken off with a houseful of items.
New City moving wants to make everyone aware of the scams that are out there because they can be horrifying if encountered. Chicago moving services are supposed to be honest and should have high integrity. Always look for Better Business Bureau affiliations, testimonials, and memberships with associations in order to know that a Chicago moving company is legit.
Moving for the First Time? Here are some tips!
The first move can prove to be a challenging one. Chicago movers can tell you that because they’ve dealt with a lot of first time movers who tend to be unorganized, but moving can be an unorganized task even for the experienced mover.
The following tips can help avoid a lot of the trouble that Chicago moving services see with first time moves:
#1 Don’t be afraid to ask a friend or family member who has moved before for some help. Whether you simply need advice or help with packing, cleaning, or another task, you have people who care about you and who are willing to help.
#2 Be sure to keep your cool during the move. You can become aggravated at yourself and others helping you move. Stand back, take a deep breath, and tell yourself that it will all be over soon. The Chicago moving company will help you get things in and out quickly.
#3 Make sure you don’t overstuff your refrigerator. You may have shared food with your family if you’ve never lived on your own before. Buy just a little and take it from there. You don’t want food to spoil in the refrigerator and lost money that way.
#4 Try to get as much rest as you can. If you can’t stay in your new place, stay in your old one. If it is not possible to stay in your old one, stay with a friend or family member.
#5 Remember to do basic tasks such as do your laundry, eat, and bathe. It can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle and forget to take care of yourself.
These are basic tips that can keep the stress down and the productivity up. If ever in doubt, ask your Chicago movers for input and see what other services may be available to you to make the move as easy as possible.
More Moving Jargon You Should Know
You’ve received one lesson in moving jargon that is used by New City Moving and other movers in the Chicago moving industry. Here are some more terms that you can familiarize yourself with in order to make your move an even more pleasant one:
Operating Authority – This is certification that is awarded by the government that allows the moving of your belongings between certain areas.
Order Number – This number is on your bill of lading and identifies your shipment.
Surface Transportation Board – This is an agency that is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates household goods carrier tariffs, amongst other things.
Tariff – This is a document that contains rules, regulations, rates, classifications, and other provisions. There are three items that are required by the Surface Transportation Board. The first is an accurate service description. The second is the rates and the basis for calculating these rates. The third is that the Chicago mover’s tariff is created in such a way that the exact rates can be determined by the customer if need be.
Valuation – This is the degree of worth for the entire shipment.
Packing services – These are Chicago moving services in which the mover packs instead of the customer. This is an important service for those who do not have the time to pack or may have a disability that prevents them from packing.
If you ever have any questions about what something means, don’t be afraid to ask. Those who do not work in the moving industry are not expected to know everything. If you have a question regarding your bill of lading, New City Moving will have no problem answering your question. That is what a high quality mover is supposed to do. Anything less is not acceptable.
First Aid Items to Have on Hand when Moving
When moving, injuries do occur. Some injuries can be as simple as a paper cut inflicted by a box to the more severe, such as a back injury that has you bent over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Although the best treatment for back injuries is the use of safety measures, such as keeping your feet shoulder width apart, lifting with your legs rather than your back, and keeping items close to you when lifting, you need to have first aid items handy. These first aid items can come in handy for any injury that occurs to you or your Chicago movers.
They include:
Band Aids for those nasty little cuts and scrapes
Hand towels
Non-adhesive dressing for the larger injuries
Alcohol swabs
Scissors
Sterile eye wash solution in case anything gets into the eyes
Antiseptic
Gloves
Wound dressing
First Aid pamphlet that tells you what to do in certain emergency situations
It is also good to know CPR. Although your Chicago moving services are experienced movers in which injury rarely occurs, you never know when the unexpected may happen to one of them or to one of your own.
And don’t forget to call 911 in the case of an extreme emergency. This does not mean you have to call 911 if someone improperly lifts a box and injures their back, but life threatening situations must be addressed as soon as possible.
You may wish to also keep such items as an ice pack nearby for when back injuries occur because it is ideal to immediately apply a cold compress. As a matter of fact, an ice pack works in other injury situations that include strains, sprains, and even stubbed toes.
How to Help Your Plants Survive a Move
You have your Chicago moving company in place, everything is packed, but one little thing you need to worry about is your house plants. How do you protect your plants during the move so that they are not damaged when you arrive at your new home?
Here are some ways to do that:
#1 Make sure your plants are adequately watered. Even though your journey may be short, this ensures their health. This is even more important if you are moving across Illinois because such a trip can have some length on it.
#2 If you are traveling somewhere else in Illinois, before putting your plants on the Chicago moving company truck, wrap the soil tops with sphagnum moss that has been soaked overnight. You can then wrap the entire pot in newspaper and place a layer of burlap over that.
#3 If you wish, you can loosely wrap the foliage in burlap to avoid any breakage.
#4 You may also wish to close your plants in unbreakable containers before putting them on the truck.
#5 If you use terra cotta pots, transfer your plants to plastic pots and then transfer them back to the terra cotta pots when you arrive at your new home. It may be ideal to do this with other breakable pots as well. Talk to a local nursery about obtaining the black plastic pots they use for their plants.
If you are moving from a larger home to a smaller home, you may want to consider donating some of your plants to nursing homes or to a community garden in your area. That way your plants can continue to flourish even if they are not with you.
And make sure that you inform your Chicago moving services that you have plants so that they will be aware in advance.
Cleaning Your New Home
Your Chicago movers may not notice it but you will – There is just something a little disgusting about your new home and you have to fix it so that you can feel comfortable. Everyone faces this. Others lived there for a while, sometimes many years, so you want it to be spic and span. Sometimes there is simply a bad odor that even the Chicago moving company moving you in may notice, but know that they experience it all of the time and may not think anything of it.
Fortunately, you can clean the place up and do so quickly by doing the following:
#1 Prepare by putting on some old clothes, old shoes, and gathering some cleaning materials that include spray cleaners, rags, a dull knife or scraper for scraping, a mop and bucket, trash bags, a broom, and paper towels.
#2 Clear out any garbage that is in your way. This is even something the Chicago moving services will appreciate since obstacles are dangerous for everyone.
#3 Once the garbage is out of the way, sweep the floors. Get rid of as much dirt and dust as possible so that you don’t find yourself cleaning wet clumps out of the floor when mopping.
#4 Have a window cleaner and an all-purpose cleaner to clean windows, doors, door handles, surfaces, bathrooms, and walls.
#5 Fill your garbage bags with everything that needs to be thrown away.
#6 Give yourself the white glove test by looking everything over and ensuring there are no missed spots. That way you can do a little touching up if you need to.
And this is how you clean your new home to make sure that any dirt and grime is out of the way. When it is all said and done, you will be very glad that you took care of the cleaning before the Chicago movers moved you in.
3 Moving Tips You May Not Know About
When it comes to moving, everyone knows that they need to be as organized as possible. The first thing you do is call your Chicago movers, tell them when to be at your home, make a to-do list, get everything packed, and you’re ready to go. But there can sometimes be that glitch that throws you for a loop and makes you feel as unprepared as a person who has not lifted a finger before moving day.
Here are 3 moving tips that can make a difference in your move:
#1 Pack an emergency backpack – You never know when you’re going to need one of the following items: Toothbrushes and toothpaste, bottles of water, deodorant, change of clothes, soap, towels, and snacks. If you’re wondering why you are creating this bag of “luggage,” it is because you don’t want to pack these very important items away and they get lost in the move when you need them. You may find that you have to spend an extra night at your old home or you simply may be too tired to find those items at your new one.
#2 Do some pre-move moving – If at all possible, try to move some things to your new home before moving day. Your Chicago moving company is not going to mind this at all. You’re not going to hurt your feelings because some things you simply need set up and ready for you. For instance, a friend may have a truck that allows you to move your bed. Because you may be too tired on moving day to set up your bed, this can work wonders for you and for the quality of your sleep that first night.
#3 Have a small TV or Stereo ready – You want to have a small TV or radio ready to plug in just in case you are not ready to set up your main television set. This will allow you to sit back, relax, and watch some TV or listen to music before digging into the big items the next day.
You can do these things in advance and make your move as stress free as possible. It is true that Chicago moving services can make your move less stressful, but these are tasks that you can complete on your end that will streamline it even more.
Moving Jargon You Should Know
When doing business with New City Movers, it is important that you know the typical Chicago moving company jargon. It is important for you to know this so that you can better understand what is going on around you. Here are some terms that you should know:
Bill of lading – The contract for the transportation of your goods and your receipt.
Carrier – The Chicago moving services transporting your belongings.
Declared value – When acquiring insurance, this is the value that you say your belongings are worth.
Binding estimate – This is an estimate that guarantees the total cost of the move. This is based upon the services that you require, the quantity of items being moved, and the distance of the move.
Non-binding estimate – This is an estimate that shows how much your Chicago movers believe the move will cost. This means that the final charges may change based on services acquired and certain details about the goods being moved. These details can include the quantity, weight, and much more.
Full Replacement Value Coverage – This is insurance coverage that fully covers the entire replacement value of your belongings.
Full Service Move – This is the most common type of move that a Chicago moving company does because it consists of transporting all goods from the old location to the new one.
High value article – These are items that are valued at more than $100 per pound in the shipment.
Line haul charges – These are the charges for the use of the vehicle that is moving your belongings.
By knowing the jargon used by the movers, you can better understand your bill of lading and what is being referred to when talking about the services you will receive during your move. With this understanding, misunderstandings can be avoided.
We are proud members of:
Our Insurance Companies
We Accept
©2009 New City Moving Inc. IL ICC #158051: Terms of Use
2358 N. Damen Ave. Chicago, IL 60647