Choosing the Best Movers in Kansas City When Moving Your Office

Facing a commercial move is perhaps one of the more stressful things you can go through as a business owner. After all, you have a lot of electronics, files, furniture, cubby walls and equipment to transfer from one place to another. Even if you’re just moving across town, this type of move can be daunting at best. Not with a trusted mover on your side, though! Choose the right partner in your journey and you’ll be smooth sailing before you know it.

Check out these tips for choosing the best business movers in Kansas City, the largest city in the state of Missouri:

Settle on a Mutually Convenient Date

While it’s not exactly easy to coordinate a commercial move, your task is made that much easier once you have a date to shoot for. Precision of timing is key, so when you call around to speak with movers, one of the first questions you need to pose is whether or not they are available on the date you have to move. Sometimes you have wiggle room on this date and sometimes you don’t. Rule out any company that cannot accommodate you. Remember: you have to do a lot of organizing of furniture, computers, documents, telephone systems, and filing cabinets, not to mention transferring of services such as the phone and Internet. You can’t be rushed or compromised.

Who Will Pack?

As said above, there are a lot of components to a commercial move. You can’t possibly pack up all your belongings AND run your business at the same time. Ask your moving company if they offer packing services, which can take a huge burden off your shoulders. Sure, you could do it yourself along with some willing employees to save a buck, but when you consider the time savings alone by letting the movers do it for you, the choice is clear. They show up with all the necessary supplies and equipment, such as boxes, tape and bubble wrap, plus they know how to expertly pack everything up and protect it for the journey. This way, you can avoid the downtime and loss of money and productivity that comes when you take days off due to a move.

The Costs

When calling around, be sure to ask for detailed rates and fee structures, as all movers may structure their fees differently. Don’t necessarily go with the one that offers rock bottom prices. You can’t afford to leave a move of this magnitude up to chance. No matter what you do, avoid companies that ask for all cash up front. Instead, get a breakdown of everything that contributes to the final price, such as:

• Number of trucks needed to complete your move
• Number of movers required for the job
• Square footage of your office
• Weight of your belongings
• Amount of heavy equipment that must be moved
• Overall difficulty of the move (i.e., a large office location at the top of a high rise will be more costly and labor-intensive than a small office on the ground floor.

Low rates don’t necessarily mean a low final bill, as there could be extra charges tacked on such as fuel charges that you weren’t aware of, says The Huffington Post.

Contact the Moving Proz in Kansas City

Are you a business owner on the hunt for a professional moving company with convenient locations throughout the Kansas City metro area? Count on our fully licensed and insured experts who are dedicated to making sure your commercial move goes quickly and efficiently. Get a free online moving estimate today to get started, or contact us in our Kansas City location at 816-945-6333 with any questions.

5 Tips for Moving Long Distances

The open road stretches in front of you: you’re on your way to your new home! A move of this magnitude can be daunting to say the least, especially when you factor in hundreds or thousands of miles of travel away from your old home to begin a new life somewhere else. 

While no mover can help you deal with the feelings of homesickness and loss you may be experiencing, you should at least enjoy peace of mind knowing your long-distance move will go smoothly!

1. Maximize Space

Making the most use of the space in your moving van or vans is key. But before you start having the movers pack it — in fact, well before you start organizing — you should de-clutter your existing home. If you don’t need it or haven’t used it recently, throw it out or donate it. Period. You can’t afford to lug items that no longer serve you halfway across the country.

2. Use the Resources You Have

Rather than unpack all your dresser drawers and then pack the dresser itself, leave the drawers filled with clothing and linens. Yes, it will be a bit heavier to move, but it will save you a lot of time in the long run when unpacking. Plus, you don’t need as many boxes. Same goes with luggage — fill them too! For heavy, sensitive items such as electronics, invest in heavy-duty boxes that provide more security and protection.

3. Do Your Research on Utilities Beforehand

Perhaps you got away with no landline and just a cell phone at your existing place, and you assume the same will apply to the new digs. Not always so. You can’t be sure what the cellphone reception will be like there. Your carrier may not even get a signal, or the infrastructure in your new region may not be as strong. Look into your options for phone and cable providersand do exhaustive research on what will and won’t work in the new place. Because of lousy cell phone reception, you may find that you need to invest in a landline again, says Houzz.

4. Insure Your Stuff

When your belongings are being hauled over thousands of miles in the back of a truck by multiple movers, stuff happens. Damage can occur even with the most skilled movers and careful planning. Because moving is a high-risk industry, it’s wise to obtain the proper insurance coverage. Federal laws state that a mover must provide liability of about $.60 per pound. Does this basic coverage sound adequate to you? If not, consider buying full-value coverage for the utmost in protection.

5. Keep Important Documents on Your Person

Rather than pack certain important documents where you can’t get at them readily, keep them with you throughout the moving process. These include:

• Driver’s license
• Social security card
• Passport
• Birth certificate

You may also want to keep recent bank statements, tax returns and pay stubs. These personal documents can come in handy if you’re signing up for new services or looking for a job in the new place. While you’re at it, keep prescriptions, important toiletries and spare clothes with you in an emergency bag as well.

Contact Moving Proz

Here at Moving Proz, we are committed to providing the best moving and packing services in Kansas City, Overland Park, and Lawrence. We would love to hear from you, so contact us at one of our three convenient locations. Or, get a free online moving estimate to help you plan your long-distance move.

Mementos to Ditch and Keep from Your Childhood Home

There are many reasons you may be leaving your childhood home behind: you’re getting married, you’re facing divorce, your parents died or they’re moving into a nursing home. Whatever the reason, it’s never easy to say goodbye to all the memories you made there. As you go through the belongings deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, you’ll have to make some tough decisions on what you’ll keep dear to remind you of those sweet years. Here are five mementos you should hold onto during your residential move, as well as some things it’s OK to let go.

Finally Moving On

First, let’s go over what you should NOT keep when making a move of this magnitude.

• Other people’s memories: Sure, you may have kept the program from your sister’s wedding or a pressed flower from your cousin’s baptism, but it’s important to recognize these are not your memories to keep. Houzz suggests releasing yourself from the burden of keeping other people’s memories and stick with your own.
• Short-term mementos: From birthday cards and event programs to invitations and birth announcements, there are many items we hold onto for much longer than we should. It’s OK to keep them for a little while — perhaps tack them to a cork board or stick them to your fridge. After a few weeks, though, it’s time they got thrown into the trash. These small things you collect along the way can really clutter your personal space if kept for a lifetime.
• Inherited treasures: You may not think you could possibly part with your great aunt’s China collection or your grandma’s giraffe figurine collection, but you have to examine why you’re still holding onto that stuff. Are you keeping them because you actually need them and like to display them or are you clutching to a childhood memory of your loved one that you feel guilty letting go of? If you absolutely can’t bear the thought of parting with inherited stuff, snap a picture, write a memory on the back and put it in an album. Not only does this take up less space, it will mean more in the long run.
• Free stuff: Think about all the freebies you get from tradeshows, conferences, fairs, workplace giveaways, your kid’s school and wedding favors. While you may have been psyched to get something for free, its usefulness has probably worn itself out already. They should never make it into your box of treasured mementos, so toss that votive candle bearing the date of your friend’s wedding, the company paper weight you got at last year’s Christmas party and all those free key chain flashlights from your bank. Do they even work any more?

What Stays?

Now we can talk about what to keep during this transition from childhood home to new beginnings.

1. Representative samples. Rather than include the whole lot in your cherished treasure box, keep one item that represents all the rest and toss what remains: who needs 50 extra birth announcements or wedding programs?
2. Triumphs over adversity. Anything that represents a time when you overcame an obstacle, such as the college diploma that took you five years to get due to juggling work and kids as a single mom or that photo of you atop the mountain you never thought you’d conquer. Being reminded over and over again of how you overcame an obstacle is always a good thing, and a good lesson to pass onto your own kids.
3. Reminders of positive events. This includes only the very best days of your life — the days you would re-live over and over if you could. Examples include the birth of your children, your wedding day, or closing day for your new home. Choose only the BEST events, people, places and experiences to show a timeline of your success in life.
4. Beloved items. Whether it’s that Teddy bear with the mangled fur, an old blanket that used to see you through nightmares as a kid, or your dad’s shirt that still holds his smell two years after his death…these are all things to hang onto because even a photograph can’t capture the feel and smell of these memories.

Contact Moving Proz in Kansas City

While we can’t help you decide what’s important to keep and what to toss, we CAN help ease this transition by providing seamless packing and moving in the Kansas City area. Contact us today for a free quote to get started on the next phase of your life.

5 Tips for Moving Long Distances

The open road stretches in front of you: you’re on your way to your new home! A move of this magnitude can be daunting to say the least, especially when you factor in hundreds or thousands of miles of travel away from your old home to begin a new life somewhere else. While no mover can help you deal with the feelings of homesickness and loss you may be experiencing, you should at least enjoy peace of mind knowing your long-distance move will go smoothly!

1. Maximize Space

Making the most use of the space in your moving van or vans is key. But before you start having the movers pack it — in fact, well before you start organizing — you should de-clutter your existing home. If you don’t need it or haven’t used it recently, throw it out or donate it. Period. You can’t afford to lug items that no longer serve you halfway across the country.

2. Use the Resources You Have

Rather than unpack all your dresser drawers and then pack the dresser itself, leave the drawers filled with clothing and linens. Yes, it will be a bit heavier to move, but it will save you a lot of time in the long run when unpacking. Plus, you don’t need as many boxes. Same goes with luggage — fill them too! For heavy, sensitive items such as electronics, invest in heavy-duty boxes that provide more security and protection.

3. Do Your Research on Utilities Beforehand

Perhaps you got away with no landline and just a cell phone at your existing place, and you assume the same will apply to the new digs. Not always so. You can’t be sure what the cellphone reception will be like there. Your carrier may not even get a signal, or the infrastructure in your new region may not be as strong. Look into your options for phone and cable providersand do exhaustive research on what will and won’t work in the new place. Because of lousy cell phone reception, you may find that you need to invest in a landline again, says Houzz.

4. Insure Your Stuff

When your belongings are being hauled over thousands of miles in the back of a truck by multiple movers, stuff happens. Damage can occur even with the most skilled movers and careful planning. Because moving is a high-risk industry, it’s wise to obtain the proper insurance coverage. Federal laws state that a mover must provide liability of about $.60 per pound. Does this basic coverage sound adequate to you? If not, consider buying full-value coverage for the utmost in protection.

5. Keep Important Documents on Your Person

Rather than pack certain important documents where you can’t get at them readily, keep them with you throughout the moving process. These include:

• Driver’s license
• Social security card
• Passport
• Birth certificate

You may also want to keep recent bank statements, tax returns and pay stubs. These personal documents can come in handy if you’re signing up for new services or looking for a job in the new place. While you’re at it, keep prescriptions, important toiletries and spare clothes with you in an emergency bag as well.

Contact Moving Proz

Here at Moving Proz, we are committed to providing the best moving and packing services in Kansas City, Overland Park, and Lawrence. We would love to hear from you, so contact us at one of our three convenient locations. Or, get a free online moving estimate to help you plan your long-distance move.

Choosing the Best Movers in Kansas City When Moving Your Office

Facing a commercial move is perhaps one of the more stressful things you can go through as a business owner. After all, you have a lot of electronics, files, furniture, cubby walls and equipment to transfer from one place to another. Even if you’re just moving across town, this type of move can be daunting at best. Not with a trusted mover on your side, though! Choose the right partner in your journey and you’ll be smooth sailing before you know it.

Check out these tips for choosing the best business movers in Kansas City, the largest city in the state of Missouri:

Settle on a Mutually Convenient Date

While it’s not exactly easy to coordinate a commercial move, your task is made that much easier once you have a date to shoot for. Precision of timing is key, so when you call around to speak with movers, one of the first questions you need to pose is whether or not they are available on the date you have to move. Sometimes you have wiggle room on this date and sometimes you don’t. Rule out any company that cannot accommodate you. Remember: you have to do a lot of organizing of furniture, computers, documents, telephone systems, and filing cabinets, not to mention transferring of services such as the phone and Internet. You can’t be rushed or compromised.

Who Will Pack?

As said above, there are a lot of components to a commercial move. You can’t possibly pack up all your belongings AND run your business at the same time. Ask your moving company if they offer packing services, which can take a huge burden off your shoulders. Sure, you could do it yourself along with some willing employees to save a buck, but when you consider the time savings alone by letting the movers do it for you, the choice is clear. They show up with all the necessary supplies and equipment, such as boxes, tape and bubble wrap, plus they know how to expertly pack everything up and protect it for the journey. This way, you can avoid the downtime and loss of money and productivity that comes when you take days off due to a move.

The Costs

When calling around, be sure to ask for detailed rates and fee structures, as all movers may structure their fees differently. Don’t necessarily go with the one that offers rock bottom prices. You can’t afford to leave a move of this magnitude up to chance. No matter what you do, avoid companies that ask for all cash up front. Instead, get a breakdown of everything that contributes to the final price, such as:

• Number of trucks needed to complete your move
• Number of movers required for the job
• Square footage of your office
• Weight of your belongings
• Amount of heavy equipment that must be moved
• Overall difficulty of the move (i.e., a large office location at the top of a high rise will be more costly and labor-intensive than a small office on the ground floor.

Low rates don’t necessarily mean a low final bill, as there could be extra charges tacked on such as fuel charges that you weren’t aware of, says The Huffington Post.

Contact the Moving Proz in Kansas City

Are you a business owner on the hunt for a professional moving company with convenient locations throughout the Kansas City metro area? Count on our fully licensed and insured experts who are dedicated to making sure your commercial move goes quickly and efficiently. Get a free online moving estimate today to get started, or contact us in our Kansas City location at 816-945-6333 with any questions.

5 Things to Do After You Move

You’ve probably been so busy preoccupied with the planning of the actual move that you forgot to think about what needs to get done afterwards. There’s plenty, by the way. Your work is never done, and the period right after your move is just as critical as before. Don’t lose steam now! Check out these five things to take care of once you move into your new digs.

1. Change the Locks

If this hasn’t been done already, get the locks changed by a professional locksmith. You can’t be sure who had copies of the key before you became the new homeowners, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. While you’re at it, install new deadbolts for about $10 per lock or — better yet — have the locksmith do it while he’s there. Tip: if you buy the locks you want ahead of time, you’ll only have to pay for labor (typically between $20 and $30 per lock), says House Logic.

2. Check for Drips and Leaks

While the home inspection should have caught anything major as far as big leaks or plumbing issues, don’t hesitate to go through the home and double check. You may find a drippy faucet in the bathroom that you’d like to replace. You should alsocheck the water heater for any leaks as well as running toilets that may need a simple fix. Ignore these now and they can become much bigger problems later.

3. Clean the Carpets

Ideally, you should do this before your furniture is placed in the new home so you don’t have to worry about moving heavy objects around. If you pay a professional to do it, plan on spending about $50 a room, unless you snag a special deal. The other option is to rent a steam cleaner daily and get the job done yourself. These machines do a pretty good job of getting the dirt out, but they may not be as powerful as a professional grade machine.

4. Clean out the Cabinets

This may seem like a tiny task that doesn’t need much thought, but before you add your dishes and cups to the cupboards, take the time to wipe them down, inside and out, with a gentle cleaner, warm water and rag. Replace the contact paper for a fresh start. You may not even realize how many crumbs and spilled sugar can accumulate on the shelves, which can attract ants and other critters into your new home.

5. Know Where the Fuse Box Is

Before you get too comfy in your new home, get familiar with the circuit breaker box. You never know when you’ll need to get to it quickly in the event of a power outage or even just to shut the power down to fix a broken light fixture. Go through each fuse, test it, and label it accordingly.

Contact Moving Proz

Here at Moving Proz, we ensure your move goes off without a hitch. After the move, you’re on your own, which is why we try to educate our clients the best we can on how to make the entire experience seamless from start to finish. Contact us for a free moving estimate or fill out our convenient online form for more information. We are happy to provide top-notch moving and packing services in Kansas City, Overland Park, Lawrence and all surrounding cities.

Best time of year to sell a home and move in Kansas City

Living in Kansas City, you may be wondering what the best time of year is to move. If you’re planning on selling your home and making a subsequent move, it’s important to know the optimal times to do this, in order to ensure a seamless process from start to finish. Maximizing your move is all about timing.

Optimal Times to Make Your Move

Spring has traditionally been the best time to put your home on the market. It’s a no-brainer as to why: the weather in Kansas City is nice, people are thinking about fresh starts, and houses and their corresponding yards look their very best, what with landscaping and flowers. Data from the real estate industry shows that May and June have the highest numbers of homes on the market.

In addition to that, families are eager to get into a new home well before the end of summer so their kids can be established in their new school system by September. Putting a home on the market in spring means it will hopefully sell in the summer, avoiding the need to pull kids out of school at the end of their current school year. Add to that the fact that it’s much easier to stage and show a home in nice weather, as buyers emerge from the hibernation of winter and are ready to start anew. According to Realtor.com, 50 percent of homes are sold in the months of spring and summer.

Worst Times to Make Your Move

The holidays generally represent the worst time to sell your home — basically from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. That’s because buyers are preoccupied with entertaining for the holidays, buying gifts, and decorating their homes. That means tensions are high, funds are low and budgets are tight because they’re thinking more about Christmas presents than large purchase such as a new home. Due to all this, you’re more likely to get low-ball offers if you attempt to sell during this part of winter, says The Huffington Post.

That being said, winter does have its fair share of home sales. Studies show that home listings in early winter (November) have a higher likelihood of selling more quickly and getting closer to asking price than other times of the year. And although the holidays are a low time to sell and move, a surge in homes listed in mid-winter (February) is experienced by home markets in KC and beyond. These sellers are motivated and don’t need to wait till spring to make their move. 2014 stats show 74 percent of homes put on the market in February sold within 90 days, with nearly 15 percent selling for higher than asking price.

Making the Most of Your Move

Regardless of when you list your home for sale, the best time to move will always be spring and summer, and even into fall, as the weather is pleasant and you can move your belongings without the threat of winter storms. Snowfall can really throw a wrench into your moving plans, so unless you can’t help it, plan your move for late spring, summer or early fall. Your trusted residential movers can help you with this.

Contact Moving Proz in Kansas City

For more insight into the best times to move in Kansas City, contact us at 816-945-6333. Moving Proz offers free online moving estimates and remains committed to providing the best moving and packing services, not just in Kansas City, but Overland Park, Lawrence and all surrounding cities as well.