6 Tips for Moving to a Smaller House from our Sunnyvale Movers

If you’re moving to a smaller house, there are some details to consider before the day of your move. Use these tips from our professional Sunnyvale Movers to prepare.

Recently with the popularity of tiny homes, it seems everyone is choosing to downsize. If you’re feeling like you have too much space in your home, it could be time to move to a smaller space. Whether your kid’s moved out for college or you’ve reached an age where a large home is too troublesome to clean, moving to a smaller home could be a great opportunity to get rid of all that stuff cluttering up your garage and start fresh.

Prepare Your Mind For The Move

The first, and arguably most difficult task to take care of while downsizing, is to change your mindset. You will be transitioning from ample space to just enough for your belongings and simple living. This move will be eye-opening in terms of how many “essential” belongings you own and how you spread out in your space. This transition could be more difficult if it’s a financial decision, too, so give yourself plenty of time to sift through your priorities and belongings and get your mindset right for this big change into a smaller home.

Start Purging The Obvious Stuff

We’ll bet you already have a running list of things you can’t wait to get rid of. Heck, that old dresser and nightstand set could be the reason you decided to downsize in the first place. Start your downsizing adventure by donating all the obvious stuff first. Toss the old silverware set from your wedding that you never really liked, and finally say goodbye to that “family heirloom” lamp that your great-grandma didn’t even like. Donate with abandon, this is your time! Just make sure everyone in the household is on the same page when you toss things that technically belong to the whole family.

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Call Up Your Family

While you’re in that purging momentum, don’t forget to call up your extended family or adult kids to see what they want before you toss it. You might be surprised what they eagerly request. Your daughter might have fond memories of the old trunk that sat as a makeshift coffee table, or your aunt could want her coasters back--whatever! Don’t forget to make those calls .

Set Limits With Sentimental Belongings

This is the time to finally get rid of all that pack rat junk you’ve been holding onto simply because you had the space in your home and your heart to keep it. Go through your someday projects and hand-me-down clothes and say goodbye. If you’re the sentimental type, then make sure you set a limit to the amount of sentimental belongings you bring with you. When you have a limit, you will be more discerning about what’s actually important to remember. N certain circumstances, maybe pictures of something will suffice. Maybe you have a lot of memories in a certain T-shirt but it’s time to throw it away. Look for photos of yourself in the shirt so you know you will have a memory of it.

Take Advantage Of The Numbers 

Get the floorplan blueprints  of your new home as soon as possible so you can use the measurements to inform how much stuff you can actually take. This is difficult to gauge by your eyes alone--which should be no surprise if you’ve tried to eyeball the size of a sofa in a furniture store only to bring it home and see it’s way too big. All your furniture will look just the right size in your big home, but it might be way too big for your new living spaces. This is where the measurements come in. Rely on the numbers to determine what can stay and what needs to be donated.

Get Professional Movers to Help

Downsizing can often be more work than moving into a home that’s the same size. While your load for the moving truck will be much lighter, all the preparation could leave you exhausted. On moving day, sit back and look at all your hard work, and let the professional movers take care of those final steps. Hiring professional movers will prevent injury on your part and also save you time. If you’re planning to move this winter, call our professional Sunnyvale Movers today for a free quote.

How To Move Houseplants – A Guide by Palo Alto Movers

House and garden plants enliven a living space and have a way of transforming a house into a home. Here in Palo Alto, we’re lucky to live in a climate that is absolute paradise for most plants, so your own home probably feels like an oasis with all the greenery! But if you’re planning to relocate, moving all those plants might seem intimidating. It is true that moving plants can be a bit of a hassle if you’ve never done it before. In fact many moving companies will not move your plants at all, and all moving companies refuse to take liability for damaged plants (yes, that includes our Palo Alto movers here at Moving Forward). This is because plants are so sensitive and they don’t do well in the heat of a moving truck. If you have a large collection of houseplants, you probably want to take them with you (they’re your babies!). You’ve put a lot of time and energy toward your plants, and it would be a waste if you had to throw them all the away. Before you start packing up those plants, make sure you know what to do with these quick tips.

Before you start packing your plants, understand that if you’re moving across state borders, there may be rules against bringing certain plants across state lines. Check inspection guidelines in the state you’re moving to and avoid hold ups or having to toss your plants at the border. If you find that you can’t take your plants with you, give them to a friend before you go. You might be sad, but at least they will have a happy home.

Pack Plants Last 
Plants should be the last of your items to be boxed up, because it is bad for plants to be in a hot car or truck for too long. Leave your plants be until you have packed up the rest of your belongings first and put them in the truck. Ideally you will pack up your plants right before departure.

Packing Your Plants
Use boxes and line them with plastic, then stuff the boxes around the planter with plenty of packing materials so they don’t jostle around. This will help you avoid a broken planter and soil in your car. To protect your tall plants with branches and fragile leaves, wrap them in plastic and poke holes in the plastic so they can breathe.

Crank Up The AC
If you’re moving during the summer, keep the air conditioner on so your plants don’t overheat. Anytime you stop for a bathroom break, park in the shade and roll down a window to give your plants some fresh air. If you are moving during the winter, stuff plenty of newspaper into your plant’s boxes so they stay warm. Cold weather can do a number on your plants, so keep them at a comfortable temperature.

Don’t Over Water
Keep an eye on the soil and only water your plants if they are looking abnormally dry. There might be a tendency to water them just to cover all bases, but this could end up damaging your plant.

Get A Room
If you’re traveling for a few days, bring your plants into your lodging location and provide the proper lighting situation for them. Remember, extreme temperatures are only made more extreme in a car, so do not forget to bring your plants inside with you.

Give Those Plants Some Post-Move Love 
Once you arrive to your new destination, remove all the plastic from the plants immediately. Give them some water and food if necessary. If you removed your plants from their pots to move and plan to repot them upon arrival, wait at least a week to do so. The plants have already gone through a lot of strain during the move, and repotting will only cause more strain.Be sure to care for your plants so they can revive after a long journey. Take a look at this awesome plant care guide to find out how to care for your plants.

How will you move the rest of your belongings? For full moving services, call Moving Forward to get your free quote today!

How to Pack Heavy Furniture

As you begin packing for your big move, you may suddenly become aware of the fact that you have a lot of big items. From your sofa and dining room table to your football table and big area rugs … there’s a lot to pack that won’t fit into boxes. As you begin to pack those big items, use these tips from our professional San Francisco Movers to prepare your big belongings for transport.

Get Rid of the Unnecessary Big Items

Before you start packing that old sofa, ask yourself, “Do I really need to bring this thing across the country?” Moving is a great time to take stock of all your belongings and toss what may have overstayed its welcome. If some of your furniture has seen better days, take this opportunity to start fresh and donate them. This will lighten your moving load and also make hauling easier for your professional movers.

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Gather Appropriate Packing Supplies

When packing big, bulky items, the name of the game is protection: protection of the items (because big items can be fragile too!), and protection of the movers (which is you if you don’t hire professional movers) as you move the items.

• Strong Boxes – Some of those items will fit into the bigger boxes, but you want to make sure those boxes can withstand the weight and size of the item as it moves around on the truck. If you have really heavy items, you might consider plastic or even wooden crates that can protect your items better.

• Thick, Durable Packing Materials – Bubble wrap and packing blankets will be essential when wrapping your big items. The more times you can wrap bubble wrap around the corners and delicate or asymmetrical edges of an item, the better. But don’t forget the soft white packing paper, too! This paper acts as the first layer of packing material.

• Invest in High Quality Packing Tape – All that packing material won’t do much good without proper adhesive. Make sure to buy a few rolls of packing tape to secure your packing materials and keep your items from jiggling around.

Packing Heavy Furniture Safely

When packing your furniture, the first rule of thumb is to dissemble your furniture as much as possible. This includes tables, beds, dressers, entertainment centers, and bookshelves. Remove the drawers and wrap them separately and also to make the base furniture lighter. Once you begin wrapping the furniture, make sure to use soft paper BEFORE the bubble wrap to prevent damage to the paint and stain on your wood furniture.

For additional support and protection on the more fragile sides of the furniture, use extra pieces of cardboard and moving blankets. Moving blankets provide essential cushioning while thick cardboard provides additional support.

As you being wrapping your furniture with moving blankets, be careful not to let any of the moving tape get onto the furniture, as this can also strip the paint of stain and leave a sticky residue on your furniture.

Once you have all of your heavy furniture safely packed, it’s time to haul it onto the truck! For your safety, it is advised that you leave this part to your professional movers. They are trained to lift heavy items and positioning them safely in the truck.

Still looking for professional Movers in San Francisco? Call Moving Forward San Francisco for your FREE quote!

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You Quick Moving Day Checklist

Your belongings are packed, labeled and ready to go, and the movers will arrive any minute–but you can’t help but worry you’re forgetting an important detail. Moving is an emotional and stressful time, and it’s easy to forget to return that leaf blower to your neighbor … or your keys to the landlord. Don’t stress, take a look at this moving day checklist to be absolutely sure you haven’t forgotten anything once you’re on the road.

Wake Up Early – By moving day, you probably have the big to-dos taken care of, but it is still helpful to wake up early enough to take care of last minute tasks before the movers arrive. Even if you did a great job tackling your moving checklist before the main event, you will want to enjoy one last morning in your home before you say goodbye to it for good.

Take Care of Last Minute Errands – Stop by the dry cleaners, drop off any library books, and make your last round of goodbyes. You will enjoy more peace of mind knowing all those nagging tasks are taken care of and the loose ends are tied up.

Pack Your Immediate-Use Belongings – Put together a bag of clothes, electronics, toiletries, keys and other items that you will need during your travels and upon arrival to the new house. Think of this like a carry on bag of sorts (without the restrictions of course!).

Take a Final Lap Around Your Home – Once all the boxes are packed into the truck and you’re getting ready to say goodbye, take one final lap around the house. Double-check the cabinets to make sure nothing was left behind.

Greet and Guide The Movers – When your movers arrive greet them and show them around. It’s best if you stick around while they are moving so you can answer any questions along the way (another reason to take care of those last minute errands before the professional movers arrive!)

Arrive At Your New Home – You have arrived! Guide the movers and show them around the new space so they know where you want everything to be unloaded. After a long day, it’s important not to forget to provide food and water for you professional movers as well.

Only Unpack The Essentials – Don’t worry about your ski gear or your precious collection of DVDs just yet. Only unpack the essentials so you can enjoy your first night in your new home. Think bedding, pajamas, cookware if you plan to cook dinner, and maybe the TV if you want to just kick back after a long day.

Tip Your Movers – Before your movers leave, don’t forget to tip them! It’s an easy thing to forget, but professional moving is in fact a service that we tip, so don’t skimp after all their hard work.
Are you just getting started with your full moving checklist? Take care of scheduling professional movers now and call Moving Forward Professional San Francisco Movers for a FREE quote.

How To Pack Clothes For Moving

Remember when you moved out of your parents’ house, a plastic garbage bag filled with your belongings slung over shoulder? Moving was a simple game then, because you didn’t have much to pack, and you didn’t really have anything worth losing.

Now that you’re moving for real, it’s tempting to stuff all of your clothes into a few trash bags like you did in college, but when you’re moving an entire household of belongings with your whole family, it’s time to update your moving strategy.

Packing clothes during a move can feel a lot like working retail. But when you do it right, you will be so much happier when you arrive and all your clothes are neatly packed and waiting to be placed in their new home.

Skip the trash bags and use these tips to properly pack your clothes for your move.

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Take Advantage of Your Dresser

Want to save some time during packing? Leave your clothes in the dresser and simply pack the dresser. As long as the dresser itself is wrapped and secure so the drawers don’t fly open, this can save you time and space on the moving truck. If, however, you have a lot of heavy and bulky items in the dresser, check with your professional movers before doing this.

Label Your Clothes

As you remove all your clothes from the closet, take the time to fold them before putting them in the boxes. This will save you time when you’re tired and unpacking in your new home. Organize your clothes by type so you can more easily access the clothes you will need immediately. Use labels if some of your clothes–like coats and costumes–are going to the garage, basement or hallway closet.

Ask for Hanger Wardrobe Boxes

For your high quality or delicate clothes that you want to keep on hangers, ask your professional movers for hanger wardrobe boxes. Here at Moving Forward San Francisco Movers, we provide boxers to all our customers. Just ask!

Use Vacuum Seal Bags

Save more space and keep your bulky clothes clean with vacuum seal bags. This way you will be able to fit more clothes into bags or in luggage, which will allow for you to put more stuff on the truck. The vacuum seals also keep you clothe dry, just in case any leaks or weather threaten the safety of your belongings.

Make Use of Your Luggage

Before you wrap up your luggage, use that extra space to pack extra clothes. Your luggage was designed to transport clothes, so make use of the space. When it comes time to unload the truck, you will also be able to easily identify your clothes and set them aside.


Ready to get moving? Call Moving Forward to get your FREE quote today!

6 Tips For Moving During The Winter

Moving during the winter has its perks. For one, you’re not moving during the high season, so professional moving rates are likely to be more reasonable. However, there are some obstacles that come with moving during the winter. The most obvious is weather. If you’re moving to or from a location with significant rain or snow, the roads are more dangerous and there could be delays. Delays may not be an option if you are moving for a job or for some other reason that has hard deadlines. If you plan to move anytime between November and March, make things easier on yourself with these 6 tips for moving in the winter.

1.Pay Attention to the Weather Forecast

The weather during the winter is extremely unpredictable. One day it could be clear and sunny, the next there could be a blizzard blowing past your front door. This back and forth can cause dangerous driving conditions like strong winds and black ice.

To avoid this, pay close attention to the 10-day forecast. If a storm is coming on the day of your move, call your Sunnyvale movers and ask if you can reschedule. Since this is the slow season for moving, movers are much more likely to negotiate with you. They don’t want to take the risk in extreme weather either, so it’s a valid concern this will probably be easy to change.

2.Take Proper Safety Precautions Around Your House

Rain and snow, if left overnight, can produce black ice and other dangers in your driveway and around your house. Before the movers arrive, take precautions to shovel snow, scrape away ice and clear pathways of other dangers. The last thing you want to deal with during a move is a trip to the E.R.

3.Provide Warmth and Shelter for Your Movers

If possible, create shade structures or clear places for shelter in case the weather picks up while the movers are packing the truck. If it suddenly starts dumping outside, understand that you may have to take a break and be flexible with hourly rates. Talk to your Sunnyvale professional movers about plans for rescheduling or other fees if the weather should interfere with the move. If you all decide to keep moving forward, provide plenty of shelter, warm beverages or even breaks inside if necessary. A move isn’t worth getting sick over.

4.Protect Your Belongings From Weather

Rain and snow can do serious damage to your belongings. If anything gets wet before being loaded on the truck, mold or mildew can form quickly (especially here in the Bay Area). Make sure your professional movers double wrap your belongings and use extra moving blankets when necessary. Be extra careful with electronics and anything that could potentially get damaged from precipitation and leaks.

5. Prepare Your Care For Winter Travel

Planning on driving with the truck? Take your car in to be serviced before the move. Make sure you have proper tires, chains, and all the machinery and fluids are ready to go. Knowing your car is ready for extreme weather will keep your mind at ease and your family safe when the weather and roads become unpredictable.

6.Be Flexible

Traveling in the winter can take much longer than traveling in warmer times of the year. If possible, budget more time than you think you will need to make the move. You never know when a random storm could delay your trip. The most important thing to consider when moving during the winter is safety.


Planning on moving this winter? Call Moving Forward Sunnyvale Professional Movers for your free quote.

How To Move Houseplants - A Guide by Palo Alto Movers

House and garden plants enliven a living space and have a way of transforming a house into a home. Here in Palo Alto, we’re lucky to live in a climate that is absolute paradise for most plants, so your own home probably feels like an oasis with all the greenery! But if you’re planning to relocate, moving all those plants might seem intimidating. It is true that moving plants can be a bit of a hassle if you’ve never done it before. In fact many moving companies will not move your plants at all, and all moving companies refuse to take liability for damaged plants (yes, that includes our Palo Alto movers here at Moving Forward). This is because plants are so sensitive and they don’t do well in the heat of a moving truck. If you have a large collection of houseplants, you probably want to take them with you (they’re your babies!). You’ve put a lot of time and energy toward your plants, and it would be a waste if you had to throw them all the away. Before you start packing up those plants, make sure you know what to do with these quick tips.

Before you start packing your plants, understand that if you’re moving across state borders, there may be rules against bringing certain plants across state lines. Check inspection guidelines in the state you’re moving to and avoid hold ups or having to toss your plants at the border. If you find that you can’t take your plants with you, give them to a friend before you go. You might be sad, but at least they will have a happy home.



Pack Plants Last 
Plants should be the last of your items to be boxed up, because it is bad for plants to be in a hot car or truck for too long. Leave your plants be until you have packed up the rest of your belongings first and put them in the truck. Ideally you will pack up your plants right before departure.

Packing Your Plants
Use boxes and line them with plastic, then stuff the boxes around the planter with plenty of packing materials so they don’t jostle around. This will help you avoid a broken planter and soil in your car. To protect your tall plants with branches and fragile leaves, wrap them in plastic and poke holes in the plastic so they can breathe.

Crank Up The AC
If you’re moving during the summer, keep the air conditioner on so your plants don’t overheat. Anytime you stop for a bathroom break, park in the shade and roll down a window to give your plants some fresh air. If you are moving during the winter, stuff plenty of newspaper into your plant’s boxes so they stay warm. Cold weather can do a number on your plants, so keep them at a comfortable temperature.

Don’t Over Water
Keep an eye on the soil and only water your plants if they are looking abnormally dry. There might be a tendency to water them just to cover all bases, but this could end up damaging your plant.

Get A Room 
If you’re traveling for a few days, bring your plants into your lodging location and provide the proper lighting situation for them. Remember, extreme temperatures are only made more extreme in a car, so do not forget to bring your plants inside with you.

Give Those Plants Some Post-Move Love 
Once you arrive to your new destination, remove all the plastic from the plants immediately. Give them some water and food if necessary. If you removed your plants from their pots to move and plan to repot them upon arrival, wait at least a week to do so. The plants have already gone through a lot of strain during the move, and repotting will only cause more strain.Be sure to care for your plants so they can revive after a long journey. Take a look at this awesome plant care guide to find out how to care for your plants.

How will you move the rest of your belongings? For full moving services, call Moving Forward to get your free quote today!