We all know you can’t just throw stuff into boxes for a big move and expect all to stay in tact, organized and in one piece. To prevent any confusion and even mayhem, plan ahead and get the boxes you need for the items being moved. Check out the box types and sizes to plan ahead and pack right!

Box Types and Sizes

Book (1.5 cubic feet), size 17 x 123/8 x 123/8: These small cartons are designed for heavy items, such as books, records, CD’s, and canned goods.

Legal Tote (2.3 cubic feet), size 24 x 16 x 13: This box is specially designed for your files and folders.

Medium (3.0 cubic feet), size 101/8 x 18 x 16: This box is designed for non-fragile and moderately heavy items, such as pots, pans, linen, folded clothes, toys, games, etc.

Large (4.5 cubic feet), size 18 x 18 x 24 or (6.0 cubic feet), size 23 x 23 x 20: All large bulky articles, very light, such as pillows, comforters, lamp shades.

Dish pack (5.2 cubic feet), size 18 x 18 x 28: This box has double extra thick walls specifically designed for dishes, vases, glasses and other fragile items. You can also use cell packs separator for china or glassware with individual compartments for the items being packed.

Mirror, picture box: These narrow boxes accommodate different sized mirrors, paintings, other fragile items and flat items.

Wardrobe box with metal bar: This box is equipped with a metal bar so clothes can hang.

Mattress Box: Available in different sizes.

Other Packing Materials:

Tape: The most common tape used for carton sealing is a plastic tape called “PVC”.

“Newsprint” paper: NEVER USE NEWSPAPERS as wrapping material. Newspaper ink has a tendency to rub off on items it touches and it very difficult to remove it from items such as fine china. Use “newsprint” paper as cushioning material.

Tissue paper: This can be used to pack up delicate or easily broken items by layering over an over again

Bubble wrap: This is another material used as cushioning material.

Styrofoam peanuts: Packing material used to protect fragile items. This material is lightweight, clean, lint-free and dustless and safe.

Ziploc bags: These can be used for an assortment of things including small bits and pieces you may have lying about in containers and drawers.

Magic Markers: You will need markers to label the boxes with the contents.

What you know from moving in the past or from reading this blog, is that moving can be daunting, and has a big need for organization. The minute that you decide that you are going to move, is the minute that you can begin the process. Below are a few key elements to remember and to implement in your moving process.

Talk talk talk. Talk to your moving company, talk to your family, talk to your friends, talk to your job (whether relocating or moving to a new job). Communication keeps relationships with people open flowing and healthy, use this element the same here. Treat your move like a relationship. When the people in your life know exactly what, where, when, who and why the process becomes free flowing and much easier to transition in and out of.

Talk to your new and old electric companies, your new and old landlords, make sure that everyone that you are financially obligated to has a full understanding of your payment plan, day of shut off or turn on, etc. You don’t want to be paying for utilities you are not using….or to not have them when you arrive from a long arduous trip.

Make a moving checklist that you hand out to all family members. This list will have individual tasks and overall goals and deadlines that the family will need to abide by. Organization is the key to a successful and stress free move. If you have young children you can have them begin sorting toys and books out at this stage, to help you pack them up when moving day approaches.

The key rule in packing? It’s never too early to start packing. Continue packing each day if you are moving yourself, or readying your house for the movers.

Having everyone that will be impacted by this move in full understanding of the agenda and timeline will not only save you stress, but save you money. Pack and organize early, to fully prepare yourself for the big day.

Finding a new exciting city is great. The new smells, people, locations and culture is always a thrill—kind of a way to reset your life or even give yourself a “clean slate”. If this sounds like you—awesome. If it doesn’t however, keep reading. There is a giant faction of people that find moving to a new city nothing but daunting and stressful. If you are one of these people pay attention and you may just learn a couple of ways to getting to know your new city—and even yourself.

There are many different kinds of channels when it comes to getting to know your surroundings. It can be as simple as using your feet and a map, or firing up Google to search. First thing you must do when moving to a new area is walk around. I know, this sounds basic, but what better way to get to know an area than just using the pads of your feet? If you are going to go that far you may as well get lost. This is the surefire way to find out community resources, new people, and your way around the streets. On your way around town, try and pick up a newspaper—this incredible simple and old fashioned resource is great for finding what your town is like, who lives there, and what their values are.  If you aren’t a big fan of walking, take  the bus! No better way to experience a city than through the window with someone else (who knows where they’re going) to give you a nice tour.

Now that you have learned the ways that require you to get out of your house, here are some ways just sitting at your computer.  First, Meetup.com is a great resource. You can find special interest groups, and people around that want to just get together! Whether you are just looking for a social group or if you are a classic book fanatic, this website has it all.  Also, look into Craigslist.com. This website is a great resource for almost anything: services, classes, for sale, wanted and even a “missed connections” category. They have hundreds of areas! Then check out Yelp.com. This site is great for checking out any business around your home—all consumer based reviewed businesses this is a great way to narrow down exactly what you want and how much you want to pay for it.

Even if you only use one of these resources, you are sure to find out much more out about your town or city that you knew before. That’s a promise!

Are you planning a major home improvement project in the near future? Then you will probably want to hire a contractor. Here are a few tips to get the job done right the first time around and get the most bang for your buck.

Regardless how big or small the task is, make sure you spell out all the terms of the project, especially the payment details! Another thing to think about beforehand is to determine if you will pay an hourly rate or a flat rate. If you choose to pay hourly, it is in your best interest to create a daily time sheet used daily by you and your contractor. Also, make sure to discuss an end date with your contractor, because more than likely they have many projects on their plates and you don’t want them to forget about yours.

Most contractors mark up the price for materials they use for a job. If you provide your own tools, you will actually end up saving money. With this being said, do some shopping! Visit your local stores to find the best prices for the fixtures and finishings you want.

Know your contractors specialties and make sure to get the right contractor for the job. Also, become aware that a general contractor needs to hire a specialty contractor to perform jobs that need specific licensing.

Last but not least, understand the difference between handymen and contractors. Handymen are not licensed or specialized and are usually found on sites like, Craigslist. Contractors, on the other hand, should be licensed, have many years of experience, and work in remodeling or construction full-time. If you do hire a contractor, make sure to see an updated license as well as insurance coverage.

It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway… don’t sign a completion statement or make the final payment until the job is complete. When using contractors for home improvement projects, money is the only leverage for getting things done right, the first time around.

Astrology is used as a form of entertainment; however, checking your daily horoscope for entertainment is one thing, making a huge life change based on astrology- is another thing.

The major life change we are talking about is moving. For those who believe in the power of astrology to predict the future or determine personality traits, you might find relocation astrology as an important process if you’re thinking about moving to another city for a specific reason.

Relocation astrology is a fairly new method using ancient astrology techniques to determine the best locations for living and traveling. More and more people are contacting relocation astrologers because they are itching to get out of dodge and start over in a new city. It could be a family looking for a better place to live, someone looking for the ideal place to retire, someone moving just to make more money or perhaps an entrepreneur seeking an active city to start a business. Whatever the reason may be, a relocation astrologer will help you find the best city to fit your needs.

A relocation astrologer will begin by using your natal chart. Where you were born and the exact time you were born is important information needed to begin. According to most professionals, each person has 12 houses in their birth chart that help determine their personalities and needs, as well as their sun sign, moon sign and ascendant sign. Each house rules a certain realm of life, such as love, personal fulfillment, and career satisfaction. At the same time, the planets have certain energies and powers credited to them. It’s a long, complicating process but the astrologer will list the top five most favorable locations based on their findings to tell you what celestial experiences you will meet at each specific location. The findings usually cover emotional and physical influences as well as challenges and strengths that you may be faced with. So depending on what you’re looking for, you can use their findings to make your decisions on where to go next.

Even though the name is focused on people looking to relocate permanently, the relocation astrologer’s chart can also include cities the reader is temporarily seeking to conduct short term business, or locations they simply just want to visit. So if you’re planning to relocate, travel for business, or even just a weekend getaway, the relocation astrologer will let you in on astrological influences that will affect you in your new location.

*As always, an important rule of thumb is to seek a trustworthy professional before you trust someone with your personal information.

Moving can be tough. The impact that it can have on you can be long and lasting. More than having a personal impact on your life, moving can have a lasting and deep impact on children especially. Whether it’s a change in their standard of living, a change in schools or just a change of environment moving can affect kids more than we think and realize.

Smaller children depend on predictability and security. These concepts are closely related to familiar faces and places. Older children are likely to feel that their social life is impacted when they move. Fitting in is incredibly important at this age for their social and emotional lives. Easing a child or teens moving experience can be incredible for them as kids and later in their lives as adults. There are a number of ways that a parent or guardian can get involved in their children’s comfort in a move. One of the first and most important items to address is to keep routines and home rules the same when you move to your new location. This will allow children to plant their roots faster and feel comfortable quicker as well.

Second item is to make their room comfortable to their standards. Making a child feel secure at home is important, but assuring that their place to ‘get away’ is up to their approval is incredibly important.  Another item is assuring that you as a parent are doing all you can to cultivate new friendships with other kids. Doing things like opening your home to new friends and acquaintance and encouraging your children to interact and make plans with new kids are essential for your child’s transition.

Keeping up with old friends is also an essential part of keeping their social life healthy, as it allows them to build long term relationships and to stay connected to their old stomping grounds. When it comes to school, encouraging extracurricular activities is a great way to introduce your child to not only new friends but to new subjects and interests. More than anything that you can do for your child, you can be a constant part of their life and stay up to date with everything going on. This is the key essential element in your relationship with your child.

Following these simple tips will not only foster and cultivate your child’s needs for social interaction and living emotionally secure, but will make sure that you are giving them the chance to live up to their own potential.

Dogs are marvelous creatures. Taking them in, feeding them, watching them grow and eventually becoming your best friend is something that Americans across the nation agree upon regarding their canine friends. Learning their psychology can be a big task and learning to adjust your pup to a new environment can be an even bigger one.  

People seldom think of the impact that something like a move can have on an animal. Not to mention what kind of environmental shift is their situation going to have. In order to make this move smooth for your pup, it is important to follow a couple of guidelines in your relocation of your canine buddy.

First of all, you need to research the area you are moving to. Ask the questions: is this a dog friendly neighborhood? Is their any new laws that I need to abide by? Is there an area to walk my dog in my neighborhood? Is there any local dog parks near my new home? All these are valid and important questions to explore before the move.  

Secondly, set up the pups feeding and personal areas right away. Your buddy has seen a lot of confusing things happening for the preceding days up to this point, so making a point right off the bat that “this is your new home” is a great way to welcome a dog into your new area.  

An incredibly important step that is often overlooked by dog owners is the first walk—the most important walk. The first walk for a pup in its new life and new location sets the tone for their life and their role in their new home. The first walk goes like this: before you bring your dog inside the house, pop on the leash and collar and take your pooch on a spin around the block to acclimate them to the area. At the end of the walk have your dog sit outside the door and wait until you invite them in. This establishes who is in charge of the house, as dogs are territorial and in the absence of an alpha, will become it. This walk is the most important step for introducing your dog into their new life because of its symbolic and lasting nature.  

Once you have your pooch inside, make sure that you have them in a designated area before you unpack everything. This again is a statement of what is theirs and what is yours. If you are the type of owner that would rather allow their dog everywhere, then for the first day of unpacking, keep your dog attached to their leash and also attached to you. Have them follow you around the house so you can keep an eye on them. With tons of boxes and things floating around its important to protect your stuff from being chewed up.  

Keeping dogs in line with what you want as an owner will allow your dog to feel satisfied, as they are out to please you. Keeping full pup communication will prove to keep your home happy, positive and safe for you and your family.

As most of you know, we have moved! To celebrate and welcome you into our new Home, we are hosting an Open House TODAY!

Tell your family and friends to join us this evening March, 22, 2010 at our new location. We will have beer, wine, taco bar and desserts! We don’t think it gets much better than that!

We are excited about our new facility and cannot wait to share it with our friends and although we haven’t been here too long, it already feels like home

We made this move for many reasons, but what we are most excited about is:
 
24 hour live security and video surveillance
All paved parking and outside storage area
Easier access to I-25
Easier access into and out of the facility – from all directions.       
Fenced
Cleaner, brighter, well maintained and newer facility

We hope to see you tonight. Our crew is really looking forward to it!

Our new address is:

1730 E. Prospect St. Fort Collins (Yep, that’s the Waterpik building). If you get lost, just look for our big yellow trucks

Anyone who is a fan of furniture should be a fan of IKEA. In a wavering economy, one appreciates the small battles won. Well friends, the battle for overpriced furniture has come to an end in Colorado. For those who have succumbed to frugal lifestyles—IKEA is the place for you, AND is opening in the Denver Metro area in 2011.

Not only will IKEA blow the minds of Coloradoans, but will employ just over 400 people and be housed in an over 415,000 square foot location.  Headed by Saunders Construction, the new retail madhouse will be located on a lot on the west side of I-25 near Park Meadows. Construction crews will begin clearing ground for building and anticipate breaking ground in a couple of months.

Building Colorado based IKEA has launched community-wide involvement in the project. CLC Associates will head the civil design, Kimley Horn Associates will do traffic consulting, Ground Engineering will handle environmental analysis, Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti will serve as local counsel, Legend Retal Group is helping site selection process , Geothermal Systems of Colorado is installing a geothermal component and last but not least Miller Global is selling the IKEA plot of land.

Colorado’s location will hold the classic IKEA look that all stores have around the globe but will differ from any other location in the United States in its incorporation of geothermal components for heating and cooling system.

IKEA will have 1,500 parking spots and is expected to have 50 different room settings. A variety of model home interiors will feature over 10,000 items. Also, the kids can come along! IKEA prides itself on its supervised children’s playroom and 500 seat restaurant. This makes for an awesome day of shopping and recharging.

IKEA, founded in 1943, has more than 300 stores in 38 countries.

The average American moves 12 times in his or her lifetime. (U.S. Census Bureau)

While the moving rate in America has not changed much over the past several years –an estimated 43 million Americans relocate annually – surveys show that people have been moving longer distances every year since 1998. (U.S. Census Bureau)

The typical moving customer is a married couple between the ages 25 and 44, with one or two children between the ages of 2 and 11. (Mayflower Transit)

Almost half of all moves occur between the beginning of May and Labor Day. (American Moving and Storage Association)

Approximately 40 percent of all moves are job-related, 42 percent are personal moves and 18 percent are military or government relocations. (American Moving and Storage Association)

An estimated 13 million children up to age 19 move each year. The number of students enrolled in elementary and high school matches the record set in 1979 when “baby boom” children were attending school. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Moving declines with age: 35 percent of people in their 20s move in a given year, while only 5 percent of those 65 and older do. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Moving is the third most stressful event in life, following death and divorce. (Employee Relocation Council)

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