Moving with Your Pets

Pets are a very important part of our daily lives. We love our pets and we want them to be around us for a long time. We strive to keep them happy and healthy and we never want bad things to happen to them. When you are moving, this can simply add more stress to your life. Moving pets is not easy, and there are many preparations that you need to make in order to get through your move with your sanity intact. The truck rental experts have put together some helpful tips to help you do just this.

Get Ready…

As soon as you know you are going to move, you need to start getting organized. If you have pets, this includes getting them checked out by a veterinarian. Every pet needs to have a check up before you transport them to another place. They need to have all of their shots and you need to get a copy of their records so that you can take them to a new veterinarian when you reach your destination.

Make sure that you pack a special box to carry with you at all times for your pet. Include things like food and water bowls, leashes, favorite toys, and other needed items in this box. Pack the box ahead of time so that you are sure that nothing is missing. Make sure to pack the pet’s records with you as well in case you need them at some point in your journey.

Get Set…

On the day of the move, make sure to confine your pet to an empty room with only a few favorite things. Always provide food and water unless you plan on transporting your pet by plane. Keep the door to this room closed so that the smells of the movers and other helpers do not stress your pet out. Make sure to label the door so that no one tries to go in there.

Remember that pets can turn aggressive out of fear. It is best to keep your pet totally confined until the last possible moment. Consider placing them in a crate early so that you do not need to fight with them when it is finally time to go. Go over the things in your pet box once more to make sure that you did not leave anything out.

Go!

Remember to never transport your pets in a moving van or truck rental. These places can get very hot and prove fatal for most animals. Give your pet ample time to adjust to the new things around them. Make sure to provide the same schedule as much as you can while the move is occurring. This will help keep your pet under control.

Moving with your pets is possible. Don’t leave them behind because it will be difficult. Your pets are counting on you to provide them with a stable, forever home. A move is no reason to give them away.

The Importance of Open Me First Boxes

Moving is hectic, and many things can get lost quickly. Chances are, when you arrive at your new home, you are going to be exhausted. It is not easy to drive a truck rental for any distance, and the longer your drive was, the harder it will be for you to get up and start unloading as soon as you reach your destination. This is why it is recommended that you pack at least one open me first box.

What is it?

An open me first box is simply the first box that you will unpack. Depending on the size of your home, there may be a need to have more than one of these boxes. For big families, you may want to assign each person one of these boxes. They will include things that cannot be lived without once you reach your new home, or things that you must have to function. When these containers are fully packed, make sure that they are labeled clearly and they are loaded last. You want these packages to be the very first things that you unload from the truck rental when you arrive at your new home.

Things to Include

Each person and family will have a different opinion on what things should go into the open first boxes. If you have assigned each family member a box, let them choose what to put in theirs, but make sure that they each include at least two or three changes of clothes. There is no way to tell when the rest of the clothing will be unloaded or unpacked. Some other very important things that you can include are:

· Paper supplies – Paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper, plastic utensils, and paper cups will all enable you to get your life back to a normal state as quickly as possible. Having each of these on hand will allow you to eat, clean, and live in your new home from the very moment that you get there.

· Coffee pot, tea pot, or pitcher along with the appropriate drink mix. Depending on your needs and tastes, having these things packed in the open me first box will enable you to have a great first morning in your new home as well as providing some semblance of normality to your destination.

· Common tools, paper and pens, pots or pans, dishcloths, and dish soap. These items will allow you to get right into things. You will be able to assemble things without having to wait on the tools box to be unloaded. You can start cooking some stuff on the stove, and you will be able to clean the dishes that you do make. The pen and paper will allow you to keep the kids busy or help you keep track of things.

· Medications and personal hygiene items. These things are vital to daily life, especially if you plan on working with any other people. Make sure that you have enough medication to last until you have a chance to establish yourself with a new doctor.

Now you can see why having an open me first box is so important. Just remember, when packing these boxes make sure to keep them separate from any other boxes, especially if you have any help loading, unloading or packing your things. This will prevent them, and their very important contents, from becoming lost.

Moving with Kids

Moving with children of any age can be difficult. You have enough on your plate to take care of as it is, but when you throw in the needs of your kids, life gets a whole lot more hectic. In order to decrease the stress level and have a happy move, there are a few things to consider. The most important thing to consider is how you are going to facilitate your move.

Truck Rentals

Moving with a truck rental is by far the easiest way to move when you have kids. The benefits to moving with a truck rental are enormous compared to other moving methods. Perhaps the most prevalent benefit to parents when moving is the fact that you can create a very flexible schedule that fits around the things that you are already doing on a day to day basis.

Obtaining a rental will allow you to schedule your move over as many or as few days as you would like. You will find that this is a necessity when you have kids. Children take more time to do things and adjust to changes than adults do. In order to make your move a smooth one, then you should give your kids as much time as they need to adjust to what is going on around them.

Making it Exciting

When you have children, you want to take every chance you get to educate them. When you are driving across the country or over a few states, you can make your move into a very exciting journey. You can plan a vacation while you are moving, and create educational stops along the way. Many tourist attractions are located on main roads throughout the country, so you might even plan a stop at one of these.

Getting There

Having a truck rental will allow you lots of time to spend with your kids along the way. You can really spend some quality time and open the lines of communication while you are on the road. It can be amazing what you learn from your children along the way. Don’t hesitate to stop and chat or have lunch either. Consider the extra time and money well spent on your children.

Overall a Good Time

Despite the stress of a move, you can really make this time in your family’s life a good one. You can also take the chance to teach your children about different states or cities that you run into along the way. There is no reason to be totally stressed out when you move, but you need to make sure that your kids are given the time they need to adjust.

How to Load a Truck Rental the Right Way

So you have chosen to move yourself with the aid of a moving truck rental. This is a great moving option open to people today, and you can be happy that you have chosen one of the most flexible moving methods around. You know that you can schedule and move yourself around almost any schedule, but it can be difficult to load a truck if you have never done something like this before. Don’t worry though, loading a truck is not as hard as it might sound.

What’s First?

With so many different things, it may be hard for you to find a starting place. Some movers suggest that you load the large and bulky items into the truck rental first, but it simply makes more sense to load your boxes first. This does not mean that you should pack all of your boxes in the front of the truck, but a good majority of them should go there. You will be building a wall inside of the truck as you give yourself more room to maneuver inside your home. This way, when it comes time to move your appliances and furniture, you will have more area to shift things around in.

Loading the Big Stuff

It is important to remember that a truck has a center of gravity just like anything else. Due to this fact, it is important that you make sure to balance the weight within the truck. If you have a lot of heavy appliances or half of your boxes are full of books, you need to make sure to space things out on both sides. When you load your appliances, make sure that you protect buttons and knobs with empty boxes or extra padding. Use your mattresses to pad glass or other breakable mirrors. If it is possible, make sure that you load things along the trucks walls so that you can strap things down as they are loaded. In order to protect a couch, consider placing it on end within the truck so that you can avoid stacking boxes on top of it as well as making good use of the space within the truck.

Fragile Things

Anything delicate or fragile should be loaded on the top of any stacks of boxes. Plants or other boxes that contain breakables should never have anything stacked on top of them. Remember that you can use your existing linens and other pieces of furniture to protect things that may shift and become damaged. Mirrors should be placed between a wall and a mattress. Chairs should be stacked and wrapped in linens or furniture padding to prevent scratches. Heavy and odd shaped items can be loaded between or under furniture as needed. Make sure that you use the best of the space that you have to work with.

Final Considerations

No matter how much you are moving, or how big of a truck you are loading, making use of all of the space you have will always be the most cost effective method of moving. Make sure that you take a test drive of the truck rental before you decide to start your trip, as the truck may feel vastly different loaded to the hilt than it did when it was empty. Take your time and make sure to follow all of the safety requirements and suggestions. If you take all of this into account, then you will be sure to have a easy and stress free move.