How To Pack A Commercial Move

From time to time, a business will find it necessary to change locations. Moving a business is no different than moving a home in theory. You will have items in one place that need to be moved to another place.  Simple right?

If only it were that easy!

Packing Smart

Businesses typically have customers relying on uninterrupted service.  You want to have as little impact as possible on the bottom line, so how do you accomplish this?  By packing smart.

• Take an inventory of your business holdings.
• Look at your calendar to determine what materials you will require to maintain scheduled business.
• Sort your inventory into two groups essential and non-essential.
• If an item is essential, give it an expiry date (eg: Pack this 2 Days before moving day).
• Draw a floor plan for the new space. Make sure everyone knows where they will be working.
• Plan and draw out where each large item (desks, filing cabinets, photocopiers etc.) will go.
• Speak to service providers (such as electrical, waste collection, and Internet service providers) to ensure a smooth transition.
• Schedule the move as early as possible for a day that will impact your business the least.
• Give your clients plenty of warning about the move, and when it will happen.

Staggered Packing

By sorting items into Essential and Non-Essential categories, you can stagger your packing to make moving day that much easier.  It is possible in some situations to begin moving the smaller non-essential items before moving day.  This will make your move faster, and easier, saving you both money and time.

It is common for commercial moves to have larger items. Make sure your team of movers is aware of these items, and knows where they will be going once you reach your next space. Unlike some of the smaller items, these will all be moved on the same day, so having your floor plan drawn up is extremely useful.

Hopefully, a few of these tips will help you to keep the impact of your commercial move at a minimum. Have a look at some of our other common packing tips for more help on safely packing away your possessions.

Apartment Moving Tips

There are a large number of apartment buildings in Victoria, and you might think that most of them are easy to move.  You would be right, of course, but even the simplest apartment moves can become an extended chore when the right planning doesn’t take place.

3 Ways To Speed Up Your Apartment Move (And Save Money Doing It)

1) Parking

Some buildings have a designated loading zone.  Some buildings rely on street parking.  Whatever the case, make sure you have access to parking on the day of your move.  Talk to your building manager before hand to make sure that your moving day does not conflict with any construction or large deliveries.

If your parking is limited to the street, try to reserve a spot close to the most convenient entrance.

2) Elevator Access

Having a great view on the 15th floor is such a nice perk, until you need to get your giant sectional sofa to the lobby. Most apartment buildings in Victoria have 2 elevators, and will allow you to reserve one on moving day. Having your own elevator will save you a lot of time (and thus, money).

If your building is limited to a single elevator, letting your building manager know at least a week in advance is considered good form.  They can alert other tenants of the limited elevator service, and they might just provide a key for loading the elevator.

3) Arrange Similar Access To Your New Home

Moving out of apartment number one is fairly simple, but make sure to organize all of the same things for moving in to apartment number two.  Have a key ready for both the floor entrance and your apartment or suite.  Have someone ready to welcome the movers. Have parking ready near the door, and have an elevator ready to go when they get there.  When everything goes smoothly, you can save a lot of time on an apartment move.  Less time moving means a cheap move over all.

It makes you wonder why we tell people this stuff.

Call us directly if you’re looking for a quote on your next apartment move. Estimates are always free.

Avoiding Back Injury Like A Professional Mover

Anyone who has experienced a back injury can tell you, it’s worth avoiding.  The Internet is full of tips and tricks for proper lifting techniques. Take it slow, bend at the knee, direct movement with your hips, and hold objects close to your body. This post isn’t meant to add to the noise, but I thought you might enjoy a little story about avoiding injury.

A Mover’s Story

A man who worked in employment insurance once told me about a logging company that wanted employees to move equipment around faster. Employees were getting injured, and it was costing the company money.  So the company decided that they would hire a group of professional power lifters from the gym.  These were men that picked up heavy things for fun! Why shouldn’t they do it for money?

Improper lifting technique

When the muscled men arrived for duty, the logging company showed them the equipment and material that needed moving. The response of the lifters was shocking. Each of them walked off the job.  The logging company was asking too much. Lifting heavy awkward material and moving quickly would put the lifters backs at risk, and each lifter understood the importance of a healthy back better than the average worker.  In the end, the company was forced to change their practices.

So what does this teach us?

Knowing the proper techniques for lifting can help us avoid injury, but if something is beyond our ability to lift, there is no shame in asking for help.  Professional movers lift every day, but they also have dollies, skids, and blankets that make certain items much safer to move around.

If something is beyond our capacity to move (yes, sometimes that happens), we can arrange for the proper help to get it done. Nothing is worth a back injury.

Having your stuff packed properly can really help to make lifting less awkward. Take a look at some of our packing tips before the big day arrives.