As you can imagine, we get a lot of questions from customers when it comes time to move. As a moving company in Boston we hear so many questions about moving. People are stressed out with the list of things they need to do to get moving and on that list usually is what to do with all that “stuff” they have packed away in their homes for many years. George Carlin called it something else but we won’t go there…

When it comes moving time, families start to go through the attic and the basement and sometimes they get a little stressed out because they had no idea just how much they have amassed over the years. A few tips can help out sort things out a little;

Give to family members. It’s a great time to give those unwanted items to the family. But if that’s not an option, you’ll need to find other methods of getting rid of those household items.

First, you may find a considerable amount of items that you can just throw away. We move a lot of families each year and the things we see that people have just tucked away in their homes for years is interesting… yeah, interesting is the word…

One very viable alternative is donating items. You can donate everything from unwanted furniture to books to the food in your old home. If you are downsizing, its particularly attractive as you’ll need the space in your new home, it will cost you less to move and you’ll be doing some good in your community by donating items that others can use.

Want even more ideas? Check out my conversation with Jim on this subject.

Or, this could be titled, mistakes people make when searching for a moving company…

There are quite a few things to consider when choosing a moving company and there are several mistakes to avoid. We’re going to try and give you a few tips so you can avoid these mistakes and the ultimate stress that can accompany those missteps.

While using the internet to find a moving company is probably the way most will conduct that search, be careful not to give your move to a move broker. That broker will sell your move to another moving company and in most cases, never actually tour your home to get an accurate assessment of the job. For instance, if you search for moving companies in Boston and find several that pop up, just make sure they are located in that general area.

On the flip side, using the internet to vet those moving companies is a good thing. Websites such as the Better Business Bureau and Movingscams.com are a great resource in evaluating the company you may choose and can flag companies that do not have a good reputation.

Make sure your moving company comes to your home and surveys the move properly. If they are only offering a quote over the phone or through the internet, walk away. Of equal importance is making sure you show the representative from the moving company, everything that needs to be moved. Nothing will stress you out more than a bunch of surprises on moving day.

Jim and I had the chance to venture out in our back lot during a very nice spring day to talk about this subject. Check out the video below for even more advice.

Listen to Jim Sullivan talking about our friends March of Dimes with Dave Goucher during the Bruins intermission on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Jim Sullivan interview- B’s Intermission

Stressing Out about how to entertain your kids next week over school vacation?  If you live in or are planning to visit the Boston area, click on the website below for 25 awesome ideas ranging from Plays and Interactive Museum Exhibits to Cooking Classes and Week-Long Camps.

http://www.boston.com/community/moms/gallery/february_vacation_activities/

I have listed a couple of my favorites below . . .

Geckos: Tails to Toepads

When: Saturday, Feb. 18, to Friday, Feb. 26, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston. 617-723-2500.

Cost: Free with museum admission ($22 adult; $19 kids age 3 to 11; Free for members). Planetarium tickets are $10 adults, $8 kids for both members and nonmembers.

Kids will learn all about geckos. They’ll experience their night vision, try to spot them in camouflaged settings, and build a custom gecko as well.http://www.mos.org/

“Shapeshifting”

When: Saturday, Feb. 18, to Friday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex St., Salem. 978-745-9500.

Cost: $15 adults; Free for kids 16 and under

“Shapeshifting” is the new Native American art exhibition at the museum. During vacation week, there will be performances by noted dance troupe Yellow Bird, weaving demos, film screenings, drumming concerts, and storytelling by members of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe. Kids will also learn how to draw using porcupine quills.http://www.pem.org/

Big Bouncing at Sky Zone

When: Open seven days a week, activity times vary.</when:<>

Where: Sky Zone, 69 Norman St. 1B, Everett. 617-387-1000.

Cost: $12 for one hour of jumping

Let your children bounce away their vacation days at this indoor trampoline park. There are trampolines for jumping, a foam pit for practicing flips and tricks, and a 3-D dodge ball court. There’s a toddler section too.http://everett.skyzonesports.com/

Whether you were rooting for the Patriots or the Giants, this was a great game to watch.  (coming from a non-sports fan, that says a lot)  And who can forget about the commercials?  I have pulled out a few I thought were worth a second look.  Let us know what you think . . . If nothing else, have a good laugh, one of the best ways to relieve a little stress, and who can say no to that?

Which car commercial did you think was the most unrealistic yet entertaining and why?

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/chevy-silverado-2012-super-bowl.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/fiat-500-abarth-seduction-2012-super.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/dog-strikes-back-2012-volkswagen-super.html

Which celebrity do you think should have turned down doing the commercial and why?

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/2012-honda-cr-v-super-bowl-game-day.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/transactions-extended-2012-acura-nsx.html

http://www.sbnation.com/2012-super-bowl/2012/2/5/2773885/super-bowl-commercials-2012-pepsi-tells-world-elton-john-keeps-flavor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6dTkuGU0y0

Doritos had a ton of 30 second commercials this year.  Which one made you laugh the most?

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/01/doritos-sling-baby-crash-super-bowl.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/2012-super-bowl-new-doritos-commercials.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/01/doritos-mans-best-friend-crash-super.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/01/doritos-dog-park-crash-super-bowl-2012.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/01/doritos-hot-wild-girls-crash-super-bowl.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/01/doritos-bird-of-prey-crash-super-bowl.html

http://www.superbowlcommercials2012.net/2012/02/doritos-make-your-own-crash-super-bowl.html

With the many items in your house that end up on the moving van come moving day, the ones that cause the most stress are the antiques, the fine art and the family possessions that are irreplaceable.

You might know that we have a division of this Boston moving company that solely handles fine art storage and moving, the moving of antiquities and the storage of valuable items. It’s called Mind’s Eye and we have been the experts in this field for quite some time now. So when asked to conduct a move for a family and there are these types of items in the house, we know exactly what to do;

Get an appraisal; You might have insurance but the best advice we can give you is to get an up to date appraisal right before you move. That way you’re sure to be covered.

Ask the moving company what their method is: If they know anything about moving these items, they’ll have a full explanation of the process including how they will pack and/or wrap your antiques and if a special crate will be needed for more delicate or ornate items.

Final destination: make sure your provider takes control over your items from start to finish. Dropping a crate with a valuable piece of furniture in it at your house and leaving it there is not the correct approach. The moving company must be able to uncrate your items and place them in the appropriate place in your new home. 

Our own Barry has been on countless moves with antiques and other valuable items. Check out my short interview with him.

So guess what? Moving is stressful… As one of the oldest moving companies in Boston, we have seen countless families do well on moving day and we have seen others that might not have had a great experience. So it is important to find a moving company that you know will get the job done and more importantly, one that you can trust. Listed here are some questions that we believe every customer should ask their moving company.

• Are you bonded or insured? What is your DOT number? These are legal requirements that every moving company should have.
• What Quality organizations are you tied to? (American Moving & Storage Associations ProMover and BBB are two such examples).
• Have the company’s crew and employees been background checked and drug tested? These people will be handling your most valuable items, so you need to be able to trust them.
• Ask for references to past similar moves.
• And lastly, to avoid the fly by night moving scams, it is important to ask how long the company has been in business.

The next set of questions we suggest asking involve your move estimate.

• First. It is important to ask if the estimate is bound. This means that the price cannot change unless new services are added. If an estimate is not bound, the price may go up or down based on things like the weight of the shipment or the services on moving day.
• Is full valuation included on the estimate? Valuation is like insurance during the move. All movers are obligated to provide $.60 per pound valuation at no cost. Still, we like to recommend that it is always recommended that a shipper gets full valuation to insure protection against damage or loss. Some movers include full valuation and others don’t. It’s worth it to ask.
• Finally, ask what the delivery spread will be. No, this isn’t gambling…If you’re moving to a different state, for example, most companies may give a window of dates for delivery. It is important to take into account and understand if the move exceeds this timeframe, you may be charged additional temporary storage fees.

Our own Jim Sullivan reminds us that “ultimately, it comes down to finding a moving company that you can trust. Moving is stressful and you want to make sure that the people that are handling your most valuable possessions are trustworthy and capable.”

I had a chance to take some time with Jim and go over the things you need to ask your moving company. Take a quick look at the video:

We’ve noticed in recent years that with the difficult job market and other reasons, companies are less likely to pay for the full move cost for their relocating employees. Instead, we are seeing an increase in lump sums – a single payment that is given to the employee to put towards the move as well as other expense related to relocating. The employee is then responsible for their own move: from finding a moving company and other vendors, to seeing the moving process through to the end.

So, what kind of advice can we give you?

Bigger companies should have relocation packages that clearly state what they will offer to their employee, and what the employee is responsible for. Smaller start ups and tech companies will often have less formal policies. We suggest becoming familiar with your company’s individual policy before starting the process on your own. The best scenario is a specific relocation policy. But, as we’ve said, these are becoming more and more rare.

If you have been given a lump sum to relocate, we’re going to tell you what we tell everyone beginning the moving process: do your homework. This is absolutely crucial. Websites like movingscams.com will help you avoid a negative move experience. We suggest talking to friends and family members who have moved. Find a reputable moving company. You don’t want to be scammed and we don’t want you to be either. Moving can be stressful and as always, we want to do anything we can to limit that stress.

We know there are several moving companies in Boston but we hope you choose Humboldt to help you relocate. If you’re moving for your company and need an international mover, we conduct over 1,500 of these moves each year. Just sayin’…Check out the video with Howard.

Here at Humboldt we have noticed that more and more people are looking to downsize. The rough economy certainly has a lot to do with trend and there are definitely other factors as well in people’s lives. Maybe they are older and can’t take care of a larger house or maybe their kids have moved out and they simply don’t need the space anymore. Whatever the reason, this Boston moving company has some important advice for families beginning the sometimes difficult downsizing process.

The first step is to get the family together. This can sometimes mean extended family too. The goal here is to get a conversation started. We all know that a lot of “stuff” accumulates over the years. From silly impulsive buys to priceless family treasures, we all have them. So start a dialogue: what to keep, who wants what, what to donate and what to take with you. These are all important questions in starting the process.

The next step is to get help. Moving companies like Humboldt can certainly help to an extent. We can help you organize and we can help find an auctioneer or a place to donate unwanted items but if a family decides they need more help; there are other professionals they can contact such as a move manager. There are people who will go through the space room by room with them to help in the downsizing process. Many specialize in certain areas such as working with elderly individuals and we can refer you to one that makes a good fit.

As our own Jim Sullivan says in the video below, ““Having gone through it myself, I know that it is a stressful time and take a lot of patience.” Check out my short interview with Jim on the subject.

So if you were anywhere near the Northeast last year, you know how bad our winter was.  I know we didn’t break any records but the amount of snow we had in such a short period of time hampered many activities including people trying to relocate.

I’m guessing many Boston moving companies had to either reschedule moves or alter their moves in some way. With snow banks higher than the cars in the driveways and in many cases, no place left to throw the snow, I know Humboldt needed to adjust a few moving jobs.

We’ve talked about the moving company having to adjust but who really needs to not only adjust but plan for a delay is the family moving. A few things to consider when moving in the winter;

You have to plan ahead; You’re not obviously going to call us up and have us move your tomorrow so we know there is some planning involved. But, the potential for bad weather and all sorts of other delays is far more common in the winter. The first thing you need to do after you know you are going to move is call the moving company. (Preferably Humboldt, but call a moving company…)

Expect delays: When you expect delays and then your move goes smooth and according to plan, you’ll be less stressed out. But if you plan for delays and you actually get delayed, you’ll still be less stressed because you planed ahead.

Weather kits etc…If you are driving to your new home, consider a few things in your vehicle to help you though a bad situation. Those include a shovel, blankets, food, and medicine and if you have poets, make sure you have their supplies as well.

Moving in the winter months can be less stressful if you plan far in advance and prepare a few things to get you from point A to point B. We did a short video with Howard last year about moving in the winter and around the holidays. Check it out;

We are often asked about what to pack, what not to pack and items that need even extra packing. Many items revolve around technology. Those can include computers, video games, televisions and even personal technology.

Let’s tackle the big items first; the TV. The best and most affordable way to move a flat screen TV is to use the original box. We do however offer a corrugated box if you don’t have the original. If you want the added protection, we recommend you have your moving company build a special crate for that flat screen TV. When we come to survey your home and get an idea of what your move will actually look like, we will recommend this if you’re nervous about the move. It can save you a lot of headache in the long run if you have us go back to our shop and build a crate for this. There are many Boston moving companies but none can match our in-house crating shop.

When it comes to moving your personal computers, it might make sense for you to take these with you. If you’re driving in a car to your new home, this is obviously easy. But if you are moving across country, you may need the moving company to handle this. Again, we can build a crate for just about anything so make sure you tell your move consultant when they show up.

Your I-pad, Kindle or other personal items are probably best suited to travel with you in some way. In fact, you may want them by your side for email, games or other entertainment while your travel.

And depending on how much you or your kids need video games, it may be best to pack those consoles on the moving van. They can withstand a little moving around and unless you need them right away in your new home, you might be able to do without them for a day or so.

Now, I could actually go the other way with that advice and say if you need them to keep the kids occupied while you move in, then make sure you have them handy…

It's seems like a nice relaxing place to take a nap, don't you think?

The proceeding picture was taken at a Humboldt Relocation yesterday.  Here at Humboldt we do our best to make everyone in the family feel as stress-free as possible throughout the entire move process. It looks like we definitely met our goal at this move . . . just take a look at those dogs . . .relaxing, dreaming about their new home, and without a care in the world.

It’s that time of year again, when it starts to get cold and the holiday spirit takes over.  I have put together a short list of on-going events in the Boston Area that are fun to do with the whole family.   They start today, so go, get out there, relax and get moving . . .

Tree Lighting Pre-Show at Frog Pond Skating Rink: Thursday, December 1, 5:00pm, Ice Skating: ongoing through the entire Winter Season

Get in the spirit at Boston Common and enjoy a holiday skating show at the Frog Pond on your way to the Official Tree Lighting. Hop over to Frog Pond at 5:00pm and enjoy a festive skating spectacular with pairs and dance couples, synchronized skating teams, and fun holiday performances from our talented Skating Academy students and local and national champion figure skaters.http://www.bostonfrogpond.com/

Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fairs: Dec. 1, 2, 7-9 and Dec. 14-23. Saturdays 10-7 p.m., Sundays, 12-6 p.m. Weekdays: 12-7:30 p.m.

First Parish Unitarian Church. Corner of Mass. Ave and Church Street. The fair includes a changing mix of New England craftspeople and world traveling importers featuring many wonderful gift items.
http://www.harvardsquareholidayfair.com/

Gardens Aglow – Sandwich, MA: Now through December 18, 2011

The Heritage Museums and Gardens grounds and museums will sparkle with festive lights and decorations. In addition, we will host many fun-filled activities throughout the property including a gingerbread house display, yuletide kids’ crafts, rides on the vintage carousel and a visit from Old St. Nick. Location: Heritage Museums and Gardens, 67 Grove Street. Time: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 5-9 p.m. Cost: Adults, $10; youth (ages 3-17), $5; children age two and younger admitted free. Information: 508-888-3300 or visitwww.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/

We’re excited to once again be working with 98.5 the Sports Hub. All season you’ll be able to hear us during Patriots games on their home station!

98.5 Patriots 2011-12 (15) 10-9

It is easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed with details during a transition however, it is vital to take time to help kids adjust to their new environment and return back to routines as soon as possible. We have seen ways to make moving across town or across the country a constructive and positive experience for kids and have a few tips to help your kids relax.

• Honesty is the best policy: Talk with your kids and let them know what to expect during the upcoming transition. Keep explanations clear and make time to answer questions. Build up the adventures of traveling. Assure them that the disruption of a move is temporary and that things will return to normal quickly.
• Provide information on new area: Whether you are moving to a new street or a new state, take time to give your kids a chance to learn about their new neighborhood. Go visit the new neighborhood and teachers if possible or go online to learn about the new community, sports teams and schools. Find similarities in the new area that mirror where you are leaving to make kids feel comfortable and secure and to give them something to look forward to experiencing.
• Let kids get involved: Packing up favorite items and making plans for a new room allows kids to feel like they are part of the moving process. Knowing their toys and stuffed animals are in specific boxes gives kids a sense of comfort. Take photos of a child’s former room to arrange their new room in a similar fashion to create a place of security.
• Say goodbyes: Help kids create an address book to keep in touch with old friends but let them know they have an opportunity to make new friends. Also make time to visit favorite places one last time to give kids a sense of closure as they transition into their new environment.

Although moving can be a stressful situation for children, parents can create reassurance with a positive and upbeat attitude. This Boston moving company works with families to ensure the moving process is as relaxing and expedient as possible so kids (and parents…) can return to regular mealtimes, bedtimes and schedules as soon as possible.

Check out a few more tips in the video below;