Moving With Your Pets

Most of you wouldn't dream of leaving your much-loved "family members" behind when you move. But pets, like people, are happiest and most content when in familiar surroundings. Many have an instinctive fear of a new environment, even though they may adjust to it quickly.

Careful pre-planning will minimize or avoid relocation problems. Pre-planning for the transfer of your pet, as well as for your household goods, should begin as soon as you know you are going to move.

Consider...

State Laws and Regulations – Almost every state has laws applicable to the entry of pets. Contact the state veterinarian in the capital of your new home state to learn the laws. You should also contact the city clerk or town hall in your destination city to learn about license fees and regulations for your pet.

  Vet Visit – Many states require a health certificate listing of all inoculations and verifying that your pet is free from infectious disease. Ask your vet for the certificate and keep it handy when traveling. To find a vet in your new state, ask your current vet for a recommendation. You can also call the AAHA at (800) 252-2242 and ask for the Member Service Center or visit their Web site at www.healthypet.com.
  Pet Identification – In addition to permanent identity and rabies tags, make an ID tag with your pet's name, your name, destination address, and an emergency name, address and telephone number, in case you cannot be reached. A luggage-type tag with writing space on both sides is easy to use.
  Familiar Surroundings – Once moved into your new home, use your pet's familiar food and water dishes, bed, blanket, and toys to make him/her feel "at home." Try to keep things in the same locations as they were in your previous residence – for example, food and water dish by the back door.

Moving Your Pet by Airplane

Contact airlines for their rules and regulations, transportation charges and pet insurance. You will be responsible for a shipping container/carrier to transport your pet.

 Make your reservations well in advance, because pet approval is granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Feed your pet no less than five or six hours before flight time, and give him/her a drink of water about two hours before take-off.

Moving Your Pet by Auto

Plan ahead and purchase carriers, supplies and first-aid kits. Start a list of items you'll need for a pet travel kit including collapsible dishes, favorite toys, your pet's
regular food and a few treats. If your pet is not used to car travel, start taking him/her on short trips to get accustomed to car motion. If necessary, ask your veterinarian about tranquilizers to relax your pet. Do not feed or water your pet just before starting. A few treats during the day will keep him/her satisfied. Plan regular stops to give your pet a drink or a short run. Take a container of fresh water with you, because a sudden change in drinking water may cause a temporary upset stomach.

Moving With a Dog

After moving into a new house, immediately walk your dog around the neighborhood so that he/she becomes familiar with the new area. Maintain the feeding and walking schedule from your original residence. Immediately establish boundaries in your neighborhood or yard for your dog to roam.

Moving With A Cat

Do not let your cat outside until he/she is familiar with the new living environment to reduce the risk of running away. Constantly surround your cat with familiar items during the move to reduce the emotional effects on your cat. Do not expose your cat to your new living arrangements all at once. Limit the number of    rooms the cat is allowed in and gradually let your cat explore.

The Cost of Your Move

Moving can be expensive, no question about it. Most people think that it is considerably cheaper to move themselves than to use a professional moving company. This isn't always true. Please consider the following examples before you make your next move.

If you choose to move yourself - There are many costs associated with moving yourself that alot of us don't think about. First and most obvious, you need a truck. Unless you happen to have a good size truck you're going to need to rent one. While some of the options for truck rental out there seem very affordable there are many hidden costs most people don't think about. Most rental companies will charge a fee anywhere from .15 to .50 cents per mile that you use the truck on top of the daily rental fee. Those miles, with multiple trips to your new home add up quickly. Additionally, rental trucks are not equipped with any moving equipment like appliance dollies, box dollies, furniture pads or even straps to tie down your load. All of that costs extra dollars. You think you don't need pads or dollies? Think how long it will take you to carry every box, every appliance, every single item in your home into that truck (and then unload it the same way). Think your buddies are having fun earning that case of beer and a pizza? Consider how your possessions will look after they travel across town in that truck, bouncing around in the back of the truck with no protection or being tied down to restrict movement. Scratch city! What's it going to cost you to replace the items that broke? What's it going to cost you if you have a wreck driving a truck you've never driven before? How long does this move take? One, two, three days? It all adds up.

You choose a discount mover - The internet is full of ads for discount movers these days. Especially places like Craigslist. The sad part is alot of these are not professional movers. While their rates may be very cheap, they are cheap for a reason. Some will advertise very low hourly rates, but what they don't tell you is that they will charge you for every step they have to up and down, charge a fee for Large TV's, appliances, Pianos, etc. They fill their pockets with these "extra's" that they spring on you at the last minute. Others are no professional movers at all. They are two buddies with a truck that are trying to portray themselves as pro's. They are not registered with the USDOT (required by law) or with their state (required by most states), they are not insured either for damage to your goods or for workers compensation. So, if they break your stuff, so sorry but we are not insured or if they hurt themselves at your home guess whose insurance gets hit - YOURS!

Okay, thats the bad part. So you are going to hire a real professional mover - how do you keep the cost down? There are many things you can do. For the purposes of this example we'll talk about a local move (within 35 miles of your current home). Here are some tips:

1. Break everything down in advance - take apart anything you can that will save time for the movers. Examples would be beds, dining room tables, entertainment centers, etc.
2. Move as much in your car as possible - clothes, personal effects, anything small.
3. Have everything disconnected - We're movers, not computer guys or the Geek Squad.
4. Be Ready for the Movers - don't procrastinate. There are alot of people that aren't ready to move when the movers show up. Don't be one of them.

All of the above are time and money. Be ready, do as much as you can yourself. Leave the rest to us. Professional movers are fast and well equipped. Chances are we can move in one day what would take you three.

Choosing a Moving Company

It is often said that moving is one of the most stressful things that happens in a families life (having done so personally more than 10 times, I can testify that it is true). Imagine doing so with a moving company with a sorted past. If a move goes badly your stress level will go through the roof.

If you are moving, whether by choice or because of necessity, you need to do some research before you hire a mover. There are a lot of movers out there. Some you know automatically, others you may never have heard of before. Regardless of their name you need to check them out completely before you hire them to move your personal belongings.

Obviously it is always good to get a couple of estimates for your move but it is equally important to find out what their customers say about them. Any legitimate mover will ask a customer to fill out some sort of customer service survey for feedback on their moving experience. Ask for their score. How are they doing in the minds of their customers? Is the information available for potential customers to review? Is it on their website?

This process may take a few mintues, but consider what you are entrusting this comapny to do. They will be moving all of your personal belongings. None of use would want to use a company that does not track or promote what their customers think of them. Take the time, you will thank yourself later.

To help you in the process of selecting a mover here is a link to help guide you through the process:

http://www.moveitnowusa.com/selectMover.html

Also, as an example (and shamless self promotion) here is a link to Move It Now's scores from our customers for the last 6 months:

http://www.moveitnowusa.com/CustomerSurveyScores.html

Summer Season is upon us!

We are all very happy to see a very long winter come to an end and what seems like an incredibly short spring pass way too quickly, and now the summer season is fast approaching. While many of us look forward to the long summer days and spending some quality family time at the pool, others will be planning for one of the most stressful occurences in their lives - MOVING!

If you find yourself in this category, and you're not preparing, you better start now. The moving industries busiest time of year has always been the time period between school years. Additionally, the time immediately following the school year and right before the new school year starts reflect the highest volume of moving compared to any other time of year. So - if you are planning a move you better get to planning.

If you plan on using a mover to help, you need to start looking for one now. Prime summer dates book up quickly, especially those dates at the end of each month. If you can, try to plan your move for the middle of the month where moving volume is not as high and truthfully the movers are less stressed and a little more rested. If your only option is to move at the end of the month, then you need to be looking to book your move now!

To help along with your planning, below is a link to our website that is a helpful resource in planning a move (from evaluating different moving companies to packing tips and more...).

http://www.moveitnowusa.com/custRes1.html

If you would like to get additional information please call your local Move It Now customer service representative.

Regardless of your choice of mover, we hope that your move to your new home goes smoothly!

Welcome to Our New Blog!

Welcome to our new Blog! Move It Now will be using this blog to bring information about moving and help to guide you through your relocation process. We will provide useful tips to help you with your move from selecting a mover all the way through your move to your new home or office.

From time to time we will also provide some testimonials from our customers as well as providing feedback on how our customers rate our services.

To start our first blog we would like to refer you to our website @

http://www.moveitnowusa.com/

Until next time...