Moving Help and Tips

A Moving Company Is A Local And Long-Distance, Full-Service Mover.

Moving Companies normally offer all types of Moving Services, including the following.

Labor Only: You have a Penske or U-Haul, a POD or trailer and you need a couple men to help you load or unload. Usually charged by the hour.

Packing: Boxing and Packing small items like dishes, glassware, books, lamps, clothes, etc. This packing can be part of a labor-only (see above) or part of a full-service, local or long-distance move (see below). Usually charged by time plus materials.

Local Movers: For your residence or office moves. A moving truck and usually 2 or 3 men show up and pack your non-furniture items if you haven’t already packed. They then take apart your beds and desks as needed. Stretch wrap chests of drawers and other furniture with swinging or moving doors and drawers. They then blanket wrap your furniture and load everything into the truck. The load intertwines your boxes and furniture in such a way as to lock everything in place to prevent movement during transport between your origin and destination. Usually charged by time, in other words, the number of hours plus materials used.

Long-Distance Moves: These are moves across state lines.

1. Under 2,000 lbs. and with mainly non-bulky items can be shipped on a pallet at a great savings over normal moving.
2. 1,000 to 4,000 lbs., especially with some bulky items (for example, beds and chest-of-drawers) are most economically moved by PODs and trailers, especially when sent across the country.
3. Over 4,000 lbs., especially with many bulky items, are best moved in a moving truck. Under 10,000 lbs. and less than 1,000 miles can often be done for much lower prices. Usually someone must come to your location and do a visual inspection for long-distance moves. If your time requirements for delivery are flexible you can ask about piggybacking your load, that is, sharing the truck with another customer.

International Moving: Done with wooden lift vans built to be picked up by forklift. Dimensions of 7’ x 4’ x 7’. Also done with metal containers, 20 feet or 40 feet long. Both are usually loaded by a moving company and sent by ship to many parts of the world, but most often to Europe and Asia. Plan around 6 weeks.

Specialty Moves: Pianos, gun safes, pool tables, jacuzzis, built-in items, home theater systems, some types of exercise equipment, etc.

Specialty Packing: Crating. Done with high-value, fragile items like paintings, natural stone, glass table tops, displays, etc.

Moving Connections is a full service Moving Company, licensed to move to all 50 states and to most of the world.

Call 801-532-6683 to get your no obligation moving estimate.

Moving Connections understands that movers, no matter how good, are only incidental to your major family decision to buy, sell and move.

You definitely want to save money when selecting a moving company, but make sure you save hundreds or thousands, not ones and tens.

Here's how:

1. You Will Make More Money: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. conducted a survey and found that staged homes usually sell for 6% above the asking price.

2. Your House Will Sell Faster: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) conducted a survey and found that the longer a home stays on the market, the lower the price it will bring.

3. You Will Get a Good Return on Your Investment: Another survey by NAR found that a 1 – 3% investment on home staging will usually yield an 8 – 10% return.

So, bring a reputable mover, like Moving Connections, to your side earlier in the sales process.

Moving Connections has been providing specific moving help and general moving services to stage homes not only for Realty Companies, but also home owners for nearly 35 years.

Moving Connections is a licensed moving company doing moves from Ogden in the North, Park City and Heber in the East, Tooele and Magna in the West and South through the Salt Lake Valley to Orem, Provo and Saint George.

Our moving company broke off from Shipping Connections as "Salt Lake City Movers," hanging pictures, moving furniture for carpet cleaning and replacement, moving and setting up jacuzzis, and moving whole households into storage during remodeling and construction. Our early motto was "Local Movers for Local Moving Needs." Our movers began helping people get more money from the sales of their homes throughout Salt Lake City, but a common theme customers asked was, can "Salt Lake City Movers" provide movers to Sandy or Draper, Alpine and Lehi, etc. The logical "move" was to change our moving company's name from "Salt Lake City Movers" to "Moving Connections." But we still help with all facets of moving and staging. Call us and see.

Here is how professional movers protect your pictures that are covered with glass, but it is easy and you could do it yourself. Simply use masking tape to place a large X on your glass picture frames. (Use more tape if the picture is large.) The tape will not prevent the glass from breaking, but just in case the picture is dropped or otherwise damaged in the move, the tape will help keep the broken glass from damaging the picture itself. It is a lot cheaper to replace the glass than the whole picture.

OK, so the movers have arrived at your new home and are ready to start unloading. It seems like the most difficult part of your job now is directing them as to what rooms to put everything in. The easiest way to let them know where all of the boxes go is to color coordinate!

Draw a map of the new home and designate a color for each room, such as Blue for kitchen, Red for Dining Room, etc. Place several colored stickers on each box indicting the room that it will be placed in. Place the map at the entrance to the home and put a matching sticker on the doors of each room. The movers will know where to put everything when they arrive at the destination. Put the colored stickers on the map in a way that indicates where in the room you would like the boxes placed. This will insure that they are kept out of the way of possible furniture placement.

Post-It notes can be your best friend when moving. You have used the color coordination idea to get all of your boxes in the right rooms, but now it is time to unpack. How do you know which box has what in it without opening all of them at once? You guessed it: Post-It notes! This requires planning ahead. If you to think about the unpacking as you are doing the packing, you can make your life much simpler when you arrive at your new home.

As you pack each box, indicate with a few words either the type of items in the box (like "towels") or where the content of the box goes (like "Tony's PJ drawer"). This is especially important for the items that you will need to locate quickly, like the medication in your medicine cabinets. You don't want to be rifling through multiple boxes to find your pain pills or diabetes medication!

You could use a magic marker to write this information on the side of the box. The problem is that most moving boxes already have words and designs on them and your reminders to yourself are difficult to see and may become entirely lost. Also, writing on a box can be awkward. Writing those reminders on a Post-It note solves these problems. It becomes very visible, legible and easy to locate.

Make sure you tape the Post-It to the box really well, so it does not come off during the move.

1. Make sure that you will be available for the movers the entire loading day.

2. Plan to leave all utilities on until the day after your move.

3. Be sure to have a working cell phone the day of your move

4. Check the inventory sheets and any comments made by the mover as to the present condition of your furniture. In the event of a discrepancy, please discuss it with the lead mover and note it on the inventory sheets.

5. Items of high value that are being loaded on the truck by the movers, such as artwork and antiques, should be noted separately on a hi-value inventory sheet and signed off by the lead mover. Small valuable items such as jewelry should be transported in your personal vehicle.

6. Walk through every room in the house, to make sure nothing is missed. Be sure to also walk through the garage, yard and any out buildings or sheds.

7. Before the truck pulls away on moving day, make sure that you and the driver have a way to contact each other en route to the destination.

Large appliances are often heavy, awkward, and difficult to move. They usually also require some kind of un-installation. Although most moving companies require that all major appliances be prepared before they will move them, some do offer packing services that will prepare your major appliances for moving for you. Most movers charge an extra fee for this service, but you can be assured that the units will be working when they arrive at your new home.

Here are some tips, if you decide to do this on your own.

1. For most large appliances, it is best to contact the dealer for specific move instructions, or you can often refer to the owner's manual.
2. If you are moving a refrigerator, it is always best to unplug it for at least 24 hours prior to the move. After the freezer unit has defrosted, thoroughly dry all surfaces to prevent the chance of mildew from forming. Secure or remove all racks so they can’t shift during the move. Also if your unit has an ice maker, disconnect and drain the waterline.
3. If you’re moving a stove, it should first be thoroughly cleaned inside and out. Next, as with a refrigerator, the racks should either be removed or secured to prevent shifting during the move. If your stove is gas, make sure to shut off the gas before you start disconnecting the line. Flex Gas lines can be fragile and need special handling. It is also “best practice” to use new flex gas line when you re-install the stove at your new home. If you're unqualified to perform these tasks, it is best to call a qualified service technician for help. Make sure to also tape down the knobs and elements to ensure no parts are lost or damaged during the move.
4. Portable dishwashers need to be empty and the utensil holder/rack removed or secured. The door should then be taped shut.
5. Washer or dryer units need special handling. It is always best to consult the owner's manual for specific instructions. Remove all washer hoses and pack separately, either in a box, or sometimes you can put them inside the washing machine. For the washer, you will sometimes need to secure the drum. Please, consult the owner’s manual for complete instructions.
6. For all appliances, unplug each unit and secure the plug either to the back or side of the appliance using packing tape. Do not allow cords dangle or come loose.
7. Tape all appliance doors and lids shut before moving them.

Congratulations! You have already packed, padded and taped up your boxes, clearly numbering and labeling each, indicating into which room in your new home each box is to be moved. You have completed your inventory and made arrangements for your children to be entertained off site. Today is the day you have been preparing for. Moving day is here!

If you hired Moving Connections, your move will be simple and easy. Here is how the day will break down:

1. Go ahead and grab yourself a cup of hot chocolate or coffee and relax, knowing that you have just hired Moving Connections, the best moving company in the state.
2. You will receive a phone call from the movers a half-an-hour to an hour before they arrive. Be sure to tell them at this time about any last-minute moving supplies that you still need to purchase, so that they can bring them on the truck. This is also a great time to confirm any special instructions you had previously conveyed to them, such as stopping at your sister's place on the way, to pick up the rocking chair you had lent her.
3. When the movers arrive in the full-sized moving truck, they will have with them the additional supplies you ordered, plus moving blankets, stretch wrap, dollies and tools to ensure a successful moving experience.
4. Moving Connections' movers will gladly and professionally unhook your washer and dryer, disassemble appropriate furniture, such as your bed. They will blanket and stretch wrap your belongings, load them into the truck snugly and secure them, so that nothing shifts during transport.
5. You do not need to worry about getting through traffic and around corners with a huge, unwieldy truck. The movers of Moving Connections are also excellent drivers, experienced in expertly negotiating the inevitable obstacles, providing the highest level of safety for your precious belongings. You just drive your own car, perhaps with your most delicate items in the back seat, and meet the movers at your new home.
6. Upon arrival, the movers will unload the truck, hook up your washer and dryer, and re-assemble the furniture they had taken apart. They will arrange (and possibly re-arrange) the furniture according to your instructions in each room.
7. At the end of the move, the Moving Connections movers will gladly deliver any items you are donating to a charity, such as, the Salvation Army, Deseret Industries or Goodwill.
8. Your beds are assembled, and due to your excellent planning, you know exactly where your bedding is, and where to find your toiletries and clothes for tomorrow, so go get your kids and enjoy the first night in your new home. You can start serious unpacking tomorrow.

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If you decide to move yourself, choosing a moving truck of the right size will save you time and money. Here are a few guidelines for choosing from among the various types and sizes of rental moving trucks available.

1. How many bedrooms does your home have? This will help determine how many boxes and how big of a rental truck you will need. See the Truck Rental Size Guide, below. Be sure to make allowances for any additional belongings in a storage that will be moving with you to your new home.
2. What are the rental prices and what is the availability of moving trucks for the time of year that you are moving? This is often a big factor when it comes to renting a moving truck. If you are moving in the spring or summer, it is very important to start looking for rental companies well in advance.
3. How comfortable are you driving a big moving truck? This is especially important, if you are moving out of state or during inclement weather. A local move will be a bit simpler.
4. Are you moving to or from a neighborhood with narrow streets? If so, you might want to choose a smaller truck or van so you can more easily navigate the potential obstacles.
5. Are you moving from or into an apartment that has a parking garage or other low clearance restrictions? If so, you will need to consider truck height.

Truck Rental Size Guide:

• 26′ truck fits 4+ bedrooms
• 24′ truck fits 3-4 bedrooms
• 17′ truck fits 2-3 bedrooms
• 14′ van will move 1-2 bedrooms
• 10′ van will move a studio or small 1-bedroom apartment

Please note that these are approximate averages for reference only. Your case may differ significantly.

In this segment let us assume that you are a student, moving somewhere along the Wasatsch Front.

Let's say you are in reasonably good health and have a friend, also in reasonably good health, that you can entice with a pizza to assist you. Chances are you have a single room full (or not quite full) of stuff. If you have almost any kind of furniture, a car is not going to work. You need a truck. The car rental companies like Avis, Hertz, Enterprise etc. have virtually no trucks. Penske and Budget trucks are expensive unless you are going over 100 miles, and their beds are "dock high," meaning 4.5 feet off the ground. Your best bet would be a U-Haul pickup truck or cargo van. They cost $20 plus 59 cents per mile, and you have to replace the gas you use (regular by the way). You need to have a valid driver’s license and only need to be 18 years old, instead of 25 like the car companies require. You also need a credit card OR a debit card. (Car companies typically do not accept debit cards.) A gift card is also possible. The U-Haul system will usually authorize your card for an amount between $45 and $65. I, personally, prefer the cargo vans over a pick up, unless you need to tow something. The cargo bed is about the same size for both the van and the truck, but the cargo van has taller side walls, so you can stack higher. Of course, a van provides real protection against rain, whereas a tarp for a pick up truck is an imperfect solution, at best.

Cargo vans work best for students. The ride is smoother, more car-like than the rough ride of a truck, and vans are almost as easy to drive as a car, meaning less chance of an accident. If you are worried that all your stuff won't fit in the van, relax; just make two trips. If where you are moving from and where you are moving to are not that far apart, then the extra trip will only cost you a few dollars. On the other hand, if you have to travel across the whole valley or even farther, then you will want to finish your move in one trip. In that case you should consider a 10-foot truck, which has no ramp, but is still the best value for a one-trip move at just $20 plus 69 cents per mile.

If you have two rooms full of stuff, or if two of you are moving as a couple, then you will want a 14-foot truck. It is a real truck with a ramp. The 10-foot and 14-foot trucks have a harsher ride and large open-rear cargo areas, so you will need plenty of blankets and rope, which is the best insurance against damage you can buy. Come on into our store and rent a dozen blankets for $10 and buy 50 feet of rope for just $3. Make sure everything is packed tightly enough so that things are not jostling around. Use the blankets to buffer all hard surfaces and use the rope to tie everything to the inside rails of the truck. Without packing tightly and securing the load, items could bang around inside the truck, breaking your fragile belongings, and the inevitable bumps and turns in transport could cause the load to shift slightly, crushing the more delicate items, but using the rope and blankets, you can be sure that your property gets through the rougher ride without damage.

Plan ahead and have a safe and pleasant moving experience, so that you start off the next chapter of your life on the right foot.

There are four general types of packing needs:

1. You are moving out of state with all of your belongings,
2. You are going out state for school, job, etc., but are coming back,
3. You are moving, lock stock and barrel, across town, or
4. You only want to move a handful of items.

In this segment, we will discuss the third and fourth situations. Eighty percent of those that we help move fall into the third category, moving locally from one apartment or house to another.

When moving locally, the value, quantity and size of the things you want to move are the most important considerations.

First, let us consider the fourth situation, where you are on your own with only a few belongings to move, and without any large items like furniture pieces, or anything of great value. You could hire a moving company, but that would not be cost effective, since, even though your move might only take an hour or two, you would probably be charged for three or four hours, because moving companies have a policy of charging for a certain number of minimum hours, usually three or four. (Our rate is $85 per hour with a three-hour or four-hour minimum, depending on the distances involved.)

In this scenario, your first step is to get the right packing material for the job. Your best value for packing material can be found at U-Haul. Our U-Haul location is

Not only can you get the supplies you need from us, but we will show you how to use them. You will want packing paper ($1 per pound), tape and medium boxes ($2.35 each). The medium box (18x18x16 inches) is so useful, that it is the most sold box on the planet.

You not only use packing paper around fragile items, but also to fill voids (holes) in your boxes

1. to protected your items from damaging each other in the box,
2. to prevent your items from sliding around inside the box, and
3. to keep any one box from getting too heavy.

After packing everything snuggly, just transport the boxes using a car or van. If you do not have a car, you can request a taxi minivan. For a little tip the driver will usually load your medium boxes and luggage into their van and unload them at your destination.

If you have any furniture, the taxi cab method will not work, of course. If you can drive and have a valid driver's license, rent a U-Haul cargo van. They are really easy to drive and have very good mirrors. If you use the mirrors properly, it will be just as safe and easy in a cargo van as in a car.

At the U-Haul location, buy some stretch wrap ($5.85) and ask them how to use it. Use stretch wrap around all your furniture.

If you have mattresses, you will want to keep grease, soot and dirt off of them, so buy the right size mattress cover bags ($4 or $5 each, depending on size). After putting the mattresses into the bags, make sure you tape the ends shut.

You and a friend, each carrying one side, can manage a few smaller pieces of furniture or a mattress or two.

Now let us talk about situation three, mentioned above, where a larger household, typically a family, is moving locally across town.

People often think that all you need for a successful move is the muscle to lift and carry the furniture, but every bit as important as sheer brawn is technique. Hiring somebody you found on Craigslist or the corner of Home Depot is extremely risky. You don't their background or intentions, and they will know where you live and what you own, and though they may have the muscle, they will most certainly lack the moving know-how.

What know-how? Let me explain. There is no point in transporting furniture, if it is broken beyond repair upon arrival, and most damage occurs because of how the truck loaded. This is where the art of moving comes in. First, the furniture needs to be stretch wrapped and blanketed in very specific ways, and then, it must be properly packed, loaded and tied down, or "cubed," as it is known in the industry. If the load is not cubed, so that everything fits together snugly, the furniture will shift and lean into each other when the truck turns or changes speed, and that is when things snap and get chipped, scraped and crushed. Don't let this happen to your belongings! Always get skilled, experienced moving labor to help you pack and load.

Our movers are full-time, background-checked, drug-tested, experienced professionals. Even if you plan to rent a U-Haul and drive yourself, our professional movers can help you properly cube your load for just $74 per hour for two movers and their equipment. Of course, we also provide the full-service option, where we do the driving, provide the 26-foot moving truck, two full-time experienced movers, blankets, stretch wrap and equipment for only $85 per hour. Our movers will also gladly hook up your washer and dryer, and disassemble and re-assemble furniture, as needed. They will do it quickly and carefully, because moving is what they do and all they do, and you have the peace of mind of knowing that they represent a company with a brick-and-mortar address that has been in business for over thirty years.

Our movers would also be happy to help you pack up your boxes, but they would be doing so at the same hourly rate as loading, driving and unloading. If you are able to, your best value for your money would be to pack the the boxes yourself and let us do the rest. All of the advice about packing for people with few belongings would, of course, apply here as well, but with larger households, there are often additional considerations.

By the time you have collected enough stuff to be considered a larger household, you have usually also collected memories and "special" possessions. You know best the monetary and sentimental value of your property and, consequently, what items you want to give special attention to. You will probably want to take extra time to pack items from your kitchen and curio cabinets, for example. By now, you may have fine china, figurines, porcelain dolls, souvenirs from your travels and family heirlooms. Your treasures and delicate belongings, like glass and porcelain, need special attention.

Make sure that you paper-wrap all of your delicate and special items. This is your first level of protection. Next, carefully weigh your options for the type of box you choose. Do not use plastic bags or weak boxes, as this makes cubing the load impossible and will likely result in damage. Do not reuse boxes, as 50% of a box's strength is lost after the first use. Never borrow boxes. Legitimate moving companies, like ours, no longer recycle boxes due to the loss of box strength and the likelihood of spreading bed bugs, which are expensive to get rid of. Never use boxes thrown away by grocery stores unless you want everything smashed to bits. Never use a box without a top, and always tape both the bottom and top of the box really well with several strips of tape. Never cross the flaps on the top of boxes to hold them together, as the strength of the structure comes from the two flaps butting together and being well taped in that position. Also, be sure to double-box the high-end items, using foam or small bubble between the inner and outer box. There are 24x12x12 inch boxes specifically designed for dishes and glasses. The dish pack kit includes 32 foam pouches for dishes, plus a cardboard insert. The glass pack kit contains 18 pouches and a cardboard insert for glasses. Do not let your boxes with glass and fragile items get too heavy. Know when to fill out the remaining volume of the box with wadded up paper.

Well constructed boxes will add a great deal of strength and stability to your moving load. There are industry-accepted guidelines, rating the strength of boxes. Never use a box without at least a 32 pound crush strength or a 200 pound burst strength (shown by a 3 inch diameter circle with these ratings inside the circle on a flap of every box). Or even better, use a double-wall boxes. These are easily recognized, because the cardboard is a full 1/4 inch thick!

“How did I possibly fit everything in there?” This is a question many people ask themselves when trying to remember how dishes, knick knacks, or glassware was arranged in a china hutch or curio cabinet. Thankfully today’s technology can save you precious time when trying to arrange everything as it was in your previous home. Just pull out your IPhone and snap a simple picture or two. It only takes a few seconds to photograph everything before you pack, and the photo will remind you of how the items were placed originally!

Children’s “Essentials” Box

Fun With Moving Boxes!

Keep the Kids Busy While You Move - ZOO