Month: February 2019

Setting up Utilities? Here Are 5 Tips for  Before You Move

Have a move coming up?

If you are, certainly you don’t want to show up to your new place with no water and no power.

That’s why it’s important to set up your utilities before you arrive.

We put together some helpful tips for setting up utilities.

1. Have a Plan

You don’t want to wait until you’ve moved in to call your utilities.

This process should begin a month in advance. Find out how much time you need to give your providers to start or stop service.

These are the most common utilities:

• Water/Sewer
• Electric
• Gas
• Cable/Satellite TV
• Internet
• Security System

If you’re moving locally, you can transfer your account.

Interstate or cross country moves may require the creation of new accounts. It may require deposits and credit checks.

Is your new house ready for your services? Your home may need installations in certain cases.

2. Perform Research and Gather Referrals

Do you know what the local providers are? Your landlord and future neighbors may be able to recommend certain companies or know of good deals.

Look at the reviews on Google, Yelp, and social media to gauge customer satisfaction.

You can get quotes from the provider’s website as well. Shop around for the best price and weigh that against their reviews

3. Set Up Your Utilities

Call your provider or visit their websites again to start service.

Some services like water and electricity don’t require you to be home when you start. Others, such as the Internet, can only be set up if you’re home.

If a provider has offered service to your house before, that should make things easier.

If you’re adding new services, it may take more time to install and may end up costing more.

4. Details are important

Prepare any questions you may have. When you call, take detailed notes.

Things like price and the name of the person you talk to may be handy later.

Your service may have additional costs, such as installation; Make note of these. This will be useful if hidden costs appear on your bill.

Ask whether or not you must be present during installation. Some companies charge for simple things you can do yourself. Ask if you can install equipment you know how to do yourself, like wireless routers.

Make sure your old providers have your forwarding address. You’ll want to be sure to get any refunds your owed or pay any balance that’s outstanding.

5. Cost-Savings

Here’s how to save a bit on your utilities services.

Ask for a Discount

Many companies provide seniors, veterans, and students with discounts. You may even get a new resident or new customer discount.

Call in the Morning

Customer service is better first thing in the morning Customer service reps are in a better mood after a cup of coffee.

Negotiate

Sometimes the rates will go up after a year. They may have provided you with a promotional offer.

Give them a call to negotiate

Now You’re Ready to Move

With these helpful tips, Setting up utilities can be much faster, cheaper, and easier.

If you’re looking for a moving company to take the stress out of moving? Contact Arrow Moving & Storage for a free moving quote.

Tips for alleviating the Stress of Moving

So you’ve found your brand new home.

There’s a lot to be pumped for. And there’s also a lot that’s giving you stress.

That’s just part of the moving process. Along with the joy of creating a new home, there’s the cost of moving, the paperwork, the planning, and you haven’t even lifted a box yet.

We’ve found that just a little help along the way is a giant help to movers. So, we’ve assembled a list of tips to help make your move as stress-free as possible.

Before Your Move Begins

Proper planning can help take a ton of pressure off of your back once the big day arrives. For instance, forgetting to set up utilities is a common mistake that many movers make. You certainly don’t want to show up at a house with no water.

Finding a reputable moving company is also a must, especially for larger movers. Put the time and effort into finding the right team of professional movers so that, come moving day, everything goes as smoothly as possible. 

Tips for the Best Packing System

There are many ways to organize your boxes. Some like to pack based on category, like sorting by books, documents, clothes, etc. On the other hand, you can also sort based on the room your items are in. Either way, be sure to label all your boxes.

Make sure you keep an essentials box handy with your toiletries, cleaning supplies, and a few days worth of clothes and food. You’re not going to unpack everything right away so it’s important to keep everyday items accessible. 

Tips for Moving Day

So you’ve finished packing. The worst is over with right? Well, hopefully, you’ve prepared.

Make sure you pack a cooler with enough food and drinks to get you and your family through the entire day. If you have young kids or pets, it’s probably a good idea to hire a sitter for the day or let them stay with a friend or relative. Moving can be both tedious chaotic for kids and pets.

That way, you don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on them and you can attend to the movers.

Enjoy Your Home

The more quickly the moving process goes, the more quickly you can just sit back, relax and enjoy your new home. However, for some, the process has just begun; next comes unpacking.

Luckily, there are systems you can use to make your unpacking go much more smoothly. 

After your essentials box comes the kitchen. Once you’ve finished setting up the kitchen are the bedrooms. Unpack everyone’s clothes and set up bedding. Then there is all the furniture to assemble: couches, entertainment centers, desks and computers.

Following that are the utility areas like the garage, deck, and basement.

Your Upcoming Move

Hopefully, these tips have been a useful guide for your upcoming move. If you’re looking for a reliable moving company, fill out our form to receive a free moving quote.