Thursday, January 31, 2013

Office Relocation Planning Guide

A lot of companies move to smaller offices in order to optimize their expenses. One of the first details to discuss when moving an office is the cost. Naturally, office relocation costs are very likely to be much higher than home moving costs. In order to avoid spending more than necessary make a good project plan and stick to it. One of the things that can be really beneficial for you is if you make a moving timeline to guide you through the relocation week by week.

Although it may sound tempting to try, think twice before considering to make the move yourself. The work of movers is sometimes quite underestimated from which companies that wish to move their offices suffer harsh problems when moving – missing to follow deadlines, inefficient organization, lack of complete logistic planning, fines, financial and material losses and many more. If you want to save money when relocating your business office the best way to do that is think about using the help of movers. They have routine and experience in office moving so they can do the same job like you but in less time, more efficiently and most probably – even less costly.

Usually companies move their offices to save space and thus – money from rent, but if your case is different like you are opening another department at your company you need to take those details in mind, too. If your office relocation is taking place to another location with the same size floor area or smaller you may want to ship only one part of the equipment to the new place. This means that equipment you don’t want to use can be either sold for second hand uses or kept in storage.

If this is your case, ask the movers where there is a convenient storage on a location near you and the details of renting one – what period will you need it, how much will it cost you and what will the cost be for carrying there the things you tell them. Of course, then you will need to also plan a budget when taking your equipment from storage and bringing it to the office again what will your expenses be. Questions on pricing can be numerous when planning office relocation in order to avoid making guesses get a quote. In the meantime movers will most probably come to your office, especially if it is bigger, with cubicles or you are moving several offices. They will review what is to be moved and calculate your costs. Their work is based on precise details and you can request to know what each of their services cost.

Office Relocation – Planning an Office Move

Another thing movers can do for you: plan how long will the period of your office relocation last. This is important because if you have for example two months between moving out of your current office and moving in to your next one you should think about the date on your new renting contract. Then define the renting contract termination date. And at the same time arrange the day of moving in – make sure there you have planned well the time for move in and move out – otherwise you may end up paying a rent for a place you are no longer using. And for offices, especially larger ones, the amount can be considerable. Try to begin your office relocation at least 6 – 9 months before your lease contract expires. And again, the bigger the move, the sooner you should get on with it as then more people will be involved and the preparation will last for a longer time.

Office Relocation – Planning an Office Move to Get Best Value for Your Business

For your office relocation, plan the duties of each person who will participate, distribute them in time and follow their implementation. Especially for larger companies moving has to be well managed in order to avoid stress and meet the deadlines. One of the things to do before moving an office as well is to set the moving documentation straight. This means that you should contact a legal expert and do this job together. When the moving begins review the paperwork well and don’t sign anything you don’t understand. Trust your logic and your intuition, asking any question you feel like. You can read more tips on office relocation here.


Are you moving soon or in the near future? Moving the traditional way puts an unbelievable amount of trash and other waste into our landfills which are harmful to the planet. Consider getting green plastic moving boxes from us at Rentabox. 

We’ll deliver them to you and pick them up from your new address so you don’t have to worry about it. With Rentabox, moving can be a streamlined, pleasant experience all the way around!

Monday, January 28, 2013

House or Apartment Moving Checklist

Moving is a lot of work – no question about that. Organizing it and putting the activities to perform in the right order though can diminish stress and save you time (and sometimes even money). When you have an apartment to move there are a lot of things to take care of. This guide contains a checklist that will guide you during your moving and you can vary it however you feel comfortable.

Moving Your Apartment Checklist

Here is the checklist itself. Every major task to be performed is broken down into specific steps. And of course you can also find a list of things to move at your home.

Begin the organization

  1. Plan your moving in detail.  You can use your mobile to make lists and take notes or look for a reputable moving company.
  2. Arrange the change of your address – this means post office, bank, school/ daycare, doctor, dentist, SARS, etc.
  3. Be flexible in your arrangements. Plan some extra time in situations where you can expect some delay. For example if you foresee a possible traffic at the time of arriving at your new neighborhood arrange another time if possible.
  4. If you want to leave part of your things at a storage separate them before packing and arrange their transportation first. That should give you more space to pack the rest.

Organize the packing

  1. Make an inventory sheet with what you are going to pack. Get rid of the rest – donate, give away or sell – however you decide.
  2. Pack room by room to avoid confusion between your belongings when unpacking.
  3. Prepare your packing materials. You can purchase them at a store or online or ask the movers if they can provide you with some.
  4. Do not pack valuable items like jewels – take them with you on moving day or place them in a deposit box for their safety.

List of things to get rid of before moving out

  • Anything broken, torn apart and worn out
  • Clothes that don’t fit
  • Broken shoes
  • Perishable food
  • Trash
  • Flammable materials
  • Gas (in the lawn mower or car if it is being shipped)
  • Chemicals

List of things to pack for moving

Corridor/ Entrance-hall
  • Shoe shelves
  • Shoes
  • Shoe polish
  • Shoe brush
  • Cabinet
  • Wall mirror
  • Hangers
  • Jackets
Living room
  • Table
  • Chairs
  • Couch
  • Armchairs
  • TV
  • DVD
  • Computer/ laptop
  • Laptop case
  • Radio
  • Floor lamp
  • Camera
  • Cupboards
  • Books
  • Bookcase
  • CD’s
  • Curtains
Bedroom
  • Bed
  • TV
  • Sheets
  • Blankets
  • Pillows
  • Pillow cases
  • Wardrobe
  • Clothes
  • Hangers
  • Iron
  • Ironing board
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Alarm clock
Children’s room
  • Bed
  • Pillows
  • Pillow cases
  • Sheets
  • Toys
  • Books
  • Textbooks
  • Clothes
  • Desk
  • Chair
  • Computer
  • Desk lamp
  • Window curtains
  • Alarm clock
Kitchen
  • Table
  • Chairs
  • Curtains
  • Electric appliances
  • Cupboards
  • Hand towels
  • Table cloth
  • Cups
  • Glasses
  • Dishes
  • Bowls
  • Cutlery (knives, spoons, forks)
  • Knife sharpener
  • Cutting boards
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Cooking utensils (pots, pans, serving plates, ladle, tongs)
  • Cookware set
  • Measuring cups
  • Can opener
  • Any decoration – statuettes, figures, etc.
  • Wastebin
Bathroom
  • Rugs
  • Mat
  • Shower curtains
  • Medicines
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrushes
  • Hairbrush
  • Toiletries (soap, shower gel, shampoo, hair conditioner)
  • Cosmetics (body lotion, cream, face moisturizer, make up)
  • Hair dryer
  • Towels
  • Scale
  • Waste bin
  • Clothes basket
  • Drying rack
  • Broom
  • Mop
  • Detergents
  • Garbage bags
Garage/ Storage

  • Fire extinguisher
  • Tools (hammer, wrench, etc.)
  • Lawn mower
  • Flash light
  • Batteries
  • Christmas decoration
  • Spare car/ lawn mower parts
Other
  • Home decoration
  • Cat/ dog/ other animal and its accessories
  • Plants
  • Wall paintings
  • Antiques
  • Boxes

Documentation

  • Birth certificates
  • Passports
  • Mortgage/ doctor/ dentist/ school/ daycare/ vet records
  • Car papers
  • Insurance contracts
  • Loans contracts
  • Tax papers
  • Credit cards
  • Contracts with utility companies (at your new home)
  • Moving insurance papers
  • Your inventory sheet
  • Parking permit
  • The truck driver’s phone number (he should also have yours)

Finding the right mover

  1. Of course it all begins with getting a quote. This is how you can estimate which price is good for you. Also contacting a mover will allow you to see if their work is professional.
  2. Remember that a mover has to be not only registered and licensed but also with a good reputation. Check for the performance of a moving company at The Professional Movers Association of South Africa (PMA) is the premier association for over 90 top national movers in South Africa. They are available at: (http://www.pmamovers.co.za) or Hellopeter (www.hellopeter.co.za). 
  3. Read some company reviews to save time and money – a new survey proves this point right.
  4. Preferably hire a mover with more experience. It won’t automatically guarantee you a perfect moving but it is one of the preconditions.

Moving

  1. Pick things up from the drycleaners and return DVD’s and books to the library.
  2. Make an “open first” box with some essentials you will need on the first day at your new home.
  3. Prepare all of your moving documentation in one file. When the movers arrive read before you sign. And don’t pay any money without a document that is binding. It may seem like obvious but sometimes it is exactly those little things that can be missed.
  4. Make a floor plan and give it to the movers. When unloading that is one of the ways to direct them where to place every box.
  5. Before you leave check every premise in your home to make sure you haven’t forgotten something. 
Are you moving soon or in the near future? Moving the traditional way puts an unbelievable amount of trash and other waste into our landfills which are harmful to the planet. Consider getting green plastic moving boxes from us at Rentabox. 

We’ll deliver them to you and pick them up from your new address so you don’t have to worry about it. With Rentabox, moving can be a streamlined, pleasant experience all the way around!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

How Cardboard Boxes Will Make Moving Home That Little Bit Easier

Moving house is without doubt one of the most stressful things that you can do in life. There are so many things that need to be sorted out and packed away that it can be a daunting task. For this reason it makes sense to try to make things easier in any way you possibly can and using cardboard boxes to pack your items is definitely one way of doing this. Instead of trying to pack everything away as quickly as you can into anything you have to hand, you can make things simpler in the long run by using boxes.

The first thing that you should do is try to make sure that you are packing things in some sort of orderly fashion. If you don't do this and just start putting anything and everything into the same box then when you come to look for things you wont have a clue where you have put anything. Deciding to box all items that have come from the same room and making sure that the box is labelled to indicate this will make it much simpler when you are looking for something specific. Take kitchen items for example, if you put everything into one box then you don't have to go rooting through everything when you are looking for your cooking utensils.

Another thing that you should really try to do is make sure that when you are packing things you do it properly. Don't pack too many things into one box because this will more than likely end up with the box splitting or even worse, the contents of it being damaged. As well as this you have got to ensure that any fragile items are given the right protection. This not only involves wrapping them in bubble wrap or using packing peanuts but also making sure that they are not placed underneath any bulky items. By following a bit of common sense when you are moving home, cardboard boxes will take away some of the stress that can be associated with it.

For more information on cardboard boxes, or any other packing products check out Rentabox and see our once-used cardboard boxes and bubble wrap we have available.



Are you moving soon or in the near future? Rentabox can supply once-used cardboard boxes at discounted rates. Whether you require packing boxes for your house or office move, choose the company that delivers.