Binners are Winners!

We were driving from a largely disorganized job when the usually reticent “H” (or haitch, if you prefer) spied a green dumpster in the alley and murmured ” A customers’ best friend”. Hah! – good one methinks.

It’s true, a fundamental mistake made in the preparation for a move is the lack of purging. Instead of using the opportunity to throw sh*t away, people invariably drag their trap to the new venue with predictable results. Take for example a recent move we did from a large one bedroom to a smaller one. People generally have poor spatial recognition and after we unloaded the items there wasn’t a foot of open walking space – the new apartment was turned into a storage locker much to the consternation of the wife, who exclaimed to her husband “I told you so”!

An outcome like this is common yet unnecessary; use the transition as an opportunity to divest yourself of the detritus. Yet perhaps you are not persuaded by my exhortations alone? Let me put it another way: The people we moved into the cosy one bedroom apartment could have saved about three hours or $250 by ridding themselves of their excess before the move and not after.

If you are unsure what to do with your odds and ends remember charities such as the Salvation Army will accept most of your stuff though it must be clean and undamaged. After that, start giving it to your new best friend: the dumpster in the back of your building, it’s a win-win.

Top 7 Moving Tips to Save $100!

I have a hundred-dollar bill with your name on it. Interested? I thought you might be. Did you know people waste at least this much money on an average move? Through inefficiency and a lack of attention to detail, customers often pay more than is necessary. With this as a backdrop I would like to present seven easy tips to saving your money.

1 – PACKING BOXES

Since time equals money, the easiest way to start saving is with your box packing. Why? When we come to move you the first thing we clear out is the boxes. To do this quickly we use either trolleys or four-wheel boards, and here’s the catch; if the tops of the boxes are not closed and taped shut, we cannot stack them. And if we cannot stack them, they get moved individually, thus reducing efficiency.

2 – RESERVE PARKING

If you live in the city center you know how difficult parking is. Multiply this by three, and you get a better idea of the difficultly of parking the truck with a ramp. Once again the issue of efficiency is at hand. You must try to reserve parking for the truck if you are expecting a quick move. You can do one of a few things; (a) ask your manager/concierge if there is a designated spot for loading, and reserve it. (b) I have seen people put garbage cans or recycling bins out the night before to block a space. (c) The City of Vancouver will for a fee, block off space on your street for your exclusive use.

3 – ELEVATOR KEY

If there is an elevator involved in your move you must try to get a key to lock it off. This independent use feature is essential for the efficacy of your move. Without the elevator locked off your movers face three issues, (1) the door will keep closing on them as they load, (2) an unlocked elevator once loaded, will travel to whatever floor has called it, (3) when your movers take the items out and load them in the truck, the elevator is available for any resident waiting. Get the key.

4 – TAKE STUFF APART

If you purchased a big computer station from IKEA and built it in your office, you should take it apart before transport. Here’s why; we might get it out of your current location because we can assess all the doorways. The problem is the other end – I cannot foresee the access at the other side – so even if I can get it out of the current place, it may still end needing disassembly at your new place. If it is big and awkward just take it apart before hand.

5 – GARBAGE BAGS ARE YOUR FRIEND

One of the most common mistakes people make is with what I call the “smalls”. You know, a hand full of this and that, left at the end of your general packing. Put all these bits and bobs into garbage bags, it will save you extra time.

6 – HAVE SOMEONE ON HAND TO WATCH THE TRUCK

When we are loading or unloading the truck we can only convey a certain number of things at one time. If we load the elevator, we then have to go to shut the back of the truck, on each trip (for safety). The issue becomes a cumulative one, if we have to make 50 trips in the elevator, that is 100 times we open and close the truck. By having one of your party keeping an eye on things, efficiency improves.

7 – COUPON

There is a $10 coupon on our website, download it and use it!

It really is that simple yet generally overlooked. Follow the seven easy steps and you save $100 on your next local move.