Moving: Services & Storage

Dallas movers Moucka and Lohner with DFW Moving and Storage offer tips and advice on how to safely move personal computers.

Your home computer represents an investment, whether you use it to plan your family’s budget, file recipes, communicate with your family and friends or simply enjoy games. Naturally, you want to safeguard it from damage. With careful planning and proper packing, your computer can be transported safely when you relocate.  

Before the Move

• If you do not have an exact record of the cost of you computer (including any accessories you have purchased to add to it), you may want to obtain a current retail cost of your complete system prior to selecting a protection plan from your mover. If you desire replacement cost protection, many moving companies, including United Van Lines, offer full-value valuation against loss or damage. 

Packing

Your moving company is best qualified to properly pack your home computer. If you choose to pack it yourself, your computer should be placed in its original carton and packing material when possible. 

If you have discarded the original packaging:

• Choose a sturdy box large enough to permit you to surround the computer with packing material
• Crumpled, unprinted newspaper and plastic bubble wrap are the best packing materials. They will serve as a protective cushion and can be purchased from your local moving company. 
• The central processing unit (CPU) should be handled with extreme care. This unit is especially sensitive to jarring. Again, use a box large enough to accommodate the CPU and plenty of packing material on all sides. These precautionary steps also should be taken when handling an external disk drive.  
• The disks that contain your programming and stored data should be moved with you. They are sensitive to heat and cold, and warping could occur with extreme temperatures that can build up inside a moving van. As a precaution, you may choose to duplicate important files stored on disks and your computer’s hard drive onto backup disks. Place them in a different box or take them with you.  
• If you have a laser or ink jet printer, remove the toner and any ink cartridges, and carry the cartridges with you if your move occurs during hot weather. For other types of printers, the printer head should be secured – preferably with the original cardboard or plastic parts – to prevent it from shifting. Be sure to refer to the owner’s manual for preparations specific to your printer model.
• The remainder of your computer – the keyboard and monitor – consists of solid state circuitry, much like that in a television set. Place crumpled, unprinted newsprint in the bottom of a box and pack the items as you would other computer components.  

For additional instructions on packing monitors, please refer to your owner’s manual. 
   
At Delivery  

• Carefully check and mark off the inventory when your shipment is delivered.
• Allow the computer to reach room temperature before attempting to use it. If it has been particularly cold, watch for condensation, as moisture also can cause damage.
• If you have any loss or damage, contact the destination agent of your moving company for assistance.  

Dallas movers Mike Lohner and Chris Moucka founded DFW Moving and Storage over 18 years ago and have moved thousands of people both locally and across the United States. As an Agent for United Van Lines DFW Moving and Storage adheres to the high standards for customer care and quality of service. For more information about how to move call DFW Moving and Storage at 972-242-7711.

DFW Moving and Storage provides moving services to clients in Dallas, Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Garland, Mesquite, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Lewisville, Denton, Southlake, Grapevine, Flower Mound, and Irving.

Dallas movers Moucka and Lohner with DFW Moving and Storage offer tips and advice on how to safely move your wine collection.
 
Because your wine collection represents a sizable investment, every precaution should be taken prior to moving to ensure its safe transportation.

Appraisal

• Have your high-value collection appraised by a qualified person. Appraisal fees very widely from area to area. Appraisers charge either an hourly rate or a flat fee. The best way to locate a wine appraiser is through a local wine merchant who keeps abreast of current values on certain vintages.
• Photograph your collection to document its contents.
• Let your moving representative know you will be moving wine or other high-value items.
• Special arrangements may be necessary to ensure your collection will reach its destination safely.
• You will need to complete the High-Value Inventory Form to assure that your collection is not limited to minimal liability. The form will be provided by your United sales representative during the pre-move survey. Your mover will explain the protection plans from which you may choose. Replacement protection offered by most major moving companies affords you the best possible coverage against loss or damage in transit. If you choose United’s Full Value Coverage Plan, we recommend that you provide copies of the appraisal to your sales representatives. 

Legal Considerations

• Check with the alcohol beverage control authorities in your destination state before you move. Some states have restrictions governing the amount of alcohol that can be brought in for personal use. 

Temperature

• Most wine experts agree the older the wine, the more delicate its flavor. 
• Extreme changes in the temperature may affect the taste and appearance of your wine. 
• The best temperature for storing and transporting wine is 55 degrees. 
• White wines and less expensive “supermarket” brands are less susceptible to damage by temperature. 
• For a small, manageable collection, we recommend transporting the collection by car, where atmospheric conditions can be better controlled. A climate-controlled van can be used to move a very large or rare collection. However, arrangements must be made early and the additional cost may be more than you wish to spend. Ask your United agent for details. 
• The best time to move your collection is early spring or late fall. The temperature in the van during the summer months can be very high, and in the winter there is the possibility of the wine becoming slushy, which can alter the flavor. If your move must take place in the summer or winter months, you may want to consider moving your collection via a commercial airline. If you want the wine to be professionally packed, consult your mover. Your prompt delivery to the airport and pick-up of the wine at destination will limit its exposure to temperature extremes. 

Packing

• Take care to prepare your wine for the move. United has specially designed boxes to pack fragile items. If you plan to do the packing yourself, boxes may be purchased from your local United agent or from: 

California Glass Co.
155 98th Ave.
Oakland, CA 94603
http://www.calglass-pcc.com

• Corked wines should be placed on their sides or upside down in the packing container to keep the corks wet. 
• Do not pack bottles that have been opened. 
• Label the box FRAGILE - THIS SIDE UP.

Even if you use extreme care in packing your wine, “bottle shock” may occur from the wine shaking within the bottle as it is moved. If opened too soon, a loss of flavor may result. To prevent this, be sure to allow the bottles to rest at your destination at least seven days for every day your shipment is in transit.  

Dallas movers Mike Lohner and Chris Moucka founded DFW Moving and Storage over 18 years ago and have moved thousands of people both locally and across the United States. As an Agent for United Van Lines DFW Moving and Storage adheres to the high standards for customer care and quality of service. For more information about how to move call DFW Moving and Storage at 972-242-7711.

DFW Moving and Storage provides moving services to clients in Dallas, Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Garland, Mesquite, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Lewisville, Denton, Southlake, Grapevine, Flower Mound, and Irving.

Dallas mover DFW Moving and Storage provides tips for stress free moves in Dallas, Carrollton, Frisco, Plano, and Coppell.

Dallas mover Mike Lohner, one of the founders of DFW Moving and Storage, says that organization is key to a successful, stress free move, as any moving expert will attest. Packing always takes longer than you expected and you usually run out of supplies during the packing process. The more you put off packing till the end the more likely you are to run out of supplies and resorting to make shift alternatives. This is especially true if you are still packing the day the movers arrive.

Have you ever experienced high levels of stress during a move? Chances are that you answered yes. Chances are, also, that the reason you experienced stress is due primarily to a lack of adequate prior preparation.  Most people have a tendency to leave essential pre-move tasks to the last stages of moving and they create anxiety when the move date arrives. The closer to the move date they get the more anxiety they experience.

If there is any one thing that can reduce stress it is to start early and get ahead of the game. One of the problems with starting early is the fear that you will need something that you pack and have to open the box to get it out. One great way to resolve that issue is to use vinyl or plastic tubs to pack. You can purchase vinyl or plastic tubs at most major home building supply stores such as Lowes or Home Depot. The cost can be as low as $2 - $5 per tub and they have see-through sides that make it much easier to know what is in the tub.

Dallas mover Chris Moucka, founding partner in DFW Moving and Storage, says that by purchasing tubs instead of boxes you also have a much easier time of moving in as you can open the most critical tubs first and stack many of the tubs in the garage and open them at a later time. Boxes are, by their very nature, less sturdy and less friendly to finding what is in them. When you open a sealed box you have to either re-seal it or you have a weakened storage system which allows entry to creep crawly things that live in your garage or attic. Tubs are easily re-sealable and have tight seals.

For those who are truly organized a great tool is Mailing Labels that come 10 to a page. They can be bought at the office supply store and they can be stuck to the tops and sides of the plastic tubs. By using 2 – 4 labels per tub you can easily know what is in the tub whether you are viewing the tub from the top, side, or end, depending on how high they are stacked and how easy they are to get to.

To learn more about stress free moving please call Mike Lohner at 972-484-2112 or visit the DFW Moving and Storage website or the DFW Moving BLOG.