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Table of ContentsGarrett’s Moving & Storage

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Cover: The Ultimate Guide for a Successful MoveTable of ContentsMeet the Authors: Holly Rhoades & Mallory Hatten

Two Months Before Moving DayTwo Months Before Moving Day (Cont.)

One Month Before Moving Day

On Moving Day (After the Move)Your Moving Checklist

Your Moving Checklist (Cont.)

One Week Before Moving DayOne Week Before Moving Day (Cont.)On Moving Day (Before the Move)

Moving, Minus the HassleFAQs & Our ServicesConnect with Garrett’s & Request a FREE Quote

Holly RhoadesContent Strategist

Mallory HattenContent Strategist

Content By: Design By:

What are your top 3 favorite foods?

Thai Food. Frozen Yogurt. Fried Chicken.

Where would you most like to live?

My own private island.

How do you spend your free time?

Planning adventures, local & not so local.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

See the Aurora Borealis.

What are your top 3 favorite foods?

Sushi. Mashed Potatoes. Cherries.

Where would you most like to live?

Ireland or Nashville, Tennessee.

How do you spend your free time?

Exploring the DFW Area.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

Watching the Miami Heat play live!

Two Months Before Moving DayGarrett’s Moving & Storage

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1Start Collecting Boxes

Begin Packing Non-Essential Items

Give Away Things You Don’t Need

Everyone underestimates how much stuff they have. And as a result, they don’t get enough boxes and end up scrambling for extras at the last minute. If that happens, you’re probably going to spend a lot of extra money you didn’t have to. Fortunately, you’ll be able to get your boxes for free if you start early. Try asking friends and family if they have any extra boxes to give. Local businesses often have extra boxes to spare. Your best bet may be the Craigslist free board, where you can find people giving away boxes nearly every day.

Moving Tip: If you don’t have time to gather boxes this way, try U-Haul. They have a 100% Buy-Back guarantee, where they promise to repurchase any boxes you didn’t use.

The good thing about getting boxes early is that you can start packing early! There’s no getting around the fact that packing is time-consuming. If you can do as much as possible beforehand,

you’ll save yourself a lot of stress. Some things you can pack this early include out-of-season clothing, decorations, and anything else you can think of that you probably won’t use in the next

two months.

Moving is an opportunity to clean house and get rid of the stuff you don’t really need. Make sure to do this early, so you’ll have time to go through everything (you’ll be surprised by the vast amount of things you really have!) A general rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it in a year, you may want to consider donating it to Goodwill or selling it on Ebay.

Moving Tip: Getting rid of extra stuff will help you save money on your move, as your moving company will charge you less to move less.

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In our experience, while any of these three ways of moving will probably work if you are just moving a short distance, a full service moving company is definitely a must if you are moving long distance.

Pros & ConsDIY (U-Haul, Pickup Truck, etc.)

Pros• Most affordable option in most cases• Good for local moves where you can

drive a smaller truck back and forth• Can be done on your own schedule, at

your own paceCons

• Driving a larger truck sometimes requires a special permit

• Long distance moves put your high-value and fragile items at risk

• No option to purchase moving insurance

• Physically demanding

Storage Containers (PODS, etc.)

Pros• Can pack on your own schedule• Someone else will drive your stuff

Cons• Like DIY moves, protection against

packing-related damages is not available

• Packing yourself still leaves high-value and fragile items at risk

Full Service Moving Company

Pros• Completely customized to your needs• Moving insurance is available to protect

your belongings• Best for long distance moves where you

need a large truck• Least physically demanding option

Cons• Most expensive option• Research is necessary to ensure you

pick a reputable mover

4Choose A Mover (If You Need To)Decide on your moving method early to ensure enough time to get estimates and think about your options. Here are the pros and cons of each way to move.

If you do end up going with a full service mover, asking friends and family and looking at reputable review sites like Angie’s List are the best ways to locate good ones. Once you’ve found a few, contact them and ask for a quote. For smaller moves, a phone estimate may be all you need, but larger moves often require an in-home estimate.

Be sure to ask your mover these questions at the very least:

• How long has your company been in business?

• What type of insurance is available?• Can I have references from past customers?• Is your company licensed for interstate

moves (for long distance moves)?• How do you protect furniture and valuables

when packing?• Is your pricing by the hour, number of movers,

or weight?• How do you determine the price of a move?• What is included in a price quote and what

would you consider extra services?• What is your cancellation policy?

Questions To Ask A Mover

One Month Before Moving DayGarrett’s Moving & Storage

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1Let Everyone Know You Are Changing Addresses

Turn On The Lights

Keep On Packing

We have all gone to our mailbox and found letters and magazine subscriptions addressed to the old tenant. Don’t let this happen to you! Be sure to let everyone, including your post office, bank, publications you subscribe to, and insurance and credit card companies know that you are changing addresses. That way, your house’s new tenant won’t have to be stuck reading your subscription to Cute Baby Cats Magazine (we promise we won’t tell anyone). You can get the address change form from the US Postal Service here.

Getting your utilities changed over is an often overlooked step in the moving process. No one wants to come home to their new house only to find you can’t

have a glass of water or turn on the AC (especially if you plan to move in the summer. Yikes!) Be sure to contact all your utility, cable, phone, and internet

providers and arrange to get everything switched to your new address. This might also be a good time to shop around and see if you can save some money by

switching companies.

At 4 weeks before the move, it’s a good idea to pack everything you possibly can. You have a lot more stuff than you realize, so unless there is just no way you can live without it for a month, pack it! Don’t forget to be labeling each box as you are packing so you can actually find your things when it’s time to unpack. The Container Store makes a great set of color-coded packing labels that correspond to each room.

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One Week Before Moving DayGarrett’s Moving & Storage

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Clean Out The FridgeThe last thing you want is for it to be moving day and have a fridge full of uneaten

food. A week or two before the move, try not to buy too many groceries and focus on eating the stuff you have. You might also want to get some disposable

silverware and pack your actual silverware early. If there is food you want to bring, buy a cooler so it will make it to your new home without turning into mush. However,

bringing liquids of any kind is NOT recommended.

Prepare A “24-Hour” BoxMoving day is going to be tiring, so you probably won’t feel like digging through all your boxes that night. Pack a box or two with the essentials you’ll need for the first couple of days until you get settled in. You also want to keep some moving supplies on hand just in case. Take this box in the car with you for easy access.

Some things to include in this box are:

• Scissors, tape, packing supplies

• Disposable silverware and paper towels

• Dish soap and trash bags

• Toiletries

• Prescriptions and pain relievers

• Flashlight, light bulbs, and hammers

• Phonebooks, pencils and paper

My 24-Hour

Box

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3Flammables, aerosols, bleach, corrosives, ammunition, or plastic spray bottles should NOT go on the moving truck. If you don’t want to take them with you in the car, throw them out.

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If It Can Flame, Throw It Away

Disassemble Furniture

Confirm Arrangements With A Mover

Make sure all furniture that needs disassembling gets taken apart so the movers can wrap it and get it in the truck more efficiently. This includes things such as mirrors taken off dressers, headboards unbolted, and washers and dryers disconnected. This will save both you and the mover time on moving day.

Call your mover to confirm their ar-rival time. You may also want to dis-cuss where the movers will be park-ing so you will have your driveway all ready for the movers to pull up.

Quick Tip:

Nail Polish Remover

In order to get all that nail polish off your fingers, acetone is added, which is an

extremely flammable chemical. Be sure to check your (or your wife’s) makeup box to ensure that none is getting put in the truck.

Plants

Plants are very fragile, and one shifting box can mean the difference between a plant that survives the journey and one

that is crushed. Also, plants can also carry bugs that can spread around the truck and

damage your belongings.

Liquid Cleaning Supplies

Moving cleaning supplies can be problematic because they often leak during

transport. The changing altitudes and temperatures during the move cause the containers to expand and contract, often

leading to cracks and leaks.

Opened Food Products

Perishable food items can spoil in transit, not to mention attract bugs that may

infiltrate and damage your other items.

Empty Propane Cans

Even if a propane can is empty residue can still remain, leaving the possibility for an

explosion. Dispose of your cans before the move, or take them in your vehicle.

These Five Items Can’tBe Moved By Movers!

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On Moving Day (Before the Move)Garrett’s Moving & Storage

1Review Your Paperwork

When your moving company arrives, go over all your paperwork with the crew chief or head mover to make sure everything is correct. Your paperwork will include:

Bill of Lading (contains pricing and delivery dates) Original EstimateOrder for ServiceMover’s Inventory

Be sure to go over each of these line by line and make sure all the dates, services requested, valuation insurance, and dollar amounts are identical to those that were

on your original estimate before signing.

2Inspect Furniture With Your Mover

Do A Final Walk Through

Be sure to stay with your mover as he inspects each piece of furniture and prepares an inventory sheet. This is to make sure you both agree on the condition of the furniture in the event you need to file an insurance claim after the move. After the mover has completed his inspections, review the inventory sheet thoroughly.

After everything has been loaded, be sure to walk through your house one last time and make sure nothing has been left behind. Some places where things can easily be forgotten are cupboards, closets, and the outside. If you are moving far away, it

is very expensive for forgotten items to be shipped later.23

Provide Phone NumbersIt is vital that you and your movers are available to communicate while your goods are in transit. Exchange phone numbers with the moving crew and make sure the movers have the exact address of your new home (seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at the little things one can forget in the midst of all the action!)

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On Moving Day (After the Move)Garrett’s Moving & Storage

After the movers have unloaded all the large furniture, inspect it to make sure nothing was damaged during the move. If you believe something was damaged, let your movers know immediately so you can file an insurance claim. This is unlikely, but accidents do happen from time to time, so choosing a mover with a good insurance policy is important.

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1Inspect Your Furniture

Arrange Large Pieces Of Furniture

Make Sure Utilities Are Working

Arranging the living and dining room furniture right away can help to establish a sense of normalcy in your new surroundings. If you are moving with kids or pets, they might have some difficulty adjusting, and setting up furniture is a good first step in making this strange new place feel a little more like home. It’s a good idea to have a rough idea of how you want your furniture laid out before you move. To avoid the extra work of re-arranging a room multiple times, try using a layout tool such as this one from Pottery Barn that lets you enter the dimensions of your room and virtually test out different furniture layouts.

It’s easy to forget how important basic utilities are until we reach for a glass of water and the faucet is dry. Make sure your water and electricity is working as soon as you arrive so you can contact the utility company to switch it on if needed. Only the bravest of the brave would try spending a night without electricity in the Dallas heat, so do this to make sure your first night home is not in a hotel room.

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Get Some Takeout And Hit The SackAfter all you’ve done today, don’t even think about cooking and get some takeout,

you’ve earned it! Being well-rested will make the next few days of unpacking go by a lot easier.

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Your Moving ChecklistGarrett’s Moving & Storage

TWO MONTHS BEFORE

ONE MONTH BEFORE

Decide the best moving option for you

Choose a storage facility if needed

Start packing non-essential items

Start an inventory list

Collect boxes and packing materials

Giveaway unwanted items

Create a moving plan for fragile or antique items

Decide how you’ll arrange furniture at the new location

Schedule connection/disconnection of utilities at new location (Phone, Internet,

Cable, Water, Garbage, Gas, Electric)

Switch mail subscriptions to new address

Switch/cancel local accounts of any kind, if moving far away

Notify credit card and insurance companies about the new address

Fill out a change of address form

Let everyone important know that you areswitching addresses (Friends, Family,

Employers, Other)

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Check for damages while unpacking - know the deadline for filing claims

Begin unpacking, starting with essential items such as bathroom and kitchen supplies

Makes sure you have copies of your new keys

If applicable, schedule a time to get a new driver’s license

Update your home inventory, if you have one. If you don’t, consider making one to ease the process of future moves

Locate important services such as doctors, dentists, etc.

Congratulate yourself on a job well done

ONE WEEK BEFOREClean fridge of unwanted food

Dispose of flammable items

Prepare a 24-hour box

Confirm arrangements with mover

Confirm moving of pets, if needed

Take apart any furniture you can safely do yourself; Check for damages

Arrange to take off work for the move

Pack items you’ll move by yourself

ON MOVING DAY

Review your paperwork with the moving company (Bill of Landing, Original Estimate, Order for Service, Mover’s Inventory)

Inspect furniture with your mover

Do a final walk-through of the home

Provide movers with a phone number where you can be reached

Leave the new residents your contact info to forward any mail

Moving DayAnd Beyond

Thanks for reading Garrett’s guide to a smoother move! From our 20+ years in the moving business, we’ve seen that moving = chaos for many families. When a move hap-pens, the familiarity and routine of everyday life turns into stress with all the odds and ends that need to get done.

Why? Most of us seriously underestimate the amount of time it takes to pull off a move. There are a lot of little things we tend to forget about, such as switching the electricity. Before you know it, all those little things add up to one big headache.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. You only need one thing to ensure that your move isn’t a disaster – a plan. And that’s what this handy little guide is – a complete plan to make sure you get everything done right on schedule, from choosing a mover to unpacking the last box on mov-ing day.

If you have further questions about moving, please give our office a call at 1-888-368-4689. We’ll be happy to help with anything moving related.

Moving, Minus the HassleGarrett’s Moving & Storage

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FAQsHow much does a move with

Garrett’s cost?

This is a question with no definite answer. The cost of a move is dependent on many factors: amount of time, weight, distance, and manpower involved. Garrett’s Moving and Storage is proud to offer the most competitive rates in the industry. The best option to find out the price of your move is to contact us for a free estimate.

Do you do long-distance moves?

Garrett’s specializes in long-distance moves both to and from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, originating or ending anywhere in the country. So whether you are moving from Dallas to New York, New York to Dallas, or anywhere in between, we’ve got you covered.

Will my belongings be insured while they are being moved?

Most moving companies insure your items at a rate of $.60 per pound, but Garrett’s insures your belongings at a 50/50 split. For example, if a 400 pound, $1000 desk was damaged, the typical moving company would pay you $240 (400 times $.60). Garrett’s Moving and Storage would pay $500, half the value of the item.

Where is the storage facility located?

Garrett’s storage facility is conveniently located near the intersection of Northwest Highway and 635/LBJ Freeway.

What We OfferResidential

Let Garrett’s take the weight off your shoulders and handle your entire residential moving experience so you can focus on what’s really important, this transition

in your life.

High Rise MovesGarrett’s has extensive experience in these types of moves so you can be assured your items will arrive to

their new location in perfect condition.

Estate MovesOur crew is trained to pack and crate furniture, artwork, antiques and other items of an estate. You can count on Garrett’s to make sure each piece makes it to its

new owners in perfect condition.

Emergency/Short Notice MovesJust like our regular moving services, we offer both local and long-distance moves both to and from Dallas, as well as the same great service and care for

your possessions.

Senior MovesGarrett’s friendly crew strives to make the moving process as worry-free and comfortable as possible. We will treat you and your belongings with respect.

Single Piece MovesMany moving companies refuse to do single piece moves, but the team at Garrett’s is more than willing

to provide this service for your convenience.

Specialty MovesOur premium packing process and attention to detail ensures that your items will make it to their new

destination in perfect condition.

GET A FREE MOVING QUOTE!

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