St. Paul's Good Movers

Moving services in Minneapolis and Twin Cities.

Best Way to Transport Houseplants When Moving Homes

Best Way to Transport Houseplants When Moving Homes

Just like your fragile items, you need to be careful when moving your houseplants. When done properly, they can survive moving, but you will need to follow these steps to ensure their safety.

Before Moving Day

In order for your plants to be able to change their environment, you need to condition them. This is done by following these steps.

  • Three Weeks Until the Move: You need to re-pot any plants that are in clay or ceramic dishes into plastic shatter-proof pots that are the same size as the original one.
  • Two Weeks Until the Move: Pruning your plants at this point will make them easier to handle as well as transport because they will be more compact. Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch back new growth on larger plants, and use sharp scissors to take dead limbs, leaves, and flowers off. Doing this will allow your houseplants to be bushy, healthier and more attractive once you are in your new home. Do not prune succulents or ferns.
  • One Week Until the Move: Make sure that none of your plants have any insects or parasites. Apply insecticides, but use caution and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
  • Two Days Until the Move: Water your plants as you normally would, but do not over water.

plants

On Moving Day

Pack your plants either the night before or in the morning before you leave. Use the following tips when packing them.

  • Wrapping: Use tissue paper or an old bed sheet to wrap around large plants. Place all pots inside of a box that will hold them snugly in place. Regular moving boxes work well.
  • Packing: Place packing paper around plant pots to keep them from moving around. Make sure the box has air holes punched in it so they can breathe, and close the top up normally.
  • Labeling: keep the box upright, and make sure the top and sides are clearly labeled. You don’t want them to get thrown into the truck by accident.
  • Temperature Control: Your boxed plants will need to ride in your personal vehicle rather than the moving truck. According to a mover in Portland, movers won’t accept plants for transport. Moving it yourself allows you to avoid excessively hot or cold temperatures.

When You Arrive

Once you arrive at your new home, you will want to get your plants back to the same conditions they had at your last home. This is how to do that.

  • Unpacking: As soon as you can, unpack the plants. Remove them from the bottom of the box to avoid damaging them by breaking off stems or leaves.
  • Placement: You can now return your houseplants to their original pots.
  • Stability: Try not to move the plants around much at first. Give them time to acclimate themselves first.
  • Healing: If your plant looks unhealthy, it may have transplant shock. Give it a few days to recover. Be sure to keep it watered and provide plenty of sun if necessary.

transporting-houseplants

With careful planning and a little special attention, your houseplants should be able to survive a move beautifully. Give them some extra care before the actual move, pack them up carefully, tenderly transport them, and soon they will be flourishing in their new home.

Storage Tips for Self Storage | 10 Tricks for Making the Most of Your Space

Storage Tips for Self Storage | 10 Tricks for Making the Most of Your Space

When you’re looking for a way to store your possessions during a move, a storage unit might be your best option. Storage units offer you space when you need some extra space year-round or simply for a short time. But you’ll save yourself time and money if you do some planning and are on a timeline.

Here are ten tips for how to move into a storage unit.

1. Plan how to choose a storage unit.

When you’re choosing a storage unit, one of the first things you should do is determine how much space you will need. Plan to have some extra space so that you can get to the things you need rather than needing to reach something in the back that you can’t get to because the unit is jam-packed.

You’ll also need to decide if you need an indoor storage unit that’s temperature controlled or if a regular outdoor unit will work for your purposes.

Finally, check out the storage unit company’s reputation and their policies.

2. Consider storing with a moving company.

Some moving companies have their own storage units, which allows you to store the items that you can’t quite part with but won’t need for quite some time. Moving companies shrink wrap your items, then you can later request to have them delivered to you.

If having someone else deliver to you sounds great, this might be the option for you. On the other hand, if you want to be able to go to the storage unit whenever you want, this isn’t the right option because these companies usually don’t offer that option.

3. Have a realistic idea of how much space you’ll need.

Many people aren’t good at visualizing how much room their possessions will need. If you can, go through your house and pull out anything you will want in storage.

Then, put them all in one area of the house or garage so that you have a better idea. You can also tape measure the amount of floor space your possessions use.

4. Pack properly.

When you’re moving your things into a storage unit, you should make sure that you take the time to pack them so that they won’t be damaged. You should bubble wrap all breakables. Also, make sure that you use containers that will protect your items from water or damage from insects and animals if you plan on using an outdoor storage unit.

Plastic totes are a great option to keep water out in case of flooding because, even if the storage company is insured, it’s still impossible to replace some items.

5. Make labels.

One of the biggest time savers that you can do is to label all of your storage bins. This will save you from having to open every tote as you’re looking for one particular item.

You might even want to make a list of everything in the tote and put it in a clear, plastic bag.

6. Store in an organized fashion.

When you’re packing things into the storage unit, make sure that you leave a path to the back and that everything is secured so that it doesn’t fall when you’re moving things. If you can, you should also store like items with like.

7. Clean everything before you store it.

Clean both your storage unit and all of your belongings before you move everything in. Pay special attention to upholstered furniture. Furniture, household items, and clothes that you don’t often use can attract insects and cause mold.

8. Take everything apart.

Taking apart your bookshelves, tables, and chairs with detachable legs, bed frames, and other items that you can disassemble will help prevent damage and make more room in your storage unit.

9. Cover your upholstered furniture.

But don’t use plastic. It can trap moisture, which could cause mildew and mold. Use moving pads or blankets instead.

10. Don’t store these.

According to this moving and storage company, items prohibited by most storage facilities include:

  • Perishable food and food that’s not in sealed containers. Spoiled food and bags and boxes of food attract insects and rodents. Many storage facilities prohibit canned food, too, because the cans can get hot and explode.
  • Toxic materials, including fertilizer and cleaning products that contain chlorine bleach or ammonia. Kerosene and solvents like acetone and paint thinner are usually not allowed either.
  • Weapons and ammunition are dangerous in most storage facilities. If you can’t store your guns safely at home, ask the police department what to do with them.
  • Flammable or combustible items, like gasoline, paint, oil, grease, and propane. If you store one of these and it explodes, you’ll be in deep trouble!

When you want to store items for later, a storage unit might be just the solution that you’re looking for. Take the time to plan, and you’ll find your possessions later more quickly and in better condition.

How to Know You’re Hiring a Legitimate Moving Company That’s Not a Scam

How to Know You’re Hiring a Legitimate Moving Company That’s Not a Scam

Hiring any type of service provider can be a daunting prospect. Depending on the service provider you need, from plumbers to electricians to movers, both skill levels and licensing requirements vary drastically.

Many, if not most, of these industries have very little regulation, so it can be difficult to determine in advance whether the person you are hiring genuinely has the credentials to do a good job. People get ripped off just as frequently by big companies as by small ones. When it comes to service providers, you don’t always get what you pay for, and there are rarely any refunds if you don’t like the service provided. In fact, moving fraud is quite common, so it’s important to do your due diligence before hiring a mover.

Here are five tips to help you find a legitimate moving company.

1. Ask for recommendations

Asking for recommendations is one of the best ways to find a legitimate mover. When you ask, however, also make sure it is a company the person has actually worked with personally and not just “a buddy of mine owns a moving company” type of recommendations.

If they haven’t used the company’s services personally, take their recommendation with a grain of salt.

2. Check online reviews

While online reviews are not always foolproof, they can be a definite red flag if there are too many poor reviews. Keep in mind, however, even complaints are not necessarily a guaranteed deal breaker as even movers have competitors that can sometimes play dirty by leaving bad reviews for competing companies.

Some companies also pay to have people write good reviews as well, so good or bad reviews are not an automatic green light or red flag, just one of many things to pay attention to.

quality-reviews

3. Ask for and check references

Keep in mind, when you ask a business for references, they may or may not be legitimate. Once again, asking for and checking references is important but on their own, they are not foolproof.

They are one of many places you want to source information to get a full picture of just how reputable the movers are.

4. Ask for estimates

At minimum, you should get at least three estimates and compare both costs and services. While you shouldn’t always just go for the lowest estimates, you shouldn’t necessarily just go for the highest either.

Some shady companies know there are plenty of people who think that if they pay more, they get more. In addition, sometimes, you may get a significantly lower bid because they are offering far fewer services.

Once you figure out you actually need those services, they will charge you far more for them individually than you might have paid in a package deal with another company.

5. Check their licenses and insurance

Some states do not actually require licenses, so if you are moving in a state that doesn’t require it, not having it is not necessarily a red flag. What they should have, however, is insurance.

In Minnesota, for instance, movers are required to register with the state and provide proof of insurance, but this is not true in every state. Interstate movers, however, are required to be licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association and should have a US DOT number. Sites like Cheap Movers Minneapolis can help you verify which companies are actually licensed in your area.

You should also check to see if the mover has a dispute settlement program and familiarize yourself with the information contained in the booklet Your Rights And Responsibilities When You Move, published by the Federal Government.

certified-licensed

What to Know Before Moving to the Twin Cities

What to Know Before Moving to the Twin Cities

When you think of The Twin Cities, you probably think of harsh winters and the Mall of America. But the Minneapolis-St. Paul has a lot going for it and then some. The metropolitan has many opportunities with its booming tech industry and a progressive lifestyle attractive to young professionals and modern families.

The Twin Cities boasts a variety of award-winning restaurants – and healthy ones at that, considering that many residents are committed to healthy living. It also has a diverse cultural landscape, which is why it’s been attracting more and more new residents each year.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a perfect city, and there are a few things you’ll have to look out for. But generally speaking, Minneapolis-St. Paul is an excellent place to settle down, especially if you want to be in a modern metro with growing potential. Let’s go through some of what you can expect if you’re moving to The Twin Cities.

Prepare For The Cold

It is no secret that the winters are rough. Experiencing it day in and day out can be a challenge for many new residents, and there’s no preparation for it if you’re coming from the southern states.

One of the best tips is to prepare an emergency winter kit for your car; just to be clear, it’s not like a bundle you’ll find in the store. But you can quickly put something together with a bit of help from locals; there are many family-friendly neighborhoods with helpful folks.

The winters also bring a lot of fun with it, maybe not as much as some would generally hope for, but it’s still better than nothing. For the locals that have learned to live with the winter, it’s the season for outdoor ice skating, sledding, skiing, and hurling snowballs.

It is no secret that the winters are rough.

Parks And Nature Reserves

Before you start thinking of Minneapolis-ST, Paul as a cold and dark urban jungle, some positives go with the negatives. First off, the climate in The Twin Cities is pleasant the rest of the year. Spring is a bit weird compared to other parts of the country, summers are lovely with frequent rain to cut down the humidity, and fall is probably the favorite season of Twin City locals.

It helps that Minneapolis-St. Paul is filled with parks, with practically every neighborhood having access to some sort of greenery. Residents love the healthy living lifestyle, and you’ll see a host of outdoor activities going on in every park you happen into – maybe not so much in the winter season, though. With over 50 parks and nature reserves between the two metro cities, there’s plenty to discover no matter what season it is.

The Skyway System

If you are lucky enough to live or work in downtown Minneapolis, be sure to take the time to familiarize yourself with the city’s extensive Skyway System. This network of sky bridges stretches over nine miles, and you might get lost if you’re not too familiar with the area yet.

It’s truly a sight to behold and adds a unique experience to living in the metro. Not to mention it provides a bit of warmth and safety from the infamous cold of the Twin Cities. It’s also a shelter from the midsummer heat or the frequent thunderstorms.

Although you’ll see the Skyway system as it covers over 47 city blocks in St. Paul, getting onto the elevated pedestrian walkway can be confusing.

Be sure to take the time to familiarize yourself with the city’s extensive Skyway System.

Lose Your Voice Cheering

The Twin Cities has a well-earned reputation for being an avid sports town. The metropolitan is home to professional franchises in all major sports, including various collegiate athletics teams. It even has an American Ultimate Disc League team – a sport growing in popularity since the inception of the league in 2010.

The new state-of-the-art U.S. Bank Stadium on the Minneapolis side is home to the Minnesota Vikings. It’s one of the most exceptional sports venues in the nation, a point of pride for its residents. On the St. Paul side, Xcel Energy Center serves as the home venue for the National Hockey League franchise, with TRIA Rink serving the Women’s league.

No matter what your sport is, it’s likely you’ll find a home team to cheer for and lose your voice. And if you can’t make it to the venues, there are dozens of local sports bars where you can congregate with like-minded fans.

Making the Transition

Moving to the great Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan is all about picking the best time. Obviously, you want to avoid the winter months – something easier said than done since the season tends to be longer than the rest of the country. Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of reputable moving companies that serve both in Minneapolis and in St. Paul.

It’s always a good idea to get a local mover since they’ll be more familiar with the neighborhood. A good understanding of the traffic situation, weather, regulations, and such can make your move a whole lot smoother and more stress-free.