Five Android Apps That Will Help You Move

Moving Apps excited me with the new possibilities of easing the mayhem of moving, and I have closely gone over the different Apps to see what I found to be useful. There are lots Apps that can help you in all stages of your moving, but to be honest moving still isn't all that easy with the apps. While the smart phone cannot do all the hard work of wrapping, boxing and lifting, they do help in the organization department. 

MoveMatch  (Free)
Useful for people who plan on renting a moving van.

As you may know, moving truck companies often charge by the weight of all your items. Anyone who has ever tried to rent a moving van, know it can be a seemingly impossible task to guess exactly how much your stuff weighs.  

MoveMatch tries to take the guess work out of figuring out how much your stuff weighs by helping you calculate a pretty accurate guesstimate. To figure out the weight the phone will ask you to go through every room, and list the items that are in the room. Once you've entered all the data it will have a result that is pretty close to what the volume of all your belongings actually is. 

Moving Plan  ($.99) 
Great for organizing a move. 

Not all of us are list-makers, but list making is probably one of the most useful tools when you move.There are so many things going on during a move, that it is all to easy for one, two or more items to slip your mind. Moving Plan is essentially a digital checklist.  Although an old fashioned pen and paper list can-do, these digital lists actually come in pretty handy. 

There are pre-made lists on the Moving Plan already to help you organize a move, and you can customize your own lists. To share the lists it is easy to email/export the lists to others who need to know what needs to be done. 

Gas Buddy (Free)
Saving money for gas on a move (or any other time). 

This App will let you find the cheapest gas in an area by GPS location. The best way to use it during a move is planning certain points you want to stop for gas. You can plan ahead to choose gas stations with cheaper prices that are near the highway. While most folks will not to want to go too far out of their way for gas prices, it is nice to save even a couple pennies per gallon  when we can. 


My Move (Free)
Helps choosing a mover.


My move basically works as a database of different moving companies in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. There are some other international coverage, but it is very  limited. You can find reviews and licensing information for different moving companies to help you choose who is best. In addition, there are other fun features of notes, lists, tips and other features that can help you along your move. 

How to Pack Dishes for Moving

When it comes times to pack dishes, getting a little freaked out or confused is normal. You think that you may know how to do it, but you aren't entirely sure. The last thing you want is to break your dishes during a move. To avoid breaking dishes during a move, just follow our simple steps. 

1. For optimal dish packing, you will want to get newspapers, bubble wrap and/or  Styrofoam peanuts. You can get away with just newspaper usually, but if you want to be extra careful you'll need the other materials. 

You will also want to get a dish-pack box that will let anyone carrying the item know the inside items are fragile, and that the box should be placed in a certain manner. If you can't afford one of the boxes, just write it yourself in permanent marker. Here is a picture of one of those boxes: 

For all of the following steps if you are just using newspaper, replace newspaper as the material written. 

2. For each dish, glass and cup, you will want to wrap the outside of the dish with bubble wrap. Tape to secure the bubble wrap gently around the glass. 

3. Create a bed of peanuts and newspaper at the bottom of the box that will serve as extra cushion for the dishes. 

4. Put each dish in the box as if it were on the table. This means the bottom of the plates will face the bottom of the box.

5. Between each layer of dishes, make sure to add an extra layer of newspaper and peanuts. 

6. Remember it is best to pack dishes in the same boxes together. Packing them with other items will cause confusion in the unpacking boxes. It also increase the likelihood the dishes could break. 

7. When you are done packing dishes in the box add extra peanuts, newspaper or bubble wraps in any extra space on the sides and top of the inside of the box. 

8. Tape the bottom of the box and the top of the box very thoroughly to make sure the box doesn't come undone during the move. 

The Joy of Move Out and Move in Cleaners!

To get a bid on move out cleaners you only need to answer a couple of questions on this website. The tool will find move out cleaners in your area that will be able to accommodate all your cleaning needs.

Move out cleaners are a great way to save time and money on a move. They will do all the dirty work of cleaning up a place, so that you can focus on the actual elements of moving.

When I used move out cleaners for my last move, they were great. The came in to clean the bathroom, living room and kitchen while I moved out of my old apartment. Amazingly I managed to get my security deposit back! As a person with cats, I had doubts that I would ever see that security deposit cash again.

When the cleaners come in, they ask you to direct them to which rooms you want done. Then their team gets to work, really scrubbing everything down. I was sad to leave my really shiny old apartment, and glad it was all cleaned up for the new tenants.

Next time I want to use moving in cleaners before I move into a place. We've all moved into an apartment or house that the past owners definitely did not clean thoroughly before they left. The thought of cleaning up someone else's bathroom has always really grossed me out.

Move in cleaners help you skip the gross step of dealing with someone else's grime. So instead of focusing on scrubbing your new bathroom, you can begin the really hard work of packing all your belongings!

What To Know Before Renting A Storage POD

A storage POD is seen as one of the most convenient methods of reducing the level of clutter in a home and can also be used to temporarily store goods as a family moves house. There are almost 50,000 storage facilities located in the United States which makes up approximately 80% of the world’s units. The nature of storage PODs makes them very popular in the United States but it is unwise to simply pick the first one you see. After all, depending on where you live, it is likely that you have a range of choice so here are a few things to consider before choosing a company that provides storage PODs.

How Much Will You Store?: This is a pertinent question because the last thing you need is to choose a small storage POD only to find that you need to store more goods. Rent a storage unit large enough to cope with the demand of extra goods over the course of time.
Cost: The quality of storage PODs throughout the United States varies significantly and if you need a climate controlled and secure unit, expect to pay much more. You can opt for a cheap and cheerful option if your possessions are not of great value.
Insurance: A large proportion of storage POD companies will not offer independent property insurance so it is important to find out if your homeowner’s insurance covers any goods stored offsite.
Security: Unfortunately, there are a number of storage POD facilities that provide inadequate security. If you plan on storing valuable items, you will need a location that provides 24/7 security, CCTV coverage and requires specific ID to enter. In some cases, thieves will rent out a space to get into the compound. To deal with such situations, you will need a storage unit that allows you to double lock your unit for peace of mind. Additionally, try and find out if the company in question runs strict background checks on all their employees. A great deal of theft is perpetrated internally so you need to be sure that the company is doing its best to stop this from happening.
Gimmicks: Beware the storage POD facility that offers an unbelievably low introductory rate. It is common for such businesses to dramatically increase their fees within a few months. Carefully read the contract before you sign and pay particular attention to the small print. Many customers skip this step and pay dearly for it later.
Facilities: Aside from the security arrangements, you also need to know more about the standard of container. Ensure that it is waterproof and if you have expensive items to store, you may want a climate controlled facility. While this will cost extra, it will be worth it to protect your goods.

A storage POD is a low-cost solution to the problem of storing goods but you need to thoroughly research the company you are dealing with or else you could pay a high price later on. When the safety of your personal possessions is at stake, it is important to leave no stone unturned.

Be sure to use a pods promo code and you can save 5% off moving or storage costs.