Month: <span>July 2016</span>

The importance of preparing in advance is even more obvious with long distance moving projects.

When it comes to moving between provinces in Canada, some factors come into play that don’t feature when moving between neighbourhoods within one city.

Other than wrapping and packing, what issues may come with moving long distances? We’ve put together a brief list of tips that can help to get your moving strategy right.

1. Redistribute The Hoard – We all like to hold onto things, usually because of the memories they evoke. That old cardigan that kept you warm in your college dorm a lifetime ago but you never wear now. Or your first set of golf clubs, which has lain in the closet for the past decade long usurped by a newer and luckier set. Do you really need these? Consider these 3 simple questions:
   • Do I use it? – If you have not used it in the last 12 months, let it go.
   • Do I need it? – See above, though there may be special circumstances worth considering.
   • Will I wear it? – You’ll hardly need 2 or 3 heavy coats if you’re moving to a warmer climate.

   Remember, long distance moves are usually charged by weight more so than by hour, so shedding the load will save money. Give to charity. Have a yard sale. Even bring items a recycling company.

2. Get At Least 3 In-Home Estimates – It’s tempting to get an estimate from one moving company and go with it. But it’s wise to have options. It can happen, for example, that your chosen moving company has to pull out, leaving you stranded. Without adequate time for your replacement company to carry out an in-home estimate, they’ll ask you to fill out an inventory form, which means an inaccurate assessment, and most probably a nasty surprise at the weighing. Getting in-house estimates from several companies helps you avoid this nightmare.
3. Home Inspections – Don’t forget to have your new home inspected for any issues. That last thing you need is to arrive at your new home only to find a raft of defects making moving in difficult. This needs to be done about 4 to 6 weeks in advance of the move, to give ample time for problems to be resolved. For more on home inspections, check out CanNACHI, CAHPI, or ASHI.
4. Know Your Floor Plans – Properties are advertised in square footage, but that does not necessarily reflect the actual space because it doesn’t take into account built-in features. So, a large kitchen might take from the size of a living room, which ultimately means less space for furniture. Study the floor plans of your new home well in advance of you long distance moving date. That way, you can work out if there is any furniture that can’t fit and you should sell.
5. Arrange Utilities Early – Okay, so you’ll still need your phone, electricity and water services until moving day, but with long distance moves you need to give yourself plenty of time, and make sure the utilities are working a day or two before you arrive. The phone company might need 3 or 4 weeks to set up working phone lines, while other utilities will need a few weeks notice before swapping the service into your name. In all cases, you may need to pay a deposit before anything happens.

About Viktoria Van Lines Toronto

Viktoria Van Lines Toronto is a professional Toronto moving and storage company, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout the GTA, Southern Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Viktoria Van Lines Toronto (647) 344-1554 or Toll Free: 1 ( 877) 399-1315 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or commercial / office moving needs to and from Toronto, the GTA and across Canada.

Planning for residential moving to or from Toronto, ON or elsewhere in Canada can be a challenge. After all, there is so much involved.

There’s the wrapping, packing and moving, and then almost just as much to do when reaching your new home and beginning unpacking. But one way to help things move more smoothly is to use colour coding. The idea is pretty straightforward: different colours communicate information about the items contained in certain boxes, such as their type, their location or how fragile they might be. During any move, communicating this information is pretty important, but unlike written labels, colours are easily seen and never misread.

There is many ways to apply a colour-code system. The most commonly used during residential moves in is to match items with the rooms they are destined to be placed in so everything can be transported directly from room to room. For example, if Mary’s room is coded yellow, then Mary’s possessions are placed into yellow-labeled boxes which can then be taken directly to Mary’s new room at her new home.

It’s not hard to find colour stickers, and at Viktoria Van Lines Toronto we’re happy to provide them on request. It’s best to keep the large stickers for the boxes themselves, and use small stickers for individual items so they can be identified for packing in specified boxes.

5 Benefits of Colour Coding For Residential Moving

1. Visualizing The Move – With everything that needs to be done during a typical residential move in Toronto, ON or across Canada, ticking off a list may not be enough to ensure accuracy. Having a colour-coded plan of your home, means you can have something visual to refer to, revealing clearly what packing has been done, and not been done.
2. Strategic Packing – The general advice is to start packing several weeks before your moving day to lessen the pressure of the project. With a colour code, you can strategically divide the packing work over the available time. So, when residential moving, red items might be packed the first night, blue the second night, yellow over the first weekend etc.
3. Clearer Labeling – Written labels are perfectly fine, but we all know that we recognize a colour much more easily than the written word. Having items form a specific room, or of a specific type, identified by a colour makes it easier for people to find, organize and check the packing done. It’s also important when identifying fragile items, with the bright red sticker perfect for letting movers know immediately.
4. Better Prioritizing – This is loosely related to strategic packing, but it refers mainly to identifying specific boxes for priority attention. When residential moving, it means that items which need to unpacked and set up first can be easily located. For example, practical things like a coffee machine, some cutlery, bowls and cups, flashlights etc.
5. Faster Unpacking – Just as the packing can be a long process, unpacking requires some time and effort too. With a colour code system, boxes can be easily linked with specific rooms and locations. So, the items can be taken to the right place immediately, with no need for searching.

About Viktoria Van Lines Toronto

Viktoria Van Lines Toronto is a professional Toronto moving and storage company, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout the GTA, Southern Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Viktoria Van Lines Toronto (647) 344-1554 or Toll Free: 1 ( 877) 399-1315 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or commercial / office moving needs to and from Toronto, the GTA and across Canada.

The cost of moving long distances either across Canada or into the US falls outside the classification of a ‘local’ move. Your possessions are going to be in transit for several days, and in some rare cases – even weeks. But the good news is that there are ways to ease the cost of long distance moving, from Toronto, ON to anywhere else in North America, and we prepared some tips for you below.

Tips to Cutting Long Distance Moving Cost

1. Cut The Movers’ Burden – There are associated charges that relate to extra work moving teams have to do, like setting up and operating hoists for heavy items or shuttling up and down an elevator. Bringing boxes to the ground floor yourself can reduce labour and, therefore, these charges significantly. Although some heavy items should be left to professional Toronto movers.
2. Lower The Weight – Long distance moving costs are based on weight and cubic feet rather than hours of labour. Thus, lowering the weight of your consignment will save you money. Sell unwanted furniture, give items away to charity and have a yard sale to clear what is not needed.
3. Timetable the Move Appropriately – An accurate timetable is essential. On long distance journeys, your consignment will have to be stored overnight, especially if truck-swaps are required. These should be detailed in the quote, but any extra days in a storage facility will be charged independently. So, be at the destination address on arrival day to avoid extra storage charges.
4. Drive Your Car Or Sell It – If you don’t like driving long distances, you may be contemplating shipping your car on separately – but is this really necessary? When the move is very long distance – like moving from Toronto to Vancouver or anywhere else in Canada or the US – you can expect to pay thousands of dollars more. Save this cash by driving yourself, or selling the car and getting a new one in your new city.
5. Speak To Your Coordinator – A reputable Toronto moving company will have a moving coordinator that works closely with you to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Speak to the coordinator about what other things can be done to lower the overall costs. At Viktoria Van Lines Toronto, our team members are happy to help you.
6. Check Out Available Tax Breaks – You can claim back as much as half your long distance moving costs when completing your tax returns. There are conditions, of course, not least that the purpose of the move is for work, to establish a business or to study at university. Among the expenses that can be claimed back on are travelling expenses (fuel, meals and accommodation), storage costs, and property-related legal fees. For more details, check out what the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has to say.

About Viktoria Van Lines Toronto

Viktoria Van Lines Toronto is a professional Toronto moving and storage company, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout the GTA, Southern Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Viktoria Van Lines Toronto (647) 344-1554 or Toll Free: 1 ( 877) 399-1315 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or commercial / office moving needs to and from Toronto, the GTA and across Canada.

We prepared some useful tips to help you pack your belongings, and particularly those fragile or highly valuable ones to guard against in-transit accidents. At Viktoria Van Lines Toronto, our Toronto residential moving services can include full-service packing and packing supplies, but you can still opt to do most of the packing yourself.

1. Extra Padding – Even a relatively short distance residential moving in Toronto has its share of risks, thanks to bumpy roads and sudden stops. So feel free to be liberal with the padding! Bubble wrap and newspaper are long established favourites, but don’t forget unconventional alternatives, like sweaters, scarves, blankets and even socks.
2. Plates and Dishes – It’s not unheard of after a residential move to begin unpacking and discover a few broken plates and saucers – it’s usually due to truck vibrations. The secret is to pack them individually on their sides, just like in a dishwasher! Make sure their edges are securely wrapped with bubble wrap with little room to move around.
3. Fragile Objects – We’ve touched on plates and dishes, but keep in mind that jugs, glasses, china cups and the like should be packed separately with their cavities filled. Socks are excellent for this! Be sure to pack them in large boxes with pillows or blankets to absorb the vibrations.
4. Lamps – A tricky item, but it might just fit in the drawers in the dresser! Wrap the base in a towel, and disassemble if possible. The furniture is stable, and the towel provides great buffering going around tight corners. The shades can be boxed.
5. Electronics – most residential movers in Toronto usually advise electronics be packed in their original boxes – but chances are they’ve been thrown out long ago! Instead, wrap each component separately, then secure the main item (DVD player etc) in bubble wrap, set it into the centre of a box walled by a blanket. Add the smaller components on top, wrapped in extra padding.
6. Mirrors and Paintings – It’s best to get a frame box for any large mirrors or valuable paintings. Most residential moving companies in Toronto will offer them, but be sure to fill the space between the mirror and the box walls. Again, a blanket or sweater is ideal for this.
7. Antique Furniture – To protect valuable antique furniture, you can wrap a thick winter blanket around the main body. The material won’t tear during transit, but be sure to wipe surfaces clean first so no small particles can cause damage under the padding. Smaller kitchen towels and sweaters can be used around the legs.

About Viktoria Van Lines Toronto

Viktoria Van Lines Toronto is a professional Toronto moving and storage company, providing high quality local and long distance moving services throughout the GTA, Southern Ontario and across Canada. Thanks to our country-wide network we are also able to service our clients’ long distance moving needs throughout Canada.

Call Viktoria Van Lines Toronto (647) 344-1554 or Toll Free: 1 ( 877) 399-1315 for a FREE Consultation in regards to your residential or commercial / office moving needs to and from Toronto, the GTA and across Canada.