Month: August 2015

Written by Daniel Menchinion August 18, 2015January 31, 2018Posted in Apartment moving, Cost of moving, Dan's Discussion Den, Manhattan moving, Moving, Moving preperations, New York CityTagged cost of moving, Manhattan moving, moving, moving preperations, Moving to a doorman building, Moving to a high rise building

Moving into a Manhattan High rise apartment building guide

Moving into a Manhattan high rise apartment building can be a little tricky, especially if you’ve never done it before. The key to smoothly accomplishing such a move is to work with a moving company that has years of experience in this area. Here at U.Santini, we’ve been moving people in and out of NYC high rise buildings since the Empire State Building was brand new. We’ve seen it all. But even if you decide to turn your move completely over to a professional moving service, it’s still important to know what to expect. That’s why we’ve put this guide together. We hope it’s helpful.

Moving company, New York city movers, Flat iron building, moving to a New York highrise building — Flat iron building

Schedule the Freight Elevator

You may have a hard time making friends with your new neighbors if their first encounter with you involves you hogging the elevator all day. Save yourself (and your new neighbors) a lot of trouble by scheduling an elevator with the doorman or building manager.

Some apartment buildings may charge you a fee for scheduling an elevator. Be sure to call and make your elevator reservation at least a couple of weeks in advance of your move, and follow up the day before your move with a phone call or text to make sure the building management remembers your plans.

Moving company, Freight elevtor schedling, Movers NYC, Moving to a Manhattan high rise building — Even the president schedules the Freight elevator when needed…

Schedule a Parking Space

In NYC, parking spaces are even more precious than elevators, so be a good neighbor and reserve your parking spot before your moving truck shows up on moving day. Again, work with your doorman or the building manager, and let them know several weeks ahead of time about your plans and what you need in the way of parking space. You’ll also need to communicate well with your moving company regarding the rules and regulations of your apartment building.

Find Out About Luggage Carts

Many high rise apartment buildings have luggage carts that you can use for moving your personal belongings, but in order to have access to these carts, you’ll have to ask. Asking in advance will mean you have a better chance of reserving the carts.

Of course, if you work with a moving company, they’ll probably have all the necessary equipment for moving your boxes and furniture in and out of any high rise apartment building.

Luggage cart, moving company, movers, Brooklyn movers, moving to a high rise building, U. Santini moving and storage — Use a luggage cart when possible

Reduce Your Belongings

There are several reasons to go through your belongings and get rid of things you don’t really need before you move into a high rise. First of all, most apartments in high rises are tight on space, and your new home will feel roomier if you have less stuff crammed into it.

Secondly, your move will be easier and less expensive if you have pared your belongings down to the items you really need and love. If you have items to get rid of some of your belongings before your move, hold a garage sale or donate your your gently used items to charity. You’ll want to take care of this before you begin packing so you don’t accidentally pack items you’d like to leave behind.

Find a Reliable Moving Company

Whether you want to hire help to cover the entire move from packing to unpacking or you just need to hire a truck, you’ll want to make sure that you find a moving company that is reliable, affordably priced, and easy to work with.

It’s wise to find a moving company that has years of experience in the area you’re moving to, and it never hurts if they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. This rating means that many people have had positive experiences with the company, and when you’re putting all of your worldly possessions into someone else’s hands, reassurance is important.

USanitni moving truck, Usantini moving and storage, Brooklyn moving, long dsitance moving — Hire a reputable moving company…

To learn more about moving into a NYC high rise, contact us at U.Santini. We’re happy to answer your questions or give you a quote on your upcoming move. 718-768-6778.

About U. Santini moving and storage

Based in Brooklyn, New York, U.Santini Moving and Storage is a family-owned and operated moving and storage company serving the metropolitan area for more than three generations.

We are a trusted and reliable moving and logistic company specializing in local and long distance moves, corporate relocation and storage. If you are looking for Moving and storage Brooklyn based company, looking for a cost effective park Slope movers, or a reliable local and long distance moving company, look no further. U.Santini moving and storage will be happy to take on your moving challenge and make sure that your move is effortless and cost effective.

Written by Daniel Menchinion August 10, 2015January 31, 2018Posted in Dan's Discussion Den, Moving, Moving preperations, Moving your pets, PackingTagged moving, moving preperations, Moving tips, moving your pets, specialty moving services

How to move an aquarium – U. Santini moving guide

When people move, pets move as well. Cats and dogs and rabbits are fairly easy to move, but underwater creatures require a whole different set of strategies. Fish tanks are one of the more challenging items to move, not just because they’re heavy and fragile but also because fish don’t handle travel very well. Even under the best of circumstances, you may lose a few of your fish. So how do you proceed with moving your aquarium? You’ve come to the right place.

Home aquarium. How to move guide — Home aquarium

Moving an Aquarium Requires Two Steps

Never move the fish inside of their tank. When moving aquarium fish, you need to think of two different phases: moving the tank and then moving the fish. Trying to move them both at the same time is dangerous. It’s too heavy for the movers and it’s too dangerous for the fish.

Moving the Tank

The toughest part about moving an aquarium is managing the filtration system. As soon as you stop the flow of oxygen into the water, aerobic bacteria start to die, upsetting the healthy conditions in your aquarium’s water. If you’re moving locally, you might be able to tear down the aquarium, pack it up, move it, unpack it, and set it up within a couple of hours. In this case, you may be able to preserve the bacteria. If it will take you longer than a couple of hours, you’ll need to follow this procedure:

Place your fish in a holding container.
Drain the tank. If you’re going to be able to set the tank up again within a few hours, save some water to help preserve the bacteria colony.
Disassemble the tank. If you have live plants, place them in a bag with their roots in water.
Pack your filter. If your move is relatively short, put your filter medium in a hard-sided sealed container. For longer moves, either discard your filter media or clean it thoroughly and pack it after it’s dried.
Pack the aquarium’s pumps, heaters, and other accessories like you’d pack any other fragile appliance.

Move all of these parts separately, and then set the tank up as if you were setting it up for the first time. If you were able to salvage enough of the old water to get the water moving through the filter after you set up the aquarium, you can reintroduce your fish to their tank right away.

If, however, you had to discard all of the water before moving the tank, you’ll have to refill it and then wait a week before reintroducing your fish. When you do reintroduce your fish, put the hardier fish in first to establish the nitrate cycle. Once the aquarium is stable, put the rest of the fish back in.

"<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Aquarium_Mad_Hatters_Tea_Party_(7238137956).jpg#/media/File:Sydney_Aquarium_Mad_Hatters_Tea_Party_(7238137956).jpg">Sydney Aquarium Mad Hatters Tea Party (7238137956)</a>" by <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.flickr.com/people/58820009@N05">Eva Rinaldi</a> from Sydney Australia - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/evarinaldiphotography/7238137956/">Sydney Aquarium Mad Hatters Tea Party</a>Uploaded by <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Russavia" title="User:Russavia">russavia</a>. Licensed under <a title="Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0">CC BY-SA 2.0</a> via <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/">Wikimedia Commons</a>. — Packing some aquariums may prove tricky….

Moving Your Fish

There are several ways to move your fish, and you’ll probably base your decision on how long your move is. The simplest option is to keep your fish in sealed bags that are half-filled with air. This method works well if you’re just moving locally and they’ll only be in transit for a couple of hours at most. To keep fish safe during this kind of transport, put the bags in a padded, compartmentalized container. You could also put bags in sealed, hard-sided buckets.

If the tank is going to be unavailable for a week or more, consider boarding your fish at a pet store. This can be costly, but pet stores are already set up to handle this kind of job, and most pet stores can pack and air-ship your fish to you once your aquarium is up and running again.

Special Considerations

Travel is stressful for fish, so don’t be surprised if they stop eating. Fortunately, fish that have been well-fed previously can live for about a week without eating.

Do your best to maintain an even temperature for your fish during the move. If you’re moving during a hot or cold time of year, consider packing your fish in a sealed cooler during transport. For long car trips, a battery-powered air pump and air stone can keep your fish healthy.

About U. Santini moving and Storage. We are a BBB A+ Brooklyn moving company. Whatever great preparations you are going to perform, consider the advantages of getting a professional moving company like U.Santini moving and storage to help you. Hiring professional movers, especially a trusted moving company like U.Santini moving and storage is a sure-fire way to have your move go smoothly and on budget. We have been in business more than eighty years and have moved tens of thousands of satisfied customers. We can deal with any types and sizes of moves in the New York city area and beyond. If you want to make your move more green, or if you think your move is complex and hard to execute, we probably did a similar one to it in the past. A trusted and reputable moving company like U.Santini moving and storage will save you money by providing excellent moving service at an affordable price and a professional attitude.

If you have further questions about moving an aquarium, or if you are looking for moving and storage Brooklyn, feel free to contact us at U.Santini. We’ve been helping New Yorkers move for generations, and we can help you solve your trickiest moving problems. Call us at 718-768-6778. Ask for Dan.

Written by Daniel Menchinion August 3, 2015January 31, 2018Posted in Cost of moving, Dan's Discussion Den, Moving, Moving tipsTagged moving budget checklist, moving cost, moving prep, Moving tips, preparing to move

Eight tips for calculating your moving budget

How much does it cost to move? If you’re moving on a budget (and that’s reality for most of us), you’ll have a much better experience if you create a moving budget ahead of time.

Moving on a budget doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming, but when you create your budget ahead of time, you’ll know where you need to save some money and where you can spend more. You can still work with a NYC trusted moving company when you are moving on a budget. Let’s take a look at eight tips for calculating your moving budget.

1. Look At Your Overall Finances

Going into debt for a move is generally not a good idea, so take a look at your finances and decide the total amount you can spend on your upcoming move. It’s wise to come up with this overall figure before you begin to distribute what needs to be bought and paid for as individual line items.

Woman stacking coins, moving company, how much money will my move cost — Figure out how much money you can spend on your move

2. Consider Your First Month After Relocation

Don’t forget that your first month after a move can be especially difficult on your budget. If you’ll be renting, make sure you have enough in your bank account for the security deposit and first month’s rent. If you’ll be buying a place, you may need to consider extra fees for closing on a loan or hooking up utilities.

House key, Moving company, moving tips, U. Santini moving and storage, Brooklyn mover — Make sure you have enough money for your first month in your new place

3. Make a Moving Budget Checklist

Once you have an overall budget amount for your move, you can create a checklist that should include your moving expenses. Moves can be very different from household to household, so just include the items you will need. Here are some examples to get you started:

Moving Company Fee
Additional Insurance
Piano Moving
Professional Packing
Packing Supplies
Truck Rental
Mileage/Gas
Extra Equipment Rental
Transportation to New Home
Lodging
Meals
Babysitting
Pet Care
Temporary Housing
Storage Fees
Shipping Fees

Moving checklist, Moving company, U. Santini moving and storage, Brooklyn movers — Moving checklist

4. Shop Around

By shopping around, you may be able to squeeze services into your budget that you didn’t originally think you could afford. For example, people are often surprised that our moving services are so inexpensive, especially considering that we’ve been serving NYC for over 80 years.

Moving truck on map, Moving company, U. Santini moving and storage, Brooklyn mover — Get multiple quotes

5. Choose Non-Peak Times

The weekends at the beginning and ending of summer months are by far the busiest moving times, and you may be able to stretch your budget if you’re willing to be flexible with your schedule. If you can get time off during the middle of the week and do your move in the middle of a month, you’ll find that more moving trucks are available and it’s easier to schedule other services with moving companies. Additionally, you may find yourself paying less for being more flexible.

Calendar icon, moving company, what is the best time to move, U. Santini moving and storage — Choose your moving date carefully

6. Consider Your Resources

If you have lots of family and friends available to help with packing and loading the truck, you can probably save money on packing and loading and spend more in other areas of your moving budget. If you have more money than time, you’ll probably want to hire help for as many tasks as possible.

People loading truck, moving company, U. Santini moving and storage, Brooklyn movers — Get all the help you can get

7. Add Up Expenses

Once you’ve shopped around, considered your resources, and taken stock of what kinds of services you’re going to need, add up your expenses. If your expenses are within your overall budget, congratulations! You can move forward with your moving preparations. If they exceed your overall budget, you’ll still need Tip #8.

Calcualtor icon, moving company, U. Santini moving and storage, Brooklyn mover — Calculate your expenses in advance

8. Trim Where You Can

The toughest part of moving on a budget is making cuts to stay within your budget. If you find yourself in this position, take heart. With some creativity on your part, you can make it work. For instance, find someone who recently moved and ask if you can use their old boxes. Plenty of people are glad to have you take their used moving boxes off their hands. If you have family in town, offer to buy them pizza if they’ll help you load your truck. By trimming here and there, you will be able to make your move work without getting yourself in financial trouble.

Scissors icon, moving company, U. Santini moving and storage, Brooklyn mover — Cut your moving expenses

To discuss moving on a limited budget, or to talk about any other moving and storage issue, contact us at U.Santini. We’ve worked with all kinds of New Yorkers on their moves for over 80 years. We’ve seen it all, and we’d like to use that experience to help you. Call us at 718-768-6778. Ask for Dan.