Do you remember waking up as a child in the middle of the night because you think you heard a noise, calling out to your mom and dad for comfort. Now fast-forward to a couple of years down the road to your first night alone in your new apartment, you hear a noise and call out to…??? Then you remember you are all by yourself in your very own apartment. How exciting! Except for that strange noise you just heard. There is no question that you have heard the expression “empty nest syndrome” this usually refers to what parents go through when one or more of their children move out of the house; leaving just them. It generally describes the loneliness or “emptiness” they will feel, but did you know that we as children moving out for the very first time can go through it too. We are used to having someone always there to help us out if we need it, do our laundry, make us meals, do the shopping and pay the bills. We are not used to the fact that we are considered “adults” and now have to do this all on our own.
Moving out on your own as a high school or college graduate is an exciting time in your life because it means that you are in charge of you, and you are able to decide what path in life you are going to go down. Hopefully, your parents will let you live with them for a little while longer while you try to save up enough money in order to move out. A good rule of thumb is to try and save at least three months of rent and bills before you move out so that if something comes up unexpectedly you can handle it. Although a little scary at times there are many things you can do to make sure that when you do finally move out on your own it will be a rather painless and smooth transition.
First, try to find a roommate; doing this will help you when it to making the rent and paying bills. With any luck you have someone that you are willing to share this experience with as well as your new home.
Second, do not wait to long to act. You need to start getting quotes from moving companies, unless you are going to do it yourself. The more local movers you call the better off you will be.
Third, a well paying job would not hurt to have either. This usually helps in keeping yourself a float when you are trying to adjust to your new surroundings and situation.
Now that you have found your dream apartment, a roommate if need be, and have saved all your money it is time to get movin’.
Moving in Dallas is a lot easier than you think, it is one of the largest markets when it comes to housing and movers. As always the more you do in preparation the better your moving day will go. Since this is your first time to be on your own, you have to get all your utilities set up and all your deposits made. You undoubtedly have started packing your boxes and luggage; and a little piece of advice from me to you, pack at least a weeks worth of clothes, your toiletries, and easy to cook food, just in case it takes you a little longer to get unpacked than you had planned.
Moving is always a stressful time, whether it is your very first time or if you have moved countless times. I remember the first time I moved out was to go to college. I moved into an off campus dorm, so it was like a small furnished apartment. My parents and I packed up all the things, loaded up my mom’s car and the back of my dad’s pick up truck. We had to be at the dorm at 6 a.m. in order to get in line so it would not take all day to move in. What an experience that was. Then after we got all of my stuff up to the 6th floor my mom and I went shopping to stock the cabinets, refrigerator and bathroom. I remember vividly the feeling of sheer exhaustion when everyone left. My roommate and I were so excited to be on our own finally and were going to go out for our first night on the town. We made it about a block down the road to a restaurant to have dinner and went right back to our room, took showers made the bed and went strait to sleep.
So to all you little birdies that are getting ready to fly off into the great unknown remember to always be nice to your parents since they are the ones who are going to help you out when you need it;and to all you parents out there who are getting ready to have an empty nest remember to be nice to your little birdies so they will come back home every once in a while.
Showing posts with label movers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movers. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Day In My Life At All My Sons of Dallas
Ever had one of those days in the office where you look at the clock and realize it is one o’clock and you have not even thought of lunch? I know I have had many of those days working at All My Sons. You know that saying “He has a case of the Monday’s”, meaning that you are not looking forward to starting your work week. Since we are in the service industry Monday’s seem to be the busiest day of the week for us. I absolutely love my job and would not change it for the world and could not imagine right now doing anything different. I like working in an environment that constantly changes, so last Wednesday when someone asked me how my day was going I replied “It’s a Monday.” I was extremely busy and it did not seem like I had already been at work for two days.
Let me explain a little of what my day is like being office manager for All My Sons of Dallas. For starters we are one of the largest moving companies in the area as well as within our family of movers. I walk in to work at about 7:45am each morning, this gives me just enough time to get my coffee together, some breakfast and catch up on what has been happening since 6 am. However, last week I had no such luck. Upon walking in the door the phones were already ringing off the wall, crews were calling in on the radios and we already had a visitor in the office. It was chaotic, to say the least, but I thrive off the fast pace of this business, I have to be prepared for anything and everything when I come to work.
So back to the chaos…we had a new trainee in the office, and if you have ever had to train someone you know that they have no indication about what is going on or how to help. They are basically there to watch and observe. He is sitting in the “captain’s chair”, which is the chair that sits right in front of the owner’s office, right smack in front of the computer and credit card machine, and looking completely mystified by what is going on. Even now as I try to write this blog I am juggling a Monday, and am constantly having to lave and come back to it, morning time seems to be the eventful time of the day for us. We have all heard the news stories about how a majority of employee’s time at work is spent taken care of personal stuff; from paying bills to scheduling doctor appointments to calling to get quotes on moving. Everyone is back to work and trying to get some things taken care of before they get their day started, which makes my morning’s pretty jam packed. On a normal day there are two people in the office, the operations manager and myself, on this day there were about four of us with our two trainees. As I am trying to get settled and figure out what is going on and how I can help out in walks our first guest, Building Maintenance and they need to do a walk through to make sure we are up to code which requires on of us to walk around with them. So as the operations manager is taking care of that I am left with the office and handling the guys when in walks our second guest of the day Texas DOT.
It is no surprise in our line of business if TxDot walks into our office to do an audit. As this gentleman is waiting in our office waiting on the owner to come out of his meeting to meet with him I begin to feel like I am on point. It is as if I am on a stage and expected to play a part and portray something and someone without flaw. I can do this job in my sleep but when an outsider is watching you and seems to be scrutinizing your every move it tends to wear on your nerves a little bit. All in all it turned out to be an amiable meeting and agreement between us and TxDot. He had a few changes for us to make and we made them right then and there and implemented them that very moment, and our agent from TxDot walked out of here in record time and completely happy. Ok so let’s check the time now, I walked in at 7:45am and by now it is probably 10 am; so we have already had a building inspection from the city and a policy inspection by the state. What more could have possibly happened you ask, well since you asked? Back to my regular work schedule I now need to start calling the customers we have scheduled for the next day and get their paperwork together, start getting the estimators work orders together and making their appointments. For the rest of the day I will do my daily duties and make sure the day goes smoothly.
My days are always eventful and I would not have it any other way, I am partial to the commotion that comes with the title and all that it entails. Sometimes I wish I had time to catch up on personal emails, phone calls, go out to eat for lunch instead of eating at my desk, or spend time really learning a new aspect of this industry…maybe one day.
Let me explain a little of what my day is like being office manager for All My Sons of Dallas. For starters we are one of the largest moving companies in the area as well as within our family of movers. I walk in to work at about 7:45am each morning, this gives me just enough time to get my coffee together, some breakfast and catch up on what has been happening since 6 am. However, last week I had no such luck. Upon walking in the door the phones were already ringing off the wall, crews were calling in on the radios and we already had a visitor in the office. It was chaotic, to say the least, but I thrive off the fast pace of this business, I have to be prepared for anything and everything when I come to work.
So back to the chaos…we had a new trainee in the office, and if you have ever had to train someone you know that they have no indication about what is going on or how to help. They are basically there to watch and observe. He is sitting in the “captain’s chair”, which is the chair that sits right in front of the owner’s office, right smack in front of the computer and credit card machine, and looking completely mystified by what is going on. Even now as I try to write this blog I am juggling a Monday, and am constantly having to lave and come back to it, morning time seems to be the eventful time of the day for us. We have all heard the news stories about how a majority of employee’s time at work is spent taken care of personal stuff; from paying bills to scheduling doctor appointments to calling to get quotes on moving. Everyone is back to work and trying to get some things taken care of before they get their day started, which makes my morning’s pretty jam packed. On a normal day there are two people in the office, the operations manager and myself, on this day there were about four of us with our two trainees. As I am trying to get settled and figure out what is going on and how I can help out in walks our first guest, Building Maintenance and they need to do a walk through to make sure we are up to code which requires on of us to walk around with them. So as the operations manager is taking care of that I am left with the office and handling the guys when in walks our second guest of the day Texas DOT.
It is no surprise in our line of business if TxDot walks into our office to do an audit. As this gentleman is waiting in our office waiting on the owner to come out of his meeting to meet with him I begin to feel like I am on point. It is as if I am on a stage and expected to play a part and portray something and someone without flaw. I can do this job in my sleep but when an outsider is watching you and seems to be scrutinizing your every move it tends to wear on your nerves a little bit. All in all it turned out to be an amiable meeting and agreement between us and TxDot. He had a few changes for us to make and we made them right then and there and implemented them that very moment, and our agent from TxDot walked out of here in record time and completely happy. Ok so let’s check the time now, I walked in at 7:45am and by now it is probably 10 am; so we have already had a building inspection from the city and a policy inspection by the state. What more could have possibly happened you ask, well since you asked? Back to my regular work schedule I now need to start calling the customers we have scheduled for the next day and get their paperwork together, start getting the estimators work orders together and making their appointments. For the rest of the day I will do my daily duties and make sure the day goes smoothly.
My days are always eventful and I would not have it any other way, I am partial to the commotion that comes with the title and all that it entails. Sometimes I wish I had time to catch up on personal emails, phone calls, go out to eat for lunch instead of eating at my desk, or spend time really learning a new aspect of this industry…maybe one day.
Friday, February 29, 2008
The Cost of a Self Move
The moving season is upon us. Whether it is a small move or a sizeable one the notion to move yourself has crossed everyone’s minds. We think it will be the most cost friendly choice to our pocket book than actually hiring someone to do it for us. In some, not all, instances yes it would be cheaper to move myself than hiring a local moving company. However, one thing I have learned working in this industry, just because I think that it might be cheaper doesn’t mean it will. The AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association) has a link on their website that helps you figure out the cost of doing it yourself. Just go to AMSA, click the link to evaluate the cost of a self haul and follow the instructions.
I used my apartment, a one bedroom on the second floor, as an example and filled out everything and came up with a grand total of moving myself of $743.00. Expensive, huh? That is what I thought too. Here is how I came up with this total.
I looked up a local truck rental place and found out how much it would cost me to rent a truck for a day. I chose that I would need my rental for twelve hours since I know it will take me all day to do it myself I figured if I picked it up at 8 am then I should (hopefully) be done by 8 pm. I also rented two furniture dollies and one appliance dolly as well as five dozen furniture pads to wrap all of my belongings. I used their prices for packing materials and just went with the amount of material that they had suggested. It also asks you how much it will cost for me to drive my own car around for the day as well as feeding myself and anyone who helps me. I also allowed myself a $100 miscellanous expense in case any last minute emergencies came up on that day.
My breakdown of the charges:
Truck rental $39.95 plus $0.79/mile
I estimated that I would be traveling 20 miles in the truck that day.
Total $65.00
Utility dolly 2 @ $7.00
Furniture pads 5 dozen @ $ 10.00
Appliance dolly 1 @ $10.00
Ropes & Tie downs 1 @ $24.95
Total $99.00
Packing materials $339.00 (which will be shipped to me in 5-7 business days)
The Dallas movers I choose will bring them out in advance or the day of my move and pack for me. At no additional cost all I am responsible for is the cost of materials.
Driving my own vehicle (cost of gasoline per gallon) $3 for 20 miles $60.00
Cost of feeding myself and whomever helps me $20 per person per day $80.00
Ok...so either way I can not get out of driving myself or feeding the people who help me.
Miscellaneous of $100 (in case of emergencies) Total $ 240
This could be used for the cost of gas and feeding everyone istead of an additional "what if" cost.
This gives me a grand total of $743.00 to do it myself. Not to mention I have already had to pay all the transferal fees of my utilities to my new place, any deposits for the new apartment as well as the first months rent. So I am easily up to over $2000.00 to move myself. I don’t know about you but I would much rather hire a certified local moving company to move me instead. Having two trained professionals come in, wrap and load all of my belongings and potentially get it done in three to four hours sounds a lot better than doing it myself.
Ok…having gone through all that I am a little shell shocked about moving. I know that hiring a moving company could easily be a costly undertaking. However, when I really truly think about it, it is almost always the better choice. I do not do this everyday for a living, why would I not want to hire a mover who does? They are going to be trained and knowledgeable about moving my belongings. Nowadays most homes have specialty items, i.e. plasma tv’s, pianos, antiques, large marble or glass pieces. I am no expert and while I know I would handle my stuff with care I know inevitably I would damage something.
It really is worth it to take the time and do the research about moving yourself versus hiring a moving company. Some of the minor details that you might forget to consider, until last minute like me, have already been taken care of because it is standard for the movers. The day of your move you really just wake up have a cup of coffee, show the movers what to move, watch them load, lead them over to your new house watch them unload everything, and even put your beds back together for you. Pay the bill and wave goodbye…or you can do it all by yourself and depend on the kindness of your friends and family?
Having this knowledge about moving has made me realize that hiring a professional mover is the best, and the most cost efficient way to go.
I used my apartment, a one bedroom on the second floor, as an example and filled out everything and came up with a grand total of moving myself of $743.00. Expensive, huh? That is what I thought too. Here is how I came up with this total.
I looked up a local truck rental place and found out how much it would cost me to rent a truck for a day. I chose that I would need my rental for twelve hours since I know it will take me all day to do it myself I figured if I picked it up at 8 am then I should (hopefully) be done by 8 pm. I also rented two furniture dollies and one appliance dolly as well as five dozen furniture pads to wrap all of my belongings. I used their prices for packing materials and just went with the amount of material that they had suggested. It also asks you how much it will cost for me to drive my own car around for the day as well as feeding myself and anyone who helps me. I also allowed myself a $100 miscellanous expense in case any last minute emergencies came up on that day.
My breakdown of the charges:
Truck rental $39.95 plus $0.79/mile
I estimated that I would be traveling 20 miles in the truck that day.
Total $65.00
Utility dolly 2 @ $7.00
Furniture pads 5 dozen @ $ 10.00
Appliance dolly 1 @ $10.00
Ropes & Tie downs 1 @ $24.95
Total $99.00
Packing materials $339.00 (which will be shipped to me in 5-7 business days)
The Dallas movers I choose will bring them out in advance or the day of my move and pack for me. At no additional cost all I am responsible for is the cost of materials.
Driving my own vehicle (cost of gasoline per gallon) $3 for 20 miles $60.00
Cost of feeding myself and whomever helps me $20 per person per day $80.00
Ok...so either way I can not get out of driving myself or feeding the people who help me.
Miscellaneous of $100 (in case of emergencies) Total $ 240
This could be used for the cost of gas and feeding everyone istead of an additional "what if" cost.
This gives me a grand total of $743.00 to do it myself. Not to mention I have already had to pay all the transferal fees of my utilities to my new place, any deposits for the new apartment as well as the first months rent. So I am easily up to over $2000.00 to move myself. I don’t know about you but I would much rather hire a certified local moving company to move me instead. Having two trained professionals come in, wrap and load all of my belongings and potentially get it done in three to four hours sounds a lot better than doing it myself.
Ok…having gone through all that I am a little shell shocked about moving. I know that hiring a moving company could easily be a costly undertaking. However, when I really truly think about it, it is almost always the better choice. I do not do this everyday for a living, why would I not want to hire a mover who does? They are going to be trained and knowledgeable about moving my belongings. Nowadays most homes have specialty items, i.e. plasma tv’s, pianos, antiques, large marble or glass pieces. I am no expert and while I know I would handle my stuff with care I know inevitably I would damage something.
It really is worth it to take the time and do the research about moving yourself versus hiring a moving company. Some of the minor details that you might forget to consider, until last minute like me, have already been taken care of because it is standard for the movers. The day of your move you really just wake up have a cup of coffee, show the movers what to move, watch them load, lead them over to your new house watch them unload everything, and even put your beds back together for you. Pay the bill and wave goodbye…or you can do it all by yourself and depend on the kindness of your friends and family?
Having this knowledge about moving has made me realize that hiring a professional mover is the best, and the most cost efficient way to go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)