Conroe, Texas

This Houston suburb—about forty minutes from downtown Houston—has a wonderful small town feel that can be ideal for families. Located by Lake Conroe, this community is perfect for swimming and water sports. It is also near W.G. Jones State Park and Sam Houston National Forest, which provides plenty of opportunities for hiking and biking. Parents appreciate the quality of the three school districts that serve the community and their ease of travel to numerous places of employment. Despite the overall rural ambiance of Conroe, there is access to wonderful shopping and dining options.

Friendswood, Texas

Add outstanding schools together with affordable housing, and what you have is one of Houston’s best suburbs. This diverse community maintains its small-town sense with plenty of parks and green space and a walkability vibe. You can hike, bike, swim, and golf in Friendswood, as well as play basketball, tennis, sand volleyball while also enjoying close proximity to excellent shopping, dining, and entertainment. Located about twenty-two miles from downtown Houston, you’re close to employment opportunities and entertainment venues. In short, Friendswood ranks quite highly on the livability scale.

Galveston, Texas

When you move to Galveston, you’ll benefit from the Gulf Coast island lifestyle—full of charm, sunshine, thirty-two miles of sandy beaches, and historic architecture. Then there’s the low cost of living, friendly people, top rated schools with a low teacher-student ratio, and so forth to consider. Ready to kick back and enjoy a fun family day? The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier comes complete with fifteen rides, including a roller coaster, and numerous carnival games. There’s also the Moody Gardens’ aquarium to explore—and, of course, swimming and water sports.

Katy, Texas

Located thirty miles west of Houston, people choose to move to Katy because of the outstanding schools, stunning architecture, and closeness to the Houston Energy Corridor and Medical Center. Neighborhoods in Katy can have their own unique vibes. Families, for example, enjoy living in the Elyson master-planned community because of recreational opportunities: parks, trails, lakes, and more. Just southeast of Katy is Cinco Ranch, which is considered one of the country’s top twenty master-planned communities with a beach club, walking trails, pools, waterparks, and more. If you appreciate tranquility and green trails and parks, then the Pine Mill Ranch neighborhood can be ideal.

League City, Texas

Located between Houston and Galveston, you can benefit from opportunities and amenities in both Texas locations while finding affordable housing in League City. Children can attend quality schools, which is a real plus for parents, with downtown Houston and its places of employment about 45 minutes away. Don’t want to commute? League City has wonderful employment options of its own, including the University of Houston and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. League City also presents great shopping venues and, if you love seafood, this is the place for you. History? Enjoy local museums. Outer space? Visit Space Center Houston.

Pearland, Texas

This Houston suburb is another fantastic place to live in Texas—another one with a small-town feel. This is a diverse place to live, too, located about twenty-five minutes south of downtown Houston. With excellent schools and opportunities for employment and a fast-growing economy, the majority of residents own their home. Plenty of families and young professionals flock to Pearland with numerous parks and other outdoor recreation available, ranging from golf courses to trampoline parks. You’ll have easy access to shopping, dining, and entertainment. Plus, it’s a straightforward jaunt to downtown Houston, the Hobby Airport, and the Texas Medical Center.

Richmond, Texas

Richmond is also considered one of the best Houston suburbs because of its master-planned communities, easy access to good employment opportunities, quality schools, city parks, excellent trail system for hiking and biking, golf courses, and shopping and dining venues. Neighborhoods are family friendly with plenty of activities available in a relaxed community. Plus, this is where you can find some of the most affordable housing in the Houston area. Love history? Richmond has that, too: the George Ranch Historical Park and the Fort Bend Museum. No wonder this suburb has been described as a hidden gem!

Spring, Texas

Spring with its laid-back atmosphere, natural beauty like that found on the Spring Creek Greenway, ease of access to employment opportunities and being about twenty-five miles north of downtown Houston makes it an idyllic choice. Couple that with plenty of outdoor activities ranging from hiking to biking to horseback riding and kayaking, the historic architecture at Old Town Spring and more. Shop at marvelous retail establishments and eat in quality restaurants in the area, and never have to venture in town to Houston. Parents appreciate the quality schools, both public and private, and the overall family atmosphere in Spring. Kids will love water rides in Spring’s outstanding amusement park: Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown.

Sugar Land, Texas

This treasure is about twenty miles southeast of downtown Houston. Livability, an organization that ranks cities between 75,000 and 500,000 residents with average homes under half a million dollars, named Sugar Land as the fifth best place to live—meaning in the entire nation. Reasons for the designation include the city’s well-planned communities with a business-friendly climate, making it ideal for people who want to settle down and raise their families within the Houston metroplex. Residents appreciate the small-town vibe of Sugar Land and its in-demand amenities like golf courses—and, for those who love the water: waterfront homes.

Woodlands Township, Texas

Woodlands Township is an unincorporated master-planned community located within a natural forest about thirty miles north of Houston’s downtown. This area is filled with parks, hiking and biking trails, and other recreational opportunities. In 2022, Niche named Woodlands as the best place to live in America; reasons include the excellent schools (public and private), family friendly environment, quality housing, and diversity—and it’s also an outstanding place to retire. Woodlands Township contains the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, which is considered one of the world’s top amphitheaters. Plus, the township is committed to maintaining its green space for residents.

Choose Suddath as Your Moving Company in Houston

No matter which of these suburbs you select for your new home, there are plenty of moving companies in Houston that will offer their services—but you’ll want the right movers on your side, and that’s Suddath. We’ve got a solid reputation and the track record to back it up, conducting more than 6,000 moves annually — including ones for families like yours.

Our experienced, dependable, and affordable professional movers in Houston offer the efficient, flexible, and reliable services you need. They include our expert packing and unpacking services where we handle your belongings with exceptional care using high quality materials and our safe, secure, and convenient storage services.

You will also benefit from having a single point of contact. Your dedicated expert move coordinator will keep in close communication with you, answering your questions and keeping you informed throughout the relocation process.

So, if you’re looking for exceptional local movers in Houston that take excellent care of your household goods, seamlessly transporting them to your new home in the Houston area, just reach out. You can contact our moving company in Houston online.

The post What is the Best Area to Live in Houston? appeared first on Suddath.

Depending on your needs, the type of pricing estimate you are given will vary. It’s important to understand the type of estimate you receive and how it will impact the final price of your move.

We have compiled explanations of the different types of move estimates for long distance and local moving to help you understand what will work to best suit your needs.

If you’re planning a long-distance move (Interstate), you can expect to choose from the following move estimates:

Binding Estimates – This type of estimate has a guaranteed price that does not increase or decrease based on actual service or weight, once loading of the shipment has begun.

However, you are required to pay 100 percent of the estimate before the delivery of your goods occurs. If you need to make changes to the order, you must do so before the first item is loaded onto the truck.

After loading has started, no items can be added to the order and no reduction in price will be given if an item is not packed or does not move. This is a federal regulation intended for consumer protection.

Not-to-Exceed Estimates – This estimate is a guaranteed maximum price. You are required to pay 100 percent of the estimated charges at the destination.

If a refund needs to be issued, the shipment’s paperwork needs to be completed and processed first. However, the moving company does have the right to apply the refund to additional services performed that may not have been captured in the initial estimate.

For example, if the moving company packs 10 boxes in addition to what was on the estimate, and the customer was due a partial refund for the shipment weighing less than estimated, those funds will be applied to the packing overage first, before a refund is provided to the customer.

Similar to the binding price estimate, the maximum cost is locked in when the first item is loaded on the truck and no additional items can be added for packing or loading by the customer.

It is important that you have your salesperson update your estimate before loading if any services or items need to be added or subtracted.

If you are removing significant items from your order, the refund for reduced weight may not be the same as the price difference of a shipment registered at the lower weight. Also, depending on the company you select, not all services fall under the not-to-exceed category.

Expert packing, shuttle service, additional labor and other fees may be fixed costs charged to you whether the service is performed or not.

Non-Bound Estimates – The final price for your move will be based solely on the actual weight of the shipment and the services performed.

This type of estimate is normally used when a visual survey is not possible because access to the shipment is not available before loading day, the shipment is stored in a facility that does not allow the moving company to visually see all the items being transported or the customer is not sure what will be moved at the time the estimate is given.

The customer is required to pay 110 percent of the estimated cost at delivery and any overage will be invoiced within 30 days of delivery.

The customer can add items or remove them, at will, even if the loading process has already started.

Exceptions for Long Distance Moving

Third-Party Services – Some services are always an additional cost, regardless of the type of estimate you choose. Third-party charges, such as appliance disconnect and reconnect service, crating, uncrating, and other specialty service needs will be charged based on actual services performed.

Storage charges for a bound estimate are based on the bound weight and actual number of days in storage. Storage charges for not-to-exceed and non-bound estimates are based on the actual weight of the shipment (up or down) and actual days in storage.

Local Moving Estimates In Texas

If you’re local moving in Texas (Intrastate), you can expect to choose from the following move estimates:

Binding Estimates – This estimate includes a guaranteed price and does not increase or decrease based on the actual services performed or the shipment weight, once the shipment has started loading.

You are required to pay 100 percent of the estimate before delivery occurs. If you need to make changes to the order, you must do so before the first item is loaded onto the truck.

After loading has begun, no additional items can be added for packing or moving and no reduction in price will be given if an item is not packed or does not move.

Not-to-Exceed Estimates – This estimate is a guaranteed maximum price. You are required to pay 100 percent of the estimated charges at the destination. If a refund needs to be issued, the shipment’s paperwork needs to be completed and processed first.

However, the moving company does have the right to apply the refund to additional services performed that may not have been captured in the initial estimate.

For example, if the moving company packs 10 boxes in addition to what was on the estimate, and the customer was due a partial refund for the shipment weighing less than estimated, those funds will be applied to the packing overage first, before a refund is provided to the customer.

Similar to the binding price estimate, the maximum cost is locked in when the first item is loaded on the truck and no additional items can be added for packing or loading by the customer. It is important that you have your salesperson update your estimate before loading if any services or items need to be added or subtracted.

If you are removing significant items from your order, the refund for reduced weight may not be the same as the price difference of a shipment registered at the lower weight. Also, depending on the company you select, not all services fall under the not-to-exceed category.

Expert packing, shuttle service, additional labor and other fees may be fixed costs charged to you whether the service is performed or not.

Non-Bound Estimates are not an option when moving within the state of Texas. If a shipment cannot be visually surveyed by the moving company during the bid process, they will typically estimate a very high price for the services needed to perform the move to cover any potential charges on a not-to-exceed estimate.

This way, the actual services will determine the actual charges. All local estimates must have a maximum cost.

Exceptions for Local Moving

Third-Party Services – Some services are always an additional cost, regardless of the type of estimate you choose. Third-party charges, such as appliance disconnect and reconnect service, crating, uncrating, and other specialty service needs will be charged based on actual services performed.

Storage charges for a bound estimate are based on the bound weight and actual number of days in storage. Storage charges for not-to-exceed and non-bound estimates are based on the actual weight of the shipment (up or down) and actual days in storage.

Destination Accessorial – Accessorial are additional charges that could be incurred by the customer if the destination residence or facility is not accessible by a tractor-trailer, or requires additional manpower or time for the moving company to complete the delivery.

If the tractor-trailer cannot access the residence or facility at destination, and a smaller truck (or shuttle) is required to complete delivery, there will be an additional cost.

If the crew must carry items an excessive distance (over 75 feet), or up a flight of stairs outside the dwelling, or use an elevator to access the residence, an additional charge per service will be added to the cost of the move, if not already included in the bound or not-to-exceed charges.

Whether you are obtaining estimates from one or multiple moving companies, it’s important to understand how the company will determine how much your move will cost and what type of estimate you receive.

If you receive estimates from multiple companies, and want to compare costs, use our MOVE COMPARISON GUIDE to ensure you are getting a fair price for the services you’ve requested.

The post Understanding Moving Company Estimates appeared first on Suddath.

In a nutshell, Fort Worth is closer to the typical idea of a traditional Texas city and has more of a casual feel, while Dallas is the quintessential American urban center, complete with the pace and activity you would expect from a city that’s one of the nine largest cities in the U.S.

If you’re planning to move to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, contact our team of expert movers. If you haven’t yet chosen which part of it you want to call home, read on for the scoop on the most notable differences between these two popular American cities.

The Pros and Cons of Moving to Dallas or Fort Worth

Since they’re in such close proximity to each other, the two cities share a lot of the same advantages and disadvantages, such as:

• Weather: The upside here is that winters are mild, and there’s plenty of sunshine throughout the year. The downside is the long stretch of hot, humid weather in summer and the threat of tornadoes in spring and early summer.
• Traffic: With more than six million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, it’s not surprising that residents have to deal with heavy traffic. The area ranks 14th among the most congested cities in the country, so you’ll probably want to take your commute into consideration when settling on your new home’s location.
• Property values: Another two-sides-of-the-same-coin situation is the price of homes in Dallas-Fort Worth. Homeowners have seen the value of their homes rise in recent years, while people seeking homes here are paying higher prices than ever before.

Here are a few of the pros and cons unique to each city:

The Pros and Cons of Moving to Dallas

Dallas attracts visitors and new residents from around the world, thanks to big-city features like these:

• You could eat at restaurants every night, and there would still be plenty of great spots you missed. The cuisine here runs the full gamut from down-home barbecue joints and taco trucks to the finest high-end dining.
• Cultural options abound — Dallas is known for its exceptional art museums, galleries, and a range of year-round cultural events.
• You can live the ultimate urban lifestyle, whether that means occupying the top floor of a luxury skyscraper or setting up a home where the best of city living is just steps from your door.

At the other end of the spectrum, these are some of the downsides you’ll encounter if you move to Dallas:

• Dallas covers about 343 square miles, so unless you live very near where you work, commuting will take up a lot of your time. Road construction is never-ending, too.
• Like many cities of its size, Dallas has problems with pollution. It ranks 16th among the most-polluted cities in the country, according to the American Lung Association.
• Overall, Dallas doesn’t rank well on the safest American cities lists, but there are many safe neighborhoods to live in.

The Pros and Cons of Moving to Fort Worth

Although it’s located so close to Dallas, Fort Worth has its own advantages, such as:

• The city is home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, which reflects its history of cattle drives and its present ranching industry. This event is the longest-running rodeo in the U.S.
• Fort Worth is a come-as-you-are kind of town that’s well-suited to those who prefer a more traditional way of living.
• Fort Worth is quieter than Dallas in almost every way, but residents can easily get to Dallas for some urban excitement.

You’ll want to be prepared for some of these downsides if you’re headed this way:

• Although traffic congestion isn’t as bad as it is in Dallas, Fort Worth doesn’t have an extensive public transportation system.
• Residents who live in some of the most recently built suburban developments around Fort Worth cannot access city services since they are not technically part of the city.
• While there are some good schools in the city, crowded classrooms and a lack of funding are a drag on the independent school system’s quality and progress.

Things To Do

Do you want to learn how to ride a horse or go to symphony orchestra performances? You can do both and everything in between in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Both cities provide endless options for recreation and entertainment — you’ll find any activity you can think of within easy driving distance. Here are just a few popular destinations and events in each city:

Things To Do in Dallas

Dallas Arts District

This 68-acre, 20-square block district brings together performing arts venues, restaurants, bars, parks, museums, and much more. Take a 90-minute walking tour to see the district’s unique collection of architecture or explore everything the district has to offer at your own pace.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

Cool off in the shade of the arboretum’s 66 acres. This Dallas gem has been included among the world’s top arboretums, and it’s located on the shores of White Rock Lake. Don’t miss the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden and its monarch butterflies.

AT&T Stadium

Get an up-close look at the home of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys with a self-guided tour, or take the VIP Guided Tour for additional sights, such as stops in the print media press box and private suites. You can also explore the exceptional collection of contemporary art at the stadium.

Things To Do in Fort Worth

Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District

Where else but in this historic city can you witness the world’s only twice-daily longhorn cattle drive? While you’re here, check out the great saloons and winery, the 5,400-square-foot Cowtown Cattlepen Maze and the family-friendly Cowtown Opry shows.

Fort Worth Zoo

All great cities have a great zoo, and Fort Worth is no exception. A day spent at the Fort Worth Zoo includes the chance to feed a giraffe, take in an educational encounter with animals at the Outdoor Learning Theater, get in some rock-climbing practice, and ride the Yellow Rose Express Train. The zoo even offers a Safari Overnight adventure that includes a guided evening tour, a morning tour before opening hours, and all-day zoo admission.

Fort Worth’s Sundance Square

With a nod to historical Western architecture, the modern 37-square-block Sundance Square is a hub of entertainment, restaurants, art galleries, shopping, and more. Make it a point to take in a performance at the Bass Performance Hall, known for its exceptional acoustics.

Getting Around

If you’re in the downtown districts of either city, walking is the best way to go. For activities that are beyond walking distance, you’ll need a car, or you can take advantage of public transportation options.

Public Transportation in Dallas

Dallas gives you plenty of ways to travel around town, including:

• The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system, which offers a system of bus and train connections linking the city to surrounding suburbs
• The McKinney Avenue Trolley (M-Line), which operates restored vintage trolleys from McKinney Plaza to downtown
• The Trinity Railway Express, which connects Dallas Union Station to Fort Worth and the DFW Airport
• The Trinity Metro

Public Transportation in Fort Worth

These are your options in Fort Worth:

• The Trinity Metro citywide bus system, which connects the Fort Worth Stockyards and Dallas
• The DASH electric bus, which connects downtown Fort Worth with Dickies Arena and Museums
• Trinity Metro TEX Rail, which connects downtown Fort Worth with the DFW Airport
• The TRE train, which connects downtown Fort Worth and Dallas

Where To Live

The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is vast, stretching across 9,286 square miles. That means, of course, you have an unusually large number of neighborhoods, suburbs, and districts from which to choose when it’s time to settle down.

Our local movers in Dallas and Fort Worth serve customers throughout both cities. Here are just some of the neighborhoods our teams have come to know well through our 40 years of offering moving services in Texas:

Notable Neighborhoods in Dallas

• Downtown is where to go if you love an active, urban lifestyle. First-class restaurants, world-renowned museums and cultural spots, high-end shopping, and more are just steps away from wherever you live downtown.
• Uptown is known for being walkable and for its galleries, shopping, urban Katy Trail greenbelt, and historic buildings.
• Deep Ellum gives you a perfect mix of single-family homes and modern condos. People come from all over the city for the neighborhood’s nightlife.
• The Medical District is a popular place to live for people who work in the district’s hospitals, medical centers, and medical research institutions.
• University Park is an affluent spot known for its shopping choices and entertainment options. It puts you close to downtown but away from the hustle and bustle.
• The Design District has a great selection of restaurants, breweries, art, cultural centers, and more. It’s also convenient for getting downtown.

Notable Neighborhoods in Fort Worth

• Fairmount is a walkable neighborhood that gives you easy access to downtown Fort Worth. It’s one of the southwestern region’s largest historic neighborhoods, and housing pricings are reasonable.
• Tanglewood is popular with families, especially those who love getting outdoors. It’s close to the Trinity River and has the scenic Hartwood Park running right through it.
• Walsh is a master-planned community with all the built-in amenities you would expect in a large development. It includes 32 miles of biking and hiking trails and its own schools, and it’s a quick 12-minute commute to downtown Fort Worth.
• Westcliff offers homes in a wide range of prices. It’s right between Interstate 20 and Interstate 30, making it convenient to get around town. It’s also close to the excellent Fort Worth Zoo.
• White Lake Hills is bordered by green space on three sides and offers reasonably priced homes in a scenic environment. Families love White Lake Hills for its many parks, playgrounds, sports fields, and trails.
• Candleridge is another neighborhood with plenty of parks and green spaces. It also has good nightlife and entertainment choices, plus restaurants and retailers.

Questions About Moving to Dallas or Fort Worth? We Have Answers!

No matter which city you choose as your destination, you’ll have easy access to both cities’ amenities. To help you make your decision, our residential moving team in Fort Worth and local movers in Dallas answer some of the most asked questions about this area of the Lone Star State.

Is it cheaper to live in Dallas or Fort Worth?

Fort Worth is a somewhat less expensive place to live than Dallas, but it’s important to remember that incomes are higher in Dallas overall. How much it costs you to live in either city depends in part on what type of housing you prefer and your lifestyle. It’s safe to say, however, that you can expect to spend less on rent, restaurants, and groceries if you make your home in Fort Worth.

What types of jobs are there in the Dallas-Fort Worth area?

Thanks to a wide, diverse range of industries and business types here, job opportunities are plentiful. People come from all across the country to work in industries such as medical research, telecommunications, information technology, energy, financial services, defense, semiconductors, and transportation and logistics.

Major employers include Lockheed Martin, Baylor Healthcare System, Southwest Airlines, ExxonMobil, Texas Instruments, Bank of America, and the area’s universities.

Is Fort Worth a “cowboy” city?

If you visit both Dallas and Fort Worth before you decide to live in the area, you’re bound to note that Fort Worth has a distinctly “American West” vibe and doesn’t miss a chance to celebrate its deep Western heritage. The days of the storied Wild West are kept alive, particularly in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.

If your idea of Texas includes cattle drives and rodeos, you’ll find it in Fort Worth.

Which is better for families: Dallas or Fort Worth?

With a lower crime rate and cost of living, Fort Worth is often the more popular choice among families. It’s easier to find affordably priced real estate and quiet neighborhoods in Fort Worth, and the city has top-rated schools. Best of all, the attractions of a large metropolis are just 30 miles away, so you and your family can still enjoy everything Dallas has to offer.

How To Find the Best Moving Companies in Dallas and Fort Worth

When you’re preparing to put all your belongings in the hands of a moving company, it’s important to make sure you are working with one that’s reputable. This guidance can help you find a mover in Dallas or Fort Worth you can trust:

• Check each company’s credentials. Make sure the company you select has a physical address (a post office box isn’t enough), a Texas Department of Motor Vehicles number, and proof of proper licensing and insurance.
• Look for professional accreditations with industry associations, such as the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
• Obtain multiple estimates and make sure you understand all the fees and charges associated with each one. Also, limit your choices to moving companies that perform an in-person or virtual survey; this can help ensure your estimate will be accurate.
• Avoid companies that will only take your payment in cash, refuse to provide a written moving estimate, or require total payment upfront. Also, steer clear of companies that don’t have a website or online presence, which may be a sign of a rogue moving company.
• Ask friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues if they can recommend a trustworthy moving company they’ve used before. Check online reviews of moving companies, but keep in mind that these don’t always provide the most accurate assessment of a company.
• If you anticipate that you will need storage services, ask each company for details on the services they offer. Find out how secure the companies’ storage facilities are and whether they are monitored around the clock. Also, make sure their fees for storage services are clear and include everything you may be charged for.

Need Expert Moving Services? Count on Suddath.

Whether you’re moving to the area from another Texas city or another state, the team at Suddath has everything you need for a safe, efficient, and affordable move. With our network of premier partners, we can take you anywhere you need to go.

Our moving crews are well-trained in the best and latest methods for packing and moving, and every crew member has passed a background check. To make sure your move goes smoothly, you’ll have the services of a personal relocation coordinator who’s always available to answer your questions, help you plan your move, and keep you informed every step of the way.

Schedule your free, in-home moving consultation today.

The post Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between Fort Worth and Dallas appeared first on Suddath.

If you’re considering a move to Flower Mound, reach out to the experienced team at Suddath, the leading moving company in North Texas for over 40 years.

Getting to Flower Mound

By Car: Flower Mound is conveniently located near major highways, including Interstate 35E and Interstate 635, making it easily accessible by car from Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas.

By Air: The nearest major airport is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), located approximately 15 miles southeast of Flower Mound. From there, you can rent a car or take a taxi or rideshare service to reach your destination.

Things to Do in Flower Mound, TX

1. Explore the Great Outdoors

Grapevine Lake: Enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, and picnicking at this nearby reservoir.

Flower Mound Community Activity Center: Offers fitness classes, sports leagues, and a variety of recreational activities for all ages.

There are many beautiful parks in Flower Mound, including Jake’s Hilltop Park, a scenic, child-friendly park featuring a basketball court, playground, picnic tables & football & baseball game fields. Murrell Park is ideal for hiking, mountain biking, and birdwatching with stunning views of Lake Grapevine.

Beyond parks and trails, Flower Mound provides opportunities for golfing, with courses like Tour 18 Dallas and Bridlewood Golf Club offering challenging layouts and scenic views.

Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA): Explore nature trails, participate in guided nature walks, and learn about local wildlife and ecosystems.

2. Visit Historic Sites

The Flower Mound: Take a hike up this ancient hill, which gives the town its name, for panoramic views of the surrounding area. It rises 650 feet above sea level, and it stands 50 feet above the surrounding countryside. The non-profit Mound Foundation has identified more than 175 species of wildflowers that grow here.

Heritage Park: Explore historic buildings and learn about the area’s pioneer heritage, then sit for a picturesque picnic.

3. Shop and Dine

The Shops at Highland Village: A premier shopping destination with upscale retailers, restaurants, and entertainment options.

Parker Square: A charming shopping and dining district featuring local boutiques and eateries. Flower Mound Farmers Market: Held Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Parker Square, the farmer’s market offers fresh produce, artisanal goods, and live music surrounding the square’s picturesque gazebo.

4. Family-Friendly Attractions

Community Activity Center (CAC) Waterpark: Cool off during the summer months at this expansive aquatic center featuring water slides, a lazy river, and splash pads.

Moviehouse & Eatery: Catch the latest blockbuster while enjoying a meal or snack in a comfortable dine-in theater setting.

Flower Mound Youth Sports Leagues: Enroll your children in youth sports leagues and programs offered by the town, including soccer, basketball, baseball, and more. The Flower Mound Youth Sports Association (FMYSA) offers year-round softball and baseball opportunities, including summer sports camps.

Dining & Nightlife Options in Flower Mound

From casual eateries to fine dining establishments, Flower Mound boasts a diverse culinary scene with something to satisfy every palate. Sample Texas barbecue, savor international cuisine, or indulge in farm-to-table fare at one of the town’s many restaurants and cafes.

• Anamia’s Tex Mex: A family-owned restaurant offering delicious Tex-Mex cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere.
• Hive Bakery: A local, artistic bakery known for its freshly baked goods, including custom baked cakes and pastries. Hive offers a menu of goodies that changes daily and is always fresh.
• Bari’s Pizza & Pasta: A neighborhood pizzeria serving up authentic Italian pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches. A local favorite for weeknight dinners or Friday pizza parties.
• Restaurant Row on the Flower Mound River Walk:
• Flower Mound’s answer to waterfront dining, restaurant row features staples like Underdogs for a burger and other comfort food – and bring along your pooch! Sit on their dog-friendly patio and look out over the river. Inside is a great selection of games for kids and grown-up kids alike.
• If a classic Texas smokehouse is more your vibe, wander down the River Walk to Whiskey & Smoke, a bold new smokehouse that serves up tender brisket with banana pudding for dessert.
• After dinner, you’ll want something sweet to finish off the night. Cake4One lets you have your cake and eat it too with their handcrafted, small batch cakes.

Bars and Lounges:

While Flower Mound may not have the same level of nightlife activity as larger cities, it still offers a few options for those looking to enjoy a night out on the town. Whether you’re in the mood for drinks, live music, or simply a relaxing evening with friends, you can find something to suit your tastes and bring out the charm of this classic North Texas community.

• Rockin’ S Bar & Grill: Rockin’ S Bar & Grill is a rock & roll themed dining and live music spot on Grapevine Lake. Stop by to enjoy a beautiful view of the lake while enjoying some of the area’s best live music and entertainment.
• Blue Goose Cantina: If you fancy a trip up to Highland Park, this Tex-Mex restaurant and bar offers a lively atmosphere with margaritas, cocktails, and a selection of beers. It’s a popular spot for socializing and enjoying drinks with friends.
• Guitars & Growlers: Guitars & Growlers defines “Flower Mound Fun” as a family friendly restaurant that serves American classics while also keeping 34 craft beers on rotation, 4 wines on tap, plus a great selection of bottles and cans. Come out for live music, trivia, pints nights, and music bingo Monday through Saturday. We also have Pickers Circles the second Sunday of the Month. Come out often and bring friends for local Flower Mound fun.
• The Tavern at Lakeside: With a large patio to sit and enjoy a Texas summer afternoon, Tavern serves an impressive selection of craft beer, cocktails, wines, bourbons, and whiskeys to find the perfect pairing for your meal. A big gathering spot Sunday brunch as well as for evening drinks with friends.

Coffee Shops:

Flower Moundians need their caffeine pick-me-up just like anyone else, and the town offers several cozy coffee shops. Residents and visitors have no shortage of spots where they can enjoy delicious coffee, tea, and light bites in a welcoming atmosphere. Here are some coffee shops worth visiting in Flower Mound:

Honeybird Sandwiches, Donuts and Coffee: Gourmet donuts, fried chicken sandwiches and craft coffee – need we say more? A must-stop for any Flower Mound local.

Trio Coffee: A popular local coffee shop known for its specialty coffee drinks, artisanal pastries, and relaxed ambiance. Sourced high-quality beans and a variety of brewing methods to satisfy coffee enthusiasts.

Epic Gelato & Craft Coffee: Is there a better combo than gelato and coffee? We’ll wait.

Local Events and Festivals

Keep an eye out for local events and festivals happening throughout the year in Flower Mound. From arts and crafts fairs to music festivals and holiday celebrations, there’s always something fun and exciting happening in this vibrant community.

• Flower Mound Community Orchestra and Philharmonic frequently hold community events, playing classical, contemporary, and popular orchestral repertoire with exciting soloists as well as choral works. The Orchestra consists of advanced players of all ages but typically high school seniors and adults. The FMSO performs the standard professional orchestral repertoire, as well as pop and jazz. Each season it presents a series of formal concerts featuring guest soloists, new compositions, and favorites from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. In addition to these formal concerts, the Symphony Orchestra also plays an annual winter holiday concerts and Patriotic Concerts with choir.
• The Flower Mound Philharmonic is geared toward children, youth, and adult amateur musicians with 4 – 7 years of experience. This includes students who want to supplement their participation in school programs as well as adults with a desire to refresh past playing experience. The Phil provides the opportunity for advancing players of all ages to further their musical development with a more challenging repertoire including selections from student, pop, and classic material.
• Held annually in December, the Flower Mound Christmas Parade kicks off the holiday season in Flower Mound. The parade features colorful floats, marching bands, and community groups, followed by the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree. Attendees can enjoy live music, food vendors, and visits with Santa Claus. In addition to the Christmas parade, Flower Mound hosts a separate Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in December. This festive event features the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, along with holiday music, performances by local choirs and bands, and visits with Santa Claus. It’s a magical evening for families to come together and celebrate the holiday season.
• Celebrated on July 4th, Independence Fest is Flower Mound’s largest community event, attracting thousands of attendees each year. The festival features live music performances, a spectacular fireworks display, carnival rides, food trucks, vendor booths, and family-friendly activities. It’s a fun-filled day of patriotic celebration and community spirit.
• The Easter Egg Scramble is a beloved tradition in Flower Mound, held annually around Easter weekend. Children of all ages can participate in egg hunts, games, and activities, with prizes and treats available for participants. The event also includes photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny and other festive entertainment.

Education in Flower Mound

Flower Mound is served by the Lewisville Independent School District, which includes several highly-rated public schools in Denton County. There are also private educational institutions and preschools available for families seeking alternative options.

Elementary Schools:

1. Bluebonnet Elementary School:
   • Address: 1014 Miltown Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Bluebonnet Elementary School provides a nurturing learning environment for students in grades K-5, focusing on academic achievement, character development, and social-emotional learning.
2. Donald Elementary School:
   • Address: 2400 Forest Vista Dr, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Donald Elementary School is a STEM academy emphasizing personalized learning and student engagement, offering a variety of academic programs and extracurricular activities to support student success.
3. Garden Ridge Elementary School:
   • Address: 2220 S Garden Ridge Blvd, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Garden Ridge Elementary School is dedicated to fostering a love of learning and helping students reach their full potential through innovative teaching methods and collaborative learning experiences.

Middle Schools:

1. Clayton Downing Middle School:
   • Address: 5555 Bridlewood Blvd, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Clayton Downing Middle School (home of the Diamondbacks!) provides a rigorous academic curriculum combined with extracurricular opportunities in athletics, fine arts, and STEM to prepare students for success in high school and beyond.
2. Forestwood Middle School:
   • Address: 2810 Morriss Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Forestwood Middle School offers a comprehensive middle school experience, focusing on academic excellence, STEM, character development, and leadership skills to empower students for future success.

High Schools:

1. Flower Mound High School:
   • Address: 3411 Peters Colony Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75022
   • Flower Mound High School is known for its academic rigor, diverse extracurricular programs, and championship-winning athletic teams (Go Jaguars!). The school offers a wide range of Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses, as well as career and technical education (CTE) pathways.
2. Marcus High School:
   • Address: 5707 Morriss Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Marcus High School is dedicated to preparing students for college and career success through challenging academic coursework, innovative teaching methods, and a supportive learning environment.

Private and Charter Schools in Flower Mound

In addition to public schools, Flower Mound is home to several private and charter schools that offer alternative educational options for families, including religious-affiliated schools, Montessori schools, and specialized academic programs.

1. Coram Deo Academy:
   • Address: 4900 Wichita Trail, Flower Mound, TX 75022
   • Coram Deo Academy is a classical Christian school offering education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school emphasizes academic excellence, character development, and spiritual formation, integrating faith and learning across all subject areas.
2. The Goddard School:
   • Address: 2500 Lakeside Pkwy, Flower Mound, TX 75022
   • If you’re looking for daycare services in Flower Mound, The Goddard School is a nationally accredited preschool and childcare center offering programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and pre-kindergarten students. The school focuses on early childhood development, providing a safe and nurturing environment for young learners.
3. Founders Classical Academy of Flower Mound:
   • Address: 101 Flower Mound Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Founders Classical Academy of Flower Mound is a tuition-free public charter school serving students in grades K-12 with the motto, “Knowledge, virtue and liberty.” The school offers a classical education curriculum based on the principles of virtue, wisdom, and knowledge, emphasizing critical thinking, classical literature, and the liberal arts.
4. Guidepost Montessori:
   • Address: 2501 Simmons Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75022 US
   • Guidepost Montessori of Flower Mound serves children from 8 weeks to 6 years old. With spacious, bright, and light-filled rooms creating a warm and calm space for children to work, Guidepost partners with parents on a mission to help children learn and live well. The school is conveniently located off of Simmons Road across from The Woods at Wellington and offers a Spanish immersion program alongside extra curriculars such as Techie Kids, Amazing Athletes and Tippy Toes Dance Class.

Flower Mound Health and Wellness Opportunities

Flower Mound offers numerous healthcare facilities, including medical centers, clinics, and specialty practices, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services. Additionally, there are fitness centers, yoga studios, and wellness spas throughout the community, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

• Flower Mound Family Dentistry: A family-owned dental practice offering comprehensive dental care for patients of all ages.
• Flower Mound Chiropractic: A family-owned chiropractic clinic providing personalized care for pain relief and wellness.
• Gold’s Gym of Flower Mound: Open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., you have all day to get your Flower Mound Fitness on. Gold’s offers personal training and best-in-class equipment.
• Lifetime Fitness: In the heart of Old Flower Mound, you’ll find more than a gym here. With indoor and outdoor pools, full-service spa, group fitness studios, dedicated kid’s spaces, Personal Training areas — all dedicated to healthy living – this is the place to get fit in Flower Mound.
• Life Spa: A boutique spa offering a range of spa treatments, including massages, facials, and body scrubs.

Important Flower Mound Links

• Flower Mound provides public transportation options, including bus services operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), connecting residents to neighboring communities and transit hubs.
• Part of what makes Flower Mound so alluring for families is that it consistently ranks as one of the safest cities in Texas, with low crime rates and a strong sense of community. However, the town is served by The Flower Mound Police Department and emergency services, ensuring residents feel secure and protected.
• The Flower Mound Fire Department is responsible for providing fire protection, emergency medical services, and public safety education to the community.
• The Flower Mound Public Library is a vital community resource, offering a wealth of educational, recreational, and cultural services to residents of all ages. They provide access to books, digital resources, educational programs, and community events, promoting literacy, lifelong learning, and community engagement.
• The Flower Mound Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for managing and maintaining the town’s parks, trails, and recreational facilities. They offer a variety of recreational programs, sports leagues, and special events for residents of all ages, promoting health, wellness, and community spirit.

Community Involvement in Flower Mound

Flower Mound boasts a strong sense of community, with numerous volunteer opportunities, neighborhood associations, and civic organizations allowing residents to actively participate and contribute to the town’s growth and well-being.

Flower Mound Community Activity Center (CAC) offers indoor swimming pools, fitness classes, and recreational activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Organizing networking events, business seminars and community programs that help local businesses grow, The Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting economic development. The Chamber supports local businesses in order to foster a thriving local economy to benefit the whole community.

Women of Flower Mound (WOFM) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting local charities, schools, and community projects that has helped women serve the Flower Mound community since 1975. They organize fundraising events, volunteer initiatives, and community service projects to make a positive impact in Flower Mound and beyond.

Moving to Flower Mound, Texas?

Whether you’re seeking outdoor adventures, cultural experiences, or simply a family-friendly charming community, Flower Mound, Texas, offers the virtues of small-town life while also boasting easy access to the larger metropolis of Dallas.

With its scenic North Texas landscapes, robust amenities, thriving local businesses and welcoming community spirit, Flower Mound stands out as an ideal destination to live, work, and play. Flower Mound is a close-knit community for those lucky enough to call it home.

If you’re planning a move to Flower Mound, Suddath is the area’s leading mover of choice, having served it for over 40 years. Reach out to us for your Flower Mound move today.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Moving to Flower Mound, Texas appeared first on Suddath.

In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of hiring a professional moving company versus a DIY container move with PODS. Contact us for a free moving quote. 

What is a professional moving company? 

A professional (or full-service) moving company is a service provider that can handle every aspect of your move, from packing to unpacking. Essentially, a full-service moving company is perfect for individuals who don’t have time to dedicate to the consuming details of a relocation and don’t wish to assume the physical task of moving their household goods.   

What are portable moving containers? 

A portable moving container, like PODS, is a large rectangular container, typically made of steel and aluminum, that gets delivered to your driveway and left for you to load yourself. That container is then picked up and taken to a storage facility or transported to your new home where you unload your belongings. 

PROS OF USING A PROFESSIONAL MOVING COMPANY: 

The White-glove Treatment  

Using a professional moving company for your local or long-distance move means you’ll receive high-quality service. Professional movers, like Suddath, specialize in providing a superior move experience through expert care for your belongings and attention to detail. Professional movers ensure your entire home is thoroughly protected during your move, carefully pad wrap furniture pieces to prevent damage and take a detailed inventory of the items being moved out of your home.  

Your Belongings Are Protected Through Valuation 

Protecting your household goods is typically high on a consumer’s list of concerns when evaluating moving methods. Unlike moving with PODS, moving with a professional moving company ensures your belongings are covered in the unlikely event of damage. Each move comes with a standard valuation protection package, which covers your goods at $0.60 per pound, at no added cost to you! If you have high-value items (grand piano, antique items, etc.), it is recommended that you purchase full replacement coverage to protect these items as well as the entire shipment. 

Less Hassle and Stress 

As movers, we know how overwhelming a relocation can be. There is a lot to do, and it never seems like you have enough time to get it all done. Hiring professional movers can greatly reduce stress and time requirements by taking the physical packing, loading and moving tasks off your plate, so you can focus your efforts elsewhere. Moving with a DIY container option like PODS doesn’t provide that same peace of mind, because you’re still responsible for the physical, heavy lifting portions of your move. On top of that many times you may believe based on your home size you may only need one Pod when in fact many larger homes may require 2-3 PODS and the cost ends up very close to a full service white glove move. 

CONS OF USING A PROFESSIONAL MOVING COMPANY: 

Finding A Reputable Mover 

Unfortunately, in the moving and storage industry, there are dishonest companies called rogue movers. A rogue mover typically gives an estimate over the phone without physically (or virtually) surveying your household goods and they may show up in unmarked trucks and out of uniform. They’re also known for asking for deposits or upfront payment for a portion of the move, which is not standard procedure for professional movers. Getting a detailed list of what should be moved and packed broken down by room is very important and will always be provided by a professional moving company. To avoid falling victim to a rogue mover, check out our article on how to find a quality moving company. 

PROS OF USING A PORTABLE CONTAINER OPTION: 

More Flexible Time Frame 

If you aren’t under a strict time frame for your move or are looking to pack and load a little at a time over an extended period, the portable storage container option may align better with your move goals. Because PODS are dropped off at your driveway and you can schedule pickup anytime, you have greater control over your move timeline than you would with professional movers who operate with delivery windows and deadlines.  

Sometimes Cheaper Than Professional Movers 

If cost is a major factor in your relocation, PODS could be a feasible option. Historically, PODS cost less than hiring a professional moving company because you aren’t paying for the quality labor required to pack and load the contents of a home. However, we recommend getting a free in-home or virtual estimate from a professional moving company for comparison. The difference in price for the added benefits may surprise you, especially if you’re moving locally. 

*Helpful Tip: Understanding Moving Company Estimates 

CONS OF USING A PORTABLE CONTAINER OPTION: 

Homeowners Associations May Restrict PODS Usage 

Though PODS may seem like a convenient option, many homeowners associations (HOA) do not allow temporary placement of PODS containers because it goes against community guidelines. You’ll need to check with your HOA beforehand to confirm whether it’s allowed. Additionally, if you have a shared driveway or live in a condo or apartment complex, finding somewhere to place the container may be challenging. 

Limited PODS Availability 

When moving with PODS or a similar portable container service, you are subject to the availability of containers, as well as nearby storage capacity. This can make your already stressful move especially inconvenient. 

Difficult To Estimate The Container Size You Need 

An often overlooked aspect of using a DIY container service is estimating exactly how much space you will need for your belongings. During the loading of your container, you may unexpectedly find you need more space, halting your moving efforts until you find a solution. However, professional movers use a cube sheet method which accurately estimates the space needed for your belongings. 

Using a professional moving company over a portable storage container option will ensure quality, white-glove service in the execution of your move, protection for your belongings and a stress-free customer experience. If you are interested in comparing Suddath with PODS, call us today for a free estimate or start your moving quote online! 

The post Case Study: PODS vs. Full Service Moving Company appeared first on Suddath.

Named after the wild grapes once prevalent there, the city is nicknamed the “Christmas Capital of Texas.” Discover more about life in this intriguing community in our in-depth guide on moving to Grapevine, TX.

Considering moving to Grapevine, TX? If so, reach out to the experts at Suddath the leading moving company in North Texas for over 40 years.

Getting to Grapevine

By Car: Grapevine is conveniently located by major highways leading to Dallas and Fort Worth as well as Houston, Austin, and San Antonio: State Highway 114, State Highway 121, Interstate 635, Interstate 35, Northwest Highway, and the President George Bush Turnpike.

By Air: Grapevine has direct access to Dallas Love Field International Airport and the DFW International Airport, which partially rests within city limits. The TEXRail commuter train goes directly from Grapevine’s Main Street to the DFW International Airport, Terminal B.

Things to Do in Grapevine

1. Explore the Great Outdoors

Grapevine Lake: Located on the northern border of the city, this 8,000-acre reservoir provides opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking, and picnicking in a gorgeous area.

Grapevine Parks and Rec: From youth athletics and activities to those for active older adults, the parks and rec system offers recreation for people of all ages.

When moving to Grapevine, you can enjoy lovely parks in Grapevine that provide opportunities for children to enjoy playgrounds (including spraygrounds where they can cool off in hot weather) and for families to hike on trails, camp, rent cabins, swim in pools, launch boats, picnic, stroll through botanical gardens, and more. Rockledge Park contains biking trails, kayak rentals, and so forth, providing opportunities to spy unusual birds and even rare wildlife.

Sixty golf courses exist within a fifteen-mile radius of Grapevine with Golf Magazine naming the best as one right in Grapevine’s city limits: Cowboys Golf Club. This public golf course is the first NFL-themed course in the country, containing Dallas Cowboy memorabilia, including Super Bowl rings and trophies.

2. Visit Historic Sites

Cotton Belt Railroad District: Built in 1888, the Cotton Belt Railroad Depot operated through 1972, saved from demolition. The Depot and the Grapevine Historical Museum are located near the tracks in the Heritage Center, and the Depot serves as the ticketing location of the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. You can also visit several historic buildings and read historical markers on the property.

Nash Farm: Discover life on the late nineteenth-century farm at special events and during interpretative programs and educational tours. The original 1869 farmhouse still exists.

3. Shop and Dine

Historic Main Street District Shops: Locally owned boutiques offer unique treasures, including ones with Texan themes or Christmas ones, and items made by local artisans. Discover items not found elsewhere!

Grapevine Mills: Picture a 1.8-million-square-foot space with 180 stores along with dine-in theaters, restaurants, a carousel, and more. Enjoy great shopping, delicious foods, and entertainment, in a climate-controlled indoor mall.

4. Family-Friendly Attractions

SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium: From a sea turtle rescue center to an ocean tunnel, stingray exhibit, rainforest, and more, there’s plenty to see and do in this 45,000-square-foot aquarium. Ask about getting access to special, behind-the-scenes tours.

LEGOLand Discovery Center: Located inside Grapevine Mills, kids can build and test LEGO racers, take flight via Merlin’s Apprentice, blast trolls on Kingdom’s Quest, and create incredible LEGO structures.

Grapevine Vintage Railroad: Ride in authentic Victorian coaches on themed events like Day Out With Thomas (the Tank Engine), Polar Bear Express, Cotton Belt Route with Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s Theatrical Players, and more.

Dining and Nightlife Options in Grapevine

More than 200 restaurants in Grapevine means that you get to choose: family-friendly atmosphere and affordability, world-class cuisine, or something in between. From barbecue and steaks to cuisines like French, Italian, Mexican, Pacific Rim, and Southwestern, there’s mouthwatering food for a meal out to fit every taste.

• Oishii Sushi & Pan-Asian Cuisine: Named as the best new restaurant by The Scout Guide, “Oushii” is Japanese for “delicious” with Chef Thanh Nguyen delivering on that promise.
• Sauce’d Pizza and Smashburgers: When you’re looking for an amazing pizza (made the Texas way!) to take home and enjoy, this place belongs on your list.
• Historic District Restaurants: The link provided offers a great map to help you find what your taste buds are longing for whether you’re looking for a full meal or coffee and dessert. The only requirement? “You must come hungry.”
• Meat U Anywhere BBQ: Owner Andy Sedino notes how “We slow smoke our meats with seasoned oak & hickory wood and you can choose from our exclusive sides, special offerings.”
• Dr. Sue’s Chocolates: A practicing physician, Dr. Sue offers all-natural chocolates of premium quality as part of her mission to inspire people towards a healthier lifestyle.

Bars and Lounges

Although Grapevine’s nightlife might be at a different level than big cities, Grapevine venues offer a wide range of musical entertainment at bars, wineries, and so forth. Musical genres include country, classic rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and modern funk, and drinks range from beer to wine to cocktails. When moving to Grapevine, you can enjoy nights out in this North Texas community at places like the following.

• Hop and Sting Brewery Company: Voted the best brewery in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you can taste some of the best beer around—such as the ultra light lager, Aluminum Cowboy, or the sour, mixed berry Funkadelicious—play trivia, attend yoga events, and more.
• Urban Wine Trail: Texas is the country’s fifth largest wine-producing state, and Grapevine (the land where wild grapes once flourished) stands out from the crowd as a wine culture trendsetter. Find daily wine tasting events and special events in one of the city’s wine tasting rooms.
• Magnum Speakeasy: If you head to Hotel Vin, you can enjoy a Prohibition-style experience. That’s because, if you want to enjoy unique cocktails, you need to find the retro phone book that conceals a hidden door. Then, you can enjoy an intimate cocktail experience with eighteen seats and a “swanky atmosphere.” 

Coffee Shops

When you’re ready for a pick-me-up, cozy coffee shops can perfectly fit the bill. Fortunately, in Grapevine, you’ll have good choices when caffeine is calling your name.

• RE:defined Coffee House: This shop provides in-demand espresso-based drinks, coffees and teas, breakfast and lunch, retail items, and even a menu for pets.
• Pax & Beneficia Coffee Shop: At this artisanal coffee shop, you can watch the roastery do its thing. So, besides enjoying a delicious cup of java, you can also take in the smell of freshly roasted coffee. 
• Buon Giorno Coffee: At this shop, you’re surrounded by the essence of Italy in the specialty coffees and desserts offered. Their signature dish? Fresh panini.

Local Events and Festivals

Throughout the seasons, you can participate in events and put special festivals on your family’s calendar. These include:

• Spring’s Main Street Fest: Picture three days filled with live music, delicious foods, a unique KidZone, a Carnival Midway, craft beverages, and more.
• Summertime in Grapevine: From dinosaur-related activities to a Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza, there’s plenty to do and celebrate. Best of all, these activities are typically ones that won’t break the bank.
• Grapefest: Taste and celebrate wines from around the world with a special emphasis on Texas wines. Main Street shuts down for four days for the Southwest’s largest wine festival; there are also events for kids.
• Christmas Capital of Texas: In a forty-day period, you can enjoy more than 1,400 Christmas festivities in Grapevine: from animated characters to millions of lights, memorable photo opportunities, and more. Kids will love Santa’s North Pole Express where Grapevine’s Historic Cotton Belt District magically becomes the charming Christmas Village.

Other events are more regularly available. You could, for example, visit the Glockenspiel Clock Tower in the downtown area at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9 p.m. Why? Because two nine-foot-tall Would-Be Train Robber characters will appear out of the tower to try to perform the perfect heist. Other events include these:

• Texas Star Dinner Theater: Your evening will include a marvelous dinner, tasty dessert, cash bar, and a ninety-minute live Wild West murder mystery theater. You can put your investigative smarts to work, solving the whodunnit. After the show, take photos with the award-winning cast.
• Palace Arts Center: This building houses the Palace Theatre and the Lancaster Theatre in its beautifully restored art deco-style structure. Recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, you can become mesmerized by live performances, enjoy movies, view intriguing visual art, and more.
• Giddens Gallery of Fine Art: Browse works from more than twenty-five artists across the spectrum of disciplines in Historic Downtown Grapevine. In the past, this gallery received a second place award for Dallas A List’s “Best Art Gallery.”
• Settlement to City Museums: A collection of nineteenth-century buildings capture the city’s history and demonstrate trades practiced by early residents. These include the 1900 Donald Schoolhouse, which started as a log cabin; the 1888 Keeling House Museum with items from the city’s fire and police departments and an 1881 printing press; and the Grapevine Cotton Ginner’s Museum that reminds us of a time when cotton was king and contains hands-on activities. 

Education in Grapevine

When moving to Grapevine, TX with children, you’ll want information about the educational system. The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District serves the families of the city well, consisting of numerous elementary, middle, and high schools. There are also alternative schools and a virtual educational program.

Elementary Schools

1. Bear Creek Elementary: 401 Bear Creek Drive Euless, TX 76039 Phone: 817-305-4860
2. Bransford Elementary: 601 Glade Road Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-305-4920
3. Cannon Elementary (a GCISD STEM school): 1300 West College Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-251-5680
4. Colleyville Elementary: 5911 Pleasant Run Road Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-305-4940
5. Dove Elementary: 1932 Dove Road Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-251-5700
6. Glenhope Elementary: 6600 Glenhope Circle Colleyville, TX 76034 817-251-5720
7. Grapevine Elementary: 1801 Hall Johnson Rd. Grapevine, TX 76051 (817) 251-5735
8. Heritage Elementary: 4500 Heritage Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-305-4820
9. Silver Lake Elementary: 1301 N. Dooley Street Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-251-5750
10. O.C. Taylor Elementary: 5300 Pool Road Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-305-4870
11. Timberline Elementary: 3220 Timberline Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-251-5770 

Middle Schools

1. Colleyville Middle: 1100 Bogart Drive Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-305-4900
2. Cross Timbers Middle: 2301 Pool Road Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-251-5320
3. Grapevine Middle: 301 Pony Parkway, Grapevine, TX 76051 (817) 251-5660
4. Heritage Middle: 5300 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-305-4790

High Schools

1. Colleyville Heritage High: 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-305-4700 
2. Grapevine High: 3223 Mustang Drive Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-251-5210
3. GCISD Collegiate Academy at Tarrant County College Northeast: 828 W Harwood Rd, North Richland Hills, TX 76180 (817) 515-6775

Alternative Schools

1. Bridges School: 5800 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville, TX 76034 (817) 251-5474
2. VISTA DAEP School: 5800 Colleyville Boulevard Colleyville, TX 76034 Phone: 817-251-5466 

Virtual Education

iUniversity Prep: A Grapevine Colleyville Virtual Academy: 4344 Heritage Ave, Grapevine, TX 76051 (817) 305-4892

Grapevine Health and Wellness Opportunities

Grapevine is home to an award winning hospital system, Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center (1650 W College St, Grapevine, TX, 76051 817-481-1588). This 302-bed facility has served the community for seventy years; awards include the following:

• America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award (2024, 2023): Top 5% of the nation for consistently delivering clinical quality
• Outstanding Patient Experience Award (2024, 2023, 2022): Based on nine key measures
• Numerous awards (2024, 2023, 2022) for specialty excellence in various areas

The city and surrounding area provides a broad range of outstanding healthcare professionals. 

Plus, the “crown jewel” of the Grapevine Parks and Recreation Department is the 7,000-square-foot REC of Grapevine. This state-of-the-art facility contains “weight machines, treadmills, stair climbers, bikes, elliptical machines, dumbbells, and regulation-size basketball and racquetball courts.” In addition, the city contains privately-owned health and fitness centers open to the public.

Important Grapevine Links

• Grapevine provides a range of public transportation options, including a twenty-seven-mile commuter rail line, the TEXRail, that goes from downtown Fort Worth, across the northeast part of Tarrant County, through Grapevine as well as North Richland Hills, and into terminal B of the DFW International Airport. The Grapevine Visitors Shuttle takes people to hotels, the DFW airport, the historic downtown, to restaurants, and to Grapevine Mills Mall. Northeast Transportation Services (NETS) provides door-to-door transportation for people aged fifty-five and up and disabled persons.
• Best Places notes that Grapevine has a crime rating of 13.5, less than the national average of 22.7. The police department dedicates themselves to protecting citizens, using a community policing model. The fire department, meanwhile, provides fire protection and public safety resources.
• The Grapevine Public Library serves as a community center as it provides educational, cultural, and recreational services for residents of all ages. They provide access to print books, ebooks, and audiobooks and offer programs and online courses. Serving the community for a century, they focus on the following: “On the strong foundation of our past, we also look to the future as we integrate technology and focus on inclusion.”
• Although we’ve referred to this elsewhere in our guide, when moving to Grapevine, TX, you can enjoy programs, sports leagues, and special events of the Grapevine Parks and Rec. In their activities, they promote health and wellness and enhance life in the community.

Community Involvement in Grapevine

Grapevine fosters a sense of community with numerous civic organizations and neighborhood organizations to participate in that contribute to the well-being of residents. The Grapevine Chamber of Commerce has more than one thousand member businesses that collaborate to improve the Grapevine area economically, civically, and culturally. The Grapevine Convention Center serves as a gathering place as organizations and individuals rent the facilities and hold events. Meanwhile, the Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center, a 501(c)(3), promotes community health and well-being through strengthening and educating families and sharing resources. Keep Grapevine Beautiful, a non-profit, preserves and enhances the local natural environment through volunteer-based projects.

Moving to Grapevine, TX?

Whether you want to enjoy a hometown with natural beauty, outdoor activities, festivals, and cultural events, or you just want a family-friendly place that welcomes new residents, Grapevine can make good sense. You’ll benefit from the beauty of small-town life while easily reaching Dallas-Fort Worth. 

Grapevine is a standout location to live, work, and play with in-demand amenities, activities, restaurants, shopping venues, and more. This is a place where people build community for the benefit of residents and visitors.

If you’re moving to Grapevine, TX, Suddath is the leading company for Grapevine movers. For more than forty years, we’ve provided smooth, personalized relocations for families like yours. 

When you’re looking at moving companies in Grapevine, TX, we invite you to reach out today. Our Grapevine movers look forward to serving you efficiently and carefully.

The post The Ultimate Grapevine Moving Guide appeared first on Suddath.

Sounds like you’re making an excellent choice! Located under blue skies in northeast Texas, about twenty-seven miles north of Dallas, this is one of the country’s fast-growing cities. With about 224,000 people, it serves as fourteenth in population in Texas: not too big and not too small.

Livability named this city as one of the Top 100 best places to live in the United States in 2024 with this “Sports City USA” ranking highly in the categories of health because of it’s premier hospitals; education with its commitment to quality; and its economy with its “booming job market . . . and ample career opportunities.” Frisco is also known for its vibrant arts and culture scene, including unique museums. So, if you’re drawn to the idea of no state income tax, mild winters, and a great quality of life, then moving to Frisco, TX makes good sense.

Need more? SmartAsset ranks Frisco as the safest city out of two hundred of them reviewed. Consider, too, that SmartAsset ranks it fifth in affordability, making it the only one that ranks in the top five for safety and affordability.

Find plenty more information about relocating to Frisco here and, when you’re ready to secure your Frisco, TX movers, Suddath is the experienced, dependable choice.

Frisco’s Best Neighborhoods

Plenty of wonderful neighborhoods exist—and what’s “best” will depend upon your lifestyle, budget, goals, and more. Here are five of them to consider as examples:

• Hunter’s Creek: Located in southeast Frisco and part of the city’s excellent public school system, amenities of this neighborhood include a community swimming pool and clubhouse as well as a children’s playground and a jogging/biking path. Plenty of families live in this well-established neighborhood with beautiful brick houses and lots between .15 to .3 acre.
• Stonebriar: If you’re looking for an upscale neighborhood that’s often described as a “golfer’s paradise,” then this luxury community may be ideal. Additional amenities include a swimming pool, tennis complex, and fitness center. Homes average 4,500 square feet, schools rank among the best, and this community is closely located to restaurants, shops, and more.
• The Trails of Frisco: If you adore the great outdoors, then you may greatly appreciate The Trails of Frisco, a community that sees appreciation in its real estate, too. Amenities include a golf club, community park, trails, numerous pools, lovely parks, playgrounds, a clubhouse, and more. Highly rated schools add to the allure and so does its closeness to shopping and dining venues.
• Panther Creek: This is another one of Frisco’s family-friendly neighborhoods with quality schools. Housing ranges from single-family homes to townhouses and apartments in a range of sizes and architectural designs. Amenities include community parks and playgrounds along with walking and biking trails while the Panther Creek Shopping Center offers easy access to stores, restaurants, and more.
• Heather Ridge: Lined with beautiful trees and filled with well-maintained homes and lawns, families appreciate the active community and neighborliness of residents. The neighborhood is located right by the seventy-seven-acre Cottonwood Creek Greenbelt with its walking and biking trails, fishing decks, wildlife in wetlands, and more. Schools, like those throughout the city, are outstanding.

Whether one of these neighborhoods is calling your name or you select another one of Frisco’s fine communities, Suddath will smoothly get you there when it’s time for moving to Frisco.

Finding Your Way Around Frisco

Frisco is conveniently located just 21.5 miles from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, making it easy for you to travel and for people around the globe to visit you in your new home. At the airport, a free light rail train, Skyline, connects the five terminals for ease of navigation while Terminal Link, a free van shuttle among terminals outside of the security area, leaves every ten minutes. Dallas Love Field Airport, meanwhile, is also nearby, offering plenty of transportation options.

Because Frisco is one of the safest cities in America, when walking is a reasonable option, you can proceed with more confidence. Plus, Frisco is officially a Bicycle Friendly Community, according to the League of American Bicyclists. This includes dedicated bike lanes and designated routes along with multi-use pathways and off-road biking trails with soft surfaces. Here is a map of the city’s hiking and biking trails.

Family-Friendly Activities in Frisco

Relocating to Frisco, Texas means you’ll be moving to a place that appreciates the importance of families. Frisco contains more than fifty parks, including gorgeous community parks, neighborhood-specific ones, natural green spaces, hiking and biking paths, fishing ponds, dog parks, athletic fields, and more—even a skate park.

Many contain stunning pieces of commissioned public art that include mosaic pavers inspired by fifteenth-century medieval imagery located at Falcons Field Park; a sculpture of the largest land animal in North America, the American Bison, at 3110 Preston Road; and Cloudscape at Harold Bacchus Community Park that mimics the splash of raindrops and allows families to watch how their shadows change. The Texas climate allows you to enjoy these parks throughout the year although you’ll want to bring plenty of water on hot days.

Then there’s KidZania. Although this family-friendly park where kids rule is located around the globe, its Frisco location is the first one in the United States. A huge 100,000-square-foot indoor city contains fifty individual buildings, streets, and moving vehicles, and kids can choose from more than one hundred careers to role-play. There is even a fuselage of a Boeing 737-500! Activities are scheduled for the toddlers with adults monitoring activities across the age ranges.

The National Videogame Museum dedicates itself to preserving video games’ history and culture. The museum contains a Head to Head Wall that allows visitors to play both classic and modern video games, observing the differences and the technology’s evolution. Giant Pong allows you to experience the game on a massive scale while a recreated 1980s bedroom contains authentic memorabilia from that pivotal decade in gaming development.

Whether you’re a true ferroequinologist, a budding railway enthusiast, or someone who wants to learn more about the history of trains, the Museum of the American Railroad is the place to be. You can explore life-sized, real trains and look at G-scale model trains. The TrainTopia exhibit, meanwhile, demonstrates varying topographies from Arizona to Texas, New Mexico, and northeast Texas in the 1960s. Enjoy an animated scene of downtown Dallas and a real movie playing at the Pala Duro drive-in theater. Thomas the Tank Engine has even made guest appearances in the museum.

Education in Frisco

As far as higher education, the University of North Texas at Frisco opened Frisco Landing in spring 2023 while Collin College also has a Frisco location, set along the historic Shawnee Trail.

As far as public schools, Texas structures independent school districts with their own taxing authority that’s kept separate from governmental oversight. There are about 1,200 of them. If a school is designated as a “consolidated” district, this indicates that two or more school systems in Texas have combined. According to Niche.com, the A+ Frisco Independent School district ranks as the fifteenth best out of the 1,052 schools they ranked in Texas—number 150 out of the 10,392 districts they ranked in the United States.

Livability.com, remember, listed the educational system in Frisco as one of its strengths that makes it one of the best places to live in America. When reviewing for this category, Livability checks to see if the city “feature[s] an educated population and high-quality schools at all levels of education. Sample metrics: School Quality, Years of School, College.” Frisco receives a resounding thumbs up so, if you’re thinking about moving to Frisco, TX and are wondering about the schools, this information should help you to make your decision.

Sports in Frisco

Frisco is called “Sports City USA” for a good reason, including how it’s home to five professional sports teams. First, it contains the Dallas Cowboys Headquarters, a ninety-one-acre practice facility that allows fans to connect with their football team in unique ways. The Cowboys are one of the winningest National Football League franchises, securing five Super Bowl rings and eight conference championships.

Frisco is also the site of the headquarters of the National Hockey League team, the Dallas Stars: the Comerica Center. The Stars have appeared in the Stanley Cup finals five times, winning one championship.

Toyota Stadium in Frisco is the home of the professional soccer team, FC Dallas, while the Frisco RoughRiders play minor league baseball. Also in Frisco: the Texas Legends who are in the National Basketball League’s G League, affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks.

High school sports in Frisco add to the enjoyment, giving you good reason to cheer throughout the year.

Frisco: What to Do

When moving to Frisco, TX, there’s plenty to do with some of it described in the section on family-friendly activities and on sports in the city. That’s definitely not all, though. For example, the Texas Sculpture Garden, located at 6801 Gaylord Parkway in Frisco, has been recognized as the largest collection of privately owned contemporary sculpture. This garden was created to allow both interior and exterior artwork to be seen by the public and to honor the talents of “homegrown artists.”

You might want to visit the 16,000-square-foot Frisco’s Heritage Center, too, to become connected to its past, understand more of its present, and mull over its future. Admission is free, and you can visit historical buildings—including a blacksmith shop, church, schoolhouse, log cabin, and railway depot—along with a wooden caboose, steam locomotive, windmill, and more.

If you like to eat out, enjoy the nightlife, and explore the arts, there’s even more to do when relocating to Frisco, Texas.

Dining, Nightlife, and the Arts

Some of the intriguing restaurants include these:

• Trick Rider: This Texas-themed restaurant that pays homage to famed rodeo stars offers delicious dry-aged steaks along with in-demand seafood dishes, including with caviar. Located in the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, equally flavorful lighter choices are also available. Architectural details of interest include the hand-cut crystal horse chandelier and horseshoe-shaped bar.
• Kinzo: In the mood for sushi? Chef Leo Kekoa serves it in an edomae style. “Kinzo” stands for “neighborhood” in the Japanese language, and this restaurant combines that country’s traditional culinary style with French cuisine. Well known for its fresh ingredients, the menu is diverse, delivered by a professional with Hawaiian roots who spent ten years in Seoul and Tokyo.
• Berries & Batter Cafe: Shifting gears, this family-owned restaurant offers up a unique twist on traditional American breakfasts. As part of its welcoming atmosphere, children can romp on a playground and Fido can join the family on the dog-friendly patio. Mimosas are available at the full-service bar.
• Hutchins Barbeque: If your mouth is watering for BBQ and its fixins’, head to Hutchins. Their tradition began when the family attached a BBQ restaurant to their home. Since then, they’ve appeared on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 List for more than a decade. They’ve served at the James Beard House (not once, but twice) and won the Best Restaurant Iron Fork Award.

When moving to Frisco, TX, you may also wonder about the nightlife. Well, you’re in luck because the Rail District, located in the heart of the historic district, contains plenty of restaurants and entertainment venues—and the Rail District is quite walkable. If you’re wanting to visit a brewery, then Three Empires Brewing Company is right there on your stroll. If wine is more your thing (or some in your group prefer wine while others want craft brews or unique cocktails), then eight | 11 Place offers that kind of diversity. Live music is often on their menu as well.

In fact, Frisco is the site of a lively music scene, one where “boredom plays second fiddle to fun.” You can find concert listings that consist of local favorites, undiscovered “gems,” and crowd pleasers that include among them big names in the music business. And, what would “Sports City USA” be without sports bars?

Shopping Venues in Frisco

Stonebriar Centre contains the spectrum of retail brand stores, ranging from Abercrombie Kids to American Eagle Outfitters, Aveda, Banana Republic, Bath and Body Works, Coach, Dillards, Hot Topic, Kay Jewelers, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Oakley, Pottery Barn, Sephora, and much, much more. Plenty of restaurants are right at hand, too, for hungry shoppers.

Local boutiques also abound throughout the city with Frisco Mercantile serving as grand central station for unique shopping opportunities.

Important Frisco Links

After relocating to Frisco, Texas, there are nuts and bolts to take care of, just like when you move anywhere. Here are a few key links to get you started.

• Driver’s licenses: If you already live in Texas, you probably won’t have to do more than update your address, and you can usually take care of your needs online. You can use these guidelines by The Texas Department of Public Safety to get the most current information. If you’re a new Texas resident, here’s guidance from them. In Texas, driver’s licenses can be valid for up to eight years. If you aren’t able to fulfill all of your driver’s license requirements online, make an appointment for in-person assistance.
• Voter registration: Note that parts of Frisco are located in Collins County (here is voting information for Collins residents) while other sections are in Denton County (here’s Denton info). If you need to register to vote in Frisco, here are the steps.
• Trash pickup: Residential pickup happens weekly from Waste Connections through a fully automated process, which means that personnel do not leave their vehicles to handle collections. You can find pickup schedules here and, if you have questions, call 972-292-5900.
• Emergency preparedness: Frisco has a state of the art emergency preparedness division. When you register for CodeRED, you can receive emergency notifications by phone, email, and/or text and also receive routine maintenance alerts.
• Here’s how to apply for water, sewer, and storm management services.

Moving to Frisco? Our Professional Frisco, TX Movers Are Here to Help!

When you’re planning your relocation, you’re probably reviewing options by comparing moving companies in Frisco, TX. With Suddath, you’ll receive a customized relocation experience that’s both efficient and cost effective. We’re not just dependable, either. We’re dependable, with more than 100 years of experience of moving people like your family and transporting households like yours.

Our Frisco movers are thoroughly vetted and trained, caring crews that get the job done right. If you’re looking at moving companies in Frisco, TX, please reach out for a free, no obligation moving quote. We offer adaptable moving services to suit your needs, including flexible packing and unpacking services and safe, secure, convenient storage solutions. You choose exactly how much help you want and need, and our Frisco movers smoothly deliver your choices. Your dedicated move coordinator, meanwhile, will guide you from start to finish and answer all your questions.

Connect with us for your free estimate!

The post Moving Guide: Moving to Frisco, Texas appeared first on Suddath.

2. Living a Mobile Lifestyle
Often moving from place to place, military families pack lightly. In a lot of cases, military families get very little notice as to when their next move will be. They have to pack just enough clothing and essentials to survive as space is limited when traveling by vehicle, ship or airplane, to their next location. Military brats learn to take only their prized possessions.

3. Finding a Place to Call Home
Military brats are global citizens. They learn to pick up regional dialects, new languages and cultures quickly. They rarely have a “hometown” or one place they can call home. For some, traveling with a familiar item (favorite pillow, blanket or teddy bear) can help them cope with being home-sick. Military brats deal with life on base learning military customs, rules and security regulations. Going to school, playing sports and taking part in family activities on base helps military brats feel like part of a community. Many learn social skills, how to reach out and comfort each other when dealing with struggles at home. Others struggle to develop and maintain lasting relationships because they haven’t had the chance to develop a bond with one specific place or group of people.

4. Keeping In Touch
Military brats have a hard time forming long-lasting friendships because there is always the threat of leaving. Keeping in touch with family, friends and deployed parents through postcards, letters and social media is a great way to keep in contact with others when they can’t be with them in person. With the introduction of Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Instagram, those having to deal with long distance relationships are closer than ever before.

5. Weighing the Advantages
There are advantages to being a military brat. One major advantage is learning patriotism and service to ones country. Until recently, all US military schools began the day with the Pledge of Allegiance and saluting the American flag. The military values and strict discipline their parents practice on the field are instilled in them while on base. Another advantage is that military brats’ experience something many people could only dream of, by traveling to other states and foreign countries. Moving from place to place helps military brats learn about different cultures and customs, exposing them to various ways of life all over the world. Lastly, military brats can take advantage of government benefits. They receive completely free medical care until their soldier-parent leaves service or until they reach the age of 21 (depending on the parent’s branch of service).

Have you relocated with the military? Share your experiences.

The post Life of a Military Brat: Always on the Move appeared first on Suddath.

Base and Frame Instructions:

• Although the Sleep Number® Modular Base (foundation) is very strong, it can be bent or twisted while moving. Completely disassemble and box the modular base for moving.
• Disassemble the frame and headboard, save all hardware and necessary tools in a bag, and tape it to a larger frame part so they are not lost while moving.
• The Firmness Control™ System, Sleep Number® Remote and instructions should be packed in a box with packing material and transported in a way it will be exposed to minimal shock and vibration.

Mattress Instructions:

• If you are using a moving company, the mattress can be moved assembled and in a mattress box.
• Leave the mattress fully inflated and cap it off.
• Third party charges may be incurred if you do not have the closure caps necessary to move the mattress fully inflated. For replacement parts, please contact Sleep Number® Product Support at 888‐484‐9263.

How to Cap Off Your Sleep Number® Mattress:

1. Push in the grey tab on the end of the hose and remove the hose.
2. Quickly place a closure cap over the air chamber connector.
3. Push the closure cap securely onto the air chamber connector.

Download our Moving Your Sleep Number Bed Guide

For over 100 years, we’ve been the moving company you can trust, serving customers across the United States.

The post How to Move Your Sleep Number Bed appeared first on Suddath.

You have to change your address, forward your mail, change doctors, your kids may need to change schools and if you’re moving for a job you are starting over somewhere new. Suddath can help — contact us for a free moving quote!

When it comes to moving, packing typically is the most daunting task. In fact, many people begin packing months ahead of time knowing the time spent wrapping and boxing up items really adds up.

This is especially true when you are moving yourself, without hiring a professional Dallas mover. So, if you are moving, hiring a quality moving company could save you a lot of time since the movers can help with the time-consuming task of packing.

With a professional moving company, you have the option of doing some, or all the packing yourself. During the estimating process, you can choose between:

• Full packing service (the crew packs everything for you),
• Partial packing service (the crew handles items you wish not to pack yourself)
• No packing service (the crew doesn’t pack any of your belongings)

It is strongly recommended that you choose at least a partial packing service, so a professionally trained crew can expertly handle your fragile and high-value items.

Packing and Wrapping Furniture and Appliances

What about furniture and major appliances?

Regardless of the packing service you choose, furniture and major appliances will be pad and/or stretch wrapped by the moving crew.

Please keep in mind, all appliances will need to be prepared ahead of time. This includes disconnecting your washer and dryer and preparing your refrigerator (third-party services are available for these at an additional cost).

Disassembly and Custom Crating

Regardless of the packing option you choose, large items may need disassembly as well as custom crating services.

In this instance, a third-party expert supplier will be called to build a custom crate to safely prepare the item(s) for transport.

These services will be an additional expense on the move estimate but any damage to these items is covered.

Here are a few examples of items that would need special attention when moving:

• Pool Tables
• Grandfather Clocks
• Chandeliers
• Large Glass Tabletops
• Original Artwork
• Large Mirrors
• Grand Pianos and Baby Grand Pianos
• Large Sculptures or Statues
• Workout Equipment
• Home Theater and Electronics

Partial Packing Services

Partial packing services is a good option if you are looking to save money on moving costs, or you feel confident in having the time and the ability to carefully wrap and pack the items in your home well enough to make it to your destination.

If you are interested in having partial packing services performed, the move consultant will set a price based on the items you need wrapped, plus whatever you choose for the moving company to pack.

If you end up packing more or less than what you originally planned, your actual cost for packing services could change from what was originally on your estimate.

In these cases, you’ll need to contact your move consultant at least 5-10 days prior to the move taking place for these changes to be made.

Selecting Partial Packing Services?

Here are some self-packing tips:

• Invest in the proper moving boxes, whether used or new. Ask your salesperson for recommendations on where to find moving boxes.
• Use color coded labels.
• Ensure every box is completely closed and secure the top using strong packing tape
• Host a yard sale or donate items to reduce your volume, which reduces over costs.

Full Packing Services

We recommend full packing services as the best option if you are short on the time required to pack your entire home, or if you have an especially large shipment.

When you are meeting with your move consultant, they will set a price based on packing everything in your home.

If you end up packing any of your items yourself, your actual cost for packing services could decrease from what was originally on your estimate, however you will need confirm with your salesperson at least 5-10 days prior to the move.

Which Items Are Covered by Valuation With Packing Service?

Whether you purchase partial or full packing service, only the items packed by the moving company are covered under the moving company’s default valuation policy.

Owner packed cartons containing high-value items must be left open for our drivers to inspect and seal.

It’s important to note that if you packed these items on your own, the moving company is not held liable for damages or loss, unless a damaged box is notated upon delivery.

For clarification, please speak with your move consultant.

Can I Change My Mind About the Packing Services After My Estimate?

Yes, you can change your mind about which packing service you originally had on your estimate. If you choose the full packing service but choose to pack items yourself, please let your moving consultant know at 5-10 in advance prior to your move.

That way, we can be sure the crew has the correct amount of packing supplies required. In turn, if you made the decision to pack yourself and you are not completely packed several days prior to loading, please contact your move coordinator right away so we schedule a pack team to help finish the job.

Preparing for a move and packing your belongings can be overwhelming. We’re here to help ease the stress!

Schedule a free estimate to speak with a move consultant, and get all of your packing questions answered!

The post Full Packing Service vs. Partial Packing Service appeared first on Suddath.

Check them out below!

Space Center Houston

As you can imagine, the Space Center Houston is out of this world! Owned and operated by the nonprofit Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, the space center offers multiple space exploration exhibits and attractions, as well as plenty of opportunities to learn more about America’s space programs. 

Houston Zoo

You can never go wrong with cute animals, right? With exhibits featuring various animal species, the Houston Zoo is the perfect place for children of all ages to spend the day. This zoo also features a water play park, a wildlife carousel and even a place to feed giraffes!

Moody Gardens

Located about an hour southeast of Houston, the educational tourist destination, Moody Gardens features three pyramid attractions – the Aquarium Pyramid, the Rainforest Pyramid and the Discover Pyramid.

All three exhibit collections feature a specific type of nature, from rainforest animals to marine wildlife or even a deep dive into human and animal biology.

This destination also features Palm Beach waterpark, a zip line and ropes course, as well as a full golf course. Moody Gardens is worth a weekend visit for the family!

Children’s Museum of Houston

Spend the day learning and using your imagination at the Children’s Museum of Houston. Nicknamed “A Playground for Your Mind,” this museum has a variety of exhibits for playtime and brainteasers.

Stop by the EcoStation to learn about the outdoors or take a look inside the Inventors’ Workshop. Looking for a way to celebrate? The museum even hosts birthday parties! What are you waiting for? Start exploring!

Downtown Aquarium

The Downtown Aquarium in Houston is home to many exhibits including sea creatures, reptiles, rainforest animals and even the White Tigers of the Maharaja’s Temple.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. While at the aquarium, you can enjoy games, rides and fine dining. Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop on the way out to grab a souvenir.

Kemah Boardwalk

With its ocean front location, the Kemah Boardwalk has something for everyone. This Houston attraction features seaside restaurants, roller coasters, charming boutiques and festivals.

Events on the boardwalk are always changing, so be sure to plan your trip around things you and your family would like to see. Are you from out of town? Stay in the action by reserving a night at the Boardwalk Inn!

Levy Park

Looking for something outdoorsy? Located in the heart of the Upper Kirby District, Levy Park is a great place to hang out whether you are enjoying a yoga class, a family picnic or an afternoon with your dog!

Along with plenty of green grass and walking trails, Levy Park visitors can enjoy a games cart, reading room and Grit Grocery food and grocery truck.

No matter what adventure your family is seeking, Houston has something to offer for everyone.

Book a trip today and start creating memories!

The post Family Activities in Houston, Texas appeared first on Suddath.

The annual Atlas Van Lines Migration Patterns Study answers the question each year, “where are Americans moving?”

In the 30th edition of the Atlas study, Americans are influenced by changes in the economy, housing, and job markets. These factors created a moving ecosystem in 2023 that saw more American’s prioritizing affordability over all else.  

Current headlines quote homeowners as feeling “locked in” with lower mortgage rates, and therefore not buying new homes with a current nationwide average of 7%. According to Freddie Mac, as of October 2023 customers had accrued a total of $800 billion in savings, with a little over half (60%) of mortgage holders having a rate of 4% or under.

With that kind of savings, would Americans even find incentive to move at all? And if so, where would they go?

Atlas 2023 moving data shows:

• Hawaii was once again a sought-after destination, with 77% of the shipments being inbound.
• Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Washington are good states for business.
• The United States’ most affordable states have seen high rates of outbound moves, particularly in the Midwest, such as Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio.

What States Are Most Americans Moving Away From?

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of outbound moves in 2023 were:

1. Illinois
2. Pennsylvania
3. Louisiana
4. Minnesota
5. Indiana
6. Oregon
7. Iowa
8. Mississippi
9. New York
10. Ohio

Pennsylvania’s rate of outbound moves dramatically increased in 2023, as did Oregon’s. Meanwhile, the exodus from Indiana has seemed to slow, although it remains high on the outbound list.

What Top States Are Most Americans Moving To?
The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound moves in 2023 were:

1. Maine
2. North Carolina
3. New Hampshire
4. Montana
5. Washington
6. Arkansas
7. Florida
8. New Mexico
9. District of Columbia
10. Texas

North Carolina and Maine remain top-desired states from 2022 with New Hampshire making the largest jump from 10th to third.

Why are People Moving?

In a Redfin study based on the searches of users, homebuyers moving from one metro area to another is coming down from an August 2023 peak as affordability becomes an increasingly important factor in home buying, and more companies are calling workers back into the office for full-time or hybrid work.

For those who are relocating, the most popular destinations are relatively affordable places like Spokane, WA, Sacramento, CA and Las Vegas, NA.

Previously popular hot spots like Austin, Texas are seeing a decline in homebuyers for the first time in years, as they are priced out and searching for more affordable pastures.

Many homebuyers relocating to Austin were moving long distance from bigger, less affordable cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, with the ever rising home prices in Austin, this means that the price gap between Austin and those larger cities is smaller than it used to be. Those in search of homeownership from these areas may be looking elsewhere for a better deal.

Monthly mortgage payments have doubled from what they were prior to 2020, and the current typical monthly payment for Austin’s median-priced home at $455,000 with the average mortgage rate of 7.63% is $3,890 at the end of 2023, nearly double 2019’s typical payment of $2,136 (median sale price of $320,000; average mortgage rate of 3.94%).

San Antonio and Corpus Christi are two of the three most popular destinations for Redfin.com users moving away from Austin with the third being Denver, CO. 

What Neighborhoods Are People Moving Into?

With homeowners holding onto existing real estate, homebuilding has increased.

According to Redfin data, 31.8% of U.S. single-family homes for sale in the last quarter of 2023 were new construction, which was the highest level of any fourth quarter on record. 

Knowing they have an edge in the market, homebuilders have been capitalizing on the lack of inventory.  They’re offering sizable discounts and concessions to attract available buyers and offload inventory, including money for mortgage rate buydowns. 

However, even with those discounts, roughly 42%  of new single-family homes that sold in 2022 went for $500,000 or more, up from 30% in 2021 and 18% in 2020.

Retirees are Fueling the Market

More than 338,000 U.S. residents welcomed in retirement with a new home in 2023, the highest number in three years with a 44 percent jump from 2022. Affordability is always a driver for retirees on fixed incomes, and current pressures from high inflation and an unsure stock market has older Americans relocating to a cheaper or more tax-friendly state.

• Taxes and climate affect retirees moving choices. According to SmartAsset’s report on U.S. Census data, Nevada, Texas and Florida took six of the top 10 spots for where retirees are moving. These states represent areas with warm climates and no state income tax, which likely lures in retirees looking to stretch their budget further when it comes to lifestyle and home purchases.
• Florida continues to draw in retirees. Florida netted more than 78,000 senior residents from other states, according to the SmartAsset report.
• In a dramatic reversal, Charlotte, NC dropped more than 100 spots. The Queen City dropped from No. 6 to No. 130 in a single year. Charlotte had a net gain of 1,290 residents 60 and older, but according to recent data, 3,150 retirees left Charlotte while only about 1,860 moved inbound from other states.

Where Are Americans Moving Internationally?

According to a 2020 State Department estimate, the number of US citizens who live outside the US is about 9 million. While those are Americans already living abroad, 15% polled by Gallup in 2022 said they wanted to leave the U.S. permanently.

With moving abroad becoming more and more popular thanks to social media influencers and a healthy dose of House Hunters International, the majority of those looking to move are craving a new adventure, according to research by The Washington Post. With remote work opportunities becoming more attainable than ever, many countries have rolled out what are being called “digital nomad visas” to attract those who aren’t tied to a specific location for work.

For 2023, Atlas^® World Group International reported the following top inbound and outbound countries for overseas relocation:

1. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. United Kingdom
5. Bahrain
6. Australia
7. Canada
8. Kuwait
9. India
10. Jordan

2023 Top 10 Outbound

1. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Kuwait
4. Germany
5. Saudi Arabia
6. Puerto Rico
7. Greece
8. India
9. Denmark
10. United Kingdom

No matter where you’re moving next, you can depend on Suddath. Learn more about Atlas’ 2023 Migration Patterns Study or reach out to Suddath about a local, long distance or international move.

The post 2023 Atlas Migration Patterns Study: Top States People Are Moving To And From appeared first on Suddath.

#1 Evolving Tax Situation

Currently there are several states where there is no state income tax, which means less money taken out of your paychecks. As AARP notes, states that don’t impose state taxes will likely make up those funds in other ways and, in Texas, one method has been higher property taxes. In 2023, Texas had the seventh highest property taxes at $3,907—but relief may be in sight with a proposed $18 billion property tax cut being on the ballot in November 2023. This form of tax relief will have its own ramifications with Texas voters having decision making powers.

#2 High Ranking Economy

According to the U.S. News & World Report, Texas has the eighth best economy out of all the states, being ranked sixteenth in fiscal stability. Traditionally associated with the 20th-century oil boom, many of the largest public Texas companies are still in the oil and gas industry. Texas also has an agricultural tradition with its livestock industry still near the top in the United States. Other industries of note include airlines and technology companies. As a related factor, Texas is ranked number thirteen in infrastructure, referring to the quality of its roads and bridges, renewable energy usage, access to high-speed internet, and so forth.

#3 State of Microclimates

Overall, of course, Texas experiences quite warm weather with the fourth highest temperatures on average and a hot season that lasts from June to September, peaking in August. Because the state is also where multiple climate zones meet, Texas is a state of microclimates. If you’ve moved to the western portion of the state, for example, the climate is arid. On the east side, It’s likely to be humid. The extremes of temperature of heat and humidity in the summer, meanwhile, are most significantly felt along the Gulf Coast and in the lowlands.

#4 Diversity Rules

In a study that relies upon 2020 U.S. census information, Texas is the second most diverse state in the country, overall, only behind California. In the ranking system used, Texas earned a score of 70.04, which is only slightly behind California’s figure of 70.62. Drilling down into diversity subcategories, Texas ranks:

• 4th in cultural diversity
• 13th in economic diversity
• 36th in household diversity
• 6th in religious diversity
• 39th in political diversity

Just like any other state, Texas isn’t homogenous, having differences at the city level. For example, Houston is the country’s fourth most diverse state with Arlington right behind it at number five. Other Texas cities may not show up in the list of the most diverse locations at all.

#5 Great Travel Hub

If, before you relocated to this state, you worried about the ease of traveling elsewhere or others visiting you, no worries! You could add the state’s traveling convenience to your list of “10 things I wish I knew before moving to Texas.” It’s centrally located between New York and California with inbound and outbound flights being fairly inexpensive. Plus, the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport offers flights to major cities around the world with plenty of other airports in Texas. 

#6 Texas Sized Pride

Geographically, Texas is big—something you probably knew before relocating here. But, did you know that the second biggest state in the United States at 268,597 square miles is about seven percent of the size of the entire country?

The big nature of Texas is much larger than just its size, too, with residents having an enormous sense of pride in their home state. If you’re not used to this attitude from previous homes, it may take a bit of getting used to. Before long, though, you’ll probably be boasting about its awesomeness yourself.

#7 Rich in History

When we say that Texas is steeped in history, we’re talking way back—even back to the days of the dinosaurs. When you visit Dinosaur Valley State Park, located not far from Fort Worth, you can literally walk in their tracks in the Paluxy Riverbed.

You can even BYOH (bring your own horse) to ride through the South Primitive Area. If so, BYOB (bring your own bucket) of water. If you’re interested in military history, be sure to remember the Alamo! Flags from five independent nations have flown over this land with the Mission San Antonio de Valero serving as garrison for just as many armies.

#8 Property Insurance is Not Mandated but Banks Require Policies

If, before you relocated, you liked the idea of property insurance being optional, add this to your list of “10 things I wish I knew before moving to Texas.” Unless you’re going to rent or pay for your home in cash, though, your mortgage lender almost certainly won’t take the same attitude. After all, your house will serve as collateral for the money they’re loaning you for the purchase. If you move into a flood zone, the lender may also require flood insurance. Really, though, even if you aren’t mandated to buy property insurance, wouldn’t you want to protect your biggest investment?

#9 Texan Lingo

People in this state sure have slang of their own—and as “purtee” as it may sound, if you aren’t privy to the particulars before your move, you’ll want to listen closely as you get used to the lingo. To help, here’s a bit of Texas Speak. And, since you’re already settled in, it may be too late for definitions of these ten Texas slang words, but maybe you can share them with others who relocate to the state. Bless your heart, y’all!

#10 Moving Out of State Guide

Suddath has created a great moving out of state guide that can make the process much easier. Steps to take include:

• determining a budget
• finding a place to live
• researching moving companies
• visiting where you’re moving
• getting familiar with new taxes and laws
• letting people know you’re moving

Moving with Suddath

Once you’ve relocated to Texas, you may find yourself in need of a local move—either to another part of the state or across town. In either case, Suddath is here to help! We’ve got more than 100 years of experience in moving families like yours, providing a high quality personalized moving experience for each one.

We provide total transparency throughout the relocation, which is managed by professional movers who have been carefully vetted and background checked before receiving full training. Pricing is flexible and easy to understand.

Additional services include packing and unpacking by fully trained crew members. We offer full packing and partial packing services, able to seamlessly pack even your most delicate items and then unpacking them in your new location for your convenience. We use high quality packing materials with care, time, and attention.

If you’re in need of storage services, we’ve got you covered. You can store belongings after you’ve decluttered to stage your home for sale or to keep them in storage for a while as you settle into your new home. With 500,000 square feet of storage space in Texas, we have what you need for short term or long-term storage needs.

The post 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Texas appeared first on Suddath.

Winter weather is not ideal for most types of appliances. Cold temperatures can cause appliances to freeze, crack or explode.

Suddath recommends that you take precaution during the colder months (November – April) to protect your appliances from extensive damage.

We’ve compiled the most common questions about appliance safety and frigid temperatures, as well as, some practical steps you can take to protect your goods during winter. Contact us with any other questions or start a moving quote!

1. Can My Appliances Be Left Outside In The Cold?

No, appliances left outside in extreme cold temperatures (below freezing) can create serious problems such as cracking pipes, water pumps, valves and drain lines.

2. Can My Appliances Be Affected Inside, Too?

Yes, appliances left in basements, garages or next to cold outside walls (such as cement) can pose a potential risk.

3. Can I Store New Appliances in a Cold Garage or Basement Until They Are Ready to be Installed?

Yes, it is unlikely your new, unopened appliance will become damaged in your garage or basement if it’s not hooked up to a water source.

Before installing, let the appliance warm up to room temperature by sitting inside. If you are still concerned, take an extra step by wrapping the boxes with insulated material or a wool blanket to help.

4. If I Live in the South, Do I Still Have To Worry?

Yes, although less common, Southern states have freezing temperatures extreme enough to affect appliances.

5. If I Go On Vacation During the Winter, Should I Turn Off My Heat?

No, the U.S. Department of Energy does not recommend turning your heat completely off. Instead, turn it down low enough to keep your house running efficiently, but not below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. How To Protect Refrigerators

If you have a second refrigerator or deep freezer in your garage or basement that is connected to a water supply, and you’re facing temperatures below freezing, it’s best to disconnect or insulate the hoses attached to the water source to prevent damage.

If you need to keep these appliances connected, use a space heater near the water lines at the back of the appliance. Be sure you unplug the heater overnight or anytime you aren’t at home to reduce the risk of a fire.

7. How To Winterize Your Refrigerator

• Remove all food and beverages from the refrigerator.
• Turn off the circuit breakers and unplug the cord from the wall.
• Turn off the icemaker first, then turn off the water supply.
• Turn temperature control to off.
• Clean the inside of the refrigerator with a baking soda solution (1 tablespoon of baking soda per 1 quart of water). Do not use any cleaning products with bleach as it can cause cracking and discoloration to your appliance. Wipe dry when finished cleaning.
• Leave the doors of the refrigerator open to allow the interior to dry to prevent mold and mildew.

8. How To Protect Washing Machines

Perhaps the most vulnerable appliance to extreme cold weather is your washing machine, because of the constant use of water.

At the end of the wash cycle, you may find that excess water may freeze inside the hoses and pumps causing leakage when the weather becomes warmer.

To prevent this from happening, it is recommended that you wrap the hoses with pipe insulation and disconnect the water lines from the wall when the washer is not in use.

9. How To Winterize Your Washing Machine

• Turn off all water supply faucets.
• Disconnect all hoses from the water supply, and ensure the water is drained from the hoses.
• Remove the drain hose from the drain. Lay the hose on the floor in a shallow pan to allow the water to drain out of the hose.
• Tilt the washer towards the front about four to six inches to allow any remaining water in the pump to drain out of the hose. If you have a stacking washer and dryer, DO NOT attempt to tip forward as the appliance could fall.

10. Additional Tips To Keep Appliances Safe From The Cold

• Keep your garage door closed as much as possible to keep the heat inside.
• Keep foundation vents closed or covered.
• Cover basement windows with blankets to keep out drafts.
• Closely monitor your appliances for leaks, cracks and overall performance.
• Contact the manufacturer for additional tips and questions.

11. Here Are Several Household Items That May Be Affected By Cold Weather

• Washers and Dryers
• Refrigerators
• Ice makers
• Space heaters
• Dishwashers
• Waterbed Mattress
• Grandfather Clocks
• Electronic devices: TVs, computers, DVD players, gaming consoles, stereo systems, and other AV equipment.

At Suddath, our local and long distance moving services include a specialized service provider that can assist you with disconnecting, packing, crating and installing your electronics and appliances.

They will ensure that your belongings are properly wrapped and secured for transportation. If you require these third-party installation services, your Suddath move consultant will alert you of any delivery restrictions due to cold weather.

Please, plan accordingly.

The post Can I Leave My Appliances Outside in the Cold? appeared first on Suddath.

Most people, however, fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, valuing both time-saving services and cost-efficient choices. To help you decide, here are pros and cons of each approach.

Pros of Hiring a Professional Mover

These six advantages highlight how professional moving companies can streamline the relocation experience for you.

Experience

Even if you’ve moved your household before, DIY, you’d still have limited experience when compared to a moving company. When hiring a relocation company, you’ll be contracting with professionals who have significant experience in moving households. With Suddath, this is a notable factor since we have more than a century of moving expertise. From cozy cottages to apartments on high floors to mid-sized homes and condos to large estates, there isn’t much that we haven’t moved.

Expertise

Closely related to the concept of experience, trained, skilled professional movers have the ability to efficiently manage your belongings with finesse: packing, loading, transporting, and unloading them. This can be especially important with moving bulky or delicate items, if needing to navigate down plenty of stairs, and when placing cargo in the truck in ways to prevent damage. If a situation out of the ordinary arises, movers can draw upon their experience and expertise to address the scenario.

Time Savings

As the well-tested saying goes, time is money—and, when you’re busy planning for your life in your new home, time is especially valuable. Professional movers know how to efficiently manage each step of the move while handling your household possessions with great care. Instead of inviting friends and family over a few days to have them pack your belongings (using the best of their knowledge), professional movers leverage their experience to pack in a matter of hours.

Flexibility

At Suddath, we don’t offer one size fits all, take it or leave it types of moves. Instead, you can decide what moving services you’d like us to take on. This allows you to choose the services that fit your budget and then fill in with DIY aspects to save money. For example, many people use our partial packing services—where experts pack bulky items, for example, or delicate possessions, or last-minute boxes, while you take care of the rest, DIY.

Proper Supplies, Tools, and Equipment

Professional movers have the right ones to get the job done right the first time. Although you may have access to good packing supplies and can obtain some of the tools and equipment, some items are ones that people typically don’t have at home and/or are too expensive to invest in for just one or two moves. At Suddath, we have what you’ll need, including for custom crating and other specialty moving tasks. Plus, we show up with exactly what you need the first time.

Valuation Coverage

According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, moving companies must offer baseline valuation coverage, which differs from insurance. This coverage, included at no additional cost to the customer, protects household goods at $0.60 per pound, per item. (If any damage occurs in transit, then the customer would be compensated by the item’s weight, not value.) You may elect to obtain more coverage for optimal protection.

Cons of Professional Movers

Minor considerations can exist. For example, they include how you’ll need to choose a moving date that’s available at the moving company, but that’s also true if you decide to DIY-move and need to rent a truck. The key con of choosing to use professional movers is the cost, which can be more than a DIY move.

If looking to get a cost-efficient relocation but are open to various ways to accomplish that, consider getting a professional moving quote and comparing it to doing the move yourself. The difference may be less than you think, especially if you declutter your belongings before you move, DIY pack, and schedule a less-in-demand day—like a Monday through Thursday during the moving industry’s off-season of October through April. Demand peaks through the summer time across van lines and, since a limited number of moving slots exist, more demand with a limited supply can translate into a higher price. This can be compared to when you want to book a seat for an airline flight where the same situation takes place.

If you decide to get a quote, for a true apples to apples comparison, be sure to factor in the components listed in the Cons of DIY Moves section of this post.

Pros of DIY Moves

Cost Savings

Typically, when people decide to move DIY, it’s to save money. When you can get free or low cost labor from friends and family members  to supplement your own muscle (perhaps in exchange for pizza or a few bucks), these labor costs will be less than ones associated with professional movers. See the Cons of DIY Moves to see what costs you’ll still need to pay with this choice.

You’re in Charge

You know your own personality. The fact of being in control may matter to you as you decide what truck to rent, how to position everything inside the truck, what routes to drive, and so forth. If you drive the truck a certain distance and decide that you want to stop at a motel overnight, you can do so as long as the truck rental covers that time frame or you’re willing to pay the extra fee.

Personal Satisfaction

Closely related to being in control of your entire move, you may feel a sense of accomplishment when you do it yourself. You’ve tackled the challenges and gone the extra mile, and that can feel good.

Cons of DIY Moves

Finding Help

Getting friends and family members to provide the labor for your DIY move can sound wonderful in theory but can be more challenging in practice when the time comes. People may have the best intentions when they commit to help, but then they get busy, they pull a back muscle, or they need to leave early to help with a project around their own house or to pick up their kids from a school event.

Less Experience

The people who are willing and available to help with your DIY move will pack items less efficiently than professional movers. That’s just the nature of the game. Perhaps, too, they’ll damage valuable possessions in the process. Even if they don’t cause any damage to them while packing or transporting them to the truck, if the packing was less than optimal or the belongings were placed in the truck in a less than optimal way, the items can get damaged in transit.

No Valuation Coverage

Unlike a relocation with professional movers, if any items get damaged in transit, they won’t be protected by valuation coverage. If you get insurance from your agent to protect them, be sure to add those costs into your comparison with professional moving quotes.

More Time Consuming

A DIY move will naturally be less efficient than a professional one, simply because of the reduced amount of moving experience and expertise. If going this route, plan more time for the move preparation, packing, loading, and the move itself, adding in some wiggle room on top of that.

Liability

Let’s say that a friend helps you to move, perhaps assisting you in moving a heavy piece of furniture. If he gets hurt, are you liable for the medical care for his injuries? Only a court could say for sure, but a quick glance at legal websites online raises some concerning points. If, for example, you give your friend some money to help, would a court consider him an employee for the day? If so, what responsibility do you have for medical costs? And, even if you aren’t legally liable, but your friend feels that you should pay for his care, that can harm your friendship.

The severity of the injury and the state where it occurred can play a role in liability. Some legal websites suggest that, if you have your friend sign a waiver before helping you, it could (potentially) reduce your liability.

Physical Limitations

If you and/or the people who will help you to move are healthy and strong, a DIY relocation would have one less factor to consider than if people have health limitations.

Reserving a Rental Truck

Unless you own a vehicle of sufficient size to relocate your possessions, you’ll need to secure one. (If deciding to borrow a vehicle from a friend, look into potential issues of liability if the truck gets damaged.)

If renting a vehicle, you’ll probably need to book early if you want one for a weekend move or for a move during the peak moving season of May through September. Other issues you’ll need to address include:

Gasoline Costs

As you already know by simply driving to work or school, running errands, and otherwise living your daily life, gasoline costs add up.

Obtaining Supplies, Tools, and Equipment

Suddath always uses the best packing supplies available today. When DIY-ing your move, you’ll need to find ones of enough quality to protect your possessions during your move. This ranges from boxes to bubble wrap, packing paper, tape, markers, and so forth. To save time and frustration at your destination point, it will make sense to organize how you pack and label your boxes. To protect your hands, get quality gloves. To protect your furniture, get appropriate pads or blankets.

Make sure you have the proper tools to dissemble and then reassemble furniture (the right sizes of screwdrivers, wrenches, and so forth). Then, buy, rent, or borrow dollies or hand trucks to load up your belongings, safely using tie downs to keep them protected. Before you use the tie downs, check them for wear and tear and then use them properly. Obtain and use ramps to transport belongings from your home to the truck, and create a plan to also have them at your destination point.

As part of this process, give yourself enough time to get the supplies, tools, and equipment you need from a variety of sources. If cost savings is your goal, include enough time to compare prices.

Making Your Decision Between Professional Movers and a DIY Move

Although a DIY move eliminates some costs associated with professional movers, as this overview shows, DIY moves also come with their own types of costs. By requesting a quote from Suddath, you can compare the two options. At Suddath, you choose options from our flexible menu of professional services, allowing you to decide what to pay for: nothing more and nothing less.

Your move’s distance and complexity can make a difference. Moving DIY can be much easier with a local move across town than one across the country and smoother with fewer possessions than a relocation with a piano, delicate collections, large antique furniture, and so forth.

Reach Out to Suddath for a Smooth Professional Move

If you’re planning to relocate—locally, long distance, or even internationally—Suddath has the experience, expertise, and flexibility you need for a seamless move. Connect with us today!

The post The Pros and Cons of Professional Movers vs. DIY Moving appeared first on Suddath.

Amounts of these benefits can vary based upon your industry, among other factors. If you’re in the competitive tech or finance industry, as two examples, your company may decide to offer a more generous package to retain top talent. The size of the company also matters with larger businesses often providing a bigger package than smaller firms. Workplace culture and previous relocation packages can also inform future ones.

As part of an overall relocation package, your company may decide to offer qualifying employees a relocation bonus or a relocation reimbursement. Although these approaches come with similarities, they aren’t the same—and they each have differing benefits for your employees and for your company. Here are pros and cons of each pathway.

Pros of a Relocation Bonus

With this structure, your company would provide a one-time fixed sum of money for relevant employees. This may be called a relocation allowance. Or, you may hear this approach called a cash allowance or a lump sum bonus.

“Fixed” doesn’t necessarily mean “equal,” though, because you can use multiple factors to calculate an individual employee’s bonus. These can include the employee’s rank, the cost of living at the destination location, moving costs involved, and what it will cost that employee to look for a new home.

This approach is more streamlined for companies than relocation reimbursements. Once your HR department calculates the bonus amount and your company provides it, there’s no tracking needed, reducing paperwork. From the perspective of your employees, they receive an upfront bonus to budget in the ways that make sense for their move. They don’t need to wait for relocation expenses to be reimbursed and, if there’s any money left over, they can keep it to use in their new home or other ways of choice.

Cons of a Relocation Bonus

Although employees may appreciate receiving upfront money, they are then responsible for budgeting that amount for their move. They could run out in the middle of their relocation and, if they don’t have their own funds to pay for their rest, the affected employees are in a tough situation. Employees may not like how this is taxable income that, when they file their income tax forms, could have an impact on their tax brackets. Some companies decide to provide tax assistance; if so, this is another cost for your company.

If an employee runs out of funds before the move is completed, this also puts your company in a difficult position because you need your employees at the new location. Plus, relocation bonuses front-load your company’s work with calculation of and payments for them handled upfront, making this an especially busy time with funds flowing out of the budget.

Also, if the relocation package doesn’t include an agreement requiring the employee to stay with the company for a specified amount of time, post-move, this can cause problems for your company. To avoid this scenario, include a time frame in your agreement and how much of the bonus must be repaid if the employee leaves the company before that.

Pros of Relocation Reimbursements

Under this scenario, employees pay their own moving expenses and then get qualifying relocation expenses reimbursed. Depending upon your company’s policy, this could refer to all moving expenses or ones up to a predetermined limit.

Unlike the bonus structure, where your HR department’s work is front-loaded, this system spaces out the work. Upfront, your company will need to determine if there are limits on moving expenses, and then the employees can keep receipts for reimbursable relocation expenses.

Your company can also monitor the relocation costs on the submitted receipts to get a sense of current rates, which can help you with future packages.

Cons of Relocation Reimbursements

When your company is relocating numerous employees, each with multiple receipts, keeping track of them and getting the relocation expenses reimbursed can become cumbersome. The longer the distance of the move, the more expenses that may need to be managed.

From the employee’s standpoint, keeping track of these receipts could be time consuming. Plus, if your company provides a limit to reimbursable relocation expenses for an employee, they could reach their limit before their move is complete. As noted earlier, this can cause issues for your company and the affected employee. Some companies try to address shortages by requiring pre-approvals of expenditures, but this can really add to the HR department’s burden.

Importance of Clear Reimbursable Relocation Expense Policies

If your company decides to go this second route, having a transparent, straightforward, and equitable policy established ahead of time, and communicating it well to employees, is crucial. Expenses often covered by employers include:

Choosing the Best Route for Your Company

Pros and cons clearly exist for both approaches. To cut through the overwhelm you may feel and make the optimal choices, reach out to Suddath. For more than a century, we’ve professionally helped with employee relocations. You’ll benefit from our:

We manage domestic employee and international employee relocations overseen by knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicated relocation specialists. To free up your human resource team and outsource relocation aspects to experienced experts, reach out for a professional consultation call.

The post Relocation Bonus vs Relocation Reimbursement appeared first on Suddath.

#1 Moving Involves Plenty of Physical Labor

From lifting, carrying, and loading heavy pieces of furniture, appliances, and so forth—and then, upon arrival at the destination point—lifting, carrying, and unloading them, moving really is a labor-intensive job. For some people, this is literally something that they can’t do themselves. Their solution can be to find friends and family members, but they may also have physical limitations. This can lead to strained muscles, scrapes and bruises, injuries from tripping and falling, and more—possibly for you, the people who help you, or both.

Besides managing the obviously big and bulky items, moving requires packing, lifting, carrying, and loading numerous boxes of household goods, which can add up to thousands of pounds overall. If time is short, you may find yourself trying to accomplish this in a relatively short amount of time, which can trigger more accidents.

Suddath solves this problem by having skilled moving crews who are trained in lifting and carrying and who are provided with the proper equipment and tools.

#2 Belongings Can Easily Be Damaged

As you’re packing your household goods, damage can easily occur. This can be especially true with fragile possessions although it’s also true that it’s easy to bump and bang heavy belongings as you’re removing them from the home. By factoring in what’s involved when you need to navigate stairs, more potential problems arise.

Then, it can take special expertise to load a moving truck in a way that optimally protects what you’re putting inside: your lifetime of possessions. To add to the challenge, as you’re driving a truck full of belongings, they can become damaged with another time of potential risk taking place when you empty the truck at your new home. Perhaps you’ll have fewer people available to help you unpack, being in a new community, than you did when you were packing to move. This would clearly compound the problem.

Here’s how we can help. Suddath protects your walls, floors, and doors with protective coverings before removing any possessions from your home, which protects both your belongings and your home. Our expert teams know exactly how to pack, load, and transport belongings to keep them safe and protected. This includes using the best packing supplies, creating custom cartons for special belongings, and more. Plus, when you use a professional mover, you benefit from valuation coverage that protects your household goods in transit.

#3 Transporting Household Goods Comes With Challenges

From charting the best routes to navigating through heavy traffic, rerouting because of detours, and otherwise getting your goods where they need to go can be difficult. To add to the challenges, you may not be comfortable with driving a large vehicle or familiar with the areas where you’re traveling.

Because of this unfamiliarity, you’ll want to ensure that you’re driving a bit slower than usual and providing more space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. You’ll need extra space when turning, compared to a typical car or pickup truck, and will need to heavily rely upon mirrors to monitor your surroundings. Expect more blind spots as you drive. You’ll need clarity on clearance levels, height-wise, to park in larger spots, and be especially careful when backing out of one.

Depending upon the size of the vehicle, you could need a commercial driver’s license, so double check that before making plans. If that’s the case, dividing up belongings into two smaller trucks may serve as the solution; that will require a second driver or you making two trips. Or, you could fill up the smaller truck; drive it to your location; unload the contents; drive back home; load up the second half of your household goods; and drive back to your location to upload them.

Or, you could let Suddath solve the problem. Our expert crews know the highways and byways and proactively come up with a backup plan in case of detours, accidents, and bad weather. They know how to navigate large moving trucks, which adds another layer of protection to your belongings housed in the vehicles.

#4 Cross-Country & International Relocations Can Be Intimidating

In each case, you’re moving far away from what you’ve known where you currently live. Of these two possibilities, cross-country moves have one thing in their favor: unless moving to Hawaii, an Alaskan island, or a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico, that move is drivable.

Although some international moves are driveable, such as the United States to Canada, overseas ones are not. So, for an overseas move, you can’t just call up a few friends to load up a vehicle and start driving. Instead, you would need to create a plan that involves transportation by waterways or airways. You’d have to manage customs procedures, documentation, and more, which are things you may not have done before.

Suddath specializes in both long distance and international moves. In fact, we’ve been named the International Mover of the Year by The Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) six times, most recently in 2024. FEM serves as a prestigious organization in the relocation industry and, with the award we’ve won, it honors how well Suddath manages international moves and serves the expatriate community.

#5 You May Have Specialized Needs That Require Specialized Solutions

Examples include how you may need to have a car, motorcycle, or boat transported; require fine wine or art collections to be managed with a concierge touch; want pets relocated to your new place; own a piano that needs expertly handled; or require custom crating for unusually shaped belongings.

In each of these cases, Suddath’s specialty moving services provide the solution. With our white glove moving services, our expert teams take every possible precaution to protect your possessions, privacy, and home. We pay close attention to detail, leveraging our company’s century-plus of moving expertise. With these high-end services, there’s little that you need to oversee, allowing you to put your attention face-forward on your upcoming destination.

#6 Packing Can Be a Daunting Task

Not everyone likes to pack—and especially during a hectic time as you’re planning for your new life. So, during your initial planning with Suddath, you may choose our partial packing services where you instruct us what to box up: certain rooms, heavy and/or fragile belongings, and so forth. As the time nears, and you still haven’t gotten the packing to-do completed on your list, let us know. You may decide to change the partial packing solution to a full one. Or, you may add “pack all last minute items” to Suddath’s partial packing list.

The quality of our custom crating services (a box within a box for unique items) also solves plenty of problems for customers. This is another area where our flexibility shines. A Suddath expert can carefully measure a particular belonging and build a box on spec to protect that unique possession. This might occur offsite with the custom crate disassembled before coming to your home on moving day, reassembled with the item safely cushioned inside. Or, we might build the custom crate, from the ground up, at your site. As needed, we add molds or stands that further stabilize and cradle the item in the custom crating.

Our experts pay exceptional attention to the size and shape of the wood, the strength of its construction, and its reinforcement for stability. Special hooks can be added to safely push, pull, lift, and move the crate, and our customized crates are weatherized to protect against climate changes and humidity.

#7 Plans Can Change Suddenly

The sellers of your house might unexpectedly ask for an extension before they move, or you may need to address a significant work or family challenge before you leave. No matter the specifics, not all moving companies are as adaptable as others—but Suddath specializes in flexibility. As an agile moving company, we can pivot as needed. So, don’t panic. Just let us know.

#8 The Need for Storage Solutions Aren’t Cookie Cutter

One of the ways that we can address plans that suddenly changed is through a storage solution designed for your unique needs. Perhaps, when the owner of the home you’ve bought asked for another few weeks before moving out, you contracted with them to pay for your family’s stay in a hotel for that time period and for them to pay for your belongings to be stored in Suddath facilities, delivered once you’re in the home.

Other storage solutions include our declutter and store program where you decide what excess belongings to have our moving crew pick up and store while you stage your home for sale. Or, you may be leaving for a military assignment. In that case, our long-term or vault storage may be the ideal solution.

This is another example of an area where our moving company’s adaptability—as well as our ability to offer innovative, creative solutions—comes into play.

#9 You Can’t Always Get What You Want

At Suddath, though, you can. By choosing the services you want and need from our flexible menus (packing, storage, specialty services, and so forth), you can benefit from a customized move plan designed by our experts. This will allow you to relocate in ways that meet your requirements within your time and budget.

#10 Moving Quotes Can Be Confusing

Let’s say that you’ve decided to gather moving quotes to see if, perhaps, the idea of moving DIY isn’t the best option for you. As you do, you may find a lack of clarity or detail in the estimates. At Suddath, though, we provide transparent, granular cost breakdowns that include ones for labor, transportation, packing materials, valuation, and any additional services. You’ll know what to pay and why.

When you want to investigate costs for packing services, storage solutions, or specialty services, we’ll provide a breakdown of each. That way, you can prioritize what’s most important for you. You might appreciate, for example, professional disconnecting and reconnecting of your appliances and/or custom disassembly and reassembly of furniture and other equipment.

We’ll clearly share the role of mileage and the weight of your belongings in your quote. As a pro tip, before getting your quote, declutter your belongings to reduce their weight. Ways to do that include by:

Then, create a plan to order/ship relevant new items directly to your new home.

Your move date plays a role in the amount of your quote. Moving is a capacity-based business, so ask moving companies for the best days they can offer for you to have a cost-efficient move. If you have the flexibility to choose one of those, you can save money. Monday through Thursday moves are less than weekend ones, all other factors being equal, and there’s more available for movers during the offseason of October through April. Not only will a move in the off-season give you a better price, it’s more likely that you’ll get the best crew possible.

As a final quoting factor, consider your moving valuation coverage (that sounds like insurance but isn’t). All moving companies must provide standard released value coverage at $.60/lb. That translates into protection of $6,000 for every 10,000 pounds of weight. Is that sufficient? If so, great. If not, consider buying additional valuation coverage for some or all of your belongings at either full replacement cost or repair cost.

To get a quote for your move, please reach out for an estimate for a cost-efficient move that’s as stress-free as possible.

The post Complete Guide to Moving Challenges Suddath Can Solve appeared first on Suddath.

That’s where move financing can help. If you’re wondering how to finance a long-distance move, there are several practical solutions available. Whether you’re relocating for a new job, better quality of life, or to be closer to family, understanding your financing options for relocation can make your transition smoother and more affordable.

The True Cost of Moving

According to industry data, the average long-distance move in the U.S. costs between $6,000 and $10,000, depending on distance, home size and services needed. In addition to moving company fees, there are often hidden or overlooked costs, such as:

For those making a cross-country move, these expenses can climb into the five-figure range. Exploring the best way to pay for a cross-country move can help ease the financial burden, making financing a smart solution for bridging the gap.

Learn more about moving costs.

Move Financing Options

There are several ways to finance a move, each with its own pros and cons:

Move Financing Made Easy with Suddath

One standout option to explore is Suddath’s move financing program. This program is designed specifically for people relocating and in need of budget-friendly payment options.

Key Benefits:

Whether you’re moving across the street or across the country, Suddath helps remove the financial stress so you can focus on settling into your new home.

Learn more about Suddath’s financing options here >>

*Loans are available through Suddath’s third-party licensed lending partner, HouseAmp. All loans are subject to approval based on each lender’s underwriting criteria. Finance charges and interest rates are subject to the terms set by each lender and may vary. For approved borrowers, settlement-related fees are deducted from the line of credit. Borrowers should review their loan agreement for specific details.

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Moving Regulations Vary by State

Different regulations can apply based upon the state you’re relocating to. So, you can’t just collect information about Texas regulations if you’re moving out of state. As a quick overview:

• Some states manage every aspect of how moving companies conduct business, including pricing.
• Others may just have regulations about how to be in compliance and allow movers to charge the rates they would like: These states may restrict:
  • how fluctuations in pricing may occur
  • how/when to collect on those charges

If moving within Texas, here’s information about moving rights from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, including rights and responsibilities. If you’re moving to another state, state-specific guidelines are easily accessible online, and you should have no scarcity of resources to look through. To help, here are the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations and Enforcement of Interstate Moves.

Regulated states have a tariff that sets the guidelines and rules for how movers need to quote, perform, and charge for a move. If a line item is being presented as part of the price or isn’t a tariff item, it may be illegal for that mover to charge for it. Some states allow for bound and non-bound estimates or variations of that like a not to exceed price. These are all based upon the statement of work (SOW) that a moving company puts together.

So, pay close attention to how the SOW is prepared and what information was gathered and used to calculate the price. If something was left off (intentionally or unintentionally), a consumer may still be on the hook for the cost increase if they want that service performed or item moved.

Also watch (and don’t fall for) the “minimum price.” Every mover has a minimum price or time increment they charge for even if it is a one-hour minimum. This doesn’t mean any small move is a minimum price. Other things need to be considered, too, like travel time or trip charges, when the clock starts and stops, and so forth. Ninety percent of local moves do not meet a minimum or less and will have more cost.

If a mover shows up ready to perform just the minimum, with the minimum amount of labor and materials, then they will not be able to provide you with a smooth experience or even be able to handle everything you have properly.

Commonly Heard Concern: Unclear Pricing and Vague Estimates

This can feel exceptionally frustrating. So, as you’re gathering quotes, ask for a detailed breakdown of all the costs involved. This should include labor, transportation, packing materials, valuation, and any additional services (more about those below). Make sure to ask if there are any potential hidden fees or charges that might not be included in the initial quote. This can help you to avoid surprises later on. At Suddath, we provide a granularly detailed breakdown in just this format with no hidden fees.

Clarify Optional Services

Paying for services that you don’t need can inflate your moving costs. Most long-distance moving companies in Dallas and elsewhere provide a myriad of services and allow you to choose which ones you need. So, ask your mover to provide a breakdown of pricing for each service. This allows you to determine what you’re willing to pay for and what’s most important. For example, you may not have time to pack and are willing to pay for this service. Or, if you aren’t in a rush, you may opt to select services such as disconnecting and reconnecting your appliances or decluttering before you move.

Prior to moving, whether you think you’re prepared or not, it’s important to have a conversation with at least one reputable mover, working with a relocation consultant to understand the pricing of long-distance moves in Dallas. Gain clarity over how pricing is based (weight or hourly), so that you can evaluate its costs and make comparisons with other moving companies.

An experienced and professional mover—like Suddath with more than a century of relocation experience—can tailor a solution based upon your needs, concerns, and budget. We offer packing, custom crating, and unique storage solutions based upon the needs of a move along with custom disassembly and reassembly of furniture and more.

Discuss Weight and Mileage

The weight of your household goods can significantly impact your quote for long-distance moves. So, ask how the weight of your belongings and the distance of your move affect the quote to understand the major factors influencing the cost. When you receive your quote, it should tell you what the estimated weight of your shipment is. Make sure to ask whether the price will change when they actually load and weigh your items. You shouldn’t have to pay for a poorly estimated weight of your household goods but, if the salesperson’s estimate is off, they may charge you the difference.

Fortunately, you have control over your total weight because reducing the weight of your household goods before getting a quote can lower your costs. Consider:

• Identifying and not moving items that won’t fit in your new home
• Recycling or tossing items with no discernible value
• Gifting unwanted items to friends or family
• Donating to charities, especially those that offer pickups
• Selling unneeded belongings to offset moving costs
• Have a plan for what you need, and order/ship new items directly to your new home

When you choose our long-distance movers in Dallas, we’ll gladly provide the information you need and answer all your questions.

Choose Your Move Date

Demand spikes in the summer across van lines, and moving is capacity-based like buying an airline ticket. So, if you need a summer move, book early. If you want to save money, seek a more cost-effective moving date that fits your schedule. Any flexibility you have can save you both money and frustration. For example, if you can, book your move on a weekday (Monday through Thursday) and/or during the offseason (October through April) to avoid peak demand and pricing. Here’s an added benefit when you move when there’s more availability: the possibility of getting the best crew available increases. At Suddath, your knowledgeable, dedicated move counselor can help with scheduling issues.

Understand Valuation Coverage

Understanding the difference between moving valuation coverage and insurance can be confusing. So, have your mover explain the differences to ensure that you know what kind of protection you’re getting for your belongings and make the decision that best fits your needs.

All moving companies have to provide basic coverage, known as “standard released value” at the amount of $.60/pound. That means that, if your shipment weight is estimated at ten thousand pounds, you will have coverage of $6,000 for all of your goods. That may be fine for you, but it can also feel insufficient if you have many high value pieces that could be damaged.

That same system also applies per item if cargo damage occurs and you file your claim: a piece weighing ten pounds gets covered at $6. If, though, you want that ten pound piece (or any other item) covered at full replacement cost or repair cost, then purchase the additional valuation to cover your goods.

The decision you make can depend upon how comfortable you are with the experience of the moving company and how transparent they are about how they hire, train, and perform their services. Please confirm, too, whether or not items in boxes are covered if you pack the boxes. Oftentimes they are not as packing quality, carton integrity, and contents of the box can’t be confirmed.

Get Everything in Writing

Ensure that’s the case with all agreements and all details to provide a clear reference and help to prevent misunderstandings. Any reputable moving company will be happy to do exactly that. Also, ask whatever questions you have. A moving company of quality will gladly explain their pricing and services to you in the amount of detail you require.

As a key takeaway, don’t let a moving company take advantage of you or fit you into a one-size-fits-all box (pun intended).

Request Your Personalized Quote for a Long-Distance Dallas Move

We hope that this post provides you with behind-the-scenes insights into how moving companies construct pricing and allows you to see how Suddath provides you with transparent pricing and options.

Then, when you’re ready to move long-distance, please reach out to our Dallas movers. We’re here to make your move as efficient, cost-effective, and stress-free as possible.

P.S. Suddath also offers financing options for your move. Just let us know if this is something you’re interested in learning more about.

The post How Much Do Long-Distance Dallas, TX Movers Cost? appeared first on Suddath.

CHALLENGE

Creating the most innovative themed entertainment that brings imaginative worlds to life is a tangled task for this amusement park production house, one that thrives on collaboration and partnership. Its team of designers, artists, architects, writers and more craft extraordinary attractions with unparalleled innovation, creating immersive experiences for guests around the world.

At amusement attractions in Orlando, FL and Frisco, TX, the production company needed well-designed commercial moving to help relocate custom-made items, personal computers and technology within park grounds to warehouses and other properties. Transporting the company’s intellectual property, which includes artifacts, character prototypes, costumes, branded merchandise and other miscellaneous items, required strict adherence to regulations. This required effective preparation and logistics planning from an experienced commercial moving partner.

SOLUTION

As an accomplished commercial mover that offers office relocation services for businesses across industries, Suddath provided a compatible solution that met the company’s unique needs. We crafted relocation plans that were tailored to specific assets, developing a strategy that ensured special care handling of their inventory.

For example, one task was to decommission a museum dedicated to a 1950s TV series based around Old Hollywood’s ‘First Couple of Comedy,’ featuring exact replicas of studio sets, the couple’s New York City apartment, hotel suite and notable costumes. The request was to transport all museum inventory from Orlando to its new home in Jamestown, New York.

Early communication with onsite security teams preceded all projects to finalize clearance protocol and provide transparency into inventory movement. We worked alongside the company’s security staff to ensure full visibility throughout the journey. In particular cases, we were escorted to and from facilities to ensure sensitive property arrived at its destination intact.

For their technology relocation needs, the company administered IT disconnect and reconnect services while we organized, packed and delivered the equipment to a new location.

RESULTS

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CHALLENGE

Providing resident students with safe, inclusive housing communities that foster success through innovative living and learning opportunities is an essential mission of the University of Central Florida. Housing and Resident Life department is dedicated to curating a white-glove experience for residents, one that focuses on a smooth and efficient transition – from move-in to move-out.

For its Fall ’24 and Spring ’25 term move-in days, UCF needed a reliable relocation partner to manage the full scope of moving in thousands of students, alongside their families, into residency halls. With this being a high stress time for students, this complex task required an expansive team that could be hands on, offering personable assistance and move support upon arrival. The challenge? Successfully moving in thousands of students across multiple buildings relies on a well-designed strategy that’s both flexible and conducive to efficient coordination, clear communication and seamless execution.

SOLUTION

As America’s largest commercial moving company with extensive resources and a wide network of local partners, Suddath was selected to oversee UCF’s student move-in responsibilities.

Before project inception, we coordinated an adaptable plan and reviewed best practices with UCF Housing and Resident Life leadership. The plan consisted of strategically placing appropriately sized crews across 10 residential buildings based on expected student levels. It was important to adapt a dedicated crew to ensure hourly demands were handled accordingly.

The process incorporated a drive-thru concept, enabling students and families to seamlessly drive up, drop off belongings, and then move on to permanent parking. At check-in, Suddath’s 50- to 150-person crew of move specialists met students in the parking lot of their assigned residential buildings and assisted with transporting belongings inside their living space. Our crew helped with unloading student items, such as TVs, microwaves, mini-fridges and clothing, from their vehicles while also directing students to registration tents.

A clear line of communication was established with UCF Housing and Resident Life staff, security and operational teams to remain aware of onsite activity and campus safety rules.

RESULTS

Suddath successfully facilitated the move-in process for 8,000 students into their campus residences in preparation for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. This smooth operation ensured students were settled and ready to begin their academic year.

The post Student Relocation for University of Central Florida appeared first on Suddath.

CHALLENGE

The Villages Charter School, a worldclass learning environment dedicated to delivering exceptional educational opportunities to K-12 students, recently completed construction on a second campus, which houses an additional early childhood center, K-8 facilities and a new high school. Taking inspiration from a small coastal village concept that feels like home for students, its Middleton campus features a state-of-the-art early childhood and high school courtyard, gymnasium, cafeteria, media center, performing arts center and sports complex.

To transition furnishings and equipment from its primary campus and integrate new assets, The Villages needed a reliable, well-resourced relocation partner to help facilitate incoming shipments, transportation and installation needs. The project involved moving an assortment of specialized equipment and new furniture set-up.

With afternoon thunderstorms, OSHA safety rules in place and a 70-day strict timeline during summer break, the relocation partner would need to design a flexible strategy that could meet regulatory requirements, coordinate deliveries for minimal wait times and ensure onsite crew received adequate care that includes frequent breaks and hydrating refreshments.

SOLUTION

As America’s best commercial relocation company, Suddath provided The Villages a versatile relocation solution using expanded resources and a dedicated team to handle every aspect of the move.

Our onsite crew, consisting of commercial moving specialists and project managers, ensured communication was seamless with general contractors throughout the project timeline. We received, unloaded and sorted incoming products, providing warehouse asset management and furniture assembly per manufacturer specifications. Furniture, technology and specialized assets, such as lab, athletic and kitchen equipment, were transported from the school’s primary campus to Middleton.

Freight elevators were inactive, and limited truck access near stairwells resulted in lengthy delivery pathways. However, our crew worked full weeks to ensure the deadline was met. Additionally, weekly performance meetings were held to review progress and cater to the wellness of onsite crew members as they worked through 95–100-degree temperatures. The safety of all involved remained top priority in completing this project.

Following delivery and assembly, all furniture and equipment was installed per the school’s space plan. Our crew also cleaned the furniture in preparation for when personnel and students settle into their new space.

RESULTS

Suddath successfully completed The Villages’ relocation of 1000 cartons of assorted items, personal belongings to 500 employees, 850 desktop computers, furniture and equipment within the preferred timeframe. Throughout the process, our supporting crew maintained safe working conditions.

The post Commercial Relocation Services for The Villages Charter School appeared first on Suddath.

CHALLENGE

While selling their seven-parcel-warehouse headquarters and moving into a state-of-the-art 36,000 sq. ft. industrial building in Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, FL., Goodyear Rubber Products Inc. needed the assistance of a reliable industrial move partner to help transport inventory of heavy machinery, rubber hosing, racking, shelving and more.

As a leader in the industrial rubber distribution industry for 75 years, Goodyear Rubber sought a new home that better meets its needs as a production company, offering all types of industrial hoses, couplings, rubber styles and assembling services.

Because Goodyear Rubber was actively selling their compound to retailers, this project required a flexible strategy to accommodate real estate activities and ongoing renovations to its new warehouse facility. Specialized equipment handling was also necessary to move unpalletized, irregular inventory efficiently.

SOLUTION

As America’s most trusted industrial moving company, Suddath designed a tailored relocation plan to help Goodyear Rubber settle into their new industrial space. Before the move, we partnered with Goodyear’s project management team to review inventory details and outline a relocation strategy that aligned with its unique requirements. Our warehouse space planning enabled us to optimize space utilization, streamline inventory management, and enhance overall operational efficiency. This allows the distributor to make inventory adjustments and remain flexible to changing needs as the business continues to grow.

In multiple phases and within dedicated intervals, our crew worked through various project elements, from equipment breakdown and removal to installation. There was an abundance of inventory that needed to be palletized and heavy machinery that could only be transported via flatbeds. Using industrial moving equipment, such as forklifts, flatbed trucks and moving crates, we managed to successfully extract racking, machinery, IT equipment and packaged rubber products in preparation for the move.

Our crew handled the full installation process, assembling racking systems, inventory and machinery arrangements, and IT equipment connects.

RESULTS

Suddath provided Goodyear with a tailored industrial move solution, ensuring the seamless transfer of heavy machinery, inventory and IT equipment to their new facility.

The post Industrial Move for Goodyear Rubber Products Inc. appeared first on Suddath.

What is logistics in hospitality? It’s the process of managing key hotel and resort supply chain components, such as furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) and operating supplies and equipment (OS&E) movement and transportation, to effectively meet operational needs.

Seamless fulfillment of hospitality logistics will ensure your business avoids poor inventory circulation and operational failures that can ultimately increase expenses, damage your reputation and impact the guest experience.

As hospitality logistics experts with 100+ years of experience, Suddath has provided the hotel and resort industry integrated solutions that minimize disruption and reduce the strain on their internal resources. Through streamlined project management and enhanced visibility, your business can properly handle goods, improve inventory management and operational efficiency.

Ready to optimize your hospitality logistics? Speak to our experts today.

FF&E Inventory Management & Warehouse Consolidation

From hotel bedding to reception desks, managing a revolving flow of FF&E and OS&E requires a reliable storage system that simplifies inventory accessibility and ensures timely fulfilment. Flexible warehousing, with highly visible tracking and real-time updates, empowers the hospitality industry to scale operations and efficiently manage increased inventory needs.

Well-designed inventory management leverages the full spectrum of warehousing capabilities, such as:

This ensures hotels and resorts maintain a seamless flow of inventory to fulfill both small tasks and large-scale projects.

Hospitality Procurement, Transportation and Installation

Streamlined hospitality procurement involves coordinating vendors, incoming shipments and site deliveries needed for hospitality businesses to run smoothly. Developing a robust process that provides sufficient storage for sourced hospitality FF&E and OS&E and transports assets from first to last mile, helps mitigate risks, manage expenses and enhance the guest experience.

Beyond the standard movement of essential goods and supplies, investing in a reliable hospitality logistics partner can support procurement efforts, transportation, and FF&E installation. Common hospitality logistics components such as wayfinding and signage installation, technology integration and event setup and breakdown, require well-resourced support capable of handling the full scope of these tasks.

Green Supply Chain in Hospitality

Effective hospitality waste management is a vital component of sustainable hospitality logistics. By implementing practices that focus on reducing, reusing and recycling waste, businesses can significantly decrease their environmental footprint. This can include everything from deploying surplus assets to encouraging guests to participate in recycling programs.

Through sustainable services such as e-waste recycling and hotel cleanouts, hospitality businesses can responsibly dispose of end-of-life electronics, furniture and equipment during a renovation or relocation. These processes not only help the environment but can also enhance operational performance and cost effectiveness.

Explore our hospitality logistics solutions.

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Mobility’s Value

When we consider their impact on productivity, talent retention, and overall profitability, relocations do a lot more than move an employee from one place to another. But the benefits don’t stop there if you also consider their added impact on market growth, cultural awareness, mobile employee loyalty, brand reputation, DEI initiatives, and the increased innovation that has been linked to organizations with diverse, engaged mobile workforces.

HR and mobility professionals bring additional benefits to the table: Because they work so closely with mobile populations on a daily basis, they’re in a perfect position to support other business functions like career development and succession planning, training and orientation, compliance support, budgeting, and global or domestic expansion/contraction.

The Gap Between Perception and Mobility’s True Value

Despite mobility’s clear value, some leaders still fail to see its potential for extended impact, leaving mobility and HR professionals facing significant challenges when trying to provide positive employee relocation experiences to employees and value to their organization. Without clear evidence of the long-term benefits and a strategic narrative that aligns with corporate goals, gaining leadership buy-in for necessary investments can be difficult.

Several factors contribute to this misalignment:

Shifting Perceptions to Secure Mobility Buy-In

At Suddath, we understand the challenges mobility and HR teams face when proving the strategic value of talent mobility. Below, we offer seven suggestions for shifting leadership perception, securing organizational buy-in, and elevating mobility’s strategic involvement in business outcomes.

Shifting perceptions about the value of talent mobility requires consistent effort and communication, but with consistency, persistence, and support, mobility teams can be viewed as strategic partners in organizational planning and success. To learn how Suddath can help you present a business case for mobility’s value and position it as a strategic partner in organizational growth, contact us by clicking the button below.

The post Global Relocation: 7 Ways to be Seen as a Strategic Business Contributor appeared first on Suddath.

BACKGROUND

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an organization that connects veterans and service members with resources for their physical or mental injuries, including providing urgent financial support when needed. For warriors facing eviction, acting quickly is critical.

When emergency payments aren’t enough to keep a warrior or family in place, WWP helps with moving. Keeping veterans’ personal possessions secure preserves dignity and can mean the difference between a fresh start or a further stumble.

WWP approached The Suddath Companies® in 2019 to provide faster, more reliable relocations for the veterans they serve. Having their warriors schedule their own moves was growing increasingly difficult, and not having a preferred supplier left them scrambling each time to find movers who weren’t always vetted.

CHALLENGES

A warrior needing an urgent move for a new job opportunity or to avoid displacement would have to hire a mover ad hoc, which often created several challenges, including:

In addition, warriors would sometimes fall prey to bad actors and unscrupulous movers who would be contracted to make moves for a set price and then hold their shipments hostage in exchange for higher fees after the move was in progress.

We don’t just do these moves because our company has the account. We become invested in our clients’ moves. We truly care about our veterans and want to give them the best moving experiences possible. That’s what they deserve.

Kate Miley
Suddath Move Coordinator

SOLUTION

Because of these challenges, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) couldn’t rely on an ad hoc approach or handouts. It wanted a reliable and reputable business partner and a program that could flex, case by case, to differing needs. Suddath customized a flexible, tailored approach – using a wide scope of moving services and available transport modes – to provide the right move to each warrior in the most cost-effective way.

A dedicated move coordinator profiled each WWP relocation and deployed the most effective transportation mode for each individual—whether it was a small shipment, full-service van line move or an international service.

Understanding that a van line move wasn’t always an ideal fit, Suddath also implemented a small shipment solution for lower-weight moves. This reduced costs and eliminated the impact of weight minimums for WWP and resulted in reduced transition times and faster deliveries for warriors.

RESULTS

Suddath delivered quality service at an exceptional price for WWP. This included:

With this streamlined process in place, WWP can now focus its time and attention on helping veterans with their most pressing needs. It has peace of mind by working with a single point of accountability who brings years of experience and is highly trained in the kinds of soft skills that will benefit warriors when it comes to the complexities they’re facing.

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CHALLENGE

OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, is a private company that develops, owns, and operates upscale select-service hotels throughout the continental United States. OTO recently completed the conversion of a beachfront property in the Florida Panhandle to give it a fresh look and feel, as well as a new brand identity, to better appeal to today’s guests. The hotel features 100 guest rooms, a business center, a fitness center, a market, and an on-site restaurant and bar.

As part of the down-to-the-studs renovation, this project required new furnishings to align with the brand’s design-driven interior landscape. OTO Development sought a reliable partner with the resources to handle its furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) needs on a large scale.

SOLUTION

Operating for over 100 years, Suddath® was the ideal choice for OTO Development. Because Suddath is known for providing comprehensive furniture asset management  for leading brands nationwide, Suddath earned the contract to manage FF&E warehousing, transportation, and installation for the hotel conversion. With Suddath managing multiple services, OTO Development benefited from consistency across all aspects of the project, effective communication, and quality management that helped avoid hiccups and delays. Suddath’s hospitality experts worked with OTO Development to design a custom plan that seamlessly integrated with the project’s renovation timeline.

By storing FF&E in a Suddath-owned warehouse, OTO Development reduced costs and benefitted from enhanced tracking of inbound inventory through innovative warehouse management software, Körber. It provided visibility and control over inventory at every touchpoint, with real-time updates and transparency at every stage of the project.

Experts in managing hospitality and FF&E needs, with thousands of projects under our belt, our team understands the importance of on-time delivery and installation. We also understand that projects often have delays outside of our customer’s control, and our ability to scale up and down to meet the construction delays of this projects helped ensure all FF&E was delivered, installed and properly functioning for opening day.

RESULTS

The post Florida Hotel Redesign appeared first on Suddath.

CHALLENGE

Recognized as ‘Earth’s most customer-centric company’, this global e-commerce giant is committed to operational excellence that fulfills the highest care for its customers. The retailer recently resumed renovations on 22 floors of unfinished office space at its Bellevue, WA headquarters and needed a well-resourced commercial office mover to deliver and install technology, furniture, and equipment aligned with the company’s global real estate standards.

The challenge was to refresh the space by removing old assets, including employee personal items that were left behind during the pandemic, and integrate new standard-approved furnishings and equipment. The commercial mover would need to accomplish this without access to onsite loading docks which were shut down because of construction.

SOLUTION

As a leading commercial moving company serving businesses nationwide for more than 100 years, Suddath was selected to decommission five floors and install new equipment and furnishings. We designed a comprehensive solution that began with resetting the space, removing electronic waste, personal items, and surplus furniture. End-of-life electronics were processed through our e-waste disposal service for recycling and remaining trash debris was meticulously removed, leaving a clean space for the retailer’s new assets.

Our expert relocation team developed a strategy to effectively deliver their new equipment and furnishings onto each floor. Because onsite loading docks were inaccessible, we utilized nearby loading docks, depalletized assets into manageable collections, and rolled the items 50 feet towards the building.

Guided by a site map designed during office space planning, our experts installed desks and workstations to meet standard configurations. Additionally, IT testing was conducted following installation of all equipment and technology.

RESULTS

In only a week and under budget, Suddath delivered a comprehensive solution for the global e-commerce giant, encompassing decommissioning, e-waste removal, IT support, and furniture installation services.

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CHALLENGE

As part of their commitment to investing in a modern environment where employees can thrive, create, and collaborate, an innovative technology giant renovated its headquarters encompassing 6.7 million square feet of revitalized workspace, amenities, and infrastructure improvements.

The company needed to relocate six buildings of personnel, furniture, and equipment from its East Campus to newly renovated campus buildings. The office relocation required the reuse of existing furniture, proper disposal of surplus assets, and the transition of employee workstations and belongings. With a restriction preventing vehicles from driving onto the renovated buildings’ paved perimeter, no loading docks, and limited access to freight elevators, it was critical to develop an office relocation strategy that could navigate around these hurdles.

To accomplish this, they would need experienced commercial movers with the resources, expertise, flexibility, and scalability to facilitate a solution that meets these unique challenges.

SOLUTION

As America’s leading commercial mover with 100+ years of experience, Suddath was the premier choice to help the tech giant complete a complex office relocation. Guided by CBRE’s office space planning, our move specialists cultivated a compatible strategy consisting of pre-move preparation, a multi-phased timeline, and precise delivery.

Suddath also coordinated an office decommissioning plan with Green Standards, a landfill avoidance company, for their surplus assets which were donated and recycled. Remaining furnishings were transferred without damage by wrapping the interiors of each floor in pollinate, a more sustainable floor and wall protection, while moving one building at a time.

Suddath handled every aspect of the move, including personal items packed by employees, workstation equipment, technology, and furniture. During workstation transfers, tech devices, cables, and accessories were meticulously disassembled, organized, and packaged for streamlined installation. As a workaround for the perimeter restrictions, absent loading docks, and frequent freight elevator malfunctions, we created a drop-off station near dedicated entry doors, walked assets inside the building, and utilized passenger elevators.

Post move, service requests captured through Suddath Tracker Task technology were resolved following project completion. Tracker Task provided full visibility, allowing the tech company to easily monitor scheduled services, track completion status, and receive real-time updates and reports for efficient issue management with immediate support.

RESULTS

Learn more about our office relocation and decommissioning solutions.

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Every year, 35 million Americans relocate – moving is one of life’s top five stressors, even when things go smoothly.

When things don’t go smoothly, it can quickly rocket up to the very top of that list.

The most important thing you can do to cut down on stress during your move is to do your due diligence prior to the move to avoid hiring the worst moving companies.

An interstate move is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make, and yet folks spend more time researching the TV they want to buy than the moving company that will load every one of their possessions onto truck and drive away.

Before you even get a moving quote, educate yourself prior to making a decision on which reliable moving company you’re going to entrust with all of your belongings.

Check for these red flags with home moving companies:

• They don’t own the assets like trucks or warehouses. You can tell this by looking at social media to see if they have a physical location and branded vehicles.
• They don’t have exclusive contracts with the drivers, they don’t manage and train the crews.
• Unwilling or unable to actually see the items you want moved – whether in person or a video survey app – nor will they look at your specific situation like access to the residence. Therefore, they won’t understand the scope of work and can’t possibly provide an accurate quote. Moves are weight based, so a mover cannot provide an accurate estimate based just on the number of bedrooms or square footage.
• They won’t provide a detailed estimate, or if they do it either won’t be binding or the fine print will exclude important services that are required.
• They may ask you to sign blank documents – which you should never do.
• The mover’s website has no address and no information about their registration – and they won’t provide you with their U.S. DOT number. Legally, all of their ads and written documents should show this number.
• Reputable movers will NOT ask for a large deposit (more than 25%) in order to book your move. While it’s common to have to pay some money prior to loading day, remember that federal regulations do require that movers provide written estimates and specific disclosures, including information about any deposits. Be cautious when a deposit in order to book an interstate move is required.
• The biggest red flag – and we hope it never gets to this point – is when the mover shows up and they claim you have more belongings than estimated (which is why the survey is vitally important) and demand more money before they will deliver and unload.

Important note: Sometimes a customer will decide to move more than what was originally surveyed.

Since a moving survey happens at the beginning of the process, people sometimes underestimate what they would like to move, or aren’t able to sell or donate as much as they originally think. If you are actually asking the moving company to move more than what was surveyed, notify them ahead of time and ask them to provide you with a new estimate that you both sign before they begin loading.

Start researching mover well in advance so you aren’t pressured to make a decision.

When moving to a new state, the FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – which is part of the US Dept of Transportation, has a website that provides free resources to protect yourself from moving fraud.

This website includes information on regulations and tips for planning your move, to your rights and responsibilities before, during and after your interstate move. It’s important to review this information to ensure you, in fact, protected.

Make sure to read the FMCSA’s “Rights and Responsibilities” before you select a mover, if moving from one state to another.

How do I report a rogue moving company or moving fraud?

If you think you have been the victim of moving fraud, the FMCSA encourages you to report that moving company, moving broker or auto transport service.

These complaints, along with other data sources, are used to make decisions about which companies FMCSA may investigate. These complaints are why it is important to review a moving company through FMCSA before booking them.

Filing a complaint requires the following information:

• Your name, address, and telephone number
• The name, address, and telephone number of the moving company, broker, or auto transporter
• Origin and destination of the shipment
• U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) identification numbers, if available
• Details on the alleged specific violation(s)
• Upload your moving documents to the complaint form: Estimate, Bill of Lading, and Inventory pages

How to research long distance moving companies:

• Check to see if the mover is registered with the FMCSA (fmcsa.dot.gov) or call 800-832-5660. All interstate household goods movers must be registered with FMCSA to allow them to legally transport goods between states with the proper level of insurance.
• The mover must have a U.S. DOT number properly displayed or be able to provide it to you.
• Look at independent review sources. Don’t just go by the mover’s website. Google is the most popular independent source of reviews for customers who have moved.
• Understand the required documents:
  • Make sure the estimate includes all services required and is signed by the mover – and do not accept verbal estimates. The survey of items being moved should be included with the estimate.
  • The Bill of Lading (BOL) is the actual contract between you and the mover – and a receipt of your belongings. You should be given a partially completed copy of the BOL before the mover leaves the residence at origin.
  • An inventory should be prepared by the mover – usually done at the time of loading. The mover is required to list any pre-existing damages or unusual wear. After the inventory is completed, you and the mover sign each page of the inventory.
  • Don’t ever sign a blank document, no matter what the mover says.

How to research local moving companies:

• Ask your realtor. They typically know who the quality moving companies are in the area.
• As with a long-distance mover, do your research online. While local movers may not have the online presence of a long distance or international moving company, they should still have an adequate online presence. Look for the longevity of the mover, their training and capabilities, and if they have a branch in your state.
• Ensure the mover is licensed and insured.
• Ask friends, colleagues and/or relatives for their local recommendations.
• Remember major van lines do local moves too and might be a better option for your needs than a small mom and pop that has limited resources.
• Check out Google reviews and other non-biased review sources.
• Be sure the services you need are services the mover provides: packing, unpacking, protecting your furniture and property, furniture disassembly/ reassembly if required, moving items up and down stairs, insurance, storage, third-party services like appliance prep, etc.
• Make sure to procure detailed and written quotes they sign. Even with a small local mover, you should still receive these documents, including a home survey (either virtual or in-person) that shows what is to be moved and the estimated hours required.
• Even with a small local mover, it is not normal for a company to have little to no online presence, social media or Google reviews.

With any home move, understand the type of liability you select.

Movers are required to cover the cost of goods that are lost or damaged during the move, however there are different levels of liability for interstate moves. You’ll want to inquire with your moving company as to what is covered automatically, and decide if that is right for you.

Many people are unaware that the coverage supplied by moving companies is not insurance (legally, a moving company cannot sell you insurance) and decide to get additional coverage, or look into what is covered by their homeowners insurance.

The coverage supplied by the moving company is also typically weight based. So for example, an expensive object that is very light would not be covered for very much if it is damaged or broken.

The right moving company can go over this with you, and help guide you to the solution that works best for your situation.

Start your move with a company trusted for over 100 years.

The most important thing is to educate yourself prior to making a decision on which moving company you’re going to entrust with all of your belongings.

Suddath makes it easy, having moved families since 1919, and offering comprehensive moving services, whether you’re making a local, international or long-distance residential move.

Our professional and reliable moving coordinators are ready to take care of everything from packing, loading, storage and transportation. Get a free, no-obligation moving quote today.

The post Identifying the Worst Moving Companies: The Red Flags to Look Out for and How to Protect Yourself appeared first on Suddath.

Employee relocation programs are powerful tools for businesses looking to attract and retain top talent, globally. Deciding how to structure the right policies and benefits to support that movement can be challenging, especially when you’re under pressure to control costs. The use of a lump sum payment may seem like an attractive choice up front, but does it really save organizations money in the long term?

Lump Sum: a single monetary payment, determined by such variables as distance or volume of move, family size or job level

We get it. On the surface, a lump sum approach might appear to be cost effective and reduce your organization’s administrative resources, since your mobile employees are managing their own moves. But the negative downstream impacts that can occur when assignees and transferees ‘don’t know what they don’t know’ means lump sum payments can end up costing companies far more in the long run. When considering offering a lump sum model to your mobile workforce, it’s important to evaluate the following risks to both your employees and your organization:

In both cases above, when things go wrong, the administrative hours you hoped to avoid can now be increased exponentially as your internal mobility team – often the HR leader at organizations who don’t have dedicate relocation talent – has to step in and troubleshoot to avoid assignment delays – or complete derailments.

If you’re finding that any of these risk-related scenarios are impacting your mobile population, perhaps you’ve considering tackling them by:

But these options can also end up costing organizations. Both scenarios could be seen as ‘throwing money at the program’ and actually result in overpayment to the employee or, at the very least, not properly classifying the related expenses in the right bucket (recruitment vs. relocation). Instead, why not consider options that empower your internal mobility teams to offer guidance and customization to your mobile employees? In the long run, these options provide assignees and transferees with the services and experience they need for an efficient move and positive employee experience.

Alternatives to the lump sum approach

A managed move program is often a better choice for businesses, because it provides a more cost-effective alternative for you and a far more positive experience for your employees. By contracting directly with a professional mover, you stand to gain:

This leads us to another key point: some of the biggest differentiators of a managed program are reflected in your employees’ moving experiences. When you contract directly with professionals, both your employees and the business will benefit from:

Ultimately, a company’s greatest assets are its people. For HR and mobility leaders who are responsible for recruiting, retaining and getting the right people into the right places and roles, a managed move program can be a strategic choice that benefits both employees and the organizations they work for. Improved business outcomes and enhanced employee experiences make it a compelling alternative to lump sum relocation packages.

Interested in an analysis to see if a managed move program could save you time and money?

Contact us to see how leading global companies put their managed mobility programs to work to provide positive move experiences while controlling costs.

Talk to an expert

  

Download resource

  

The post Maximizing Employee Relocation Benefits appeared first on Suddath.

A popular area outside of Tampa, Sarasota is a big-small town, featuring lively neighborhoods, each offering its own unique charm, amenities, and lifestyle. No matter what you’re looking for when it comes to Florida living, Sarasota has a little bit of something for everyone.

Areas of Research and Planning for Your Move:

1. Cost of Living: Understand the cost of living in Sarasota compared to your current location. Generally, Sarasota can be moderate to high depending on the neighborhood. Although Florida does not have state tax, so you may find this is not an issue for you compared to your home state.
2. Neighborhoods: Research different neighborhoods to find one that suits your lifestyle and preferences. Areas like Downtown Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch, and Palmer Ranch offer diverse options.
3. Local Moving Companies in Sarasota, Florida: Researching a moving company is crucial to ensure a smooth and stress-free relocation experience. Choosing the right company can save you time, money, and effort while safeguarding your belongings. By thoroughly investigating Sarasota moving companies, you can compare prices, read customer reviews, and verify their credentials. This process allows you to find a reputable company that fits your specific needs, whether it’s for a local move or a long-distance relocation. Suddath has provided trusted, quality service throughout the Tampa area for over 40 years.
   
   Get started by securing a quick and easy quote for your move from Suddath.

4. Housing: Determine if you want to rent or buy in Sarasota. Rental prices vary by area, with seasonal fluctuations near beaches.
5. Utilities and Services: Contact utility providers (electricity, water, internet) in advance to set up services for your new home.
6. Packing and Decluttering: Start packing early and consider decluttering to minimize moving costs.
7. Change of Address: Update your address with USPS, banks, subscriptions, and any other relevant institutions.
8. Local Services: Find local services like healthcare providers, schools (if you have children), and recreational facilities.
9. Driver’s License and Vehicle Registration: Update your driver’s license and vehicle registration at the local Sarasota DMV.
10. Community Engagement: Join local social media groups or attend community events to meet people and learn about Sarasota.

How to Enjoy Living in Sarasota:

Once you’ve taken care of all of the paperwork and logistics of moving to Sarasota, find some time to relax and enjoy your new status as a Floridian.

Beaches and Recreation: Explore Sarasota’s beautiful beaches like Siesta Key Beach, Lido Beach, and the town of Longboat Key.

Cultural Attractions: Visit cultural attractions such as The Ringling Museum, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and local theaters.

Outdoor Activities: Enjoy outdoor activities such as the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, boating, fishing, golfing, and biking in Sarasota’s pleasant weather.

Moving to Sarasota offers a blend of coastal living, cultural richness, and outdoor activities. With proper planning and research, you can make your move a smooth transition into this vibrant Florida city.

Where Should I Live in Sarasota?

Sarasota is known for its diverse neighborhoods, each offering its own unique charm, amenities, and lifestyle.

Whether you’re looking for waterfront views, historic charm, suburban tranquility, or vibrant urban living, Sarasota has a neighborhood to suit various preferences. Here’s an overview of some of the different neighborhoods in Sarasota:

Downtown Sarasota:

1. Rosemary District: An up-and-coming neighborhood with a mix of historic homes, modern condos, and trendy shops and restaurants.
2. Downtown Core: Offers high-rise condos with views of Sarasota Bay, cultural attractions like theaters and art galleries, and a lively nightlife scene.

Waterfront and Coastal Areas:

1. Siesta Key: Known for its world-renowned Siesta Beach with soft, white quartz sand, as well as upscale waterfront homes, condos, and vacation rentals.
2. Lido Key: Offers luxurious waterfront properties, St. Armands Circle with boutique shops and dining, and easy access to Lido Beach.

Historic Neighborhoods:

1. Gillespie Park: Close to downtown, known for its walkability, historic bungalows and cottages and community park, this lovely neighborhood boasts proximity to cultural amenities.
2. Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores: Home to historic estates, including the Ringling Museum complex, offering a blend of history, culture, and waterfront living.
3. Park East Sarasota: Park East, just east of Washington Boulevard, may be the city’s last close-to-downtown affordable frontier for many who live and work in Sarasota. It is an up-and-coming area, with many homes being built and remodeled there.

Family-Friendly Suburbs:

1. Southgate: Offers single-family homes with spacious yards and tree-lined streets, close to shopping centers, schools, and parks.
2. Palmer Ranch: A master-planned community with a variety of neighborhoods, golf courses, and recreational amenities like the Legacy Trail for biking and walking.

Arts and Culture:

1. Burns Square: Known for its artsy vibe, featuring art galleries, boutiques, and historic homes surrounding the Burns Court Cinema.
2. Gulf Gate: Offers a mix of residential homes and apartments with a strong community spirit, known for its local businesses and restaurants.

Suburban and Golf Communities:

1. The Meadows: A golf community with lush landscaping, lakes, and nature trails, offering a variety of housing options from condos to single-family homes.
2. University Park: Known for its award-winning golf courses, gated communities, and upscale homes, close to shopping and dining at University Town Center.
3. Venice: South of Sarasota, known for its charming downtown, Venice Beach, and Venice Island with historic homes and waterfront views.

Retirement Communities:

1. The Villages of Glen Creek: A 55+ community offering amenities like clubhouse activities, pools, and social events.
2. Palm-Aire at Sarasota: Golf and country club community with condos, villas, and single-family homes, featuring golf courses and recreational facilities.

Each neighborhood in Sarasota has its own character and appeal, catering to a variety of lifestyles and preferences. Whether you’re looking for a bustling urban environment, waterfront views, suburban tranquility, or active retirement living, Sarasota offers diverse options to suit different needs and desires.

What are the best restaurants in Sarasota, FL?

Sarasota offers a diverse culinary scene with a range of restaurants to suit various tastes. Here are some highly recommended restaurants across different cuisines and dining experiences:

Sarasota Upscale and Fine Dining:

1. Indigenous: Known for its farm-to-table concept and creative dishes highlighting local ingredients.
2. Ophelia’s on the Bay: A local’s favorite since it opened in 1988, Ophelia’s is a fine dining spot known for its romantic setting overlooking Little Sarasota Bay, serving fresh seafood and American cuisine.
3. Bijou Cafe is known for its European-inspired cuisine and casual elegance. Located in the theatre and arts district of downtown Sarasota, it is a perfect stop before catching a play at Florida Studio Theatre.

Seafood:

1. Shore: Located at the St. Armands Circle, it offers a variety of fresh seafood dishes in a relaxed setting.
2. Duval’s. With a tagline of “Fresh. Local. Seafood” you know exactly what you’re getting at Duval’s. Known for its seafood dishes sourced from local waters, this spot has a lively atmosphere and nice outdoor seating.

Italian:

1. Café Amici: A cozy Italian restaurant offering traditional dishes and a warm atmosphere.
2. Marcello: Cozy and romantic authentic Italian cuisine based on many years of family tradition. This is a spot for familia, and the chef is also the owner, Marcello himself.

Asian:

1. Namo Izakaya: Offers high-quality Japanese cuisine such as ramen and yakitori in a modern setting. Locals swear by the Korean wings appetizer!
2. Thai Palace: In neighboring Bradenton, Thai Palace is known for its flavorful Thai dishes served in a peaceful ambiance. Absolutely worth venturing outside of Sarasota city limits for.

Casual Dining:

1. Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB): A popular spot known for its laid-back atmosphere, seafood, and live music. Famous oyster happy hour every day from 3 – 6 p.m. where you can get oysters $12 for a dozen.
2. Columbia Restaurant: A Florida staple with Spanish-Cuban cuisine, offering a historic atmosphere in St. Armands Circle.

Breakfast/Brunch:

1. The Broken Egg Restaurant: Known for its breakfast and brunch menu, including delicious omelets and pancakes.
2. First Watch: It might be a popular chain, but it’s also one of “Sarasota’s Best Breakfast Spots” according to Sarasota Magazine. Offering healthy breakfast and brunch options in a casual setting.
3. The Old Salty Dog: A Sarasota Old Florida favorite, this place serves not only fish and chips, but one of the best waterfront breakfasts around. A must-try for any new local, and definitely a spot to bring visiting family and friends.
4. The Breakfast House. No list of Sarasota brunch spots would be complete without The Breakfast House. It’s right there in the name! You absolutely must try the pancakes, and if you want to really be a local, get the as part of “Uncle Harry’s Hearty Breakfast,” a belly-bursting sampler of eggs, grits, potatoes and corned beef hash.

International:

1. Mediterraneo: Offers Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on Italian and Greek dishes, including seafood and lamb.
2. Selva Grill: Features Latin American-inspired dishes with a modern twist, known for its ceviche and grilled meats.

Vegetarian/Vegan:

1. Lila: A vegetarian restaurant offering creative plant-based dishes with locally sourced ingredients, focused on pure, whole foods.
2. Simon’s Coffee House: Known for its vegan and vegetarian options (as well as a few things for the carnivores) including sandwiches, salads, and smoothies. This is a great gathering spot for people of every diet.

Desserts:

1. Sarasota Milk District: Offers a variety of dessert options including ice cream, cookies, and coffee.
2. Morton’s Gourmet Market Bakery: A specialty food store with a bakery offering freshly baked goods and desserts.

These are just a few recommendations to get you started exploring the culinary delights of Sarasota. The city’s dining scene is vibrant and varied, catering to a range of tastes and preferences. Whether you’re in the mood for fine dining, fresh seafood, international flavors, or casual bites, Sarasota has something to offer for every palate.

Sarasota Night Life

Sarasota offers a diverse and lively nightlife scene with options ranging from trendy bars and clubs to relaxed lounges and live music venues. Here’s a glimpse into the local nightlife in Sarasota:

Bars and Lounges:

1. The Gator Club: A historic bar in downtown Sarasota known for its live music, dancing, and vibrant atmosphere.
2. Cask & Ale: Offers a wide selection of craft beers and cocktails in a casual setting in Downtown Sarasota, perfect for beer enthusiasts.
3. Perspective Rooftop Bar: Known for its stunning views of the Sarasota skyline and artisanal craft cocktails, Art Ovation Hotel’s rooftop is the place to be almost every night of the week.

Live Music Venues & Nightclubs:

1. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall: Hosts a variety of concerts, Broadway shows, and performances by national and international artists.
2. The Ringling Museum – Courtyard: Offers occasional outdoor concerts and events in a beautiful historic setting.
3. Ceviche Tapas Sarasota: Combines a tapas restaurant with a nightclub atmosphere, offering Latin music and dancing.

Late-Night Eateries:

1. Munchies 420 Cafe: Open late and known for its indulgent comfort food like sandwiches, wings, and desserts.
2. Tamiami Tap: Tamiami Tap is to be a neighborhood entertainment night spot for the whole family in Historic Laurel Park in Downtown Sarasota Florida.

Cultural and Arts Events:

1. First Fridays at Towles Court: A monthly event where galleries and studios open their doors to the public, often featuring live music and art exhibitions.
2. Sarasota Opera: Offers opera performances throughout the season, providing a unique cultural nightlife experience.

Entertainment Districts:

1. Downtown Sarasota: Offers a mix of bars, restaurants, and cultural venues within walking distance, making it a popular spot for nightlife.
2. St. Armands Circle: Features upscale dining, bars, and occasional events, providing a more relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere.

Events and Festivals:

1. Sarasota Film Festival: Held annually, showcasing independent films and attracting film enthusiasts from around the world.
2. Sarasota Music Festival: Features classical music performances by talented musicians and orchestras from around the globe.

Overall, Sarasota’s nightlife scene offers something for everyone, whether you’re into live music, dancing, cultural events, or simply enjoying a drink with friends in a trendy setting. The city’s vibrant atmosphere and variety of venues ensure that you can find entertainment any time of day or night.

Family-Friendly Activities in Sarasota

Sarasota doesn’t just have a bustling night life, there are plenty of family-friendly activities. from outdoor adventures to cultural experiences. Here are some top recommendations for family fun in Sarasota:

Beach and Outdoor Activities:

1. Siesta Key Beach: Known for its soft, white sand and shallow waters, perfect for families to swim, build sandcastles, and enjoy picnics.
2. Ann Goldstein: Children’s Rainforest Garden: Located inside of the Marie Selby Gardens, the children’s rainforest garden, and educational exhibits on tropical plants and ecosystems.
3. Myakka River State Park: Offers hiking trails, wildlife viewing (including alligators!), airboat tours, and canopy walkways.

Museums and Cultural Attractions:

1. The Ringling Museum: Includes the Circus Museum, art galleries, historic mansion tours, and beautiful gardens for exploring.
2. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Educational exhibits on marine life, touch tanks, and marine mammal presentations.
3. South Florida Museum: Features exhibits on Florida’s history, nature, and a planetarium with educational shows.

Family-Friendly Events and Festivals:

1. Sarasota Farmers Market: Held every Saturday, offering local produce, food vendors, live music, and activities for kids.
2. Sarasota Jungle Gardens: A botanical garden with exotic animals, bird shows, and interactive exhibits.
3. Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary: A nonprofit sanctuary with rescued big cats, bears, primates, and other animals, offering educational tours and shows.

Amusement and Entertainment:

1. Mote Marine Laboratory’s Immersion Cinema: Offers 3D educational films on marine life and ecosystems.
2. Sky Zone Trampoline Park: Indoor trampoline park with open jump areas, dodgeball, foam pits, and activities suitable for all ages.

Sports and Recreation:

1. The Legacy Trail: A scenic biking and walking trail that spans 10 miles from Sarasota to Venice, offering a safe and enjoyable outdoor activity. Open year round from 6 a.m. to sunset.
2. Nathan Benderson Park: Features a 600-acre park with trails, playgrounds, and a lake for kayaking, paddleboarding, and rowing.

Performing Arts and Shows:

1. Florida Studio Theatre: Offers family-friendly performances and interactive theater workshops for kids.
2. Sarasota Youth Opera: Presents youth-oriented opera performances and educational programs for young aspiring musicians.

Kid-Friendly Dining and After School Treats:

1. C’est La Vie: A family-friendly cafe offering breakfast, brunch, and lunch, with a kids’ menu and outdoor seating. Have your children practice their French at this authentic bakery and café!
2. Great Heights Creamery: Local favorite for homemade ice cream and treats, perfect for cooling off after a day of exploring.

Educational Workshops and Classes:

1. Sarasota Art Museum: Offers art classes and workshops for children and families, fostering creativity and artistic expression.
2. Sarasota School of Glass: Provides glassblowing workshops where families can create their own glass art pieces together.

These activities highlight the diverse range of family-friendly experiences Sarasota has to offer. If you’re moving to the area, you can be sure to find plenty to do with your kids no matter how old.

Activities for Sarasota Seniors

Sarasota offers a variety of activities and amenities that cater specifically to seniors, making it an ideal destination for retirees and older adults looking to enjoy an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

Recreation and Wellness:

1. Senior Centers: Sarasota County operates several senior centers that offer a range of programs and activities such as fitness classes, arts and crafts, educational workshops, and social gatherings.
2. Golf Courses: Sarasota is home to numerous golf courses, many of which offer senior discounts and memberships tailored to older adults who enjoy golfing, such as the Bobby Jones Municipal Golf Course.
3. Sarasota Walking and Cycling Trails: Places like the Legacy Trail provide scenic paths for walking, jogging, and cycling, offering a safe and enjoyable outdoor activity.

Cultural and Educational Opportunities:

1. The Ringling Museum: Offers senior discounts on admission, currently the senior ticket price is $27 compared to the regular admission price of $30, as well as free Monday admission, a nice way to pass the day for those who are retired. . Beyond regular admission, there are special tours, including art exhibitions, historic mansion tours, and beautiful gardens to explore.
2. Lifelong Learning Institutes: Organizations such as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College offer non-credit courses, lectures, and workshops specifically designed for seniors wanting to pursue intellectual and cultural interests.
3. Theater and Performing Arts: The Sarasota area boasts several theaters and performing arts venues that host performances, concerts, and shows suitable for older adults who enjoy cultural experiences.

Health and Wellness:

Several gyms and fitness centers in Sarasota offer senior-specific fitness classes, wellness programs, and activities tailored to maintaining physical health and mobility.

Sarasota, FL has a variety of gyms and fitness centers to choose from, including many chain options like LA Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Pure Barre, Planet Fitness, Orangetheory, YMCA and more.

Here are some popular local fitness options throughout the Sarasota area:

1. Sarasota Fitness – A local gym with personalized training and group fitness options.
2. Fitness Together – Specializes in personal training with a focus on individualized fitness plans.
3. The Pilates Loft – A local studio focusing on Pilates with reformer classes and private sessions.
4. Yoga From the Heart – Offers a variety of classes including vinyasa, restorative, and gentle yoga. They have classes to suit all levels of Sarasota yogis.
5. Rosemary Court Yoga – Provides a range of yoga styles, including Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin, with classes for all levels.

Outdoor Activities:

1. Boating and Fishing: Sarasota’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico provides opportunities for boating, fishing charters like Fish on Fire Charters, and waterfront activities that seniors can enjoy.
2. Parks and Gardens: Places like Marie Selby Botanical Gardens offer serene environments for leisurely walks, birdwatching, and enjoying nature.

Support Services:

1. Senior Transportation Services: Sarasota County offers transportation services specifically for seniors, providing access to medical appointments, shopping centers, and recreational activities.
2. Senior Legal and Financial Resources: Organizations and agencies in Sarasota provide legal assistance, financial planning workshops, and resources to help seniors navigate legal and financial matters.

These activities and resources make Sarasota a welcoming and vibrant community for seniors seeking to maintain an active lifestyle, pursue interests, and enjoy a fulfilling retirement experience.

Sarasota Social Club Scene

Sarasota offers a variety of social clubs and organizations catering to different interests and demographics. Whether you’re looking to meet new people, pursue hobbies, or engage in community activities, here are some local social clubs in Sarasota that you could consider joining:

General Social Clubs:

1. Sarasota Newcomers Club: A welcoming organization for newcomers to Sarasota, offering social events, outings, and interest groups to help integrate into the community.
2. Rotary Club of Sarasota: Part of Rotary International, this club focuses on community service projects and networking opportunities.

Arts and Culture:

1. Sarasota Opera Guild: Supports the Sarasota Opera through fundraising events, social gatherings, and educational programs.
2. Sarasota Orchestra Friends: Supports the Sarasota Orchestra through volunteer efforts, social events, and fundraising activities.

Sports and Recreation:

1. Sarasota Ski-A-Rees Water Ski Team: If you want to go full Floridian, this water ski club offers performances, social events, and opportunities to participate in water skiing and boating activities.
2. Sarasota Yacht Club: Offers boating activities, social events, and dining facilities for members interested in yachting and waterfront activities.

Women’s Clubs:

1. Junior League of Sarasota: A women’s organization dedicated to community service, leadership development, and social activities.
2. Sarasota Women’s Alliance: A local group with the objective to promote women in leadership positions in business, public service, and other positions of community responsibility.

Special Interest and Hobbies:

1. Sarasota Audubon Society: A birdwatching and conservation organization offering birding trips, lectures, and social events related to wildlife and nature.
2. Sarasota Camera Club: A photography club for photography enthusiasts of all levels, offering workshops, competitions, and social outings.
3. Manatee–Sarasota Sierra Club: Representing Manatee and Sarasota Counties on the Florida Gulf Coast, the Sierra Club chapter here has a mission is to enjoy and protect the natural places in the local community.
4. A Good Yarn Sarasota: A local yarn store that also offers beginner and advanced knitting classes and resources.

Networking and Professional Groups:

1. Sarasota Chamber of Commerce: Offers networking events, business seminars, and community involvement opportunities for local professionals.
2. Young Professionals Group: Many organizations, such as the Sarasota Young Professionals Group, cater to young professionals through networking events and social activities.

Sarasota-Area Country Clubs

1. The Ritz-Carlton Members Club: This exclusive club provides a luxurious experience with a beautiful golf course, beach access, tennis facilities, and a variety of social events. Membership here often includes access to the Ritz-Carlton hotel amenities as well.
2. Laurel Oak Country Club: Known for its two championship golf courses, Laurel Oak offers a range of activities including tennis and dining. It’s a family-friendly club with a focus on community and inclusivity.
3. The Oaks Club: Featuring two 18-hole golf courses, The Oaks Club is localed in Osprey, FL and renowned for its beautiful grounds and excellent facilities. The club also offers tennis courts, a fitness center, and various social events.

Volunteer Organizations:

1. All Faiths Food Bank: Offers volunteer opportunities and social events for individuals interested in supporting hunger relief efforts in Sarasota County.
2. Humane Society of Sarasota County: Provides volunteer opportunities and social events for animal lovers interested in supporting animal welfare initiatives.
3. Mothers Helping Mothers: Mothers Helping Mothers provides basic necessities such as clothing for the entire family. Families can schedule appointments to shop and access resources, referrals, and aid during challenging times.
4. Asolo Repertory Theater: Each season Asolo Repertory Theatre relies on the generosity of more than 400 volunteers to assist with performance ushering, audience services and behind-the-scenes support.

These are just a few examples of social clubs and organizations in Sarasota you can join to help you acclimate and serve your new community.

Depending on your interests and preferences, you can find a wide range of clubs that offer social interaction, community involvement, and opportunities to pursue hobbies and interests with like-minded individuals in the Sarasota area.

Education in Sarasota

Sarasota offers a variety of educational options for families with children, including public schools, private schools, charter schools, and daycare centers.

Public Schools:

1. Sarasota County Schools: The Sarasota County School District oversees the public schools in the area, which include elementary, middle, and high schools. Some notable public schools in Sarasota include:
   • Pine View School: A nationally recognized school for the gifted, serving students from elementary (2^nd grade) through high school.
   • Riverview High School: Known for its strong academic programs and extracurricular activities.
   • Ashton Elementary School: Offers a diverse curriculum and supportive learning environment.
2. School Choice: Sarasota County Schools offer school choice options, allowing parents to apply for their child to attend schools outside their designated attendance area, based on availability and specific program offerings.

Private Schools:

1. Out-of-Door Academy: A private school offering preschool through high school education with a focus on college preparatory academics and extracurricular activities.
2. Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School: A private Catholic high school known for its strong academic programs and emphasis on spiritual development.
3. Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School: Offers a rigorous academic curriculum combined with arts, athletics, and service opportunities for students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Charter Schools:

1. Sarasota Military Academy: A charter school offering a military-style educational environment with a focus on leadership development and academic excellence.
2. Imagine School at Palmer Ranch: A tuition-free public charter school emphasizing character development, academic achievement, and parent involvement.

Daycares and Early Childhood Education:

1. Sarasota County Early Learning Coalition: Coordinates early childhood education and childcare services, providing information about local daycare centers and preschools.
2. Children First: Offers early childhood education and childcare services, including Head Start programs and comprehensive family support services.
3. Montessori Schools: Several Montessori schools in Sarasota, such as NewGate, provide early childhood education based on the Montessori philosophy, emphasizing hands-on learning and individualized instruction.

Higher Education:

1. New College of Florida: A public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, known for its small class sizes and focus on undergraduate education.
2. Ringling College of Art and Design: A private art and design college offering undergraduate and graduate programs in various artistic disciplines.

Resources:

1. Sarasota County Libraries: Provide resources and programs for children and families, including storytimes, educational workshops, and summer reading programs.
2. Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs): Many schools in Sarasota have active PTAs that organize events, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities for parents and families.

When choosing schools and daycares in Sarasota, it’s beneficial to visit prospective institutions, meet with administrators and teachers, and consider factors such as academic programs, extracurricular activities, class sizes, and overall educational philosophy to find the best fit for your child and family.

Additional Online Resources:

1. Visitsarasota.com
2. U.S. News Why Go to Sarasota
3. City of Sarasota Government Website
4. Visit Florida Website – Sarasota

CALL THE EXPERTS FOR YOUR MOVE TO SARASOTA

Suddath offers comprehensive moving services, whether you’re making a local, international or long-distance residential move to Sarasota. Our professional moving coordinators are ready to take care of everything from packing, loading, storage and transportation. Get a free, no-obligation moving quote today.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Moving to Sarasota, FL appeared first on Suddath.

With Peak Season officially kicking off in less than two weeks, we want to provide a list of reminders to ensure successful relocations for our agents and service members. Our continued focus is the customer experience. Providing excellent customer service is the very base of what we do and who we are and it all starts with you – our valued agents.

Top Suspensions and Warnings

Below we’ve highlighted some key trends we’re seeing regarding suspensions and warnings issued based on Transcom’s Industry slides. Preventative measures should be taken to avoid Transcom’s highlighted challenges. Understanding and addressing these issues proactively will help ensure smooth operations and maintain our high standards of service.

Failed to Reweigh Prepared Inventory Improperly Failed to List Electronics Properly on Inventory Missed Required Delivery Date (RDD) Failed to Prevent Loss & Damage Missed Pickup Failed to Deliver on the Scheduled Delivery Date Failed to List Pro-Gear on the Rated GBLFailed to Communicate on Times with Customer Failed to Reweigh Failed to Use Floor/Door CoveringsFailed to Prevent Loss & Damage Missed Required Delivery Date (RDD) Failed to List Electronics Properly on Inventory Improper Packing Improper Packing Material Improperly Packed and Loaded Shipment Failed to Communicate on Times with Shipper

Key Information and Guidelines

Missed RDD: This impacts our BVS 2.0 score, potentially reducing shipment awards.

Missed Pickup: Affects our BVS 2.0 score as well, particularly noteworthy for pickups from NTS.

Reweighs: Reweighs continue to be a top infraction in 2024 and one the bases continue to keep a close eye on. Non-compliance may result in suspensions due to potential financial implications for members.

Improperly Prepared Inventory: The use of electronic inventories is highly encouraged. Please ensure meticulous detail in preparing inventories, ensuring both accuracy and legibility. It’s imperative that stickers correspond precisely with the inventory list to avoid discrepancies.

Improper Packing: Follow guidelines for wrapping and protecting goods to prevent damage. All items susceptible to scratching, marring, soiling, or chafing must be adequately wrapped at the time of loading at the residence. Utilize textile or paper furniture pads, covers (excluding burlap), or other approved wrapping materials for this purpose. Please be aware that failure to comply, such as by using tape on plastic totes, will result in a warning being issued.

Door/Floor Coverings: Compliance with this requirement is imperative, especially considering it is the top infraction for LOWs. Before pack-out and delivery, it’s essential to install floor coverings in high-traffic areas within interior living spaces. Additionally, ensure that doorways in high-traffic zones are adequately protected. Implementing this precautionary measure is necessary to avoid liability for any potential property damage.

Failed to List Electronics Properly on Inventory: Accurate listing of electronics with make, model, and serial numbers is essential. This includes stereo equipment, computers, televisions, and more. Failure to do so could have significant financial implications in the event of a claim.

Operational Reminders

Shipment Piece Count: When receiving a crated shipment, please verify shipment piece count at the time of arrival, at the time of clearing, AND when offering out the delivery date. We are finding we are not being advised if the entire shipment has been received. 

Crew Arrival Time: Origin and destination agents are required to provide the customer with the crew’s arrival time 1 day prior to scheduled services. 

Date Changes: Date changes must not occur without TSP approval. Communicate any requested date changes to our Customer Service or Operations team immediately. Failure to do so could affect BVS 2.0 scoring.  

Billing Questions: Please email SGSStatements@suddath.com for all billing-related questions

Shipment Offers: Ensure you are monitoring the Vendor Portal for code 2/D shipment offers and keep a close eye on your emails for manual shipment offers pertaining to codes 4/J. Your attention to these channels ensures timely action and seamless coordination for all our shipments.

Weights and Pieces: Sending weights and pieces information promptly, prior to requesting a BOL, is crucial. We need all weights within 2 days during Peak Season to allow us time to dispatch and update the information timely in DPS per the business rules. Additionally, for crated shipments, please ensure weights are sent to the correct inbox: alfy@suddath.com

Liftvan Management: Please remember to communicate promptly if you are low or completely out of lift vans before beginning the packing of shipments. This proactive communication helps us avoid any potential issues, ensuring smooth operations and uninterrupted services for crated shipments.

Third-Party Crating: Agents are encouraged to emphasize and clearly indicate on the pre-move survey when third-party crating is required. 

Industry Updates

As part of our ongoing commitment to staying informed and sharing industry trends and news, we wanted to share with you a resource related to GHC that we found insightful. MoversForAmerica.com is a website that strategically highlights the various challenges industry and TRANSCOM face in relation to GHC.

We are pleased to announce that we have signed up as member of this coalition not only as support for our industry and valued partners but also to stay informed on relevant information. We believe that by staying informed and connected with industry insights, we can continue to drive awareness in this dynamic landscape.

The Investment in a Good Inventory

Maintaining a good inventory is crucial in protecting against claims, but it is often overlooked that over-inventorying can be a bigger problem.

It is important to clearly note the conditions and locations of items, otherwise the inventory loses its value. Exceptions in the inventory should be limited to those items that exceed normal wear and tear. In the past, drivers have written inventories based on the notion that there is no perfect piece of furniture, but adopting a “less is more” approach is a better strategy.

When on a job site, the driver typically inventories the furniture while the crew prepares the house and loads items onto the trailer. The driver’s time is limited, so it is important to use it wisely. Instead of spending 10 minutes on 8 dining room chairs to switch up locations and damages when there is no obvious damage, the driver should focus on finding obvious damage and paying close attention to furniture that is important to the customer.

Creating an inventory is a binding agreement between the driver and the customer that the items and their conditions listed have been accepted into the driver’s care, custody, and control. According to the law, any ambiguity in the agreement goes against the party that drafted it. It is therefore recommended to use three or more location codes for each damage location (e.g. SC, 10, 4, 5, 3).

It is also important to avoid damage conditions that are open to interpretation. Exceptions such as “SO” (soiled) leave too much room for doubt and do not provide adequate protection. Writing out the pre-existing damage condition will alleviate any ambiguity and protect all parties involved.

As we approach peak season, it is important to focus on writing a fair and accurate inventory that all parties can understand, without spending too much time over-inventorying items.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. By addressing these issues proactively, we can ensure smooth operations and maintain our commitment to excellence this peak season. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Network Development representative.

The post Preparing for PCS Peak Season appeared first on Suddath.

As you are aware, we have been closely monitoring the U.S. Transportation Command’s (TRANSCOM) transition to the Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) program. We recently learned of a grassroots movement, Movers for America, which is made up of moving companies that support the military. This group, much like the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) Moving and Storage Council, is calling for a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of the GHC program before it is fully implemented. We believe this is a responsible approach and encourage you to consider participating in this initiative.

Please see the most recent article published in Transport Topics here and read some of the outstanding support the industry is providing Movers for America.

Visit Movers For America to learn how you can engage in this important cause. 

The post GHC Update: Industry Members Call for GAO Audit appeared first on Suddath.

The post DPS Fix Notice: Qualifications Module appeared first on Suddath.

To give you an understanding of how we build a local moving quote, here are five elements we use to determine the cost of a move.

#1 Weight of Household Goods

The weight of belongings being transported is a key factor in a moving quote, and it’s the one where you have control. Ways that you can take advantage of a lower weight of belongings before you get your quote include the following:

• Don’t take furniture that you know won’t fit the dimensions in your new home. This could be a sofa, for example, or a large bed. Instead, arrange to have replacements in your new location to save the money it would cost to transport what you can’t use.
• Divide items that you don’t want into three piles: discard, donate, and sell. The discard pile is for possessions that no longer have value to anyone and can be tossed. Then, you can hold a rummage sale or put items up for sale online or give them to friends, family members, and charities.
• Use funds collected through sales toward your move or for your new home.

When donating, you may already have charities in mind that are located near you. Some of them pick up donations, which can save you time and gas money. Examples that may do pickups include The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity (they accept furniture, appliances, and other large items), and Goodwill Industries. Alternatively, if you’re in a service area for PickUpMyDonation.com, they’ll take your items to a relevant charity.

#2 Mileage of the Move

You don’t really have much control over this local movers cost. After all, there’s a predetermined distance between your current home and your new one, and there isn’t anything you can do about the mileage.

But here’s the good news. Because a local move is, by definition, 50 miles or less, the mileage won’t add costs in the way that a cross-country move would.

#3 Date of the Move

This is an area where you may have some control — or not. If you’ve sold your house and have committed to a date when you’ll be out, then you probably have a tight window for moving. You may also need to wait until school is out, which puts you in the middle of the prime moving season — summer — when moving companies have less flexibility.

Other times, when you move, say, on a weekday instead of a weekend and when you can move in the off-season of late September through April, you’ll likely have more choices and the ability to spend less on your move.

To get a move date that can save you money while still fitting within your schedule, come up with two or three moving dates that work for you. Then, reach out to your moving company to discuss options, and book the most cost-efficient one for your needs and schedule.

#4 Services Chosen

Local movers costs will vary by the services you’ve selected. At Suddath, the most common services are:

• Packing and unpacking services: At Suddath, we’ll do everything we can to create a smooth transition for you, and packing and unpacking really is second nature to us. We offer partial packing and unpacking services (you decide what rooms or belongings we pack) or full packing and unpacking services where we take it all on. In each case, we’ll help to create a positive residential moving experience that fits your needs, including your budget.
• Specialty packing services: From high–end white glove services, where we do the ultimate to protect your belongings and your privacy, to custom crating and piano moving and relocating pets, cars, motorcycles, and boats, we offer specialized services.
• Storage solutions: People use our safe and convenient storage services to protect their belongings for a wide range of reasons, and here’s what they have in common: They keep possessions secure while you plan your home move, pack, and so forth.

The services you select will have an effect on the local movers costs.

#5 Additional Moving Valuation Coverage

Before you move, you’ll verify the value of belongings the moving company will transport. Then, you pay for the relevant valuation coverage for all your goods. Although you can declare high-value items separately, you can’t just get valuation coverage on those goods.

Note that valuation coverage is not the same as insurance for your belongings.

Then, you choose between full-value coverage or actual-value coverage. The first provides coverage for the amount you paid for the possessions, while the latter covers today’s value of them. Your deductible level can be as low as zero.

However, you may decide to decline this coverage altogether; this means that you’re covered for a baseline amount for free: 60 cents per pound for each household item. Are many of your belongings worth more than 60 cents per pound? Yes, they almost certainly are. Conversely, you can purchase additional valuation coverage from your moving company, if offered, or you can purchase insurance from a third-party provider.

Local Movers Costs at Suddath

As these factors clearly point out, costs of local movers can vary depending on the location and specific needs, with no one price covering all situations. What matters when you move, of course, is what it will cost you to get where you need to go with the services you want and need. Whether you’re looking for movers in Fort Lauderdale or another location, Suddath’s moving company provides reliable services tailored to your specific requirements.

At Suddath, we customize each relocation experience, so to get your fast, accurate, and personalized quote, please reach out to our expert customer service team.

The post How Much Do Local Movers Cost? Factors To Consider appeared first on Suddath.

Whether you’re drawn to its picturesque lakes, charming downtown area, or thriving arts scene, here’s a guide to help you navigate your move to this lovely city:

Step #1. Research the Area

• Neighborhoods: Explore the different neighborhoods in Winter Park to find the one that best suits your lifestyle and preferences. Consider factors like proximity to amenities, schools, parks, and public transportation or walkability.
• Understand Local Cost of Living: Familiarize yourself with the cost of living in Winter Park, including housing prices, utilities, groceries, and transportation expenses. This will help you budget accordingly.

Step #2. Find Housing in Your Neighborhood of Choice

• Real Estate Market: Work with a local real estate agent to find housing options that meet your criteria. Winter Park offers a variety of housing styles, including single-family homes, apartments, and condominiums.
• Rental Options: If you’re not ready to buy, explore rental properties in the area. Websites like Zillow, Trulia, and Apartments.com can help you find available rentals. You can also post in local groups like NextDoor for word-of-mouth opportunities.

Step #3. Set Up Utilities

• Electricity: Contact the local utility provider to set up your electricity service.
• Water and Sewer: Arrange for water and sewer services through the city’s utilities department.
• Internet and Cable: Research internet and cable providers in the area and schedule installation for your new home.

Step #4. Register for Services

• Driver’s License: If you’re moving from out of state, you’ll need to transfer your driver’s license to Florida within 30 days of establishing residency. Visit the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office to complete the process.
• Vehicle Registration: Register your vehicle with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to obtain license plates and registration.
• Voter Registration: Update your voter registration information to participate in local elections.

Step #5. Explore Amenities

• Parks and Recreation: Take advantage of Winter Park’s beautiful parks and recreational facilities. Enjoy activities like boating, fishing, picnicking, and hiking in scenic locations like Howell Branch Preserve and the upcoming Seven Oaks Park.
• Cultural Attractions: Immerse yourself in Winter Park’s cultural scene by visiting museums, art galleries, and theaters. Don’t miss the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, known for its collection of Tiffany glass.
• Dining and Shopping: Discover the diverse culinary scene and boutique shopping options in downtown Winter Park. Explore Park Avenue for upscale dining, trendy boutiques, and charming cafes.

Step #6. Get Involved

• Volunteer Opportunities: Consider volunteering with local organizations or nonprofits to make a positive impact in the community and meet new people. There are lots of local groups like the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Winter Park Women’s Club that will help you acclimate to your new home and contribute.

Step #7. Embrace the Lifestyle

• Outdoor Activities: With its sunny weather year-round, Winter Park offers ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Whether you enjoy golfing, biking, or simply soaking up the sun, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
• Day Trips: Take advantage of Winter Park’s central location by exploring nearby attractions like Orlando’s theme parks, the Kennedy Space Center, or the beaches on Florida’s east coast.

Step #8. Connect with Neighbors

• Join Community Groups: Connect with neighbors and fellow residents by joining local community groups or social clubs. Websites like Meetup.com can help you find like-minded individuals with similar interests.
• Attend Neighborhood Events: Participate in neighborhood events or block parties to get to know your neighbors and build a sense of community.

Where to Shop in Winter Park, FL

Winter Park, FL is home to a diverse array of local businesses that contribute to the city’s unique charm and vibrant atmosphere. From boutique shops and art galleries to cozy cafes and fine dining restaurants, there’s something for everyone to explore.

Here’s a closer look at some of the notable local businesses in Winter Park:

• Boutique Shops: Park Avenue is lined with upscale boutiques offering everything from designer clothing and accessories to home decor and gifts. Explore clothing stores like Tuni, Lilly Pulitzer, and Gatorlilly upscale resale for a luxurious shopping experience.
• Art Galleries: Discover local and international artists at art galleries along Park Avenue. The SoBo Art Gallery showcases contemporary works by emerging artists, while the Winter Park Art Gallery features a diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.

• Cafes and Bakeries: Hannibal Square is known for its cozy cafes and bakeries, perfect for enjoying a leisurely breakfast or afternoon treat. Visit Croissant Gourmet for authentic French pastries or Axum Coffee for artisanal coffee and light bites. Peterbrooke Chocolatier serves up custom chocolate gifts, famous chocolate covered popcorn and delectable ice cream.
• Restaurants: Indulge in a culinary adventure at one of Hannibal Square’s acclaimed restaurants. The Ravenous Pig offers modern American cuisine with a focus on locally sourced ingredients, while Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine serves up authentic Turkish dishes in a stylish setting.

• Shopping and Entertainment: Winter Park Village is a premier shopping and entertainment destination with a mix of national retailers and local boutiques. Browse stores like Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, and Lululemon Athletica, then catch a movie at the Regal Cinemas theater.
• Dining Options: Enjoy a diverse selection of dining options at Winter Park Village, ranging from casual eateries to upscale restaurants. Grab a slice of pizza at Mellow Mushroom, savor sushi at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant, or dine al fresco at The Cheesecake Factory.

Farmer’s Markets:

• Winter Park Farmer’s Market: Held every Saturday morning in the heart of Winter Park, the Winter Park Farmer’s Market features a wide variety of locally grown produce, artisanal foods, handmade crafts, and more. It’s the perfect place to support local farmers and artisans while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere.

Local Breweries and Bars:

• Breweries: Winter Park is home to several craft breweries where you can sample a variety of locally brewed beers. Enjoy a pint at breweries like Ten10 Brewing Company or Deadly Sins Brewing, which offer a rotating selection of creative brews.
• Bars and Lounges: Whether you’re in the mood for craft cocktails or a laid-back atmosphere, Winter Park has plenty of bars and lounges to choose from. Check out The Wine Room on Park Avenue for an extensive selection of wines by the glass or Enzian Theater’s Eden Bar for cocktails and indie films.

Art and Culture:

• Galleries and Studios: Explore Winter Park’s thriving arts scene by visiting local galleries and artist studios. The Crealde School of Art offers classes, workshops, and exhibitions showcasing the work of emerging and established artists.
• Community Events: Stay connected with the community by attending local events and festivals. Winter Park hosts various events throughout the year, including the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival and the Bach Festival.

Supporting local businesses is not only a great way to discover unique products and experiences but also helps contribute to the local economy and foster a sense of community in Winter Park. Whether you’re shopping, dining, or exploring the arts, be sure to take advantage of all that the city’s local businesses have to offer!

Winter Park’s Live Music Scene

Winter Park, FL, offers a vibrant live music scene with various venues and events where you can enjoy different genres and performances. Here are some of the top options for experiencing live music in Winter Park:

The Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts: A unique venue dedicated to promoting the arts, including live music performances. This venue offers a variety of music genres such as jazz, classical, blues, and more. The intimate setting provides a great atmosphere for enjoying live performances.

The Wine Room on Park Avenue: A popular wine bar that also features live music. Enjoy live jazz and acoustic performances while sampling from an extensive selection of wines and enjoying small plates.

Hannibal’s Lounge at The Alfond Inn: A sophisticated lounge within The Alfond Inn hotel. Features live jazz music on select evenings, creating a relaxing and elegant atmosphere.

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum: A beautifully restored Spanish farmhouse that hosts various cultural events. Offers live music events, including their popular “Music at the Casa” series on Sunday afternoons, featuring local musicians in a stunning historic setting.

Park Avenue District: The main street in downtown Winter Park, lined with restaurants and bars. Several venues along Park Avenue offer live music performances regularly. It is a great area to explore for dining and live entertainment.

Central Park: As the aptly named central gathering space in downtown Winter Park, Central Park hosts numerous outdoor concerts and music festivals throughout the year. This includes “Olde Fashioned 4th of July Celebration” and “Winter Park Autumn Art Festival.”

Jazz Tastings: Although technically in Maitland, this cozy restaurant and bar is just outside of Winter Park and specializes in live jazz music. With jazz performances several nights a week, this spot also serves up a stunning menu of tapas, wine, and cocktails.

Best Restaurants in Winter Park

Winter Park, FL, boasts a vibrant dining scene with a variety of restaurants offering diverse cuisines and exceptional dining experiences. Here are some of the best restaurants in Winter Park:

Prato: Known for its wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, and contemporary Italian dishes. The rustic-chic atmosphere and a frequently changing menu featuring fresh, local ingredients make it a must-visit. Locals rave about the meatballs, margherita pizza, and the Fiorentina steak.

The Ravenous Pig: A local Winter Park gastropub favorite for its innovative American cuisine with a focus on farm-to-table ingredients. The restaurant also features an on-site brewery so you can find the perfect IPA to pair with your shrimp and grits, or pork porterhouse.

Hillstone: Located on Lake Killarney, Hillstone offers stunning views, a serene ambiance, and a menu featuring high-quality steaks, seafood, and American classics like hickory-smoked ribs, Hawaiian ribeye, and the Hillstone burger.

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine: Known for its authentic Turkish dishes and warm, inviting atmosphere. The menu includes a variety of flavorful and well-prepared Mediterranean dishes. Do not miss the homemade baklava.

Briarpatch Restaurant: A popular spot for breakfast and brunch, offering a charming atmosphere and a menu filled with hearty, classic American breakfast and lunch items like blueberry pancakes, Southern eggs benedict, and the Briarpatch burger.

Hamilton’s Kitchen at The Alfond Inn: Located in The Alfond Inn, Hamilton’s Kitchen offers a farm-to-table dining experience with a menu that features Southern-inspired dishes.

Hannibal’s on the Square: Known for its fresh seafood dishes and elegant dining atmosphere, Hannibal’s on the Square is a top choice for seafood lovers. The lobster bisque is a classic!

Winter Park, FL Outdoor Activities

Winter Park, FL, offers a variety of outdoor activities that cater to different interests, from leisurely strolls and water activities to exploring nature trails and participating in community events.

Mead Botanical Garden: This 48-acre garden offers trails, a boardwalk, and a variety of plant species, making it perfect for a peaceful day in nature. If you’re interested in nature walks, bird watching, and exploring the butterfly garden this is a perfect day trip.

Kraft Azalea Garden: Located on the shore of Lake Maitland, this garden is known for its beautiful cypress trees and serene setting.

Winter Park Chain of Lakes: This chain of interconnected lakes offers stunning views and numerous opportunities for water recreation. Boat rentals and guided tours are available.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour: A one-hour tour through the lakes and canals, offering views of mansions, wildlife, and the Rollins College campus.

Cady Way Trail: This popular trail spans over 7 miles, connecting Winter Park to Orlando and offering a scenic route through parks and neighborhoods.

West Orange Trail: Although a short drive from Winter Park, passing through nearby Winter Garden, this 22-mile trail is worth the trip for its well-maintained paths and beautiful scenery for biking, hiking, and rollerblading.

Winter Park Golf Course: A historic 9-hole course located near downtown, perfect for a leisurely round of golf.

Winter Park Tennis Center: Offers multiple courts and professional coaching services for players of all levels.

Pickleball Orlando: Provides lessons and rentals for those learning how to play pickleball.

Best Activities for Kids in Winter Park

You’ve heard of Disney World, of course, but what else is there to do with kids living in Winter Park, FL?

Winter Park, FL, offers a variety of activities and attractions that are perfect for kids – and don’t cost the price of an admission ticket. From educational museums and interactive play areas to beautiful parks and family-friendly events, there’s plenty to keep children entertained. Here are some of the best activities for kids in Winter Park:

Central Park: This large park in downtown Winter Park features open green spaces, fountains, and walking paths. It’s a great spot for a family picnic, outdoor games, and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The park also hosts events like outdoor concerts and festivals that are family-friendly.

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens: The museum features beautiful sculptures and art pieces, and the gardens are a serene place to explore. Kids can enjoy the outdoor sculptures and participate in special events and workshops designed for families.

Rollins College Campus: The beautiful campus of Rollins College is open to the public and offers a picturesque setting for walks. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum is free and often has exhibits that are engaging for children, along with educational programs.

Winter Park Public Library: The library offers a variety of programs for children, including story times, reading challenges, craft workshops, and educational activities. It’s a great place to foster a love of reading and learning.

Orlando Science Center: Located nearby in Orlando, the Science Center is a favorite for families. It features hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, live science shows, and special events. It’s both fun and educational, with interactive exhibits, planetarium shows, and live science demonstrations, making it a great day trip from Winter Park.

Lake Baldwin Park: This park offers a sandy beach on Lake Baldwin, a playground, picnic areas, and a dog park. It’s a great place for the whole family (including fur kids) to play, swim, and enjoy outdoor activities.

Enzian Theater: While Enzian Theater is also a great spot for adults to get away, the venue also hosts family-friendly movie events and has an outdoor seating area where kids can enjoy snacks and beverages. It’s a unique venue for watching movies under the stars as a family.

Cady Way Trail: This trail is perfect for a family bike ride, walk, or rollerblading session. It’s safe and well-maintained, offering a scenic route through Winter Park and into neighboring areas without being too difficult for children.

Ward Park: This park features multiple sports fields, a playground, and picnic areas. It’s a great spot for kids to play sports, enjoy the playground, and have a family picnic.

Schools in Winter Park

Winter Park, FL is part of the Orange County School System, and boasts a range of excellent educational institutions, from public schools to private academies, and higher education options.

Elementary Schools:

1. Brookshire Elementary School:
   • Known for its strong academic programs and supportive learning environment.
   • Offers various extracurricular activities and enrichment programs.
2. Lakemont Elementary School:
   • Focuses on academic excellence and character development.
   • Provides a range of extracurricular activities, including music, art, and sports.
3. Dommerich Elementary School:
   • Recognized for its dedicated staff and engaging curriculum.
   • Offers programs to support both gifted and special education students.

Middle Schools:

1. Maitland Middle School:
   • Provides a rigorous academic curriculum with opportunities for advanced coursework.
   • Offers numerous extracurricular activities, including sports, arts, and clubs.
2. Glenridge Middle School:
   • Known for its strong academic programs and diverse student body.
   • Offers a variety of electives and extracurricular activities.

High Schools:

1. Winter Park High School:
   • Offers a comprehensive academic program with Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.
   • Known for its strong athletic programs, arts, and extracurricular activities.
   • Home to the Winter Park High School Band, which has a national reputation.

Private School Options:

1. Lake Highland Preparatory School:
   • A private, co-educational school in Orlando offering grades Pre-K through 12.
   • Known for its strong academic programs, including AP courses, and a wide range of extracurricular activities.
   • Emphasizes character education and community service.
2. Trinity Preparatory School:
   • Offers grades 6 through 12 with a focus on college preparatory education.
   • The No.1-ranked private school and STEM school in the Orlando area.
   • Strong emphasis on leadership development and community involvement.
3. The Geneva School:
   • A private Christian school in Casselberry, FL offering grades Pre-K through 12.
   • Focuses on classical education and integrating faith with learning.
   • Offers various extracurricular activities, including athletics and fine arts.

Higher Education:

1. Rollins College:
   • A private liberal arts college located in Winter Park.
   • Offers undergraduate and graduate programs in a wide range of disciplines.
   • Known for its beautiful campus, rigorous academic programs, and strong emphasis on global citizenship and leadership.

Special Programs and Charter Schools in Winter Park

1. Orlando Science Schools:
   • A charter school with a strong emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
2. Fern Creek Elementary School:
   • Provides various programs to meet the needs of diverse learners, including gifted and talented programs.

Key considerations when choosing a new school would mean looking into:

• School ratings and performance: Research school ratings and performance metrics through resources like GreatSchools.org or the Florida Department of Education website to get a sense of each school’s academic standing.
• School visits and tours: Schedule visits or tours to get a firsthand look at the schools and their facilities. This can help you get a feel for the environment and meet with faculty and staff.
• Community and parental involvement: Consider the level of community and parental involvement in the schools, as this can greatly impact the overall educational experience.

Winter Park’s schools, with their commitment to academic excellence and diverse extracurricular offerings, provide a solid foundation for students to grow and succeed. Whether you’re looking for public, private, or specialized education, Winter Park offers a range of options to meet your needs.

Day Care Centers in Winter Park

Finding the right daycare for your child is crucial when moving to a new location, and Winter Park, FL, offers several excellent options known for their quality care and educational programs.

Park Maitland School

Offering early childhood programs starting from 1 year to pre-K, this school provides a nurturing environment that promotes both social and cognitive development.

Bright Horizons at Baldwin Park

Offering infant care, toddler care, preschool, and pre-kindergarten, Bright Horizons touts a focus on individualized learning experiences tailored to each child’s needs.

Kids R Kids Learning Academy of Oviedo

With infant care, toddler care, preschool, pre-kindergarten, and before/after school programs, this innovative curriculum combines educational excellence with fun. A high-tech, secure facility with live-streaming cameras for parents.

Primrose School of Winter Springs

Programs offered includes infant care, toddler care, preschool, pre-kindergarten, and after-school programs. A Balanced Learning® approach that combines teacher-directed and child-initiated activities.

Winter Park Community and Social Clubs

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce: Support local businesses and promotes economic growth in the area through monthly networking events, business development workshops, and community initiatives.

Winter Park Garden Club: A club for gardening enthusiasts interested in horticulture, conservation, and beautification projects. Take part in community garden tours, educational programs, and community gardening projects.

Winter Park Women’s Club: A historic social club that engages in charitable activities and provides a platform for women to connect and support each other.

Crealdé School of Art: A community-based arts organization offering classes and workshops in visual arts.

Winter Park Playhouse: A professional musical theatre dedicated to producing year-round musical theatre programming.

Winter Park Racquet Club: A private club offering tennis, swimming, and social activities.

Winter Park Writers Group at Writer’s Block Bookstore: A group for writers to share their work, receive feedback, and support each other’s writing endeavors.

YMCA of Central Florida – Winter Park Branch: Offers programs for all ages focusing on healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. Here you’ll find fitness classes, youth sports, swimming lessons, and family events.

CALL THE EXPERTS FOR YOUR MOVE TO WINTER PARK

Suddath offers comprehensive moving services, whether you’re making a local, international or long-distance residential move to Winter Park. Our professional moving coordinators are ready to take care of everything from packing, loading, storage and transportation. Get a free, no-obligation moving quote today.

Get a Free Moving Quote

The post The Ultimate Guide to Moving to Winter Park, FL appeared first on Suddath.

What really happens is much more interesting. Essentially, a Van Line is the Avengers of the moving world. A super team of movers coming together to complete a long-distance home move from start to finish.

This “Avengers” team of movers is needed because while one moving company will take you from one end of town to the other for a local move, it’s unlikely only one moving company can move you cross-country.

When you’re ready to make your long distance move, you’ll find yourself wondering: is moving with a van line right for me?

Who is Atlas Van Lines?

Atlas Van Lines is one of the largest household goods movers in the United States and Canada. But it isn’t just one moving company – it’s made up of many smaller moving companies working together.

Agents (smaller moving companies) operate under the Atlas brand and utilize their resources, technology, and support to provide moving and logistics services to customers.

Agents typically handle various aspects of the moving process, including packing, loading, transportation, and unloading of household goods. Like Suddath, they may also offer additional services such as storage, vehicle transportation, and specialized handling for fragile or valuable items.

Becoming an agent for Atlas Van Lines often involves meeting certain qualifications and standards set by the company, as well as entering into a contractual agreement. This partnership allows both the agent and Atlas Van Lines to leverage each other’s strengths and capabilities to serve customers more effectively and efficiently.

Using a mover that is part of a van line, such as Atlas Van Lines, can offer several advantages:

1. Nationwide Network: Van lines typically have a vast network of agents across the country, allowing for seamless coordination of moves from one location to another. This means they can handle long-distance moves with ease and efficiency.
2. Resources and Equipment: Van lines often provide their agents with access to a wide range of resources and equipment, including trucks, packing materials, and specialized tools. This ensures that your belongings are handled with care and transported safely.
3. Professional Expertise: Agents of van lines are typically trained and experienced in all aspects of the moving process. They understand how to properly pack, load, and transport items to minimize the risk of damage or loss.
4. Insurance Coverage: Many van lines offer various levels of insurance coverage to protect your belongings during the move. This provides peace of mind knowing that you’re financially protected in case of any unforeseen accidents or incidents.
5. Convenience: By using a mover affiliated with a van line, you can often take advantage of additional services such as packing, unpacking, and secure storage. This can help streamline the moving process and reduce the stress associated with relocating.
6. Customer Support: Van lines and their agents typically provide excellent customer support throughout the moving process. Whether you have questions about your move or need assistance with any aspect of the relocation, their customer service team has a deep well of moving knowledge and is always there to help.

Just because you’re moving with a van line doesn’t mean you’re going to be stuck on hold or hitting “0” over and over again trying to talk to a person. The smaller origin moving company will assign you a move coordinator who will work with you throughout your move and be your single-point-of-contact.

Overall, using a mover that is part of a van line can offer a reliable and efficient solution for your moving needs, particularly for long-distance or complex moves.

Is Atlas Van Lines Credible?

Alongside the above, Atlas Van Lines is considered credible for several reasons:

1. Longevity and Reputation: Atlas Van Lines has been in operation since 1948, giving them decades of experience in the moving and transportation industry. Together with Suddath’s century of moving experience, we have over 175 years of moving expertise.
2. Industry Affiliations and Accreditations: Atlas Van Lines is a member of prominent industry associations such as the American Trucking Association (ATA) which sets standards and promotes ethical business practices within the moving industry. Additionally, Atlas has been named one of the “Most Trustworthy Companies in America” two years running by Newsweek Magazine.
3. Extensive Network of Qualified Agents: Atlas Van Lines has a vast network of agents across the United States and Canada. These agents are carefully selected and trained to uphold the high standards set by Atlas, ensuring consistent service quality regardless of the location of your move.
4. Positive Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Many customers have shared positive experiences with Atlas Van Lines, praising their professionalism, punctuality, and attention to detail. Positive word-of-mouth and testimonials from satisfied customers further enhance their credibility in the industry.

Overall, Atlas Van Lines has established itself as a credible and trusted moving company through its long-standing presence, industry affiliations, extensive network, comprehensive services, commitment to customer satisfaction, and positive reputation.

Why Do You Need a Van Line Anyway? Can’t Movers Just Follow Me to My New Home?

A moving van is so large that it can fit three or four homes worth of items. It would be very expensive to have one all to yourself, so a van line employee plots out the logistics of pick ups and deliveries.

This helps to save on wasted cost and time – which compounded over time, would lead to increased cost for the consumer. While there are many costs that go into delivering a shipment, just one to consider is that filling up a tractor-trailer with fuel just once can cost well over $1,000. This means the most efficient route needs to be laid out to cut down on waste.

Moving with an agent for Atlas Van Lines means that there are elite specialists and resources in place to help ensure efficiency of a route. This means not only are costs kept down, but you’ll get your shipment as soon as possible.

The Cross-Country Moving Process

Typically, a moving crew will come to pack and load your items into a moving van. Then, that truck will work its way across the country (likely with other deliveries along the way) until it reaches your new hometown.

At this point, the driver needs a local crew to deliver the items. This means that they need to call on the local Atlas agent office to find qualified, trained and background-checked crew members. No moving company has a branch in every city, so this is really where a van line comes in handy.

Depending on scheduling, your driver may need to deliver your items into the warehouse of the local Atlas agent moving company. Then, the destination moving company would deliver your goods to your home on the appointed day, and the origin moving company would know that, as another Atlas agent, the items would be delivered with the same care in which they were picked up.

The van line relationship creates a moving process that ensures a level of efficiency and credibility that allows multiple companies to work together to complete a move for the best possible price and at the highest quality.

Are you ready to make your cross-country or long-distance move? Make your move with Suddath and Atlas Van Lines today.

The post Atlas Van Lines: What Does it Mean to be an Agent for Atlas? appeared first on Suddath.

That’s why we polled our team of dedicated Move Coordinators for their list of the most forgotten moving tasks, so you can make sure to add them to your list.

1. Properly label any and all moving boxes

Packing can be so chaotic that it’s difficult to remember to properly label each box. However, you’re going to save yourself a lot of confusion and stress in your new home if you label your box with four things:

• Your name
• Box location
• Box contents
• Importance

For example, a well labeled box might say, “J. Doe/Kitchen/Pans/Open First” so you and the moving team know that box should be placed in the kitchen and be easily accessible. That way, you aren’t pulling open every box to try to find the pans you need for your first breakfast in your new home.

2. Check infrequently used storage areas

Perfect examples of infrequently used areas are the drawer under your stove and the cabinet above your fridge. This is where we tend to put items and forget about them until we need them.

If you don’t take a critical look around your house for these areas, items might be left behind. Or, when you’re busy with moving day you’ll suddenly remember and then have unpacked items to deal with.

Attics and basements are areas that people often forget about when planning out their move packing schedule. Tackle these areas first, since there are likely a lot of items to get rid of in these areas, and you may even need to work in a yard sale.

Garages also hold many non-allowable items or items that have to be adjusted in order to move. For example, batteries, lawn and garden chemicals, and aerosol spray cans cannot be taken with you on your move. If you have gas lawn care equipment, it will need to be approved by your mover, and if so, completely drained and cleaned in order to be moved.

3. Plan to be around the full move day and do a final walk through

You do need to set aside the entire day to supervise your move. No one knows your goods as well as you do, and issues, concerns, and questions do pop up in the moment. You’ll want to make sure you have undivided attention to give to the moving crew and ensure you understand the process and are directing them properly.

4. Remove the ink and toner from printers

It can be an absolute mess. Just trust us.

5. Finish laundry and air out your washer

Mold can be a big issue in a move, and it is caused by improper packing and move preparation. You must finish your laundry and air out your washing machine for at least two to three days ahead of time.

This way, your washer will be completely dry, and you’ll avoid odors or (worst case scenario) mold. This is also true of anything that might contain hidden moisture, such as lawn or pool furniture, which must also be dry before transporting.

6. Empty, clean and defrost your fridge in advance

For the same reasons that you need to air out your washing machine ahead of your move, you need to do the same with your refrigerator. Start meal planning to clear out your fridge over a week in advance of your move, giving yourself enough time to defrost it for two or three days ahead of time. We also recommend putting baking soda in a nylon stocking to avoid odors.

You’ll also want to factor this into your budget – either focus on pantry staples for those two or three days when your fridge is drying out, or factor in paying to eat out.

7. Empty and clean all garbage cans prior to moving day

This can be another easy source of mold or odors in a shipment. Your moving crew will arrive ready to go and will quickly move through your home picking things up and putting them on the truck.

Ensure all trash cans are empty and clean, because your moving team might not notice if a garbage can has something still in it. Even an errant banana peel can create an issue for your shipment. If your trash can is at all sticky or has food residue on it, or even built up moisture, make sure to thoroughly clean and dry it ahead of your move as well.

8. Create a “Staying” area for important items

Make sure to set aside a closet or room that only has items in it that will not be taken by the movers.

This could be the clothing you’ll be taking with you, sentimental items such as family pictures or children’s toys, and anything like expensive jewelry or important documents.

When you’re doing the pre-move walkthrough, point it out to your movers so the items in it don’t end up in your shipment. Better yet, tape a sign indicating it’s a “no move room” or “staying” so there is no confusion.

9. Plan and create a first night box

Create and mark a “first night” box that has all of the things you’ll need your first night or few days in your new home. This way, you are ready to stay in your new home upon arrival without a shopping trip. This means toilet paper, towels, soap, paper plates/utensils/cups, coffee, etc, for the kitchen and bathrooms. Sheets for bedrooms, and any comfort items for your children, cans of pet food and anything you’ll need to work remotely.

Make sure you take time while you’re packing to make a thoughtful list of everything that needs to go in your first night box(es). The last thing you want on your first night in your new home is to be digging through random boxes to find a wine opener!

10. Save yourself some money

Moving is expensive, and every little bit counts. If you’re moving interstate, using an eCheck saves you 1% vs using a credit card. Make sure to plan for this type of transaction so you aren’t scrambling on moving day or paying extra unnecessarily.

Moving can be a complex and stressful process, but having reliable support makes all the difference. When relocating to or from cities like Jacksonville or Dallas, enlisting the help of reputable Jacksonville movers or Dallas movers can streamline the entire process. Suddath’s teams of movers are dedicated to handling every aspect of your move with care and professionalism, ensuring your belongings arrive safely and on time. Whether you’re moving locally or long-distance, choosing the right movers can significantly enhance your moving experience. By entrusting your move to Suddath’s seasoned experts, you can focus on settling into your new environment with confidence, knowing that every detail has been meticulously managed. Our reviews say it all! Suddath’s movers not only save you time and effort, but also provide peace of mind, making your relocation experience smooth and stress-free.

Where are you moving next? Reach out to Suddath about a local, long distance or international move.

The post 10 Most Commonly Forgotten Tasks appeared first on Suddath.

Jacksonville is the largest city in the nation by area and has nearly one million residents. Like any city of this size, it has a number of neighborhoods that are safer than others. If you’re thinking about moving in Northeast Florida and safety is on your list of priorities, the team at our Jacksonville moving company offers guidance on several safe neighborhoods you may want to consider before you make your move.

Intracoastal West

This family-friendly area lies along the Intracoastal Waterway, just over the bridge from Jacksonville’s beaches. Its location offers an easy commute to other parts of the city, thanks to access to major roads and thoroughfares. There’s a wide range of housing choices here, from spacious, well-kept homes built in the last 20 years to brand-new luxury apartments springing up everywhere. Great shopping and dining are just a short drive away, including the options at the beaches.

As for advantages such as high-quality healthcare and schools, this neighborhood is home to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and the highly rated Alimicani Elementary School, and the University of North Florida is just minutes away.

The Beaches

Long one of the area’s most unique and desirable neighborhoods, the beaches to the east of Jacksonville remain a popular spot to live. Unfortunately, this means housing is more expensive here than nearly any other part of town.

Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach are collectively referred to as “the beaches” and each has its own particular flavor. Jacksonville Beach is the most diverse, both in housing styles and population. It’s the largest of the beach cities, so it has the greatest number of options in dining, shopping, schools, and more. While still high, home prices cover a wider range here than in nearby beach communities. Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach have fewer business and commercial properties and are mostly residential.

Mandarin

Lying along the St. Johns River, Mandarin is a beautiful neighborhood that’s known for its ancient oak trees that you’ll find at every turn. Residents love living here not only for its natural assets, but also for its parks, schools, shopping, and restaurants.

You can find any type of home here, including grand riverfront homes on expansive lots, new apartments and modern condominiums, and smaller, well-built more affordable homes. You’ll need to allow for a time-consuming commute to downtown Jacksonville, but it’s worth the drive to come home to this easygoing neighborhood.

Oceanway

Oceanway is located on Jacksonville’s northside and, until fairly recently, was one of the most rural and sparsely populated areas of the city. Today, though, it’s become more suburban with the addition of brand-new housing communities. There are still a great number of small farms and homes on large acreage, but new residents now have new choices.

New residents are drawn to Oceanway for its attractions and amenities, such as the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens; its proximity to the Jacksonville International Airport; and the shopping choices at the sprawling River City Marketplace. Thanks to I-95 and I-295, Oceanway residents can get to other parts of the city quickly.

Baymeadows

Baymeadows became one of Jacksonville’s most attractive places to live when the city drew a number of major U.S. corporations that made their headquarters here. This drew thousands of young professionals, which led to a burgeoning nightlife scene along Baymeadows Road and new apartment complexes that sprung up around it. Restaurants, including some great authentic Thai and Indian eateries, line this main thoroughfare.

The neighborhood is now well-established and remains a draw today for those who want the convenience of an easy commute to all areas of Jacksonville.

Ortega

This older-but-elegant Jacksonville neighborhood offers a quiet respite from the bustle of the neighborhoods around it. Located on a peninsula on the St. Johns River with beautiful views of the city’s skyline, the area’s Ortega Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Generation of Ortega residents have preserved hundreds of homes over the years that range in style from Mediterranean Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and Colonial Revival, to Tudor Revival and Prairie.

For the most part, Ortega is a wealthy neighborhood and is accessible only by a two-lane bridge. Great schools, well-tended parks, the Florida Yacht Club, and the Timuquana Country Club combine to make Ortega a highly desirable place to live.

Riverside/Avondale

This historic neighborhood isn’t just popular with Jacksonville residents—it was also voted one of the top 10 Great Neighborhoods in the country. Although the Riverside/Avondale area is steeped in history, it attracts a young population. Housing here is at both extremes of the spectrum: There are multi-million-dollar estates and high-end condominiums on the riverfront, but there are also beautiful old duplexes with charming apartments offering a step into a charming past.

Riverside/Avondale is a destination for residents from across the city. It’s home to the top-notch Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, the funky 5 Points arts district, and an eclectic collection of locally owned boutiques and shops with one-of-a-kind items. Beautifully treed parks, the weekly Riverside Arts Market, and some of the city’s best restaurants round out the many attractions of this neighborhood.

Ready to Make Your Move? Our Jacksonville Movers Can Help.

Suddath’s expert movers in Jacksonville, FL, have everything you and your family need to move to any of the city’s great neighborhoods. If you’ve been searching for moving companies in Jacksonville, here’s why Suddath is the right choice:

• Your move will be handled by fully trained and vetted professional movers.
• Our services can be customized to your needs.
• We offer moving quotes with no hidden costs or fees.

Book your move or speak with one of Suddath’s moving experts today.

The post Where is the Safest Place to Live in Jacksonville, FL? appeared first on Suddath.

Is St. Augustine a Good Place to Live?

If you’re moving to St. Augustine, you already know the allure of this beautiful piece of Florida. But you may not know the ins-and-outs of being a local here. First, get started with a quick and easy moving quote for St. Augustine, FL and next, start planning your favorite local haunts.

Historical Sites in St. Augustine

St. Augustine has an old soul, so you’ll find no shortage of history here. These are just a few places you can visit to understand the people who lived and shaped northeast Florida into what it is today:

• Castillo de San Marcos: This centuries-old fortress is a National Monument and a must-visit. It is the heart of St. Augustine and is a stunning example of the strength of local coquina building material. Explore the stunning views from its bay overlook, cannons, and learn about its history through exhibits and guided tours. Many locals will even pack a picnic on occasion and eat on the lawn surrounding the Castillo.
• Fort Mose Historic State Park: Just two miles north of Castillo de San Marcos, Fort Mose Historic State Park is the location of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in North America. Learn about this important 40-acre historical site at the interactive museum and stick around to spot stunning Florida wildlife. There is also a “Discover Fort Mose” Jazz and Blues Series here each February that brings in talent from around the country.
• St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum: Climb to the top of this historic lighthouse for a stunning view of the city and learn about the maritime history of the area. Open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily
• Flagler College: Take a tour of this beautiful campus, originally a luxury hotel built by Henry Flagler, the famed railroad tycoon who connected Florida from Jacksonville to Key West. The architecture is stunning, fitting for Presidents and Rockefellers (both of whom visited, alongside other dignitaries of the Gilded Age) with Tiffany glass windows and intricate details.
• Colonial Quarter: Step back in time and explore this living history museum, featuring colonial-era buildings, interactive exhibits, and demonstrations. Situated along St. George Street, a visit allows you to journey through the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries to learn about blacksmithing, watch a live musket demo, and climb the 35-foot watchtower for panoramic views of St. Augustine’s bayfront and the historic Castillo de San Marcos. It also has amazing concerts and hosts local events under it’s gorgeous oak tree.
• Lightner Museum: Housed in the former Alcazar Hotel, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by Henry Flagler, this museum features eclectic collections of art, antiques, and artifacts.
• Explore Historic Lincolnville: There is more than just Spanish history in St. Augustine, and just a few blocks outside of the historic district, you’ll see why they say “the road to Black history runs though Lincolnville.” is rich with Black history. Settled by newly freed slaves after the Civil War, and named for President Lincoln, the Lincolnville Historic District neighborhood played a pivotal role in the nation’s Civil Rights movement. On June 9, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in St. Augustine during a protest for human rights alongside King was Rev. Andrew Young, who led a night march from Lincolnville to the Plaza de la Constitucion, where he was met with violent opposition. His courageous walk is memorialized in brass footsteps at the Plaza with the Andrew Young Crossing, where visitors can walk in his footsteps. The Plaza in the center of town is also home to the bronze Foot Soldiers Memorial, built in remembrance of those who protested peacefully during the turbulent 1960s.
• Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center: Here visitors can learn about the more than 450 years of Black history stretching from the empires of West Africa, to early colonial Florida and up to the 20th century. Located in what was once the Excelsior School, which served as the first public black high school, this Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center continues preserving and promoting African American history through art, educational programs, lectures, live performances, oral histories, and immersive exhibits. You can also experience the journey of black Americans through virtual tours that tell the story of some of the people and events that changed history in St. Augustine.
• Fountain of Youth: Whether or not the Fountain of Youth is really located in St. Augustine is up for debate. But whether or not it’s waters will grant you eternal life, this beautiful site’s history starts in 2,400 B.C. with the native Floridians, the Timucua, beginning to occupy the region.

St. Augustine Activities and Attractions:

There is so much to do in St. Augustine, it might take you years and years of living in the outdoor-lover’s paradise before you get to it all. Here is a list to help you get started:

• St. Augustine Eco Tours: Experience the natural beauty of the area with guided bird, dolphin and salt marsh kayak tours and boat excursions led by knowledgeable local guides.
• Colonial Oak Music Park: A community gathering space featuring live music performances, food trucks, and cultural events in a picturesque outdoor setting.
• St. Augustine Distillery: This craft distillery produces small-batch spirits using locally sourced ingredients. Take a tour of this craft distillery and sample locally-made spirits like rum, vodka, and gin.
• Surf Station Lessons: Since 1984, Surf Station has been the go-to surf and skate shop for St. Augustine locals. The Surf Station is annually voted ‘Best Surf Shop’ year after year by The St. Augustine Record. The shop accommodates every surfer at every skill level with over 1,000 surfboards in stock. The staff offers surf camps as well as private and group surfing lessons to help you hang ten in your new town.
• Augustine Beach: Relax on the sandy shores, swim in the Atlantic Ocean, or try water sports like surfing and paddleboarding. You can’t go wrong with this pristine beach lined by seaside cottages and restaurants. Every Wednesday, the St. Augustine Beach Pier hosts a Farmer’s Market from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Anastasia State Park: Enjoy hiking trails, kayaking, birdwatching, and pristine beaches in this natural oasis. Music from the nearby St. Augustine Ampitheater can sometimes be heard from the shore.
• Matanzas Inlet: While “Matanzas” is the Spanish word for “slaughter” due to this area being the site of the Spanish victory over the French to secure the Florida territory for themselves, you couldn’t pick a more beautiful spot. Locals frequent this area for fishing, birdwatching, or simply enjoying the coastal scenery.
• Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park: Arriving at the Alligator Farm, you’d have no idea that it is yet another one of St. Augustine’s historical sites. Founded in 1893, over 125 years ago, it began as a small exhibition of Florida reptiles and soon became a quintessential Florida attraction. Today it functions as a modern zoo serving the public and the scientific community with educational shows and exhibits, important research, and worldwide conservation efforts.

Dining and Nightlife in St. Augustine, FL

• Columbia Restaurant: Indulge in Spanish and Cuban cuisine at this iconic restaurant located in the heart of historic St. Augustine.
• The Ice Plant: Enjoy handcrafted cocktails and farm-to-table fare in a stylish setting at this trendy establishment. Here, attention is paid to the smallest of details with three different kinds of ice, including a nod to the building’s original use as an Ice Plant, with a 300lb block of ice and custom cubes.
• Llama Restaurant: This quaint Peruvian restaurant may be small on the inside (we advise reaching out in advance for reservations) but it is big on flavor. Named one of OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in the U.S. for 2023, it’s no longer just a favorite spot of local’s. 
• The Floridian: This restaurant serves Southern-inspired cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients, with a focus on sustainability and community. A favorite for locals and tourists alike – make sure to pick up one of their famous flying baby alligator tees.
• The Blue Hen Café: A cozy breakfast and brunch spot known for its creative dishes, friendly atmosphere, and commitment to using fresh, local ingredients. The fried chicken breakfast sandwich is a must!
• Sunday Gathering Table: With delicious fare and an enchanting courtyard in the Uptown neighborhood of St. Augustine, this is a charming local’s favorite breakfast spot. Don’t miss out on the roasted shiitake and oyster mushroom toast with herb pesto, goat cheese and cured lemon.
• Alms + Fare: Gluten-free sweet treats that are organic, non-GMO, dairy-free and naturally sweet. Find simple treats here that are made with quality ingredients.
• River & Fort: River & Fort Restaurant & Rooftop Lounge is located right in the heart of downtown St. Augustine at the corner of Avenida Menendez and Charlotte St, directly across from the Castillo de San Marcos overlooking the gorgeous bayfront (hence, the River & Fort moniker). Offering a southern continental inspired menu with local seafood, steaks, wine, and craft cocktails, River & Fort boasts one of the best rooftops in St. Augustine, where on a clear day you can see all the way to the Lighthouse on Anastasia Island.
• In nearby Vilano Beach, there are two staple restaurants sitting almost side-by-side on the Tolomoto River: Cap’s on the Water and Aunt Kate’s – both have stunning views, fantastic seafood-first menus and the best sunset spot in Northeast Florida. Every local has their favorite of the two, so make these spots a first stop after your move.
• Cookiebird Ice Cream Bar: If you’re interested in a whimsical, charming soft serve ice cream experience after your dinner, look no further than this new, locally owned parlor.

Local’s Favorite Nightlife in St. Augustine

There’s no shortage of nightlife in St. Augustine, and as a bustling tourism and college town, there are plenty of great spots to kick back and enjoy the town.

• Prohibition Kitchen: This 1920s and Prohibition-era themed pub on St. George Street offers generous portions of locally-sourced bar food, craft cocktails, and live music every night. The building has been artfully renovated using reclaimed materials from the original colonial structure, like the 400-year-old heart of pine ceiling boards, which were used to create the bar and booth tables.
• Café Eleven: Cafe Eleven is a fantastic restaurant in St Augustine Beach (vegetarian and vegan-friendly!) but it is also one of the best music venues in the area.
• Boat Drinks: A bright and modern watering hole on St. George Street has frozen-drink machines whirring happily behind the bar and a drink menu that will satisfy any mixologist. Start with shareable snacks or sandwiches as you sit on a balcony overlooking the bustling main walking street.
• Forgotten Tonic: A robust cocktail list and comfort food menu have won this Aviles Street spot a devoted following.
• No Name Bar: A bar so nice they named it… not at all. This locals favorite dive bar’s reputation supersedes any need for a name. With a unique view overlooking A1A, this establishment offers good times, drinks, and music.
• Dog Rose Brewing: Dog Rose Brewing Co. is in the historic neighborhood of Lincolnville, just blocks from the center of the historic district of St. Augustine. With handcrafted ales and lagers and a spacious tap room featuring shuffleboard and professional dart boards.
• Forgotten Tonic: A hidden neighborhood gem nestled away in the heart of St. Augustine’s historic district. Featuring modern twists on freshly prepared drinks that you can “take home to mom” this chic bar and bistro has something for everyone.
• Tradewinds: Claiming to be “the oldest bar in the oldest city,” Tradewinds Tropical Lounge is a lively local lounge that always has a great mix of the best music northeast Florida has to offer — rock’n’roll, blues, and a little country.

St. Augustine Coffee Shops

• Kookaburra Coffee: Australian-American coffee shop, The Kookaburra, started out with one shop downtown and grew to five St. Augustine locations and one in nearby Ponte Vedra. This shop proudly serves ethically sourced coffee, espresso, and Aussie pies for their local fans, “Kooks.”
• Juniper Market: An Uptown St. Augustine staple, Juniper is casual café-dining with counter-service, offering fresh-baked goods, grab n’ go items such as soups, salads and sandwiches as well as coffee and tea.
• Dos Coffee & Wine: Housed in an old auto parts/repair shop, (the old Reliable Auto Parts) Dos Coffee and Wine has become a favorite for locals and travelers alike. Located on the north end of the nation’s oldest city, Dos serves up hand crafted coffee alongside a rotating selection of wine and beer.
• Relámpago Coffee Lab: Meaning “lightning” in Spanish, Relámpago sums up how this shop feels about coffee: that the flavors should come down from the clouds like lightning bolts on to your palate. New coffees are brought in seasonally here, with a focus on roast profiles and current-crop offerings. This is a coffee-lovers coffee shop!

Events and Festivals in St. Augustine:

The question in St. Augustine isn’t if there is anything going on, but what is – every weekend is seemingly chock full of festivals and events. There really is something for everyone on the St. Augustine social calendar.

• Nights of Lights: Every November through January, the historic center of St. Augustine is lit up with millions of twinkling lights illuminating the city’s historic architecture. Enjoy special events, boat tours and more during the magical time of the year.
• St. Augustine Food & Wine Festival: Sample gourmet cuisine, fine wines, and craft beers from local vendors during this annual event.
• Sing Out Loud: Sing Out Loud is the annual, epic celebration of live entertainment in the Nation’s Oldest City. Featuring acts from different genres over multiple weekends in September, Sing Out Loud is the driving force behind St. Augustine’s Official Month of Music. Over 100 national, regional and local artists play a mix of free and ticketed shows at a dozen venues throughout the area, with the marquee event being the two-day concert at Francis Field.
• Discover Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series: To honor the history and celebrate the cultural significance of Fort Mose, the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States, the annual Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series welcomes renowned jazz and blues performances onsite at Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine, Florida. Past acts have included Common, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
• St. Augustine Film Festival: In January, a multi-day festival showcases independent and international films, documentaries, and shorts at various venues throughout the city. It attracts filmmakers, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts from around the world.
• St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival: Each March, Celtic culture takes over the Spanish influence in St. Augustine, with live music, dance performances, Highland games, and traditional food and drink. The festival features renowned Celtic musicians and bands, as well as cultural demonstrations and workshops.
• Rhythm & Ribs Festival: You’re not in the south unless there is a festival celebrating music and BBQ. Every April, this barbecue and music festival brings together top pitmasters from across the country to compete in a barbecue cook-off. Visitors can enjoy live music, craft vendors, kids’ activities, and, of course, delicious barbecue.
• St. Augustine Spanish Wine Festival: Come September in St. Augustine, it’s time to indulge in Spanish cuisine, wine tastings, and cultural experiences at this annual festival celebrating the city’s Spanish heritage. Events include wine dinners, tastings, and a Grand Tasting event featuring wines from Spain and beyond.
• St. Augustine Greek Festival: Experience the flavors and traditions of Greece at this festival featuring authentic Greek food, live music and dance performances, cultural exhibits, and a marketplace selling Greek products and crafts. This free event is typically held in October and sponsored by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of St. Augustine.

These festivals offer a fantastic opportunity to experience the vibrant culture, diverse cuisine, and lively entertainment scene of St. Augustine throughout the year. Be sure to check event schedules and plan your visit accordingly to make the most of these exciting celebrations!

Shopping in St. Augustine:

St. George Street is the main drag in St. Augustine for shopping and dining. Wander along this pedestrian-only thoroughfare lined with shops, restaurants, galleries, and historic buildings.

• The Spice & Tea Exchange: Browse a wide selection of gourmet spices, teas, and seasonings sourced from around the world, as well as locally blended options.
• Stubbees: Specialty honey company that offers raw honey, honeycomb, whipped honey, infused honey, handmade dinnerware, home decor, lifestyle.
• Linen & Waves: Focused on coastal chic, this is the first stop for anyone who wants to dress like a local in St. Augustine.
• Declaration & Co: A go-to local’s boutique for everything from gifts, clothing, bespoke souvenirs and more, situated on San Marco Ave in Uptown.
• St. Augustine Market & Night Market: Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. under the oaks of the St. Augustine Ampitheater, the market features stalls of local, fresh food and produce straight from the farm, as well as handmade arts and crafts, and live entertainment. Special events and features take place each week, check the individual event listings to see what’s coming up!

The Night Market is a local favorite, featuring handmade arts, crafts, and goods along with a variety of local food trucks, a full bar, and live music! The Night Market takes place on a select Tuesdays throughout the year from 5pm to 9pm.

Art and Culture in St. Augustine:

• St. Augustine Amphitheater: Known locally as The Amp, this outdoor venue is located on Anastasia Island, across the bridge from downtown St. Augustine and just a half mile from the beach. Surrounded by the natural landscape of Anastasia State Park, The Amp provides a beautiful setting for an incredible concert experience. The venue hosts more than 40 performances each year, welcoming music legends and rising stars across all genres. The Amp is an intimate setting with just under 5,000 seats.
• Crisp-Ellert Art Museum: Located on the campus of Flagler College, this contemporary art museum showcases the work of emerging and established artists, with a focus on regional talent.
• The Lightner Museum: Explore a diverse selection of art prints, jewelry, books, and gifts inspired by the museum’s collections and the history of St. Augustine.
• Butterfield Garage Art Gallery: This artist-owned gallery inside of an old auto garage is a work of art itself and has been a staple of St. Augustine on King Street for over 25 years. The gallery features rotating exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media works by local and regional artists.
• Jenna Alexander Studio: A haven for those interested in art and local culture, Jenna Alexander Studio is not only a place to look at art created by Jenna herself, but to create your own art. You can buy an original painting featuring botanicals or St. Augustine seascapes or sign yourself or your kids up for an art class taught by Jenna.

Schools in St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine offers a range of educational options for families, and is served by the St. John’s County Public School System. St. John’s County is consistently ranked as the top first or second school district in the state, securing an A letter grade from the Florida Department of Education.

Here is an overview of the types of schools you can find in the area:

Public Schools:

St. Johns County School District is known for its high academic standards and offers a variety of programs and extracurricular activities.

• Elementary Schools: St. Augustine has several public elementary schools, such as Osceola Elementary School, R.B. Hunt Elementary School, and Crookshank Elementary School, among others.
• Middle Schools: R. J. Murray Middle School and Sebastian Middle School are two of the public middle schools serving the area.
• High Schools: St. Augustine High School is the main public high school in the city, known for its strong academic and athletic programs.

Private Schools:

St. Augustine also has several private schools offering alternative educational philosophies and religious affiliations:

• St. Joseph Academy: A Catholic high school offering a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum.
• St. Johns Academy: A private kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school focusing on academic excellence and character development.
• Victory Preparatory School: A Christian-based school providing individualized instruction and a supportive learning environment for children from VPK through high school.

Charter Schools:

Charter schools provide tuition-free public education with specialized curricula or teaching methods, and there are a few options in St. Augustine.

• St. Augustine Public Montessori School: A public charter school offering a Montessori-based education for students in kindergarten through 6th grade.
• First Coast Technical College: A vocational and technical training center offering programs in fields such as healthcare, culinary arts, and automotive technology.

Higher Education:

• Flagler College: A private liberal arts college located in the heart of historic downtown St. Augustine, offering undergraduate programs in a variety of disciplines. Founded in 1968, the college is named after Henry Flagler, a key figure in the development of Florida’s east coast during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Not only is Flagler in the center of St. Augustine, but the campus itself adds to the city’s historical beauty. Originally built in 1888 as the luxurious Ponce de Leon Hotel by Henry Flagler, the main building is now a National Historic Landmark.
  
  The college emphasizes a comprehensive liberal arts education, providing students with a broad-based foundation in critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills.
  
  With a relatively small student body, Flagler College offers a close-knit and supportive community. The college provides a range of extracurricular activities, clubs, and organizations to enrich students’ academic experience and foster personal growth, as well as competing in NCAA Division II athletics, and as a member of the Peach Belt Conference, offers various sport programs for both men and women.
• Johns River State College: A public community college with campuses in St. Augustine, Orange Park, and Palatka, offering associate degrees, vocational training, and adult education programs.

Churches in St. Augustine, FL

• Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of St. Augustine
• Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
• Anastasia Baptist Church
• Islamic Center of St. Augustine, Florida
• Trinity Parish, the first Protestant church in Florida
• Church on the Rock (non-denominational)
• Awaken City Church (non-denominational)

Medical Care in St. Augustine

Medical care in Northeast Florida, including the St. Augustine area, is generally well-regarded and offers a range of high-quality healthcare services. The region is home to several reputable hospitals, medical centers, and healthcare providers that are committed to delivering excellent patient care.

Flagler Hospital: Flagler Hospital is a full-service healthcare institution providing a range of medical services, including emergency care, surgical services, maternity care, and more.

Ascension St. Vincent’s Medical Center St. John’s: As part of the Ascension healthcare network, this medical center offers comprehensive medical care, including emergency services, cardiology, orthopedics, and cancer care.

Baptist Medical Center South: Located near St. Augustine in Jacksonville, Baptist Medical Center South is a larger facility located in Jacksonville, but it serves the St. Augustine area and offers a wide range of medical services, including emergency care, surgical services, and specialty care.

CareSpot Urgent Care of St. Augustine: This clinic provides urgent care services for minor injuries and illnesses, offering convenient walk-in appointments and extended hours.

Important St. Augustine Links

• Augustine Police
• Augustine Fire Department
• City of St. Augustine Official Website: Information about city services, departments, events, and local government.
• Johns County Official Website: County services, departments, news, and resources for residents.
• Johns County School District.: Official website for public schools in St. Johns County, including St. Augustine.
• Augustine Art Association: Information about exhibitions, art classes, events, and membership opportunities.
• Augustine Record: Local news, sports, entertainment, and community information.
• Augustine Airport: Find important information about flights, services, and facilities at the St. Augustine airport.
• Cable TV and internet is provided by Comcast Xfinity, AT&T and HughesNet in St. Augustine.

CALL THE EXPERTS FOR YOUR MOVE TO ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

Suddath offers comprehensive moving services, whether you’re making a local, international or long-distance residential move to St. Augustine. Our professional moving coordinators are ready to take care of everything from packing, loading, storage and transportation. Get a free, no-obligation moving quote today.

The post Guide to Moving to St. Augustine, Florida appeared first on Suddath.

You could use Google to find responses to the question — and many people do — but you’d likely find answers such as “anywhere from $200 to $17,000,” which isn’t very helpful or specific to your unique situation. (If you’re ready to get a free quote for your particular set of circumstances, we’d be happy to connect with you.)

In this blog post, we’ll share some key factors in building a moving quote to provide you with more insights into the process and more clarity into the components of your own moving estimate. Note that we’re referring to local moves (50 miles or less) or long-distance moves that take place within the United States. Suddath is also a mover of choice for international relocations, although the quoting process would be different.

Here are five factors Suddath uses when creating a moving quote.

#1 Weight of Household Belongings

A typical household will have literally thousands of pounds of belongings that need to be transported when it’s time to move. In fact, as a super-rough estimate of how much you own, a full-sized room could contain 1,000-1,500 pounds of household goods. That figure, though, can vary widely; picture a room in someone’s house that’s chock full of possessions and then a room that’s pretty sparse — those rooms probably wouldn’t contain anywhere near the same weight of belongings. In other words, the weight of belongings will vary by room and by occupant.

When looking to reduce the cost of your move, reducing the weight of your belongings is a factor where you have some control. You can start lowering the weight by tossing items that no longer have value to you or to anyone else. Then, you can decide what possessions you no longer want that may be desirable to other people — you could give them away to friends and family, sell them at yard sales or online, or donate those items to worthy charities.

No matter which approach you decide to take to reduce the weight of your belongings, decluttering is the first step. Strategies to efficiently tackle this task in bite-sized chunks include creating a decluttering plan, perhaps by room; dividing items into three piles (keep, discard, and donate/sell); quickly getting rid of what you decide to eliminate; and so on. You might repeat this process several times while decluttering.

If you want to donate some of your goods, well-known charities such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity will take a broad spectrum of donations. Plus, here are eleven lesser-known places where you can donate certain niche items. When you’re getting ready to move, you’re busy, so you might want to use charities that will pick up your donations from your home.

If you’d rather sell what you don’t want — perhaps to get cash to contribute to your move — the National Association of REALTORS® offers tips. They include checking in with your local government to see if you need a rummage sale permit, asking neighbors to have a sale with you to entice more shoppers, strategically scheduling the sale, and advertising effectively.

If you get a moving quote after you’ve done these things, it will be based on a lower weight of belongings, helping to reduce your relocation estimate.

#2 Mileage of the Move

The distance that the belongings will be transported also plays a role, although you won’t have control over this factor in the way you do the first one. After you’ve decided where you want to move, the mileage is the mileage.

A local move is defined as one that, at most, involves 50 miles of transporting goods. This could be a relocation from one end of town to the other — or from one city to an adjacent one. Because this kind of move would take less fuel and fewer hours of person-power than one that involves more mileage, this will be reflected in the moving estimate.

A long-distance move is more than 50 miles in distance. This relocation could be intrastate (within the same state) or interstate (from one state to another), but in either case, it’s longer than a local move, involving more time, fuel and typically the use of a larger truck. So a long-distance move will typically cost more than a local one.

#3 The Move Date

The date you book to move can also have an impact on its costs — which is another way to illustrate that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when asking, “How much do movers cost?”

Take a look at this example. Many people want to move in the summer when children are out of school and the weather is generally much nicer. They often want to move on a weekend because they have Saturday and Sunday off from work. In combination, then, weekends in the summer are often the most in-demand for moving and may cost more.

To get the best deal on a move, some consumers will choose off-peak moving dates. They might, for example, choose a weekday, and they might select an off-season month — from mid-September through April — to benefit from the most cost-effective move.

Note: Besides the national peak moving times of May through mid-September, there may be local activity peaks that can affect the cost of a move.

#4 Specialty Services

When a moving company calculates moving quotes, the costs for the actual transportation of belongings is at the foundation, but there are also specialty services that, when chosen, can impact the cost.

One of these is packing and unpacking services. Packing is one of many people’s least favorite parts of the move — and so they have their moving crews do it for them. Perhaps they take advantage of partial packing services, where the moving company packs up large belongings, or maybe they have the professional movers box up the more challenging rooms in the home: the kitchen, for example, and/or the bedrooms. Or they may decide that packing, overall, is just too daunting of a task to undertake when they’re already quite busy with other aspects of their move — selling and/or financing a home, transferring children from one school system to another, and so forth — and have the movers pack everything.

Suddath offers a flexible menu of choices, and full packing services will come with a different price tag than partial packing ones — and choosing either of these services will have an effect on the cost of the overall move. Then, there are specialty packing services to consider. If someone needs, for example, a piano to be moved, this will involve an additional calculation in the quote.

Another in-demand specialty service is safe, secure, and convenient storage solutions, which is exactly what Suddath offers. When selling a house, real estate agents note how an attractively staged home can maximize a home sale. “Staging” refers to removing excess belongings to strategically decorate and showcase the benefits of the home; in 2021, 82% of buyers’ real estate agents said that staging allowed their clients to envision the home they were viewing as their own.

This, in turn, helps with selling the home. When an average of 1% of the sales price is invested into home staging, about three-quarters of those sellers benefitted from a return on investment of 5-15% over their asking price, increasing the sales price as much as 20%. Plus, sellers who use staging strategies typically sell their homes more quickly: as much as three to thirty times as fast when compared to non-staged homes. See Suddath’s declutter and storage program here.

Home staging isn’t the only reason why people use storage services. Some use storage solutions to keep certain belongings in a safe place while they decide whether they want them transported to their new home. No matter why you’re using Suddath’s storage services, when you’re ready to receive your possessions being stored, just let us know — and we’ll efficiently deliver them to you.

#5 Additional Moving Valuation Coverage

Finally, consider moving valuation coverage when thinking about the answer to “How much do movers cost?” Misunderstandings exist about what valuation coverage is and isn’t. Here are some clarifications.

First, valuation coverage is not insurance. Insurance involves paying a premium, and in exchange, the insurance company protects you against loss up to a predetermined amount. In contrast, valuation coverage is a federally mandated level of liability that shipping companies, which includes movers, must assume. Then, if someone’s goods being shipped are damaged or lost because of the actions of the mover, the owner of those goods will receive a specified amount of money as compensation.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a moving company must offer a customer at least two levels of liability:

• Released value protection (RVP)
• Full value protection (FVP)

Note that only a licensed insurance company or agent can sell actual insurance. If you decide to decline valuation coverage from a mover and, instead, buy third-party insurance from a licensed entity, be sure to insure your possessions for their full value to avoid significant out-of-pocket costs if a problem arises. If you elect to buy third-party insurance, the cost of this would not be included in your moving quote. Instead, it would be a separate cost owed to a separate entity: the insurance company.

How Much Does a Move Cost?

Although this may sound like the same question that’s been posed in this post, it’s not. The original question was, “How much do movers cost?” This second question encompasses additional costs to consider when relocating. They can include the following costs (among others):

• Cleaning and prepping your current home for sale, which could include making repairs, staging your home, and so forth
• Packing supplies if doing any DIY packing
• Selling your home, which can include a commission and closing costs
• Buying a new home, which can include a down payment and closing costs
• Getting your family and pets to your new place, which could include the costs of airplane tickets, fuel, lodging, and meals
• Remodeling costs of your new home, which could include landscaping
• Utility and other security deposits for your new dwelling
• Stocking your home with perishable items that you didn’t bring with you

If you’re moving out of state, you’ll need a new driver’s license, vehicle registration, and license plates. As people are settling into their homes, they often see increased food expenses for the first few weeks as they buy more takeout — and, as a totally optional (but typically quite fun!) expense, if you’re planning to throw a housewarming party, figure that into your budget.

How to Negotiate Your Moving Costs 

This is where capacity-based pricing comes in, which is a standard for the moving industry, especially with long-distance or cross country moves. Moving is like the airline industry in this way – in the same way that flying on a Friday during the summer will cost you more because most people want to fly on that day, so will moving.

Our move team can provide you with multiple options so you can decide what works best for you. That way, you can decide if it’s more important to you to move on a Saturday morning during the peak moving month of June but paying more money for that ideal timeline. Or you could move on a Wednesday for a better price – and the middle of the week during a off-peak month for the best possible pricing.

Your Suddath representative can take you through all of the pricing options to determine what is the right cost for you. But aside from that, there unfortunately isn’t a way to negotiate with your mover. Costs, especially with a long-distance move, is typically very set, complex pricing. Unfortunately, legitimate movers typically can’t change the cost or have any kind of “sale.”

If a mover is willing to negotiate with you or suddenly brings down the cost just because you asked (without any change in the weight of your shipment or details) this may be a sign of a rogue mover who is planning to make up their costs elsewhere.

Reach Out to Suddath: The Experienced Moving Company of Choice

When you ask the question being discussed in this post — “How much do movers cost?” — you likely aren’t looking to gather statistics. Instead, you’ll want to know how much your move, specifically, would cost. You’d want a quote that addresses the transportation of your unique belongings from your current dwelling to your new one on the date of choice with the specialty services and valuation coverage you desire.

We make it easy to get a fast, accurate quote, so reach out to us online today. You can pick the services you want and need from a flexible menu and benefit from great value at less risk as we efficiently, yet carefully, relocate your lifetime of belongings.

The post How Much Do Movers Cost? appeared first on Suddath.

Background

One of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention sought a dependable healthcare relocation partner capable of handling a series of complex projects. In providing the highest quality of care, this premier cancer center in Houston aims to maintain a safe environment that empowers and prioritizes the health and well-being of students, trainees, professionals, employees, and the public. The cancer center needed an integrated healthcare relocation framework that limits the strain on internal resources, provides swift resolution, and flexible medical moving services for every need – ensuring continuity of care and minimum disruption.

As a leading medical office moving company, Suddath’s comprehensive infrastructure of medical moving and lab relocation services was a perfect match for the center’s intricate facility management tasks. Below are two key projects Suddath facilitated.

PROJECT 1

Challenge

In preparation for an administrative department rotation, the cancer center needed help relocating employees and their personal belongings, desktop accessories, files and equipment. The project involved a two-floor sweep, from multiple origins, and an unfortunate water leak causing major damage to the space.

Solution

Being the healthcare provider’s priority partner, Suddath expedited an employee relocation plan within a couple of days to assist in transitioning their staff. Our onsite project managers mapped out a timeline providing packing support, secure crate transport of records, desktop equipment disconnect, reconnect, and ongoing support to help employees quickly settle in their new space.

With efficient communication and the expertise to pivot around unforeseen events, our Houston project managers skillfully executed a successful project while an emergency water repair company managed the affected areas.

PROJECT 2

Challenge

Relocating a doctor’s office in the cancer center’s main building required experienced lab movers to transport a small laboratory that housed an incubator, refrigerator, and computer equipment. With biological samples and chemicals present, special handling of the medical equipment was vital to ensure the safe removal of hazardous materials.

Solution

Suddath worked closely with the cancer center’s facility administrator to coordinate biosafety preparations pre-move. The admin performed laboratory closeout procedures, such as standard assessments, biohazardous material packaging, and documenting assets cleared for transit.

Wrapped in protective materials to prevent movement or damage during transport, the medical equipment was safely moved by our lab relocation specialists to another location on campus. Suddath also provided IT relocation support to help disconnect the doctor’s computer equipment and install the technology in the new office space.

Results

The post Specialized Care for Multiple Healthcare Relocation Projects appeared first on Suddath.

Choose the Right Partner

Lab Relocation Company: Start by researching and selecting a reputable lab relocation company that specializes in scientific and research facility moves. Look for experienced professionals who understand the unique challenges of moving laboratory equipment and sensitive instruments.

Scientific Relocation Services: Partner with a relocation service provider that offers specialized scientific relocation services, including equipment handling, packing, transportation, and installation. Verify their credentials, expertise, and track record of successful lab moves.

Start with a Lab Moving Checklist

Lab Move Planning: Create or download a lab relocation checklist that includes timelines, tasks, responsibilities, and milestones. Coordinate with stakeholders, including researchers, facility managers, and the relocation team, to ensure alignment and clear communication throughout the process.

Lab Relocation Project: Define the scope of the relocation project, including inventorying equipment, assessing facility requirements, obtaining permits and approvals, and developing contingency plans for unexpected challenges.

Follow Best Practices for Laboratory Equipment Relocation

Moving Laboratory Equipment: Follow best practices for packing, labeling, and securing laboratory equipment during transit. Use specialized packaging materials, such as shock-absorbent crates and cushioning materials, to protect delicate instruments.

Moving Scientific Instruments: Enlist the expertise of experienced healthcare movers who are trained in handling sophisticated instruments like spectrophotometers, centrifuges, and chromatography systems. Ensure proper calibration and testing post-relocation.

Ensure Lab Relocation Focuses on Safety First

Laboratory Relocation Guidelines: Adhere to regulatory guidelines and safety protocols for transporting hazardous materials, chemicals, and biological samples. Obtain necessary permits and documentation for transporting restricted substances.

Lab Relocation Safety: Conduct safety assessments of both current and new facilities to identify potential hazards and mitigate risks during the relocation process. Provide training and instructions to personnel on emergency procedures and safety measures.

Work with Trusted Laboratory Relocation Specialists

Laboratory Relocation Consultants: Consider hiring laboratory relocation specialists or consultants who can provide strategic guidance, project management support, and expertise in handling complex lab moves. They can offer insights into optimizing workflows and minimizing downtime.

Research Lab Relocation: Tailor the relocation plan to the specific requirements of research labs, including maintaining sample integrity, preserving data continuity, and minimizing disruptions to ongoing experiments and projects.

Lab Relocation Logistics

Lab Move Management: Designate a dedicated project manager or team to oversee all aspects of the lab relocation, including logistics coordination, resource allocation, budget management, and post-move evaluation.

Moving Biotech Laboratories: Address unique challenges associated with relocating biotech laboratories, such as maintaining controlled environments, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and safeguarding sensitive research materials.

A well-planned and executed laboratory relocation requires collaboration, expertise, and adherence to best practices. By leveraging laboratory relocation services, creating a comprehensive lab moving checklist, partnering with experienced professionals, and prioritizing safety and compliance, you can achieve a successful and efficient lab relocation process. Remember to communicate effectively with all stakeholders and seek expert support when needed to navigate the complexities of relocating a scientific facility.

Looking for an experienced partner in lab relocations? Contact us today.

The post How to Relocate a Lab Safely and Efficiently appeared first on Suddath.

Plan Ahead

When it comes to saving money on moving, planning ahead is vital. Working out the logistics of your move as far in advance as possible will give you time to gather the necessary packing supplies and find the best deals on Orlando movers or a rental truck.

By the way, don’t make the mistake of thinking that renting a truck will save you money in the long run, or that your friends will want to help you load and unload everything you own in exchange for beer and pizza. Remember: time is money. If professional movers are in your budget, start contacting moving companies in Orlando as soon as possible to get quotes for your desired dates. Orlando movers get booked fast, and you don’t want to end up moving twice or paying for storage services you didn’t really need.

Avoid Moving to Orlando During Peak Season

As Orlando local movers, we can tell you that the peak moving season is May through September. With so many people relocating to Florida between those months, local moving companies may offer better rates during the off-season. A winter move could also mean more vacancies, since landlords have a harder time finding tenants close to the holidays. Purchasing a home might also be easier in the colder months because winter sellers tend to be highly motivated, outside of the bustling spring real estate market. Not only that, but you’ll have less competition when you place that lowball offer.

Sell or Donate Bulky Items Before You Move

It’s no secret that moving costs more the more stuff you have, so now is the time to downsize and offload items you no longer want or need. If you happen to be moving to a smaller place, it’s possible that you own furniture that won’t even fit in your new house. When visiting your new property, be sure to measure not only the dimensions of each room but also the points of entry, such as doorways and stairwells. Not every bedroom can accommodate a king-sized bed, and not every couch will fit through a narrow doorway. If your new home comes with a refrigerator, it may not be worth moving your old one.

Not only will you save money on the move by selling bulky furniture and appliances, since moves are priced by weight, but you might even make money. Larger items are often the easiest to sell on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, but if something doesn’t sell, you can always give it away.

Thrift stores are ideal for quick donations, as many will pick up your items and others offer drive-up services where they unload your donated belongings and hand you a receipt. Goodwill of Central Florida is one such organization, as well as The Salvation Army of Orlando. You’ll feel good about helping to support a charity or to create jobs for the less fortunate and having that itemized receipt will allow you to write off your donations come tax time.

Ask Around for Boxes

Avoid buying moving boxes until after you’ve acquired at least some of them for free. Boxes are everywhere—you just need to ask for them. Consider posting a request on your town’s community Facebook page because someone who has just moved will be happy to let you pick up their boxes.

Even your office or place of business could end up being a box goldmine, depending on your line of work. Once you’ve told your coworkers you’re moving, ask them to start setting aside boxes for you.

Use Household Items as Packing Materials

We all have fragile items we need to protect, but if you’re on a budget, skip that industrial-sized roll of bubble wrap and pad your breakables with household items instead. For example, kitchen towels can be used to separate plates, and glasses can be wrapped in paper. In addition, pillows and blankets can be used to pad more oversized, fragile items.

Ask Your Employer to Reimburse You for the Move

One way to save a substantial amount of money on your move is to ask your employer to foot the bill. Before you accept that job in Orlando, ask your company if they offer compensation for your relocation. If they are the ones wanting you to move, you clearly have the upper hand and should leverage that advantage.

Some companies will even pay for professional packing and unpacking services so you won’t have to lift a finger. Don’t forget about additional costs such as hotel accommodation, especially if you’re moving a long distance. If you’re in the military, your moving expenses may be tax-deductible, so that’s another possible money saver.

Cut Off Some of Your Services Early

Some companies won’t prorate your services, so having them turned off at the end of the billing cycle rather than a few days later can save you money. Knowing the best time to transfer your utilities will also save you money, so why not take advantage? Take a break from packing and make some phone calls to find out how to optimize your shut-off dates.

Water and electricity are essential, but to cut costs, you may decide to go without TV and internet services for a short time. If you cancel your internet, you may be able to get by using only your phone’s hotspot. After all, you’ll probably be too busy packing to sit at your computer for very long.

When you set up cable or satellite at your new home, take the time to shop around for the best prices. Signing up with providers that offer a 12-month special deal for new accounts will reduce your monthly expenses during a time when your money would be better spent on other things.

Don’t Overspend on Your New Home

When planning a move, there’s a tendency to get excited as you visualize your new home. It’s common to start mentally decorating your new space, leading to impulse shopping. One of the dangers of buying items in advance for your new home is that it might be different in some ways than how you remember it.

Resist the temptation to make purchases in advance, and instead, wait until after you move in. You’ll have less to move on moving day, and the less you spend now, the more money you’ll have left in your pocket after the move. Once you unpack, you may even find that decorating with those old familiar items helps your new place feel more like home.

Hire Reputable Orlando Local Movers

One of the most important decisions you’ll make in the weeks leading up to your move is hiring a mover, so choose wisely. When researching moving companies in Orlando, be sure to go with a reputable company like Suddath. Keep in mind that cheaper isn’t always better, especially in the moving industry. Consider the value of your belongings and how you would feel if something got damaged or stolen.

Get a free, no-hassle moving quote, or find out more about moving to Orlando in our ultimate Orlando moving guide.

The post Moving to Orlando on a Budget appeared first on Suddath.

DIY Local Moving

A do-it-yourself (DIY) move can be the least expensive option if you have access to free helpers and a free truck. You’ll still want to budget for packing supplies, but you can save on those by scouring online marketplaces, such as Facebook and Craigslist, for inexpensive or even free moving boxes. Also, check local big-box stores and businesses to see if they’ll give you boxes they’re planning to discard.

Other ideas for saving money on a DIY move include:

• Paring down your belongings before you move: decluttering before you pack up your current home means you’ll need fewer boxes, spend less time on packing, and won’t need as much truck space.
• Moving smaller boxes and items in your car and using a rented moving truck just for furniture and large items: This can help you save on the gas, mileage, and total rental hours that go into calculating rental truck pricing.
• Many people choose to hire help when they realize that they may lose more money taking time off of work to spend days packing up their items. Suddath is able to provide professional packing assistance where needed. This means even if you only need help for a day, or for certain rooms, we can come in and expertly pack items.

Moving With Professional Movers in Jacksonville

If you’re short on time or just don’t want the hassles that come with packing, loading, moving, and unloading your household belongings yourself, you have plenty of choices when it comes to moving companies in Jacksonville.

While price is certainly top of mind when you’re shopping around for a moving company, remember that price isn’t the whole story. There are significant differences between movers’ services and quality, especially if you’re considering everything from a two-person team with a truck to a full-service moving company with a nationwide fleet of teams and trucks.

Legitimate, professional movers may cost more, but it’s for a reason – moving companies like Suddath invest in training and background checking crews. They will do their due diligence before your move and operate honorably should anything go awry. Peace-of-mind is worth a lot during a home move. You can also be sure you won’t be charged more on the backend than you anticipated in “surprise” fees.

Here are some tips for gathering the information you need to make an informed decision about hiring a mover:

• Make sure any company you hire has proper licensing and insurance. These credentials help protect your property and your rights. Also, ask for proof of certification from the American Trucking Association.
• Take time to look into the moving companies’ reputations. See if friends, family, or colleagues have recently used a moving company and can give you a personal recommendation and read reviews online.
• Watch for red flags, such as a moving company that doesn’t have a website or physical address. Avoid companies that won’t provide a clear, written estimate or share references from prior customers.
• Professional moving companies will require a home walkthrough, either virtually or in-person. This is the only way to provide an accurate estimate. It is a red flag if a company doesn’t require one.

How to Save Money When Hiring a Mover

Using professional movers in Jacksonville doesn’t have to break the bank if you look for a company that lets you customize your move with only the services you need.

Some moving companies offer only a full-service option, which means you have to use all of their services, including packing and unpacking, loading and unloading. Others, such as Suddath, let you choose the services you want. You can do all of the packing and unpacking, for example, and have our teams take care of the loading and unloading.

Your move coordinator can discuss options with you, but timing of your move can also significantly affect the price. The moving industry works a little bit like the airline industry – meaning that moving on a weekend will cost you more than moving on a Wednesday. If you’re flexible in your timing, it can save quite a bit.

The Best Time to Schedule a Mover in Jacksonville

As discussed, timing of your move is very important when it comes to pricing, so unless it’s the only time you can move, try not to schedule your move during the busy period from late spring through September. This includes around major holidays. If you do need to move then, book your mover three or more months in advance to make sure you have a desirable place on the schedule. This is especially when having flexibility in your moving date can save you money.

For moves during the October to May timeframe, especially if you can move on a weekday instead of a weekend, you may be able to book your move just a few weeks in advance.

How Our Jacksonville Movers Can Help You

At Suddath, we’re all about making your move as easy as possible. In addition to our flexible menu of services that lets you create a customized moving plan, we also offer these benefits:

• A simple estimating process: In just a few quick steps, you’ll have an easy-to-understand quote on our competitive pricing. We never add hidden costs or fees to your quote.
• Optional storage services: Whether you need short- or long-term storage in Jacksonville, Suddath has you covered. Use our secure storage to make your move easier, help you declutter, or get ready for home staging.
• A single point of contact: Throughout your move, you’ll have the services of a dedicated move coordinator who’s always just a quick call away if you have questions or need to make any adjustments to your customized moving plan.
• Professional crew members: The movers you’re trusting your belongings and property to are well-trained, vetted, and background-checked before they come to your door. Our crews use the safest and most efficient packing and loading techniques to ensure your items are protected.

We also have experienced teams of movers for your specialty moving needs, including piano moving, white glove moving services, and more.

Get a Free Moving Quote from Our Jacksonville Moving Company

Whether you need just a few of our services or our end-to-end, full slate of services to make your move easier, Suddath can help. Get in touch for your free, no-obligation moving estimate from our expert Jacksonville movers today.

The post What is the Most Affordable Way to Move to Jacksonville, FL? appeared first on Suddath.

Like any place to live or work, Jacksonville has pros and cons, many of which its residents may classify differently depending on their likes and dislikes. In general, though, most residents and visitors can agree on the same set of plusses and minuses when it comes to living in this large city in the South.

The expert local Jacksonville movers at Suddath offer what you need to know about the city’s ups and downs if you’re planning to relocate here or are just starting your research on topics such as Jacksonville neighborhoods or movers in Jacksonville.

Pros of Living in Jacksonville, FL

Plenty of Sunshine

If you appreciate warm weather, you’ll find it in Jacksonville. July can be the hottest month with average highs and lows of 92° / 75° with ocean breezes helping during humid days. January is the coolest with these averages: 66° / 46°. With those temps, snow is quite rare; so, if you’re moving from a place with cold winters, you won’t need to bring your snowblower. If you’re moving from a place that’s warmer than Jacksonville, you’ll appreciate the change of seasons, one that doesn’t include a rough winter.

Mild Winter Weather

Of the tens of thousands of people who move to Jacksonville each year, it’s probably safe to assume that many wanted to leave their snow shovels behind. Northeast Florida’s coastal area has plenty of sunshine in the winter, with high temperatures in the mid-60s and lows in the mid-40s. Freezes do happen, but they’re rare and usually not severe.

Jacksonville’s Miles of Beaches and Waterways

The area’s local waters are one of its main attractions and the center of its outdoor activities. Jacksonville has more than 20 miles of beaches, the state’s longest section of the St. Johns River, and a 40-mile-long Intracoastal Waterway. Add the channels and canals that are part of the waterway system, and there are more than a thousand miles of navigable water here.

Lower Cost of Living in Jacksonville, FL.

Compared to national averages, Jacksonville’s housing costs and the overall cost of living are lower than cities with comparable populations. The median rent is slightly above the national average, but most residents can buy homes.

Hot Job Market

Wall Street Journal’s 2022 job market rankings lists Jacksonville as the fifth hottest market in the United States, the top in Florida. WSJ uses five factors in its formula: job growth, labor-force growth, labor-force participation rate, unemployment rate, and wage growth. Jacksonville offers jobs with a “strong multiplier effect”: they’re reasonably high paying in themselves and tend to add to local job economies. Sectors include financial services, health care, and technology.

Plus, just like in other parts of the country, more people worked remotely during the peak of the COVID pandemic—and a 2022 survey of Florida employers suggests that this may have a lasting effect on how work gets done: 27 percent of employers have made intentional changes to help their remote employees succeed, a sign that they’re in it for the long haul.

Convenient Location

Both I-95 and I-10 run through Jacksonville, making it easier to get to nearby cities. Drive times are relatively short to Orlando and Miami and the college towns of Gainesville and Tallahassee.

Jacksonville also has an international airport with direct flights to major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago.

For day trips, Jacksonville can’t be beat. Some of the best include Amelia Island to the north, St. Augustine to the south, and state parks in every direction.

Jacksonville’s Great Neighborhoods

With its sprawling size, Jacksonville has neighborhoods of every size and style. Some of the most popular choices are the laid-back suburbs of Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach; historical areas such as San Marco and Riverside/Avondale; charming older communities such as Springfield and Murray Hill; and the Northside and Westside neighborhoods where it’s easier to find room to spread out.

All Types of Home Styles

As with its neighborhoods, you’ll find all types of housing in Jacksonville. High-rise condos downtown and on the oceanfront, established areas with a mix of old and new, and brand-new planned communities with single-family homes are just a few of your choices.

Cons of Living in Jacksonville, FL

Hot, Humid Summers

Although Jacksonville’s typical winter weather is a plus, the summers may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Summers are long here and, at their height, can be oppressive. The high temperatures, which hover around 90 degrees every day in July, feel even hotter due to the constantly high humidity levels. Unless you’re on or in the water, you may decide to spend many of your summer days indoors.

The Potential for Severe Weather

Due to its location on the Florida coast, Jacksonville is often in the National Hurricane Center’s cone of probable hurricane or tropical storm tracks. While it’s been decades since the area took a direct hit from a hurricane, Jacksonville has experienced the damaging effects of several hurricanes and tropical storms (and the flooding they can bring) in recent years. New residents need to become familiar with the steps they should take to protect their property and know their evacuation routes when severe weather threatens.

Climbing Homeowner Insurance Costs

With the above-mentioned severe weather to blame, homeowners’ insurance costs are soaring in Florida. If you’re buying a home in Jacksonville, investigate which flood zone you’re in and whether you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy. Even when it does cover wind damage from hurricanes, homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover floods or storm surges, nor do renters insurance policies.

Jacksonville’s Lack of Public Transportation Options

Unlike cities of similar size, Jacksonville has limited choices in public transportation. It does have extensive bus service and the usual ride services such as Lyft and Uber, but there aren’t any passenger rail options that let you easily move around town. You’ll definitely need a car here, and you’ll also need to prepare for long commutes, heavy traffic, and delays due to ongoing road construction.

You should also be aware that Jacksonville ranks in the top 10 most dangerous American cities for pedestrians. There are a few attractive, walkable neighborhoods in Jacksonville, but the city’s streets give cars the lion’s share of space and access.

Lower Income Throughout Jacksonville

Jacksonville residents don’t earn as much on average as people in other large American cities. If you’re moving from your current location in search of a higher salary and want to be in Florida, your chances of finding a higher-paying job are much better in places such as Miami or West Palm Beach.

Moving With Professional Movers in Jacksonville

If you’re short on time or just don’t want the hassles that come with packing, loading, moving, and unloading your household belongings yourself, you have plenty of choices when it comes to moving companies in Jacksonville.

While price is certainly top of mind when you’re shopping around for a moving company, remember that price isn’t the whole story. There are significant differences between movers’ services and quality, especially if you’re considering everything from a two-person team with a truck to a full-service moving company with a nationwide fleet of teams and trucks.

Legitimate, professional movers may cost more, but it’s for a reason – moving companies like Suddath invest in training and background checking crews. They will do their due diligence before your move and operate honorably should anything go awry. Peace-of-mind is worth a lot during a home move. You can also be sure you won’t be charged more on the backend than you anticipated in “surprise” fees.

Here are some tips for gathering the information you need to make an informed decision about hiring a mover:

• Make sure any company you hire has proper licensing and insurance. These credentials help protect your property and your rights. Also, ask for proof of certification from the American Trucking Association.
• Take time to look into the moving companies’ reputations. See if friends, family, or colleagues have recently used a moving company and can give you a personal recommendation and read reviews online.
• Watch for red flags, such as a moving company that doesn’t have a website or physical address. Avoid companies that won’t provide a clear, written estimate or share references from prior customers.
• Professional moving companies will require a home walkthrough, either virtually or in-person. This is the only way to provide an accurate estimate. It is a red flag if a company doesn’t require one.

How to Save Money When Hiring a Mover

Using professional movers in Jacksonville doesn’t have to break the bank if you look for a company that lets you customize your move with only the services you need.

Some moving companies offer only a full-service option, which means you have to use all of their services, including packing and unpacking, loading and unloading. Others, such as Suddath, let you choose the services you want. You can do all of the packing and unpacking, for example, and have our teams take care of the loading and unloading.

Your move coordinator can discuss options with you, but timing of your move can also significantly affect the price. The moving industry works a little bit like the airline industry – meaning that moving on a weekend will cost you more than moving on a Wednesday. If you’re flexible in your timing, it can save quite a bit.

The Best Time to Schedule a Mover in Jacksonville

As discussed, timing of your move is very important when it comes to pricing, so unless it’s the only time you can move, try not to schedule your move during the busy period from late spring through September. This includes around major holidays. If you do need to move then, book your mover three or more months in advance to make sure you have a desirable place on the schedule. This is especially when having flexibility in your moving date can save you money.

For moves during the October to May timeframe, especially if you can move on a weekday instead of a weekend, you may be able to book your move just a few weeks in advance.

Ready to Go? Our Professional Movers in Jacksonville, FL, Are Ready to Help

At Suddath, we think of every detail to ensure your move is a smooth process. The pros at Suddath have you covered with a variety of services to suit any need for your Jacksonville move including full-service packing and unpacking, and storage options if you need to store your belongings safely and securely with 24/7 video monitoring security.

Our state-of the art facility has a variety of flexible options for any need, including short or long term storage in Jacksonville that will protect delicate items in climate controlled environments!

We know you have your choice of Jacksonville moving companies, so at Suddath, we go above and beyond to ensure your move is efficient and affordable. We offer complete price transparency with no hidden costs, well-trained and fully vetted moving crews, flexible scheduling, and customized moving services that meet your needs.

Request your free moving quote or book your Jacksonville move today.

The post The Pros and Cons of Living in Jacksonville, FL appeared first on Suddath.

Just a quick 30 minutes outside of downtown Jacksonville (going 60 MPH down Butler Blvd) is Jacksonville’s largest coastal city, Jacksonville Beach. It was ranked #16 best place to live and #29 on a list of best places to retire in U.S. World and News’ annual list, and is a popular place for a Jaxon to call home.

If you’ve already read our Guide to Moving to Jacksonville, FL and decided Jacksonville Beach is the right area of town for you, this guide will go in-depth on what life is like.

A laid-back, family-friendly location, Jacksonville Beach is a town for those who appreciate an outdoor lifestyle. With its gorgeous shoreline and sunny days year-round, you’ll never be short on activities both on and off the water. “Jax Beach,” as it’s called by the locals, stretches along scenic Highway A1A from its southernmost point, Ponte Vedra, to its northernmost point in Neptune Beach.

Jax Beach Local’s Choice: Activities

Jacksonville Beach Pier

The quarter-mile-long, wheelchair-accessible fishing pier is a must for anyone moving to the Jacksonville Beach area. Anglers post up at this local haunt from dawn to dusk pulling up that evening’s dinner, and the fishermen are happy to show off their catch to families’ taking a stroll. Surrounded by beach volleyball courts, surf shops, and beachside restaurants, the pier is in the heart of the laid-back town center of Jacksonville Beach.

Attend a SeaWalk Pavilion Festival

The SeaWalk Pavilion is home to live music, outdoor movies, festivals, food, and all kinds of family fun. There are events almost every weekend at the Pavilion and in the larger Charlie Latham Plaza area, with some of the most popular being:

• SeaWalk Music Festival: The Community First Seawalk Music Festival is a free, family-friendly event in Jax Beach. It features local favorite bands as well as attracting national talent such as Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

• Springing the Blues: Springing the Blues is an annual blues festival and Beaches favorite. It is one of the largest and oldest blues festivals on the East Coast of the United States, having started in 1990. It is held yearly on the first weekend of April.
• Beaches Oktoberfest: Jax Beach boasts Florida’s Largest Oktoberfest, which attracts over 45,000 attendees annually each year.
• Deck the Chairs: More than forty American Red Cross lifeguard chairs are sponsored by local businesses and decorated each year in coastal-themed designs and lights in Downtown Jacksonville Beach. This local favorite free event runs from Thanksgiving weekend through the end of December and raises money for children’s art education.
• Moonlight Movies: Moonlight Movies are a Beaches family favorite, with past movies such as Encanto, Jaws and The Goonies. Wash up from a beach day to the SeaWalk Pavilion and picnic under the stars while watching classic flicks as a community to the sound of ocean waves just over the dunes.

Beach Bowl  

A Jacksonville Beach staple that was recently torn down and completely renovated in a $7.5 million overhaul project, Beach Bowl has gone from a shabby local haunt to a chic hangout. The renovation expanded its footprint by 6,200 square feet, adding a two-story restaurant with rooftop dining.

Caffeinated Cat Cafe

The Caffeinated Cat is Jacksonville’s first and only feline coffee shop. Here you can have a cup of Joe while playing with the shop’s (adoptable!) resident cat and kittens.

Rent a beach chair, paddle board, kayak or electric bike

Beach Life Rentals, just a block away from the Jax Beach Pier (which they also run) rents beach cruiser bicycles, paddle boards, kayaks and surf boards, alongside chairs and umbrellas.

Jacksonville Beach Grocery Stores

Publix

Publix is every Floridian’s favorite grocery store, and Jax Beach residents have not one, but two Publix’s to choose from. There are two more in neighboring Neptune Beach as well. Get yourself a Pub Sub and a sweet tea and head to a day at the beach!

Native Sun

Jacksonville Beaches’ community natural market, Native Sun provides organic and local fare to the Beaches community. They also offer a delicious food hall serving up both grilled cheese, smoothies and ramen, as well as a local alcohol-free Kava bar, Wildcrafters.

Trader Joe’s

The viral, much-beloved grocery store opened a location in Jacksonville Beach in 2014 and has been a local favorite ever since. Stop by to do your weekly grocery shopping, and when you’re done pick up a bagel from local favorite Bagels R Us, which is right next door!

Whole Foods

A recent addition to the Jacksonville Beach grocery scene, Whole Foods Market opened up in Pablo Plaza in South Jacksonville Beach in late 2020. This eco-minded chain with natural and organic grocery items also sells housewares and other products.

Jacksonville Beach Schools

Jacksonville Beach Elementary School 

Ranked No. 1 out of 4,212 public elementary schools in Florida rated by U.S. News & World Report. Jacksonville Beach Elementary School is a magnet school. The student population of Jacksonville Beach Elementary School is 598 and the school serves children aged kindergarten through 5^th grade. At Jacksonville Beach Elementary School, 100% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 100% scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 65%, and the student population is 50/50 female and male students. The student-teacher ratio is 17:1, surpassing the school district’s ratio.

The Discovery School

The Discovery School, located on Shetter Avenue in Jacksonville Beach, offers a unique educational experience through a gradual evolution from pure Montessori to a blended curriculum, to pure International Baccalaureate over the course of the child’s academic career. Serves children ages 18 months through 8^th grade.

Montessori Tides School

Montessori Tides is a nationally recognized Montessori School located in Jacksonville Beach, FL which has operated for over 30 years. Montessori Tides began as a privately owned and operated Montessori school for children ages 3-6 years old, following the traditional Montessori philosophy.

Montessori Tides expanded its existing 3-6 program and currently serves students from age 18 months through 3^rd grade.

Seabreeze Elementary

Founded in 1963, Seabreeze Elementary is at 1400 Seabreeze Ave, with a student population of 495, serving grades K-5. The school’s minority student enrollment is 33%, and the student-teacher ratio is 16:1, which is better than that of the district. The student population is made up of 43% female students and 57% male students.

St. Paul’s Catholic School

St. Paul’s Catholic School located just a few blocks from the ocean and “has a tradition of inspiring faith and excellence in students for 75 years.” With 650 students, St. Paul’s offers a fully accredited Catholic education for children of all faiths including PreK-3, PreK-4 (which participates in the free State of Florida Voluntary VPK Program), Transitional Kindergarten (a transition between VPK and Kindergarten) and Kindergarten through Grade 8.

Fletcher Middle and High School

 Although technically located in neighboring Neptune Beach, Fletcher Middle and High School have served the Beaches communities since 1937. The school’s mascot, the Senators, is also derived from their namesake, Senator Duncan U. Fletcher, the man who obtained the federal grant to open the school.

Fun Things to Do in Jacksonville Beach

Jacksonville Beach Parks

Sunshine Park

Hailed by Jacksonville parents as one of the best parks in the city, The playground at Sunshine Park was completely torn down and rebuilt in 2022 to be even bigger and better. The new structure includes local design nods such as a kids lifeguard tower, and tons of climbing, swinging, and sliding equipment.

There’s a separate tot-lot for little ones and artificial turf throughout, with other amenities such as:

• Multi-purpose turf field
• A basketball court
• Two pickleball courts
• Fitness trail with exercise stations
• Six picnic shelters and grills
• A 23,000 square foot skate park
• Splash pad (seasonal)
• Tennis court
• Three sand volleyball courts

Penman Park Green Market

Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., local farmers and artisans set up shop in Penman Park along Penman Road, which is the main thoroughfare for residents from Beach Blvd. to Atlantic Blvd.

Vendors like Dave the Plant Man, Alvarez Farms and Gnarbucha Kombucha, among others, sell a wide selection of goods each week. This includes in-season, local and organic produce, local all-natural meats, free-range eggs, cut flowers, locally roasted organic coffees, edible plants and trees, orchids, handcrafted teas, gluten-free and vegan foods, handcrafted cheeses, locally made desserts, freshly baked breads, local honey and other seasonal delights. 

Oceanfront Park

This 2-acre oceanfront park has four sheltered picnic areas and is known for its sand volleyball court. It also features a small children’s playground, a handicapped-accessible ramp and a bronze statue, Sea Express. This statue of a young boy riding the back of a dolphin was created by sculptress Kristen Visbal, and symbolizes the city’s dedication to preserving public access to the ocean for future generations.

Jax Beach Shopping

Eco Eclectic

Eco Eclectic is a local refill store, where customers can get eco-friendly products and plastic-free refills on items such as laundry detergent, hand soap, vinegar and more. It also houses a small used bookshop and vintage clothing section.

Cottage by the Sea

Cottage by the Sea has been furnishing Jacksonville Beach homes with beautiful, distressed coastal inspired furniture and accessories since 1995. Today, Cottage by the Sea continues to offer a tasteful selection of coastal-inspired furnishings including hand-painted, reclaimed and distressed wood pieces, chandeliers, lamps, artwork, and decorative elements. If you’re lucky, you might find something for your new beach home at one of their famous container sales!

Sunrise Surf Shop

Sunrise Surf Shop opened for business in 1976 and has been a Jacksonville Beach staple ever since. It seems like having a Sunrise t-shirt in your wardrobe is almost a requirement for calling yourself a local. The store is owned and operated as a small family business and has provided North Florida surfers and skaters a place to go and find everything they need.

Target, Nordstrom Rack and Home Depot

Aside from locally owned shopping opportunities, Jacksonville Beach is home to many popular national chains. There is a little bit of everything you could need for your new home and new beach wardrobe!

Jacksonville Beach Volunteer Opportunities

Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM)

Founded in 1985 by representatives of local churches who received many personal appeals for emergency financial assistance, The Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry, or BEAM, was created to provide coordinated guidance toward self-reliance. Today the community support for BEAM has extended well beyond the faith community to include individuals, businesses, local organizations, and local foundations.

BEAM offers nutrition education, assistance with applications for SNAP benefits and Medicaid, and case management for single mothers working to break the cycle of poverty. Their seasonal programs include Back To School with BEAM and Thanksgiving baskets for families.

BEAM relies on more than 200 outstanding volunteers who commit to volunteering every week in support of daily operations. These weekly volunteers support BEAM food pantries, food bank, thrift stores, senior program, front desk, and financial assistance areas. 

Mission House

Mission House exists to empower individuals in the Beaches area affected by homelessness by providing food, clothing, medical care and support services with an avenue to self-sufficiency.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Companion volunteers who meet and connect with Clients for two hours before lunch or dinner, providing a listening ear for individuals needing encouragement and support. 
• Kulik’s Closet volunteers distribute clean clothing, towels and new toiletries to Crisis Care clients. 
• Mission House serves lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Cooking and serving volunteers (individuals and groups) are welcome to cook and serve in the Mission House kitchen.
• Donation and pantry organizing
• Clinic volunteers, including: physicians of all specialties, APRNs & Pas, Nurses, MAs & CNAs, and Pharmacists

Beaches Go Green

Beaches Go Green provides awareness and education around waste, particularly single-use items and plastic pollution, and how it affects our planet and oceans. The organization works to simplify complex environmental issues so everyone can make changes in their own lives for the betterment of the planet.

Beaches Go Green offers free monthly speaking engagements through the Be the Change series, PSAs, a quarterly environmental-themed Movies that Matter series with the North Florida Green Building Council (USGBCNFL). In addition, several single-use plastic awareness art installations, including Jellyfish Park and Octopus Garden at Deck the Chairs each year in December. The organization also partners with local businesses and events to encourage less wasteful practices.

Sports

Jax FRAY

Recreational sports leagues, tournaments and pick-up games for adults. Whether you’re a free agent looking for a team or a captain already in charge, Jax FRAY offers opportunities to play rec sports from ultimate frisbee, basketball, volleyball, axe throwing, pickleball and more.

Jacksonville Beach Baseball Association

Serving boys ages 4 to 16, games are played at Wingate Park, which has two lit baseball fields and two lit t-ball fields. For JBBA players, spring season is March- June. Sign-ups are in January/February. Fall season is September- November with sign-ups in August.

Northeast Florida Girls’ Softball Association

• Ages 4 to 18
• Spring season is January – May
• Fall season is August – November

Jacksonville Beach Pop Warner Football & Cheerleading

• Season is early September – end of October.
• Sign-ups begin April – June.

• Ages 5 to 15
• $190 registration fee per person
• Season is early September – end of October. Sign-ups begin April – June.

Best Jax Beach Breakfast & Lunch

Dockside Seafood

Perched along the east edge of the Jacksonville Beach Boat ramp, you’ll be entertained with views of the marsh and lively boating scene. Dockside has high-quality, fresh seafood and is such a local favorite that during peak hours on a beautiful Florida day you’ll often see the ordering line go out the door!

Sierra Grille

A longtime staple of the South Beach Parkway Plaza, Sierra Grille serves fast, fresh and casual southwestern fare. Locals love their daily specials, as well as the Mexican pizza and surf and turf burrito.

Metro Diner

A Jacksonville breakfast staple, Metro Diner quickly became the go-to local restaurant for comforting classics and brunch in the San Marco neighborhood of Jacksonville. It even earned a slot on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Fieri raved about many Metro signature items including the Fried Chicken & Waffles and Iron City Meatloaf.

When Metro Diner expanded and opened a location on 3^rd Street in Jacksonville Beach, locals were quick to make it a must for Sunday Brunch.

Angie’s Subs & Angie’s Grom

Angie’s Subs (and its little sister location, Angie’s Grom) is famous for some of the best subs and sweet tea in town, as well as a fun, beach bum vibe on the inside. Angie’s is known for its Peruvian sub that combines ham, Genoa salami, bacon, Italian sausage, provolone and Angie’s Subs Peruvian sauce.

The shop is so popular, they recently opened up a location in the Jacksonville International Airport.

Jax Beach Brunch Haus

When you step inside Jax Beach Brunch House, you’ll be greeted by the smell of cooking bacon, eggs benedict and opera. That’s right, owner Dan Altman is a classically trained opera singer, and frequently delivers bottles of champagne for bottomless mimosas with an aria. The menu hits all of the breakfast favorites, with pancakes, crepes, eggs benedict and is influenced by some of the places he has traveled and worked singing opera and performing.

Delicomb

A block from the ocean, Delicomb is a locally owned and operatednatural and organic scratch kitchen. Açai bowls, 2-egg sandwiches, super tuna salad, kimchi, wraps, chai lattes and panini melts are all staples on the Delicomb menu. Locals swear by the Mr. Loco breakfast sandwich after surfing the Pier.

Best Jax Beach Dinner

The Refinery

A fine dining restaurant located on the second story so there is a sweeping view of the ocean, Refinery offers fresh, flavorful, chef-inspired cuisine. You can come up for a drink at the ocean-side bar, or dine upstairs for a more formal occasion.

O-Ku Sushi

With other locations in Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville, among others, O-Ku resides in a two-story building with a rooftop deck overlooking the Jacksonville Beach Pier. O-Ku provides a fresh and innovative take on traditional Japanese sushi and cuisine, with an innovative menu comprised of signature starters, contemporary Japanese entrees and seasonal traditional sushi. 

Eleven South

Located in South Jacksonville Beach, Eleven South is a neighborhood institution, providing a warm and elegant setting to enjoy seasonally inspired world cuisine by an award-winning team. Named for its location on 11^th Street South, just blocks from the ocean, Eleven South balances a casual environment, professional service and an exceptional menu offering with a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

Oaxaca Club

Recently opened in a newly constructed corner in downtown Jacksonville Beach, Oaxaca Club pays homage to the cuisine of the city of Oaxaca, located in Southwest Mexico. The menu features local, seasonal ingredients and mixes Oaxaca cuisine like tacos, moles, tamales and fresh seafood dishes with a nod to North Florida’s coastal lifestyle.

Oaxaca Club also features an elevated cocktail menu with a variety of mezcal-based libations (as well as Oaxaca Club’s privately labeled mezcal) plus tequila-based options, classics and flights. 

JaxSpice

JaxSpice specializes in North Indian and Nepali Cuisine, and food offerings range from vegetarian cuisine to exotic meat dishes layered with texture and flavor. True to its name, JaxSpice’s menu features no shortage of saffron, chilies, mustard seeds, gram flour, coconut, yogurt and ghee. Food is prepared based on your tolerance level, from mild to spicy to hot. Popular dishes are Masala Chai, Dal, a lentil dish, fish curry, Vindaloo, samosas, a spicy turnover stuffed with potatoes and peas and a puffy rice, yogurt, tamarind – everything is prepared fresh in this scratch kitchen.

TacoLu

No list of Jacksonville Beach hotspots would be complete without the ‘Lu! TacoLu opened in 2008 in a little building on Beach Boulevard that longtime Beaches residents knew as “The Old Homestead Restaurant.” Great for brunch on the weekends or lunch every day of the week, there is just something special about grabbing a Bangin’ Shrimp taco or quesadilla for dinner at TacoLu and sitting under their famous mural on the back deck.

Jacksonville Beach Nightlife

Blue Jay Listening Room

For those with a passion for music, there is no better spot at the beach, or maybe in all of Jacksonville, than Blue Jay. An intimate venue serving wine and beer cocktails, you can come to Blue Jay most days of the week to listen to local musicians in a carefully curated environment. The venue gives people an “opportunity to take a deep breath, be present, connect, feel and to be inspired. Blue Jay Listening Room encourages community and togetherness through the gift of live music.”

Tuesday Jazz Night is a local favorite – be sure to arrive early before it sells out!

Green Room Brewing

Green Room Brewing was Jacksonville Beach’s first microbrewery, bringing great, locally made beer to the Beaches with over 24 taps, Green Room became a must-stop with its relaxed interior, dog-friendly atmosphere and tap room ping pong table and giant Jenga. You can bring your own food in, sit with friends and enjoy a Jags game on the TV or board game.

Mango’s Beach Bar

Located in the heart of the Jax Beach Bar District for over 65 years, Mango’s is a fun beach dive bar with a great outside deck and bar to enjoy the ocean breezes and fantastic people watching. The bar boasts Happy Hour specials all day every day and fun pub games like Golden Tee, Pac Man, darts and pool tables.

Casa Marina

The Historic Casa Marina Hotel is the grande dame of Jacksonville Beach. Opening her doors in 1925, ​Casa Marina is a member property of Historic Hotels of America and was recognized in 2005 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The stucco Spanish-style design features a rooftop deck that is a local happy hour favorite.

​With a stunning view of the North Florida coastline, Jax Beach locals love to indulge in a signature martini while watching the sun set. Casa Marina will take you from Friday night to Sunday morning, as their signature brunch is perfection.

Important Jacksonville Beach Websites

• Jacksonville Beach City Website
• Beaches Energy, with its headquarters in Jacksonville Beach City Hall provides electricity, as well as water and sewage for all of Jacksonville Beach.
• Jacksonville Beach sanitation schedule
• Baptist Medical Center Beaches: providing Beaches residents with access to comprehensive, high-tech medical and surgical care close to home. Offers the only hospital-based, 24-hour emergency service at the beach.
• Cable and internet service is provided by DIRECTV, xfinity, U-verse, DISH and IQ Fiber.

CALL THE EXPERTS FOR YOUR MOVE TO JACKSONVILLE BEACH  

Suddath offers comprehensive moving services, whether you’re making a local, international or long-distance residential move to Jacksonville Beach. Our professional Jacksonville movers are ready to take care of everything from packing, loading, storage and transportation. Get a free, no-obligation moving quote today.

Get a Free Moving Quote

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However, there are a few things to consider before moving to Dallas, Fort Worth, or somewhere nearby. As experienced Dallas local movers, we’ve compiled this overview of what to expect in Dallas-Fort Worth. Also check out our Essential Moving Guide for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Wide Range of Smaller Cities to Choose From

The Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex has 13 counties and just over 200 cities, spanning 9,200 square miles and is home to over 7 million residents, making it the largest inland metropolitan area in the United States.

So, it’s not as simple as just “moving to DFW”. You’ve got to carefully consider which area of the metroplex will fit your lifestyle, your budget and your overall needs. We recommend living close to work if possible, because traffic can make your commute long.

Also, think about what activities you’ll want to partake in on a regular basis. If you’ll be visiting the city often, you may want to consider living closer to downtown, like in Uptown, rather than a northern suburb like Frisco.

There are too many cities to mention in this article, so we’ll highlight a few popular areas to include in your housing search.

The three largest three cities in DFW are:

• Dallas
• Arlington
• Fort Worth

Some of the most popular suburbs in Dallas-Fort Worth include:

• Keller
• Colleyville
• Fairview
• Murphy
• Flower Mound
• University Park
• Southlake
• Lantana
• Highland Park
• McKinney
• Plano
• Frisco
• Coppel

Some of the above suburbs can be pricey, but a little-known DFW destination that has recently gained in popularity is Weatherford. Located just 30 miles west of Fort Worth, this semi-rural town is the cutting horse capital of the world and an excellent place for checking out local craft fairs.

You’ll love the small-town feel, and there’s no shortage of restaurants and stores. Unfortunately, due to the layout, traffic does get congested right around the shopping centers during rush hour. Still, this area is relatively affordable and would be an easy commute to Fort Worth since highways flow more freely the further you get from Dallas.

Large Employers Headquartered in DFW

As a Dallas moving company, we see a lot of people moving here for work. Among the most well-known companies that call DFW home are Exxon Mobile Corporation, Energy Transfer Partners, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Frito-Lay, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Kimberly Clark, DR Horton, Tenet Healthcare, Charles Schwaab Corporation, McKesson Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Texas Instruments, and many more.

Taxes Work Differently in Texas

If you’re new to the state, you may be relieved to find out that there’s no state or local personal income tax in Texas — just federal. However, this may not save you as much as you think because Texas residents pay property taxes that are among the highest in the country. It all balances out to some degree, but a great many home buyers experience sticker shock when they get that first property tax bill.

Exciting Arts and Culture Scene

You may be surprised to learn how involved DFW is in the arts. Whether it’s the visual arts, music, theater, dance, or film, cultural events are prominent here. The Dallas Museum of Arts is one of the largest art museums in the nation and includes works that span 5000 years of history. This top-rated museum hosts multiple annual events and offers special programs for children of all ages. Fort Worth is also home to several exciting art exhibits and boasts the state’s oldest museum, the Museum of Modern Art, also referred to simply as “The Modern.”

Unpredictable North Texas Weather

North Texas is a place you can experience all four seasons in one day. Dramatic temperature changes are especially common during the springtime when tornadoes and quarter-sized hail are both possibilities. Summers are hot and long, and it’s not uncommon to see people still wearing shorts around Thanksgiving.

That said, DFW occasionally sees light snow in December, January, or February. In a nutshell, if you’re moving to North Texas, be prepared for strong winds and constant weather fluctuations.

Heavy Traffic in Some Areas

Dallas-Fort Worth is a sprawling metropolis, and because it’s so spread out, the public transportation systems have some limitations. However, if urban life is what you crave, you’ll be pleased to know that the downtown districts of both Fort Worth and Dallas offer public transportation and are highly walkable. If your daily commute takes place between Dallas and Fort Worth, you’ll need to allow extra time for traffic delays.

When navigating Dallas-Fort Worth freeways, you’ll need to stay focused on which lane you’re in, as you’ll likely be changing freeways often. The good news is that the freeway system is constantly improving due to ongoing road construction projects. The bad news is that there are always ongoing construction projects. But if you want to avoid highways that seem more like parking lots during peak traffic times, living in a Fort Worth suburb such as Saginaw, Haslet, or Willow Park can help you avoid the heavier traffic you’ll encounter in Dallas and the Mid Cities.

Dallas and Fort Worth are Vastly Different

While Dallas and Fort Worth are often lumped together as DFW, locals know that the two cities are drastically different with their own unique personalities and culture. For example, Dallas is more urban, whereas Fort Worth, nicknamed Cowtown, has more of a stereotypical Texas feel. It’s also easier to get around in Fort Worth — and attending a cattle drive in the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District is a must to get the whole DFW experience.

North Texans Take Their Sports Seriously

Whether it’s high school football on Friday nights, college football on Saturdays, or NFL on Sundays (and sometimes Mondays and Thursdays), weekends are all about football. Even if sports aren’t your thing, you may want to brush up on the local professional teams to prepare for small talk with the locals.

Major league teams in the Dallas area include:

•  The Dallas Cowboys: NFL football team
• The Texas Rangers: MLB baseball team
• The Dallas Mavericks: NBA basketball team
• The Dallas Wings: WNBA basketball team
• FC Dallas: MLS soccer team
• The Dallas Stars: NHL hockey team

There’s a Lot to Do in Dallas-Fort Worth

In Dallas, you’ll find hip cafes and eateries, beautiful parks, and high-end shopping. In fact, the entire DFW area is chock full of restaurants and shopping malls. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex boasts the most restaurants per capita of any metro area in the United States, and as for shopping, some say it’s a contact sport here.

The area between Dallas and Fort Worth are known collectively as the Mid-Cities, and many of the area’s attractions are situated there in the middle. For example, the main sports stadiums and Six Flags Amusement Park are located in Arlington, and the huge Grapevine Mills Mall is just a couple of miles from DFW International Airport, which is also located in between Dallas and Fort Worth.

DFW boasts plenty of concerts, festivals, and fairs. For example, one of the largest annual events in Dallas is the State Fair of Texas. The fair kicks off in late September and lasts over three weeks. This world-famous fair offers a family-friendly atmosphere and celebrates all things Texan with an emphasis on agriculture, education, and community involvement. Have you seen those food documentaries where they deep fry virtually everything? You’ll find those unusual treats at this colossal fair.

Choose Dallas Local Movers

Once you’re ready to move to the Dallas-Fort Worth area—or make a local move within it—Suddath can help. As experienced Dallas movers, we have the expertise needed to make your move easier, and all our moving crews are highly trained, background-checked, and regularly drug tested.

When you contact us about moving to Dallas-Fort Worth, we’ll offer you a wide range of moving services to choose from as well as a free moving quote. Get in touch today for more information and a free moving quote.

The post Things to Know Before Moving to Dallas-Ft. Worth appeared first on Suddath.

“Where are you going?” – a question asked both by singer Dave Matthews in his 2002 hit of the same name, and professionals in the moving industry each year.

For 2023, the annual Atlas Van Lines Migration Patterns Study answers that question and more. In the 30th edition since 1993 when Atlas began publishing its findings that track moving habits and preferences based on internal data, Americans are once again searching for a place to call home. However, following several years of unprecedented and unpredictable changes in the economy, housing, and job markets, 2023 proved to be a year of uncertainty in most housing markets.

The inevitable slow down following an unprecedented pandemic-driven boom meant current headlines talk of homeowners feeling “locked in” with lower mortgage rates, and thus not buying new homes at the current nationwide average of 7% — the highest rate in over 20 years. As of October 2023, customers had locked in a total of $800 billion in savings, as around 60% of mortgage holders have a rate of 4% or lower, according to Freddie Mac. That is savings most Americans did not find easy to give up in search of bigger and better.

What affect did this have on 2023 moves? Where are Americans moving – if they’re moving at all?

Key findings for the 2023 moving data show:

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound and outbound moves in 2023 are included below in order of highest inbound and highest outbound rates.

What States Are Most Americans Moving To?

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound moves in 2023 were:

1. Maine
2. North Carolina
3. New Hampshire
4. Montana
5. Washington
6. Arkansas
7. Florida
8. New Mexico
9. District of Columbia
10. Texas

North Carolina and Maine remain top-desired states from 2022 with New Hampshire making the largest jump from 10th to third.

What States Are Most Americans Moving Away From?

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of outbound moves in 2023 were:

2023 Top 10 Outbound

1. Illinois
2. Pennsylvania
3. Louisiana
4. Minnesota
5. Indiana
6. Oregon
7. Iowa
8. Mississippi
9. New York
10. Ohio

Pennsylvania’s rate of outbound moves dramatically increased in 2023, as did Oregon’s. Meanwhile, the exodus from Indiana has seemed to slow, although it remains high on the outbound list.

What Factors are Driving Relocation?

According to a Redfin study based on the searches of users, The share of homebuyers moving to a different metro area is coming down from an August 2023 peak as affordability becomes an increasingly important factor in home buying, and it becomes less feasible to work remotely.For those who are relocating, the most popular destinations are relatively affordable places like Sacramento, Las Vegas and Spokane, WA.

With affordability as a leading driver of American migration, previously popular hot spots like Austin, Texas are seeing a decline in homebuyers as they are priced out.

By mid-2022, when Austin home prices peaked, prices were up more than 75% from before the pandemic. Austin prices have since declined from that peak, but homes are still much more expensive than their pre- pandemic prices.

This means that the gap between Austin’s home prices and those of where relocating homebuyers commonly move from, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, is smaller than it used to be. Those in search of homeownership from these areas may be looking elsewhere for a better deal.

Monthly mortgage payments have also doubled from their pre-pandemic amounts.Stretching an already expensive market with affordability issues, the current typical monthly payment for Austin’s median-priced home ($455,000) at the average mortgage rate (7.63%) for the end of 2023 is $3,890, nearly double 2019’s typical payment of $2,136 (median sale price of $320,000; average mortgage rate of 3.94%).

Using Austin as a case study drives home the affordability point, as homebuyers leaving Austin are most commonly moving to other places in Texas that have a better cost of living but aren’t a huge change in culture and may still be close to family – common reasons for relocation. San Antonio and Corpus Christi are two of the three most popular destinations for Redfin.com users moving away from Austin; the other is Denver. 

When people are moving to these new areas, what neighborhoods are they looking into?

New neighborhoods, as it turns out. With the number of individual homeowners selling their homes decreasing, homebuilding has increased.

Nationwide, 31.8% of U.S. single-family homes for sale in the fourth quarter of 2023 were new construction, according to Redfin data, comparable with 31.9% a year earlier, which is the highest level of any fourth quarter on record. 

Even if individual sellers have listed their homes for sale, homebuilders have been making it hard to compete. They’re offering sizable discounts and concessions to attract bidders and offload inventory, including money for mortgage rate buydowns. 

However, just because they’re getting discounts doesn’t mean homebuilders haven’t increased prices – roughly two of every five (42%) new single-family homes that sold in 2022 went for $500,000 or more, up from under one-third (30%) in 2021 and 18% in 2020.

The Elderly and the Affluent are Fueling the Market

Affluent buyers, unaffected by elevated mortgage rates, found 2023 to be an ideal time to purchase property.

Prices of luxury homes rose at twice the pace of non-luxury homes at the end of 2023. This is in spite of the fact that low inventory is still driving up prices in the current market. While new luxury listings rose in 2023, the overall supply is still below pre-pandemic norms, according to Redfin data.

Driving the relative strength of the high-end housing market was the ability to make cash offers. 2023 saw a record-high share of all-cash luxury home purchases, with nearly half (46.5%) of the fourth quarter’s luxury purchases made in cash, up from 40% a year earlier. 

The typical U.S. luxury home sold for a record $1.17 million in the fourth quarter, up 8.8% from a year earlier. Prices of non-luxury homes increased at half the pace, rising 4.6% year over year to a record $340,000. 

Alongside the affluent, more than 338,000 U.S. residents welcomed in retirement with a new home in 2023, a 44 percent jump from 2022 and the highest number in three years. Affordability is also a driver for retirees on fixed incomes. Current pressures such as high inflation and a volatile stock market had many older Americans relocating to a cheaper or more tax-friendly state.

Are Americans Moving Internationally?

At every age and income level, Americans aren’t just looking at moving in other areas of the U.S.A. – they’re looking globally to find affordability and a change in lifestyle.

The number of US citizens who live outside the US is about 9 million, according to a 2020 State Department estimate. On top of that amount, 15% of Americans polled by Gallup in 2022 said they wanted to leave the US permanently.

Social media platforms glamourizing #ExpatLife feeds into the main motivation for moving abroad in 2023 – craving a new adventure, according to research by The Washington Post. Thanks to the recent explosion of remote work opportunities, more countries have rolled out what are being called “digital nomad visas,” courting the laptop toting, café frequenting remote workforce.

The specifics on securing one of these visas vary based on factors like income and duration, but some of the most popular programs are in Portugal, Croatia and Bali, according to Nomad List, a crowd-sourced site that ranks destinations based on criteria including cost of living, healthcare and internet speed.

So where are these adventure-seekers going? For 2023, Atlas® World Group International reported the following trends in overseas relocation:

2023 Top 10 Inbound

1. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. United Kingdom
5. Bahrain
6. Australia
7. Canada
8. Kuwait
9. India
10. Jordan

2023 Top 10 Outbound

1. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Kuwait
4. Germany
5. Saudi Arabia
6. Puerto Rico
7. Greece
8. India
9. Denmark
10. United Kingdom

Where are you moving next? Learn more about Atlas’ 2023 Migration Patterns Study or reach out to Suddath about a local, long distance or international move.

The post 2023 Atlas Migration Patterns Study: Where is America Moving? appeared first on Suddath.

#1 Find a House and a Job

In some cases, people are moving to a certain location because they’ve already secured a new job there. In other instances, someone may work remotely and will be able to do so in the new home as easily as in the current location. Other times, the job hunt is on! Looking for a job in the new locale may involve traveling to the new location for interviews or all could be handled remotely. Once you have a job, then you’ll have a good sense of your budget for your new dwelling.

Again, you may want to travel to your new state to shop for a new home or you may get a trusted real estate agent who sends you information about potential choices and links to view the homes online. The second route is more convenient and can allow you to continue going to work at your current job, taking care of your children, and otherwise living your routine. Google Maps is a great resource that will allow you to “see” your new neighborhood, and cities and other jurisdictions have websites that can give you a sense of the environment. You can also find information about your taxes and other local financial issues on government websites.

When you travel to your new state to see where your new home is, you can walk the neighborhoods, drive to your children’s new schools, and get a sense of your new life. Visiting grocery stores, as just one example of getting to know your new city, and will give you an idea about your new cost of living versus your current one. You can also measure doorways, ceilings, and so forth in your new home, making it easier to ultimately make a decision about what belongings to take with you.

#2 Estimate Your Expenses

You could, of course, do this item on our moving out of state checklist before you’ve completed the first one. But your estimate will be much more accurate after you know your actual housing expenses and know what you’ll earn in your new location.

This item can be divided into two parts: your monthly expenses and your moving expenses. With your monthly expenses, create a budget that includes your housing expenses, typical utility costs, and expenses for your vehicles, food, clothing, entertainment, and so on. Also consider what it will cost you to get to your new home, such as airline fees, and costs associated with repairs and renovations in your new place. If you’ll need to stay in a hotel while remodeling, include those charges.

Then, determine how much you want to spend on your actual moving expenses. (You can conveniently get a quote for your move anywhere around the country from Suddath.) When thinking about expenses, consider whether you’ll want the moving company to pack all of your belongings, if you’ll be doing the packing yourself—or using a combination of DIY and full-service packing methods. Also decide if you’ll need storage for any of your belongings: perhaps as you stage your home for sale, as you decide which belongings you’ll take with you, or as you renovate your new place.

At this point, you may select your mover. If so, this will secure your date of choice. If you’re not ready to make a decision yet, we’ll talk more about that in step five.

#3 Share the News: Family, Friends, and More

This step on your moving out of state checklist may have already occurred, or you may have decided to wait until more specifics were firmed up before letting people know about your relocation. If you’re going to resign from your current job to take on a new one, determine when it’s best to let them know and work with them to name the final day on the job. (Sometimes, people move because their current employer is relocating them, so that step has already been addressed.)

Determine who needs to receive notice about your move: a landlord, for example, if you’re renting, schools being attended by family members, the post office for change of address forwarding service, doctors, dentists, and vets, and so forth.

If you’ve got children who may be upset about leaving their school and friends, consider how you’ll break the news to them. We have a full guide for making moving with kids easier, but some quick tips are to:

• Share fun things they can do in their new home.
• Don’t discount their emotions about leaving.
• Consider scheduling a party for friends and classmates to give your children a chance to say goodbye when move time is approaching.

#4 Reduce the Weight of Your Belongings

As part of your moving out of state checklist, you can consider ways that you can reduce your expenses. You can’t change the number of miles involved or some of the other factors, but you can reduce your belongings’ weight.

So, before you get your estimate from the moving company you’ll use, it can make sense to go through your belongings and reduce their volume and weight. When decluttering, you can consider the 20/20 rule. This rule recommends that, if there’s something you could replace in your new location for less than $20 in less than twenty minutes, it may make sense to get rid of it before moving.

Some items, you’ll discover, simply don’t have value anymore You may want to hold a yard sale to get rid of household belongings that you no longer want or need but others might. If, as an example, you’re moving from a colder climate to one where snow won’t be much of an issue, you might sell your heaviest coats and sweaters, your snowblower, and so on. Money you take in from the sale can contribute to your moving expenses. As another option, you could give belongings that you don’t need anymore to friends or family members who want them or donate them to charities.

If you’ll be doing some or all of your own packing, it can make sense to pack items you won’t need in the interim as you declutter: clothes and holiday decorations for other seasons, for example, dishes, pots, and pans that you won’t need until you get into your new home, books that you want to keep but won’t be reading soon, and so on. Label the boxes on all sides, listing the contents and where they should be unpacked.

#5 Select Your Moving Company

In step two in our moving out of state checklist, you likely got one or more quotes to create your moving budget. It’s time to choose your movers, selecting from fully licensed options (we’re happy to show you our licenses and awards).

Factors to consider include the following:

• Moving experience: You definitely don’t want to trust your belongings to just anyone. Suddath has more than a century of moving experience, so there isn’t much we haven’t moved; we’ve managed moves for small apartments, large estates, and everything in between across the country.
• Flexible choices: No two moves are ever exactly alike, so it’s important to choose a moving company that allows you to personalize yours. At Suddath, we customize moves, including with packing and unpacking services, with storage options, and so forth.
• Trustworthy movers: You’ll want to ensure that the moving crew who will be going into your home is honest, reliable, and respectful. At Suddath, all of our movers are fully vetted, thoroughly background checked, and well trained before they work with our customers.

#6 Plan for Your Pets

Decide how you’ll transport your pets to your new home; perhaps you’ll drive them there yourself or you’ll fly. Whatever you decide, make sure that you have appropriate crates for your mode of choice that fit all requirements of the carrier. Get your pets comfortable in their crates before moving day by having them spend a bit of time in them along with their favorite toys and most comfortable blanket. Feed your pets treats when they’re in the crate.

Just like with your family’s belongings, declutter those of your pets as part of your moving out of state checklist. Toss out old blankets that your pets no longer use or toys of theirs that are no longer safe.

Make an appointment with your vet in time for your pets to be seen before moving day. Ensure they’re up to date with vaccinations, get medications they’ll need, and, if not already done, microchip them. You don’t want your pets to wander off in their new, unfamiliar neighborhood without having a way to safely get them home. If you think your pet is experiencing anxiety as they notice your moving activities, ask about possible medications or calming tablets to address their stress.

Otherwise, just try to keep your pets on their familiar routines. As moving day approaches, pack a bag of their items that you want to keep with you: food, water, dishes, collars, tags, and favorite toys. On moving day, have someone in charge of watching over your pets, walking them and otherwise keeping them on track. Here’s a moving with pets checklist in more detail.

#7 Get Settled in Your New Home

This can be the final section of your moving out of state checklist!

From cleaning to getting belongings in their new places, there will be plenty to do in your new home. When moving out of state, you’ll need to get a new driver’s license or state ID; register to vote; and transfer your vehicles’ title and registration. You can also send a change of address announcement to friends and family.

It will be time to get your children and pets settled into the new place, visit the interesting sites in your new neighborhood, meet your neighbors, and more. If you’re going to have a housewarming party, you can plan and hold that event, sharing your excitement about your new home.

Besides this moving out of state checklist and the one about moving with pets, Suddath offers more, including these:

• The Checklist Every Person Should Use Before They Move
• Military Move Checklist
• Ultimate Moving Overseas Checklist
• Moving With Kids Checklist
• Office Moving Checklist

Choose Suddath as Your Long-Distance Moving Company

To have the smoothest long distance move possible, it’s important to have the right state to state movers at your side with a relocation company that allows you to personalize your move your way. Suddath checks all of those boxes—and more.

We’re the experienced choice with more than a hundred years of moving experience in which we’ve relocated people along the entire spectrum: from small apartments to huge homes and everything in the middle. At Suddath, you decide what services you want and need, and we provide exactly that.

With our packing and unpacking services, you can choose our full professional services where we take all the burden of this time-consuming task off of your hands. We use the best packing materials and the appropriate equipment. Or, you can pick partial services where you tell us what rooms (say your kitchen and bedrooms) or belongings you want us to pack. As yet another choice in our flexible menu of services, you can select loading-only when you’ll pack DIY.

Our storage services are safe, secure, and convenient with 24/7 video monitoring and internal crating. You decide what belongings to store and on what timetable.

Plus, you can truly trust our movers. Each member of our crews is completely vetted and background checked before being comprehensively trained and mentored for more than 250 hours.

To get started with Suddath, simply reach out for a quote today!

The post Moving Out of State Checklist: A Valuable Resource appeared first on Suddath.

As industry experts, we have overseen successful end-to-end medical office relocations while minimizing disruptions in daily operations and patient services. Our experts are giving you top tips to ensure a smooth healthcare facility or lab relocation.

Learn more about our healthcare facility and laboratory moving services.

Give Advance Notice

Notifying employees early about an upcoming medical office relocation should be one of the first communication priorities. An announcement six months in advance, if possible, gives ample time for everyone to gradually process the significant change ahead and make any personal or work arrangements needed. When announcing internally, think about how this will impact employees and try to address concerns in a positive manner. Questions that employees may have include:

Any information you’re comfortable sharing to help alleviate these concerns can have a positive impact on the transition.

Check state regulations for mandatory notice guidelines. Some states require public announcements for medical moves.  

Share the Specifics of Your Healthcare Relocation

Help employees understand the reason behind the change. For example, you may need more space for new staff, equipment, or to better accommodate patient needs. Show how this supports the practice’s overall mission in providing a comfortable environment.

For a seamless transition, establishing strategic communication around timelines for packing, move dates, when to forward mail, workload changes, etc. Having refined logistics keeps everyone on track and aids in addressing common move questions.

Below is a sample letter for notifying employees of a medical office relocation.

Discuss Patient Impact

Moving a healthcare facility will inevitably cause some level of short-term disruption for patients and their care. Proactively communicating how daily operations, appointments and procedures may be impacted can help put patients more at ease with the upcoming major transition.

Reassure anxious individuals that staff will partner closely with each of them to reschedule important appointments and ensure continuity of prescription refills, therapies, or other essential needs.

Here are some examples of questions patients may have:

Next, you will want to focus on informing your patients individually. You can email patients, as well as post a notice in your office, and update your voicemail to state your new address and date you will be in your new office. 

Below is a sample letter for notifying patients of a healthcare relocation.

Consistent, thoughtful communication allows for smoother medical office relocations. From small clinics to large specialty practices, protecting patient privacy and facilitating continuity of care remain top priorities in everything we do.

When you partner with Suddath, our physician relocation specialists and lab movers will help facilitate a comprehensive move plan that keeps staff informed, minimizes patient care disruptions, and executes clear logistics for a success transition. From secure transport of data-sensitive medical records to seamless furniture and lab equipment moving, we’re medical office movers dedicated to delivering better experiences for your employees and patients.

Moving your healthcare practice? See our medical moving and physician relocation services.

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CHALLENGE

For The Energy Authority (TEA), a firm that trades energy and manages assets to support public power utilities, it was crucial to figure out a streamlined plan for relocating their headquarters, including two data center relocations. The goal was to ensure top-notch security while moving technology that handles sensitive data, all within a tight timeline while navigating complex relocation needs.

Before TEA officially moved to its new three-level office space in downtown Jacksonville, FL, there was the task of relocating computer equipment, including an offsite data center. The challenge was to do this without causing disruptions to the daily operations and the 24-hour live trading demand. The trickiest part? Moving TEA’s onsite data center to the top floor where there’s no access to an elevator.

SOLUTION

As a leading commercial moving company serving Jacksonville for more than 100 years, Suddath offered a complete solution, including partnering with our sister companies Phase Integration and Perdue Office Interiors to streamline TEA’s headquarters relocation project from start to finish.

To streamline the office relocation process, Suddath’s expert commercial movers mapped a relocation plan, ensuring strict control over high-level security computer equipment, data centers and workstations. The office move and data center moves were executed in five phases, all expertly coordinated to ensure minimal downtime and disruption to employees and business operations.

Desktop equipment and accessories were disconnected and moved in phases based on priority, leaving day trading computer equipment active until the final phase. As the project progressed, Suddath’s office move technology enabled greater visibility into the status of workstations, ensuring employees would be ready to immediately begin working in their new space.  

Because Suddath has performed thousands of data center relocations, our trained teams ensured best practices were followed for both data center moves, including comprehensive inventory and labeling process for proper reconnection and packing techniques to ensure no equipment was damaged in transit. We assisted in transporting TEA’s emergency data center to Cologix, an offsite facility built to withstand natural disasters and other disruptions that could significantly impact TEA’s operations. 

Relocating TEA’s secondary data center involved extra care and an onsite IT team to hoist the large equipment to the top level. Through an opening in the floor, the equipment was securely anchored to a platform, strapped, and craned from the under level. The data center was then quickly installed with minimum downtime and risk.

RESULTS

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Long transit times can negatively impact employee productivity, morale and mood. Providing extended temporary housing for employees can also overburden your bottom line.

The good news for corporate moving?  There is a solution offering shorter transit times and levels of cost savings that are hard to ignore: containerized shipments.

What is a containerized shipment program?

When capacity constraints and demand are at their highest, mobile employees are more likely to experience longer lead times between when their household goods are picked up and ultimate delivery date using traditional approaches.

A containerized shipment program, also known as a small shipment program, is a way to move employees from one location to another using methods outside the traditional transportation approach. Containerization is particularly well suited for those employees with smaller household sizes or fewer personal effects. Using this method, household goods are individually packed and shipped to the destination immediately, without the need for any additional handling or storage.

How do containerized shipments work?

Because small shipment carriers don’t have to wait until an entire truck is at capacity to depart or make multiple stops before destination, the small shipment program can move an employee’s goods coast-to-coast significantly faster than traditional methods – often in ten days or less.

Employees still enjoy a full-service, white glove experience that includes the highest quality international packing and wrapping standards with each shipment. The containers are then immediately sent to their destination, allowing for more specificity in arrival dates for better planning and cost controls. Faster, more efficient shipments help employees settle into the destination more easily, allowing them to completely focus on their new role.

Another advantage of the small shipment program is it reduces claims. The enhanced packing and wrapping standards, individualized containers and direct path from origin to destination minimize handling and risk.

Small Shipments Benefit Employees and Employers

For HR and global mobility professionals, small shipment programs can significantly reduce per-diem expenses, including hotel stays or the costs of temporary living.

Because there is no minimum weight requirement, the containerized option is most cost effective for employees with shipments that don’t exceed 5,000 pounds. While larger shipments are still possible, some of the pricing advantages even out as the shipment weight increases.

When asked about her work with WWP, dedicated move liaison Kate Miley said, “We don’t just do these moves because our company has the account. We actually become part of the move with these customers. It’s important to understand we really do care about these people and want to give them the best possible experience. That’s what they deserve.” 

How does the small shipments process work for the employee?

The process for containerized shipments is very easy and can be broken down into four steps.

Containerized Shipments Are Easier Than You Think

Sterling Move Solutions offers an in-house small shipment solution for companies and HR teams looking to relocate employees faster, easier and more cost-effectively. Our innovative service makes a big impact on your program by streamlining the move process, allowing employees to be settled and productive in their new role faster and spending less on per diem costs. By combining this innovative solution with superior customer service, global mobility professionals can focus on their key objectives with the peace of mind that their employees are well taken care of in their new destination.

Contact our relocation experts today to find out how our containerized shipment solution saves our clients an average of 36% on transit times.

The post Containerized Shipments: A Cost-Effective Alternative for Moving Household Goods appeared first on Suddath.

Referrals are a testament to your expertise and the exceptional service you provide to your clients. When someone trusts you enough to refer your services to a friend or family member, it is the highest compliment. It is essential to express your gratitude sincerely, not only because you are grateful for the referral, but because if they’ve referred you once, it’s likely they will tout your services again.

One powerful way to express your gratitude is by writing a thoughtful and heartfelt thank you note, maybe even with a small gift attached.

The core of your thank you note should express your genuine appreciation for the referral. Be specific about how much their trust and support mean to you and your business.

Example: “I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for referring [Client’s Name] to me. Your trust in my services is truly appreciated.”

Acknowledge the specific referral and briefly mention the client who was referred. This personalizes your message and shows that you value the relationship with both the referrer and the new client.

Example: “I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with [Client’s Name], thanks to your recommendation, and have already taken [this step] to help them.”

Reiterate your commitment to providing excellent service. Let the referrer know that you will do your best to meet and exceed the expectations of the referred client.

Example: “I want to assure you that I will give [Client’s Name] the same level of dedication and professionalism that you experienced when working with me.”

Consider circling back to the referrer’s experience in your thank you note as a final reinforcement of their positive experience.

Example: “Thank you again for your referral – I am overjoyed I was able to assist you in your journey to the point where you trust me with your [family member/friend/neighbor/coworker], and it’s clients like you that inspire me every day.”

While not necessary, a small token of appreciation can go a long way in making your thank you note memorable. You could offer a gift card, a gift from a store in their neighborhood such as a candle, flowers or even a bottle of wine if you know they would enjoy it.

Example: “As a token of my appreciation, I’d like to offer you a $50 gift card to your favorite local restaurant. It’s a small way to say thank you for your support.”

Conclude your thank you note with warm regards and an invitation to stay in touch. This leaves the door open for future interactions and maintains a positive connection.

Example: “Thank you once again for your trust and support. I look forward to helping [Client’s Name] and staying in touch with you. Please feel free to reach out anytime.”

Handwritten notes add a personal touch that stands out in today’s digital world. If possible, consider sending a handwritten thank you card over an email message. After all – working with them to buy a home, you likely know their address!

Writing a real estate referral thank you note is a small yet impactful gesture that can strengthen your client relationships and encourage more referrals in the future. By expressing genuine gratitude, highlighting your commitment, and offering a token of appreciation, you can show your referrers just how much their support means to you. A well-crafted thank you note not only says “thank you” but also speaks volumes about your professionalism and dedication to your clients and their referrals.

The post 6 Steps to a Perfect Real Estate Referral Thank You Note appeared first on Suddath.

Each year, approximately 40 million tons of electronic waste is generated, 70% compromising of toxic materials. E-waste such as desktop monitors and televisions carrying hazardous substances are often sent to landfills to be buried and incinerated – a method that pollutes our land, air, and water.

Because of the significant environmental impact, it’s crucial to find ways to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. This will require adopting more sustainable habits and waste disposal practices within your environment, including the workplace.

For better workplace waste management, explore these effective methods to improve landfill avoidance.

Divert E-Waste with Recycling

By separating recyclable e-waste materials such as computers, printers, televisions, keyboards, and data center equipment, essential elements can be repurposed for additional use and your business can reduce disposal costs, meet sustainability goals, and comply with regulations around electronic waste.

Developing accessible, clearly communicated consumer e-waste collection programs can divert tons of discarded devices away from landfills each year. Businesses are responsible for recycling unwanted hardware and minimizing e-waste output through repair and reuse programs. Utilizing certified e-waste partners to dismantle equipment and ensure hazardous components are disposed of safely is a must. Through collaborative efforts between consumers and enterprise leaders, e-waste recycling can drive meaningful progress in landfill avoidance.

Promote Sustainable Habits

When you choose reusable products, limit packaging, and opt for environmentally friendly alternatives, the amount of waste generated can be significantly minimized. Simple employee habits involving enhanced tech recycling and proper paper waste handling are influential in decreasing the amount of workplace waste yearly.

Donating and reselling surplus office furniture keeps tons of materials in use. For enterprise technology rollouts, reclaiming and reusing older equipment parts aids landfill avoidance. Workplaces should also consider improvements like double-sided printing default settings and building corporate sustainability objectives into vendor contracts. With intentional planning, education and execution, enhanced sustainability through everyday workplace decisions can drive collective progress on landfill reduction.

Workplace Tips to Reduce Landfill Waste:

Suddath offers businesses effective solutions to seamlessly manage end-of-life electronics through recycling, reuse, or donations. With our trustworthy recycling supplier network and flexible facility management solutions, your goal of diverting workplace waste from landfills can be easily attainable – consolidating all your e-waste needs with one partner.

Learn more about our e-waste management solutions.

The post Landfill Avoidance for Businesses: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint appeared first on Suddath.

Fortunately, the global shipping industry has largely recovered from much of the extreme disruption, backlogs, delays and record-breaking price hikes we experienced over the last few years. That may prompt you to wonder: Are capacity constraints still a thing in the household goods moving and storage world?

The short answer is yes. The challenges of balancing the right levels of supply and demand are a reality across all sectors of the transportation industry. Understanding what causes capacity imbalances and what parts of the process can be controlled will help you minimize the impact on your relocation program. Perhaps most importantly, knowing how to best navigate capacity constraints can help you set your relocating employees’ expectations and deliver better experiences when shipping their personal belongings by air, sea and road.

What we mean by ‘capacity’

Simply put, when it comes to the transportation industry, capacity is space. It’s the maximum amount of room available for moving goods at any given time via the containers and planes, ships, trains and trucks that transport them – or in the warehouses that store them. It’s the space available within shipping lanes, at ports, via air traffic/airports, and on the rails and roads. It’s determined by the size, type and number of available transport vessels, as well as the size, weight and types of goods that are being moved by them. It is also influenced by regulations that dictate how the process works, such as maximum load weights and operator/safety requirements, including mandated commercial driving and resting hours. For shipments of any kind – domestic and global – vessels should be at full capacity to achieve the maximum levels of time and cost efficiencies, for carriers and end consumers alike.

That sounds like it should be easy enough, right? Well, not always. Even though some conditions or events may seem like they should be detached from the shipment of household goods, especially as they relate to domestic-only moves by road, constraints happening anywhere along the global supply chain impact all transportation companies, with the potential to drive up costs and lead to longer transit times. Several things can contribute to a capacity crunch, including:

The current picture

As of the beginning of Q4 2023, pricing and capacity levels are largely stable in most U.S. domestic markets and several global regions as well. But many international moves still present challenges – the hostilities in and around Israel, the ongoing war in Ukraine and lingering supply chain disruptions/equipment delays are still disrupting many global routes.

What can we expect in the near term? We’re currently seeing reduced moving volumes, attributed largely to the geopolitical and economic uncertainty, high interest rates and lack of available housing inventory, in both the purchase and rental segments. In addition, historically, election years in the United States tend to prompt a more cautious “wait and see” mindset on the part of many business leaders. Taking all those influences together, we’ll likely see fewer capacity constraints for the rest of 2023 and into the first half of 2024.

In fact, an Inbound Logistics survey found that trucking companies are less worried about the ability to find capacity now (cited by 30% of respondents this year vs. 52% last year), or the ability to efficiently match product supply and demand (20% this year vs. 35% last year).

As we’ve noted, however, supply and demand ebb and flow, so capacity constraints will eventually return. Armed with the right information, you can prepare your team to be ready when they do.

Tips for managing expectations

While many of the conditions that cause capacity shortages are largely out of anyone’s control, there are certain things you can do to help mitigate the impact when demand is high and available space is in short supply. Here are some tips for setting up for success:

The bottom line

Even in the most stable of environments, predicting the exact levels of supply and demand in the transportation industry is challenging. The extreme circumstances we’ve witnessed over the last few years only add to the difficulties. While multiple factors can contribute to capacity constraints, there are a few proactive steps you can take to help mitigate the impact to your relocation program and your employees’ moving experiences.

Want to learn more about flexible moving options and managing constraints? Contact us.

The post Capacity Constraints in the Household Goods Moving Industry appeared first on Suddath.

By removing excess belongings, you’ll have a decluttered environment that allows you to rearrange furniture in eye-catching ways and add attractive touches to your home. The result? A well-staged home that can attract the attention of qualified buyers and may sell more quickly and for more money.

Some sellers hire professional home stagers while others do DIY home staging. To help, here are benefits of home staging and tips for when you decide to do it yourself.

Home Staging Benefits

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), home staging is highly effective. More specifically, 81 percent of buyers’ real estate agents say that this process allows buyers to more easily envision living in the home. They also note how three quarters of sellers saw a 5 to 15 percent increase over their asking price with staged homes and shared an International Association of Home Staging Professionals survey indicating how home staging helps the house to sell three to 30 times faster.

DIY Home Staging Tips

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. When DIY staging a house for sale, NAR considers three rooms the most crucial to optimize the impact:

• Living room (39 percent)
• Primary bedroom (36 percent)
• Kitchen (30 percent)

For DIY home staging tips for these important rooms, we look to HGTV.

Living Room

First, ensure that, during decluttering, you remove enough furniture. Professional stagers often take out half of the room’s belongings so prospective buyers can easily inspect fireplaces, built-in bookcases, and so forth; look out all of the windows; and effortlessly walk through the room.

What to avoid: too many pillows on the couch and too many items on the tables. Plus, don’t push furniture up against the walls. Although common wisdom may dictate doing that, saying it makes the room look larger, that isn’t really true. Instead, place your sofa and chairs into conversational groupings with obvious flow patterns. This will create a user-friendly room that actually feels bigger.

Bedrooms

Use simple tricks to create an impression of luxury—like those often used in high-end resorts. Add plush and plump comforters to the beds along with extra blankets, shams, and throw pillows. Clear off your nightstands and use the DIY home staging tips mentioned for the living room to create a more spacious feel.

Kitchen

Pack up small appliances and holiday dishware to declutter storage spaces and use up dry goods in your pantry to make DIY staging easier. Clear off your countertops. As far as cabinets, put on a fresh coat of paint—white or dark neutrals work well—and replace the hardware. Update the backsplash and modernize faucets. Ask your dishwasher’s manufacturer for replacement front panels or use contact paper for a refreshed appearance.

RealSimple.com offers DIY home staging tips that may seem small but can have a big impact:

• Add mirrors. Beside adding touches of style, mirrors’ reflective qualities can make rooms look bigger, which can attract buyers’ interest.
• Replace any outdated window treatments with ones that are “modern and breezy.” This can also help to open up the room and “allow a space to breathe.” To make a room look taller, hang the curtains near the ceiling.
• Put new white towels in your bathroom. This can give it a spa-like appearance that’s “fresh and clean.”

Homes and Gardens.com chimes in with their ideas, which include to give the rooms a feeling of comfort—perhaps allowing potential buyers to imagine themselves watching Netflix movies with their family while lounging on a comfy sofa. Add pops of color to provide touches of personality and to prevent rooms from appearing cold. Live plants can add to a feeling of home as long as you can maintain them well throughout the open house stage. Avoid plastic or otherwise fake flowers.

When Home Showings Are Approaching

Make sure that your lawn is mowed and your landscaping looks attractive. Light candles around the home. Place fresh flowers in strategic locations, and make sure all is well lit. When you think of the sensory appeal of your home, avoid thinking just about the visual. Does everything smell nice and fresh? Do any doors, cabinets, or windows squeak? Incorporate all of your senses when planning your DIY home staging.

In this attractive environment, you can hold open houses to entice qualified buyers and take quality photos and videos of your home to post online and extend your reach.

Mistakes to Avoid When DIY Staging Your Charlotte Home to Sell

Because you can be pretty busy once you make the decision to relocate, it’s easy to wait too long to get started, and you may find yourself needing to quickly stage your home. If that happens, once the home is sufficiently decluttered, ask friends and family for help: with cleaning, minor maintenance and repairs, and painting—and prioritize your efforts on rooms with the biggest impact. Put away personal belongings and remove knick knacks, and then use any remaining time to add little touches that can really add up.

Then, this advice is worth repeating: make sure you remove enough belongings before starting the “DIY staging a house for sale” process. Looking to the professionals, they often remove half.

DIY Home Staging and Our Charlotte Declutter & Store Program

Decluttering is step one of home staging and, through our Charlotte Declutter & Store program, we make it practical to stage your home yourself. Here’s how it works. Our local movers in Charlotte, NC will transport household items of your choosing from your home to our safe and secure storage facility. You’ll then have a decluttered environment for attractive DIY staging and, when you move to your new home, we’ll transport those temporarily stored belongings there.

Are you DIY staging your home for sale? Reach out for a free, no-obligation quote in Charlotte today!

The post DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Charlotte Home appeared first on Suddath.

Home staging can help your home to sell more quickly and for more money. Once you decide to use this tactic to get the most of your home’s sale, options include hiring a professional home stager or DIY home staging.

Benefits of Home Staging

Home staging can be extremely effective. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 81 percent of buyers’ real estate agents said that staging a home helps buyers to imagine a property as their future home. In a NAR article, they note how 75 percent of sellers saw an increased return on investment over asking price—from 5 to 15 percent—while a survey from the International Association of Home Staging Professionals shows that staging helps homes to sell three to 30 times more quickly.

If you decide to take advantage of this powerful strategy by doing it yourself, here are DIY home staging tips.

DIY Staging a House for Sale

First, to prioritize your efforts, NAR lists three rooms as the most important for maximum impact:

• Living room (39 percent)
• Primary bedroom (36 percent)
• Kitchen (30 percent)

HGTV offers DIY home staging tips for each of these key areas.

For the living room, make sure you’ve removed enough furniture. Professional home stagers often remove half of the belongings so that potential buyers can easily move around the room, inspect features such as fireplaces and built-in architectural details, and look out the windows. Avoid putting too many items on your coffee table or too many pillows on your sofa.

Although common wisdom may say that pushing your furniture against the walls makes the room look bigger, that isn’t true. What’s preferable: placing your couch and armchairs into “cozy conversational groups” with obvious traffic flow patterns. Besides making the room seem larger, it will be more user friendly.

With bedrooms, think luxury. This can be as simple as plush and plump comforters that can resemble what’s used in high-end resorts. Add shams, extra blankets, and throw pillows—and remove personal items from nightstands. When DIY staging your bedrooms, remember the strategies used to enhance the living room.

When DIY staging your home to sell, update your kitchen by packing up small appliances and dishware you won’t use to show off your decluttered storage spaces. Use up food items in your pantry to accomplish the same purpose. Remove countertop clutter, paint your cabinets with a dark neutral or classic white, update the cabinet hardware and kitchen backsplash, and modernize the faucets. Look into dishwasher replacement panels or use contact paper to give the appliance the appearance of stainless steel.

Another source of great DIY home staging tips is RealSimple.com. Seemingly small strategies that can have a larger impact include using mirrors to add stylish touches and to benefit from their reflective qualities to enhance the size of rooms.

When you replace outdated window treatments, you have the opportunity to use modern, breezy ones that also open up space; when curtains are hung near the ceiling, rooms can look taller. Also, white towels in the bathroom can give the room a spa-like appearance, so include fresh, new ones.

Other helpful ideas come from Homes and Gardens.com, and these focus on giving your home an ambience of comfort. Make it easy for prospective buyers to imagine themselves lounging in comfy chairs while watching their favorite shows. Avoid a too-cold feeling by adding pops of color and personality, which can include live, well-kept plants; don’t use plastic or other obviously fake flowers.

As Home Showings Approach

Ensure that you’ve got curb appeal with attractive landscaping and mown grass before any open houses. Strategically place fresh flowers, light candles, and otherwise make sure that the home is well lit. Don’t focus on just the visual elements of the home, though. Double check that everything smells nice and fresh; that doors, windows, and cabinets don’t squeak when opened; and so forth. Consider all of the senses while DIY home staging.

In this eye-catching environment, you can take quality photos and videos of your home and use them online and elsewhere to extend your marketing reach. You can also hold open houses with confidence.

DIY Staging Your Home to Sell: Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t wait too long to get started. If, while you’re busy with other aspects of your relocation plans, you find yourself short of time and need to quickly stage, here are ideas. First, sufficiently declutter your home; that’s the foundation of staging. Then, reach out for help from friends and family. Ask them to assist in cleaning, doing minor maintenance and repairs, and painting.

This means removing knick knacks and personal belongings. Then, put your focus on ways to create the largest impact as described in tips provided above. If you have extra time, add the little touches that can make a big difference.

For all of this to go smoothly, it’s vital that you remove enough belongings in the decluttering stage of the “DIY staging a house for sale” process.

DIY Home Staging and Our Tampa Declutter & Store Program

With our Tampa Declutter & Store program, you’ll benefit from safe, secure, convenient, and affordable storage of your excess household items and a seamlessly decluttered home environment that’s ideal for home staging.

First, our Tampa local movers will remove household belongings of your choice and transport them to our storage facility. Then, in your decluttered environment, you can arrange furniture and enhance your decor for maximum effect.

Keep these belongings in storage for precisely the amount of time you require, and we’ll transport them to your new home when you’re ready. Reach out for a free, no-obligation quote in Tampa today!

The post DIY Home Staging: Selling Your Tampa Home appeared first on Suddath.

The pros and cons of providing relocating employees an up-front, pre-determined sum of money to cover moving-related expenses – the lump sum – have long been debated in the mobility industry. But like all financial and strategic business decisions, it’s well worth periodically evaluating their effectiveness through several lenses. Given the current pace of economic, social and workplace change, now is a good time to do just that.

One important note: the following exploration focuses on U.S. domestic transfers, as companies offering a lump sum as part of a cross-border move typically limit them to cover very specific components, such as temporary living or travel allowances to round out more robust types of assistance. Given their complexity and compliance risks, global moves by nature require much more comprehensive, hands-on support than a simple lump sum alone can provide.

The Economic Lens: Average Relocation Costs and the Current Financial Landscape

Let’s start with some important stats. Worldwide ERC^® research found that in 2022, the average cost for U.S. domestic permanent transfers reached an all-time high of $85,466 for homeowners and $33,532 for renters. The average household goods shipment expense was $16,465.

The report also predicted that this record-breaking trend was on track to continue this year, projecting an approximately 9% increase in costs to $93,823 for homeowners and $36,486 for renters. That forecast was made last summer, even before the Fed’s inflation-fighting interest rate hikes brought the current level to the highest it has been in over two decades. With that in mind, those projections could prove to be too conservative.

The Whole is…in this case, Lesser Than the (Lump) Sum of its Parts

Meanwhile, many companies are still offering lump sum amounts that just aren’t keeping pace with these rising costs, resulting in less-than-stellar experiences at best or outright declines to move at worst. While totals will vary by what they are intended to cover and such other determining factors as job level or type of employee, family size, homeowner or renter status and distance of move, lump sums tend to range between $5,000 and $25,000.

In addition to the household good shipment figure noted above, averages for other important types of moving support also came in well over $10,000 – such as cost of living assistance at $11,798 and temporary living at $11,339, driven in large part by the lack of available housing inventory in many key markets.

Even at the more generous levels, the actual worth of the lump sum can be quickly eroded by such additional expenses as lease cancellation fees, security deposits, insurance and transportation to the new location. Those expenses quickly chip away at what the employee has left to spend on moving their belongings, often one of – if not THE – largest component of the total. This leads to a financial deficit they need to figure out how to solve. Opting for a cheaper, less reputable mover runs the risk of delays, higher claims, or even unscrupulous demands for more money before releasing the shipment. Lump sums are considered taxable income to the employee and unreimbursed moving expenses are not currently deductible (something the industry is collectively working to try to change when the current rules expire in 2025). The average federal tax liability noted in the ERC research was $14,289. If companies don’t gross-up to tax assist, it’s another example of how the true value of the lump sum to the relocating employee is significantly diminished.

It’s easy to see that the math just isn’t adding up if the goal is to provide meaningful support to get the right talent in the right place.

The Productivity Lens: Understanding the True Costs

At first glance, the lump sum approach seems to have low levels of administrative burden to the company while giving employees greater control over and choices about their moves. A win-win, right?

Maybe not so fast. Without any sort of additional support, the onus of managing the details of the move rests entirely on the employee (and/or any accompanying family members). At a minimum, this is likely to result in a period of lost focus while they research vendors to work with, compare costs and arrange all the details. Those logistics are significant, even if big-ticket items like home sale and purchase are removed from the equation. Details like:

That’s a lot to ask a current employee or new hire the company is hoping to bring up to speed and into a new role and location quickly and efficiently. The time and energy they are spending on managing their own move could be directed into onboarding and acclimation into the nuances of the job they are moving to perform.

Distraction and lost focus are bad enough, but if something goes wrong along the way, employees will inevitably ask for help, more money, or both – and might even consider walking away entirely or leaving the company shortly after the move. What seemed an easy and cost-effective solution at first can quickly drive up both the price tag and the proverbial “noise factor,” requiring teams to step in an re-evaluate, provide additional aid or approve exceptions to total spend.

“Managers and up should never get a lump-sum-only package.
How do you expect your employees to be productive and hit the ground running when they have to do everything themselves?”

-Mobility Leader, Large Multimedia Company

The Social Lens: Shifting Workplace Priorities and Expectations

“Today’s employee is a consumer of the workplace. Employees are no longer satisfied with checking in and out and receiving a paycheck. They are looking for meaning in their work, a supportive, collaborative environment and an employer that can match the lifestyle they want.”

That quote from a Gallup Workplace study, echoed in similar form by numerous other business reports, explains the current employee/employer relationship. Despite the tough economic headwinds, the labor market remains extremely tight and companies are competing for the best skills. The people with those skills are becoming more discerning about how, where and for whom they want to work.

As noted above, an employee’s or candidate’s ability and willingness to relocate may already be tempered by prohibitive costs and rising interest rates. The promise of a more positive, rewarding opportunity and meaningful work can be strong incentives to move. Companies focusing on delivering that, throughout all stages of the employee journey, have a significant competitive advantage.

If an individual’s skills are considered valuable enough to want to bring them into or move them within the company to a specific role and place, the relocation package should reflect that supportive, collaborative environment today’s top talent is seeking.

Another crucial factor here is relocation’s role in helping companies achieve greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). Employees have varying relocation needs and expenses based on their individual circumstances. Providing a standard lump sum, even if tiered by job level or region, may still result in inequitable treatment, as it doesn’t account for the unique financial requirements of each employee, or their family dynamics, such as a need for child or elder care in the new location. The “one size fits all” premise of the lump sum may be woefully out of step. Employees talk, and news of a bad experience travels fast.

Alternatives to the Lump Sum

Many employers find the managed cap or core/flex approaches prove more viable alternatives to the typical lump sum. These models still deliver a level of control over costs by setting maximums as determined by the company, but also offer employees some flexibility and choice. Whatever policy option works best, the keys are to focus on the word “managed,” which helps ensure not only the right financial levels of support, but higher levels of care and expertise by working with known and vetted partners.

In other types of relocation policy models, companies determine a limit to the amounts that employee relocation benefits cannot exceed, either holistically, or by maximum levels of financial support for individual services. A key difference to lump sums is that funds are not typically disbursed directly to the employee but can be handled via direct service partner agreements. Some organizations will use dollar-based models, while others may offer a points-based system, in which the employee has a pre-determined set of points to apply to the services that best suit their individual and/or family needs.

Another alternative to the lump sum approach when it comes to covering the costs of shipping household goods is to consider a direct contract with a reputable and experienced household goods mover. There are several advantages, including:

Conclusion

With the increasing costs associated with just about every aspect of a move, the steep competition for talent and skills, and the heightened focus employees have on working in a fulfilling, supportive and collaborative environment, now is a good time to take a hard look at the lump sum and evaluate whether it’s still the right approach for your company, your people and your bottom line.

Need some assistance in evaluating your current program? Contact us to see how we can help.

The post The Hidden Perils of Lump Sum Relocation appeared first on Suddath.

Spain does have an unemployment rate that’s higher than average with percentages varying by province. So be prepared for that situation.

Here’s the process that, as an American, you’ll undergo to qualify for a particular job in Spain. First, before foreigners can get a job in a certain category, the Public Employment Service must first list it as a shortage occupation—in other words, it must be an industry where Spanish workers can’t fill in the necessary gaps. Then, once you get a job offer, your Spanish employer must request a work visa for you from the Ministry of Labor. This process can take up to eight months, so plan for this. If you want to be self-employed in Spain, you can apply for a work visa while you’re still in the United States at a Spanish consulate or embassy.

With that in mind: what are the best jobs in Spain for Americans?

Jobs Teaching English in Spain

To benefit from your ability to speak English, teaching can be a natural career path to choose in Spain. These expat jobs in Spain can range from working as a private tutor to teaching English at a university. Some, but not all, of these teaching jobs require certification. When they do, it may be one of the following:

• Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL): You don’t need to have teaching experience to get TEFL-certified, and there are online courses available to get this certification.
• Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA): This course from Cambridge is available to take online or in person. (If you notice that the acronym doesn’t match for this certification, it used to be called “Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults.”)
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL): Although there are slight differences, TESOL is very similar to TEFL.

Plus, of course, if you have an English or teaching degree, this can help you to find employment. As a related job, if you speak Spanish well, consider seeking work as a translator.

Hospitality Jobs

Good expat jobs in Spain include ones at restaurants, bars, hotels, and catering facilities—especially in cities considered to be tourist destinations: Barcelona, for example, and Madrid. If you have experience in this field—such as being a chef with specialized culinary skills or a bartender who can dazzle patrons with fancy drinks—you could well be in demand in Spain. Even if that isn’t the case, hospitality jobs in Spain for Americans are often available.

Related to these jobs are ones in the tourism industry, working at hotels and resorts in non-culinary jobs. Perhaps you could take reservations and check guests in and out at the front desk or assist them by carrying their luggage to their rooms, finding amenities in the facilities, and so forth. Another possibility: working as a travel consultant, helping people to visit Spain and enjoy the county’s tourism sites.

Information Technology Jobs

If you’ve got the expertise, then jobs in Spain for Americans can include those in the information technology (IT) field. From IT project managers to web developers with coding and programming specialties, when companies in Spain are finding it hard to find qualified workers, this can be an excellent opportunity for Americans seeking expat jobs in Spain.

Plus, the reality is that hackers create problems for people and companies around the world—and this includes in Spain. So, if you’re a cyber security expert, you may find this type of employment. There can also be employment for people who have advanced IT skills as a software engineer, artificial intelligence engineer, and so forth.

Sales Jobs

If you’re interested in assisting companies with selling their products and services, there are jobs in Spain for Americans with those abilities. As with other jobs mentioned, if you’re bilingual in Spanish and English, you’ll be more in demand. Sales jobs can be one of the higher paying opportunities in Spain with openings often available at entry levels as well as for those with more experience.

Expat Jobs in Spain: Looking Ahead

According to the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), employment opportunities are anticipated to “grow substantially till 2030” with the following careers seen as drivers:

• Financial services
• Education
• Construction
• Service occupations, including clerks and legal, social, and office associates

According to CEDEFOP, about half of the total job openings from now through 2030 will have high qualification levels. Because of this country’s employment structure, where expats living in Spain can only fill positions when shortages exist, Americans seeking jobs in this country will need to monitor opportunities available to them to see how they evolve.

Here’s an incentive to secure one of these jobs. Legal residents qualify for free public healthcare when working in Spain. As an American, you’ll register at the local Social Security office. Then, you’ll receive your “tarjeta sanitaria individual,” which is the healthcare care you’ll take with you on medical appointments.

International Move to Spain

If you decide that a relocation to Spain from the United States is right, it makes sense to use an experienced international mover who can help you to navigate the challenges of moving overseas. Fortunately, Suddath has more than a century of relocation experience and we’ll leverage our know-how to seamlessly move your belongings to Spain. We have deep insights into issues connected with an overseas move and can help you to save time and money while lowering the stress. In other words, besides reducing the headaches related to packing and shipping, we also manage risks associated with an international move.

Are you ready to move to Spain? Reach out for a free quote from Suddath.

The post Best Jobs in Spain for Americans appeared first on Suddath.

In this blog post, we will explore the essential strategies and tactics that real estate professionals can use to excel in the ever-evolving field of marketing.

Before diving into marketing strategies, it’s crucial to understand your target audience. Are you primarily working with first-time homebuyers, empty nesters, or investors? Each group has distinct needs and preferences. Tailoring your marketing efforts to address these specific demographics will yield better results.

Good marketing means knowing where your consumers are, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that if you’re primarily targeting older consumers, you have nothing to learn from younger agents.

According to the Pew Research Center, the share of those 65 and older who are tech users has grown in the past decade. While those 65 and older also were the least likely of any age group to say they use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, still nearly half (45%) reported using some form of social media.

Presence on social media among Americans 65 and older grew about fourfold since 2010, while use by the youngest adults remained relatively constant in that timeframe. Since 2010, the gap between adults under 30 and adults 65 and older shrank from 71 points to 39 points.

Social media will only become more important each year, even for those selling to seniors. For those focused on other buyers and age groups, it is essentially a prerequisite for those looking to meet their clients where they are engaging.

In the digital age, some online presence has become non-negotiable. Start with a professional website that showcases your services, listings, and testimonials.

Even if your brokerage provides a simple page, having your own website can help you stand out and draw even more clients directly to you. With services like Squarespace and Wix, it’s easier than ever to create a simple, self-made website.

If you’re eager for an extra step that will help draw in even more traffic, optimize your website for search engines (SEO) to ensure potential clients can find you easily. While SEO tactics can be complex in order to have an effective strategy, to do it simply yourself, make sure you are:

Social Media

Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn to connect with potential clients and other professionals in the industry. Share informative content, engaging visuals, and updates about your listings.

If you’re new to social media and unsure where to start, simply follow other real estate professionals to see what they’re doing well and incorporate some of their strategies.

Mainly social media is about connecting and helping people feel comfortable with you – be yourself and share a mix of industry insights as well as “water cooler”-level personal information. Nothing too personal, but about the same level as what you would share with co-workers. Family celebrations, trips and accomplishments all serve to provide others with a sense of who you are as a person.

Content Marketing

Blogging and content creation can establish you as an authority in your field. Write articles on topics like home-buying tips, market trends, and neighborhood spotlights. Once created, share these on your website and social media channels, as well as emailing them out to your list to provide value to your audience.

Email Marketing

Build and maintain an email list to keep clients informed about new listings, market trends, and industry insights. Personalize your emails for a more tailored approach.

This helps you maintain a monthly connection with clients old and new, so hopefully, they will keep you top of mind for any referral opportunities or their next real estate purchase.

For most if not all social media platforms, high-quality photos and videos are an integral component to achieve successful results. Investing in a quality smartphone, and improving your photography skills (again, YouTube tutorials will come in handy for this) will pay off – literally.

Especially for social media updates, you don’t always need professional photography and videography to showcase properties in their best light. While those have their place, when you’re trying to get a property in front of your audience as soon as possible, you’ll want to make sure you can quickly take flattering photos.

Many real estate agents also find success with video marketing. Investing in a tripod and ring light for your smartphone means you can quickly create easy video content which allows you to talk about local trends, interview area real estate experts and even get customer testimonials to share across Instagram, Facebook and even TikTok.

This is content you could then use to write a blog or email to recipients who would find value in the information. One video could reach your audience across several different platforms, all with a minimal amount of work.

Every property has a story to tell. Craft compelling narratives around your listings. No matter what medium you’re using to market your property, use photos, videos and written content to highlight unique features, neighborhood perks, and the lifestyle a buyer could enjoy in that home.

Storytelling helps potential buyers connect emotionally with a property. If you can show them what living in that home or area will look like, they will be more attracted to the possibilities. As psychologists and scientists tout, familiarity breeds liking.

Networking is a cornerstone of the real estate industry. Just like you would at local events, it’s necessary to put yourself out there when using social media.

Social media is a great way to establish relationships with other agents, mortgage brokers, contractors, and home inspectors. These connections can provide referrals and valuable insights.

So how to you go about building social media relationships? The best way is to follow other professionals and engage with their content. This means “liking” and commenting on others’ posts, and maybe even reaching out to do some collaborative content.

If you want your clients to know more about the home inspection process, for example, you could interview a local trustworthy company and post a video of the discussion.

Also, if you’re in local neighborhood groups on Facebook or NextDoor, when someone is asking for real estate referrals, you could volunteer yourself as a resource. You can also encourage current clients to “tag” your social media account when they see these posts from friends and neighbors.

It’s important to track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts so you know where to direct your focus. Use metrics like website traffic, lead conversion rates, and social media engagement, and then adjust your strategies based on what’s working.

For example, if you notice certain social media content or topics are getting more likes than your typical posts, you know it resonates with clients. Then, you can produce more and grow your audience over time.

Real estate is a constantly evolving field, so online marketing techniques are a vital part of having a successful career. To stand out in a competitive market, real estate agents must know their audience, and take some cues from those who are new and hungry in the industry. By mastering the art of marketing, even established real estate agents can further build their brand, attract clients, and thrive in this dynamic industry.

The post Next Gen Marketing: How Young Realtors are Finding New Clients appeared first on Suddath.

If you’re wondering what the new normal for employee relocations looks like, you’re not alone. The past few years have caused a lot of uncertainty and left many with unanswered questions. So, the moving experts at Suddath compiled a list of the most frequently received questions from corporate mobility managers and assignees this year.

With freight costs down, will the costs to move employees return to 2019, or pre pandemic, levels?

Although shipping freight rates have stabilized, the residual effects of inflation continue to affect labor, shipping materials as well as transportation costs to and from the ports. While costs are much closer to 2019 than in the past three years, inflation will continue to impact freight costs.

How long does it take to secure a 20-ft or 40-ft container once you’ve booked a move?

It normally takes a week to two weeks to secure, but one should still book early to get a pack date and allow the household goods provider the best opportunity to procure the steamship container.

Can a corporate mover live load the containers at the assignee’s residence now?

A live load is where household goods are packed, wrapped and inventoried at a residence and loaded directly into a 20-ft or 40-ft steamship container. The truck then picks them up and takes them to the port of departure. Unfortunately, live loads at the employee’s residence are still rare occurrences due to a number of factors.

During the pandemic, it grew increasingly difficult to get equipment for live loads, leading to additional charges for the equipment and for storage in transit. In the current climate, drivers are very hesitant to do these types of loads at residences because time is money, and they don’t want to wait at an assignee’s home for the container to be loaded.

Additionally, drivers don’t want the liability of having to drive a large container through a residential area and risk hitting parked vehicles. In recent times, more live loads occur at the warehouse where the driver can back up to the dock, the shipment can be loaded more quickly and efficiently, and the driver turnaround is quicker.

Have door-to-door transit times improved?

Shipments from the transferee’s home to their new home (door to door) are faster than at the height of the supply chain crisis. While the corporate housing budget should see some relief due to these improved transit times, things are not quite back to normal.

According to Worldwide ERC, the bottlenecks in the shipping industry seem to be gradually opening up with a decrease in consumer demand. The decline in ocean freight shipments will ease stress on the supply chain, freeing up resources for moving household goods internationally.

A recent report from Sea-Intelligence, a supply chain research and analysis firm, asserts approximately half of the congestion that has scourged the shipping industry in the past few years is now resolved—and the pace of recovery is moving in the right direction.

Expecting things to return to pre-pandemic conditions probably isn’t realistic, but the resolutions in container ship congestion means household goods can be shipped at a lower cost with fewer delays.

Have truck driver shortages and elevated trucking rates normalized?

Driver shortages are an ongoing problem both in the U.S. and internationally. Pandemic impacts and economic fluctuations affecting shipping demand coupled with dissatisfaction with working conditions and the impacts of being away from home for extended periods continue to cause high turnover rates within the trucking industry, resulting in a constant need for new drivers. Additionally, higher fuel costs and driver pay continue to be issues.

Key recommendations

In times of uncertainty, having a proactive mindset, clear communication and a willingness to adapt are crucial for effectively managing the challenges in the global supply chain. Timelines for the shipment and delivery of household goods may need to be adjusted, so advanced planning and flexibility is vital.

In summary, the international moving landscape is absolutely on the mend but not quite there yet. There are some areas of the U.S. and other countries that are slower to return to normal because of very localized issues. But overall, the industry is taking very positive steps in the right direction. And as activity levels continue to build, reduced pricing and transit times are welcomed by corporate mobility, employees and the international moving industry.

Stay current with industry guidance

For organizations with a global workforce, keeping track of international trends is essential. A proactive international moving company offers insights into cultural nuances, market dynamics and compliance issues, enabling HR and mobility managers to navigate the changing landscape of global relocations with confidence.

Experienced consultants and account managers at a well-established household goods provider can offer:

The constant changes in corporate moving impact the organization and the employees. A consultative relocation partner understands how current trends may affect employee expectations and preferences, helping corporate mobility managers design relocation experiences that boost satisfaction and retention rates.

Need a consultative expert to help you stay up to date on industry trends? Speak with a specialist at Suddath today.

The post Industry Trends: Five Things Every International Corporate Mobility Manager Wants to Know Right Now appeared first on Suddath.

See how Suddath offers e-waste solutions for businesses.

Top benefits of recycling e-waste include:

Environmental Sustainability

As sustainability becomes increasingly crucial, recycling e-waste emerges as a key practice for businesses committed to minimizing their environmental footprint. Electronics often contain hazardous materials. When disposed of improperly, substances can contaminate soil, waterways, and air, posing significant risks to human health and the ecosystem. By recycling e-waste, companies can ensure these harmful substances are properly handled, minimizing pollution and preserving natural resources.

Regulatory Compliance

With the growing concern over the environmental impact of e-waste, state and local governments are enacting stricter regulations to manage its disposal. By incorporating e-waste recycling practices, businesses can stay ahead of these compliance requirements. Compliance not only helps avoid potential fines and legal repercussions but also enhances a company’s reputation as an environmentally responsible entity, which can pay off in the long run. Demonstrating adherence to regulations can positively influence stakeholders, including customers, investors, and regulators.

Better Data Security and Confidentiality

Discarded electronic devices can contain sensitive and confidential information, making improper disposal a significant risk for businesses. Simply erasing data or physically destroying devices may not be sufficient to safeguard critical information. Effective e-waste recycling processes include data destruction methods that ensure the complete eradication of data stored on these devices. By partnering with certified e-waste recycling providers, businesses can protect sensitive data and maintain the trust of their clients, employees, and partners.

Cost Savings

Recycling e-waste can yield cost savings for businesses. Disposing of electronic devices through traditional waste management methods can be costly, especially when considering potential fines for non-compliance and the expenses associated with secure data destruction. On the other hand, e-waste recycling eliminates these expenses and can even generate revenue through the recovery and sale of valuable materials. By working with a trusted provider for e-waste recycling, businesses can optimize their operational costs while fulfilling their sustainability goals.

Positive Brand Image

In today’s socially conscious marketplace, consumers increasingly seek to support companies that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. By implementing e-waste recycling programs, businesses can showcase their commitment to environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Communicating these initiatives to customers and stakeholders helps enhance brand reputation and differentiate an organization from its competitors. In a recent study by NielsenIQ, 78% of US consumers said that a sustainable lifestyle is important to them. Engaging in e-waste recycling not only makes good business sense but also aligns with the expectations and values of conscious consumers.

Recycling e-waste offers a multitude of benefits for businesses, transcending environmental impact to encompass compliance, data security, cost savings, and CSR. Embracing e-waste recycling programs enables companies to mitigate their environmental footprint, comply with regulations, safeguard sensitive information, recover valuable resources, and enhance their reputation. As the importance of sustainability continues to grow, embracing responsible e-waste management becomes a strategic advantage for businesses. By actively participating in e-waste recycling, companies can contribute to a greener future.

Learn more about Suddath’s e-waste recycling solutions for your business.

The post Top 5 Benefits of Recycling E-Waste appeared first on Suddath.

We reached out to some of our realtor contacts from across the country to gain an understanding of the most frequently asked questions regarding moving services, and how we can be a resource for providing answers.

As you’ll see on moving day, a professional moving crew works incredibly hard both physically and mentally to ensure you have a good move. It requires so much more than just lifting and moving items onto a truck.

It’s good to be prepared to tip your crew in an amount you see fit, however since most people don’t move very often, the appropriate amount is a common question.

A quick Google search comes up with what most people would consider standard when it comes to tipping – 10 to 20% of the overall price. However, if you’re moving long distance or internationally, and depending on the size of your move, this could be far too much.

Larger moves across a great distance can run anywhere from $15-35K and if you add a 20% tip on top of that you would have a happy crew, but a very unhappy pocketbook.

Luckily, Suddath has dedicated, hardworking and professional moving crews who provide a great client experience. This means clients are often inclined to tip them. This is what they say is typical:

Remember: This only includes the number of days spent loading or unloading, not days spent driving for a long-distance move. You can slide up and down that scale depending on these variables:

Aside from a monetary tip, it can also be a nice gesture to offer water or Gatorade to the driver and crew members, especially if you’re moving on a particularly hot day during the summer. While this is not at all required and the crew should come prepared with everything they need, your kindness and forethought will always be appreciated and noted by the crew.

This is a great question – especially as we are currently in peak moving season which is May through September of each year.

While the lead time varies depending on the type of move, a good rule of thumb is at least four weeks before a local move, and at least six weeks before a long-distance move. For an international move, you will benefit by enlisting the help of an experienced international mover earlier – at least eight weeks. They can help advise you on the moving, storage and customs process, saving you a lot of time and issues.

During peak moving season, we advise you reach out even earlier, as capacity fills up quickly, especially if you want to move on a weekend or towards the end of the month.

This is a common question asked of realtors, and of course the answer really has to come from a moving company. When a closing date comes close to being finalized, we advise reaching out to at least three experienced, trustworthy moving companies (personal referrals are best) to gain insight into their availability and request a quote.

A quick and important tip is to look for an established, larger moving company. Many local movers may only have a few crews and trucks available, but more professional companies that have been working in your area for decades will likely have more capacity to accommodate specific dates.

One aspect of the moving industry you should consider is that it is based on supply and demand. Booking dates for your move works a lot like booking a flight – the price goes up when the available capacity goes down. This means that in the same way it might cost you more to fly out to your destination on a Friday during the busy summer months, moving on a Saturday during the summer may also cost you more. Movers like Suddath can council you on what options might work best for you and your budget.

When flexibility is limited, it’s important to choose a moving company that can provide you with the options to best meet your needs.

Whether you’re moving locally or cross-country, moving quotes are typically based on these main factors, to varying degrees:

Because weight and distance are usually the biggest factors when moving across the country, it’s important you take the time to verify any additional costs relating to any special items you’re having moved. Examples can include large or complex furniture, any delicate items that require special wrapping, or any bulky items like pianos or pool tables.

Weight is one item that most people don’t usually consider. Because your moving truck can only legally drive while hauling up to a certain amount of weight, it is an extremely important factor to your moving company. If your moving company isn’t asking about weight, that could be a red flag.

What this means for you is that weight of certain items may be looked at or asked about during your home survey, and you should consider ahead of time if heavy items are worth bringing along to your new home. This is why purging and donating items ahead of time can save you a lot of money in the long run. Many items could cost more to move than to replace.

Because there are so many variables when considering moving quotes, it’s important to conduct a video survey or in-home survey with a move consultant – instead of simply getting a quote over the phone or via email.

A moving survey is incredibly important (and legally required) so if any moving company says they do not need one, take it as a big red flag. This can be a clear sign of a rogue mover. A thorough moving survey is the only legitimate way a mover can give you a binding or guaranteed quote.

During a moving survey, your experienced moving representative will go through your home, ask questions, take measurements, learn more about your needs and identify services you may want to consider.

A professional moving survey that’s scheduled far prior to your move will give your moving company the opportunity to be as thorough as possible and prevent last-minute surprises. For example, the basement and garage are common areas that people tend to forget to mention to movers over the phone when they are getting initial quotes. A qualified moving professional will spot any inaccuracies or overlooked items before they become a stressful issue or cause a delay.

You do not have to have everything decided when you do the moving survey, but ensure you communicate which items you’re unsure about moving. Your move consultant will provide you with an estimate that would include all of those items, and then update it if removing them affects price.

During a moving survey, you should:

After the survey, review the estimate in detail with the consultant:

Learn more about a virtual survey, or through this video.

The #1 question that should have been asked by realtors (but wasn’t) is… [drumroll please]

Absolutely. Since home staging has become more common to help homes show well online as well as in person, Suddath has developed our Declutter and Store program to assist.

This offering is an easy, cost-effective temporary storage option for home projects like staging or remodeling. With this easy, safe and secure option for home goods, our professional crew will arrive to pack and load excess furniture and personalize items, and we will then store them in our local warehouse until it’s time to return post-sale and complete the move.

This is a flexible and affordable service for people who are unable to fully move out and professionally stage their home. Our team will essentially perform the move in two pieces in order to help easily stage the home with items already in the space, with the end result of hopefully selling the home quickly and for the best possible price.

The post 5 Top Questions Realtors Are Asking About Moving (and One They Should Be) appeared first on Suddath.

CHALLENGE

For a national health insurance provider, integrating into a post-pandemic environment involved consolidating locations to better service customers and improve operations.

The health insurance provider needed a partner to facilitate decommissioning 70 locations nationwide, moving over 1,000 employees and more than two million square feet of furniture and equipment, including e-waste disposal of sensitive electronics and technology, all in a six-month timeframe. The complete decommissioning would require expansive resources to successfully package employee belongings, dismantle equipment, and facilitate an environmentally friendly and economical solution for surplus assets.

Due to the tight timeframe, a partner only had 30 days to acquire the necessary resources to effectively vacate and convert the commercial spaces back to their original condition. Each location needed appropriate leadership, labor, transportation, and coordination to handle the complexities of the health insurance provider’s business needs.

Learn more about our e-waste recycling solutions.

SOLUTION

As America’s largest office mover with a national footprint and locations in more than 20 markets, this health insurance provider chose Suddath for its complex project. In early project planning, Suddath established a proficient service team consisting of multi-market project managers, local move specialists, and vendors equipped to provide dedicated move support and onsite employee care at every location.

Through Suddath’s complete menu of office moving services, the company bundled services for a more cost-effective solution, including office furniture liquidation, electronic waste disposal, employee relocation, office cleaning, and warehouse support relocating furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) to upgrade its existing clinics.

Suddath implemented its proprietary Tracker Moves technology, which gave the company complete control over the office move with visibility to monitor progress, inventory flow and compliance, all from a smart phone, tablet or computer.

Starting with a complete review of FF&E inventory and their commercial lease agreement, Suddath coordinated a white-glove experience removing medical equipment, IT, kiosks, supplies, and other sensitive items, all packaged and digitally labeled to ensure visible tracking throughout the project timeline. For items awaiting assignment, Suddath provided short-term warehousing until all locations were decommissioned. Sensitive records and employee items were validated and removed following appropriate compliance guidelines, all of which could be easily verified through Tracker.

Paired with the health insurance provider’s onsite recycling system, Suddath safely transported data-sensitive electronics via secure, GPS-tracked trailers to a local e-waste removal vendor for destruction and recycling. Materials processed were itemized by serial number into a compiled list and tagged with a certificate of destruction. For additional savings, the organization was given the option to sell unwanted items for a rebate.

As an additional convenience, employees claimed their belongings via curbside pickup, were gifted desk chairs for their home office, and remaining surplus was donated to local charitable organizations.

RESULTS

The post Decommissioning and E-Waste Removal for Health Insurance Provider appeared first on Suddath.

Additionally, there has been good news for your relocation budget: most of the elevated freight rates have somewhat stabilized in 2023. Access to 20-foot and 40-foot containers has become easier, minimizing additional and unnecessary costs. Finally, door to door transit times appear to be returning to pre pandemic levels to ease the burden on length of time temporary living is required at destination.

You’ll need a relocation partner to help with logistics and other considerations for your move. People come to Suddath for exactly that reason, allowing us to handle some of the trickier aspects to focus on building their new life in a new country.

Internationally Moving in a Post-Vaccine World

There are still a few policies in existence to consider, depending on your destination. As of Spring 2023, Brazil still requires all passengers arriving by air to either present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test. As another example, in Nicaragua, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated travelers entering the country—regardless of age—must show a negative RT-PCR COVID test within seventy-two hours before the entry.

Conversely, on April 29, 2023, Japan lifted border measures, no longer requiring a valid COVID vaccine certification or negative test, as did the United States mid-month in May 2023

Overall, COVID restrictions are much less of a factor than at the peak of the pandemic. That said, it’s important to research what they are in your destination and plan for that.

Documentations and Visas

Make sure you have the required documentation to enter. Research what’s needed for your destination; locate the documents; and have them in a secure central place, ready for moving day, to save yourself valuable time. This includes your family’s birth certificates (or adoption papers), Social Security cards, and passports along with these documents:

• Marriage licenses, divorce papers, and child custody papers if relevant.
• Driver’s licenses: you may need an international license to buy or rent a car in your new country.
• Insurance paperwork: if you don’t have any car insurance claims, get a document that states that to give to your overseas car insurance company to get appropriate discounts.
• Medical and dental records, including insurance cards and prescriptions: this will include your medical histories, immunization records, and any disability records.
• School records: this is important if anyone will attend school in the new country.
• Financial records: pack bank statement copies, especially if you don’t have online access. Some countries may require you to prove a certain amount of savings before being allowed to move there. Also have copies of your income tax filings and any business documentation for a company you own.
• Legal documents such as wills, trusts, health and medical power of attorney, living wills, and other important notarized documents.
• Work permits, custom forms, and other relevant documents.

Make copies of all necessary documents for each family member who will be relocating internationally. Then, store them in easy to access yet secure locations. Once you have everything together, apply for a visa or residence permit.

Visas and Residence Permits

A country must grant people permission to live in their jurisdiction, and specifics can vary by locale. So, just like with any other aspect of moving internationally, you’ll want to gain clarity on this country’s requirements.

In general, people are required to obtain a visa in advance (and, even if a country doesn’t, this is highly recommended). Some countries may grant someone entry with a passport while others may allow visas to be issued at their airport but, again, this is not recommended.

A visa will be valid for a predetermined amount of time—perhaps for only weeks or months before the person would need to apply for an extension. A visa could come with restrictions.

To actually set up residence in another country, you will likely want more significant documentation such as a residence permit. This document would typically allow you to live in the country of choice for a predetermined number of years before being renewed.

Residence permits allow you to enter and remain in the country without the need for a visa. You can typically live in that country year-round and do things like, opening bank accounts there, buying real estate, attending universities, and obtaining medical care.

Often, when someone in a family applies for resident status, and it’s approved, the permit can also be obtained by the spouse and perhaps civil partner, minor children, and financially dependent parents. Again, rules can vary by country, so investigate.

People with resident permits who decide to live in the country, long-term, can apply for permanent residence status. Typically, to gain this status, someone would need to live in the country for a certain number of years. Permanent residents usually have most but not all of the rights of citizens.

Housing Options

The international housing market was upended by the pandemic just like it was in the United States. So, if you’d investigated housing options before the pandemic and are just returning to the quest, what you find may not be the same as when you initially considered moving abroad.

For a while, at least in the United States, real estate prices trended downwards in cities—which may have also applied in your country of interest. In many advanced economies, though, housing prices rebounded when “expansionary fiscal and monetary policies [were] introduced to revive economic activity.” More recently, in 2023, housing markets are once again retreating, globally. In countries tracked by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two-thirds of countries showed pricing declines even when accounting for inflation. This trend, the IMF notes, just underscores “how housing markets are adjusting to rising interest rates as central banks try to contain inflation.”

If there’s a theme in this guide, however, it’s to do your own research to avoid surprises and to glean information that’s specific to your destination country. Start as early as is reasonable so you can have a clear understanding of your housing budget and what accommodations would be within this budget.

Moving With Pets

Just like your family will need documentation, so will pets that you’re going to move overseas. You’ll need to discover what the restrictions and requirements are for the destination country.

Australia and New Zealand, for example, restrict birds, ferrets, and the American pit bull terrier. Others have strict requirements about pet immunizations, provided within a certain timeframe, and your pet may undergo quarantine when you arrive. You’ll likely need your pet to be cleared from your veterinarian in your origin country and get an international health certificate to present in your destination country. Also discuss what kind of pet carrier will be needed during transportation time for your pet on the airline or ship.

A Note About International Moves

Workforces around the globe were already evolving towards more remote and hybrid structures, a trend that the pandemic reinforced. It’s unlikely that “going back to normal,” post-pandemic, will ever involve returning to the traditional in-office setting to the degree that it once was.

Because of this, increasing numbers of people who have long imagined moving to another country may decide that now is the time. Said another way, remote work opens up the concept of location independence, a trend that has already spurred plenty of moving across the United States—one that has applications to international moving as well.

If your destination country of choice is seeing more influx because of remote work—or for any other reason—it may take more time for paperwork to be processed. So, start early!

Timeless International Moving Advice

Although making an international move in 2023 will have unique characteristics, many elements of overseas relocations today will be similar to ones over the years. Here are just a few of them.

Tax Laws

When moving to another country, you may well need to pay taxes in that location as well as your country of origin. You’ll want to discuss your specific situation with an accountant, discovering more about your destination country’s tax laws and how to navigate filing taxes in two different countries if applicable.

Healthcare System

Your health insurance plan may not be accepted in your new country with that country’s health insurance system possibly operating quite differently. So, you’ll need to investigate the local system in your new home and whether you qualify for any of the coverage. You may decide to purchase international health insurance and, if moving because of a job, your employer may help to cover the costs.

Also find out if your prescription medications will be available in the new location; sometimes, they may not even be permitted. If they won’t be available to you, create an alternate plan to address your health condition.

Banking

Talk to your current financial institution to see if they have affiliates in your destination country. If not, find out how to efficiently open a bank account in your new home; the advent of online banking has made this much easier. Also consider getting an international credit card to avoid paying any foreign transaction fees.

Cell Phones

Ask your current provider if they offer services in other countries. If this isn’t a good option, get your cell phone unlocked and, when arriving in your new home, buy a local SIM card and replace your current one.

Language and Culture

To more smoothly fit into your new home, learn the language as best you can if you don’t already speak it. Take classes or use a language learning app. You’ll also want to learn about the country’s history and culture; etiquette rules; culinary traditions; and so forth. This will help to reduce culture shock.

Declutter

Shred documents with personal information that you won’t need anymore and discard old items. Sell or donate household belongings that still have value but aren’t ones you want to take with you, dropping off hazardous items at appropriate locations.

Furniture Fit

Once you’ve gotten a home in your destination country, consider its dimensions and whether your belongings will fit, space wise. Consider door widths and issues with stairs as you make decisions. There’s no point in transporting furniture that you can’t use overseas.

Choose an Experienced International Moving Company

International relocations, no pun intended, come with plenty of moving parts that will need to be seamlessly navigated. Having experienced international movers, fortunately, will help to significantly streamline the process so you can focus on building a new life in your new country.

You’ll want to plan early and book early, working with a well-established, financially sound FIDI Plus mover. When deciding between international moving companies, ask friends and family members who have moved out of the United States for recommendations. Or, if moving because of a job, ask your employer.

Support Documentation

Your Suddath salesperson will supply all the information you need to understand what is required and what is allowable for moving to your new home. Not just moving your household goods but pets and autos as well.

Available Fact Sheets:

International moving guide: everything you need to know and how to plan.

Prohibited items list: what cannot be shipped either in a container or allowed at destination.

Container fact sheet: dimensions and types of containers available.

Shipping your car overseas: can I take it? What shipping options are available?

Moving your pet overseas: all you need to know about moving the furry members of the family.

Country specific customs regulations: important to know to avoid substantial delays and costs.

Simply inquire with your international move coordinator or salesperson, and they can provide you with the most up-to-date information available.

Suddath as Your International Movers

Choosing the right overseas moving company can save time, money, and stress as they manage intricate logistics throughout the relocation—something that newer international moving companies may not navigate as well.

Our company has more than a century of experience in moving families like yours, an FIDI Plus mover of choice. To streamline your move, our international movers will do the following:

• Verify your move size and packing dates, and the access conditions in your home.
• Create a moving plan based on your specific requirements that includes optimal door and floor protection.
• Determine what belongings will need custom crating.
• Provide you with a personalized, free quote for your international relocation that includes coordinating custom requirements and working with your destination partner agent.
• Answer all your questions.

Next up: you’ll approve the estimate. Then, we’ll assign you an experienced, dedicated, and professional single point of contact to serve as your move counselor throughout the entire process. You can review our international packing services to determine exactly what you need, and your move counselor will coordinate the relocation day for you.

Our overseas moving company will ship your belongings to your destinate country and handle customs clearances for you. By now, the Suddath partner agent will be managing the process as your household goods are delivered and unpacked with care and documentation handled. All of our services are managed with a compliant, verified supply chain.

Our international moving company will be in touch with you afterwards to make sure that everything has been satisfactorily handled. Get started on your international move with an easy, free quote!

The post How to Move Internationally in 2023 appeared first on Suddath.

With the focus on sustainability, many question if eliminating household goods shipping makes a relocation program more sustainable.

Pressure to be more sustainable

As investors pressure organizations to report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics, mobility leaders have an increased focus on sustainability. The axiom that global mobility only touches 1-2% of the total workforce might suggest a greater imperative for companies to focus on more carbon intensive areas of its activities such as business travel. Nevertheless, teams supporting employee relocations are seeking to make a positive contribution to sustainability efforts in great numbers.

Household goods shipping, a staple policy provision for decades, came sharply into focus during the pandemic years as a result of steep escalations in international shipping costs compounded with delays in transit times. Corporate relocation specialists responded with agility, flexing policies to provide alternatives to household goods shipments.

Thriving in the live test environment, global mobility professionals have a strong case to make that alternative options to household goods shipping should remain part of the policy suite. Among these arguments is the hypothesis that the alternatives to household goods shipping have a less detrimental impact on the environment.

The imagery of 400 meter long, diesel-guzzling cargo ships reinforces the perception that a shipping provision damages the green credentials of any forward-thinking approach, setting it squarely in the crosshairs of policy re-writers and a phalanx of thought leaders.

However, in the race to go green, the demonization of household goods shipping as an enemy of budgets and sustainability has met with little challenge and even less scrutiny. Rather than making policy changes in the name of sustainability based purely on supposition, here we discuss the specific carbon contribution of household goods shipping and some solutions that can soften the environmental impact. Hopefully, it facilitates a more nuanced discussion that results in better informed policy formulation.

The global impact of shipping

At surface level, household goods shipments seem to be a good place to start in reducing the carbon intensity of any employee relocation policy. In the wider global economy, the shipping industry is responsible for around 940 million tons of CO2 annually. Greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping activities currently account for 3% of global emissions. Currently, 80% of global trade by volume is transported by ship. However, it is important to bear in mind that shipment of personal effects makes up a very small percentage of the total volume.

Furthermore, few corporate moving professionals are aware of the positive changes already implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the scale of their publicly stated future ambition. On January 1, 2020, a new limit on the sulfur content in the fuel oil used on board ships came into force.

Known as “IMO 2020”, the rule limits the sulfur in the fuel oil used by ships operating outside designated emission control areas to 0.50% m/m (mass by mass) –a significant reduction from the previous limit of 3.5%. The IMO’s goal is to reduce CO2 emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008.

Do furniture allowances make a program more sustainable?

A swathe of companies are choosing to pivot away from providing a shipment at all in favor of offering a furniture allowance in its place. This brings some positive policy benefits from the perspective of employee choice and to a lesser extent cost (freight prices are falling from their pandemic-induced peak).

However, the environmental impact of acquiring new furniture shouldn’t be underestimated. A report conducted by My Tool Shed, suggests the average piece of furniture generates around approximately 47 kilograms of CO2 equivalents.

Some organizations are seeking to mitigate this by providing rental furniture where products are rented anywhere from two to six times, for a total of three to four years on average. This is potentially a shorter lifecycle than many consumers would expect from their own furniture.

And it’s worth noting that these options don’t always provide the best employee experience as many household items provide a sense of comfort and familiarity when employees are moving their families to foreign lands.

If a company is serious about decarbonizing its policies, it needs specific solutions that can be easily incorporated into any global mobility program.

Discard and donate programs

Many corporate relocation providers have recently been drawn to discard and donate services as a way to lessen the environmental impact of shipping. This involves hiring professionals to help sort, organize and remove household items prior to an employee relocation. Not only does it reduce the overall cost of a move, but it also lessens the overall carbon footprint of shipping by eliminating cardboard and packing material and saving fuel with reduced loads.

An initial consultation can be done virtually, which is often the preference for international household goods shipment surveys these days. When it’s time for the move, the discard and donate professionals arrange for unwanted items to be picked up and donated to charity. Any goods that can’t be donated will be disposed of appropriately.

The pre-assignment visit and temporary accommodation

The pre-assignment visit is one area where the carbon footprint can be significantly reduced simply because it eliminates the most carbon intensive activity of travel. This is certainly one area where a number of firms have already eliminated both carbon and cost from their program. That said, there is a counter argument to suggest that any attempt to reduce the amount of time an assignee spends in temporary accommodation will have some impact.

Berners-Lee indicates that a night in a hotel with average eco credentials has an impact of 30 kg CO2e. Multiply that by a typical policy provision of 30 nights and you’re almost within 100 kg of a shipment from London to New York and back. If an assignee can identify rental accommodation early in the process and move into it more or less on arrival, there is an opportunity to limit the overall carbon impact.

What is your relocation company doing to help?

Over time, procuring relocation services has become a more complex process due in part to the greater demands organizations place on their suppliers to support them in meeting sustainability targets. Suddath forms part of the vanguard of corporate moving companies looking to make a positive change within our industry.

EcoVadis provides accreditation to organizations, like Suddath, who are taking proactive steps towards engaging in sustainable practices. We are leading discussions on industry-wide schemes to re-use packing cartons, measure the impact and certify this to our customers and clients. We estimate that the average shipment uses around 100 cardboard cartons with a carbon footprint of around 50 kg.

As of 2021, we have reduced waste by 18 tons and recycled another 130 tons of other materials. We also saved 335,451 pounds of carbon emissions by conducting more than 18,871 video surveys, and our commitment to lessen our environmental impact even more continues.

Making Informed Decisions

Global mobility has proven that it can be agile and flexible over the past few years, but the climate crisis presents an opportunity for it to be both daring and visionary. Partnering with a household goods mover with well-documented sustainability initiatives is a great first step in making your employee relocations more sustainable. Suddath’s relocation experts are here to educate and guide you on best practices.

To learn more about our sustainability initiatives, read the Suddath CSR Brochure.

The post Shipping Household Goods and Sustainability Can Coexist with the Right Relocation Partner appeared first on Suddath.

To ensure your building systems are running at optimal performance and fine-tuned to responsibly use resources, begin your quality assessment with a process that identifies hidden deficiencies, problematic equipment, and misuse of energy.

Whether purchasing an existing building, planning a workspace redesign, or simply looking for energy-saving opportunities, consider the following to determine if a retro-commissioning or an energy audit is the right solution for you.

Reduce Operation Expenses

Operational costs soaking up most of the budget? Energy overuse is a costly circumstance and a sign your building system is running improperly. In this case, an energy audit can help you assess what areas are contributing the most energy usage. During this process, an energy auditor connects with your facility manager to review the building’s existing energy consumption equipment, such as lighting, heating and air conditioning, controls, refrigeration, air compressors, and water systems. The result? The audit lists existing conditions, energy conservation measures to follow, and associated cost savings to help you make the best energy efficiency decisions.

A step further, building retro-commissioning (RC) encompasses the same energy equipment but optimizes controls through repair, replacement, or automation. For example, your HVAC system set to automate based on desired temperature settings or occupancy can save your business immensely.

Increase Property Value

Green buildings are standout commercial real estate. Compared to conventional facilities, green buildings offer a competitive advantage, are better recognized by market buyers, and are known to present lower utility costs.

While an energy audit can help you uncover new cost-efficient measures to conserve energy, retro-commissioning is an ideal method that can restore a facility to its original structure by optimizing existing building systems and focusing on facility equipment and technology. Replacing temperature sensors, installing economizers, or improving indoor air quality through air purification and humidity control are a few ways retro-commissioning can add value to your facility.

Frequent Hardware Issues

If you’re experiencing unexplained hardware issues regularly, it’s a sign your facility’s system needs evaluation. Energy audits and retro-commissioning can provide insight, disclosing connections between specific equipment causing malfunction and excessive energy use. For an extended equipment life cycle and less need for repairs, retro-commissioning can help facility managers proactively manage heavily used energy equipment by improving efficiency. If your building system is structured and optimized to perform based on capacity, then unexpected downtime, disruption, and cost fluctuations are less likely to occur.

Managing day-to-day operations is a hefty task for facility managers, and involving a retro-commissioning or energy audit project makes things more complex. Designing a new workplace environment with greater sustainability requires reliable support and resources to handle your facility’s unique needs.

At Suddath, our commercial moving experts, paired with proprietary office move technology, can provide eco-friendly decommissioning and liquidation support, office moving preparation, installation, and accessible commercial storage options to help you manage an energy conservation project. For your building optimization needs, our workplace technology partner, Phase Integration, is skilled to reconfigure your space through acoustic and sound masking, lighting design, and space utilization solutions to improve your environment.

Learn more about our services and speak with an expert today!

The post Retro-commissioning vs. Energy Audit appeared first on Suddath.

If you’re scheduling employee relocations during peak season, here are four keys to ensure a positive move experience for your transferees without creating unnecessary stress.

Consider Moving Staff During the Off-Season

More agreeable weather also makes Spring and Summer the top choices for scheduling corporate moves. Knowing household goods movers will be in high demand during this time, it is important to proactively look at ways to avoid delays.

One way to reduce moving related stress it to hire relocation services during non-peak months instead. Scheduling moves from October through March may also lead to cost savings as there is less demand for movers.

Be Aware of High-Demand Dates and Times

If the needs of your business dictate a corporate move during peak season, here are some tips to keep things running smoothly.

Flexibility is important when navigating relocations at this time of year, so scheduling afternoon time slots instead of coveted morning slots may be another way to find more availability.

Think Outside the Box

Traditional van lines aren’t always able to be flexible or adaptable enough to meet demand during the busiest times of the year. Fortunately, there are international and domestic relocation companies that provide alternative solutions, such as containerized shipping.

Containerized shipments save an average of 36% in transit time. Typically used for smaller shipments below 5,000 pounds, this option is growing in popularity for a number of reasons. Faster transit times mitigate per-diem expenses and help employees transition faster, so they can get up and running in their new roles as quickly as possible.

Get Advice from a Corporate Relocation Specialist

Trying to navigate employee relocations on your own during the busiest time of year can be stressful, but you can easily tap into the expertise of a well-established supply chain expert. The highly skilled consultants at Suddath use their expertise, paired with real-time data and insights to carefully design a personalized move for each employee.

Need help optimizing costs and transit times? With an average of over 10 years of industry experience, our consultants can help you proactively find alternative solutions to reduce employee downtime and maximize your relocation budget. Ask us how.

The post 4 Keys for Successful Employee Relocations During Peak Season appeared first on Suddath.

Besides the logistics of a move, adding stressors such as buying or selling a home, beginning a new job or learning a new location can take an emotional toll on a relocating employee. If the transferee has a family, they can also be emotionally impacted by the stress.

Most relocations are mutually beneficial, frequently offering employees career growth, new skill- building opportunities or a path to a leadership role, while helping employers strategically place talent where and when they need it most. But they also involve a level of trust, particularly for those employees moving with families, that employers will help ensure moves will be as seamless and stress-free as possible. Here are some ways you can make your employee feel like your most valuable asset during a move.

Make Transferees Feel Supported During a Move

As the war for talent continues, it’s important to consider more than the costs and logistics of an employee relocation. Employers focusing on the bottom line and coordination alone can cause unnecessary stress for transferees and their families.

These are humans juggling competing priorities, such as enrolling their children in new schools, finding a new home in their budget, getting new driver’s licenses, transferring insurance and more. There is also the possibility of family members struggling to adjust to the transition while the employee tries to assimilate into their new role.

International relocations raise the stakes even higher and can add more layers of complexity to the situation. Supporting staff’s emotional well-being during a transfer is critical to the success of an assignment.

Here are some areas in which you can offer support to make a move more seamless:

Minimize the Stress of a Corporate Move with a Project Manager

When relocating an employee to fill a critical role in your organization, you want them to be able to focus on their job—not their move. Some relocation companies offer on-site project managers to relocate vital employees with minimal disruption.

These dedicated project managers act as an extension of HR to deliver a superior experience while handling the complicated details of a corporate move. They manage movers and vendors, answer questions for transferees, keep moves on schedule and on budget, and consolidate costs by using the volume of moves they manage through strategic partnerships to secure competitive rates with highly vetted suppliers. This enables HR leaders to focus on their role of supporting people instead of getting bogged down with the logistics and tactical details of every move.

The advantages of choosing a mover with a dedicated project manager to support staff far outweighs the cost. Some examples of the kinds of benefits you can realize include:

For more than a century, Suddath has supported companies with domestic and international employee relocations. Our team of highly-skilled and trained professionals expertly manage your moves by understanding your culture and goals. To learn more about how our project managers can make moving less stressful for you and your employees, contact us today.

The post Reduce the Stress of Corporate Relocations with a Project Manager appeared first on Suddath.

Layoffs in the tech sector paired with inflation and fears of recession, among other factors, have given employers and employees alike motivation to pull their purse strings a little tighter. In addition, many are still recovering from the Great Resignation and have an increased emphasis on employee retention. Balancing economic uncertainty with strong benefits packages will be vitally important to shore up their workforce.

One way to keep a workforce engaged is to offer relocation benefits that show employees how much the company values them. Here are some ways employers can partner with their international relocation company to take care of workers while navigating current conditions.

Controlling Relocation Costs is a Top Priority

Keeping a lid on rising employee relocation costs will likely remain at the forefront for organizations this year. To remain appealing to current and potential employees, employers still want to ensure moving is a stress-free experience for staff. However, many household goods movers have rigid programs that don’t account for varying company needs.

That’s why finding a corporate relocation company that can develop highly personalized programs that fit your relocation needs and budget is key. Does your current mover have a flexible enough scope of services to accommodate a variety of options, from DIY-type support to full-service packing, moving and concierge amenities? If not, it may be time to shop for a new relocation expert.

Consultative Expertise to Help You Navigate

Other strategies employers are implementing to continue providing positive relocation experiences for their transferees include policy design changes. A corporate relocation specialist can educate you and proactively communicate industry changes, challenges and trends that will affect your policy.

Finding a provider with Worldwide ERC^®-accredited designations such as Certified Relocation Professionals (CRP) or Global Mobility Specialists (GMS) can give you the confidence that their expertise and strategic insights will guide you and your employees and help you make smart and competitive policy decisions.

Use a Corporate Mover with a Vetted Partner Network

With so much economic uncertainty, the last thing you want to worry about is your relocation company going out of business or some disreputable provider holding your employees’ belongings hostage for more money.

Finding a well-established company with a global footprint and a network of vetted suppliers has never been more important. Suddath has been a trusted household goods mover for over 100 years, and they ensure their more than 1,000 high-quality partners are fully vetted to give you peace of mind. Additionally, their transportation partners are required to follow the same rigorous quality standards as part of the FIDI and OMNI networks.

To learn how Suddath can help you balance cost control with an excellent employee experience to provide quick, easy and stress-free moves for your workforce, contact us today.

The post Balancing Economic Uncertainty with Strong Relocation Benefits for Employee Retention appeared first on Suddath.

Moving into a new home can be an overwhelming undertaking, no matter how excited you are.

Once you’re in your new place it might not feel like home right away. You might find yourself feeling exhausted by the upheaval, or frustrated that you can’t find anything, and it’s taking the shine out of your new home.

There are several tips and tricks you can use to fall in love with your new home:

Like with baby and wedding announcements, moving to a new home is a big life event that deserves to be celebrated. There is also a practical element – making sure everyone is aware of your new address.

Hopefully, the calls and congratulations will help to instill a sense of pride and love for your new home. Many people have custom paintings commissioned of their homes which could be used for a card, or simply have a photographer take a family picture. No matter what you choose, moving to a new home is an important life milestone that deserves to be documented and celebrated.

Of course, when you move into a new home the first thing you hear from friends, family and new neighbors is, “Let us know when you have a housewarming party!”

A housewarming party is a great way to show off your new home, to feel a sense of pride and christen the house as your own. It signifies the first of many new memories that will be made in the home, and can help you feel at ease in the space.

However, throwing a big party right after moving isn’t always someone’s ideal way of putting their stamp on the home, or it might be many months out due to unpacking or home projects. If you’re looking for a more introverted housewarming celebration, the answer is simple: treat yourself to a housewarming gift.

When you notice something – a chair, candle, piece of art, anything really – that you think would look good in your new space, go for it. Realistically, moving is expensive, and between buying a new home and paying for professional movers, you may not be feeling like spending more money – but a modest addition may be just what you need.

Feeling excited and happy about your first purchase for your new home can make a big difference in how you feel in your space. The right piece of art or furniture can really make you fall in love with your home, and feel excited about your future plans there.

Here are some of our best suggestions for unique housewarming gifts to help get you settled. You may want to share that article with your friends or in-laws – and maybe even casually highlight the section about volunteering for baby or pet sitting, or gifting a cleaning service for the new home.

When you move into a new home, there tends to be a little bit of an emotional downswing once the movers wave goodbye and you start settling in.

In those first few weeks while you’re unpacking, pick a project around your new home that you can get excited about.

A great way to turn a house into a home is to give it your own personal touch. This could mean painting a room, fixing a minor imperfection you notice once you move in or hang artwork on the wall.

All of those projects and tasks that put your own personal stamp on the home will help you feel the love for your new space!

If you’re able to fit it into your budget, one of the best things you can do for your mental health when moving is to get professional packing services. Suddath even offers partial packing options, which allows you to get our help for only certain areas, while you DIY pack the rest.

Relieving yourself of the stress of packing means you have more time to focus on your family, friends and job without trying to squeeze in the burden of organizing an entire home move. Plus, with professional unpacking, it gives you a huge jumpstart on being fully settled into your home and ready for having friends, family and new neighbors over to your home.

The mental and physical load of packing and unpacking your home solo is a big one – so make sure you’re ready to take it on if you opt to DIY! When you factor in the time away from work and your mental health, many find the value of packing services completely worthwhile. Whether you’re looking for movers in Fort Lauderdale or a full-service moving company, having experts assist with packing can make the entire experience smoother and less stressful.

For many, this is the scariest one of all – which is why we saved for last. Getting to know your neighbors will help you feel safe and like you’re part of a neighborhood and community.

The odds are that there are plenty of kind neighbors on your street who will welcome you in, and better yet, catch you up on all of the gossip. It is the fastest way to know what is going on in your area and have a group of people who are looking out for you from Day 1. Trade numbers for emergencies, and maybe one day you’ll be inviting them to join you on the front porch for tea.

One of the best ways you can fall in love with your new home is to make sure your move into it is as easy as possible! Suddath provides a high-quality move, with trained and background checked professionals who will protect your belongings and your property (so your new home to-do list isn’t any larger after move-in day) – giving you the peace of mind you deserve. 

Get a free, no obligation moving quote today.

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Know Exactly What Is Available

Get more visibility and control over your stored items with advanced technology that enables you to follow the progress of your work orders through completion. Whether you’re opening a new location or renovating an office space, quality warehousing for asset tracking is critical as your commercial project moves through different stages.

On arrival, your assets immediately enter the receiving and inspection stage. Here, incoming office furniture, equipment, and sensitive records are carefully inspected and segmented based on asset type, time sensitivity, and scheduled deployment. Paired with the latest technology, asset management is simplified with access to digital photos and tracking innovation giving you real-time, visible confirmation of stored assets.

Throughout the inventory cycle, detailed inventory reporting, customizable product catalogs, and automatic restocking alerts are a few benefits you can appreciate for better asset tracking.

More Space in A Central Location

Free up space and utilize warehouse storage for assets that are not in use, such as idle machinery, office furniture, medical equipment, employee and student workstations, or seasonal FF&E. For products that require special care, look for a warehouse partner that can store inventory in a climate-controlled setting to avoid quality reduction or damage due to temperature sensitivity.

Are you planning a renovation project or relocating headquarters? Commercial warehousing is a great resource to safely store your valued assets in a secure environment while finalizing a commercial move. Also, additional storage enables you to replenish and expand inventory, creating more workspace options for your business. As your company evolves, the extra space increases flexibility to handle business needs and future endeavors.

Enhanced Supply Chain Solutions

Outsourcing your warehouse needs to a third-party logistics partner is ideal for optimized supply chain management. Through a flexible, comprehensive facility framework, you’ll have the resources to manage high-demand environments, seasonal fluctuations, and new trends. Stock up months in advance to avoid shipment delays and maintain dependable operational flow. From bulk receiving, kitting, and repackaging, to global transportation and e-commerce solutions, partnering with a 3PL provider with premium commercial furniture warehouse services guarantees next-level support for your business.

Suddath’s commercial storage solutions help businesses complete a variety of office moves and renovation projects. Through innovative technology and diverse commercial storage services, Suddath can design a complementing solution featuring real-time visibility over stored assets, fast and flexible project management, and access to a nationwide warehouse network.

Learn more about our commercial storage and asset management solutions.

The post 3 Ways Modern Commercial Storage Can Benefit Your Business appeared first on Suddath.

Having said that, when is the best time to move to Jacksonville? Luckily, there really isn’t a bad time – it’s more about figuring out the best time for you and your family.

#1 Weather

As already noted, Jacksonville residents enjoy plenty of sunshine. July tends to be the hottest month with average highs and lows of 92° / 75°. January is typically the coolest with averages of 66° / 46°. (As you can see, those temps make snow unlikely, so you don’t have to factor that into your relocation timetable.)

If you want to avoid the warmest of weather while also staying away from rain, move sometime between March and June. Pick what’s ideal for you and contact the movers at least four to six weeks ahead of time if you have a very specific date that’s best.

If you love summer weather, that will get you settled into the city in time to benefit from the sunshine and climate. Plenty of concerts and other special events are already planned for the upcoming summer.

This includes the 4th of July celebration, one that Jacksonville residents embrace with style. Bars and pubs often open their rooftop seating so you can enjoy breathtaking views while keeping cool with the beverage of your choice. Plenty of restaurants will have mouthwatering items on their menus—and there are multiple locations for the fireworks shows themselves, which typically take place in Downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beaches and St. Augustine.

Hurricane season is a factor in Jacksonville, which begins in June and runs until December 1, with the most active months typically being October and November. If you’re moving during these months, just make sure to keep an eye on the weather, in case that becomes a factor.

#2 When School is Out

If part of your reason for moving to Jacksonville is the quality of the schools, you may decide not to disrupt the bulk of the academic year. In that case, you may decide to move during your  breaks from schools and get children settled into their new home before the next academic year starts. This can include spring break if you don’t mind their finishing up the year in a new school (with a tight timeline, book as early as you can) or summer break.

Jacksonville is also home to numerous institutions of higher learning, including Jacksonville University. If someone in your household will be studying there, you’ll probably take their scheduling into account, and your entire family can enjoy many of the university events: sports, theater, and more.

With just a bit of planning, you can take advantage of the time period when the current school year wraps up, a time that works with weather considerations.

#3 In Non-Peak Moving Season

You may want to take advantage of non-peak moving times to give you more flexibility in your move date. Most moves in the United States happen between April and September with June, July, and August serving as the busiest. This means that October through March can be called the “off-season” for relocating although people definitely move during that time frame –  just not as often.

Overall, weekends tend to get filled up more quickly on a moving company’s calendar than weekdays; mornings often fill up more quickly than afternoons. Plus, it’s human nature to want to wrap up initiatives at the end of a month and start new ones at the beginning of a month. That probably explains why the very end of a month and the very beginning of one often fill up faster with moving companies.

Keeping these factors in mind, you can pick the best intersection of them to decide the best time to relocate.

#4 Dream House is on the Market

If you’ve found your ideal home—whether because it’s uniquely beautiful with special, hard to find features; or because it’s ideally located near where you can work; or because it’s especially affordable—you need to act quickly. You don’t want to be disappointed when someone else gets the home first.

In many cases, you’ll need to sell your home in your current location first and move to your new investment. In those situations, the timing of the real estate transactions will often dictate the timing of your move with the best time being when you can most seamlessly make the transition.

#5 To Meet Your Specific Goals

Perhaps you have a different reason for moving to Jacksonville than what we’ve covered. Maybe you’ve been offered a new job or a promotion (congrats!). In that case, you’ll follow the timetable of your purpose for the move and will want to schedule with movers in Jacksonville, FL to get you where you need to go on time.

Like all decisions of significance, there are often multiple factors that go into that decision. You may, for example, be offered a job in Jacksonville and, upon investigation, discover the community has wonderful schools—and that clinches your decision and causes you to seal the work-related deal. That’s normal.

So, when moving to Jacksonville, consider your situation and goals, and then contact the best movers in Jacksonville, FL to get relocated.

Choosing Among Moving Companies in Jacksonville, FL

You may know exactly when you want and need to move. Or you may know that relocation to Jacksonville will occur soon, but you don’t know exactly when. In the first case, it’s time to pick the best movers. In the second situation, you’ll want to proactively look at moving companies in Jacksonville, FL to decide what is best for you. Then, when you know more specifics, you just need to book your actual date.

When choosing among moving companies, here are factors to consider:

• Experience: Sad but true, there really are fly by night moving companies. They may take your deposit money and not show up. They may drop your belongings off at a storage unit and disappear. They may deliver your household goods: broken, dented, and so forth. Suddath, meanwhile, has more than a century of experience moving families in Jacksonville, and is time tested and trustworthy.
• Credentials: If your mover in Jacksonville, FL won’t share theirs, that’s a big red flag. For moves between states, they should have a Department of Transportation license number, a number that must be available on their websites (does a mover on your list even HAVE a website?) and in advertising. The mover must also have a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration carrier number. Suddath is fully credentialed and transparent about it. Our moving teams are thoroughly background checked and vetted.
• Quotes: A quality mover will provide you with written estimates and answer your questions. That’s how we operate at Suddath, clearly and with full transparency.

Online reviews make it easy to check out moving companies. Our local Google Reviews average 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Kind of Movers in Jacksonville, FL You’ll Need

First, consider where you’re moving from. If it’s within fifty miles, that’s considered a local move. You’ll probably already know the benefits of moving to this city. If you’ve got a new job in Jacksonville, maybe you’re already commuting and want to shorten your drive and live closer to your place of employment. When you need local movers in Jacksonville, FL, please contact us for a quote.

If you’re living in the United States (further away than fifty miles), then this is considered a long-distance move. It may be intrastate (in this case, you live in Florida currently) or interstate (from another state in the country). If you’ll be making a long distance move, we’re the best movers in Jacksonville, FL; contact us.

Or perhaps you’re relocating to Jacksonville from another country: planning an international move. If so, know that we’re a time-tested mover both domestically and internationally. To get started, please contact us for a quote.

Choose Suddath: Best Movers in Jacksonville, FL

Our highly experienced team handles 80,000 residential moves each year, and we’d be honored to do yours. You can count on our  Bold City Best “Best Moving Company” award-winning team to make your experience as seamless and stress-free as possible. We put you, the customer, at the center of the experience, as we offer just the moving services you need. We can provide you with a full move, including packing, loading, unloading, and more (plus storage services if you need them). Or you can pick from our menu of services to provide yourself with the customized move that you want and need.

This is true if you need local movers in Jacksonville, FL or you’ll make a long-distance or international relocation. As the five-time winner of the Bold City Best Award, we’ll provide you with quality service, taking care of the details through people, processes, and technology.

To get started, contact us to get a moving quote whether you’ll need:

• Local Jacksonville movers
• Long distance Jacksonville movers
• International movers in Jacksonville

Book your date with us and start enjoying life in Jacksonville.

The post When is the Best Time to Relocate to Jacksonville, FL? appeared first on Suddath.

Here are nine more things to know about Jacksonville before your relocation here.

#1 Jacksonville is a BIG City

Land-wise, Jacksonville is actually the largest city in the state of Florida—and, in fact, the largest in the continental United States. At 874.3 square miles with a population of about 950,000, this means there’s a population density of slightly more than 1,300 people per square mile. We’ve listed this as the number one item to know because it’s not especially well known to some people who might plan to move to Jacksonville.

Located in northeast Florida, it’s the county seat of Duval County, resting on the banks of St. Johns River with beaches in the city along the Atlantic coast. If you’d like to travel to Georgia, its southern state line is about twenty-five miles away; when traveling south from Jacksonville, Miami is about 328 miles away.

Jacksonville is the center of a metropolitan area that has about 1.6 million people in residence. So, when moving to Jacksonville, in short, you’re moving to a big city.

#2 Great Neighborhoods

Although the city is large, it contains wonderful neighborhoods if suburban living is more your style. Plus, there are even neighborhoods with amazing architecture from the nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century.

For example, San Marco and Avondale will take you a bit back in time with uniquely designed homes. San Marco contains intriguing boutiques to shop in and art galleries to browse—along with in-demand restaurants, cocktail bars, breweries, and more.

Avondale, meanwhile, has lovely parks and recreation centers plus wonderful places to dine, socialize, shop, and more. Ortega Forest is an in-demand neighborhood with large homes along the waterfront and giant oaks providing beauty and shade. The area is peaceful, both family- and pet-friendly.

#3 Plentiful Parks

With more than 111,000 acres of green space, there are more than four hundred parks that are managed by the parks & recreation department. In fact, Jacksonville is considered the home of the country’s largest urban parks system. This includes three national parks and seven state parks, the city parks, an arboretum, and dozens of gardens. Because of the city’s climate, these areas can be enjoyed year-round.

Here are a couple of examples of Jacksonville parks. Riverwalk adds beauty to the downtown area alongside the St. Johns River, one of the few U.S. rivers that flows north. This picturesque location, with the Riverwalk on both sides of the bank, gives Jacksonville the nickname of “River City.” There’s even a water taxi if you want to visit both sides of the Riverwalk.

South of the Riverwalk is the Treaty Oak, a 250-year-old, huge Southern live oak with a diameter of 190 feet. At the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, you can discover plenty of history (more than 6,000 years’ worth) as you tour the preserved wetlands.

#4 Football Reigns Supreme

Fans love their Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL expansion team that arrived in 1995. The team has already captured a couple of division titles.

Plus, December 2022 sees the 78th annual Gator Bowl, a college extravaganza that serves as the country’s sixth oldest college football bowl game—the first to be televised nationally when Vanderbilt beat Auburn. It took a couple of years to catch on; in year one, a bit more than 7,000 fans saw Wake Forest beat South Carolina. Just a couple of years later, though, the football stadium was expanded and received the name of the Gator Bowl Stadium with plenty more fans in attendance. Since then, fans and teams around the country have eagerly awaited this competition.

By taking a look at item number eight (higher education), you’ll see that plenty of colleges are located in Jacksonville. This means there are also plenty of college sports teams to cheer for and enjoy.

#5 Consider Transportation

Jacksonville is a thriving, bustling place to be. This can mean plenty of places to go—as well as lots of traffic. To get where you need to go, you can ride on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA’s) public bus system or ferry service among other options. This JTA won the 2016 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award, and it also manages automated Skyway and paratransit services.

If you decide to drive instead, plan for the time in traffic. Jacksonville truly hustles and bustles. Three major interstates allow you to get places: I-10, 1-75, and 1-95. When you need to fly or someone is flying in to visit you, the Jacksonville International Airport is just about thirteen miles north of the downtown area, a civil-military airport owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

#6 Shopping, Dining, Music, and More

Speaking of shopping and dining, there’s plenty of entertainment to be had in downtown Jacksonville and beyond.

Stroll along Art Walks, listen to lively music, attend festivals, and more in venues throughout the city. Jazz fans come from around the country and beyond to attend the Jacksonville Jazz Festival with jazz venues located around the city.

Because of the lovely climate, you can find festivals and other entertainment to enjoy around the calendar; you can even spend some of your wintertime on the water. The Jacksonville Light Boat Parade takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when families delight in boats floating on the St. Johns River that are decorated with holiday lighting. This can be the perfect way to usher in the newly arrived holiday season.

#7 Medical Care

Less exciting than entertainment but definitely important: the city of Jacksonville has multiple major healthcare systems with facilities located throughout the town, including Mayo Clinic and the Baptist Health System. So, when you move to Jacksonville, you’ll have access to the physicians and specialists that people in your family need without having to leave.

#8 Higher Education

From the well-known and well-funded University of North Florida (UNF) to the private Jacksonville University and more, you can benefit from multiple higher educational facilities.

Spotlighting UNF as an example, this nationally ranked university is located just minutes from the beach, a beautiful campus where professors and administrators truly care about student success.

Students receive individualized attention at UNF because of the school’s culture and small class sizes. They can enjoy an active student life, including through the school’s Division I athletic programs, and participate in real-world experiences in the surrounding community.

Jacksonville University began as the two-year Jacksonville Junior College, becoming a four-year university in 1958 when it began offering bachelor degree programs. This school is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities in Florida, accredited regionally by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Jacksonville is also home to Edward Waters College. Founded in 1866, this is the state’s oldest historically black college, an affiliate of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. This fully accredited higher education institution offers a range of in-demand bachelor’s degrees.

Florida State College, meanwhile, maintains an outstanding campus in Jacksonville with two- and four-year degrees available.

The city also has some of the best ranked public schools with a strong focus on education.

#9 Lower Cost of Living

According to Salary.com, Jacksonville’s cost of living is 7.4 percent below the national average! So, you can benefit from a summery climate, no state income tax, entertainment, education, health care, and so much more at a lower cost of living than what’s typical. You can enjoy Southern graciousness in an urban environment with amenities you want and need close at hand.

Moving to Jacksonville, Florida

If you live within fifty miles of Jacksonville, you’ll probably know about many of these benefits already. Perhaps you’ve already attended festivals and other sources of entertainment there and are ready to call Jacksonville “home.”

If so, Suddath is one of the premiere moving companies in Jacksonville, Florida. We opened our Bay Street warehouse doors in 1919 and, ever since, we have provided world-class services. To benefit from our century-plus of experience, outstanding employees, and customizable relocation services, please contact our local movers in Jacksonville, FL.

If you’re moving to Jacksonville from further than fifty miles away, welcome! Our long distance relocation team members are the best movers in Jacksonville, FL, and you can contact them for a quote here. Our excellent, well-trained team performs 54,000 domestic moves each year, and we’ll get your household goods moved safely and securely. As Jacksonville continues to grow, our team continues to supply the needed resources to get you there without delay. No matter your situation (we even provide international movers for Jacksonville, FL relocations), we’re ready, willing, and highly experienced.

The post Nine Things to Know Before Moving to Jacksonville, FL appeared first on Suddath.

Do: Take Advantage of Resources

This may be your first long distance move—or your first one in a while. Fortunately, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel thanks to experienced long distance movers offering helpful resources such as our Home Moving Checklist.

Do: Declutter

As soon as you know you’re moving, sort your possessions into categories, including what you will:

• Keep
• Sell
• Donate
• Toss

By throwing out what’s not usable and giving away what you don’t want to keep, this will help you to effectively downsize. Then, you can hold a rummage sale or otherwise sell relevant belongings. By following these steps, you’ve pared household items down to what you plan to take with you.

Do: Gather Packing Supplies

If you’ll do your own packing, get the necessary supplies together about six weeks before the relocation date. Supplies include:

• Boxes
• Packing tape and dispensers
• Labels
• Permanent markers
• Bubble wrap (or another form of packing material)
• Dolly

You can use towels and linens to pad boxes. To stay as efficient as possible, use kitchen towels to wrap dishes and bathroom towels to protect items that will go into the bathroom. Typically, you are able to purchase packing items from your moving company to make it easier.

Do: Pack Rarely Used Items Ahead of Time

From holiday decorations to off-season clothing, you’ll have belongings that you won’t need until in your new residence. So, about three weeks before your move, pack those items. They can include books you won’t read in the next month, photos, purely decorative items, puzzles, board games, and so forth.

Label those boxes with the rooms where they should go and then organize your packed boxes in a way that takes up the minimal amount of space required.

Do: Pack Room by Room

A couple of weeks before your move, pack everything that isn’t a necessity, room by room. In the kitchen, you may just keep a pot, a skillet, and a saucepan, packing your cooking sheets, broiler pans, and so forth.

Put those essentials in a box that you label with the room (kitchen) and the words “Open me first.” Use them during the last couple of weeks in your current home or apartment; then, right before moving day, close up that box.

Keep clothing in dresser drawers. Moving companies expect you to, and it’s quite convenient.

Just make sure you don’t make boxes too heavy – you don’t want boxes to break, or items in them to be crushed.

Do: Pack Bags to Take with You

You’ll take these smaller bags with you, and the bags may contain medications, toiletries, important documents, pet supplies, and favorite toys for your children. Anything that you’re going to need immediately, or for the first couple of weeks, pack in those bags. Even if you’re just moving locally, you want to make sure important items don’t get lost in boxes if you need them.

Do: Reach Out for Help

Ask friends and family members for help when you can use extra pairs of hands to pack or otherwise help with your move.

Don’t: Wait Too Long to Pack

It can be too easy to underestimate the amount of time it takes to pack belongings. Make sure you plan at least a month ahead of time to pack you can avoid the stress that comes with rushing. Plus, when you have a need for speed, you might forget to save time for packing belongings in an attic, garage, or storage unit.

This is especially likely if they contain items you don’t use often (which is typically the case). So, use our checklist to plan your timing—and, if need be, start a bit earlier than the typical timeline. That can help to eliminate stress related to packing, and also allow you time to do things like hold a garage sale or sell items on an online marketplace.

Don’t: Forget to Be Clear About What Needs to Be Moved

As you pack boxes, most of them may be going to your new place, but a couple of them might be headed to friends or family members who can use items you don’t need. Or a few could be going to a thrift store. No matter what your specific situation is, be ultra-clear with your cross country movers about what they will transport.

Don’t: Pack Perishables

Nobody wants to waste food. That said, much of it won’t necessarily transport well. Some won’t stay fresh while some jars can break. So, as part of your moving timeline, use up the food in your pantry, cupboards, and refrigerator, which can include having a get together with friends and family members who live nearby.

When moving day looms, you could donate boxes and cans of food to local pantries and, if there are foods you’d like to take with you, place them in a cooler and transport them in your own vehicle.

Don’t: Pack Hazardous Materials

Long distance moving companies won’t transport flammable or otherwise hazardous materials. You can ask your cross-country movers for specifics; the list will contain things like gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner, pool chemicals, ammunition, and so forth. Household cleaners also often contain materials that could trigger a fire or give off dangerous fumes—such as ones containing bleach or ammonia.

Dos and Don’ts When Comparing Long Distance Moving Companies

Although it’s important to select and hire cross country movers in a timely way, you don’t want to simply pick the first one you find. It’s important to have the right long-distance movers, ones that provide quality service at a reasonable price, ones that take excellent care of your belongings.

Sticking with the theme, if you want help with packing, make sure that the long-distance movers provide the level of service you want, packing services that fit within your budget.

Choose Suddath as Your Long Distance Movers

As trusted long distance movers for more than a century, we’re the experienced choice. As far as packing and unpacking services, we offer a range so you can pick what fits your needs and budget.

With full-service packing, we’ll take the work and stress off of your hands, using the best materials and techniques to quickly and carefully pack your belongings. We also offer partial services where you pick what to pack as well as offering pro tips for DIY packers.

Contact us today for your long distance movers quote.

The post Packing Tips: Dos and Don’ts for Long Distance Moves appeared first on Suddath.

From March 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. experienced an almost 21% increase in CoreLogic’s Home Price Index (HPI), which is the largest inflationary increase over a 12-month period since the index was created in 1976. The period between June 2021 and June 2022 also saw a 9.1% increase in the Consumer Price Index, the steepest rise since 1981, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Those numbers are giving most in the industry pause, especially coming off the booming, rapid-fire market of early 2021.

Is inflation scaring Americans off from buying their forever home?

According to a study by Mayflower®, Americans are still determined to make their move and find their perfect “forever” home.

The 2022 Mayflower “Finding Home” study shows that the cost of living (46%), affordable housing (40%) and inflation (33%) have the strongest influence on those looking to move. Unsurprisingly, the study showed that home buyers are feeling the effect of price increases, with 86% saying they think housing prices in the U.S. are too expensive.

However, when deciding to purchase a home, 81% think finding the perfect “forever” home is the most important factor. When spending that kind of money, they want to be in the home for a considerable amount of time and find the “perfect” fit for their family. We all know there is usually no such thing as a perfect home when considering budget and other constraints, but the good news is that buyers seem to realize this as well. Recent and future buyers are willing to create the perfect home, with 80% saying that even if the home they move into isn’t everything on their checklist, they’re willing to do the work to get it there.

Current buyers are tenacious, with Mayflower’s study finding that they continued to pursue buying their first home despite current inflation rates, even if it meant:

However, that doesn’t mean that homebuyers are proceeding as usual in the housing market. Inflation has also meant that buyers are more strategic with their planning, with approximately one-third of responders saying that current inflation levels meant they were much more likely to consider moving to a new area.

Buyers are looking for affordable, stable places to live. They’re looking for their partners in the home buying process, real estate agents, to help them explore more affordable areas and understand the benefits of more affordable communities.

The survey also found that finances are heavily influencing buyers when it comes to where they’re relocating – they’re willing to go farther to find the right job and the right cost of living:

What are homeowners’ financial concerns when they do buy a home?

Even a dream home can quickly turn into a nightmare if the proper steps aren’t taken when purchasing – and even if they are.

While 90% of homeowners opt for a home inspection according to a U.S. News & World report, 83% of homebuyers are still stressed about home ownership as a key financial decision. Beyond that, 69% also admit that they’ve experienced buyer’s remorse in the past, while 33% say they experience such feelings regularly.

New homeowners cited a number of factors that caused them stress. Repair costs are the most common concern, but home value and the cost of ownership also weigh on homeowners’ minds. Among their stressors:

Even if they feel financially sound after purchasing a home, many recent homebuyers say they are worried about the safety and security of their property:

While damages from break-ins and fires are most likely covered by a typical homeowners insurance policy, recent homebuyers are also concerned about climate change and natural disasters – nearly three in four (74%). Floods and earthquakes, natural events trending more severe due to climate change, usually require a separate coverage endorsement or a separate policy.

Homebuyers are right to be concerned, because whether it’s routine maintenance or emergency repairs, sooner or later homeowners will have to make fixes to their home.

Of those surveyed, 86% of recent homeowners say they have had at least one home repair to address since moving in, while 14% say they have not experienced any repair issues. The top three home repairs are:

Other common repair issues include roof damage, poor insulation, and structural problems. Even in the best of economic times, home repairs can be expensive, and when you factor in rising inflation and continued material shortages some recent homeowners have had to reassess their home repair plans.

Does the “Dream Home” exist?

If it does, current homebuyers are still determined to find it. Home buyers and their realtors are expanding their horizons and doing extra due diligence when it comes to finding the perfect dream home.

Once finding your dream home, you’ll want only the best possible moving team to help you settle in. Whether you need a Fort Lauderdale moving company for a local move, long-distance relocation, or even international services, the Suddath team is here to help with all your moving needs.

The post Moving Study: Americans are Still Looking for Their Forever Home appeared first on Suddath.

Without context, the household goods (HHG) providers responding to an RFP for moving services can quote rates, but they can’t offer a solution that fits the client’s values. Because HHG moving is a service-oriented industry, the proposals you evaluate should be customized to the budget, relocation policy, company culture and many other factors that make your business unique.

Providing sufficient information up front to all respondents will allow them to provide a meaningful response and address pricing accordingly. Here are some helpful tips on what information would be helpful to HHG provider respondents.

Your Why

Why you are doing an RFP and what is the desired goal to be achieved, need to be met, or problem(s) to be solved? For example, if you have had lack of visibility and transparency into cost drivers or household goods service issues, specific examples will help your respondents explain how they can best solve these issues on your behalf as your partner.

Providing specific details on the following will also help a HHG provider better understand what solutions the program requires.

In turn, this information will help the sourcing team differentiate the HHG providers they are evaluating.

Intangibles That Matter

Often HR and procurement feel all the RFP respondents seemed pretty much the same at the end of the RFP process. There are a few reasons for this:

The real savings in a relocation program is the alignment of HHG provider and client, the efficiency of the partnership, the satisfaction of both transferee and stakeholders, and the flexibility the HHG provider brings to the client’s program with options like small shipment solutions.

How do you know who is the right HHG provider to handle your program?

It pays to take the time to allow the HHG providers to schedule discovery calls with key stakeholders and to learn the company’s program and culture. It’s equally important for the client to get to know the HHG provider’s leadership as well as consultants who will interact with relocating employees.

Achieving a great partnership is a function of culture match and choosing an HHG provider with the scale and breadth of services you need. As you take the time to get to know the teams at the HHG providers you are considering, you will find that while the basic services offered don’t differ very much, how the HHG provider delivers these services can be dramatically different. You could consider:

This list is just a starting point. Your unique, cross-functional sourcing team will identify the intangibles that ultimately make or break a great partnership. Fundamentally, the mutual discovery process should help identify a partner who understands your company and fits well with your team and stakeholders.

Suddath understands no two clients are alike. We will work with your team to create the right solutions for your program goals during the RFP process, so tell us how we can help.

The post Get the Best RFP Responses by Sharing the Right Insights from Procurement appeared first on Suddath.

#1 Plenty of Sunshine

If you appreciate warm weather, you’ll find it in Jacksonville. July can be the hottest month with average highs and lows of 92° / 75° with ocean breezes helping during humid days. January is the coolest with these averages: 66° / 46°. With those temps, snow is quite rare; so, if you’re moving from a place with cold winters, you won’t need to bring your snowblower. If you’re moving from a place that’s warmer than Jacksonville, you’ll appreciate the change of seasons, one that doesn’t include a rough winter.

#2 Relatively Low Cost of Living

Best Places data uses the benchmark of 100 as a national average. When looking at the overall cost of living expenses, the state of Florida is somewhat above (102.8) but the city of Jacksonville is clearly below 93.5. So, you can enjoy the benefits of Florida living more affordably. When looking specifically at housing expenses, Jacksonville is nice and low at 78, and prices are more affordable than average whether you rent or buy.

#3 Hot Job Market

Wall Street Journal’s 2022 job market rankings lists Jacksonville as the fifth hottest market in the United States, the top in Florida. WSJ uses five factors in its formula: job growth, labor-force growth, labor-force participation rate, unemployment rate, and wage growth. Jacksonville offers jobs with a “strong multiplier effect”: they’re reasonably high paying in themselves and tend to add to local job economies. Sectors include financial services, health care, and technology.

Plus, just like in other parts of the country, more people worked remotely during the peak of the COVID pandemic—and a 2022 survey of Florida employers suggests that this may have a lasting effect on how work gets done: 27 percent of employers have made intentional changes to help their remote employees succeed, a sign that they’re in it for the long haul.

#4 Conveniently Located

Jacksonville is located on the east coast of Florida with easy access to major cities in Florida and nearby states: Atlanta and Savannah, GA; Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina; Orlando, Florida, and more. They are, at most, a few hours drive—and Jacksonville is where two major interstate highways converge: I-95 and I-10.

Other highways going through the city include U.S. 1, U.S. 17, U.S. 90, and U.S. 301 with I-75 being only sixty miles west of the downtown area. This helps you to conveniently commute to work and otherwise get you where you need to go. Plus, you can easily get in and out of the city via the Jacksonville International Airport, which also makes it simple for friends and family to visit you.

#5 Beaches, Beaches, Beaches

This headline should say “beaches” one more time because Jacksonville really has four major ones—Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Neptune Beach—along with smaller ones. In fact, Jacksonville boasts more shorelines than any other Florida city, including coastal waters, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the St. Johns River.

You can enjoy sunning yourself or taking advantage of the wonderful waterways: swimming, surfing, scuba diving, water skiing, jet skiing, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, wakeboarding, fishing, and more. You can even camp along the waters, ready to enjoy more activities in the morning.

#6 Excellent Schools

If you’re moving your family to Jacksonville, you’ll appreciate the quality of the public schools. The city has a high concentration of well-ranking public schools along with plenty of private options. No matter what you choose, you can move ahead with confidence. Five of the state’s highest-ranked high schools are in Jacksonville:

• St. Johns
• Nassau
• Clay
• Baker
• Duval

Higher education institutions are also nearby, including these three:

• University of North Florida: public/four year
• Florida State College at Jacksonville – Downtown Campus: public/two year
• Edward Waters University: private, non-profit/four year

Once you know your school district, you can find out specifics of your children’s schools through the 12th grade and you can explore these colleges and universities as well.

#7 Range of Communities

You may decide to move into the heart of downtown Jacksonville, a walkable urban area. Or you may prefer to live in a community that’s not in the center of the city. Fortunately, there are plenty of choices. If, for example, you move about forty minutes south of downtown Jacksonville, you’ll be in Orange Park. This has a more rural feel with homes having large yards and amenities that are ideal for families. This is also where the Naval Air Station is located.

The Southside neighborhood features plenty of starter homes in a community with good schools along with restaurants and shopping malls. San Marco, meanwhile, contains bistros, boutiques, and more. Because Jacksonville has more than five hundred neighborhoods, there is almost certainly one that’s just right for you.

#8 Good Eats!

Plenty of fantastic restaurants are in Jacksonville, with each neighborhood having its own unique flavor and culinary offerings:

River & Post Restaurant

Located on top of a Riverside building, you can see the scenic landscape all around while enjoying a seafood-forward menu along with steaks, unique cocktails, and more. Casual yet trendy in ambiance, there are brunches and live music on the weekends. Rooftop dining is first come first served while reservations are recommended for first-floor dining.

Hawkers Asian Street Food

Imagine Asian Himalayan cuisine in a location with a really cool vibe—and that’s Hawkers. There are plenty of small plate choices, which allow you to taste and enjoy a wide range of flavors, sharing among your friends. Specialties include lo mein, homemade kimchi, and basil rice with delicious flatbreads and dumplings also in demand.

Island Wing Company Bar and Grill

Food is perfectly baked, grilled, or steamed: burgers, chicken wings, tacos, and more. The atmosphere is trendy and tropical with nothing ever being fried. If you don’t want to eat meat, try their spicy smoked tuna dip or their vegetarian options.

#9 Amazing Parks

Jacksonville boasts more than 80,000 acres of parks, the largest urban park network in the nation. There are more than 450 city parks where you can surround yourself with nature and enjoy leisure time. Plus, there are state and national parks and preserves. Fort Caroline National Memorial is the location of a French colonial fort built in 1564 with a restored version existing there today.

You can boat at Fort George Island Cultural State Park or hike at the Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve—and we’re barely scratching the surface of parks in Jacksonville.

#10 Diverse Art and Culture

At the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, the self-proclaimed largest fine arts location in NE Florida, you can browse incredible paintings as well as a waterfront garden that’s a thing of beauty all by itself. Another must-see art museum: the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is a Cultural Institute of the University of North Florida.

ArtWalk is held on the first Wednesday evening of the month, an event where local artists, musicians, and more share their talents. This in-demand event has resumed after a COVID break. Music lovers will appreciate the Jacksonville Symphony, the Florida Theatre, and more.

Bonus Reason:

If you’ll be newly moving to Florida, it is one of a handful of states with no state income tax.

Best Movers in Jacksonville, FL

Once you’ve decided to relocate, you’ll likely start to compare moving companies in Jacksonville, FL. As part of that process, we invite you to contact Suddath. We have over a century of moving experience, having been founded in downtown Jacksonville in 1919. Suddath has served as the mover of choice in NE Florida: serving as local movers in Jacksonville, FL as well as providing cross-country and international relocation services.

We’ve won Florida Times-Union’s Bold City Best competition for Best Moving Company numerous times and we’ve also been chosen as Void Magazine’s Best Moving Company.

Here are more reasons to choose our movers in Jacksonville, FL: Suddath provides its crew members with 250-plus hours of mentored training and we thoroughly background-check them. We offer free, no-obligation quotes that we customize to meet your unique needs. You can benefit from our full moving services or select the specific ones you need. No matter what you choose, we’ll support you with personalized customized service and provide full transparency throughout the process.

Plus, if you need storage services, our state-of-the-art 155,000-square-foot facility in Jacksonville probably has the city’s best security system. You can benefit from climate control storage, ambient storage, and more, depending upon your needs. Get a quote from our movers in Jacksonville, FL today. We’ll provide you with the information you need, answer all your questions, and help you to have a stress-free relocation.

The post Ten Reasons Why Moving to Jacksonville, FL is the Right Move for You appeared first on Suddath.

The hybrid concept is a popular work model today, one used by 63 percent of high-growth companies, according to a 2022 report. Focusing on a healthy and productive workforce, the data reveals, is more important than where someone is working. Said another way, 69 percent of companies that aren’t growing—or demonstrate negative growth—do not embrace a hybrid workforce, preferring all on-site or all remote workers. 

Plenty of configurations exist for successful hybrid workplaces today, and this post will offer guidance on transitioning to the one you’ve chosen. 

Step 1: Collect Three Types of Data

As the Harvard Business Review points out, there are three underlying issues to consider when designing your hybrid structure: productivity, staffing, and culture. Gather input from stakeholders in the decision about the:

• optimal format that will allow your organization to productively meet deadlines and commitments
• best hybrid workplace structures to attract and retain human talent in a competitive world
• most effective ways to maintain your workplace culture when everyone isn’t working together

See how different people in the organization prioritize productivity, staffing, and culture, and have conversations about how to most effectively achieve all three aspects in hybrid workplaces. 

Step 2: Be Clear About Schedules

In some companies, work is synchronous. In other words, the remote and in-person staff may, for example, work from nine to five, Monday through Friday, with a lunch break at noon. Others work asynchronously. In this case, a remote employee may need to simply put in forty hours within a work week and be available for scheduled meetings. 

None of these systems, in and of themselves, are “good” or “bad.” Instead, your company will need to decide how your hybrid workplace will operate, and make expectations clear. Be open to feedback and adjust accordingly. 

Step 3: Determine How You’ll Communicate

When you hold meetings, will remote employees be required to come on site? If so, is this always the case or only for more significant ones? When people will join meetings remotely, consider what technologies you’ll use and ensure that everyone is familiar with them. Will you need to provide new software applications to remote employees?

Decide how you will communicate about daily issues outside of meetings. You may decide that emails or texts will serve as the primary mode of communication—or an application like Skype or Slack. Make sure everyone knows the protocols. Also consider having a time period in which someone should respond to a more typical message and how quickly urgent requests should be addressed.

Ensure, too, that remote/hybrid employees get information as seamlessly as in-office ones. Check in with remote employees regularly, especially at first, to make sure they feel in the loop.

Step 4: Reconfigure the Workplace

With a hybrid workplace, fewer workstations will be needed on a daily basis. So, it can make sense to reconfigure physical spaces to suit the current situation. Perhaps the space was once quite crowded. Now you can space out the workstations or use part of the space for an employee lounge—wherever your priorities take you. 

If your workplace will have employees who work remotely part of the time and in-office the rest, will they still have their own workstations? Or will there be a sharing arrangement in which hybrid employees take turns using office space? Each company will have unique requirements and solutions. 

If you need the help of an office moving company to plan and reconfigure your space, please contact us. We’re highly experienced in helping businesses make these changes to optimize their workplaces. 

In some cases, businesses may find that the buildings they own or lease are now too big for their needs. In that case, let our office movers know and we can configure your new space in ways that you’ve chosen for your hybrid workplace in its new location and move your belongings. 

Step 5: Incorporate Flexibility into Office Reconfigurations

Referring to another Harvard Business Review resource, as decisions are being made about who will and won’t be returning to work, in office, “rethink the open place.” Over the past few decades, workstations have become more open and tightly placed together. Meetings, meanwhile, are held in enclosed conference spaces. 

As you reconfigure layouts, consider switching this idea around. Individual work can be done in “enclosed spaces like pods or small enclaves” where people can concentrate more effectively. Then, when a group meeting takes place, use open spaces that can agiley morph, depending on who needs to participate. What’s required for that: furniture that can be flexibly used with tech that’s easy to access. 

Step 6: Regularly Reevaluate 

Don’t expect your initial transition to a hybrid workplace to be perfectly planned and executed. (If so, good for you!). This can be a big transition, especially if your company didn’t permit remote or hybrid working in the past.

So, check in with management and employees alike—remote and in-office—to see what’s working well and what’s not. When people mention challenges, ask them how they’d like to see the problem solved; it’s likely that plenty of great ideas will come from brainstorming solutions. 

At these sessions, it’s easy to focus on the problems that need to be solved. So, be sure to ask remote workers if they feel as though they’re more productive at home. If so, what suggestions can they offer other remote and hybrid workers? Does having a better work-life balance allow them to contribute more to the workplace? How can this be quantified?

Also factor in how your company can now hire people from a much broader geographical area and how people with mild illnesses can still continue to work without spreading it to someone who might become more ill.

Incorporate the best suggestions from your evaluations and then schedule a future reevaluation. You’ll likely have solved many of the problems and understand how to continue to move forward to optimize the hybrid workplace arrangement. 

Step 7: Stay Connected 

Doublecheck to ensure that you’re providing remote and hybrid workers with the resources they need to be successful and continue to contribute to your company. Encourage those workers to share ideas and collaborate on projects with others to keep them engaged with your workplace. 

If you discover that remote workers have communication preferences that differ from what you originally set up, consider them. The idea is to find a hybrid workplace structure and culture that works best, not simply sticking to the original plan. 

Recognize and reward the work of remote and hybrid workers as much as you would an in-person employee, and be respectful of their time. Don’t, for example, tell remote workers about a meeting at the last minute when in-office employees have known about it for a week.

Step 8: Provide Remote Workers with Transitional Resources

Some of your employees may already be well versed in how to work remotely and may have a home office already set up. Others may want and appreciate remote work but not yet know all of the ins and outs to successfully do so. For example, LinkedIn provides resources to help employees with this transition and you can create your own that are more specific to your company. The time and effort that you put into helping your team make this transition will pay off when they successfully contribute to your business. 

Step 9: Choose the Right Office Moving Company 

If your transition to a hybrid model requires reconfigurations of office space or moving to a different building, it’s important to choose experienced office movers. That said, there are other vital issues to consider that other office moving companies may not know about or offer as services.

Suddath is a highly experienced office moving company, going above and beyond to help your business to reduce cost and risk throughout your transition. We’ll:

• provide professional office move planning services
• conduct a comprehensive property, furniture, and equipment inventory
• assist with fixed asset reporting for asset retirement and compliance
• help you to resell, donate, recycle, or dispose of surplus assets in economic and environmentally responsible ways
• ensure systematic removal of confidential data and hardware associated with the data
• help you to meet space turnover requirements in a timely way

During the planning, we can also help you to decide how to set up new office space in a way that is flexible enough to accommodate more employees returning to work. 
Plus, of course, we help you to move and reconfigure office furniture, electronics, equipment, and more. To discuss your needs and how our office movers can help, please contact us today.

The post Nine Steps to Switch to a Hybrid Workplace appeared first on Suddath.

The right photos – with beautiful light to highlight your home’s features – will draw in potential buyers for showings, and then with the right staging, those showings will turn into offers.

With more and more people buying homes without touring them in-person any photos or videos you post online with your listing are vitally important.

Great listing photos start by properly prepping your property. Even high-quality photos can be ruined by a cluttered space.

This means removing most, if not all, personal effects – from small items such as family photos, knick-knacks, and refrigerator magnets, to larger items such as unnecessary furniture, or bulky furniture that make rooms appear smaller.

Decluttering is important in all areas, including attics, garages and sheds. Pack away, remove and store as much as you can in these areas so people can see the space properly, and visualize how they could use the space. People do their great listing photos a disservice by thinking the garage “doesn’t matter” to buyers.

Nationwide, homes with garages sell for $23,211 more than homes without garages, which equates to a 12 percent premium. While these spaces don’t need to be pristine, they are important to buyers and should be tidy and as clear as possible.

Inside the house, some tips for staging the home properly for listing photos and videos are:

Leading up to photoshoot day

Day-of shoot tasks

Photoshop is a wonderful thing, but it can be overdone. You want to make sure that it accentuates your home’s positives and minimizes the negatives, showing your home in the best possible light. But you don’t want to use it as a way to be sneaky, or visually lie to buyers.

Real estate photography is meant to pique a buyer’s interest with a realistic but optimized online listing in order to get them to tour your home in-person. The last thing you want is for them to feel disappointed in your home when it falls far below what they saw online.

You want to set a realistic expectation for what they will see when it comes time to view the home. So while it’s ok to say, put a fake fireplace burning in the fireplace (as long as it’s a working fireplace) to show how cozy the room can feel, you’ll want to stop before photoshopping attempts to cover up imperfections that will be clearly visible during a walkthrough.

Also, the more photoshopping you do, the more a photographer will charge. That is why it is so important to declutter a space prior to photography – if they have to digitally remove boxes, excess furniture or other items, it will likely cost you more.

Using angles to work in your favor is the definition of work smarter not harder. Make sure your photography and videography plays up angles and uses other photography tricks to help your space shine. This can help make the space inside of a room feel more open.

Setting up an angle in a threshold or entryway into a room can help maximize the space and showcases the entire room instead of just one area. Focus on showcasing the size of the room, and visually showing off the floorplan.

A video of your home will be especially helpful in showing off the layout. It will also give buyers a sense of the flow of the home, which is especially great for out-of-state-buyers. By providing a listing video, you will broaden the pool of people who will consider your home based on listing alone.

In larger rooms, take photos or videos from eye level or above. For smaller rooms, like bathrooms, take photos from eye level or below. Take at least two pictures using different angles of each room so you can decide which shows off the room’s assets better. This is especially true for key areas, like the primary bedroom and bathroom.

Good lighting is vital to bright, professional-looking pictures. A quick trick is to make sure to clean all windows prior to shooting in your home, and open curtains or blinds as much as possible. Every bit of light you can let into the space will help make the home feel open.

If your home is dark in places, make sure the photographer or videographer has an external source of light they can bring in to ensure no area of your home comes off as cold or dark. This includes areas like attic or basements, where people don’t necessarily expect light, but they want to get a sense of the space.

There is a time and place for DIY, but with eight out of 10 buyers viewing your home online to determine interest, this is not one of them. While you can take your home listing photos or videos yourself, it’s best to hire a professional! Your real estate agent will likely have a list of qualified, proven photographers and videographers.

You may also want help simplifying your home, and Suddath has a declutter and store service that will make the process easy for you. When you need certain furniture or boxes removed for listing photos or showings, we can easily pick them up, safely store them in our warehouse, and then deliver them with the rest of your items on move-in day. Whether you need a Fort Lauderdale moving company for packing and transportation or simply a team of movers in Dallas to organize your belongings, Suddath is here to make your transition smooth and stress-free.

Contact us to learn more about our moving services, as well as our declutter and store programs.

The post 5 Photography and Videography Tips for Staging Your Home to Sell appeared first on Suddath.

Procurement is better equipped to make a successful strategic partnership decision when they understand their HR colleagues’ mobility process and goals, the HHG provider industry and the information that helps both craft an insightful RFP. Here we’ll examine how procurement leaders can be more successful when sourcing the household goods moving category.

Tell providers how they can help

When a HHG provider is unfamiliar with the requesting company, their relocation policies and goals, it can lead to a cookie-cutter service offering that doesn’t address the company’s current challenges. As a result, rather than providing carefully thought-out, customized solutions or details on how their offering can best elevate an organization’s mobility program and achieve their program goals, household goods movers may be limited to providing a generic introduction to their company.

Help suppliers shape an RFP that addresses your specific goals by addressing issues like:

Procuring HHG is about forming great partnerships

Choosing a HHG provider is about forming great partnerships. You are hiring a mover to manage your greatest asset, your people (along with their families), during one the most stressful events of their lives. Failing to provide caring support to these families can become extremely expensive in terms of failed assignments, reduced employee retention and loss of productivity while an employee deals with the day-to-day process of relocating.

On the other hand, happy productive employees who experience a smooth relocation help companies achieve their business goals and succeed at what they do best as an organization. So what does partnership look like?

A vendor will receive and service orders, but a partner will work hard to understand your company culture and objectives—going above and beyond to help you achieve them via a well-run relocation program. A partner will proactively bring ideas and practices that promote efficiency and contribute to the success of your program.

While most household goods providers offer similar services, focusing on goal alignment and program optimization will help determine which HHG provider is the right fit.

Start with the invitation list

Inviting a company that doesn’t provide the scope of services you need will confuse the evaluation, so begin with clarity around the needs and goals your HR team has for relocating employees, new hires, or executives. Consider these questions to help determine which kind of HHG provider is the best fit.

Thinking through these important questions will help narrow the list down to the HHG providers that fit your ideal partner profile.

Use an RFI process to narrow the group

If there isn’t sufficient time to research each of the HHG providers before an RFP, beginning with an RFI that asks the HHG providers to address essential questions or must-haves can help focus the list.

Sending the RFP to a dozen HHG providers will not only be expensive for them but also for you as you sift through the multitude of responses to your RFP questions. It’s not unusual for companies to issue an RFI to eight to 10 HHG providers, then to select five they considered qualified to respond to the RFP. From that set, they may choose to invite two or three for a best and final presentation.

An RFI can efficiently eliminate any company that doesn’t provide the essential services, coverage, or cultural fit you are looking for in a provider. This step ultimately saves both time and money by letting the sourcing team invest their time with fewer, more viable candidates.

Visit Potential Suppliers

Once you’ve narrowed the potential suppliers, consider visiting them onsite to ensure they can deliver the services they promised in the RFP.

As a HHG provider with over 100 years of experience, Suddath understands the importance of aligning during the RFP process. We will work with your team to create the right solutions for your program goals. To learn more about how we create strong partnerships with our clients, read our blog Ten Tips for Achieving Better Collaboration Across Your Relocation Partner Network.

When it comes to sourcing household goods (HHG) services for employee relocation, procurement teams set the goal of identifying the most cost-effective and competent suppliers. However, a company’s relocation program is only as strong as its partnerships. To get the most out of partnering with a HHG provider, alignment to the company’s goals and culture should begin during the request for proposal (RFP) process.

Procurement is better equipped to make a successful strategic partnership decision when they understand their HR colleagues’ mobility process and goals, the HHG provider industry and the information that helps both craft an insightful RFP. Here we’ll examine how procurement leaders can be more successful when sourcing the household goods moving category.

Tell providers how they can help

When a HHG provider is unfamiliar with the requesting company, their relocation policies and goals, it can lead to a cookie-cutter service offering that doesn’t address the company’s current challenges. As a result, rather than providing carefully thought-out, customized solutions or details on how their offering can best elevate an organization’s mobility program and achieve their program goals, household goods movers may be limited to providing a generic introduction to their company.

Help suppliers shape an RFP that addresses your specific goals by addressing issues like:

Procuring HHG is about forming great partnerships

Choosing a HHG provider is about forming great partnerships. You are hiring a mover to manage your greatest asset, your people (along with their families), during one the most stressful events of their lives. Failing to provide caring support to these families can become extremely expensive in terms of failed assignments, reduced employee retention and loss of productivity while an employee deals with the day-to-day process of relocating.

On the other hand, happy productive employees who experience a smooth relocation help companies achieve their business goals and succeed at what they do best as an organization. So what does partnership look like?

A vendor will receive and service orders, but a partner will work hard to understand your company culture and objectives—going above and beyond to help you achieve them via a well-run relocation program. A partner will proactively bring ideas and practices that promote efficiency and contribute to the success of your program.

While most household goods providers offer similar services, focusing on goal alignment and program optimization will help determine which HHG provider is the right fit.

Start with the invitation list

Inviting a company that doesn’t provide the scope of services you need will confuse the evaluation, so begin with clarity around the needs and goals your HR team has for relocating employees, new hires, or executives. Consider these questions to help determine which kind of HHG provider is the best fit.

Thinking through these important questions will help narrow the list down to the HHG providers that fit your ideal partner profile.

Use an RFI process to narrow the group

If there isn’t sufficient time to research each of the HHG providers before an RFP, beginning with an RFI that asks the HHG providers to address essential questions or must-haves can help focus the list.

Sending the RFP to a dozen HHG providers will not only be expensive for them but also for you as you sift through the multitude of responses to your RFP questions. It’s not unusual for companies to issue an RFI to eight to 10 HHG providers, then to select five they considered qualified to respond to the RFP. From that set, they may choose to invite two or three for a best and final presentation.

An RFI can efficiently eliminate any company that doesn’t provide the essential services, coverage, or cultural fit you are looking for in a provider. This step ultimately saves both time and money by letting the sourcing team invest their time with fewer, more viable candidates.

Visit Potential Suppliers

Once you’ve narrowed the potential suppliers, consider visiting them onsite to ensure they can deliver the services they promised in the RFP.

As a HHG provider with over 100 years of experience, Suddath understands the importance of aligning during the RFP process. We will work with your team to create the right solutions for your program goals. To learn more about how we create strong partnerships with our clients, read our blog Ten Tips for Achieving Better Collaboration Across Your Relocation Partner Network.

The post Procurement’s Guide to Effectively Sourcing HHG Providers appeared first on Suddath.

Relocating tenured employees saves the company the time it would take to recruit in a foreign location, and robust relocation initiatives can also serve as an enticement to woo top-tier talent away from competitors.

However, some organizations have rolled back mobility benefits—including the international transport of employees’ household goods (HHG)—in an effort to contain costs. This strategy may seem like a win for the company’s bottom line in the short-term, but the long-term implications could be extremely detrimental for the company and the transferees.

Household Goods are Important

A number of mobility leaders have considered omitting HHG benefits but reconsidered when they realized the toll international assignments take on a relocating employee and their family. Adjusting to a completely foreign life can be traumatic and having personal belongings in a host country helps the family acclimate to their new environment.

One VP of Sales said recently, “When we moved to our new location, our teenagers struggled to adjust. Unfortunately, nothing about our new home or city was viewed as a positive. Our house felt cold and foreign until our furniture and other belongings arrived. Once they were reunited with their prized possessions, the kids began to acclimate to our new life. Having familiar things around us made all of us feel more connected to the new place.”

Alternatives Don’t Measure Up

While there are alternatives to shipping an employee’s household goods overseas, you may want to consider the following before eliminating HHG benefits.

1. Extended temporary living and furnished accommodations are growing increasingly harder to procure as demand outstrips supply.
2. Unfurnished accommodations with provided rental allowances are also problematic for several reasons:
   • Rental furniture is scarcely available in current conditions
   • Ordering new furniture is delayed due to the supply chain crisis and is more expensive
   • If the assignee has a pet, this could further limit the availability or eliminate availability substantially
3. With additional excess baggage, there are still limits to what can be brought over to a new country; and cash allowance for incidentals drives up miscellaneous expense costs for the company, which can be a tax burden if not grossed up.
4. Permanent Storage warehouses are at capacity, so many only offer limited space. Costs are also higher because demand outweighs supply.

Impacts on Talent Recruitment

Not moving an employee’s HHG could make for dissatisfied employees and failed assignments. It could also limit your recruitment pool by lowering the number of people willing to accept international assignments.

The cost of turnover is high, so any short-term savings from eliminating household goods will be erased by the expense of recruiting and retraining talent in the long run.

Make Informed Decisions

Shipping household goods internationally doesn’t have to be stressful for employers or employees. Suddath has been providing quick, easy and stress-free moving for more than a century. We are supply chain experts and can help clients navigate the current crisis with more than 1,000 vetted, high-quality partners who adhere to the same rigorous quality standards as part of the FIDI and OMNI networks.

With our many years of expertise, Suddath educates and guides clients every step of the way. One thing we’re good at is helping employers manage employee expectations when it comes to transit times.

To help you and your employees make informed decisions, here are some transit time estimates for household goods.

Make it Easier for Everyone

While some transferees on short-term assignments may be willing to leave personal effects behind, it’s unlikely that more seasoned professionals will be willing to accept an assignment abroad without shipping their household goods with them.

By partnering with a well-established HHG mover like Suddath, it’s easier to find cost-effective and efficient ways to move your people. Doing so will go a long way in boosting employee morale and supporting recruitment efforts. Tell us how we can take the stress out of moving your employees’ household goods overseas.

The post Moving Employees’ Household Goods Internationally Supports Recruitment Efforts appeared first on Suddath.

BACKGROUND

A $3 billion international law firm headquartered in New York City, with global offices in 17 countries, had over 100 associate and partner moves per year. The firm used movers selected by the facilities department. Unfortunately, defaulting to office movers for partners and associates who needed specialized care of their household goods yielded suboptimal results.

A major service failure with a partner move was the catalyst that led the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) to reevaluate and initiate improvements to their overall mobility program. Changes included partnering with supplier who had a proven history and concentrated focus on employee household goods moving services. Suddath was selected to provide the right blend of personalized services for the firm’s eight U.S. offices as well as their other international locations.

PROGRAM CHALLENGES

• Sizeable gaps between move estimates and actual costs
• No defined service agreements and no real accountability from providers
• Dissatisfied employees who were vocal about lackluster experiences
• Too many providers and points of contact with inconsistent results
• Lack of consistent, accurate and meaningful reporting
• Limited access to additional services, such as destination services, home search assistance, etc.
• Seeking a more personalized service from providers and the consistency of a single point of contact
• HR and talent management had no bandwidth to become experts on moving and the evolution of services now available

SOLUTION

Suddath engaged with HR, Talent Mobility and Procurement to fully understand the firm’s culture, areas of concern and what the new service model and potential provider should look like

Together they crafted a Request For Proposal (RFP) that addressed the firm’s current and future needs. A full-service relocation management provider was not the answer. The situation called for a mover with broad offerings to address the diverse move types the firm required.

Service-Level Agreements (SLAs), accountability, the provider’s Environment, Social, and Governance practices (ESG), compliance, technology, innovation, global footprint, financial stability and cost effectiveness were key metrics they would evaluate. As a trusted mover for over 100 years, Suddath emerged as the right choice.

Suddath focused their solutions on three internal customers:

• Assignee – associate and partner experience, support information, communication
• HR and Talent Mobility – reporting, program enhancement and recommendations
• Procurement – ESG, compliance, SLA accountability, and cost savings

RESULTS

• Savings: Annualized savings of $291,000 through negotiated rates, lower insurance premiums and free storage with Suddath’s exclusive container program
• Increased Move Options: Suddath addressed all moving needs by introducing: baggage, containerized small shipments, international and domestic van lines transport modes.
• Improved client satisfaction to 95% in the first year
• Cost Containment: Narrowed the gap from estimate to actual within 10%
• Vastly Improved Reporting: Easy access to data through secure client portal
• Better Experience: Lower claims experience due to higher quality labor sources and use of containers
• Talent Recruitment: Relocation became a tool for talent mobility
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: Employee and CHRO satisfaction
• NO noise!

From international partner moves with a higher level of service requirements to smaller moves from Ivy League schools to big city apartments, Suddath delivered personalized services that exceeded expectations. The dedicated account management team’s decades of experience working with and supporting global law firms helped to facilitate a smooth onboarding process.

The post International Law Firm Consolidates Household Goods Moving Providers appeared first on Suddath.

Geographically, Alaska is the largest state in the United States, by far, with 665,384 square miles. That’s more than twice as big as second-ranking Texas (268,596). With a population of just 738,023 in 2022, only 1.2 people, on average, live per square mile.

While you might picture soaring glaciers and wild tundra, much of the southeastern portion of the state is forest. The Tongass National Forest comprises 16.8 million acres and Chugach has 4.8 million acres. Then, of course, there is the temperature to contend with. You’ll need to bundle up during much of the year. Although temperatures vary by what part of the huge state you’re in, the average temperatures of Anchorage can give you a sense of what to expect.

Mid-May to Mid-September is the warm season with average highs at 59°F or higher. July typically sees the most heat at an average high of 67°F and low of 55°F. The coldest part of the year is from November through early March with averages below freezing. January is the coldest month with an average low of 13°F and high of 24°F.

This guide shares additional things to know before moving to Alaska, a unique state with a fascinating lifestyle. For a seamless relocation, count on Suddath’s Alaska moving services.

City Living in Alaska

Moving to Anchorage, Alaska

Although Alaska, when looking at averages, is sparsely populated, city life does exist—especially in its largest city, Anchorage. With a 2022 population of 291,131, just about 40 percent of Alaskans live in this one city.

When moving to Anchorage, Alaska, it may be the most unusual form of city life you’ll experience. While serving as the state’s urban center, it’s also home to mountains and glaciers, eagles soaring overhead, moose on the sidewalks, and salmon swimming in the streams.

Demographically, it’s a young city with about one in four people being under the age of eighteen and an average age of 32. Linguistically, it’s incredibly diverse with nearly one hundred languages being spoken.

Moving to Fairbanks, Alaska

Although much less populated than Anchorage, Fairbanks has a 2022 population of 32,711, similar to many suburban areas of mainland U.S with a more rural feel. Nicknamed the “Golden Heart City,” nearly one in three residents are in the 25 to 44-year-old range. This city is ethnically and culturally diverse, typical of the state.

Fairbanks runs along the Chena River at the northern end of the Alaska Railroad. Overall, Fairbanks is known as a military town plus an educational center (largely because of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks) and a healthcare region. When moving to Fairbanks, Alaska, you’ll be relocating to a beautiful region.

Moving to Juneau, Alaska

The capital of Alaska, Juneau has an average population of 32,451, but this number can grow by several thousand during the tourism season. In fact, the two main occupations in Juneau are governmental jobs and ones in tourism. When it comes to your natural neighbors, this city has more bald eagles than anywhere in the United States, and bears are common. Juneau residents need to be hyper aware when even just in their yards to keep an eye out for bears and other wildlife.

Younger generations mostly live in the downtown area while people who want to live further away from nightlife are located in the quieter valley. This is a walkable town with plenty of outdoor adventures to enjoy. When it’s not the tourist season, life can be pretty quiet.

Remote Living in Alaska

If you’re relocating to Alaska’s more remote regions, you may enjoy a sense of community that is hard to find anywhere else. Other things that will be hard (or impossible) to find include conveniences many people are used to: fast foods, reliable cell phone reception, choice of radio station, wide selection of stores, and even electricity. For many people, this can be an ideal lifestyle. Investigate to make sure it’s right for you and choose a highly experienced mover when shipping household goods to Alaska’s more remote areas.

Alaska Economy

The main industry in Alaska is oil with about 85 percent of state revenue coming from this industry. A secondary one, tourism, attracts more than one million people each year, and so many people are employed in fields that support tourism activity. The third largest industry in Alaska is fishing with nearly six billion pounds of seafood caught annually. Three additional industries of note are timber, mining, and agriculture.

Employment rates are satisfactory currently with an unemployment rate of 4.6% in Alaska. Some jobs are seasonal, fluctuating with tourism. These can include working at national parks and in resorts, being employed by cruise lines and fishing lodges, and so forth.

The cost of living when moving to Alaska may well go up compared to where you live now, but it can be partially offset in a couple of ways. First, cost of living is about 26.07% higher than average with only Hawaii, Washington D.C., New York, and California being higher. This is true, in part, because of utilities costs in a state where it can be cold much of the year as well as the cost of shipping goods up to the state.

However, Alaska doesn’t have a state tax. Some cities have local income tax but not all do. This can help to make up for the overall higher cost of living, and residents who opt into the state’s Permanent Fund Dividend Division can receive annual checks that average $1,100. In 2018, the amount was $1,600.

Relocating to Alaska for Work

If you already know you’re moving to Alaska for work, here is information about our corporate moving services. If, on the other hand, you want to relocate to Alaska but are still seeking a job, the Alaska Department of Jobs and Workforce Development provides information.

For example:

• When moving to Anchorage, Alaska, you’ll find the most job openings available in the state along with more reasonable costs of living.
• When moving to Fairbanks, Alaska, many jobs are related to the government and the university.
  When moving to Juneau, Alaska, tourism and government jobs are most common with tourism ones being seasonal.
• When moving to Valdez, Alaska, you’ll be located in a place where tourism and oil jobs can be available.

In season, the Kenai Peninsula (Kenai, Homer, Seward, and Soldotna) has seasonal work often available in tourism and seafood processing. Kodiak Island has a booming fishing industry, seasonally speaking.

If you’re willing to go off the road system (more about that next), western and northern Alaska contain villages such as Barrow, Kotzebue, and Nome that can struggle to find “qualified professional and technical employees” and, sometimes, “qualified medical, city government and education professionals.” These can translate into opportunities for the right people.

Getting Around Alaska

Alaska’s highway system is limited at best. Some areas, including but not limited to Juneau and Ketchikan, are accessible by water and air only with huge swaths of the state in northern and interior Alaska only reachable by air. Because of this, these areas can have significant costs of living.

The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport serves as the state’s travel hub. From there, you can take the Alaska Railroad with its 470 miles of track connecting Seward to Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. Stops are also made in Girdwood, Spencer Whistle Stop, Wasilla, and Whittier. Direct flights from the mainland are also available to Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka.

You can rent cars in Anchorage and other Alaska cities, plus in some towns. Note that prices are higher than in the mainland, and rental companies will hold you responsible for any damage done on non-paved roads (insurance doesn’t cover that, either). You can rent vehicles specifically tailored for gravel roads, though; gravel highways include the Denali Highway running between Canwell and Paxson, and the roads from Chitina to McCarthy among others.

Bus lines and shuttles are sometimes available from smaller companies, and some offer quite a comfortable ride. What’s most important: investigate how you’ll navigate where you need to go and then plan appropriately.

Recreation in Alaska

The state government website notes that people in Alaska take their recreation quite seriously, and they provide a helpful guide. Opportunities include:

• Outdoor summer camping: Most Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land can be camped on for up to two weeks at a time. No RSVPs, though; it’s first come, first served.
• Hunting: This includes moose, caribou, Dali sheep, mountain goats, Sitka blacktailed deer, musk ox, bear, wolves and birds. BLM lands are typically open under the laws of the State of Alaska Fish and Game.
• Fishing: More than 2.5 million acres of lakes and 100,000-plus miles of stream are on public land. Fish includes Chinook, coho, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout, Arctic char, northern pike, Dolly Varden, and Arctic grayling. Sport fish are regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
• Trails for hiking, biking, bird and wildlife watching, and much more. This includes the 730-acre Campbell Tract, 27-mile Pinnell Mountain Recreational Trail, million-acre White Mountains National Recreation Area, and much more.
• Mountain biking: If you’re up for a significant challenge and a thrilling adventure, here’s information.
• Horseback riding: The BLM Campbell Tract provides several trails to see the area in traditional ways.
• Winter fat tire biking: There are literally hundreds of miles of trails for winter biking, ideal if you’re feeling cooped up.
• Cross-country skiing: This can be a perfect way to enjoy Alaska’s winters. Here’s a map to guide you.
• Ice fishing: The best time to go is right after water freezes and fish are still active. Follow safety guidelines carefully and fish for burbot, char, coho salmon, Dolly Varden, sheefish, trout, and whitefish.

Also consider gold mining! The BLM provides a panning for gold video. Plus, you don’t want to miss the Iditarod Sled Dog Race and other dog sledding competitions. Mush!

Education in Alaska

Public schools are consistently ranked “among the finest in the nation” with the Anchorage School District having ACT and SAT scores for college entrance above the national average. Most schools teach computer technology with many students participating in remote learning.

Universities include three separately accredited locations of the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and Juneau with a dozen campuses around the state. Alaska Pacific University is the state’s only private liberal arts college, and Alaska is also home to Wayland Baptist University and Charter College.

Important Alaska Links

After relocating to Alaska, you’ll need to settle in and take care of business. You can find information at the State of Alaska website, including how to get a driver’s license, register to vote, find public notices, and more.

If you’ll be starting your own business, you can find plenty of help. If:

• Moving to Anchorage, Alaska: The Anchorage municipality site provides a wealth of information, including helpful maps and information about the fire department, police department, sanitary services, and more.
• Moving to Fairbanks, Alaska: Navigate the city of Fairbanks’ site to get information about the fire department, police department, garbage pickup, and much more.
• Moving to Juneau, Alaska: The city of Juneau offers information about their fire department, police department, recycling, and more.

Each site provides plenty of practical information about things to know before relocating to Alaska as well as what you should do when you arrive.

Moving to Alaska? Need Help Shipping Household Goods to Alaska?

When it’s time to select international movers, please contact us for a free moving quote. Suddath’s movers are highly skilled and experienced in helping people who are relocating to Alaska to have a seamless experience. With locations across the country—including our Jacksonville movers and movers in Dallas—we’re ready to assist you wherever you are. We’ll leverage our 100-years plus of experience to provide you with a stress-free move, shipping household goods to Alaska safely and with great care.

Whether you’re seeking a residential move to Alaska or you need our corporate moving services, we’re here to help.

The post Things to Know Before Moving to Alaska appeared first on Suddath.

If you already know that you’ll relocate to Italy, Suddath international movers can help with the process. Find advice on steps to take in our Complete Guide to the International Moving Process and you can also get a free international moving quote.

Most Popular Destinations in Italy for People Coming from the U.S.

Some of the most popular cities for those moving to Italy from the United States include:

• Florence
• Milan
• Lake Como
• Trentino
• Brescia
• Padua

Moving to Italy: Checklist of Important Documents

To relocate overseas, you’ll need the appropriate documents. Here are ones to have at hand when moving from the United States to Italy:

• Your birth certificate and those of family members moving with you
• A marriage certificate, if you are married
• Health insurance documents
• Medical records and documentation
• Vaccination records for everyone in the family (including pets)
• Educational records, such as transcripts, diplomas, and other certificates
• Visas and work permits
• Driver’s licenses
• Previous two years of tax returns
• Veterinary records and vaccination records if you are bringing pets

Making copies of these important documents and organizing them is a proactive way to keep processes moving forward when moving to Italy. Once you have the appropriate documents, you may want to open a bank account in Italy and find a place to live.

Once you know when and where you’re moving, contact an experienced international moving company to make the process as simple as possible. With Suddath, you’ll get paired with a knowledgeable move coordinator who will make your transition as smooth as it can be.

Moving to Italy: Checklist of Visas and Work Permits

Americans living in Italy are considered to be either non-resident (staying in the country for less than three months) or resident (planning to stay for more than three months). If you’re relocating there, then you’ll be considered a non-Italian resident.

• Resident Americans must obtain an entrance visa from an Italian consulate before coming to Italy. This process takes several weeks, so plan appropriately.
• Upon arrival, apply for a permit of stay, available through a national post office, and keep the receipt.
• Within 20 days of receiving a permit to stay, go to the local Vital Statistics Bureau to apply for a certificate of residency.
• When planning to stay for more than 12 months, you will need to sign an integration agreement, available at the provincial police headquarters.
• In the document, you will be agreeing to gain an adequate understanding of the language, civil structure, and culture.
• You’ll need to earn 30 points within two years with 16 of them earned by signing the agreement. The remaining 14 will need to be earned over a two-year period by taking classes or passing tests, among other requirements.

Bank Accounts

Documents you’ll need include your passport, tax number, proof of address, and proof of employment or your resident status. In general, you won’t need to make an appointment to open a bank account. Keep all copies of the paperwork provided.

Your tax number (known in Italian as the codice fiscale) is a 16-digit alphanumeric code that’s similar to a Social Security number in the United States.

Healthcare

The National Health Service is funded by taxes—corporate and value-added—and the system automatically provides healthcare for citizens and legal foreign residents. In general, primary care, inpatient care, and health screenings are free with benefits for maternity care, home care, specialty care, pharmaceuticals, and more. Copayments can be charged for specialty visits and certain outpatient medications. Residents do not pay deductibles, and there is a limited amount of private health insurance in Italy’s system.

What It’s Like to Live in Italy

In many ways, living in Italy may feel like living in the United States with many of the same comforts. There are, however, nuances that will likely be new to you.

Italy is a developed country steeped in rich history and culture—and here is more information about language, culture, cuisine, art, literature, and climate.

Language

Italian truly is a beautiful language with a melodic rhythm. This is one of the five most prominent Romance languages, one that is derived from Vulgar Latin, and is the official language of the country. People speak in regional dialects but write in standard Italian. The sound system is fairly straightforward with most words ending in vowels—and the stereotype of Italians also speaking with hand gestures has plenty of truth.

Nearly everyone in Italy speaks the official language with more than 10 percent also speaking English. Because, as a resident, you’ll be required to learn the language adequately, taking lessons in Italian can make sense before moving to Italy.

Culture

The Renaissance period that began in Italy transitioned Europe from the Middle Ages to modern times. This was a time of extraordinary art, literature, music, and architecture along with enriched knowledge of philosophy, science, and more. This era began in the 14th century and flowered in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Cuisine

Italian cuisine focuses on the quality of ingredients with simple recipes allowing their flavor of them to shine through. Specific dishes vary, depending upon whether they developed in the northern or southern part of the country—with the recipes and preparation methods evolving as the cuisine spread. Traditionally, Italian families gather together for mealtimes and use them as a time to connect and converse. This is true in restaurants and in people’s homes.

Art

From Leonardo Da Vinci to Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Botticelli, and more, Italian Renaissance art is among the most stunning in the world. From painting to sculpting, these artists are considered to be giants in the world of art. Italy is also home to some of the most incredible art museums: The Vatican Museums, Borghese Gallery, Uffizi Gallery, and more.

Literature

Italian literature from the 14th century may have triggered the Renaissance with three writers standing out. Dante Alighieri is a poet who laid the foundation for Italy’s literature—and so did poets Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio. These three men were extremely influential and their work is still studied and discussed today.

Climate

Italy lies in the temperate climate zone with different weather conditions along the length of the country. In the south, the Mediterranean climate means sunny and hot summers with often dry conditions along with mild winters that can get quite rainy. In the north, the climate is less sunny, more like the rest of the European continent. Sometimes, comparisons have been made between Italy’s climate and that of parts of California.

Italy uses the Celsius scale for temperatures instead of Fahrenheit, so this can take a bit of adjustment.

Transportation: How to Get Around in Italy

Cities and towns are often connected by the country’s extensive train network with travel by train being fast, convenient, and comfortable. Train speeds go up to 185 miles per hour with snack bars and WiFi access often available.

Many villages, though, are only accessible by car. People also travel by bus in Italy although the country does not have a national train system. When traveling between the mainland and the island of Sicily and Sardinia, several ferry services are available.

Moving with Pets

Cats and dogs can go with you to Italy if they are at least three months old. You must obtain a valid veterinary certificate that lists information about you, the animal, and vaccination records, including for rabies. The animal must have a tattoo or microchip with a cage or carrier that lists your name, address, and contact number in Italy. Once the animal gets into Italy, a veterinarian in the country can provide you with an EU Pet Passport.

You can bring up to five pets into Italy from this list: birds, dogs, cats, small fish, common reptiles/frogs/lizards, small turtles, and rodents (other than rabbits and hares). You’ll need to obtain a sanitary certificate for birds and possibly meet other requirements.

Nearby Countries to Visit

When moving to Italy, you’ll be near plenty of interesting countries, ones you can travel to in a relatively short time. Here are countries that border Italy:

• Austria
• France
• Slovenia
• Switzerland

Two countries are actually inside of Italy’s borders—San Marino and the Vatican City—while Sicily and Sardinia are islands that are regions of Italy. Other nearby countries include:

• Germany
• Yugoslavia
• Hungary
• Greece

Once you’re settled into your new home in Italy, consider going on a trip to explore these countries.

Types of Housing Available in Italy

In general, homes in Italy are much older than ones in the United States. People still live in homes built in the 14th and 15th century in Italy while, in the United States, the most common age of a home is between 11 and 20 years. Homes tend to be smaller in Italy, too, averaging 871 square feet. Contrast that to the average American home at 2,600 square feet and the difference is clear.

Here’s another key difference. In the United States, about 70 percent of people live in single-family homes. In Italy, more than 50 percent of people live in apartments with more than 25 percent in large condo buildings.

Some towns and cities in Italy are making an interesting offer to help bring in new people, selling beautiful old homes that have been abandoned for just one Euro. Buyers are typically required to renovate the home.

Here are helpful terms to know:

• Appartamenti: apartments located in urban areas, including:

• Monolocale: studio apartments
  • Biolcale: two-bedroom apartments
  • Trilocale: three-bedroom apartments

• Casa: house with these types:

• Casa gemella: semi-detached house
  • Casa padronale: country house
  • Casale: farmhouse
  • Casetta: small house
  • Villa: detached home with garden/land surrounding it
  • Villino: cottage or small house with a garden

Long-term rentals typically aren’t furnished and don’t have appliances included. Rental contracts can be:

• Contratto transitorio: This is a temporary contract that lasts from one month to 18 months. This is not a renewable contract.
• 3+2 contracts: These contracts last for three years and are then automatically renewed for two more. The deposit can be more than the rent.
• 4+4 contracts: These last for three years, automatically renewed for four more. Deposits are negotiable.

Rental homes and apartments are usually privately owned in Italy, so you would typically negotiate directly with them. You may decide that renting is easier when you first arrive in Italy. Then, you can make a decision about buying once you’re living in the country.

Moving to Florence

When moving to Florence (called “Firenze” in Italy with a soft “say” for the last syllable), you’ll live in the beautiful Tuscan hills, home of the Renaissance. This is where Michelangelo sculpted his timeless David. Restaurants offer delicious Italian cuisine with wine available from neighboring towns. You can also buy fresh bread, cheese, meat, and produce for your own culinary treasures.

When moving to Florence, Italy from the United States, four neighborhoods are often chosen:

• Santo Spirito: Artists and students flock to this vibrant area—and so do expats. You can shop at a market in the piazza daily, ensuring fresh ingredients for your meals. Santo Spirito is located in a limited traffic zone and it can be a long process to get a car permit.
• San Frediano: This neighborhood has a similar vibe to the first with in-demand cocktail bars for socializing. Because this is home to David, you can expect plenty of tourists during the daytime (although not usually at night). In San Frediano, you can stroll through a gorgeous botanical garden.
• Sant’ Ambrogio: This neighborhood is home to an amazing produce market as well as the famous Cibreo restaurant. Sant’ Ambrogio is named after a Roman Catholic church named after Saint Ambrose. Legend says the church was built in 393 when the saint visited Florence.
• San Marco: This is also a well-visited neighborhood so, if you choose this lovely area, know that you’ll encounter plenty of tourists. It’s home to wonderful restaurants and art galleries with the key attraction being the Church of San Marco. This 17th-century church is ornately beautiful, an historical and cultural treasure.

When moving to Florence, you’ll be in the center of timeless beauty in the midst of modern life.

Moving to Milan

When moving to Milan, you’ll live in the second largest city in Italy, the Fashion Capital of the World that’s located in the northern part of the country.