Furniture Moving Tips
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Be organized
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Clean and vacuum furniture and appliances
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Make sure you have a babysitter for children & pets
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Make sure walkways are clear of snow and debris
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Purchase proper moving boxes and pack properly. This will save you money on labour charges
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Remove all glass from furniture and pack it properly
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Always pack your own jewelry and medication and moved these items yourself. Make sure memory items are double packed.
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Be careful not to pack flammables
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Purchase bags for your bed. Dismantle your bed and bag and tape your box spring and mattress to keep it clean. Purchase mirror cartons for you mirrors, pictures and glass. Wardrobe cartons are of course for you wardrobe, but can also be used for large plants
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Purchase a roll of shrink wrap and shrink wrap tables, end tables, china cabinets, dress, etc. It can help protect your furniture
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Make sure your mover pads all your furniture
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Don’t pile boxes in front of the exits. Keep them off to the side so the path is free from clutter
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Make sure you tell your mover about furniture or items that are of sentimental value to you so they can take special care of them
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The most important tip is to make sure you have an extra day before new owners move in
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Moving can be very stressful, but a professional can make your move run smoothly
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Relax
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Smell the roses
Looking to buy a piano
Look at the structure of the piano; you don’t want a piano that is falling apart. Look closely for cracks; you want to be able to see top and bottom, front and back. Make sure the sides of the piano are still glued tight. A lot of pianos need the tow blocks and sides glued back together.
Underneath the piano there is a skid board that is screwed to the blocks and the back frame. It is important that the skid board be in good shape. The pedals are screwed to the skid board, push rods attach to the pedals. That moves the action; it’s bad movers who usually break the skid board; heat and water could also cause this damage. Look behind the piano for cracks to the soundboard. Not all cracks are a problem. Look at the beams on the back of the piano. If they look good they probably are.
Remove all the boards in front of the piano, sometimes you need two people working together. Now you get a good look inside. Look for mouse droppings or debris such as pens, coins, toys, etc. Look closely at the harp, bridges, and pin block for cracks. Look at the tuning pins. When the tuning pins go in too deep your piano may need to be repined. Keys can be expensive to replace. Refinishing a piano like new can cost about $2000.00 - $35,000.00. After you’ve had a good look at the piano and it looks good and sounds good, call a piano technician for an appraisal.
There are a lot of very good used pianos, make sure you get one.
Selling a Piano
Have your piano tuned and appraised so you can charge a fair price.
P.S. Don’t wax your piano, it can be hard on the finish and makes moving a little more difficult.
