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Moving Tips

5 Ways to Deal With Your NJ Relocation Depression

5 Ways to Deal With Your NJ Relocation Depression

Even if you’re excited for your upcoming relocation to New Jersey, a move can leave you feeling dispirited, especially if you’re moving to a completely new city. After all, you’ll be leaving behind your old friends and, if you’re moving away from home, your family members. So if you’re feeling depressed because of all these changes, you’re not alone. 

Almost every major life event, no matter how positive, can lead to a period of upheaval. What matters are the steps you take to ensure these negative emotions don’t affect your overall mental health and wellness. That’s why we have compiled a list of tips and tricks to keep you on track and feeling good.

What is Relocation Depression

While it’s not a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5 manual, relocation depression, also known as adjustment disorder, is very real and its effects vary greatly between people. For many, the disruption to their routine as well as the anxiety associated with a move, can lead to temporary sadness. Depending on how far you’re moving, it can mean losing your support network, feelings of isolation, and dealing with culture shock. Other causes of relocation depression include:

  • Physical and mental exhaustion from the move
  • Uncertainty about the future
  • Increased financial burden
  • New job or career
  • Underlying mental health issues

These emotions are felt even strongly in children who thrive on routine and familiarity. While many children thrive in their new environment, others might have difficulty fitting in or making friends. Studies show that frequent moves during childhood can lead to poor mental health later in life.

Suffering from relocation depression isn’t limited to younger people. Many senior citizens experience the same effects, especially when they are moved into senior care facilities. After all, they are being moved out of their home, which they might have lived in for decades with many requiring some kind of aid from complete strangers. 

Symptoms of Relocation Depression

Not everyone experiences relocation depression the same way, but there are a few things you should look out for including:

  • Changes in your sleep whether that’s sleeping more or less than usual
  • Feeling irritable
  • Change in appetite
  • Lack of interest in your regular activities
  • Overall sadness
  • Difficulty completing tasks
  • Loss of interest in socializing
  • Difficulty concentrating

Unsurprisingly, these are similar symptoms as clinical depression. The difference is that adjustment disorder is temporary and should go away as you get settled. Still, the symptoms can persist long after your move if you don’t find ways to address it. It is especially easy to let these feelings persist if you have feelings of regret or start doubting your ability to adapt. 

Coping with Relocation Depression

Over time, you should find it easier to get used to your new life in New Jersey, but adjusting to these changes can still be challenging. You might even feel pressured to put on a brave face for your children and especially at your new job. However, your best bet is to confront the issue and find ways to handle these changes. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to make the transition to your NJ home easier.

Familiarize Yourself With Your New Neighborhood

If you’ve moved to a new city in New Jersey or are coming from out-of-state take some time after your move to explore your surroundings. Look up local tourist attractions or events happening in your town or in the surrounding areas. You should also find ways to meet new friends whether activity groups or even volunteering.

Make Your Home Comfortable

Don’t take too long unpacking your things. While you might want to procrastinate for a few days, try to unpack as much as possible in the first week. The very act of cleaning and organizing your things can help reduce your anxiety and increase your overall comfort levels. Plus, unpacking can also help make you feel more productive, which can then carry over to other parts of your life.

While you should unpack the essential boxes first, don’t neglect decorating your new place. Take some time to go to a local hardware or paint store with your family and choose some colors for a few of the communal rooms. If you have kids, let them choose what color they want their room and maybe even pick a few stencils. Of course, you don’t have to paint if you don’t want to. However, you should take some time to add a few decorations around the house to make it feel more lived in. If you don’t have many, consider purchasing a few items such as:

  • Candles
  • Wall art
  • Throw pillows
  • Curtains
  • Photos of friends and family

Don’t forget to set up a space in your house where you can relax. It might be a reading nook or even just a cushy sofa. Whatever the case, you want a place where you can enjoy some quiet time.

Practice Self-Care

With all the excitement of moving, it’s easy to focus on the tasks at hand and push your own needs to the side. However, that’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, carve out some time in your calendar for some self-care activities that you know will put you in a better mood. Some potential ideas include:

  • Journaling
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Taking a shower
  • Enjoying a hobby
  • Exercising
  • Listening to music
  • Enjoying your favorite snack or meal

Some of these activities only take a few minutes, so you won’t fall too far behind schedule. Plus a happier and relaxed you will make you even more productive!

Throw a Party

After a big move, it’s common for folks to throw a housewarming party. Not only is it a great way to get to know your neighbors, it’s also a way for you to celebrate a new beginning in your life! Invite over any friends or family who live in the area as well as your neighbors. You don’t need to throw a huge party. In fact, you should try to keep it as low-key as possible to reduce stress. Ask folks to bring something to the party whether it’s food or drinks. After that, spend a few hours chatting and relaxing.

Another benefit of a housewarming party is that it motivates you to finish unpacking and cleaning. It’s also a great excuse to decorate and use your new kitchen!

Fall Back into Your Routine

It’s important to have a routine, especially in the midst of a life changing event like a big move! This is true of you as an adult, your kids, and even your pets. A routine helps add normalcy to your life and allows you to get back in a comfortable groove. With that said, moving means even your old routines get a makeover since you’ll be in a new location. That 30 minute morning walk with your dog is now an adventure to explore different parts of your neighborhood. The same with going to the gym or a yoga studio. Plus, you’ll also get to meet other people who might end up becoming your friend.

As for the kids, make sure you keep them on the same schedule of dinner and bedtime. For the first few weeks, cook family favorites. If you have young children, make sure to read their favorite bedtime stories. School-aged children might need to make some adjustments when it comes to what time they wake up, especially if the school is further away. Still, you should bring over as many traditions/schedule as possible so the move isn’t too jarring for them.

Make Your Move Easier!

If you’ve already found your dream home, you can make the next chapter in your life a lot easier by hiring professional NJ movers like us! At NJ Great Movers, we can help with packing and unpacking in addition to our standard moving services. Just let us know what you need and we’ll provide more information!

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Moving Tips

What Is Moving Insurance and Is It Important for Your NJ Move?

What is Moving Insurance and Do You Need It for my NJ move

Moving your belongings from your old home to your new one is a difficult process. You can only hope that everything arrives in one piece. While you’ll have better chances of a damage-free move when using professional NJ movers, there’s always the possibility that something could break. For a more stress-free move, you might consider purchasing moving insurance

What is Moving Insurance?

In simple terms, moving insurance is a protection plan for your belongings during a move. You generally have three available options:

  • Released value protection – the most basic coverage protection. 
  • Full value protection – coverage for the full replacement of items
  • Third party insurance – more comprehensive coverage for a variety of potential issues

All moving companies are required by federal law to have released and full value protection. These aren’t technically ‘insurance’ (as moving companies cannot sell insurance) and instead are simply an amount of liability the will pay if they damage an item during the move and thus don’t cover every potential problem overs m that might arise. Actual moving insurance is only available through third parties.

Which is Better: Valuation vs. Insurance

There is a fundamental difference between valuation and insurance and that’s typically how much coverage it provides. Unless you’re getting the cheapest moving insurance on the market, third party options tend to provide coverage for a wider variety of scenarios than valuation. More importantly, you can only get the valuations from the moving company that you hire. Different companies offer different types of valuations, so make sure to ask about their options before hiring them. With that said, the most common options are:

Released value protection

Covers $0.60 per pound per item for damaged goods. Best for short distance/local moves with only a few high value items. This valuation comes at no cost to you so it’s a good way to save money if you’re on a tight budget. However, if something of high value does get damaged, you likely will only get a small pittance in return. As well, the coverage might be avoid if you pack your own things.

Full Value Protection

As the name suggests, full value protection provides more coverage than released value. While this will cost extra money, it offers a lot more coverage for your belongings. A common valuation for this option is $6 per pound per item. The movers will provide one of three options for damaged items:

  • Repair it
  • Replace it with something of equal current market value
  • Cash settlement for current market value of damaged item

While it can cover higher value items that are worth $100 per pound or more, think fine china or electronics, you will need to inform the movers of each of these items in writing to receive coverage. If you don’t, then they can limit how much liability they take. Plan on using short term storage? Use the one provided by the moving company. Your items will still be protected by the mover’s valuation as well as their own storage insurance. If you use a third-party storage solution and something gets damaged while in storage, the moving company will not be liable.

How much the coverage costs is dependent on the total market value of all your items. Most companies charge around 1% of the total value. This is perfect if you have a lot of expensive items you need to move and/or if you are moving long distance.

As good as full value protection might be, it still doesn’t cover everything, most notably things that are out of the movers control. This includes damages from natural disasters, fires, pests, mildew, mold, and more. And much like released value protection, if you pack the boxes, the movers won’t be held liable for any damage as the damages could have been caused by your improper packing skills. That’s why you should request the movers to pack all your fragile items so if it does get damaged during the move, you are not to blame!

Third Party Insurance

Unlike valuations, third party insurance tends to provide greater coverage. Of course, you’ll need to shop around to find a policy that provides the coverage you want. For the most part though you’ll want something that covers damage from:

  • Natural disasters
  • Mechanical and electrical accidents
  • Fires
  • Mold and mildew
  • Insects and pests

Your moving insurance coverage lasts up to 90 days if you need to store your stuff in your movers’ storage option. You can even extend it if necessary. However, if you plan on using self-storage ask the company if they offer coverage as many do not. Some policies you might want to consider include:

  • Liability – compensates you for the your loss on top released value protection
  • Floater – applies to specific items like jewelry or fine china
  • Special perils contents – applies to damage to specific items sans breakables
  • Trip transit – threats to your items while movers are in transit, mainly accidents caused by other people, automobile/personnel failure, or natural disasters

Insurance prices vary across the board and are based on the value of all your items, level of deductible you choose, and the destination. With that said, you can expect to pay at least $200. If this seems too expensive, consider the cost of having to replace your electronics or artwork. 

Do You Need Moving Insurance?

Ultimately, the decision requires you to take stock of your items and figure out the value of everything. While professional movers do their best to get everything to your new place without a scratch, there’s always the possibility something might get damaged. If you’re not moving very far or very much, you can probably get away with the released value protection and save yourself a few hundred dollars. However, investing in full valuation protection and/or third party moving insurance might be the better option if you have a lot of valuable items. And while it might add to your moving budget, it could save you a lot of money should something happen. Of course, the hope is that everything arrives intact at your new home, but you can at least have peace of mind when you purchase insurance that you’ll be able to receive some help.

If you’re ready to make your NJ move, make sure to work with professional NJ movers as they can provide you with information on their valuations and even recommendations for moving insurance.

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How To

How to Find a Reliable Moving Company: 4 Questions to Ask

How to Find a Reliable Moving Company 4 Questions to Ask

The Better Business Bureau receives an average of 13,000 complaints and negative reviews on movers every year,  and moving scams themselves have cost Americans a total of around $2.1 million a year. Not surprisingly, the amount of moving scams increased during the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the amount of scams have decreased since then, you still need to stay on your toes when dealing with movers. 

While most moving companies are reliable and reputable, it’s still important to do your research. That includes asking questions when you speak to each moving company. The below questions will help you avoid scam companies and find a professional moving company that meets your requirements.

Question 1: What is your company’s experience with moving?

When it comes to moving, it’s essential to hire a professional moving company with years of experience. Moving can be a complex process that involves various tasks, such as packing, loading, and transporting your belongings to a new location. An experienced moving company can handle these tasks with ease and efficiency, ensuring that your move is as stress-free as possible. They have the knowledge and expertise to handle any challenges that may arise during the moving process, such as navigating narrow hallways or dealing with fragile items. 

On top of that, moving companies that have been around for several years have likely moved pretty much everything including items like pianos, pool tables, hot tubs, antiques, and more so if you plan on moving any of these items, you know you’ll get a better moving experience when you hire reliable movers.

Finally, movers with years of experience have the necessary equipment and tools to handle your items with care and can provide additional services such as packing and unpacking, which can save you time and effort. Additionally, experienced movers are familiar with the local area and can easily navigate through notoriously tricky city and back streets without any issues. Hiring an experienced moving company is a wise investment that can save you time, money, and stress.

Question 2: Are you licensed and insured?

One of the biggest red flags for a moving company is if they are not licensed or insured. All professional moving companies have to register with the US Department of Transportation. Some states, such as New Jersey and New York, also require movers to register with the state’s Department of Transportation. All registered businesses receive a unique USDOT number (and state DOT number) that can be used to look up the company’s safety information, which includes crash investigations, inspections, and more. Licensed moving companies generally list their USDOT number on their website or provide it upon request. You can then use the number to look up information on the company including registration status, fleet size, and compliance information. Make sure the company is also “Authorized for HHG” (Household Goods), as that will confirm they are licensed for residential moves.

In addition to being licensed, you want to make sure you’re hiring insured movers. In order to receive their USDOT number, moving companies must provide proof of insurance. The most common policies include:

  • General liability – protects the company from third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury
  • Workers Compensation – provide benefits and/or medical care to moving crew in case they are injured on the job
  • Commercial Auto Insurance – protects commercial fleet in case of accidents

Some movers go a step further and add on Umbrella Liability. This supplemental policy offers protection for settlements, legal costs, and judgements. Many apartment buildings require movers to have Umbrella Insurance, so it’s not necessarily a red flag if you hire movers who don’t have it. Just asking if the company has insurance isn’t necessarily enough. You should ask them for a certificate of insurance, a form that lists all of the insurance policies they have, to make sure they have everything. Make sure to check the name and address listed on the form matches what listed on their website.

Finally, all moving companies must provide some form of cargo insurance in the form of released value protection and full value protection. The released value protection is completely free, but will only provide $0.60 per pound per each item that is damaged or lost in transit. Full value protection will provide one of the three options:

  1. Repair your damaged item
  2. Replace it with an item of equal current market value
  3. Provide a cash payout based on the market value of the item

You can also purchase moving insurance from a third-party if you happen to own a lot of valuable items.

Question 3: What services do you offer?

Hiring professionals for your move isn’t cheap, so it’s important to choose one that can meet all your needs. Outside of shipping your belongings, the best companies offer a variety of moving services. In some cases, some of these services might even be included in your basic moving such as disassembling and reassembling basic furniture, uninstalling window AC units, dismounting TVs, and more.

So what additional services can you ask for? The most common include:

  • Packing and unpacking – you can choose to hire movers to pack up certain rooms or areas or hire them for your entire house. For an additional fee, the crew can unpack your boxes and place everything in closets and cabinets the way you want.
  • Storage solutions – if you’re not planning to move into your new home immediately after your move then you can ask the movers to store your stuff for you. Most companies have storage units available for short and long term rentals.
  • Packing materials – while you can certainly find free boxes for your move, the materials you purchase from a moving company are the same ones that they use professionally when they pack and seal up your boxes. That means you can rest easy knowing the boxes won’t fall apart in the middle of transit.

There are other services you can request such as managing bulky or specialty items like pianos and asking for additional stops in case you have some things in storage. Some movers might also be able to help you with cleaning. In either case, you should be clear on your needs and then ask the movers if they are able to meet them before deciding who to hire. And remember, all of these services will cost you extra money so be sure you have room in your budget for them.

Question 4: How much will a move cost?

Cost is usually the first thing that comes to mind when considering a move. While affordable movers do exist, even on the lower end you can expect to pay at least a couple hundred dollars for a small one-bedroom apartment. As the size of your house increases, so too does the cost.

The most important thing to notice when you ask this question is whether there is transparent pricing or not. Are you getting the runaround? Do the prices seem too low in comparison to other movers you have called? Both cases are red flags that the movers are trying to scam you. Reputable movers will provide an itemized bill that lists all charges including ‘hidden’ charges such as:

  • Transportation cost
  • Stair fees
  • Materials
  • Gas

And of course the actual moving fee. Local moves tend to charge an hourly rate for moves. In comparison, long-distance moves will charge by volume and/or weight. So long as you are upfront about what you need and any services you want to include, the final bill shouldn’t be a surprise.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Trustworthy movers are more than happy to field any questions you have and will provide detailed and informative answers. Be wary of anyone who tries to argue with you or pressure you into hiring them. Their prices might seem like a steal, but that’s because they’re planning to scam you out of more money. If you encounter an aggressive customer service agent, simply end the conversation and move onto the next company on your list. Hiring bad movers could lead to huge issues such as damaged or lost/stolen goods and potentially losing thousands of dollars.

If you’re ready to make your next move, make sure to hire NJ Great Movers! We provide local and long-distance moves and can provide you with all the necessary paperwork and information to put your mind at ease.

Categories
How To

How to Avoid Bed Bugs During Your NJ Move

How to Avoid Bed Bugs During Your NJ Move

With bed bug numbers back on the rise after a brief respite during COVID, it’s more important than ever for you to take preventative measures. After all, no one wants to move into a new place and have to deal with a bed bug infestation. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for these tiny critters to hitch a ride on your furniture to your new home. If you want to avoid a lot of itchy nights and expensive pest control bills, follow the steps below to stop bed bugs from moving in with you.

Detect and Identify Bed Bugs Before They Spread

While bed bug infestations are more prevalent in apartment buildings, you can still get them if you live in a house. You can pick them up from almost anywhere including your job, restaurants, public transportation, taxis, hotels, and more. The more people pass through an area, the more chances there are of bed bugs. As soon as bed bugs enter your house, it can take a few months before the infestation becomes an issue. That means you could potentially already have bed bugs without any of the obvious warning signs.  

Before you start packing everything up, make sure to thoroughly check for signs. Usually, the first indicator that bed bugs are in a home is a series of bites usually in a straight line on exposed parts of the skin. Of course, this could also be the work of a mosquito so other signs include:

  • Small blood stains on sheets and pillowcases
  • Reddish or rusty stains on sheets or mattresses
  • Dark spots on sheets, mattresses, bed clothes, or even walls. These are bed bug excrement

And while these bugs are small, they’re not microscopic. You can see them if you look hard enough. Bed bugs like to nest in mattresses, box springs, drawers, furniture with cushions, and pretty much anywhere that is dark and warm.

In addition to checking your current house, you should also check your new house for any signs of bed bugs. If you do see any, make sure to contact an exterminator before you move in to get rid of the pests because it will get harder once you’ve already moved in all of your boxes.

But what about if you hire professional NJ movers? In some cases, bed bugs have been spread via the moving trucks or the movers themselves. Your best bet is to hire reputable NJ moving companies as they clean and inspect the inside of the trucks on a daily basis. As well, they will also sanitize and disinfect their fleet of trucks at least once a week and change their moving blankets often. If you want to be extra cautious, ask the moving company to inspect the truck yourself before they start loading everything.

Vacuum Everything

Your first order of business is to vacuum your entire house. Get every nook and cranny and don’t forget to vacuum things like curtains, rugs, mats, fabric furniture, etc. Make sure to really get the corners of your room and any tiny crevices in the floors. While you’re at it, vacuum the drawers of your dresser and nightstand. The idea is to get rid of as much potential debris as possible not just for you but whoever plans to move into your place after. 

This goes doubly for your new place. Before you unpack, take the time to do a thorough clean and vacuum. Get inside the cabinets and dressers. If the previous owner left any furniture, toss it! You really don’t want to risk infecting the rest of your items with potential bed bugs. 

Once you have vacuumed everything, empty the vacuum bag into a plastic trash bag and immediately throw it out. In case you do have bed bugs, you want to remove them from your house as soon as possible.

Wash Your Clothes and Seal Them

A sure fire way to kill bed bugs is to expose them to heat above 118 for at least 20 minutes. Your best bet when washing and drying your clothes is to use the hottest setting possible for water or go a step further and boil water to put into the washing machine. Every time the water refills, make sure to fill it yourself with boiling water. From there, dry everything on the highest heat. While 20 minutes might be enough for the actual bugs, if you want to make sure you destroy the eggs, you’ll have to expose these to high heat for at least 90 minutes. Once everything has been washed and dried, pack everything away in a sealable plastic bag. Better yet, get a vacuum sealed bag to ensure your clothes do not get infested. Do the same to your bedding and other items. Even if you don’t have bed bugs, putting all of your fabric items in a sealable plastic bag will also prevent them from getting infested in case your new house has them.

Cleanse and Protect Your Mattress

The most common way of bringing bugs into your home is through the mattress. If you already have bed bugs living in them, there are a few ways you can get rid of them, but the easiest way is to just toss your mattress. Of course, you shouldn’t just throw it out on the street. Make sure to wrap it up in plastic so the bed bugs can’t escape and infect other parts of your house or apartment. And, of course, make sure to write Bed Bugs in red marker to warn anyone who might be tempted to bring the mattress into their home. 

If you just got your mattress, you might not be as inclined to throw it out and get a new one. If that’s the case, you can use pesticides or heat to try to get rid of the bugs. Still, with how thick mattresses can be, these solutions might not permeate all the way to the center of the mattress. In that case, you should contact a professional who can help. Still, the only surefire way to get rid of bed bugs in the mattress is to throw it away.

So how about if you don’t have bed bugs? The best way to avoid infestation of your mattress is to first vacuum it and then encase it and the box spring in a bed bug mattress cover. Not only does this prevent bed bugs from infesting your mattress, it also keeps the bed bugs inside as well in case you have some and don’t know it yet. Bed bugs can survive 20 to 400 days without food depending on temperature and humidity so you’ll want to keep the cover on at all times. 

Avoid Bringing All of Your Old Furniture

Even if you don’t have bed bugs, you should avoid bringing too many furniture pieces with you. Besides attracting bed bugs, furniture also adds extra time to your local NJ move extra weight/volume to your long distance move. All of that means more money you’ll need to pay. So, to save yourself some money and avoid bed bugs, leave your furniture behind. Yes, you’ll have to buy new items, but you can carefully choose items that match your new house and decor.

If you do end up bringing some pieces with you make sure to properly sanitize each one. That means removing and packing the contents of all of your furniture and putting them in plastic storage boxes with lids. That way bed bugs won’t be able to get in or out. You can also hire a pest control professional to treat any items you are moving. 

Take A Shower Before and After

How do bed bugs spread so efficiently? Well they hitch rides on humans! While they might not live in your hair like lice, they do cling well to clothes. If you have pets, they can also hide in their fur. And don’t overlook things like your pet’s toys and beddings. These are prime locations for bed bugs to hide. Ideally, you would just throw out everything, but if you can’t make sure to treat them properly! 

And while it might take some time, make sure everyone in the house involved in the move takes a shower and changes into fresh clothes before leaving. Place any dirty clothes in a sealable plastic bag to wash later. Don’t forget to wash your pets! They might not be happy about it, but you want to get rid of any potential problems.

Once you’ve moved into your new place, repeat the process. Everyone should take a shower and change into fresh clothes. It might seem like overkill, but you can never be too careful.

Move Bed Bug Free

With so many incidents of bed bugs popping up across the US, it’s important to protect yourself so you don’t have to spend months trying to treat the issue after you’ve already unpacked. The steps above should help reduce your chances of moving bed bugs. And if you’re looking to hire movers, make sure to hire reputable NJ movers as they take numerous precautions to avoid the spread of bed bugs.