Family Moving

How to Choose Movers for Your Home

Choosing the right movers for your move isn’t an easy feat, especially if it is a large residential move for the entire family. If you’ve found your dream home and need to get ready to move, our expert residential moving services can help! We offer the professional, courteous, and reliable service that you can count on to ensure your moving process goes off without a hitch. When you’re ready to hire the best movers in Ottawa, Ottawa Moving Logistics delivers the expertise that you can trust.

 

We’re Family-Owned & Operated

 

As a family-owned business, we care about the quality of service that we provide to our customers because they’re also our neighbours and friends. We take pride in serving the members of our community for decades with top-notch moving services that we’d expect for our family.

 

We Provide Managers to Supervise Each Move

 

To ensure each move goes seamlessly as possible, we have designated supervisors and managers that oversee everything. So instead of placing your sentimental belongings with two novice movers and a truck, you’ll have a dedicated supervisor to keep everything on track and organized to keep the move professionally coordinated at all times.

 

We’re Here for You!

 

We know you get busy with work and family life. Adding a move on top of that can be stressful! That’s why we are open not just Monday through Friday but Saturdays as well. We will do our best to accommodate your schedule and make your move less stressful.

 

We Offer Everything You Need

 

Beyond residential moving, we’re a one-stop-shop for all of your moving related needs. From moving supplies to packing to storage and more –  our team is fully equipped. So you won’t need to waste any time calling around to find supplies or specialized services.

 

A+ Rating at the BBB

 

Providing exceptional service to our clients is always our first priority at O.L.M. But don’t just take our word for it! In addition to our excellent reviews from past clients, we’re proud to maintain an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau. This highlights our dedication to our customers and our commitment to excellence.

 

Affordable Rates

 

We also offer affordable rates, which means you can hire our expert team for your residential move without breaking the bank. And we will always work with you to offer the best rates possible to work with your budget.

 

Moving can be stressful enough, which is why you should never leave your valuable belongings in the hands of amateur movers. This can equate to disaster if they don’t have the proper expertise to make sure that your items arrive all in one piece and without any sustained damage. At Ottawa Moving Logistics, get the reliable and professional service you need to sail smoothly through this process with minimal stress.  Get in touch today!

Moving Seniors Can Be Tough — Here’s How to Make it Easier

Moving seniors can be tough, especially if you’re relocating them to a new home, or moving them in with you, or moving them across the country. And, when it comes to organizing, packing, and unpacking, there are many factors that need to be considered in order for the transition to go smoothly. Here we’ll show you five ways you can help to make it easier on them.

Help Them Organize

You can start with helping them plan out their entire move from beginning to end. This should include taking some measurements of the new space and then plotting out the floor plan for them to decide what items will come and what will need to stay. Starting the organizing and planning early can help eliminate a lot of stress for everyone involved.

Let Them Reminisce

Moving is not just physically taxing, but emotionally draining as well. If they’re saying goodbye to the family home, it’s important to give them some time to reminisce over their memories and any keepsakes they will have to let go of. Don’t rush the process, instead give them all the time they need to pack on their own terms.  

Assist With the Packing and Cleaning

Packing is extremely exhausting, especially for seniors. So make sure you assist with all of the lifting, wrapping, packing, and cleaning during the move. If the list seems endless, make sure to enlist some family and friends to help participate — the more hands on deck, the better.

Hire a Junk Removal Service

There’s likely going to be a number of items that will need to be thrown out or recycled. Save yourself the hassle of doing this yourself by calling a junk removal service. They will come and collect the goods and then donate or properly dispose of them for you.

Call the Movers

You can save yourself a lot of work by hiring a full-service moving company. One that can help you pack, load the truck, transport all the belongings safely to the new home, and unpack as well. It may cost a little extra than hiring just a truck and calling family members, but it’s always well worth it in the end.

At Ottawa Moving Logistics, we understand that moving a senior loved one is difficult and challenging. That’s why we take the time to accommodate all your moving needs — we wrap and pad your furniture, place it in the new home just as asked, and unpack it if required. We can even organize storage space on your behalf if items don’t fit so you can arrange to have it delivered at another location in the future. To find out more about our senior moving services, contact us today!

how can i get my children excited to move?

Children often dread moving homes. And can you really blame them? Saying goodbye to all of their friends (distance-depending) and familiar things isn’t easy, especially when they’re young. Luckily, there are a few tricks that you can try to get your children excited to move. Here are a few handy tips that may help get your little ones more excited about their new chapter of living in a new home.

Talk To Them About The Change

It’s important to remember that a child won’t really understand what’s happening until you explain it to them. Young children may even think the family is breaking up, so when they start to worry, remind them what’s not going to change. Tell them that the family will be moving together and that they will still have all their favourite stuff, like their toys and games. And remind them that they can always talk to their friends online or during school to help ease their separation anxiety.

Show Them Pictures of Their New Home

One way to get your kids excited to move is to show them all the cool features of their new home. Show them photos and highlight all of the features that they can look forward to when they arrive, like a new playroom or backyard.

Show Them the Area

What will their new school be like? Where will they meet friends? You can help reduce some of these pre-move nerves by showing them around the area. Research all the cool spots for kids, where their school is located,k and take a drive to show them the area so they can start to see how great the new neighbourhood is.

Curtail Your Stress

Your children read your body language, and if they sense that you’re stressed about the move, they will start to feel the same. Whenever you talk about the move or organize things in front of your children, try to stay upbeat and positive. You should also tailor your language to use only optimistic phrases like “packing is fun” and “your toys are going on an exciting ride in the truck,” even when you’re slightly freaking out or feeling overwhelmed.

Empower Them

You can help empower your kids instead of making them feel like the decision is completely out of their hands by giving them some say during the moving process. By letting them do their own packing, decorate their new room, help pick new colours for the living room, or perform other little tasks that get them involved, you can help them feel like they’re more included in what’s happening.

Get Back to Normal

Once you’ve moved in, try to unpack your child’s room as quickly as possible. Try to get things back to normal as soon as you can so that your kids can feel comfortable in their new environment. If they have easy access to the things that make them feel safe like their toys, blankets, and games, they will be more likely to settle in and feel more excited about the whole process.

At Ottawa Moving Logistics, we’re your moving specialists. We can help make this transition as smooth and hassle-free as possible for you and your family. Contact us today to learn more about our rates and how we can help with your big move!

are you ready to move yet? here's how to find out.

Think you have everything in order for your move? If you’re unsure whether everything is under control, just make sure to check this quick list to be certain. We’ll show you if your business is ready to move with these 5 tasks that you should have already completed before packing up and heading out the door.

Is Your Moving Date Locked Down?

Once you’ve settled on the move in date, you’ll need to contact and arrange a reputable commercial moving company. It’s important to have your date locked in with the movers well ahead of time, as many moving companies will book up months and seasons in advance. And if you’re moving out of or into a building with multiple businesses, you’ll also need permission from the property management to book an elevator ahead of time so you can have everything ready to go.

Have You Done Your Moving Prep?

Before you can be ready to move, you should have all of your moving prep organized and out of the way. For instance, at this point, you should already have decided what company items you will transport and which ones you will need to get rid of. If you’re not giving the leftover items away to charity, you should arrange for a junk removal company to pick up the items well ahead of your moving date.

Have You Let Everyone Know?

Another prep item you should have taken care of is the address change over. You should have filled in or be in the process of completing the change of address forms for the appropriate government agencies, insurance companies, corporate bank accounts, utility companies and any service providers you will continue to use. Just don’t forget to let your clients and customers know that you’re moving and how they can reach you.

Have You Disposed of all the “Non-Allowables?”

There are a number of items that are not allowed to be placed on the moving truck. These include hazardous items that may be flammable or toxic. Certain liquids and perishable food items may also be on the non-allowable list provided by the moving company. So before your company moves, your boxes should be packed appropriately with any hazardous items already disposed of at the correct waste handling centre.

Do You Have all the Supplies Ready?

When it’s time to start packing up all your items, you’ll need boxes, banker boxes, tape rollers, bubble wrap, and markers for labelling. You can buy boxes from your moving company or order them online from an office supply store. We also recommend that you start to pack well in advance if you haven’t arranged the moving company to do it for you. Non-essential items can be boxed up weeks ahead of your move date and stored in a secure location until the big day. Getting a jump start on your packing process can alleviate so much stress for all the staff when the date finally arrives.

At Ottawa Moving Logistics, we can take the pain out of moving. We have everything your business needs for a successful and hassle-free move. Contact us today to find out what we offer and how we can help your business get ready for the big day.

Should We Move Before or After Having Our Baby

When you’re set on expanding your family, it’s always important to take some time to reassess your current living conditions. Sure, you can always transform that spare office into a room for the baby, but do you really have space to comfortably live and grow together as a family? Sometimes, after assessing and then re-assessing, a move just makes more sense to accommodate the growth of the family. But, you may be faced with the decision of whether to move before or after having your baby. Since babies are incredibly sensitive to changing environments, and post-natal time can be very chaotic, the answer is usually before. Here are a few reasons to help explain why a pre-baby move is best.

It’s Better for The Baby

As mentioned, babies need to feel familiar with their environment. Having structure and consistency is important to make them feel safe and secure, and to also help establish healthy patterns, such as sleeping. It takes time for your little one to get used to the sounds, the bed, and everything in between. Uprooting them from those comforts can impact their ability to sleep, which of course, can affect yours.

Postnatal Recovery Takes Time

Before you have the baby, it may seem logical to wait and move once the baby is born. But once your new bundle of joy enters the world, it’s a whole new ball game. Postnatal recovery takes time – usually much more than most new parents expect. So throwing a big move into the mix, especially during the recovery period, often isn’t a good idea.

You Could Save Money

Preparing your current home with all of the necessary baby gear, and then having to face transporting it all to your new home, can equate to a costly move. On the other hand, by moving before having your baby and purchasing the baby gear afterwards, you’ll have fewer items to move, which will help you save money.

Take Advantage of Your Free Time

Prior to your baby’s arrival, you have a lot more free time available to handle the daunting moving process – house hunting, packing, meeting with realtors. With your baby in toe, you’ll be solely on their schedule, between nap time, feeding time, diaper changing time and everything in between. So take advantage of the time and energy that you can allot now to your move and get it out of the way.

When you’re ready to take on a move with your expanding family, we’re here to help! At Ottawa Moving Logistics, we can take care of the entire process for you – from packing to unpacking to transportation and more. Contact us today to learn about how we can help make your pre or postnatal move a breeze.

5 Reasons NOT to Plan a Friends & Family Move

Relying on friends and family is something you can make do with once or twice during your early twenties when pizza and beer were enough to entice them. But today, it’s not always so easy to find a reliable set of hands that will offer the kind of help you need. When you consider the fact that professional movers can handle just about everything – from packing to unpacking to transportation to unloading and more – we guarantee it’ll be a decision you won’t regret. So when you’re contemplating the move and wondering why you should hire professional movers over your friends and family, remember these tips.

Avoid Injuries

Most people aren’t used to the physical demands that moving requires. Carrying and manoeuvring large, bulky and delicate items down and up awkward flights of stairs or hallways can be dangerous. Whether it’s your couch or a fancy grand piano, professional movers have the experience to handle bulky, awkward items that could otherwise cause injury to your family or friends.

Save Them the Hassle

Ask around, and we’re sure you won’t find anyone who can honestly say they enjoy moving, never mind moving someone else. So when it’s time for your move, don’t be surprised if your set of helping hands suddenly becomes unavailable. Even if they don’t say it, your friends and family are dreading your big move. So why not save them the hassle and save yourself the aggravation of having to ask. Professional movers will show up on time and be ready to go.

Save Yourself the Hassle

Cutting corners may work in other areas of life, but when it comes to moving, it’s one area that just isn’t worth it. Trying to handle it on your own will quickly have you regretting your decision for the duration of the move. So save yourself the hassle and have it all taken care of for you.

Movers Have Necessary Equipment

Whether your mattress needs to be covered, or any items require special handling, professional movers will have all of the necessary equipment on hand with them. They can safely store and secure your items, so they arrive in one piece to your new home.

Your Valuables are Insured

Before you call up your friends, you should ask whether you really trust them to handle your valuables. Remember, they’re offering a helping hand, not necessarily a strong or sturdy one. So if anything slips and falls, you’re left paying out of pocket. But a licensed moving company will provide coverage and insure your belongings in case anything gets damaged.

It’s easy to underestimate all of the steps involved in moving. And relying on friends and family really just places a burden on them that they would much rather avoid. Hiring a professional moving company can save you so much time and aggravation while ensuring that your valuables end up where they belong, and in the condition they were left in. Ottawa Moving Logistics can take care of your entire move for you – contact us today to learn more.

Tips to Help You Unpack and Settle in Smoothly

When moving day comes around, it can be a complete whirlwind of chaos. Everyone is focused on getting boxes in and out of the home and less on the organization of it all. And as a result, you’re often left with boxes and furniture scattered all over the place. It can easily become overwhelming very quickly if you’re not prepared in advance for unpacking.

To help you get through this process with ease, here are five tips to help you unpack and settle in smoothly the next time you move.

Label Everything

We cannot stress enough how important it is to label all of your boxes by room, and with a detailed list of items inside. This simple step can cut down your unpacking time significantly. Not only will it help the movers place the boxes in the correct rooms, but it will also help you decide what needs to be unpacked right away and what can wait to be unpacked next week.

Anything that requires disassembling should also have the parts placed in a labelled plastic bag and taped to the biggest piece.

And as an extra helpful tip, use a different colour marker for boxes that should be unpacked first versus items that can wait until later to get addressed.

Arrange Boxes

Before you start moving furniture or unpacking boxes, transfer all of the boxes into the proper rooms first. This will help free up space needed to move furniture around and will keep you organized. If you’ve labelled your boxes as described above, you can easily stack the ones in a corner of the room that can be taken care of later, while keeping the ones you should unpack right away where you can easily access them.

Move Furniture

Once the boxes are placed properly and organized, you can then move the furniture around to where it needs to go. You may want to get a friend or family member to help you position the heavier items, so you don’t end up with an injury. And remember to take your time. It doesn’t need to be done all in one day. Start with the items that you need to assemble immediately, such as your bed and dining room table.

Hook Up Appliances

Many of your appliances will still be in boxes. But once you have the basic furniture items in place, it’s time to tackle the day-to-day appliances, like your fridge, oven, and dishwasher.

Another helpful tip: if you’re not savvy with plumbing or electrical, talk to your move coordinator to arrange help for you.

Ask For Help

Tackling a big move on your own can be not only stressful but also dangerous. Ask friends and family for help during the first three days. You can also talk to your move coordinator about any unpacking services available that can help make this process even easier.

Moving doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little planning and organizing, it can go off without a hitch. We hope these tips will help ease your moving worries and help you unpack and settle in smoothly. For more tips, or to talk with one of our moving coordinators, call us today at Ottawa Moving Logistics.

Tips for Packing Up your Children's' Stuff

Packing can be a daunting process. And, when you add your children into the mix, it can be even more challenging. No one enjoys moving, but for your kids, it can be an emotional and scary time. But keeping them involved can help alleviate any adverse emotions, even if it slows things down a little for you. To help make your move a smooth transition, here are some tips for packing up your children’s stuff to make everyone’s lives a little easier during the move.

Measure First

First things first, measure the dimensions of your new home. If things don’t fit, you should sit down with your child and decide what can stay and what should go. Try setting up plastic bins where they can put things in that they can donate to other kids. It will make them feel more involved, which can help reduce the chances of them getting upset.

Arrange Into Piles

Before you start packing, you will need to arrange all of their items into separate piles. The first pile should include everything that your child will need during the first few days, like clothing, shoes, their favourite toys, and the essentials. The second pile can include items that can wait to be unpacked later on. If your child is old enough to help, let them chip in, but it is wise to pack the boxes yourself to ensure you know what’s in each.

Label Everything

Labelling is the most important part of packing. It will help you find what you need easily and also help the moving company place the right boxes in the right areas.  The most efficient way to label is to write the room name on the box along with a list of all the items inside. It’s also handy to colour code your boxes by using a different colour for the essential boxes versus the non-essential boxes. It can also help to use a different colour for each of your children’s boxes.

Have Fun

Don’t forget to have a little fun. Moving can be a very stressful and confusing time for your children. They may be leaving behind friends, and the change of leaving their comfort zone can be more than overwhelming. The more involved you allow them to be and the more fun you add to the packing process, the easier it will be on them during the process.

For more on packing tips, contact us at Ottawa Moving Logistics. Our professional moving team can help provide you with all the information you need, along with the most affordable and professional services in Ottawa.