{"id":74,"date":"2016-09-27T17:25:57","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T17:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles-movers\/?page_id=74"},"modified":"2020-04-28T16:52:25","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T16:52:25","slug":"moving-faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/resources\/moving-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Moving FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to moving your family and household across the country, there are so many questions that need to be answered. As one of the nation&#8217;s top long distance moving companies, the experts here at Beltmann have some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.<\/p>\n<h3>The Short Version<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Go through your home and declutter.<\/li>\n<li>Fold and hang your clothes.<\/li>\n<li>Unhook, disconnect, and unplug everything.<\/li>\n<li>Read the Moving Guide all long distance moving companies must provide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Am I Not Allowed to Pack?<\/h3>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Transportation has a list of things that long distance moving companies are not allowed to carry. This list includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cans of paint, shellac, varnish, solvents<\/li>\n<li>Any form of alcohol, cleaners (bleach, ammonia, etc.), disinfectants<\/li>\n<li>Petroleum products like gas, kerosene, lighter fluids, matches, lighters<\/li>\n<li>Any kind of acid, glues, spray cans, propane\/scuba\/welding tanks<\/li>\n<li>Anti-freeze, bullets, batteries (of any kind), charcoal briquettes<\/li>\n<li>Lawn and garden chemicals, fire extinguishers, open boxes of fireworks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you plan to place any of your belongings in storage, you should advise the movers to ensure they aren&#8217;t packed in the middle of everything going to your home. You should also ask them if there is anything else you should not put in storage.<\/p>\n<h3>Are There Things I Shouldn&#8217;t Do Before Moving Day?<\/h3>\n<p>There are of course any number of things long distance moving companies say you shouldn&#8217;t do, but here are three very important things you should not forget to do. These are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Be sure you fill out a &#8220;High-Value Item&#8221; form that lists anything you are moving worth more than $1,000.<\/li>\n<li>Be sure you have anything of extreme value appraised and that the movers get a copy of the appraisal.<\/li>\n<li>If you plan to ship your personal safe, unlock it, leave it unlocked, and empty it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Should I Have Available for My Family On Moving Day?<\/h3>\n<p>Long distance moving companies recommend you have the following set aside for your family on the day the movers arrive to load your household goods.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Simple snacks like protein and breakfast bars, tea, coffee, coffee filters, powdered creamer.<\/li>\n<li>Enough plates, bowls, cups, and silverware for everyone in your family.<\/li>\n<li>A good kitchen knife, a can opener, at least one saucepan, a toaster, easy to make foods, seasonings.<\/li>\n<li>Sharp scissors and a box knife.<\/li>\n<li>Toilet paper, paper towels, dish towels, cleaners, dish soap.<\/li>\n<li>Flashlight, first aid kit, candles with matches, garbage bags.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Can I Do To Keep My Costs Under Control?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Long distance moving companies go through every room in your house and get rid of anything you don&#8217;t use, is broken, or not worth paying to move. You can have a garage or yard sale, give to family, friends, and charities.<\/li>\n<li>Use large empty planters as places to pack smaller items.<\/li>\n<li>Take your CD\/DVD collection and copy them onto your computer, sell the originals to a music store.<\/li>\n<li>If the furniture in your old home doesn&#8217;t fit in your new one, don&#8217;t waste money shipping them, sell them instead.<\/li>\n<li>If you have large heavy shop items like workbenches, sell them, they will cost too much to ship.<\/li>\n<li>If you have large pieces of furniture like a pool table or piano, try selling them with the house or to the new owner separately.<\/li>\n<li>Get rid of heavy things like firewood, lumber, spare tires, and anything that is listed on the Do Not Ship list put out by the DOT.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you retrieve any deposits you have on file with your utility companies.<\/li>\n<li>If you have paid club or gym dues in advance, see if you can get part of them back.<\/li>\n<li>If you have paid your homeowner&#8217;s insurance in advance, ask your agent if it is transferable to your new home or if you can get the unused balance refunded.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Part if Any of My Moving Costs Are Tax Deductible?<\/h3>\n<p>There may be several things you can deduct, but most long distance moving companies say you should always ask this question to a certified tax accountant. But there are a few common deductions many people can take.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The cost of having a car transported to your new home.<\/li>\n<li>The cost of shipping a family pet to your new home.<\/li>\n<li>The costs of any hotel rooms and meals along the way to your new home.<\/li>\n<li>The costs incurred when hiring long distance moving companies to move your belongings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>In order to take these tax deductions, you must have:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Moved to a new job that is at least 50 miles from your old home and is closer to your new home.<\/li>\n<li>Moved out of this country because you are in the military or because of a job.<\/li>\n<li>Must work at least 39 weeks at your new job in the first 12 months.<\/li>\n<li>Must, if you are self-employed, work at least 39 weeks in year one and 78 weeks by the end of year two.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Items Does the North American Protection Policy Not Cover?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>All Medications<\/li>\n<li>Money, jewelry, precious stones<\/li>\n<li>Bonds, stocks, negotiable instrument (bearer bonds)<\/li>\n<li>Important documents, including passports, deeds, appraisals, legal documents, manuscripts<\/li>\n<li>Any type of valuable collection such as coins, sports cards<\/li>\n<li>Any backup discs, external hard drives, software licenses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Should I Do One or Two Days Before My Choice of Long Distance Moving Companies Arrive?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Clean all appliances and make sure they are dry, any water can freeze, damaging seals and mechanical parts.<\/li>\n<li>Clean and dry your dishes to ensure mold and bacteria do not grow on them.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure all appliances and electronics are disconnected, unhooked, and unplugged.<\/li>\n<li>Back up your computer files on an external hard drive, discs, or in the cloud.<\/li>\n<li>Remove printer toner and ink cartridges to avoid spills (the North American Protection Policy doesn&#8217;t cover this type of damage).<\/li>\n<li>Fold and hang clothes as the packers hired by long distance moving companies won&#8217;t do this.<\/li>\n<li>Back up your music and movie collection onto your computer and sell the originals to your local music store.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Special Arrangements Should Apartment Dwellers Make?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Be sure you check with your landlord or building manager to see if you need to:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provide your choice of long distance moving companies with a parking permit, if needed.<\/li>\n<li>Reserve either the freight or standard elevator.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure there is room for a 75-foot long truck in the parking lot or on the street.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What Are Some Last-Minute Things I Need to Do?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear everything off the walls, including mirrors, paintings, family photos, and window treatments.<\/li>\n<li>Strip your beds.<\/li>\n<li>Dispose of the things you aren&#8217;t taking with you.<\/li>\n<li>Empty dresser drawers of liquids, breakables, and loose items.<\/li>\n<li>Clean out the refrigerator and freezer, then make sure they are defrosted and dry.<\/li>\n<li>Clean your grill and garbage cans and disconnect any garden hoses.<\/li>\n<li>Most long distance moving companies want you to leave any boxes you have packed open so they can be checked for things they cannot transport.<\/li>\n<li>Finally, pack your suitcases and anything else you plan to take with you put them in a separate place where they won&#8217;t be put in the moving truck by mistake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to moving your family and household across the country, there are so many questions that need to be answered. As one of the nation&#8217;s top long distance moving companies, the experts here&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":68,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-74","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/74","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/74\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beltmann.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}