Elephant Moving and Storage - Austin, Houston and San Antonio Texas Movers Blog » Boxes!

Help Austin achieve its “zero waste” goal!

Elephant Movers — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:53:14 +0000

The city of Austin has approved a “zero waste plan” (Read the approved Zero Waste Plan); the goal is to reduce the amount of waste Austinites send to landfills by 90% by the year 2040. In order to reach this goal Austin needs everyone to pitch in and help us become a zero waste community. Elephant Moving and Storage is the first Austin moving company to offer our customers a “plastic moving crate rental” program to encourage our friends and customers in Austin to reduce their waste. These plastic moving crates are an earth friendly alternative to the traditional method of packing in cardboard boxes. If you are moving locally in the Austin metro area Elephant Moving offers free drop off and pick up. Using the crates means you do not produce any waste from cardboard with your move and the crates will be used by more families and businesses that are planning an Austin move. So take action and help reduce Austin moving waste – use reusable moving crates instead of cardboard on you next move.

Place an order for earth friendly packing crate rental!

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Try Our Plastic Crates to Simplify Your Move

Elephant Movers — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:46:54 +0000

Are you moving locally in the Austin area? Elephant Moving & Storage is pleased to announce our new plastic crate program. It’s a cheaper and more environmentally friendly approach to packing than the traditional cardboard box route!

Our plastic crates allow you to pack up your whole house without spending a fortune on cardboard boxes or wasting tons of time scrounging for free used boxes around town. The plastic crates can be rented in groups of 25 for a flat price that includes 2 full weeks (14 days) – this price includes delivery and pickup. Unexpected delay? Donâ€™t worry! You can add an extra week for cheap! There is a small additional charge if we have to carry the crates up stairs, enter an elevator or load them into your place, not just the garage. Add some packing paper or bubble wrap for your fragile items and/or wardrobe box rentals for your hanging clothes and you are ready to pack up your place.

The best part: you won’t be drowning in a sea of cardboard once you unpack! Clean, efficient and environmetally responsible – what could be better?!

Depending on the size of your move there may even be a free or discount crate offer that applies to your move! Call us today for more information and stay tuned for additions to our website for ordering crates and learning more about this convenient and earth friendly program.

Get your local Austin moving estimate or interstate moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Does Everything Need to be Packed…?

Elephant Movers — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:11:27 +0000

We know packing is hard work. At Elephant Moving & Storage we make every effort to keep moving simple and as easy as possible, as well as most cost effective for our customers. For local moves we have a number of systems at work in our trucks that assist in keeping costs down and packing to a minimum. All small items (clothing, shoes, dishes, books, knick knacks, etc) should be boxed to ensure they are protected while they are being relocated. However, certain items, such as TVs, mirrors, glass tops, glass shelves, framed pictures, small electronics, computer components, and lamps can remain unpacked. Our trucks are all equipped with special bins that allow our crews to take care of these items without the bother and expense of packing them.

Flat items such as pictures, mirrors, glass or stone tops and flat tvs are placed in the long narrow picture bin after being wrapped in heavy duty quilted blankets. The bin is then padded with more blankets to ensure the items do not shift while in transit. All of the items in this bin ride on their side or edge, so nothing is stacked on them and they are well protected.

Bulkier items such as small electronics, computer components and lamps are placed in a commercial bin, which is similar to the picture bin but wider. All items are individually wrapped in quilted blankets prior to being placed in the bin, and then the bin is padded with more pads to ensure the items are secure and can not move around.

For larger flat panel TVs we can provide a custom made wood and foam crate that is similar to our picture bins but sturdier. All of these bins and crates are provided free of charge for use on local moves. This saves quite a lot of money for our customers because these types of items usually require a lot of packing material. Simply inform our office that you have items of these types so that they can note it on the order for service. All trucks are equipped with a picture bin that can hold up to 7 pictures/mirrors and one to two commercial bins. If you have a lot of these items or have a large flat panel TV then the office will need to make sure the movers know to bring additional bins/crates.

For cross country moves these items will need to be packed, but ask your salesperson about the option to purchase cardboard bins – this may end up costing less than individual boxes.

Get your local or cross country residential or commercial moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Tips for Moving – #4

Elephant Movers — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:55:01 +0000

Tip #4:
Strategize wardrobe box use
Your friends at Elephant Moving Company will be happy to deliver moving boxes and packing supplies ahead of your moving day. If you are packing yourself, get things organized as early as possible. A few days before your move, fill some sturdy handled shopping bags with bulky closet items such as shoes, sweaters, belts, and jeans. On moving day, fill the bottom of the tall wardrobe boxes with some of the shopping bags then add your hanging clothing. Pack hanging items tightly so things won’t move around and fall off of hangers. Cover the shoulders of your clothes (a dry cleaning bag works well), then add a few purses or sweaters on top. You will have fewer boxes, and your closet items will remain together for easy unpacking and organizing. The shopping bags are not necessary, but they will make it easier to retrieve your belongings from the bottoms of a tall wardrobe box.
If your move is a local Austin move, we also offer wardrobe box rental for the day. Your movers will bring the boxes with them on move day, and will place your hanging clothes in the boxes. You can even leave some cushions, bedding, shoes or bags unpacked for them to use as filler for the bottom of the wardrobes. When the movers arrive at your new place the wardrobe boxes will be emptied and carted off without you ever lifting a finger!

Get your local or long distance residential or commercial moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Tips for Moving – #3

Elephant Movers — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:50:38 +0000

Tip #3:
Utilize wardrobe boxes
Your Austin moving company has found a lot of ways to maximize wardrobe box use. These tall boxes are perfect for bulky, lightweight items such as comforters, pillows, and blankets, as well as clothes that need to remain hanging. Our standard wardrobe boxes are 24 inches wide â€“ so 2 feet of your hanging clothes will fit in each box. Measure the clothes in your closets (including coat closets) to see how many wardrobe boxes you will need. You can also use wardrobe boxes for closet storage boxes, shoe boxes, and other bulky items such as fabric bolts, large baskets, or gift wrap tubes. Wardrobe boxes work great for securing odd miscellaneous items you are unable to fit in other boxes for interstate moving (i.e. vacuums, ironing boards, brooms and mops, non-fragile lamps, fans, space heaters, folding chairs, etc). Just don’t make the boxes too heavy to lift! Wardrobe boxes are not meant for books, bricks, bowling balls, dishes, or other small, heavy items that can easily be packed in smaller boxes.

Get your local or long distance residential or commercial moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Tips for Moving – #2

Elephant Movers — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:15:57 +0000

Tip #2:
Have plenty of supplies
Don’t make us say this twiceâ€”you will need LOTS of boxesâ€”probably more boxes than you ever imagined, and having enough boxes will make your life easier! (If you buy your boxes from us here at your local Austin moving company keep in mind that we offer free delivery! No hauling or schlepping â€“ we do the heavy lifting for you.)
Have about 10 boxes set aside to use for last minute items on moving day, such as bedding, clothing, and cleaning supplies. You will need strong packing tape to close up the boxes securely (and please donâ€™t forget to tape the bottoms of the boxes, too!). Use unprinted newsprint (newspaper can stain your items) or packing paper or bubble wrap to wrap and cushion your fragile household goods. Use paper to fill in any spaces left in your boxes so they do not crush when stacked in the moving truck. Again, you will need lots more supplies than you think, so get some extras so the packing can go smoothly. Simply return any unused supplies after the truck is packed (we donâ€™t charge you for what you donâ€™t use!).
If you are moving out of state remember that everything must be packed in boxes â€“ unlike a local Austin move, nothing can go loose. If you are unsure how to pack something just ask us; weâ€™ve packed it all before and can offer a lot of useful packing tips and tricks!

Get your local or long distance residential or commercial moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Tips for Packing Boxes

Elephant Movers — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:50:16 +0000

When packing up your home or business it is important to follow a few simple guidelines to ensure that your move experience is a positive one. Your Austin movers at Elephant Moving & Storage have a lot of experience in this department! If you have any questions we encourage you to call our office anytime for assistance.

The most important thing to remember when packing boxes is to use the proper size box for each item. Book boxes are so called for a reason – they are designed to hold books and other small, heavy items. Large boxes and wardrobe boxes are NOT suitable for this purpose! This is not laziness on the part of your Austin mover; not only is it unsafe for the movers to haul extremely heavy boxes up and down stairs and in and out of the truck, but it will ikely result in damage to your items. When a large box has been filled to capacity with books and other heavy items the box is likely to rip and spill your possessions all over the place. Stick to packing books in book boxes for best results.

If there is space in your boxes use a filler, such as packing paper or blankets or towels, to avoid having the boxes crush while in transit. This prevents the items inside being smashed, and also prevents damage to items while in transit as crushed boxes do not stack well.

Remember to securely tape the bottoms and tops of all your boxes! Leaving boxes open while in transit will result in lost and damaged items. Folding the bottoms of the boxes is also guaranteed to result in lost and damaged items; when your Austin movers pick up these boxes chances are the folded bottoms will fall away and send your things showering down to the ground.

Fragile items should be packed with appropriate padding! It is a bad idea to fill a box with plates or glasses and not pad them with any foam, paper or bubble wrap. Being cheap with the packing materials will result in expensive damages later!
Get your local or long distance residential or commercial moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Interstate Move

Elephant Movers — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:34:32 +0000

Order Moving Supplies!

As you move through the steps of your interstate moving process, you will find it helpful to have boxes and other moving supplies on hand. Start packing some of your non-essentials as you begin cleaning closets and paring down; you will be glad later. Packing is far less overwhelming when you spread it out over weeks versus trying to cram it all into a couple of days. Also, before you begin any packing you will want to review our packing tips. Because who wants to pack anything twice?

You can order boxes from Elephant Moving & Storage and they will be delivered directly to your door! The most popular items are included in our box kits to make it even easier for you to order the right amount and sizes. Review our box kit information to determine just how many you will need.

Get your local or long distance residential or commercial moving estimate now!

Place an order for moving boxes and packing materials now!

Moving Box Kits

Elephant Movers — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:55:40 +0000

Not sure precisely what moving boxes you need? Try our bundled moving box kits! Each kit contains 18 boxes (9 small, 6 medium, 3 large) and 1 roll of 55 yard tape. This mix of moving boxes is perfect for packing up all your non fragile items such as books, files, clothes, shoes, pots and pans, pantry items and all the various odds and ends you may have in your home or office. Each kit includes enough boxes to pack up to 500 square feet. Use as many kits as needed for the size of your home:

ï‚§ 500 – 1000 square feet: 2 kits
ï‚§ 1000 – 1500 square feet: 3 kits
ï‚§ 1500 – 2000 square feet: 4 kits
ï‚§ 2000 – 2500 square feet: 5 kits
ï‚§ 2500 – 3000 square feet: 6 kits
ï‚§ 3000+ square feet: 7+ kits

Supplement the kit as needed with wardrobe boxes, dishpacks, bubble wrap and packing paper.

Each wardrobe box will hold up to 2 feet of hanging clothes, and the bottom of the extra tall box is great for linens, comforters, pillows, cushions, shoes, small bags, and other non fragile and not heavy items (no bowling balls please!).

Use dishpacks to protect your fragile items such as dishes, china, small pictures, lamps, and breakable knick knacks. Small to medium sized kitchens will need 7 to 10 dishpacks, and large kitchens will need 10 to 15 dishpacks. If you have a china cabinet plan on another 3 to 5 dishpacks. If there are a lot of knick knacks, small pictures or lamps in your home you will need additional dishpacks. Use the packing paper for most items (see our instructions for packing fragile items) and use bubble wrap in addition to paper for vases, large crystal pieces and lamps.

Place your packing materials order now!

More Box Tips

Elephant Movers — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:22:37 +0000

Double walled dish packs or china boxes are great for anything fragile. Use layers of crushed packing paper to cushion your china, dishes, glasses, mugs, small framed pictures, breakable knick knacks, delicate lamps/lampshades and other fragile items. Be sure to wrap everything in 2-3 pieces of paper before placing items on the crushed paper cushioning. Fill the box this way, laying down a layer of crushed paper between layers of your breakables, and fill up unused space with more crushed packing paper. Never lay pictures or plates flat in the box â€“ always be sure they are standing on their edge to avoid breakage! If you are unsure how to pack fragile items donâ€™t hesitate to ask your friendly Austin movers!

Wardrobe boxes are very tall boxes with a metal bar for hanging clothes. About 2 feet of hanging clothes will fit into a wardrobe box. If space allows, the bottom of the box is good for cushions, pillows, a few pairs of shoes, comforters, and anything else lightweight or fluffy. The following items should never be packed in wardrobe boxes: books, bowling balls, weights, bricks, power tools or large amounts of canned goods! If you are renting wardrobe boxes for the day, your Austin movers will place your hanging clothes in the boxes the day of your move – no need for you to touch a single hanger!

Get a fast, free Austin moving estimate now!