What To Do During Your Full Service Move
At M&M Super Moving we offer you the option of a full service move. This means we do the packing and the moving. It is critical to book this service in advance and not on moving day. We will provide the packers and the packing materials and the contents of your home will be professionally packed, usually on your moving day, or the day before. Remember, this is what we do for a living and we have enormous knowledge of packing and know all the best techniques to protect your household contents.
You may also request that we do a partial packing. Consider having us pack delicate items such as dishes, crystal, and other fragile pieces. You can reduce the risk of damage by letting us do the packing for these fragile and valuable items while reducing your costs by doing the bulk of the packing job yourself.
During a full service move we do most of the work, like packing, loading, transporting, unloading and unpacking, but there are some things you can do to help us during the move.
At Your Old Home
Be close by, in case we have any questions, like the next room. Also, you might want to drop in occasionally in case you have questions for us. Something else you can do to help the movers is keeping the children and pets out of the way. Also, please label clearly and point out any boxes or other containers you plan to take yourself.
Be sure to secure valuables like currency, jewelry, credit cards, and other expensive items under lock and key and separate from your household goods.
On the Road
During the transportation stage double check to make sure the movers have your correct address. Also give the movers your cell phone number in case they need to contact you while on the road.
At Your New Home
Just like at your old home be on hand for any questions and to let us know where to set up your furniture.
We want your move to go smoothly and by doing these few and simple things you can help us do a great job for you.
Happy Moving! And remember, when you are ready to move your home or office, we would love to help! Get a free online quote today!
Published in categories: Full Service Move
Capital Cruises – Cool Things To Do In Austin
If you are wanting to see Austin from the water then Capital Cruises is a great choice, they offer lunch and dinner cruises, catering, entertainment, corporate events, weddings and boats to rent for an hour or the day. And the scenery couldn’t be more beautiful. So next time you are looking for something really cool to do or a great place to hold your event, remember Capital Cruises.
Dinner Cruises and Lunch Cruises
Whether you’re looking for a romantic dinner cruise for two on a private “gondola-like” electric launch or a group dinner cruise for your office, family or friends, Capital Cruises has a great selection of boats and dinner options to suit your wishes and your budget.
Catering is provided by the Hyatt and includes the Hyatt’s famous fajitas, Barbecue, Grilled Chicken Pasta and Shrimp Pasta or we can customize an event for any group size and budget. Beverage service, snacks, entertainment, team building and more are also available.
Corporate Team Building Events
Capital Cruises provides a fantastic alternative to traditional team building functions and events. Enjoy a constructive yet entertaining team building event built around a cruise or lake front activities along scenic Town Lake, Lake Austin or Lake Travis. You have the option of 4 or 8 hours cruises. Including meals, snacks, land and water based activities, and happy hour.
Weddings
Nestled on the shores of beautiful Lady Bird Lake at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Capital Cruises offers an atmosphere suitable for families and participants of all ages. Beautiful sunsets and an exciting variety of flora and fauna create a unique backdrop to weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners and bachelor/bachelorette parties.
They have two ships, accommodating groups from 20 to 140. You can bring your own food or have it catered by the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Boat Rentals on Lady Bird Lake
Capital Cruises offers a great selection of rental boats including paddle boards, canoes, one person and two person kayaks, and pedal boats for $10-$20 per hour, and sporty electric launches for $65.00 per hour for groups of 10 or less.
For Prices and reservations check out their website at http://www.capitalcruises.com/.
Happy Cruising!
Remember, when you are ready to move your home or office we would love to help. Get a free online quote today!
Published in categories: Austin Attractions
Moving Your Office And Staying Productive
“Leaving the office entirely is, of course, the best way of handling any relocation. Step aside and let the movers do their thing. But how do you keep your business productive even when your office is in pieces?” ~Christopher Elliott
- Moving your office can be one of the most stressful of life’s experiences. These great ideas form Christopher Elliott can make things go way more smoothly and help you keep your business running while your move is taking place. By following the ideas of the experts your life and your business will be much less likely to get turned upside down like your office will be for a brief period of time.
1. It’s impossible to plan too far ahead.
“If it’s a minor move, then you should know in advance where the cubicles will get set up and where the Ethernet connections will get wired through. Leave nothing to chance. Relocating an entire business—and don’t think it can’t happen to you, because small businesses do grow—can also mean moving a local-area network or a wireless network, numerous PCs, and printers. It can mean shipping equipment and inventory. Line up your proverbial ducks well in advance of the big day. Tip: With careful planning, and depending on the size of your business, you can ensure that the actual move happens over a weekend. That gives you enough time to install and troubleshoot any technology that has migrated. If there’s any down time, it will be on Sunday and Monday, minimizing the impact to your clients and customers.”
- I love planning, it is just my nature, if it isn’t yours this is the perfect opportunity to get the help of your staff. Put someone in charge who you know will plan carefully and keep you up to date on what is happening. You may want to make this extra job more appealing to this valuable employee with some double time or a vacation when the job is done. Never underestimate the power of delegation.
2. Be prepared for the unexpected.
“A move of any kind forces you to think on your feet, to be ready for anything. If you travel frequently, you probably already know how to do that. For example: Where do you go to buy a box of RJ-11 wire at 1 a.m. What if you need to make copies, but don’t have any of your machines set up? It forces you to take nothing for granted, even little things like power and phone service.”
- Isn’t it wonderful how many great resources we have available these days. We can make copies, shop, even get online, usually without going too far off our usual trail. Take advantage of these resources during your office in pieces time. Just plan on it.
3. Use the move as an excuse to upgrade.
“For example, if your office is using bulky CRT monitors, here’s the perfect reason to donate those clunkers to your favorite charity and buy flat-panel monitors. It’s also a good opportunity to take a hard look at the software you’re using to see if it needs updating. Basically, you want to arrive at your new office location in even better shape to do business than you were when you left. Tip: Use your laptop computers as “interim” office machines while you’re in transit. In other words, make sure they’re all synched up and have the latest software before you begin your move. Then, use them as your primary PCs while your new office gets situated.”
- This is also a great time to get organized and throw or give away old or unused office items from furniture to those need to be recycled computers. Call around many times you can find someone to pick things up that you no longer need or use.
4. Anticipate down time, even if you expect none.
“Moving can be unpredictable. Trust me. For instance, I thought I would close on a property this morning, but because of some unexpected financing issues, the paperwork won’t go through until the end of this week. Delays happen. “I notify clients, editors, associates, and friends in advance, via e-mail or phone, that my availability will be somewhat limited for a day or two,” says Sharon Adcock, a communications consultant in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Tip: If it’s a long-distance move, and you have to stay in a hotel for a prolonged period of time, make sure it can double as an office. Case in point: I’m writing this article from my room at the Hampton Inn at the Orlando Convention Center. It features free meeting areas and high-speed and wireless Internet access. So even though I’m out of the office, I can still get work done.”
- Communication, communication, communication, this is so important for any business and even more so while you are moving your office. Clients don’t like surprises, so letting them know in advance what is going on and keeping important clients in the loop during the move will create good will and keep down problems for everybody.
5. Let your applications help you “move.”
“If your relocation also involves an upgrade or migrating to new hardware (and as I just mentioned, this is an excellent opportunity to upgrade), make sure your programs do the heavy lifting. Save all of your old user options and migrate them to the new hardware or software, so that once you arrive in your new digs, you’ll be able to get to work right away. Tip: The trickiest of the migrations tends to be moving e-mail from one PC to the next. Microsoft Outlook automatically imports your preferences and e-mail when you upgrade from a previous version on the same computer. When you’re switching PCs, go to File, Import and Export, and pick the option for the application you’re using.”
- This sounds like an awesome idea, you will need to get your technical staff to help you to brainstorm ways to implement this one. And you’ll want to do it well before the actual move begins. That way anything that needs to be done before you take your office apart can be taken care of early. Your staff will be happy that you prepared in this way as much as you could.
“With a little planning and shrewd use of your existing technology, you can make sure that your next move will be as painless—and productive—as possible. But I can’t lie to you: Moving is still stressful. Yet hopefully, with these tips, it’ll be a little less so.”
Don’t forget, when you are ready, we would love to help you with your office or home move. Get a free online quote today.
Published in categories: Moving Your Office
The Austin Steam Train – Cool Things To Do In Austin
Take A Historical Journey Aboard The Austin Steam Train
“Come join us on a fantastic journey through the Austin Hill Country. Our Hill Country Flyer and Bertram Flyer run nearly every weekend of the year providing riders with a memorable journey on Austin’s greatest rail adventure! Remember to check our Special Rides for not-to-be-missed theme adventures from Thomas The Tank Engine for the youngsters, to our always popular Murder Mystery night trains. Seating is limited and goes fast, so reserve your spot today.”
The Austin Steam Train offers several rides…
Hill Country Flyer – This ride is very popular it leaves at 10am and goes from Cedar Park though the Texas Hill Country to Burnet. There is a stopover when passengers can lunch and shop until 2:15. Then it’s all aboard to return to Cedar Park. The Burnet Gunfighter present their wild west gunfight, weather permitting, at the train station in Burnet before the trains leaves. The Hill Country Flyer runs on a seasonal schedule and does not run during June, July and August.
Bertram Flyer – This is a shorter train ride that follows the same route as the Hill Country Flyer and stops at the 1912 train station in Bertram. There is a fifteen minute stopover and then back to Cedar Park. This ride has a seasonal schedule.
Twilight Flyers – These magic after dark train rides are offered in the summer and depart from Cedar Park at 6pm, they travel to Burnet turn around and return to Cedar Park. Along with a box meal on board, you will also have a brief stop to tour the 1912 train depot in Bertram.
The Holy Ghost Revival Meeting Murder – This limited availability ride includes a box dinner and a whodunit mystery with the Capital City Mystery Players.
They recommend that you call to order tickets but you can purchase them on a first come first served basis the day of the train ride.
Details – Walk up tickets go on sale 1 ½ hours before each train’s departure and are available in the ticket office, located at 401 E. Whitestone Blvd, Suite A-103. Walk up ticket sales end 10 minutes prior to the train’s departure. Walk up tickets are sold for that day’s train only. You may call the ticket agent at 512-925-7570 to check on the availability of walk-up tickets for that day’s train. Ticket agent is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For More Information about the Austin Steam Train Rides go to http://www.austinsteamtrain.org.
Happy Riding!
When you are ready to move your home or office we would love to help, you can get a free online quote today.
Published in categories: Austin Attractions
Making Your Home More Sellable
Making your home more sellable is not as hard as it may seem. The main thing required is honesty and objectivity.
Go through your home starting with the outside and make a list of what you would change if you could wave your magic wand. Then from that list it’s time to prioritize. If you have trouble being objective ask a neighbor or friend you trust to help you. Write down what they say.
Once you have a prioritzed list go though and think about each entry. Some of them may be as simple as planting flowers in the front bed and pruning the bushes. Other things may not be so easy, like redoing the bathroom. Here’s where your experienced real estate agent can help. She/He will be able to tell you what is most important, should you put in new sinks, or redo the floor or just a good scrubbing and a coat of paint and some fresh towels may do it.
We are all on a budget, well most of us, and it is important to know where to put your money. The following is from a post I found on Realtor.com…
Tips For Making Your Home More Saleable
Before you put your home on the market, there are some things you can do to differentiate your house among the competitors.
When preparing to put your home up for sale, your first concern is the home’s exterior. If the outside, or “curb appeal” looks good, people will more than likely want to see what’s on the inside. Keep the lawn and landscape nicely manicured. Trim the bushes and season permitting, plant some flowers. Be sure your front door area has a “Welcome” feeling. A fresh coat of paint on the front door looks great.
Of all the rooms inside your home, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free. A fresh coat of paint just may do the trick. Have any leaky faucets taken care of. A call to a plumber is a wise investment.
Since you want your home to look as spacious as possible, remove any excess or very large furniture. Make sure that table tops, dressers and closets are free of clutter. Don’t use your garage, attic, or basement to store these extra things. These areas also need to have the impression of space. Instead, put them into storage. Make sure walls and doors are free of smudges and look for anything that might indicate a maintenance problem, such as cracked windows, holes in the wall or stained ceilings.
Replace all burned out lightbulbs
Open all drapes and window blinds
Put pets in cages or take them to a neighbor
No dirty dishes in the sink
No laundry in the washer/dryer
Clean or replace dirty or worn carpets
Put on soft music
Burn wood in the fireplace on cold days, otherwise, the fireplace should be clean
We hope these ideas are helpful when you are selling your home. And please think of us when you are ready to schedule your move. You can get a free online quote today.
Published in categories: Selling Your Home
Preparing To Move – Having A Great Garage Sale
One thing that many people do as they are preparing to move is have a garage sale. You can get rid of things you don’t want or need before you move so you don’t have to move it. Most of us have plenty of items we no longer need or use and a garage sale is the perfect way to turn these unwanted items into a little cash.
Some great things to sell are clothes you never wear, baby and children’s items, nick nacks, furniture, kitchen items, tools and garage stuff, and anything you don’t need or want anymore.
You will need some supplies. Here’s a list to get you started:
- Small labels or those little round stickers and a permanent marker. Prices make it so much easier for the shopper and you.
- Signs. This may be the most important part. Start at major intersections and work your way back to your home, with a sign on any corner where you want people to turn. Your signs should lead buyers right to your yard. You can either buy signs at a hardware store or make them yourself. For the do it yourself ones you will need some brightly colored poster board and wide black markers. Always draw arrows on your signs when you need buyers to turn. You can get small stakes at the hardware store or you can use duck tape or packing tape to tape them to street signs. Be sure to check with your city about specific ordnances so you don’t get into trouble and if you are putting a sign in someones yard be sure to knock on the door and get permission.
- Plastic bags from the grocery store and some newspaper, if you are selling anything fragile that buyers might want to protect on the way home.
- Plenty of change. You could use a box for this, or you can keep your change in your pocket, but take out the larger bills and extra change as you go so you don’t have too much in your pocket. You will need lots of $1 and $5 bills and lots of quarters.
- Folding tables, blankets or tarps and boxes to display your merchandise.
- Find friends to help you, treat them to coffee and donuts
More Good Ideas for a Great Garage Sale
Saturdays are great for yard sales, but I did go to a sale in my neighborhood on a Tuesday! They had great signs and there were lots of other people there too.
Start early, some buyers want to come by 7 or 7:30am.
Have your sale on a day when the weather is nice, rain or high wind, or freezing temps will keep the buyers away.
Use your yard or driveway so buyers can easily see that the sale is at your house. If you have a rear entry garage and you want to have it in the alley it would be best to put a huge sign in the front yard and a sign on the gate so everybody knows what to do.
What Not To Do
Go in the house and leave your stuff unattended, this is why you need a friend.
Just pile it up and make buyers dig through boxes, get it out so they can see it.
Put up one sign and hope for the best.
Make your prices too high, if you are unsure, go to a few sales and see what others are selling things for.
Don’t have change.
Have your sale on a day when the weather is bad.
We hope you have a very successful garage sale!
We would love to help you with your move. Get a free online quote today!
Published in categories: Preparing To Move
Hamilton Pool – Cool Things To Do In Austin
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Located about 30 miles west of Austin, Hamilton Pool is a managed natural preserve. It offers day use for picnicking, hiking, swimming and nature study.
“The preserve’s pool and grotto were formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to massive erosion thousands of years ago. There is a 45 foot water fall creating a great swimming hole. You need to also hike some of the nature trails along the creek. Swimming is allowed only when the water quality meets safe standards. Water quality is monitored regularly.
“The well-marked hiking trail leads from the parking lot to Hamilton Creek. At the creek, the trail to the right goes to the pool and the trail to the left follows the creek downstream to the Pedernales River. Bald cypress trees, lush, diverse plant communities, and a variety of wildlife species occupy the grotto and downstream areas. The hike from the parking lot to the pool is about 1/2-mile round-trip; the hike along the creek from the pool to the river is about 3/4 mile, or l 1/2 miles round-trip from the parking lot.
Extreme care is crucial for the delicate and beautiful ecosystem which forms the Hamilton Pool Preserve. Visitors are asked to please understand the necessary rules for preserving the park’s unique beauty for generations to come.”
Important Information
I suggest you call the park’s telephone recorder message (512-264-2740) for updated information. The parking lot is sized for 75 cars, and when all spaces are taken, cars are held up at the gate until a space opens. Drinking water or concessions are not available in the preserve; chemical toilets are provided.
The fee to get in is $10 per vehicle with the 75 car limit, you could wait up to two hours to get in. The parking lot fills up by 10am. The preserve is open daily from 9am – 6pm, no one is allowed to enter after 5:30pm. There is no fishing, no camping and no glass containers allowed.
They don’t allow pets in the preserve and they don’t allow you to leave your pets in the car while you visit the preserve.
How To Get There
Hamilton Pool Preserve is located about 30 miles west of Austin on FM 3238. From SH 71/U.S. 290 junction southwest of Austin, take SH 71 about 81/2miles to FM 3238 (Hamilton Pool Road), turn left and travel about 13 miles to the preserve. The entrance to the 232-acre preserve is on the right.
Travis County honors the Federal Golden Age Passport and the Senior Citizen State Pass.
Published in categories: Austin Attractions
Moving Checklist – What To Do The Week Of Your Move
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One Week Before
It’s almost here, moving day, and there are several things you can do right now.
- Refill prescriptions. Stock up on prescriptions you’ll need during the next couple of weeks. This way you won’t even need to think about making sure you have any medicines you might need and you can concentrate on your move.
- Pack your suitcases. Aim to finish your general packing a few days before your moving date. Then pack suitcases for everyone in the family with enough clothes to wear for a few days. Isn’t this a great idea, everyone will have several days worth of clothes ready to go. This will end most of the digging through boxes when you get there looking for that one thing.
A Few Days Before
- Defrost the freezer. If your refrigerator is moving with you, make sure to empty, clean, and defrost it at least 24 hours before moving day. Hopefully you have planned for this and used up most of the perishable food in your freezer and refrigerator by this time. If you are moving a short distance you can pack up the food in your car on moving day and take it directly to the new fridge, but in most cases the food will need to be thrown out or kept on ice in a chest for a short period of time. When in doubt throw it out, there is no need taking chances here.
- Double-check the details. Reconfirm the moving company’s arrival time and other specifics and make sure you have prepared exact, written directions to your new home for the staff. Include contact information, such as your cell phone number. Contacting your moving company and going over the details keeps down surprises and everybody know this is a good thing on moving day.
- Plan for the payment. If you haven’t already arranged to pay your mover with a credit card, get a money order, cashier’s check, or cash for payment and tip. If the staff has done a good job, 10 to 15 percent of the total fee is a good tip. If your move was especially difficult, you might tip each mover up to $100. Don’t forget that refreshments are always appreciated. Once again, this just makes sense, when the day of the move comes you won’t want to be concerned with this, so make a plan for payment and take care of the details early.
Moving Day!
I know everybody doesn’t share my enthusiasm for moving, but the day is here and now you can relax and let the professionals do their job.
By taking the time to do the things suggested in our moving checklist, you should be ready to go and things should be smooth sailing today. There is one last thing to do.
- Before the movers leave, sign the bill of lading/inventory list and keep a copy.
Find more moving checklist ideas starting with two months before your move.
Thanks to RealSimple.com for the ideas and inspiration.
We would love to help you with your office or home move! You can get a free online quote right now.
Happy Moving!
Published in categories: Moving Checklist
Downtown Austin Historic Walking Tours – Cool Things To Do In Austin
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Would you like to know more about the history of Austin? Here are two free guided-walking tours of downtown Austin that will help you explore.
They start at the south entrance of the Capitol building…
“The best way to discover downtown Austin’s historic treasures is on foot. When you take this historic walking tour, you’ll follow in the footsteps of governors and presidents, cattle barons, and bankers, merchants, and artists, preachers and gamblers, murderers, and prostitutes,and maybe a ghost or two. The ten-block Congress Avenue National Register District is the Main Street of Texas with its wide, impressive route to the Capitol Building. Threads of the past are intricately woven into the fabric of the city’s future as faithfully restored 19th-century buildings coexist with gleaming, 20th-century high-rises.
“The 10-block Congress Avenue and nine-block Sixth Street (Pecan Street) National Register Districts interweave modern skyscrapers with 19th century buildings such as the Old Bakery (1876), Millett Opera House (1878), Driskill Hotel (1886), Walter Tips Building (1876) and Robinson-Rosner Building (1856). Historic structures such as St. Mary’s Cathedral (1874) and St. David’s Church (1854) reflect Old World architecture.”
The Historic Congress Avenue & Sixth Street tour times are 9am Thursday through Saturday and 2pm on Sunday and require a reservation 48 hours in advance.
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If you are interested in Victorian-era high society, take a stroll through the Bremond Block Historic District, a collection of homes belonging to members of the John Bremond, Sr. family.
Walking Tours take place at 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays and require a 48 hour advance reservation.
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If you prefer to take a self guided tour, you can do that too. There is one of historic Hyde Park, one of Austin’s oldest neighborhoods, or the Texas State Cemetery, where many Texas heroes are buried. There is even a tour of the West Austin area.
If you’d like to see historic Austin at your own pace or to make a reservation for a guided tour just stop by the Austin Visitor Center to pick up brochures, or you can call 866-GO-AUSTIN.
Download Congress Avenue/East 6th St. Walking Tour Brochure
When you are ready we’d love to help you with your home or office move, you can get a free online quote right now.
Happy touring and moving!
Published in categories: Austin Attractions
Zilker Botanical Garden – Cool Stuff To Do In Austin
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Zilker Botanical Garden – The Jewel in the Heart of Austin located at Zilker Park
You’ll find 30+ beautifully landscaped acres complete with theme gardens such as rose, herb and Japanese gardens that are interconnected with streams, waterfalls and Koi-filled ponds. They have even recreated a local dinosaur habitat.
This garden is a unique collaboration between The City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department (PARD) and the Austin Area Garden Council (AAGC). The garden is open to the public most days year-round.
From their annual spring garden festival – Zilker Garden Festival, to AAGC garden club workshops and plant sales throughout the year, to tours, they offer visitors countless ways to enjoy Zilker Botanical Garden.
And the gardens are very affordable, only $2 for adults and $1 for children and seniors. And the Gardens are open from 7am to 5:30pm (7pm during daylight savings time).
Zilker Botanical Garden is a beautiful place for your events too, whether it be a wedding or memorial ceremonies, receptions, parties and other gathering.
Zilker Botanical Gardens is part of Zilker Park, and is a non-profit organization established in 1955 to support Zilker Botanical Garden’s mission to promote the education and love of gardening among people of all ages. Its projects support beautification of the gardens visited yearly by half a million people from around the world including thousands of school children.
Find out more about Zilker Botanical Gardens.
We hope you find our Austin Attractions section valuable! We would love to help you with your move, get a free online moving quote today.
Published in categories: Austin Attractions
