Have you just moved to a new town only to find out you’re now expecting a child? That space that might have been perfect for two may now be a little bit crowded, and you may be looking at ways to turn your office into a nursery-office combination. While a baby can seem overwhelming, you should know that you’re in plenty of good company. Many people that live in small city spaces often have to make room for a child, and that means getting clever where nursery space and items are concerned.
But, first, what should you even put in a nursery? And, do you really need all of those expensive items? Here’s a closer look at what you should be buying, what you don’t need, and some things that you may want to add to your space just to make life easier.
Must Have Furniture
A good crib. If there’s one big ticket item that you will want to splurge on, it’s your child’s crib. For the first few years of her life, she’ll be sleeping in the crib that you buy. Some nice features to think about include a crib with a storage drawer (because, let’s face it, nurseries can get really crowded with all of that baby stuff!), and the possibility of converting a crib into a toddler bed at a later time. This way, you won’t have to buy a toddler bed separately when the time comes, so this can be a long-term money saver.
A changing table that’s also a bureau. Here’s another space saving idea for baby — buy a changing table that also acts as a bureau or other kind of storage space. You can store things like diapers and wet naps in the drawers, and use the top of the table to change diapers. Do you need a changing table? Not necessarily. Any sturdy dresser or table will do the trick, but you do want to buy a changing pad that’s thick and can be secured tightly.
Nice to Have Furniture
A rocker or glider. You’ll be spending quite a few nights feeding your baby, and that means that you’ll want something comfortable to sit in. Rockers were popular for many years, but gliders are a more comfortable option these days. You can buy either one new, but used rockers and gliders that work well are still good options. Another idea is to buy a big comfortable chair that you and baby can both snuggle in on those long nights.
A baby swing or cradle. Sometimes, you’ll want to put your baby down, and swings can calm the fussiest babies. Think about buying a swing or purchasing one second hand that will get you through those fussy times (and, hey, you’ll want to take a shower at some point!).
Other Big Ticket Items
Aside from the items that you will have to buy for your nursery, there are some other things that you’ll need to purchase in order to keep baby happy.
A stroller: You can buy really expensive strollers that cost well into the hundreds of dollars, or you can buy one that’s much simpler. What do you really need? It depends on what you plan to do outside, and where you live. If you want to go jogging with your baby on hard terrain, you’ll need a stroller that can keep up. If you want to sled across snow, you’ll need one that can act as a snow glider (yes, they do make these!). You can also buy a basic stroller model with no thrills. Either way, a stroller is something you’ll want to invest in.
Baby monitors: It’s nice to know that baby is sleeping soundly at all times, and a baby monitor is the best way to check on your child from a distance.
Car seat: Now, car seats come with expiration dates, so make sure that the second hand one you’re thinking about buying is still safe.
Moving With Baby
If you will be moving to Denver, or any other area, after baby is born, it will become extra important to work with a moving team that takes care of all the small details for you. Exodus Moving and Storage has been in the moving game for many years now, and we know how to make any moving day fuss-free. We can also pack and unpack for you, so that you can concentrate on making baby’s nursery perfect.
If you need help moving, call Exodus, your Fort Collins movers, and we will provide you with a free moving estimate that we’re happy to stand by. Call us today to set up an appointment, or find us on Facebook for additional information.
The Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR) is an integral part of our community. It is the largest professional network of realtors in the state, and it’s also a non-profit, voluntary, professional real estate association. What is CAR all about, and why has Exodus Moving and Storage partnered with this important association?
What CAR Does
The purpose of the Colorado Association of Realtors is to protect all aspects of real estate and to protect everyone that works in the Colorado real estate industry. CAR works with commercial brokers, residential brokers, home owners, property owners, land owners, and homeowners to ensure that all real estate professionals regardless of title are protected. Essentially, CAR’s mandate is to make sure that real estate professionals succeed when they become Realtors.
There are so many aspects of the real estate industry that it helps to have an association like CAR working on both the side of the Realtor with potential Realtor and with land and homeowners. CAR provides information for anyone involved in real estate including various conferences and meetings that aim to help people with becoming a Realtor or understanding various laws related to real estate.
Help With Becoming a Realtor
There’s a lot that goes into becoming a professional broker, whether commercial or residential, and having a guiding hand can certainly help. CAR offers licensing details, information about local associations, and plenty of conferences that are available for any aspiring realtor. The CAR also focuses on information geared towards home buyers and homeowners.
Buying a Home
Purchasing a home is one of the biggest investments and life changing events that a person can go through. There are a lot of details that go into buying the home including things like what to do after a contract has been signed, figuring out how much you can afford, weighing the pros and cons between renting and buying, and many other important details. CAR aims to provide all of this accurate information to potential homebuyers through the CAR website. Homeowners and buyers can also attend any information session hosted by CAR that pertains to homeownership.
You should have lots of questions about buying a new home. CAR tries to answer those questions on the association’s main website. You can also contact CAR for additional information about the fine details associated with buying or selling any kind of home or business. While the Internet provides some details, CAR focuses on Colorado real estate specifically, and that makes all the difference!
A Complete Picture
Finding information about any aspect of selling or buying a home can be hard to do, and that’s what CAR exists — to make these details understandable and accessible to all. This is also one of the reasons why Exodus Moving and Storage has partnered with CAR. Exodus works with local associations and businesses that make an impact on our community, and CAR certainly fits that bill. Exodus is proud to be a partner of CAR, and we look forward to many additional events and collaborations with CAR in the future as well.
Moving to Your New Home
In addition to working with and supporting important figures and associations in our community, Exodus Moving and Storage operates a full-service moving company. We also offer storage solutions in both Fort Collins and Denver. If you need movers in Fort Collins for office moving or residential moving purposes, contact Exodus for a free estimate today. When it come to planning a move, CAR and Exodus can help!
There is no real set standard for what companies use as a base for their moving estimates. Every company has different standards that they adhere to with strict policy, however the majority of the time these policies can conflict with other companies views on the matter. This means that every company is essentially going to give you a different quotes depending on who you go to. So how do you decide which companies going to be the best for you and the situation which you find yourself in? A good question, let’s look into it.
Price at the pump
One of the biggest expenditures that companies have these days is gasoline. Fuel is so crazy expensive because of the limitation of finding it, or so the gas companies say. Now, I’m not here to argue whether or not we are being overcharged for a fuel which is still pretty prevalent. What I am stating however is that it will be a big factor in whether or not your moving experience is expensive. Depending on how far you move, the fuel price dramatically increases. This could honestly be expected because you need gas in order to travel any sort of a distance. However, depending on which place you are moving to, the expenses could increase as you move. But you might ask, how?
Distance is alive and well
Well, let’s say that you are moving to California from Colorado and you know that in Colorado the gas prices are approximately 3 dollars a gallon. In California you could expect the price to rise at least a dollar a gallon, so along the way your price is going to increase along the curve which represents fuel prices. Anybody who has ever driven a vehicle knows that one dollar a gallon can make a massive difference in even a single tank of gas. So, just be prepared when you have someone help you move to expect fuel prices to rise as you move to your new location. Not letting it surprise you is the first step to accepting that it’s something that is going to happen whether you like it or not.
The heavier they are..
Another big factor in whether or not your expenditures are increased or decreased is the amount of things that you are moving. Full-service moving company quotes need to gauge about how many trips they will need to make, or the size of vehicle that is needed in order to make a single trip. You could make a single trip with an average sized home provided that you rented out a large enough truck, however you must realize that gets pretty expensive pretty quickly. Something that you could definitely do to help yourself out is to drive alongside of them and take as many things as you can in your own vehicles, or try to get things there ahead of time that you know that you can move. I know if you are moving long distance this may not be the most feasible option, but it is one way of reducing your costs.
Home is where the wallet can afford
Another thing to keep in mind is that moving is expensive no matter what you do. Moving in general is not something that people do on a daily basis and as such requires a lot more effort than you would expect. Just make sure you aren’t surprised by the amount of expenditures that go into moving after you have already purchased the house, or at least put down a down payment. There is a reason people tend to stay in the same places, or at least relatively close to where they have their first home. It’s because unless they are being sponsored by a company to move out to a new location, those expenditures can become increasingly problematic.
Enjoyment
All of this may sound rather dark and gloomy, but don’t let it get you down. Moving is an exciting adventure that allows you to experience new things that you would not have before. You should embrace it and enjoy it for what it is rather than fear the expenditures which you will be undertaking. Those are going to happen whether you like it or not, so focus on the good and try to enjoy the experience. If you don’t, you’ll find that you don’t like the area you move too much more frequently than the place you used to live in. So go out there, explore, and show the world that you are afraid to see new things and risk it all in doing so.
In this week’s blog, we want to tip our hats to the hardworking staff of Colorado movers at Exodus Moving & Storage. We have all worked incredibly hard to become the company we are today. In case you didn’t know, Exodus has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is also a certified mover by the American Moving and Storage Association. If you’ve been reading our blogs or following us on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll know how important it is for your mover to be recognized and certified by these groups. So in honor of these designations, we’re going to take the time to explain who these groups are and why it is so important to be on their good list of Colorado movers.
Better Business Bureau- The BBB’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. Trust is comprised of two main factors- integrity and performance. The Bureau works to create an environment where buyers and sellers can feel confident in the business they are conducting. This is achieved by:
Creating a community of trustworthy businesses
Setting standards for marketplace trust
Celebrating marketplace role models, and;
Denouncing substandard marketplace behavior
American Moving and Storage Association- The mission of AMSA is to effectively represent and improve the moving and storage industry through effective advocacy and by building a respected, quality ProMover brand. AMSA is a non-profit trade association whose membership is key to any business as they offer essential business tools and resources that assist your company’s growth in networking and complying with laws.
And there you have it! The two groups you really want your Colorado movers to be known by! Don’t forget to always carefully select your mover and starting with either one of these organizations is a great effort.
“LIKE” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more great information about how to select a Colorado mover and what Exodus has to offer you!
Today our Colorado movers took to the social media world to ask, “Have you ever selected a mover based on how high they ranked in an internet search?” It’s important to know that a mover should not always be selected based off of how high or low they fall on Google or Bing. If you want quality moving services (like Exodus) you’re going to have to do a little bit of research.
Make sure you avoid any movers that have been blacklisted as scams. These tend to pop up as advertisements on search engine result pages and could end up costing you way more than a quality mover in the end.
Ask for referrals. This will ensure that you are working with Colorado movers who have been rated as excellent by past clients. Make sure you follow up on references as well, in the end, it’ll be worth it.
Ask about the employees working for the company. Some moving companies will hire temporary workers instead of keeping a trained and excellent staff of Colorado movers year-round. If this is the case, inquire about performance, drug testing and background checks. These people will be in your home and carrying items that could be irreplaceable to you. Make sure they are quality employees.
Be wary of hiring Colorado movers that have prices listed as “too good to be true.” Usually, they are. These movers have a reputation for holding your items on their trucks until you pay any “additional fees” that come with your move.
Use your best judgment. If a company has no physical address, doesn’t talk about their employees or seems just a bit dodgy in any aspect, avoid them at all costs. At Exodus, we put it all out on the table, answer any of your questions and even assign an employee who will oversee the entire move and act as your liaison with the company.
Once you’ve found a Colorado mover that you are totally obsessed with (like all our clients are with us), make sure you take a few extra precautions by insuring the items you’re moving and being present on moving day just to oversee the whole operation. If you put in this tiny amount of work, your moving day will be a piece of cake!
Don’t forget to check us out on Twitter and “LIKE” us on Facebook for more helpful tips from our Colorado movers at Exodus Moving & Storage.
Exodus Moving and Storage has been serving the moving needs of Colorado and beyond for several years now. The dream of one individual became the cause of many, starting with one small moving truck and becoming a full service relocation company. Today, we are the best Colorado moving company and we our proud not only of our humble beginnings but of the teamwork it has taken to excel in such a large and saturated market such as the moving and storage industry. As the time of thanks draws near, we have so many things to be thankful for. Here are just a few at the top of our list.
Our Team
At Exodus, we hand pick our employees. We don’t believe in the concept of day- labor or temporary hires. Instead we interview, do reference checks and drug tests and we hire only those fine folks that we feel would properly represent us in the field with our customers, every day. We take moving people very seriously, so we make sure that our staff receives ongoing training and fair wages, making our employee turnover rate one of the lowest in the country. We are also Choose People Certified because we are committed to being “happy place to work.” The people of Exodus are what make our company like no other.
Our Work
We are proud to boast a damage ratio that is ¼ of the industry average. This is a result of the combination of quality workers and comprehensive training. When we were just starting out, every client and every referral meant everything to our business. We knew that our biggest competition was riddled with moving horror stories because of their lack of attention to detail and lack of accountability with regard to their staff. We are expert movers, proud of the work we do. And no matter how big we become, we still work under the philosophy that one unsatisfied customer is one too many.
Our Community
We are passionately involved in our communities. At Exodus, we put our time, talents and money into the places that we live and work. We support green energy practices within our offices and have incorporated many green friendly procedures into our work. This includes our tree planting program for every move we complete. For this program we partner with Trees Water & People. We are also thankful for the freedoms we have and maintain in this great country of ours and regardless of political affiliation, we support causes that support our troupes and their families. Project Sanctuary and Colorado Hire Patriots are a few of the military support groups that we are committed to.
As we celebrate thanksgiving this year, we are setting our table with gratitude. We are thankful for the work we do, the communities we serve and the people who make it all possible. What are you thankful for?
Our own Joel Coen wins Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in a Testament to Teamwork
In 2010 we expanded into Commerce City and only a year later we have already been recognized for making a difference. In September Commerce City awarded our Chief Operating Officer, Joel Coen with its Entrepreneurial Spirit Award:
The award acknowledges the risks and perseverance required for entrepreneurs to be successful in today’s business environment. In a down economy, Mr. Coen did what few others did – developing a plan to expand his business into new markets and recreating customer experience. Exodus Moving & Storage secured lucrative government contracts and took advantage of the Colorado Hire Patriots program to expand workforce by hiring veterans. Social responsibility is also a key element in the company’s business operations and they support a number of non-profit organizations such as Alternative to Violence, Habitat for Humanity, Realities for Children and SEAKR.
But, as always, Joel remains humble and focused on what it really takes to succeed: “The focus of this award should be on the teamwork it takes to make this happen.”
It may seem like he is being modest, but that is just the plain truth. This isn’t an individual award. This is recognition for everything we have been doing since we arrived in Commerce City – which is a continuation of what we have been doing in Colorado for the past fifteen years. We are humbled and grateful that Commerce City has chosen to give a nod to our teamwork – which is just one of our most precious core values.
In March, Joel sat down for an interview with Commerce City’s director of Economic Development, Brittany Morris Saunders, and he spelled out what makes us stand above the rest:
“Exodus success in the moving industry is based upon a devotion to providing the best moving services that exceed customers’ expectations. We achieve this through hiring the right people…We move everything ourselves, and we do not sub-contract out the job.”
Read the full interview here to get a glimpse of why Commerce City chose to recognize Joel Coen and our team as among the best of the Colorado business community.
Who we are and what we do are one in the same. There are a lot of companies out there that claim to provide quality. They claim that customer satisfaction means everything to them. And that may be true even and especially when it comes to the bottom line. But at Exodus, people are the single most important thing in our business. And that applies all around, to our employees, our clients and our community. We put our money, time, effort and heart into the things that matter most to us. And that is what makes us better than any other Colorado Moving Company. The Exodus difference is people.
We Choose People
Exodus is a Choose People company. This means that we pass the test and come out on top as a great place to work. We work hard, we play hard and we value family and balance. Unlike many others in our industry, we have real employees doing all our moves providing unequalled accountability in our market sector. We provide consistent schedules, family friendly offices and competitive salaries making our employee turnover rate lower than any other Denver moving company. We firmly believe that happy employees are better workers, parents and citizens at large. For this reason, the Exodus difference starts with our people.
People Choose Us
We are constantly in a state of collecting feedback from our customers. Moving is one of the most stressful times in anyone’s life. We strive and work hard to go the extra mile to make it easier, less hectic and to create a sort of calm in the storm for our clients. Thanks to this commitment to service, our track record is pristine. Our client surveys come back consistently with glowing recommendations and most of our clients go on to recommend our moving services to family and friends.
Community Exodus
Whether it is pianos that need moving for art projects (Pianos About Town) underprivileged teens that need dresses for Prom (The Fairy Godmother Project) a race that needs run to donate supplies to school kids (The Denver Metro Mile benefiting Donors Choose) or our own in house tree planting for every move we complete (in cooperation with Trees, Water & People), we are committed to being involved in the neighborhood around us. We love Colorado, we love our country and we love our world. At Exodus, we show value to our community by not only showing up when they need us most but by finding creative ways to be involved, everyday.
For more information on any of the above please visit:
When it comes to taking care of employees, no one does it better than Exodus. We take pride in putting our workers on payroll in an industry where temporary “hired guns” are the norm. We believe that our customers’ ultimate satisfaction starts with our staff. For this reason, our hiring process is rigorous including background and reference checks, drug tests and detailed interviews followed up with comprehensive, job specific training. The final step of the hiring process includes a personal orientation with our CEO to make sure the core values that we hold so dear are clear to our new hires. Not only does this process put us a cut above other Colorado Moving companies, it has earned us an employee retention rate that is 40% higher than the industry average. This is because we know who our employees are and they know what we stand for as an organization.
But creating company loyalty is not our only goal. We are also dedicated to expanding our employees’ knowledge about moving and storage so that their skill sets can continue to advance over time. One of the important ways we do this is by facilitating ongoing certification with the American Moving and Storage Association.
What is the AMSA?
The American Moving and Storage Association is a nonprofit organization created to improve the quality standards of Moving and Storage companies throughout the US. Through education, certification, the creation of industry wide ethical standards, regulation and advocacy, the AMSA seeks to eradicate fraud and to promote positive consumer experiences during relocation. The organization includes a membership of over 3,000 movers and acts as a trade association contributing to the establishment of best practices among moving companies.
Jason Kendall CMC Certification
One of the important qualifications offered by the AMSA is the Certified Moving Consultant (CMC) certification. This certification requires elite testing, a written commitment to a specialized code of ethics, and biennial renewal. Currently, there are only eight CMC’s in the entire state of Colorado. We are proud to announce that Jason Kendall, our Account Manager, has received this coveted certification from the American Moving & Storage Association. Joining Exodus’ Ilan Levy and Jake Atchison who currently hold CMC titles, Jason and our team hold the only three CMC’s in all of Fort Collins, CO.
At Exodus, our employees are hardworking, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. We stand for quality and excellence in everything we do. From packing services to relocating to totally secured storage, we are committed to our customers and to the integrity of our operation. When our COO, Joel Coen met up with the city in his most recent interview, he was able to share a bit of insight about where we come from and how/why we do what we do. The following are extended excerpts from this session.
Exodus History in Colorado
Ilan Levy began moving furniture in New York City with a plan that it would set the course for his future in Northern Colorado. In 1996, Levy relocated to Northern Colorado, where he started Exodus Moving and Storage. His one truck operation at the time has grown to a fleet of 20 trucks in Northern Colorado. Today Colorado is our home and for that reason we continue to focus on it as our main hub from which to move and store. Our staff is very happy to live and work in this great state. With the varied terrain and mostly sun filled skies, Colorado is a year round pleasure even in the winter. As we grow we will think about expanding into other states but for now we are thrilled to be a premier Colorado Moving and Storage Company.
Exodus & Social Media
We believe that social media and the Internet are powerful tools for the consumer. They provide customers with both vital and timely information on all sorts of topics. Finding message boards that are very active create good chances that someone will respond quickly with good information. Before social media most people found out who the good businesses were through traditional word of mouth. If you were looking for a good business you would just ask around and spread the word. Now people can go online and read all about it through online evaluations from their peers. We are happy that there is a ton of info online about Exodus Moving and Storage, and that it is all pointing to us in a positive light of glowing recommendations from happy customers.
Words to Work By
When asked what the best business advice that I had ever received in my life was, the question really got to me. But when I thought about it, the answer was a simple statement “the truth will set you free.” Telling the truth has allowed me to behave with integrity; to show up in an honest and forthright way and it’s the guiding principal that impacts the way we do business at Exodus. ~Joel Coen
After every move Exodus Moving & Storage completes, we will request your input about your moving experience with us. Continuous improvement is the hallmark of our success as a company and we are always anxious to get your feedback on how well we did our moving job.
Competitive and Accurate Estimates
The Cost of relocation is either based on weight or number of men and trucks needed as well as distance traveling. At no charge to you, one of our experienced and courteous Move Coordinators will review their move in great detail and provide you with an accurate move quote. Our Move Coordinator will also confirm requested pick-up and delivery dates.
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Price at the pump
Home is where the wallet can afford