maumelle

Countdown to Your Move

Being prepared for your move to Central Arkansas is very important. There are many things to do and details to take care of before you move to a new home. Making a plan to take care of those things in the weeks leading up to your moving date will help make the process MUCH less stressful and ensure that you have time to address everything that must be done before the move. Try using the following time table to prepare for your next move!


Four weeks before your move: 

    Submit an address change form with the post office. You can do this online at USPS.com. If you have children in school, notify the schools of the address change, along with your church, magazine subscriptions, etc. Gather all of your family’s medical records and if you are moving to Central Arkansas (Little Rock, Benton, Bryant, Maumelle, North Little Rock, etc.) from a different city, ask your current doctor for recommendations in the new location. It is also wise to begin creating an inventory of each possession, including the date purchased and the estimated value. Then, contact your utility providers to schedule a shutoff date and turn-on date for your old and new homes. Also include newspaper delivery, trash pick-up, and lawn services.

Three to two weeks before your move: 

    If you have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, contact your carrier to transfer the insurance to your new home. If you are moving long distance, make arrangements to move any plants and pets you have. Also, finalize any travel arrangements to your new home. It’s also important to dispose of any flammable items like gasoline, matches, bleach, cleaning liquids, and aerosol cans before leaving your old home. Don’t forget to drain the gasoline from your lawnmower or any other gas-powered lawn equipment.

The week before your move: 

    Arrange the payment at your new destination. Determine which items you will travel with personally, such as jewelry or other small valuables, and prepare adequate travel packing for them.

The day before your move: 

    Whether or not you are moving long distance, prepare a box of things you will need when you arrive at your new home. You can take this box with you and have your Brandon Co. driver load and unload it first. Also make sure that all packing services have been completed before signing for them.

On moving day: 

    Plan to be at your current home when Brandon Co. movers arrive to supervise the loading of your shipment. If you are not able to be at your home during that time, be sure to give the Brandon Co. driver the name and number of the person you’ve designated to be there for you. As your items are being loaded, our representative will check the condition of your possessions and inventory them with you. After the loading, make a final walk-through of your home to ensure that nothing important has been overlooked. Sign the Bill of Lading while double-checking that your new address, phone number, and chosen valuation are correct. Before you leave, don’t forget to lock all the doors and windows and turn off the lights one last time!


    Plan to be at your new home a day early if possible to ensure that the utilities are connected and to plan the placement of furniture and other large items in your home. Finally, plan to be present to pay the driver prior to the unloading of your possessions and to review and approve the inventory checklist. More important than anything, though, is to relax and enjoy your brand new home!

GREAT AREAS OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS VOL. 5: MAUMELLE

The City of Maumelle is another excellent place to live in the Little Rock area. Located on the West side of North Little Rock and extending west to Interstate 430, this family-oriented city offers comfortable suburban living at very reasonable prices. Maumelle includes everything its residents need—from a vast array of restaurants and stores to excellent golf courses—all just a stone’s throw away from the attractions of Little Rock and North Little Rock. Perhaps the best aspect of Maumelle is its combination of comfortable suburban living options and beautiful natural attractions.

Maumelle is a largely residential area marked by its peaceful suburban neighborhoods. This area was developed beginning in the 1980s and has expanded significantly in the years since. Family-sized homes are abundant and affordable, and many new and beautiful apartment complexes and condominiums have developed in the city, such as the Fountaine-Bleau Apartments just northeast of Maumelle Boulevard. The subdivisions surrounding Lake Willastein and the Maumelle Country Club, as well as those surrounding Odom Boulevard are excellent places to find a suitable family home or luxury apartment.

Aside from its many living options, Maumelle also provides a great environment for the outdoor enthusiast. Maumelle Campground sits along the beautiful Arkansas River, offering boating, fishing and birding. The campground offers 128 spacious campsites with electric hookups, along with eight large group picnic shelters. Amenities include a dock, hot showers, a boat ramp and playground. Further, Pinnacle Mountain State Park is just two miles from the campground. The 13 mountain trails at Pinnacle range from easy to strenuous, and each one promises captivating scenery. Maumelle has two recreational lakes, Lake Willastein and Lake Valencia, both surrounded by park land, bicycle trails, and wooden bridges. Picnicking and fishing are available at both lakes. Maumelle also has one of the most extensive municipal bicycle trail systems in Arkansas (13 miles) that offers access to wooded greenbelts.

For the golfer, the Maumelle Country Club offers an 18-hole championship golf course featuring beautiful terrain and natural surroundings. Maumelle Country Club offers the perfect mix of leisure and competitive golf. The Club holds monthly tournaments through the Men's and Women's Golf Associations, as well as numerous couple's and Pro Shop sponsored events throughout the year.

Maumelle is also the home of Brandon Moving & Storage! Over the years, we've come to appreciate the convenience and beauty of Maumelle. It's a wonderful place to call home!

Cover Photo.png

Watch Your Back!

In the process of moving, it is tempting for people to take on the lifting of heavy items themselves while neglecting the possible risk of back injury. This oversight can have painful, and sometimes permanent, consequences. Lifting heavy items improperly can cause damage in the muscles, joints, and spinal discs of the back. 

When lifting, be aware of your movements and know your limits

When lifting, be aware of your movements and know your limits

You can decrease the chance of back injury by using proper form when lifting. Take a look at these easy preventative steps to take to save your back:

Posture! The first and most important step should be to ensure that the back is kept straight. A common mistake that leads to injury is allowing the back to curve during lifting, which puts harmful strain on the muscles in the lower back. You can keep your back straight by keeping the chest pushed forward. Do this while bending at the hips and knees. This form will allow the back to remain in a straight orientation and will prevent curvature while lifting weight. Furthermore, using this form will allow the muscles of the legs and hips to do the work, saving your lower back from harmful strain.

Don’t do the twist! Lead with the hips while lifting to avoid any harmful twisting motion. It may be tempting to lead with the shoulders, which runs the risk of twisting out of a straight posture and putting strain on the wrong muscles. Such a motion combined with heavy weight can cause damage to the joints in the back, as well as to the pelvis. The shoulders should be kept aligned with the hips—nice and straight ahead.

Watch your center of gravity! The center of gravity is the point at which the entire weight of a body may be considered as concentrated so that if supported at this point the body would remain in equilibrium in any position. Be sure to keep the weight close to the body during the entire process of lifting. This may be a rather obvious point, but holding weight further away from the body (and thereby away from the center of gravity) will make lifting much more difficult and can put unnecessary and harmful strain on the lower back. Keeping the weight centered and close to the body ensures the most efficient lifting, requiring the least possible amount of effort to lift.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP: KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND NEVER HESITATE TO ASK FOR HELP

Next time you are moving something—whether it’s a refrigerator, a piano, a big chunk of lead, heavy boxes for that friend who asked you last-minute to help him move, or even barbells at the gym—don’t forget to watch your back and keep these three tips in mind to avoid injury.

 

Posted by Brandon Moving & Storage, Central Arkansas' premiere movers