Pack n Send Blog

There are so many choices when you are planning to move from one city to another. Before the stress of moving starts to get you down, consider these questions that you will need to think through. 

Questions to Ask When You Begin Your Move

• Who will you hire as a moving company?
• Is there door to door service available?
• What if I don't have all the packing materials I need?
• How will you transport your items?
• Who will pack for you?
• How much will you try to move on your own?

With so many shipping and moving options available to you when you are planning your move, you'll need to consider exactly how you want to transport your things. First, you'll need to choose between small load moving or freighting your belongings if you are moving from one city to another city. These options can vary depending on the amount of things you need transported from your home or business. 

Small Load Moving

This type of moving process is for moving just a small amount of furniture. When moving this way, your items are delivered right inside your new building for your convenience. This option is excellent when you are moving a few things from one city to another city. A blanket wrap mover will come take your belongings or your companies items from one location to another. Everything will be delivered inside of the building.

Freighting Your Furniture

Freighting furniture involves loading  furniture, fixtures and boxes onto large wooden pallets and having them delivered via freight truck. Your items should be protected on the pallet with both one by fours and cardboard. The one by fours prevent your belongings from moving during freight transport.\. This method can be delivered either  curbside or to a loading dock. For a small extra charge, freighted materials can  be delivered inside a business or residence as well. 

Contact us to request your free moving quote today! 

Do you want to ship a single piece of marble, or a piece of furniture that has marble on it?

Here are a few packing suggestions. For a single piece of marble, find a company that can build a custom crate. A custom crater will line the crate with  at least one inch of Styrofoam on each side. They may use up three inches of Styrofoam on the bottom of the crate, and up to two inches on the sides and top. A lot of this depends on the thickness  and the value of the marble. 

For a piece of furniture that has marble on it, you will need to make sure that the crater knows how to remove the marble from the furniture. The crating of the marble will then follow the same rules as if it was a single piece of marble.

Make sure that the crate is closed properly and reinforced with metal banding that is applied securely around the crate. So whether you are packing an estate in Houston, are looking for a Houston furniture shipper, or trying to find international shippers, you can follow the same steps when  looking for a custom crater.

When moving marble within same city, look for a mover that can build the custom moving crate for you. They will need the exact dimensions.  Length times width times height. You do not want the movers to arrive with the wrong size crate. We recommend measuring the marble two times to make sure that you give the mover the correct dimensions. They will add space for the Styrofoam lining that they add inside the crate to protect your marble.

When you are looking for custom crate builders in Houston TX, or throughout the United States, be sure to ask questions about crate building experience.

For more information about building a custom crate to ship marble a are looking for a crate builder, feel free to contact pack n send in Houston.  We are one of the premier packing companies Houston, and have offered packing service in Houston since 1981.

It is that time of year again.  The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs from March 7- March 26  2017. Some of the most popular events  are: bull riding, bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, roping, and more.  

Even if traditional rodeo sports aren't for you, there is plenty to do.  There is a new Ferris Wheel at the carnival this year and  lots of food, including fried food on a stick. On a hot day, try the frozen lemonade. Turkey legs are always a favorite, with the outdoor tents having lots of tasty treats.

There is plenty of shopping. You can purchase items that are small in size, like jewelry, t shirts, belts and cowboy hats all the way up to larger pieces of furniture.

For those of you purchasing larger items, please feel free to contact us. We can ship the saddles, furniture that you just have to have. We can ship it either domestically or internationally for you.

We can even pick up from local hotels. So those of you who have purchased too many t shirts to fit inside your suitcase, we can pack and ship your precious purchases.

So, if you are looking for packing companies in Houston, please call us at 713 266 1450.  Pack n send is ready to help you out with all of your rodeo shipping needs.

www.pack-n-send.com

Spring moving season is beginning. Homeowners are listing their  homes, and families are planning ahead for their move. Whether you are moving to purchase a larger home, or move to a new school district, it is time to plan you move. You may be packing an estate of a deceased relative to move with you when you relocate.

Whether you are planning a move within the city, a cross country move. or an international move, now is the time to look at your moving options. Here are a few moving tips that will serve all types of household moves.

• Start to plan your local move six weeks ahead of time.
• Start to plan you cross country move nine to twelve weeks ahead of time.
• Start to plan you international move two months ahead of time. 

Start to sort out the items that you want to move. Consider donating belongings that you have not used during the past year. Do this ahead of time so that you do not move things that you are not using.

Make a list of the items that you will need the first few days after your move. Medicine, sheets, towels, toiletries and changes of clothing should be on the top of your list.

 When you contact your movers, remember to let them know about items in an attic, basement or storage unit that you will need moved. This will be a good time to go through your storage unit to see if you want to move items that you do not plan to move in the future. You may need to move something in a custom crate.

Obtain a floor plan of your new residence. Make sure that everything that you are moving will fit inside your new residence.

Measure some of the items that you plan to move before you purchase your moving boxes.

As a Houston packing company and mover, pack n send can assist you with                   shipping furniture across country, provide international shipping company assistance, or give you a quote for your local Houston move. A pack and ship moving company that offers alternative ways to make your household move run smoothly.

As families are planning destination weddings and local weddings with out of town guests, shipping the last minutes gifts can often cause headaches for the bride and groom.

Pack n send in Houston recommends lining up a shipping company in advance. The boxes that your china, glassware and blender are boxed in were most likely shipped to the store via freight. These boxes will not hold up when  shipping via a common carrier.

When you want to pack and send wedding gifts, consider shipping the shower gifts at the same time.

The delicate and fragile wedding gifts will need to be professionally packed so that they can be sent on to the couples new residence.

Look for a company that can ship a few gifts or many gifts. If the newly wedded couple is moving out of town, you may want to have a freight or moving company move all their gifts along with furniture from mom and dad's home. If you do this all at the same time, you can save on both moving and shipping costs.

Make sure to value everything for full value. The moving or shipping company should be able to do this for you. If you have just a few small boxes, it may be less expensive to send it to a business address.

As a result of more than 35 years of experience, pack n send can answer any of your wedding gift shipping questions.

After a love one passes away, there is usually furniture and household goods to take out of the home or apartment. Instead of donating the furniture and mementos, why not ship them to relatives and friends throughout the United States. Estate moving of small items and estate furniture shipping require that specific questions are asked of the packing, moving and shipping company.

You can deliver something as small as a piece of silverware up to a car.  You can have artwork packed in boxes for shipping or shipped inside a custom built crate.

Check with the shipping company that you use that they can move  small boxes, or even place furniture on a pallet for shipping. See if they can ship a single piece of furniture overseas or anywhere in the United States.

The company that you choose should be able to pick up, pack and deliver to multiple locations. A small package to Oregon, and household furniture to Maine should be able to be handled by the same company.

Make sure that the company can supply shipping and packing boxes. They should offer to either pack for you, or offer guidance so that you can pack on your own if you would like to do that.

They should ask you for the value of the estate items that you are shipping. You want to be covered in case of loss or damage during the shipping process.

When looking for a company to pack and send or pack and ship for you, try to locate a one stop shop, so that you have less work to do at a stressful time in your life.

For more information about moving an estate feel free to contact pack n send in Houston. In business since 1981.

When you are looking at international shipping companies, there a myriad of considerations.

Has the company shipped internationally before?

Do they offer both container shipping, air shipping and cubic meter shipping?

Come prepared with a list and the value of the items that you are shipping. That way the freight preparation company can look at the least expensive way to send your items. Time may be of a factor so air shipping may the best shipping alternative.  If time is not of the essence, ocean shipping may be the way to  pack and send your items. International shipping is easy when you use a shipping company that has experience.

Once you have prepared your list, and have located the packing and shipping services, you need to make sure that the country you are shipping to will accept the item or items that you are sending. There are specific lists for each country of items that are not allowed into their country. Both USPS and DHL websites contain lists of the prohibited items for each country.

Look for a company that will price each of your shipments individually.  The best shipping method for your first shipment may change when you transport other items the second or third time that you are shipping internationally. Sometimes you can ship in a custom built crate. Other times, shipping on a pallet is recommended.  A 20 foot container may work for your first shipment. Maybe a 40 foot container or a 40 foot high cube is needed for your next two shipments.

When you are researching for an international moving companies feel free to contact  pack n send in Houston.  We have been in business since 1981 and are here to answer your international moving questions.

When you plan a household move,  you need to plan ahead of time. Finding the right moving company should be on the top of your list.

Here are a few of the questions that that a moving company should ask you.

Do you plan to pack your boxes yourself?

Do you need help packing some of your boxes?

Do  you have the proper  packing materials to pack boxes on your own?

Will you need stand up wardrobe boxes for your hanging clothes?

Do you want the mover to move all of your items, or will you move some of the items on your own?

Do you have an attic, garage or storage unit that will also be moved?

Have you signed a lease on your new home or apartment?

Do you plan to forward your mail to your new address.

While these are some very basic questions,  Houston moving companies try to help their customers have well planned out moves.

For Houston houston packing, moving, unpacking and estate packing and estate shipping  in Houston feel free to contact pack n send, a Houston moving company.

Custom made boxes can be made for shipping artwork. Once a boxing company knows the dimensions of  a painting i.e., the length, width and height, they can build your custom made box.  If it is a high value painting that you would like to ship, then  a custom built crate may be  your best option.

When you are shipping inside  a crate, different types of wood may need to be used .  Shipping International freight from Houston, requires that heat treated wood is used to build the crate. If you want to pack and send a painting to New York, then you do not need to use this stamped heat treated  wood.

So if you need custom boxing in Houston, or a custom wood crate built in Biloxi, look for a company that specializes in using appropriate packing materials that will take into account both the size of the painting, as well as the value of the painting that is being shipped.

Feel free to contact pack n send in Houston, if you have questions about the right type of packing material to use when you are shipping a painting.

In order to rearrange furniture, you need to hire a moving company.   If furniture needs to be  donated or disposed of, you need a professional company to move furniture for you.  If your are simply moving furniture into a garage so that the walls can be painted, you need movers with experience.

So what else can  a mover help out with? 

Taking down and hanging art work

Moving out old appliances

Moving furniture into a storage unit, or into the garage so that new flooring can be put down

Packing up the kitchen before a kitchen remodel.

Unpacking the kitchen after a kitchen remodel.

Packing the linen closet and bathroom items before a bathroom remodel.

Unpacking the linen closet and bathroom items before a bathroom remodel.

Bedroom furniture may need to be moved into another bedroom, or into a storage unit.

In Houston, pack n send has been assisting interior decorators   and  interior designers since 1981 with all of their moving needs. Please feel free to contact us if you have a remodeling need, or are moving your business or if you are moving you home. We are able to provide both packing , moving and unpacking services.

So now you have imported merchandise from another country into Houston. You have picked up the  container at the Port of Houston and had it delivered to your warehouse.

 Now what?  Hire a professional company to unload your container. Unloading cargo containers should be done by experienced workers. Hire a company that has the personnel and forklift. Let them unload the pallets and stack the merchandise on your shelves.  With their expertise, they can do this quickly so that the container can be returned to the port without incurring extra charges.

Considering international shipping? If you are loading cargo containers for shipment to another country,  hire the same team to load your container in under two hours. They can stage the shipment in the warehouse, so that the container can be loaded quickly and efficiently.

For information about container loading and container unloading in Houston, please feel free to contact us.

Retailers  often use freight receiving warehouses. For companies that are  purchasing  multiple lots of items, the freight receiving warehouse can unload the pallets, inspect the merchandise, and deliver the items to multiple locations for or the purchaser.

For companies that are receiving large loads that the intend to repackage,  the freight receiver can inspect the packages for defects or missing items, and then deliver them to the purchasers place of business.

 Interior decorators often have the furniture that they are staging, sent to a freight receiving warehouse, inspected and then delivered to the home that they will be showing.

When companies use a freight receiving warehouse to receive their freight, it frees up their personnel to handle other tasks.  Companies do not need to have extra storage space, as the deliveries  are processed as needed.

For more information about freight receiving,  fell free to contact pack and send in Houston.

When pack and send looked for items that are prohibited or restricted for shipment into Slovenia three years ago, we could not locate a list of these items. Since that time, some of the following items have been restricted or prohibited.

Here is a partial list of some of the items that are now prohibited from importing into Slovenia:

• Playing cards
• Chain letter items
• Radioactive materials

There are many more restricted items that can only be imported with authorization by the State Bank. They include money, both paper and coins, as well as papers that have values.

Medicine may be imported only if there is an import permit that has been obtained by the health authorities. 

Pack n send is providing the link below to see if  more updates are made in the future.

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ps_030.htm

 We have listed facts about Slovenia so that you can get to know more about Slovenia.

We found that they have more than twenty eight thousand wineries and more than 500 castles. Only about seven per cent of the wine is exported. The rest is consumed domestically.

There are twenty four thousand different types of animal species including birds, deer and bears.

Potatoes, sugar beets and wheat are grown in Slovenia.

Slovenia is known for ski resorts and lakes. It is also had beautiful mountains.

If you  are shipping containers you should consider shipping  into the Port of Koper. Cargo shipping will go smoothly when you  prepare the proper documentation.

For information about container loading and   container shipping contact pack n send in Houston.

 Here is a list of  some things to take into account when you are moving a senior adult into a new residence.

Find out if the location they are moving from or moving to needs a Certificate of Insurance. If needed, have it ready a week before the move.  Some facilities require this Certificate before the movers can move anything in or out of the building.

See if you need to reserve a freight elevator. Are there specific times when you can move in or out of a building? Is there a specific door to use that is closer to the residents living space.  If the movers can park close to the residents room, you may be able to save on move time.

Can you pack non essential items such as extra linens  before the move day. That way, all you need to be concerned about on the move in date is getting the resident over to the new location. Whether a  senior is moving one piece of furniture or an entire house load of furniture you will need to plan ahead. Consider moving a single piece of furniture to a family member.

Can you arrange to have the old apartment or home cleaned after the resident has moved out. That way all the senior needs to do is  go from one location to another on move day.

Have you let the new location know your move in time ahead of time. That way, they can have someone greet the new resident when they arrive.  Have you shown the senior their way around the new building ahead of time. If they are familiar where the dining room, exercise room and coffee room are, it will make them feel more comfortable when you leave for the day.

For more information on moving senior adults feel free to contact pack n send. We pack up the seniors apartment or home. We also ship the items that will not fit into their new living space to relatives throughout the country.

• 
• This is a list of things to consider when you are moving a senior adult into a new residence.
•  Ask for a floor plan for the new residence.
• Find out what  pieces of furniture the person you are moving would like to take with them Check to see if it will all fit into their new living space.
• Is there anything that they would like to donate.
• Do they want to ship any china, silverware or mementos to family members.
• Make them a part of the move.
• Do they have a preference as far as the floor that they are on.
• Do they want a patio or a porch?
• Do they want to face an garden, or the street.
• Check if the new space will be noisy or quiet based on the  outside traffic or noises.
• Will their rooms face the sun in the heat of the day if they are in a warm climate.

These are all things that can be checked out before the move, to make the senior adults move go smoothly.

Feel  free to ask pack n send questions about the move. We specialize in moving seniors into assisted living facilities.  Packing companies, like pack n send  can pack, move and offer to  help sell and or ship their excess belongings to family members throughout the United States.

• Ask for their input.
• Do they want to bring all of their own furniture from their current home, or do they want to shop for new furniture?
• Do they want a interior designer or an interior decorator to decorate their new home?
• Do they want to order custom made furniture, or are they happy to order something that is premade.
• Do they want to purchase new clothes so that they can shine a their new residence?
• Do they want to eat all of their meals in the dining hall, or are they planning on having family members take them out to eat a few times a week.

If  you check out these questions as you are researching a new residence for a senior adult, the move and adjustment to a new residence will go smoothly.

In Houston,  feel  free to contact pack and send. We specialize in moving senior adults  into assisted living facilities.  We help sell and or ship their excess belongings to family members throughout the United States.

When moving a senior adult into an Assisted Living Center, there are a few questions that you should ask.

1. Ask for their input.

Do they prefer  to live on an upper or lower floor.?

Do they want to live close to an elevator?

 Do they want an enclosed property, or is it OK with them if they need to walk outside in order to eat in the dining room?

2. Do they have a budget that they are trying to stick to?
3. Are there any special meal considerations?

 Do the need a no sugar diet, a low salt diet, or do they prefer all fried foods?

Different facilities offer different meal plans.

4. Will all of the furniture fit inside their new residence, or will some of the furniture need to be shipped or blanket wrap moved to relatives in another city? Do they prefer inside white glove delivery, or  curbside delivery for the furniture that they are giving away to their relatives?

These are a few general questions to ask when you begin looking for an assisted living facility.

In Houston, pack and send moves senior adults into assisted living. We can pack, move and unpack. Please contact us for more suggestions to make the move go smoothly.

With the restoration of older cars, shipping auto parts has become a necessity throughout the United States. A car hood that is in Houston, Texas can easily be shipped to  Ames, Iowa to help with the restoration.

A car door located in Buffalo, New York, can easily be shipped to Oakland California.  With the internet, it is easy to find car parts in any part of the country and have them shipped to their final destination. Large car parts can like the door and car hood can easily be strapped to a pallet and shipped via freight. Car engines can also be shipped on a pallet.  If the pallet is  picked up from a business with a loading dock or a fork lift, and delivered to a business with a loading dock or a fork lift, a lift gate fee can be saved. A professional packing  company can protect the car part from damage and strap it to a pallet.

Say you need to purchase a Catalytic converter. Because of some of the precious metals contained in the converter, you want to have the Catalytic Converter packed well.  The metals may include rhodium and platinum.  Palladium may also be inside of the converter.  You may want to use a custom built box that will fit the Catalytic Converter snuggly inside of the box. An expensive engine, such as the engine for a Porsche shown above, may need to be crated. A custom built crate will protect the engine during shipping.

For packing and shipping car parts in Houston, call pack n send. at 713 266 1450.

Since we rarely have cold weather in Houston, we have looked up ways to stay warm to send to our Houston customers as well as our clients throughout the United States.  Here are a few suggestions.

• Add a layer or two to your clothing. This applies when you are inside or outside.
• Wear a hat. Yes, a hat worn  inside will help keep your body warm.
• Wear socks. 
• Run your ceiling fan clockwise.  Since hot air rises, this will help push the hot air down. Run the fan on low.
• Use hand warmers in the pockets of your jacket.
•  Block any drafts coming in from the bottom of doors.  A rolled up towel  will do the trick. You can even make a long thin pillow out of fabric and stuffing.
• Attach one inch plastic strips over the space where the door meets the wall. This will help to keep out drafts.
• Cook and bake all day long. The heat from the oven will help heat up the house.  Cookies help the house smell good too.
• Hot cocoa, hot coffee, hot tea or even hot water will  help warm your insides.

Stay warm and remember  enjoy playing board games or working on puzzles to pass the time.

Since pack n send ships freight and moves furniture across country, our customers are sending  us pictures of the snow in their area.  We have a cold rain, but none of the beautiful snow.  Feel free to email us pictures of your patio, street or porch so that we can share them with our customers.  Shipping companies have weather delays, and as a Texas moving company, we are dealing with cold weather today.

When shipping exhibits for product liability lawsuits, insurance companies often need to use professional shipping companies to pack and send exhibits.

It can be anything from a water heater that leaked, to something that is totally burnt out when it exploded. The items that are being shipped may not look like much in their current state, but they are valuable assets  when used in a trial.

Insurance companies use professional packing companies to pick up, pack and               freight their exhibits. If an item can be placed on a pallet, protected and shipped, this is a good option to use. If  a custom crates need to be built, the insurance company will use a professional packing company to pack and ship the exhibit.  We recommend using a packing company that has experience packing and shipping high value items.

For more information about shipping items for product liability lawsuits, feel free to contact pack n send in Houston.

When bankers handle estates for their clients, they often need a shipping company to pick up, and help with packing an estate  and deliver the decedents property.

Sometimes is it can  be something simple like a small family photograph that needs to be shipped.  Other times, it can be expensive jewelry that needs to be delivered to a family member.  Insurance coverage must be obtained before the jewelry can be picked up and shipped. There can be high value art work that needs to be properly delivered. A custom crate may need to be built for the picture to be sent safely to the new recipient. There may be a few pieces of furniture that need to go to family members. You can freight furniture, use a small load mover or use a white glove mover to deliver the furniture. 

While this all appears to be simple, bankers have a fiduciary  responsibility to handle estates with the utmost care. We recommend looking for a shipping company with experience handling high value items. Bankers need to be sure that the estate property will be valued from the time it leaves their office, until it is delivered to the correct recipient.

Pack n send in Houston has been shipping  for over 35 years. We can answer questions for you if you need to pack and send estate items. Please feel free to contact us.

A few planning and moving tips from pack and send Houston.

Start the new year off right. Shred old tax documents. Get rid of magazines and papers that you no longer need.

Weed through your winter clothes that you have not used in years, and donate them to a charity.

Look at your household goods that you do not use. You can donate them, or hold a garage sale.

Start off the New Year in an organized way.  Hire a moving company that provides moving services to move furniture around your home.  Ship excess belongings to family members. You can freight your excess furniture to family members living in other cities. 

Hire an organizer to re arrange your shelves, and help you sort through your belongings.  These are just a  few  yearend tips from pack and send in Houston, Texas.  Pack n send  is your moving specialist. 713 266 1450

When packing a painting for shipping or moving, you have a few options. 

For a high value or large painting, you can have a custom built crate made. The crate will need to be lined with Styrofoam. This prevents the painting from moving around inside the crate during shipping.  The crate will be delivered either  with  curbside delivery or inside delivery.

For smaller or less valuable paintings, you can have a custom built box made. In this case, you will also need to line the inside of the box with Styrofoam. The box is usually delivered to your front door.

There is one more option. You can send  a painting on a blanket wrap move truck.  With this option, you will have your painting delivered inside.

When shipping paintings you need to look at value, the dimensions of the painting, and the destination location.

There is not one preferable method of packing and delivery. Each painting is treated for its own unique qualities when you are deciding  how to  pack and ship your painting.

For more detailed information about packing and or crating your painting, please contact pack n send in Houston.

Are you moving or shipping a taxidermy animal?  Taxidermy is an art form.  It includes the preparation, stuffing and mounting of the skins of animals. With winter upon us and hunting season in session, hunters want to display their trophies.

Take for example a deer head.  It makes a wonderful gift to a family member or you can ship it to your winter home in Colorado or Montana.

Here are a few easy steps to get the deer head ready for shipping.

Be prepared to build a custom wood crate to fit the deer head, antlers and all.  You will need to block and brace the deer head so that it does not move during shipping. We recommend using a professional crate builder to build the crate for you.  If you are building the  crate on your own, add one inch of Styrofoam anywhere where an antler or the head could hit the sides of the wood crate. Use  1" x 4" wood for the blocking and bracing. In many ways,shipping a taxidermy mount is like shipping a sculpture. Proper packing and protection of delicate parts are needed when the crate is built.

For more questions about building and moving a custom crate, feel free to contact us. We are a Houston moving packing service for custom built wood crates as well as custom built boxes.

Shipping  machinery from  one location to another requires both packing and shipping expertise.

Here are a few questions to ask when you are moving machinery.

• Does the pick up location offer a loading dock?
• Does the delivery location have a loading dock?
• What is the value of the machinery?
• What are the dimensions of the machinery?
• Is the machinery oilfield or medical machinery? Different types of machinery require different packing specifications.
• Can them machinery be boxed?
• Does the machinery need a custom built crate?
• If you are shipping the machinery overseas, will it ship by the cubic meter, or will it ship inside a container?
• Is the company packing your machinery able to load a container for you?
• If the machinery was assembled inside of a building, does it need to be disassembled to fit it through the door?

These are a few of the basic questions to ask when you are researching a company to pack and send your machinery.

For more information about packing and shipping machinery,  please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston. 713 266 1450

Over the years, we have found that by delivering the precious mementos of seniors to loved ones, they do not feel like they are downsizing, but are contributing to their families’ well-being.  Seniors who are able to gift belongings to other family members, as we are moving  the seniors into their new residence, they feel empowered. Remember, moving a senior adult can be a positive experience for all family members.

Feel free to contact pack n send in Houston for more moving advice.

Maldives is  tourist nation offering private vacations and beautiful beaches. Below some of the items that are prohibited from shipping into Maldives. Facts about Maldives:

The Maldives is mad up  of 1,190 coral islands. Two hundred and two of these islands are inhabited.

Eighty seven of these islands are private islands offering both tourism and luxury.

Since ninety nine percent of the Maldives is water, the government is purchasing land from other countries due to rising water levels on the Islands.

Following the British educational system, the Maldives boasts a ninety eight per cent literacy rate.

 Due to isolation, the Maldives are one of the safest countries in the world.

When shipping internationally to the Maldives,there are  prohibited items that cannot be sent to the Maldives are:

• Radioactive materials
• Gunpowder
• Weapons of War
• Poisons
• Pork
• Statues used in worship.

For updates for the items that are prohibited from being shipped, here is a link to the United Postal Service website.

 http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/mo_006.htm

For assistance with moving ,international cargo and international shipping, feel free to contact pack n send. If you would like to pack and send packages domestically or internationally, contact us.

There are a few prohibited items that cannot be shipped into St. Viincent and the Grenadines.

They are ammunitions and arms - except under license. You cannot ship currency or radioactive materials.

Since there are no listed restrictions, we have listed a few interesting items about Saint Vincent.  We have also posted a link so that you can check to see if the prohibited and restricted items change over time.

• In 1948 Christopher Columbus ,the famous explorer, first found Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
•  The French were the first to colonize  in 1719 and settled down as cultivators of coffee, sugar, tobacco, indigo and cotton.
• In 1763, St. Vincent & the Grenadines were handed over to the British and then returned to French rule in 1779.

• St. Vincent and the Grenadines became officially independent on October 2, 1979 and adopted their constitution on the same day. They chose to follow a democratic form of government.
• Plantations are a main employer.  Bananas account for nearly fifty percent of all exports. The banana plantations employ about sixty per cent of the workforce. 

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ps_019.htm

For more information about international shipping to  St. Vincent and the Grenadines islands please feel free to contact us at  pack n send in Houston. 

The packing and shipping industry is set to see a price increase for  box prices right before Christmas.

While box prices have not gone up in about three years, there is an increase this year. The overall December price increase is between 6%-10%.

This includes  Kraft paper, corrugated boxes, corrugated roll and  flat sheets of cardboard.  So, if you need boxes for mailing holiday gifts, ordering before December 15 is your best bet to save on box prices.

Boxes are used for packing and shipping.

They are also used for:  

• Craft Projects
• Playhouses for Young Children
• Storage files
• Jewelry Boxes
• Garage Sale Signs
• Picture Frames
• Laundry Hampers
• Cardboard Christmas Wreaths
• Toy Boxes
• Gardening Knee Pads
• Compost Bins
• MovingIf you order your boxes ahead of time, you can save on your holiday shipping.  If you are looking at shipping companies in Houston, please feel free to contact pack and send. Pack n send  can pick up, pack and ship your holiday packages.

Moving companies that help family members clean out a home need to be ready to dispose of items, donate items, move items and also ship  possessions to family members throughout the United States. International shipping should also be an option that the company offers.

 After someone passes away, it is less stressful if keepsakes, special pictures and special memories are saved.  You can hire a company to pack and ship belongings to family members and friends. Furniture can also be moved to a location in the city or moved across the country.

The moving company can also donate or dispose of unwanted items.  Some companies will go in and take care of the entire moving, donating, shipping process with family members instructing them over the phone, or using Skype.

For moving help in Houston, please feel free to contact us at pack n send,  a Houston moving company.  713 266 1450

Moving senior adults into assisted living residences requires  a different level of service than is offered for a standard  household move.

Downsizing is a large part of the moving experience. While possessions may have been accumulated over numerous years, only a small portion of these items may fit inside an assisted living residence. Moving furniture and belongings can be a positive experience.

There is an answer to this problem. Pack and send excess possessions to family members.  Why not gift the dining room set to a niece. What about the extra bedroom set?  Move it to a family member who has an empty bedroom.

There are ways to make a senior adult feel  like they are doing good for their family when they downsize.  If no one needs the extra furniture, how about donating it to a local charity. Think about furniture banks, churches and  newcomers arriving in the United States with no furniture.

Senior adults can contribute to the happiness of their family and their community as they begin a new adventure in life.

For more information about moving senior adults and shipping furniture, please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston.

While this blog is about shipping to Denmark, here are some interesting facts about Denmark.

• The capital city of Copenhagen is situated on the Island of Zealand.
• The famous Tivoli amusement is located in Copenhagen. Copenhagen is the city that is has the highest tourism of all Nordic cities.
• The LEGO was invented in Denmark, and the company headquarters and Lego land are located in Denmark.
• Denmark has seventy inhabited islands of four hundred and forty three islands.
• Denmark boasts beautiful beaches. Approximately, sixty five per cent of Denmark is farmland.
• Based on standards of health, education and welfare, survey rank Denmark as one of the happiest places to live in the world.
• Denmark has one of the highest number of Nobel Prize winners per capita for any country in the world.

Now for some rules to follow when shipping items into Denmark.

In order to import Danish and foreign stocks, Danish stocks , bonds, and coupons the person the package is addressed to must have clearance from the National Bank of Denmark.

Both weapons and cigarettes are prohibited from being sent into Denmark.

Playing cards may not be sent into Denmark.

For more prohibited items, you can look at the link below to the United States Postal Service.

 http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ce_021.htm

For more informaiton about shipping to Denmark or international shipping, contact pack n send in Houston.  713 266 1450

Looking for something fun and free to do this fall in Houston?

Take the Sam Houston Boat Tour and you can see the Port of Houston international cargo vessels and the operations at the Turning Base Terminal.

The free boat tour is located at 7300 Clinton Drive and takes  you on a tour for ninety  minutes.   One hundred passengers can go on each tour. There is air conditioned seated area as well as standing areas on the boat's deck.

Are you a bird watcher? Look for Sea Gulls, Brown pelicans and Cormorants.

Are you wondering about the cargo?  Look for cars, trailers trucks and military vehicles being loaded and unloaded at the Port of Houston.

Look for cargo  ships that have cranes built on their decks. The cranes help with the loading and unloading of the cargo onto the wharfs.

Look for oil tankers and container ships.

In operation since 1958, the public vessel is a great way to see the workings of commercial shipping.  As a free tour open to the public, the reservations are on a first come, first serve basis, with  reservations required 24 hours in advance.  The tour times are  10:00 am and 2:30 pm.

So what are the things that you can see on this tour?  Cargo from all over the world. You can see ships from some of the following countries :  Panama, Singapore, Liberia, Greece, Antigua, Norway, Bahamas and many more.  Look for these countries flags proudly displayed on the ships.

If you are looking for international shipping companies, or a company to pack and sendyour cargo for international shipping, feel free to contact us.

Before we discuss  shipping to Ecuador, lets look at a few interesting facts about Ecuador.

The equator runs through Ecuador. Ecuador is actually named for the equatre.

There are three colors in the Ecuadorian flag. Yellow to represent diversity, blue to represent the sky, and the red is the color of blood and stands for those individuals who fought for independence.

There are many active volcanoes in Ecuador. 

August 10 is independence day.

The majority of balsa wood in the world originates in Ecuador.

In 2008 Ecuador declared that nature has constituitonal rights.

Educador does not share a border with Brazil.  It is only one of two countries that does not share this common border.

On to the items that are prohibited from being sent into Ecuador

1. You cannot ship maps into Ecuador that contain boundaries that are incorrect.
2. Cigarette paper is only allowed with permission from the government.
3. Mobile telephones.
4. Panama hats may not be imported into Ecuador. Just a side note here. The Panama hats that workers wore when the Panama Canal was being built, were acutally made in Ecuador.

A few restricted items.

Used clothing may be sent from the owner to the owner of the clothing. It can weigh no more than 44 pounds.

Used clothes may be sent in packages weighing no more than 8.9 pounds.

To review up to day prohibited and restricted items, please click on the link below.

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ce_025.htm

For assistance with international shipping, international moving, or packing please feel free to contact pack n send in Houston. 713 266 1450

International Shipping companies look at lists restricted and prohibited items before they send something to a country.

When researching Barbados, there were few items that are prohibited or restricted.

The link  at the end of this blog provides a constant update of changes in the list of items.

At the current time, the only item that is prohibited from entering Barbados via mail are radioactive materials. We could not find any restricted items.

Barbados has a friendly reputation.  Thirty nine per cent of visitors return to Barbados after their first visit.

The literacy rate in Barbados is 97 per cent of the population.

Since 1939, Barbados has had uninterrupted parliamentary governance.

The name Barbados is fro, the "Bearded Fig Trees" that were once found in the island.

Barbados is fourteen miles wide, twenty one miles long, and completely surrounded by the Atlantic ocean.

If you need assistance shipping large or small items to Barbados, please feel free to contact us.

 http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ab_018.htm

Packing companies are easy to find.  Packing companies with experience packing are difficult to find.

So what is the difference?  Knowing the right type of packing materials to use.  And how to place these packing materials inside of a box.  Wait a box?  Well maybe for a piece of high value artwork, a custom built crate would be better. Or for a car engine, maybe strapping it on a pallet would be the safest way to ship an engine.

So how do you determine the what company to use when you are packing and shipping something.  Look at the items that they have handled in the past.  Have they been in business a few weeks or a few decades?  Pick up the phone and call them.  Talk to a real person and ask lots of questions.

For example:

Can you pick up  my  valuable items so that I do not have to handle them on my own?

Can you give me a quote up front?

Can you offer packing alternatives?

Can you pack and send my items all over the United States?

Do you offer international shipping?

What if I want to move, can you help pack for  my move and then move me?

What if I want to move myself?  Can you pack my boxes and let me handle the move on my own?

What if I only need a custom built crate for my statute?  Can you build it for me?

For information and help with packing, shipping and moving, please feel free to contact us at 713 266 1450.

Since most moving companies have a minimum amount of furniture that you can move from city to city, it is wise to look for companies that can freight your furniture. Freight shipping is an alternative to traditional moving services.

You can have your piece of furniture, picked up, wrapped, placed on a pallet and shipped via freight to a new city.  Is this cost effective?  Of course it is.  You are only paying moving one  piece of furniture that you need shipped and not for a minimum shipping amount of furniture. 

With this service, you can request curbside delivery, or you can opt for your furniture to be sent to  freight receiving warehouse. The freight receiver will unload and inspect your piece of furniture. They can then deliver your furniture inside of your home with white glove inside delivery.

You can freight one piece or a few pieces of furniture this way.  What a great to give one piece of furniture to each of your special family members. Seniors can give precious pieces to their grandchildren as they downsize their homes.

For more information about small load moving and shipping a single piece of furniture, please contact us at pack and send in Houston. Pack n send has been in business since 1981 and is happy to answer your questions about freight shipping. 

Denmark has many of the same shipping restrictions as other countries, but the prohibition against mailing playing cards is probably one of the least known prohibited item.

Some of the more common banned items are: weapons, firearms, switch-blade knives, and clubs.

Medicines are restricted to be imported by laboratories recognized by the State, authorized dealers. or pharmacists,

 When shipping items overseas, it is interesting to learn about the country where  you are shipping freight, cargo and small packages.

The capital city of Denmark is located on the island named Zealand.  Copenhagen, the capital has the Tivoli amusement park as part of its downtown  area.

LEGO , the children's toy was invented in Denmark.  The company headquarters is located in Billund and is called Legoland.

There  are 70 islands that have people living on them  in Denmark, but there are four hundred and forty three named islands in Denmark.  Two of the largest  islands are Funen and Zealand.

One of the most interesting facts about  Denmark, is that it is called the "Kingdom of Denmark and has self governing territories including both the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Denmark has many beautiful beaches.

Denmark is part of the European Union, but has maintained its own currency.

For assistance with overseas andinternational freightand cargo shipping please feel free to contact pack and send in Houston Texas.

To view more items that may not be sent to Denmark via USPS or that are restricted items, please look at the following website.

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ce_021.htm

Before we discuss items that you cannot ship or move  into Trinidad and Tobago, here are a few facts about these islands.  

1. Tobago only has 6% of the total area and 4% of the total population of this dual-island nation.
2. Trinidad was named by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to the New World in 1498.
3. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most important leather back nesting sites.
4. Tobago got its name because it resembles a tobacco pipe (tavaco) used by local natives.
5. The Pitch Lake in South Trinidad is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world.
6. Trinidad and Tobago Carnival has been consistently ranked as one of the top ten Carnival celebrations in the world.                            

Here are a few phrases that describe Trinidad and Tobago:

Islands of the hummingbirds

Birthplace of the limbo!!

Average temperature is 89 degrees Fahrenheit 

Best known for beautiful beaches

Here are few of the items that are prohibited for shipping into Trinidad and Tobago:

Firearms

Lottery tickets and items belonging to a lottery

Radioactive material.

 For an updated list of restricted and prohibited items please go to the following USPS website.

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/tz_008.htm

International Shipping - For more information about shipping or moving items to Trinidad and Tobago, please feel free to contact pack n send. Pack and send packs and ships items worldwide.

This is a short blog to answer questions posed by some of our customers. Outsourcing freight receiving will save your company manpower hours.  For every freight shipment received, you must be around to receive your freight.   Freight delivery times may not coincide with the hours that you have your employees available to receive freight.

When you use a freight receiving company, they not only receive the freight, but unload it and inspect it before it is delivered to your place of business.  You can customize your receiving hours based on your  employees ability to receive the freight.

Whether are a retail company that needs retail freight receiving  or are an interior designer, your firm can save time and money by outsourcing freight receiving. 

For more information  on ways to help your firm run smoothly, feel free to contact pack n send in Houston.

If you have never needed to ship something before inside of shipping crates, you may be wondering where to start when the need presents itself. Maybe you inherited an heirloom like a chandelier or perhaps you created a sculpture that you need to ship to a buyer. There are plenty of reasons why you would need custom crating in Houston. This blog will highlight a few of those reasons and also talk about the process.

When to Get a Custom Crate

• Shipping valuable art. Both paintings and sculptures can require custom crating depending on the size and value. Unusual shaped items. Some examples from  include parts to amusement park rides, hundreds of pieces of rare china, and a taxidermy polar bear. Breakable furniture. Lamps, chandeliers, and antiques may require custom crating to get to their destination safely.
• Medical equipment shipping. Medical equipment can be oddly sized and shaped so it often requires custom crating. 
• Auction house shipping. Auction houses ship some of the most unusual and unique things as well as expensive and valuable items.

When a shipping company crates your belongings, they decide if traditional shipping methods will do or if the item needs a custom crate. For example, a shipping company can make a reusable crate for a work of art that is traveling from places to place for exhibition. Depending on the item, the shipping company will use packing peanuts, Styrofoam and/or bubble wrap.

If you need a custom crate for an item in Houston, contact us today at Pack n Send. 

Here are some interesting facts about Lithuania. Items that are restricted or prohibited to enter Lithuania by mail are listed later in the blog. When shipping internationally you always want to look at items that the receiving country will not accept.

Fact 1
The climate in Lithuania is transition, between maritime and continental, wet, moderate winters and summers.

Fact 2
Lithuania is divided into 10 countries, 60 municipalities and 500 elderates. The highest point in Lithuania is Juozapines Hill (294m) near Vilnius. The Nemunas is the largest and longest river.

Fact 3
The historically predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. 83.6% of the Lithuanian populations are ethnic.

Fact 4
Lithuania is the only country in the world having national perfume. The ‘Scent of Lithuania’ holds the entire history of the nation.

Fact 5
The official currency is Lithuanian litas.

Fact 6
The official name is ‘The Republic of Lithuania’. The official language is Lithuania though a majority of the people speaks Russian and English.

Fact 7
The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius which is also the largest city. Lithuania joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.

Fact 8
Lithuania exports chemicals, machinery and equipment, mineral products, textiles, plastics and foodstuffs. They import mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals and transport equipment.

Fact 9
Major industries include biotechnology, wood, processing and tourism. The principal trading partners are Poland, Russia, Germany and Latvia.

Fact 10
Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to declare independence from the USSR on March 11, 1990. The colors of the Lithuanian flag represent the sun (yellow) the land (green) and the blood of the people (red.)

There are some prohibited and some restrictions for the items that can be sent to  Lithuania. We have listed some of these items below. 

Updated mailing information can be found at the following USPS website.

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/il_027.htm

Some of the prohibited items:

Items used in hunting such as guns, fighting weapons, gas pistols and gas bombs.

Items that may pose a danger to postal employees.

Jewelry is prohibited to be sent by mail, as are coins and bank notes.

Watch bands are prohibited.

Some of the restricted items are:

Categories B, C and D firearms.

Items of cultural value, works of art, and antiques must  be sent only with a permit from the Ministry of Culture’s Department of the Protection of Objects of Cultural Value.

When you plan to ship internationally, please feel free to contact us to find out about restricted and prohibited items for the country that you are shipping to.  Remember, you can ship by small package, container shipping or ship by the cubic meter.

Auction houses have the unique task of finding buyers for rare and important items, as well as everyday items. Everyone has heard stories about things like Justin Bieber's chewed gum being sold for $30,000 and outlandish things like that. But much more common things sold in auction houses are furniture, art, jewelry, and other household items and personal belongings.

Auction house shippers make sure these purchased items make it from the auction house to the home of the buyer in one piece. Since auction houses sell all kinds of unique and expensive items, it is important they have a trusted auction shipper to take care of crating, packing, and sending these things. Here are some examples of items sold in an auction and how they would need to be shipped.

• Furniture: Say you buy an antique armoire from an auction house. If you don't have a truck, you want it to be moved carefully by professionals, or live out-of-town, you will need a shipping company to move it for you. Some shipping companies will move even one piece of furniture.  They might blanket wrap it, palletize it and offer freight services depending on your needs.
• Art: Art shipping needs to be done with special care because it is often not replicable. A shipping company can create custom crating for paintings and sculptures. This way you are assured your purchase will get to your home or workplace safely.

These are only a few ideas of things that need to be shipped from auction houses. If you work at an auction house and are needing auction shipping, a new connection with a reliable shipper, contact us today at Pack n Send.  If you have purchased items at an auction we can help you with the packing and shipping.

Freight shipping any item is a complex proposition, and it involves factors such as travel time from origin to destination, weight and size. Shippers measure each piece of a shipment for fit in the shipping space, and it must arrive when the customer is ready to receive it. There are times when shipments arrive early or require crate removal, and this is where freight receiving is the optimum way to receive a shipment. 

A Healthy Supply Chain 

Companies, both small and large, now keep less inventory on hand for their manufacturing, and they have found the most cost-effective solution is to have a receiving warehouse. This allows the manufacturers to ship when inventory is available, but their customer does not need to store it until they are ready to use it. Rather than working around a large inventory, customers schedule their deliveries when inventory becomes low. This gives them more space to build their product without adding additional warehouse facilities.

Interior Design Scheduling

During home construction, scheduling projects in the correct order is the only way to keep a project on track. Foundations or slabs are first constructed, and plumbing and electrical work are the next step. Floors, lighting and built-in cabinets are ideally in place before the fixtures arrive. Ordering appliances and custom cabinets at the beginning of the job to ensure timely delivery is standard procedure, but their arrival at the projected end of construction is best. Design firms often have arrangements with a local warehouse to receive their shipments until their desired delivery date. 

Interior Design Changes

When remodeling a home or office, choosing the new decor before the work begins is necessary for planning the look of the space. Companies that build custom-made furniture may not have excess storage areas, and they ship the product upon order completion. New furniture should not be placed inside an area that is still being remodeled, and interior decorators often have it shipped to a warehouse. The crew at the warehouse unpack the shipment, inspects items for damage and arranges for timely delivery with the decorator. This ensures the customer receives the pieces they chose in excellent condition and at the correct time.

Scheduling shipments is not always an easy task, but having a warehouse to receive freight and deliver it when needed takes a burden off the end-use customer. If you would like more information about this topic or other shipping questions, please contact us today.

How To Ship Deer Taxidermy Using Crate Services

There is nothing like hunting and catching your very own trophy. If you are like most, the excitement in seeing that beautiful deer is gratifying. Whether you need to ship your trophy from the hunting location or are moving cross-country, it is important to use crate services when shipping it to your home. Here are some tips to help you avoid any damage to your taxidermy.

• Use Well Made Custom Crates: There are no two deer heads that are identical in shape or size. Some are wider and longer than others. They are awkwardly shaped at times. Taxidermy is  delicate and shhipping using the correct size crate is crucial. Because, no two are alike, a custom crate is the best option when shipping. 
• Mount The Heads And Secure: To avoid  movement  during the shipping, it is important to attach some sort of mounting to each head. A good example is using high-quality plywood. This provides a sturdy platform for the taxidermy. It is also recommended to support the heads within the crate using   packing peanuts. Extra space can be protected with styrofoam sheet, this prevents rubbing during the move.  

Please feel free to contact us for more tips regarding taxidermy shipping. 

Find a Company for Shipping Auto Parts

Car enthusiasts know that working on custom cars, or even working on cars in general, often requires you to buy and sell parts from all over. If you are shipping auto parts to buyers all over the country and internationally, you need a shipping company you can trust to do the job. You need a shipping company you can depend on time after time to get your parts where they need to go with no damage. Here is a testimonial from one junk yard owner and his experience with shipping companies. 

Michael's Story

"My junk yard is well-known in Houston for having any car part that you need. And we don't just serve our local customers. We will ship car parts all over the world and internationally if needed. When we started our business, we knew we would need to work closely with a shipping company to make sure our parts didn't break during shipping. We ship windshields and car doors that can easily break if shipped incorrectly. Also, it's not like we always ship things you can just put into a flat-rate box. Customers buy car seats, engines, and panels as well as smaller items. 

Unfortunately the first shipping company we worked with was not a great experience. Within the first few months, we had several customers that got a windshield that was cracked or damaged. Thankfully, we got a referral for a great local company with a lot of experience shipping all kinds of freight so they take good care of us and our customers."

Pack n Send has been serving the Houston area for all kinds of packing, shipping, and moving needs for over 35 years. For more information on shipping auto parts, contact us at Pack n Send.

Shipping valuable or unusual items is a highly involved and demanding task. The planning needs to be perfect, and the execution needs to follow strict guidelines. The stress of proper packaging and handling can add far too much uncertainty to the shipping process. Here are a few guidelines to ensure that everything gets there in one piece.    

•  Leave it to professionals

People often under pack valuable and fragile items. This is primarily due to a lack of shipping knowledge. They don’t bother to use bubble wrap, opting for newspaper instead, which does little to insulate the product. Or, they will package valuables together, layering glass on top of glass, or placing easily scratched items on rough, coarse surfaces. Professional shippers know exactly how to pack valuables of various kinds; they have done it before and encountered a variety of unusual and difficult items. 

•  International shipping

Shipping items internationally opens up a whole new set of restrictions and strict guidelines. Weights and measures, values and contents need to be declared accurately, and will be verified along the way. On top of this, your items likely have a long way to travel, with frequent checkpoints to pass through. Utilizing a shipping crate takes this weight off your shoulders.

Shipping valuable, fragile, or unusual items can be an extremely stressful event as it is. You will likely be facing a deadline or some other time restriction. The last thing you want to worry about is losing your valuables to careless packaging. Consider the advantages of crating your belongings for shipping. Contact us today to learn more.   

If you are new to the shipping world—perhaps you have just started your own retail business or an online store—you probably have a lot of questions. There seems to be insider lingo and you want to make sure you being charged the correct price. You also want to be confident you are getting the merchandise for your store when you need it and that your clients get their orders on time is a must. This blog will help clarify some of your questions about freight shipping and more.

First things first—what is freight? It is a seemingly simple term but how does it apply to you as a business owner. Freight is just synonym for cargo. The definition is, "goods transported by truck, train, ship, or aircraft." So really anything you are buying or selling or sending is considered freight if you move it by one of these methods. A shipping company will help you decide what is the best method to ship your freight.

Depending on the size of the job and the speed at which it needs to arrive, a shipping company may use common delivery methods such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS. Larger freight can be sent through trucking companies like SAIA and Yellow Freight. If you need to have freight shipped overseas, a shipping company will send it via aircraft or ship.

Freight receiving is also helpful for retailers because a shipping company can hold the freight until a specified receiving date so you don't have a bunch of boxes you weren't ready for cluttering up your store. 

For more information on freight shipping from the experts, contact us today at Pack n Send.

You’re not moving your entire life, just part of it. This is when most individuals, families and businesses alike begin to worry about relocating items that are too few for a huge move but too much (or too large) for their personal or businesses vehicle. You may want to move items in use from one space to another space so they can continue their usefulness. Or you may want to move them to a location for storage. Many people stress about making time and plan to drive back and forth doing it for themselves. Oftentimes, they don’t consider that they can complete their local Houston small move with the aid of a professional moving service, and save their precious time for other matters.

 What is a small load small load mover mover?

A small move can refer to the size of the space (e.g., apartment, office, etc.), the size of the load (e.g., individual, senior or elderly moving, etc.), or the frequency of the relocation event (e.g., estate sale). A small load mover can move one piece of furniture. Small load movers can move personal or business furniture.

• Those are all personal small moves. What types of businesses can benefit from these services?

This service is useful because furniture stores can move one or many pieces as needed and assisted living centers can require similar services. Auction houses relocate precious items for each event. Interior decorators require access to the furnishings and decorative items they store for various jobs. And antique dealers can move their selection from location to location with ease.

• What if I need to relocate my office to the other side of the state?

Professional movers can pack, crate, and freight any size office or offices for you. This includes furnishings, electronic equipment, and storage units so that you can get back to business in a timely manner.

• My relative has two homes and possessions in three locations. We can’t move all of those items ourselves, even with a rental van. How can we have one estate sale at one location soon?

Finding the right mover smoothes out the process of estate sales. They can help any family or executor relocate and place items so that the sale day can go as planned.

Remember, there is no move too big or small that can’t be relocated with care and precision. If you’d like to learn more about how professional moving can help you with your Houston small move, contact us for a quote today.

There should be no stress or  confusion when it is time to move your home or office furniture. It is easy to ship furniture across country when you use a professional packing, moving and freight company.  Hiring a company experienced for this type of moving is beneficial to both you and your prized furniture.

 By hiring a professional moving company to move bulky or delicate items from one side of the country to another, you will avoid having to load and unload your furniture, as well as eliminating the need for you to drive a large, heavily laden vehicle over crowded streets and highways.

• Whether you ship your furniture with a small load mover or ship your furniture via freight, make sure that you give a good phone number so that your furniture can be delivered on time. Freight companies and movers will call you in advance to let you know when they plan to deliver your furniture. Ensure that someone is present to meet the driver at this designated time and day.

With a bit of proactive work on your part, you will make the moving process an easier experience. By hiring a professional moving company to help in this monumental journey will be well worth the money spent. 

If you need assistance with a samll load move or if you would like to freight yor furniture cross country, please feel free to contact us at pack n send in Houston.

Keys to Effective Houston Freight Crating

A well-built customized crate is the key to the secure transport and arrival of fragile valuables and equipment. When evaluating freight companies, you should consider the degree of industry experience possessed by each company. Specifically, you should ensure that a company has the tools and expertise to help you determine when crating is necessary and exactly how crating can help protect your goods.

Determining Which Goods and Valuables Require Crating

While crating is not necessary for the majority of goods that are shipped, crating is the best option for specific products. Below are some examples of goods and valuables that should be packed inside a sturdy crate prior to shipping:

• Medical devices such as anesthesia machines, X-ray machines and C-arms
• Valuable antique furnishings
• Office equipment such as computers and printers
• Household valuables such as chandeliers, china and stereo equipment

All items should be securely wrapped and packed with protective material such as bubble wrap prior to shipment. This is especially critical if multimodal freight services will be employed.

Identifying Shipping Situations that Require Crating

Crating is particularly important when packing mobile items on wheels or goods that will be shipped internationally. Items on wheels should be secured inside a customized crate with plenty of packaging material to prevent any movement or damage during transit. And it is always a good idea to pack items in a protective crate if they will ultimately ship to an overseas destination.

Keys to Effective Freight Crating

Not all Houston freight crating companies are created equal. Effective freight crating requires the right combination of experience and materials. Below are the three keys to effective freight crating:

• Customization: A crate should be the appropriate size and shape to ensure safe transit
• Quality: A crate should be constructed of sturdy wood by an experienced builder
• Packing Materials:The items in the crate should be protected with bubble wrap, foam or other materials 

Please contact us if you are interested in learning how customized Houston freight crating can help you ensure that your goods and valuables arrive safely and securely at their destination.

All kinds of situations demand the services of a moving company. That is why when you are looking for a moving service you look into what kind of services they offer. When you are moving in Houston you have plenty of choices of movers to choose from. But it is important to ask yourself and the movers some of these questions.

• Do they have a minimum size for a move? Sometime you need to hire a moving company to move just one piece of furniture or a few boxes. Situations that would call for this are moving items to and from an auction house, other private sales of furniture, dorm moves, and assisted living moves. Some movers have a minimum amount they will move so that is an important question to ask.
• Are they a packing and shipping company as well? Moving companies can really run the gamut as far as services they provide. You can start with as simple as a truck rental, hire movers to actually load and unload your truck, or hire a service that will pack for you. If the latter are the kind of movers you are looking for they can even ship boxes or items from your move to other parts of the country. This happens frequently when people divide up an estate and need to send different belongings to people in the family around the country or world.

Pack n Send in Houston is a packing and shipping company that can do all of these things for you. We can do any move–big or small. And we also can split up an estate, pack it up, and ship it wherever you need. Our services include anything you need to make moving and shipping easier. Contact us today at Pack n Send for more information about moving in Houston.

Turks and Caicos are two groups of tropical islands located in the Caribbean Sea. With a population under 50,000, these islands are a popular among tourists looking for a private tropical destination. In addition to tourism-related industries such as hotels, restaurants, and transport, Turks and Caicos has a strong financial services industry; these areas account for more than 50% of the country’s annual gross domestic product.

For people interested in visiting or relocating to Turks and Caicos, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• While English is commonly spoken, Turks and Caicos residents also speak Creole and Spanish.
• A low population density may be enticing to some, but it does not account for travelers. More than 350,000 tourists visit the islands annually – that is seven times more people than who actually live there!
• The US dollar is the official currency, and American traveler’s checks and credit cards are also frequently used.
• Turks and Caicos has about 350 days of sunshine each year, but also has a lengthy hurricane season throughout summer and early fall.
• Water conservation is a high priority on Turks and Caicos. There is limited fresh water supply and the water desalination process is costly.

Like most countries, international shipping to Turks and Caicos has specific prohibitions and restrictions. For example, the following are not allowed:

• Coins and paper currency.
• Other valuable items, including platinum, gold or silver, jewelry, and precious stones.
• Perishable infectious or noninfectious biological substances. These include flora or fauna that is not native to the islands and may upset the natural ecology.
• Importation of firearms is allowed, however, requires a proper permit.

If you are looking to send items to Turks and Caicos, we can assist in adhering to the above prohibitions as well as staying within size and value guidelines established by the country. Whether it is a small package or palletized freight, we have the expertise to get your item shipped safely. Contact us to learn more!

There's a number of companies that offer crating and packing houston texas and in every major city throughout the United States. Finding the right one can not only significantly reduce worries and cost, but can also make your business appear better. It's worth the time to do the research no matter if you own a business, or if you just need to have some things moved.

Look For Experience 

When searching a city for the different packaging and crating companies, try to find out how long each business has been around. It's also a good idea to find out what the employee turn over rate is for each packaging business. Long-term employees and management personnel are much better at what they do. Be sure to ask questions when you call the companies and remember to search their website for more information.

Services Offered

Does the packaging company that you are considering provide the services that you need? Evaluate your current needs and then find out which custom crate building  company can best handle them. Experienced packaging and crating companies will be able to provide a wide range of services such as:

. Shipping for individuals and businesses

. International and domestic shipping 

. Packaging and shipping large and small loads

. Packaging and shipping fragile products

You can contact us to find out more information.

 The Best Crating and Packing Houston Texas 

Just because you don't have that many belongings or aren't moving very far doesn't make the task of moving any less daunting if you are by yourself, don't have the right vehicle, or aren't in good health to do the move by yourself. If you live in Houston, you may want to find a moving company that does small moves in Houston to make your burden lighter—literally and figuratively. If you live in any other city, we recommend following the same suggestions. Moving a small amount of furniture, can be hassle free.

Some moving companies have requirements of the minimum size of a move. So if you are only moving a few pieces of furniture you will need to find a moving company that has no minimum. This may be the case for antique dealers, auction houses, furniture stores, and interior decorators. Another situation that comes up quite a bit that requires small moves are nursing home moves. In this case, the client is elderly and although they may not be moving too many belongings, they aren't able to make the move themselves.

Students also may need help with smaller moves. The greater Houston area is home to 14 major colleges and universities according to visithoustontexas.com. There are more than 315,000 students pursuing high learning in the Houston area. These students move around a lot depending on changing roommate situations, leases, and varying opportunities within their programs like studying abroad. Other areas with high concentrations of college students include: Roanoke Region VA., San Francisco, and Raleigh Durham.

Students looking for help with a small move or any other individual or company that needs help with a small move can contact us at Pack n Send in Houston. We have decades of experience and want to provide excellent service for each of our customers, no matter how large or small the job is. 

When you have to move something that is extremely fragile, valuable, awkward in shape and size, or all of the above, you need to hire a professional packing and crating company to ensure the move goes well. Moving a sculpture, an heirloom chandelier, or designer lamps are all scenarios that require packing and crating in Houston or throughout the USA before the item gets shipped. 

Chandeliers, for example, require custom crating for shipping. A packing company will hang the chandelier in a crate lined with Styrofoam. Then the chandelier can be braced for shipping or the packing company will fill the space with packing peanuts. This method works for all types of chandeliers—crystal, ceramic, wrought iron, wood, or even antler-shed chandeliers.

Artwork and statues are another example of a valuable that needs to be shipped with the utmost care. The amazing thing about sculpture is there are really no limits to what you can do when you work with 3D space. Sculptures naturally come in unique shapes and sizes. A packing and crating company will create a custom crate for a sculpture to ensure it arrives safely. If a work of art will be traveling from exhibit to exhibit, they can build a reusable crate for easy packing.

Lamps are also a fragile and common household item that need crating for shipping. You may be tempted to try to move these items yourself in your car to prevent them from breaking. But if you don't have the luxury of doing that, do not worry. Crating or custom boxing your lamps will get them to your destination even more safely than if you were to carry them yourself.

For more information on custom packing and crating for fragile and expensive items, contact us at Pack n Send in Houston.

El Salvador is the smallest but most densely populated country in Central America. This area has a rich cultural history beginning with early civilizations including Mesoamerican nations such as the Cuzcatlecs and the Mayan civilization, and later, assimilation as part of the Spanish Empire. This history has created a unique culture to flourish in El Salvador. A few interesting cultural facts about El Salvador include:

• El Salvador is the only Central American country without an Atlantic coast line. However, it is known for its beautiful South Pacific beaches, home to the world surfing competitions.
• El Salvador gained independenceafter being under Spanish rule for more than three centuries.
• El Salvador is known as the “Land of Volcanoes” because of the more than 20 volcanoes located throughout the country. Travelers can rest easy – only two are active!
• Tropical forests have expanded over the last two decades thanks to conservation efforts, making El Salvador one of the few countries to experience reforestation.

Economically, El Salvador relies heavily on agriculture, with indigo and coffee being primary exports. As industrialization continues to develop, El Salvador has diversified its economy by growing the manufacturing sector as well.  Exports coming from El Salvador are bound by the policies of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) which the country entered into in 2006. Similarly, international shipping to El Salvador follows mailing requirements established by El Salvador. Specifically, the follow items are prohibited from entering the country by mail:

• Coins, printed currency, traveler’s checks, or other means of currency.
• Manufactured or naturally-made platinum, gold, silver, or other precious stones and minerals.
• Gambling equipment.
• Perishable infectious biological substances, including medical wastes, vaccines, and medicines.
• Radioactive materials or bi-products.
• Unstamped cigarette paper. Cigarettes must include a printed or stamped indication of “Importación a El Salvador” (Import to El Salvador).

Contact us to learn more about international shipping to El Salvador or anywhere else worldwide. We can help package and ship your item so that it arrives at its final destination safely!

Consulate and International Shipping to Bahamas

The Bahamas, located 50 miles off the east coast of Florida, consists of about 700 islands. Only about 30 of these islands are inhabited by the approximately 321,000 citizens. The islands of Nassau, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and San Salvador are especially popular resort and cruise ship destinations. While tourism is a prominent component of the economy, the Bahamas also have growing industries, including financial services and international shipping.

As with most international shipping, items sent to the Bahamas are subject to specific restrictions and regulations established and enforced by the country. The following items are prohibiting from entering the country:

• Obscene materials including articles, books, pictures, and other printed items.
• Perishable infectious or noninfectious biological substances. This includes foreign flora or fauna that could upset the natural balance of the ecology of the islands.
• Radioactive materials.
• Skimmed milk in tins. This restriction intends to prohibit the introduction of potentially disruptive organisms to the Bahamas.

 Compared to many other popular international shipping destinations, the Bahamas have a modest list of restrictions; many of the items are self-explanatory and are generally prohibited in most countries. The Bahamas are more than just a tropical getaway destination. For example, did you know:

• The Bahamas was under British control until 1973 when it became an independent country, officially known as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
• The official currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar, although US currency is widely accepted. The reason both are easily used together is that the Bahamian dollar has a 1:1 exchange rate with the US dollar.
• There are no rivers in the Bahamas, but the country includes almost 2,400 uninhabited islets.

If you are interested in shipping to the Bahamas, contact us. Whether your item requires a small box or a 40-foot shipping container, we can assist in making sure it is packaged and shipped safely and properly to its destination.

As the nation experiences an ever-increasing uptick in the economy, more and more people are opting to move to thriving urban areas like Houston.  Whether you need a household move or a business move, there are a few things to consider to make the move go smoothly. Living in the heart of a metropolitan city puts you in close proximity to restaurants, museums, and employers. However, despite the numerous benefits of city life, there are a few things to consider to make the midtown urban move into Houston  or any other large urban area easier. We have used  Houston as our example in this blog.

Parking -- In the midst of the city parking is at a premium. You might have problems finding a parking location close to your apartment building where you can unload your large belongings from a moving truck. In some cases, apartment complex managers make an exception on moving day for their residents and allow them to park in areas that are normally restricted. You will need to check all rules and regulations prior to moving day. Often you need to acquire a parking permit from the cities municipal government'. As an example in Houston, you can contact  Parking Management Division to park on the street and unload. In Houston, you can contact the Parking Management Division at  832-393-8690. In other cities, you can directly contact their packing management districts by looking on the internet for the agencies phone number or email address.

Elevator Access -- Many apartment complexes have a freight elevator that you can request the use of on moving day. 

Timing -- When moving into a loft or high-rise residence, timing is of paramount importance. You will not want to move during rush hour or other times when the traffic is at its worst. Ideally, a weekend or mid-morning move works well. 

Planning -- Prior to your move, you might want to utilize a professional packing company's many available packing and moving services. You can have fragile items crated and shipped prior to your move so they arrive a day or two after you are in your new residence. This takes the fear out of moving the items yourself. You can have them delivered directly to your front door and enjoy the peace of mind of knowing your beloved belongings will be arriving safely. 

Moving into any big city takes a bit of planning, but once you are settled into your new abode you will be able to enjoy everything that a large metropolitan city  has to offer. 

Please contact Pack n Send to learn about custom crating and moving to a large metropolitan area.

International shipping follows different rules than domestic transport. In preparing to ship something overseas, it's important to know what kinds of procedures and regulations you will encounter. While these vary based on what is being shipped and the specific destination, here are four things to be prepared to handle when transporting goods overseas.

Customs

All items coming into a country will be required to clear customs. Part of this process is providing appropriate and accurate paperwork. This may include customs forms for the country of departure as well as arrival, manifest information, and any applicable customs fees. This fee varies based on the value of the item being shipped, weight and size of the item, and the country where it is being shipped.

Tariffs

A tariff is a tax or duty charged based on the class of the item being shipped. This is often part of the  fee required by the company and other freight handlers who will be transporting the item. 

Arrival Date

Sending  products internationally can be a slow process, especially when accounting for loading and unloading times, transfers, customs inspections, etc. In preparing for an international shipment, determine first when the item needs to be delivered and then work backward. A professional moving company can assist in estimating the length of time your item will be in transit before arriving.

Packaging

Make sure that your item is  properly packaged. Depending on the size of the item, use of protective shipping materials, double boxing, or custom crating are all possible options. Also, it is crucial that the item be labeled correctly. Again, a professional shipping company can assist in this process. In Houston crating companies  and packing companies in Houston are aware of the proper wood to use for international crating.

These tips will help make your international shipping go smoothly, but if you still need help making sure your items arrival safely and on time, contact us. We have experience shipping countless items from the Houston area to worldwide destinations.

International shipping to Romania requires more attention to detail than shipping within the U.S., but arranging proper packing and transport through a professional shipping company will assure that your items arrive safely.

Romania, like most international shipping destinations, have laws and regulations regarding what may and may not be imported into the country. When shipping international cargo or international packages to Romaina, reference the the USPS website.  Here are some laws and regulations to follow:

• Weapons, ammunition, or other arms-related items. The exception to this rule are hunting guns, with the approval of the Romanian police or related governing body.
• Coins, currency, precious metals or stones, jewelry, or other valuables.
• Explosives, pyrotechnic products such as fireworks, and other combustible products. The purpose for this prohibition is twofold: Romania has regulatory laws regarding who can own, handle, and operate combustible materials; and transport of these items can be dangerous or cause serious hazards to those transporting the items.
• Perishable infectious or noninfectious biological substances.
• Tobaccos products or tobacco substitutes. Just like in the United States, these are heavily regulated by the Romanian government.
• Pharmaceutical products and vitamins unless authorized by the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Agriculture.

Romania is a country full character and unique accolades. For example:

• Romania is the 9th largest producer of wine. In 2015 it produced around 4.069 million hectolitres of wine!
• The Scarisoara glacier, is found underneath the Bihor Mountains in Romania. It is more than 3,500 years old!
• Romania is home to Petrache Poenaru, who invented the world's first fountain pen. Another Romanian, Nicolae Paulescu, discovered insulin. 
• The Romanian Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the second largest administrative center in the world. The largest is the Pentagon in the United States.

Packages being shipped overseas may require multiple modes of transportation and loading and unloading before reaching the final destination. Because of this, it's important to pack items carefully to minimize the potential for damage en route. A professional moving company can assist in properly preparing your items for shipment and will also help complete customs forms for entrance into Romania. International shipping can take a long time and poorly or incorrectly completed paperwork will further delay arrival.

If you are in the Houston are and are looking to send items to Romania, we can help. Contact us to learn more about our international shipping options.

With today's constantly changing business world, many companies are seeing benefits in their ability to ship and/or trade between Houston, Texas, and other countries.  This can include shipping furniture across country and beyond!  The Port of Houston has recently expanded services to countries such as West Africa. These changes have provided even more opportunities for trade and business collaborations, along with shipping a vast array of items ranging from personal purchases to corporate exchanges and relocation.  As such, the Port of Houston is well on its way to establishing itself as a definitive presence in business transactions.  The Port further cements this impression by linking diverse cultures such as Mexico and West Africa, with non-stop service between these destinations and more.  It is a true first for this kind of transit, as most previous forms of this transport required stopovers or indirect routes to reach their final stopping locations.  

Because the Port of Houston has grown into such an important focal point for international business, it has a well-deserved reputation for world-class service to all its clients, local and international alike.  As such, the Port is eager to help others develop their own companies through its established international liaisons.  The Port readily seeks both individual and corporate proposals for upcoming partnerships.  Furthermore, the growth of the Port has been a consistent win-win for the local economy, with its impact creating thousands of jobs over the 2015-2016 period and billions of dollars of revenue in the first half of 2016 alone.  These points clearly exemplify Texas' key role as a shipping state (importing and exporting equally) as well as its premier position as a shipping and receiving entity in the economic world.

The Port of Houston shows no signs of slowing down, and is clearly a contender for the fastest growth and positive impact on local and international business combined.  With its continuing development, the Port has a firm eye to the future and enduring success!  While Shipping internationally can pose challenges, help on these areas is just a quick call or email away, so contact us with any questions for packing and shipping expertise, suggestions and tips!  Shipping from Houston is easy when you use The Port of Houston.

International shipping to Malta might sound like a complicated process, but fortunately with some careful planning and the right knowledge, shipping is as simple as mailing a letter to your neighbor down the street.

According to the USPS, Malta prohibits shipment of the following items:

• Weapons of all kinds
• Devices used to load weapons such as metal cartridges and firing caps
• Human remains
• Graphic and obscene materials and literature
• Any living plants and animals
• Lottery tickets and any marketing material of such
• Radioactive materials
• Switchblades

Malta's international shipping restrictions are simple—any textiles, foodstuffs, or bags must comply with any and all local health regulations.

When mailing items, also make sure to observe the following rules:

• When mailing to a street address, Malta suggests you provide a local telephone number for the addressee. When mailing to a post office box, Malta requires it.
• All commercial shipments must come with an invoice as well as any personal shipments with a value of $300 or more. Place invoices either on the outside of the package or inside with PS Form 2976-E.
• If you are shipping a prohibited item with a special permit from the Controller of Customers, you must make sure the addressee also have the necessary documents in order.

Whether you are mailing a gift to an old friend or shipping your worldly possessions to Malta to start a new life, here are some fun facts:

• Malta is in the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and North Africa, Sicily and Tunisia specifically.
• Speaking of which, Malta used to have a bridge to Sicily.
• The three islands of Malta are only 316 square kilometers, making it one of the world's smallest countries.
• Malta has no forest and woodland cover as wells as no mountains or rivers.
• Homer allegedly wrote about Calypso Cave in The Odyssey. 
• The British ruled over Malta until they gained their independence in 1964.

If you want any further help with your international shipping needs, contact us today!

In the United States and around the world, other countries have consulates. A consulate is the office on the consul—an official from a foreign country serving as an advocate for those from their native country in a foreign land. Consuls have varying responsibilities but some include overseeing visas, legal documentation, and trade. A consul is different from an ambassador. An ambassador has a superior rank. And also there can only be one ambassador from one country to another while there can be a number of consuls in major cities. For example, Brazil has consulates in 10 major cities around the U.S., including one in Houston.

When staff of the consulate moves to Houston or home to Brazil from Houston, they need to find a company that does consulate moving and consulate shipping. Thankfully, shipping freight to Houston is made easy by the presence of the Port of Houston. Consulate staff can have a container of their furniture and other belongings shipped from Brazil to Houston overseas.

A shipping company can even pack a container with these belongings and give a list on the contents to customs. If you are moving to Houston to work at the Brazilian consulate, find a moving company that can pack and crate your things in Brazil and ship them to Houston so you only have to concern yourself with moving yourself and your family. If you need crating and packing  Houston Texas or need international moving, crating companes in Houston can help you pack and send your belongings anywhere in the world.

Pack n Send in Houston makes international shipping easy. We have over 35 years of experience with international shipping and moving. Contact us today for a quote on consulate shipping.

When your company needs to ship equipment, you need to find a shipping company with competitive rates and the expertise to ship fragile, awkwardly sized, and sensitive items. In Houston, shipping is a big industry— especially for equipment— because of the Port of Houston.

The Port of Houston is a 25 mile long port that sees the most tons of foreign goods in the United States. Clearly, many things go in and out of this port, making it a place where mediocre shipping services will not suffice. People expect the best shipping services when their goods are going around the world. 

Here are a few industries that need experienced shippers they can trust when shipping through the Port of Houston.

• The Oil Field Industry: This industry is especially relevant because the number of refineries built in the Houston Ship Channel. The channel is such a popular spot for refineries because of its protection from the storms in the Gulf of Mexico. The refineries need supplies for their infrastructure including specialized equipment and pipes that are hard to transport. They need professional shipping to make sure the equipment is not damaged.
• The Medical Industry: Being such an important port, medical technology often comes in and out of the Port of Houston. MRI machines, CT scanners, x-ray technology, and all sorts of other medical technology needs to be shipped with the utmost care because these items are extremely expensive.

When it comes to needing a commercial shipper— especially for an industry with such fragile and expensive equipment— you can trust us at Pack n Send in Houston. Contact us today to get a quote for your shipping needs. 

Commercial Shipping is fast and easy when shipping out of the Port of Houston, or shipping via truck from the city of Houston.

Shipping valuable artwork is a challenge. This is because it is susceptible to damage caused by jostling while in transit .Whether you are shipping artwork to a new home or have sold it to another collector, preparing for the transport is a crucial step in the process.

Depending on the size of the art and whether it is framed, shipping may involve corrugated cardboard boxes or custom-made shipping crates. On common mistake that is easily avoided when shipping artwork involves the size of the shipping container. It should be large enough to accommodate the item and necessary packaging such as bubble wrap and packing peanuts, but not big enough to allow the art to shift. In the case of fragile artwork, double-boxing with layers of padding ensures the best protection. A professional shipping company can assist with this if necessary.

Prior to packaging, consider how you intend to ship your artwork. Common package carriers have size and weight restrictions which may cause problems depending on the type of art you are intending to send. If it is very large or heavy, consider working with a shipping company who has experience building custom crates and shipping items as freight.

One of the worst things that can happen to a piece of artwork is damage while in transit. Artwork is not only valuable but each piece is unique and in some cases, one-of-a kind and irreplaceable. If you are looking for a professional to assist in packing and shipping of a piece of artwork, contact us. We have experience shipping everything from porcelain statues to oil paintings for galleries all over the world.

The Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe that borders Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus. In addition to a thriving economy attributed to the privatization of most industries, Latvia is also known as a prominent exporter of timber, wood products, fish and fish products, metals, and machinery and equipment. International shipping into Latvia is also possible, with the assistance of a professional shipping company. Every country has specific limitations with respect to shipping. The following items are prohibited in Latvia:

• Live animals or animal products such as skins and pelts
• Vegetable products
• Live trees, plats, bulbs, roots, and other flora that could impact the local ecosystem
• Pharmaceutical products
• Explosives, including: pyrotechnic products, matches, and combustible preparations
• Printed books, newspapers, and products of the printing industry such as manuscripts, etc.
• Natural pearls, precious stones, precious metals, jewelry, and coins
• Arms and ammunition

In some circumstances, permissions are granted with regard to what can be shipped to Latvia. The following restrictions apply to the above list:

• A veterinary service certificate should accompany animal products. This reduces the risk of the spread of potentially dangerous bacteria or foreign species.
• Items subject to customs duty charges may not be shipped in flat rate envelopes, flat rate boxes, or first-class package international service items.
• The shipment of pharmaceutical products is permissible only if it is mailed to a pharmaceutical manufacturer, wholesalers, or accredited representative of foreign producers of medicine.
• Any flora or product thereof must be accompanied by a plant health certificate.

Contact us to learn more about international shipping to Latvia. Our full service packing, crating, and shipping services will make sure your items make it to their final destination safe and on schedule.

Domestic shipping and international shipping may seem like similar things, and they are similar, but there are also a few differences worth noting.

One of the major, and obvious differences, is that international travel is much longer time wise, therefore it opens travelers up to more uncertainties, and more vulnerabilities, than domestic travel does

Think about it this way: when you go on short, domestic trips, you probably pack and plan differently than when you travel over international waters. 

Shipping artwork is no different. Often, crate building is used for domestic shipping of artwork, and then the crate will be padded and packed according to the specific item that is being shipped. Sometimes, the piece may be able to fit and packed into a box, but that would have to be determined on a case by case basis. 

Artwork is always important, and fragile, and care is required when handling it; care is also required when shipping it.

If a piece of artwork will be shipped internationally, it should be packed inside a crate made with heat treated wood to ensure safe travels. The purpose for heat treating is mainly to kill bugs and prevent bugs from getting into the crate, thus preventing all kinds of other nasty surprises upon landing.

Contact us for more education, insight, and information about your specific packing and crating needs, whether you have a question about shipping artwork or furniture or anything else. We would love to answer your questions and help you determine what is best for your specific items and situation.

International shipping follows different rules than domestic transport. In preparing to ship something overseas, it's important to know what kinds of procedures and regulations you will encounter. While these vary based on what is being shipped and the specific destination, here are four things to be prepared to handle when shipping overseas.

Customs

All items coming into a country will be required to clear customs. Part of this process is providing appropriate and accurate paperwork. This may include customs forms for the country of departure as well as arrival, manifest information, and any applicable customs fees. This fee varies based on the value of the item being shipped, weight and size of the item, and the country where it is being shipped.

Tariffs

A tariff is a tax or duty charged based on the class of the item being shipped. This is often part of the shipping fee required by the company and other freight handlers who will be transporting the item. 

Arrival Date

Shipping products internationally can be a slow process, especially when accounting for loading and unloading times, transfers, customs inspections, etc. In preparing for an international shipment, determine first when the item needs to be delivered and then work backward. A professional moving company can assist in estimating the length of time your item will be in transit before arriving.

Packaging

Make sure that all products are properly packaged. Depending on the size of the item, use of protective shipping materials, double boxing, or custom crating are all possible options. Also, it is crucial that the item be labeled correctly. Again, a professional shipping company can assist in this process.

These tips will help make your international shipping go smoothly, but if you still need help making sure your items arrival safely and on time, contact us. We have experience shipping countless items from the Houston area to worldwide destinations.

Moving companies and shipping companies often are two different businesses. So when your move requires both packing and sending, you need a special company to take care of both of your needs. The right pack and send company will custom crate anything that needs custom crating, will handle your belongings with the utmost care, and will compassionately deal with your moving situation if it is a tough circumstance. Here are some people who need a moving and shipping company in one.

• International Moves: Ever wonder how people moving overseas are able to move their belongings? A shipping company can ship their belongings overseas through international freighting. Pack and send companies get discounts with carriers and are able to pass the savings on to their customers. So going through a moving/shipping company can save you money when compared to going through a carrier like UPS or FedEx. You can get a container for ocean shipping that is either 20 or 40 feet long for your belongings to get overseas.
• Moves When Dividing Up an Estate: Sometimes when a loved one passes away, their estate needs to be divided up among family members that live in different locations. This is when a pack and send service is needed. Movers can divide up the belongings according to the family's specifications and ship them to wherever they need to go.
• Moving Art: When art is shipped around the country or the world for various exhibitions, it needs to be professionally—and sometimes custom—crated before it can be shipped to its destination. Artists, collectors, and curators need a shipping company they can trust.

For pack and send services in Houston and beyond, contact us at Pack n Send. We have been helping our customers with international moves, estate moves, art shipping, and more for the last 35 years and we can help you too.

Moving is a hassle. Packing for a move for a move is an even bigger hassle. Here are some tips on making packing less of an ordeal.

1. Give yourself enough time. Packing always takes longer than you expect. It's best to start two or three weeks before moving day. Do not start a day or two before you plan to move. It won't work. Trust us.

2. Prioritize. Items you use least should be packed first. Start with china, kitchen implements you don't use daily, CDs, out of season clothes, and books. (This is a great time to sort through your out of season clothes and donate the ones you no longer wear.)

3. Think ahead when you pack. Some things you'll need almost immediately in your new home. Mark those boxes with a special symbol: a star, your initial, the number 1. Put belongings you will want right away — sheets, towels, toiletries, change of clothes — in a suitcase or clothes hamper for easy access.

4. Chose a little-used part of your house to be the packing station. Maybe a spare bedroom, or just a corner. Assemble boxes of assorted sizes and have them ready and waiting. Keep markers, packing tape, and packing materials such as bubble wrap, popcorn, styrofoam peanuts, or unprinted newsprint there.

5. Don't overstuff your boxes with more than you can carry. It's easy to put more in the box than it can hold without breaking. Resist the temptation. Fill large boxes with light stuff, like comforters or clothing,  and put heavy items, like books, in small boxes. As the bumper sticker says: Friends help friends move. Real friends help friends move books.

6. Don't move empty dressers and chests. Leave dressers full. If a chest is empty, fill it with linens. Tuck breakables inside linens or clothes to cushion them. Don't pack empty suitcases. Put them to work.

7. Trash bags are your friends. Sturdy trash bags squish. Fill large trash bags with soft nonbreakables.  Stuff them into trucks where boxes won't fit.

8. Don't pack hanging clothes. Leave clothes on hangers and put them in the back of your car flat. When you get to the new home, hang them up.

9. Don't pack blankets or beach towels. Don't let them be lazy. Use them as pads; this saves on boxes. Wrap and tape blankets around artwork and lamp bases. Stack and pack lampshades, which can easily be damaged in a move. Remove each shade from the lamps. Stack them by size, small to large, then put them together in one box. That way they'll arrive intact.

10.  Mark every box with its contents (pots) and destination (kitchen) on more than one side. Mark if contents are fragile. 

11. Be ready. Have everything packed before the movers arrive or before you get the truck. If furniture needs to be taken apart, disassemble it in advance. Tape nuts and bolts securely to furniture items so they don't get lost. Roll rugs up tight, then tape them. Both professional movers and rental trucks charge by the hour. Being disorganized costs you money. 

If you have questions on packing or moving, contact Pack n Send. We'll be glad to help.

  Craigslist is a great place to find quality used items in your area. Sellers use this free online platform to post everything from clothing and household goods to heavy machinery, furniture, and vehicles. In the case of large items, the challenge is not necessarily finding a good deal on Craigslist. Rather, it is transporting it safely and securely back to your home. If you are in the process of purchasing a large or difficult to transport item from a seller on Craigslist, a professional packing and sending company can assist.

A professional  company will be able to provide you with options that best suit the specifics of the move. For local transport, the item can be securely packed using a combination of protective packing materials and cardboard boxes. Items such as car parts or heavy equipment are better suited to be shipped on pallets or in a custom crate. Other items such as boats and personal water crafts require special towing equipment. These are situations where a shipping company can put their expertise and experience to good use.

In some cases, buyers looking for a specific item may search outside of their area on Craigslist. A professional shipping company can also help move that large or irregular-shaped item long distances. Many sellers are accommodating of the time, space, or planning required to properly prepare and transport the item.

Don't let concern over shipping deter you from making a good deal on a Craigslist find. Contact us to discuss your packing and shipping options. Whether it is cross country or right around the corner in the Houston, Texas area, we are ready to assist in all your shipping needs. 

Saint Lucia is a fabulous eastern Caribbean island that beckons the winter-weary. It is a part of the Lesser Antilles; for the geographically-challenged this means northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique.

The island is roughly 238 square miles and volcanic in origin; indeed, it is one of the most mountainous of the Caribbean islands. St. Lucia is known for its twin landmarks: two mountains called the Pitons, and also claims a drive-in volcano! The climate is tropical (who'd a thought?) so daytime temperatures tend to be around 84 degrees while nights are typically a pleasant 64 degrees.

You may know someone who resides in St. Lucia, or you may decide you want to move and leave the chaos of life in the States far behind; in either case you will want to research international shipping to St. Lucia.

Obviously, the easiest way to move to the island of your dreams is to have someone else do it for you! International shipping requires a fair amount of expertise and unless you are one who enjoys learning the hard way, gathering information can be time-consuming and frustrating...for example, proper packing is essential for a long-distance move. It can come as a very unpleasant surprise to find out you under-padded your irreplaceable, life-size porcelain monkey. Expert help allows you to avoid delays and mistakes.

Most people have a pretty good idea of prohibited items (going through customs) such as guns, drugs, etc., but there is a lot more to learn; for example, on the leave-at-home list for St. Lucia is: counterfit currency or stamps, food unfit for humans, shaving brushes made in Japan (dating back to an anthrax scare in the early 1900's) and condoms made by Monkok Latix of South Korea. Can't really guess that kind of stuff! Using a professional shipping company will be a blessing due to invaluable knowledge that will save you time and headaches. 

St. Lucia is an ideal destination for most; unlimited recreational opportunities even for those who are horrified at the thought of being in public wearing a swimsuit! There are catamaran cruises, golf, tennis, hiking, bird watching, (the St. Lucia parrot, or Jacquot, is found only on the island) horseback riding, ATV tours and much more. The island's people are known to be warm and friendly as well.

What are you waiting for? Contact us for professional advice!

Moving overseas is always a complicated process. Not only will you have to deal with immigration, you will also have to understand what you can bring with you. Packing your possessions properly for the move can also be time-consuming, especially if you aren't sure what you can bring. Hiring international shipping companies to help you pack and transport your things can have a lot of benefits and make the entire process significantly easier.

Obtain a List of Prohibited Items

Different countries will have different things on their banned item list, making it impossible to ship them. Firearms, for example, are banned in several countries or have special shipping laws applied to them. An international shipping company will be able to provide you with a list of prohibited items and be able to advise you on the best ways to ship your items.

Save Time Packing Your Things

Packing is one of the most time-consuming parts of a move and one of the most difficult. Items need to be packed extra-carefully in order to survive a long distance travel. This means disassembling items carefully or surrounding them in extra packaging. Moving companies can help save you time with this process and give you peace of mind knowing that your items are secured.

More Information and Tips

If you are planning on moving overseas, you will need all of the help you can get. Read more tips on how to move and find county-specific guidelines when you contact us. We would be happy to help you find the most effective ways to move.

The initial move into an assisted living center or nursing home means downsizing. You can only take a few belongings to the nursing home. You don't need things like dishes, appliances, and very much furniture. When moving, it is important to find movers that can help you divide up your things among family members. If you have family out-of-state that will be receiving some of these items, you need a moving company that can ship those belongings for you.

If there aren't family members around to help a senior pack up their things, you need to find a moving company that you can trust to do all the packing as well. You need one that is going to be compassionate and understanding of the sensitive nature of this decision. Even if a person is ready to be in a new home where they can get more care and have fewer responsibilities, it is still hard to give up that independence. And oftentimes, people moving into a nursing home or assisted living center  have lived in their previous home for a long time and have many memories there.

For a moving and shipping company that will handle a move with care and compassion, contact us at Pack n Send in Houston. 

When you are doing a small move in Houston, there are still a number of things to consider. Just because you are doing a small move doesn't mean it isn't a big job. And sometimes you might need moving assistance, even if it is just one item. Here are some ideas of who could benefit from help with a small move and what kind of moving company to look for.

• Find a moving company that has no minimum size for a move. The right moving company will move even one sofa across town, or pack and ship just a few items across the country.
• Keep in mind moving services aren't just for individuals. Businesses can hire moving services if their offices are switching location. An interior decorator may need help moving furniture and decor for staging of a home. Auction houses need help getting items from the auction to the people who purchased them.  Movers with experience can make your moving day an enjoyable day.
• Just because a move is a local move doesn't mean you don't need help. Don't feel bad if you don't have the resources to do a move on your own. Not everyone knows a few burly guys that have trucks. Let the professionals take care of you. They can do a better job anyways. 
• Seniors that are moving into an assisted living center or a nursing home need help with small moves even though they may be relatively close.

No matter what the reason, the size of the move, or destination, Pack n Send in Houston can take care of your small move. Contact us today for more information. 

Domestic shipping and international shipping may seem like similar things, and they are similar, but there are also a few differences worth noting.

One of the major, and obvious differences, is that international travel is much longer time wise, therefore it opens travelers up to more uncertainties, and more vulnerabilities, than domestic travel does

Think about it this way: when you go on short, domestic trips, you probably pack and plan differently than when you travel over international waters. 

Shipping artwork is no different. Often, crate building is used for domestic shipping of artwork, and then the crate will be padded and packed according to the specific item that is being shipped. Sometimes, the piece may be able to fit and packed into a box, but that would have to be determined on a case by case basis. 

Artwork is always important, and fragile, and care is required when handling it; care is also required when shipping it.

If a piece of artwork is valuable and  will be shipped internationally, it should be packed inside a crate made with heat treated wood to ensure safe travels. The purpose for heat treating is mainly to kill bugs and prevent bugs from getting into the crate, thus preventing all kinds of other nasty surprises upon landing.

Contact us for more education, insight, and information about your specific packing and crating needs, whether you have a question about shipping artwork or furniture or anything else. We would love to answer your questions and help you determine what is best for your specific items and situation.

From Sold at Auction to Crate and Freight in Houston, Texas

Going once. Going twice. Sold.

But then what? What happens after a piece, or an entire collection, is sold at an auction? Well, it's similar to the many times when things are sold in stores: the things need to be moved to homes, to offices, to businesses, or to wherever the buyer desires. 

Auction houses in the Houston area might sell large pieces of antique furniture, military gear and uniforms, authentic record players, European silverware collections in velvet-lined boxes, large ceramic vases, exquisite jewelry, sculptures and paintings, even automobiles. Some of these things can be driven away in your car (or can be driven away as your car), but maybe you stumbled on tons of great finds, the kinds of things you couldn't walk away from, the kinds of things that are going to make your home perfect. And maybe you don't want to have to think about packing these items for transport. No one would blame you for that; these are precious items and you want them to be cared for.

You just need to think outside the box a little; maybe find an auction shipper in Huston who can take all of your new belongings and give them the correct seat for their travel. Whether they are all going to one location, or will be dispersed among several locations, an auction shipper can help you determine what is best. 

Sometimes custom crates will be made to fit your items, and proper padding placed around them to ensure an exact fit. Other times, your items can be boxed and shipped. It just depends on what specific items were purchased. Contact us for more information on exactly what should be done with your new items. Auction shipping is easy when you contact a company that has experience with auction house shipping. They should be able to ship everything from furniture to small delicate items.

Have you been to an auction lately? You can find almost anything at an auction. Kitchen knife sets, computers and software, clothing and handbags, diamond rings, antique and modern luggage, furniture, and all kinds of artwork, from paintings to sculpture to pottery and mixed media pieces show up in auction houses.

Among the strangest things ever sold at auction is a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair, and Brad Pitt and Angelina's breath in a jar. But it's not just celebrity's items that sell at auctions. A skeleton in a tuxedo was once sold for $950 alongside a female skeleton carrying a Bible. We wonder where that is now. Auction shipper Houston notes that everyday and unique items sell well at auctions.

Instruments, especially antique ones that have been well maintained, often sell for large amounts at auctions. Collectors and musicians alike love these on mantels or sometimes to restore for use. Also, unusual artwork is often sold at auction, like this Orange Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons, which fetched (pun intended) $58.4 million in 2013, the highest price ever for a piece of work made by an artist who was still alive.

If you're in Houston, and attending auctions, find an auction shipper that can help you ship your items while maintaining proper care for them. Custom built pallets will can be made in order to ship the delicate, high value pieces that you may have purchased at an auction. If you have purchased several items, and they are all going to the same place, a pallet will allow them all to stay together during shipping. Several pallets can also be used to separate items that are moving to different locations.

Contact us for more information on how the things you purchased at an auction can be shipped. Make your auction shipping go smoothly when you ask the right questions before you send your  purchases. 

If you run an ecommerce business, chances are you ship dozens, or even hundreds, of packages to your customers  company to ensure that your products arrive on time without the deliveries costing you a fortune.

When looking for a company to ship out your ecommerce goods, you might want to look for a company with a warehouse that also handles retail freight receiving. Let them inspect and deliver your goods before they are sent to a retail store.

Types of Products

One factor you want to consider is what types of products you plan on selling and sending to your customers. Some shipping companies aren't able to ship items of every size or shape, so you should ensure that the one you choose will be able to ship all of the products you offer. The rate the company will charge for the products you ship should be optimal. Keep in mind that there are  different rates for different types of items. Dimensions, weight, value and destination zip code will help determine the price.

If you choose a reputable  carrier, you can expect your customers to feel greater confidence when it comes to providing their credit card information to pay for your products.

International Shipping

If your ecommerce store caters to customers from all over the globe, it is important that you select a s company that delivers items internationally. While this may seem obvious, most people forget to think about sending items globally when selecting the right company because they sell most of their products domestically. An international shipping company be better suited for your needs.

Without a doubt, selecting the right company for transporting your items can mean the difference between the success and failure of your ecommerce store. Contact us for more business tips when it comes to choosing the right  company for your needs.

Dealing with the  estate of a loved one is never easy, and that's not because there are more things in a person's house than we think. It's because all the things in a person's house hold value. And they aren't just things; they are memories, heirlooms, extraordinary treasures complete with stories and laughter and warm feelings. An estate comes with emotions. And when someone dies, their emotional, grieving loved ones are often tasked with taking care of all the things left behind. On one hand this makes sense; it is the loved ones who know best what all the belongings are. On the other hand, grieving is hard enough on its own without having to pack up the deceased's house and watch all its memories spread out among the living.

Many times there are specific pieces in a person's home, namely a grandparents' home, that have been designated for a specific person. Maybe it's an ancient grandfather clock that chimes beautifully, provoking mystery (how does it still chime after hundreds of years?) and wonder (every chime is like being at Grandma's table again.) Maybe it's a portrait of ancestors, passed down through every generation. Maybe it is not only significant within a family, but significant historically. A first edition book, an original painting, a relic, or war memorabilia. 

If you are dealing with an estate, perhaps you should consider an estate packing, or estate shipping, service. Using this kind of service can help you tremendously by easing the burden of packing an entire house and sending it to various other homes around the country, and even around the world.Contact us for more information on how you can get help dealing with an estate. When moving an estate after a loved one has passed away will be less stressful if you hire professional movers or a professional shipping company.

Whether you are moving or just needing to ship items, you need a packaging company that is going to meet your needs. An expert packing and shipping company knows what items can go in a box. But high-dollar, fragile, or uniquely shaped objects may need to go into a custom crate. Crating involves making a crate specifically for the desired object and then the proper padding is added for protection if needed. 

One commonly shipped item that requires crating are sculptures. When shipping sculptures, consider using a custom built crate. Sculptors have the tricky issue of finding a way to get their work to buyers or to a museum or gallery for a showing. Part of being a successful artist is being able to show your work all over the world. That can be scary when you have a meticulously crafted work that needs to be sent overseas or across the country. Fortunately, there are packaging companies that have lots of experience crating sculptures for shipping. 

Consider some of the pieces from this article from artsy.com about the most popular sculptors working today. As you can see from looking at the works, many of the pieces would require some very careful packaging to move from one city from the next. One work by Anthony Gormley titled Field (American)is made up of hundreds of small terracotta figures. You can only imagine the time and attention it would take to move these figures and set them up at the next location.

 A Houston packaging service that can offer advice on packing items for shipping or moving is pack n send. If you have a sculpture that needs to be moved—or anything that needs packaging or crating—contact us at Pack n Send today

Interior designers and interior decorators have more to do than just pick out wall colors (and just picking out the perfect wall color sounds a lot easier than it is, but that's another story that we don't have time for right now. Just  know that we respect interior designers and the work that they do to ensure beautiful homes for their clients.)

As professionals, interior designers and interior decorators need to scout out the perfect furniture for their clients' homes. These pieces are "perfect" in terms of size, functionality, style, and overall flow with their forthcoming rooms. They are often one of a kind, and crucial to the final outcome of a room.

So the moving of the furniture should be viewed as important, too. Almost as important as the finding of the piece.

If you are a professional in the furniture industry, whether you are working for individual clients or for retail stores across the country, you want to make sure that your collected furniture is cared for. 

You should predetermine delivery times and dates with a moving company, and make sure that your moving company is aware of these specifics. Labels are so important here, as they are the building blocks for on-time delivery.

A freight receiving company will receive any furniture for you, organize it all, and deliver it to a home or a store, domestically or internationally. This step is a necessary one if you are collecting multiple pieces for one project.

Contact us for more information on how freight receiving can help you ensure an organized, on time delivery of your collected furniture. 

Moving Home from College made Easy!

School's Out - Moving Your College Student Home

Houston is home to the University of Houston, Texas Southern, Strayer, North American, Rice, and many other universities and colleges. As the semester comes to a close, there will be thousands of students transitioning from the dorm or off-campus housing back to their family homes. This move can be especially stressful for students who live in other areas of the country or who attend college as an international student. Regardless of the circumstance, a professional moving company can assist in ending the semester without the anxiety of transporting belongings safely and securely.

A professional moving company can help with common items that typically pose problems when moving a student in or out of college. These include:

• Furniture
• Heavy boxes of books, papers, and binders
• Cinder blocks
• Clothes
• Athletic equipment

For many college students, there are only two options at the end of the semester. The first option is to only save the most important items and ditch the rest. Often, furniture, heavy items, and bulky loads are discarded simply because there is no easy way to get them home. The other option is to cram everything to fit into one carload. This is especially the case for students who need to travel long distances to get home. Haphazard packing and transport almost guarantees damage to items.

A professional moving company can assist in providing proper packing materials and then shipping items in a manner that is safe and hassle-free. As the semester nears the end, contact us to learn more about your shipping options around the Houston, Texas area and beyond.

Shipping valuable artwork can be a challenge. This is because it is susceptible to damage caused by jostling while in transit. Whether you are shipping artwork to a new home or have sold it to another collector, preparing for the transport is a crucial step in the process.

Depending on the size of the art and whether it is framed, shipping may involve corrugated cardboard boxes or custom-made shipping crates. On common mistake that is easily avoided when shipping artwork involves the size of the shipping container. It should be large enough to accommodate the item and necessary packaging such as bubble wrap and packing peanuts, but not big enough to allow the art to shift. In the case of fragile artwork, double-boxing with layers of padding ensures the best protection. A professional shipping company can assist with this if necessary. A custom built crate will be made to specifically fit your piece of art.

Prior to packaging, consider how you intend to ship your artwork. Common package carriers have size and weight restrictions which may cause problems depending on the type of art you are intending to send. If it is very large or heavy, consider working with a shipping company who has experience building custom crates and shipping items as freight.

 If you are looking for a professional to assist in packing and shipping of a piece of artwork, contact us. We have experience shipping everything from porcelain statues to oil paintings for galleries all over the world.

Most people can recall at least one instance of having to move from one residence to another (or move the contents of one business to another) and all the stress that can entail.  This situation can be even worse when it comes to packing and shipping goods for the move.  With some items, such as furniture, it can truly be a challenge to find the best way to safely pack these objects for them to be moved or shipped without damage. 

As an example, consider moving a  dresser.  It is usually quite heavy and bulky, so the moving company will need to use protective materials such as moving blankets (which can guard against scratches) 

This precaution is particularly important when transporting goods out of state or internationally, as the nature of a long distance relocation can lend itself to many opportunities for possible damage.  Even within state, being cautious is key. Texas is a large state  and there are any chances for problems to arise when transporting items from one location to another location. Packing is very important.You want to use the right packing and moving company Crating and packing in Houston, Texas can be done properly when you choose a company  with experience with custom crating and custom packing.

Moving is a great time for people to pare down on unneeded goods and unwanted items to help create a fresh start in their new home!  While some people try to opt for packing their own items, it is often best to use the services of a professional service.   Contact Pack n Send quickly and see how they can help make the biggest move as smooth as can be!

Moving merchandise over the road or by sea typically applies to objects that are either large, heavy, and unruly or are being sent in large quantities.There are  two popular methods: palletizing and custom crating—each has its own pros and cons. When  looking to move you items over road or sea, look for a company that can pack, crate or palletize your shipment.

Palletized Shipping

Palletized shipping is exactly what it sounds like: shipping items on a pallet. It allows someone to move multiple items at the same time easily. This is best used when shipping objects that are sturdy, durable, and stackable. In order to use pallets efficiently and safely, your shipment must have its weight distributed evenly.

Custom Crating

Custom crating is best used when your shipment is fragile,valuable, or simply has an odd size. Custom crating combines the use of Styrofoam, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap to keep your shipment from bouncing around and getting scratched.

Freight Shipping and Receiving

Shipping is available through common carriers,   but also private shipping corporations  Roadrunner, Hercules Freight and numerous other freight shipping companies. Your quote depends on your shipment's size, your preferred shipping speed (overnight, two-day, three-day, etc.), and method of transportation (ground, air, etc.). Sending items packed on pallets and custom built crates  is typically available for both domestic and international shipments.

Domestic freight receiving requires a little more planning than delivery of small shipments. Because of their size, the receipt of your shipment requires an appointment for the delivery of the shipment. 

Freight services in Houston is a thriving and experienced business practice. For help with your next large shipment, contact us for efficient and quality service.

   Shipping medical equipment internationally from the United States reached $45 billion in 2014 and are continuing to rise. Additionally, it is becoming increasingly common for a surgeon to buy a large collection of medical equipment to furnish an entire clinic overseas. One of the best ways to ensure that overseas clients continue to buy equipment from the United States is to ensure that all medical devices arrive at their overseas destinations safely and securely. Achievement of this goal begins with an understanding of the international freight process.

Lives Depend Upon the Secure Shipment of Medical Equipment

Medical equipment is distinct from many exports because people in other countries require the devices to save the lives of people and animals. Additionally, some medical devices such as C-arms, X-ray machines and anesthesia systems are extremely large and cumbersome, making them more challenging to ship than smaller less complex items. Finally, medical equipment is often more fragile than other goods. Devices are typically manufactured with delicate glass components or complex internal power boards that can become dislodged during the shipping process.

The Key Role of Packaging in the International Freight Process

The cornerstone of a successful international freight experience is secure packaging. In the case of medical devices, secure packaging typically involves the construction of a customized crate by an experienced packaging and shipping company. Failure to securely package and ship a medical device can result in cosmetic damage or the device being rendered useless to the buyer. If a crate is too large for a device, there is an increased risk for damage because the device could move about within the crate.   A crate that is too small could result in breakage or cosmetic damage to the equipment.

The Importance of Enlisting the Help of Trained Professionals

The best way to ensure that life-saving medical devices arrive safely at their overseas destinations is to enlist the help of a trusted international freight packing company. Whether you need to ship one small device or whether you need help packaging and shipping enough equipment to fill a 40 foot container, it is important to enlist the help of professionals who have been trained in international shipping. Contact us today to see how we can help ensure that your life-saving devices arrive safely and securely at their overseas destination. Remember, medical equipment shipping requires experience and expertise.

When someone you care about dies, ideally you can give yourself time to reflect on their life and mourn them in your own way. You want to allow yourself to process all of your emotions about your relationship with them, and celebrate the life they lived.

Unfortunately, life never slows down after someone dies, instead it almost seems to speed up, as you are quickly asked to make decisions about funeral arrangements, tie up loose ends involving life insurance policies and even begin to make plans for managing the estate of the deceased.

All of these decisions are stressful on their own, but when you combine them with the psychological and emotional impact of grieving the person who you care about, these tasks can become almost overwhelming.

Take steps to minimize your stress as much as possible while you are still actively mourning. If your loved one lived out-of-town, don't uproot your life to sort through their estate, instead pay professionals for moving assistance and they can move the entire estate for you.  Instead of driving hours away to sort through what items should be sold or throw out and what items should be distributed to loved ones, you can have the estate moved to a local storage area where you can sort through items in your own time, at your convenience.

Work with a shipping company that can provide custom crates and boxes to protect valuables. Ask how they package valuables. Make sure you hire someone who can manage the moving job from start to finish, so you don't find yourself burdened with another task.

If you are looking for a professional and reliable shipping company in the Houston area, please contact us, and we would be happy to answer any questions for you or provide you with an estimate.

Tips on Crating Marble for Shipping

Marble is not only exceptionally heavy, but it is also a porous rock which makes it susceptible to breakage. The larger the piece of marble, the more easily it will fracture.

Crating marble must be done with the utmost care. The weight of the marble makes conventional packaging methods, such as cardboard boxes, obsolete. Different companies use varying crating methods.

To safely ship marble, firm crating is required. Most marble companies recommend building a custom crate from wood to fit each individual marble piece. Within the crate, they frequently line the interior with one inch of Styrofoam and add packing peanuts to fill up any spaces and provide further cushioning. 

Exceptionally large marble pieces, or sculptures, also frequently require metal banding around the wooden crate's exterior to further reinforce the crate's strength. Bubble wrapping the marble piece provides additional protection. The marble piece needs to fit snugly inside the crate so there is no movement that can jar the marble and cause breakage or chipping.

Flat counter and tabletop pieces of marble are frequently shipped in A-frame crates to keep the large, flat pieces from breaking. The A-frame crate holds the marble slab in an upright position for transport. Blocking and bracing the inside of the crate will prevent the marble piece from moving during shipping. In some cases, gluing metal rods to the backside of the marble slab helps to further stabilize and support the marble to prevent fracturing. Epoxy works well to adhere the metal rods to the back of the marble prior to shipping. Your professional crating company will determine the best way to build  custom crate for your particular piece of marble.

At Pack n Send, we take shipping fragile pieces seriously. Please contact us to learn about all of our packaging and shipping methods. 

Since its launch in 1995, eBay has established itself as the premier online service for consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales. There are currently more than 112 million active users from 190 countries; this is a dream come true for small business owners who are eager to reach their desired market. Creating a store on eBay is easy and comes with intuitive tools for creating listings, managing orders, and communicating with customers.

While eBay allows an opportunity to reach millions of potential customers, shipping merchandise can be time consuming and difficult, especially in the case of high-volume sales or large, irregularly shaped items. Ebay does not require sellers to offer refunds for broken or damaged items, however, small business owners recognize that an unhappy customer negatively reflects on future business. Ebay is structured around favorable ratings and reviews. For this reason, working with a professional shipping company in the Houston, Texas area is a wise investment for making sure that your eBay items ship quickly and securely, and leave customers satisfied.

Whether you are a small business looking to expand with an eBay store, or you are doing some Spring Cleaning and want to free up some space, we can help ship your items. Contact us for more information regarding our eBay services. We offer pick up locations in the Houston area and offer national and international shipping services.

Your time is valuable and listing and selling on eBay can be complicated. Leave it to us to take care of shipping your items safely and securely.   eBay shipping will be stress free.

International shipping and international freight for eBay items are also valid shipping options.

Custom Packing and Shipping for Wedding Gifts

For military couples, oftentimes weddings come up quickly before the person in the military gets orders to be shipped overseas. For these weddings, the couple doesn't always get the wedding they envisioned. They can't put on the wedding and reception in that short amount of time, and can't get all their guests their in time. So they might end up with a number of people that want to send them presents, perhaps to their new home overseas. If this is the case, friends and family of the couple need custom packing and shipping to outfit the happy couple with supplies for their new life together. Here are some things newlyweds might want shipped to them.

• Wine glasses: Every new couple needs a set of wine glasses to be able to enjoy a glass of wine after work, or to entertain a few friends. Wine glasses are a great gift because they get a lot of use and they aren't too expensive. For shipping glass items like wine glasses, a good shipping job requires double bubble wrapping. Then they are put inside a box. That box is put inside another box, and the space between the two boxes if filled with two to three inches of packing peanuts.
• China: China is another foundational gift for a new couple. It is a gift they can use for their whole lives. Like wine glasses, china needs to be packaged and shipped with a lot of care.  
• Art: Every couple needs art for the walls of their new home. Art can be shipped in custom crates so that it isn't damaged.

If you are shipping gifts overseas to a newlywed military couple, or for any shipping needs, contact us at Pack n Send. We have over 35 years of experience shipping valuables and exceeding our customer's expectations.

Get amazind deals at auction houses and have an auction house shipper deliver your purchases.

We live in a golden age of bargains. The internet has made it easier than ever to score unbelievable deals. Right now, some web sites exist for the sole purpose of tracking sales. Digital coupons are available that don't even have to be printed. The internet has created a worldwide marketplace which means that businesses have to compete with not just their neighbors but with businesses from all over the world. If you love getting an amazing deal, you were born in the right decade.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked opportunities for great prices on rare and valuable items is auction houses. If you've ever been to a local auction, you know that there are lots that sell for way under their value. People leave auctions every day looking like the cat that ate the canary.

Now, imagine being able to attend auctions all over the world. The global marketplace that the internet has created for consumers makes this possible. More and more auction houses are putting their auctions online. This means that you can bid on items from all over the country from the comfort of your home, securing deals like never before.

As long as you have an auction house shipper, you can easily transport the items that you have purchased to your home or business. Auction shipping is easy as long as the item you purchase is not a hazardous material, a shipping company can pick it up, pack it and ship it to your door.

You can keep your budget in check by asking the shipper for the shipping price before you ever make a bid. Just give them the items weight, dimensions and value, as well as the locations of the auction house and the delivery spot, and they can provide you with a quote. If you are shopping for fine art at an auction, choose a shipping company that will build you a custom box or custom wood crate to protect your investment during shipping.

For more information on having the items you've purchased at a Houston auction, or even on Houston Craigslist shipped to you, please contact us.

We live in a golden age of bargains. The internet has made it easier than ever to score unbelievable deals. Right now, some web sites exist for the sole purpose of tracking sales. Digital coupons are available that don't even have to be printed. The internet has created a worldwide marketplace which means that businesses have to compete with not just their neighbors but with businesses from all over the world. If you love getting an amazing deal, you were born in the right decade.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked opportunities for great prices on rare and valuable items is auction houses. If you've ever been to a local auction, you know that there are lots that sell for way under their value. People leave auctions every day looking like the cat that ate the canary.

Now, imagine being able to attend auctions all over the world. The global marketplace that the internet has created for consumers makes this possible. More and more auction houses are putting their auctions online. This means that you can bid on items from all over the country from the comfort of your home, securing deals like never before.

As long as you have an auction house shipper, you can easily transport the items that you have purchased to your home or business. As long as the item you purchase is not a hazardous material, a shipping company can pick it up, pack it and ship it to your door.

You can keep your budget in check by asking the shipper for the shipping price before you ever make a bid. Just give them the items weight, dimensions and value, as well as the locations of the auction house and the delivery spot, and they can provide you with a quote. If you are shopping for fine art at an auction, choose a shipping company that will build you a custom box or custom wood crate to protect your investment during shipping.

For more information on having the items you've purchased at a Houston auction, or even on Houston Craigslist shipped to you, please contact us.

 Moving is easy if you hire a company to pack and unpack your belongings.

Moving is very rarely simple. As time goes on, and your family grows, you only accumulate more things to move when you find yourself in that situation. Some moves just require packing up a truck with all your possessions and driving it to a new location. But some moves require more than that. If you are moving internationally, or are in a situation where no one is there to pack up the home you are moving, you will need to hiring a moving and shipping company that does pack and ship moving.

These kinds of movers are not the guys you just rent a truck from. You need a company that is going to provide you will all the service you need, down to the last detail. When choosing a moving company, it is important to consider what needs you have, and if your moving company can meet them. Here are a list of some moving services to get you thinking.

• Packing and unpacking: If you don't have the time or ability, you will need a packing service that can box up all of your belongings, and potentially unpack your boxes at the new destination.
• Crating: Fragile and expensive items may require special crating. If you have valuables you need shipped, find a moving company that does custom crating to make sure your belongings are handled properly.
• Shipping: Depending on your move, your shipping needs will vary. Do you need overseas shipping? Do you need to ship a car? What about your furniture?

To make sure all your shipping needs are addressed, contact us at Pack n Send. No move is too small for us, and no object is too unusual to ship. We are happy to discuss your pack and ship moving with you today.

 Shipping internationally to Grenada?  Read on.

Grenada is an island country consisting of one primary island and six smaller surrounding islands. It is one of the world’s largest exporters of nutmeg and mace, which not only contributes to the economic livelihoods of its 110,000 citizens, but also explains why Grenada is known as the “Island of Spice.”

In addition to spice export, tourism is one of Grenada’s main economic forces. Located between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada’s tropical climate lends itself to beach resort and water-sports tourism as well as a destination for cruise ships.

International shipping to Grenada follows most standard international shipping regulations. Specifically, the following items are prohibited:

• Ammunition
• Firing-caps
• Charged metal cartridges

Shipping international freight requires additional planning and extra attention to detail, especially with regard to how your items will be properly packed, crated, and transported. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning a shipment to Grenada:

• Determine the method of shipping and handling – Once your shipment arrives on the island, how will it be transported to its final destination. This is a consideration that is often overlooked.
• Proper packing – A professional packing company can help you protect against common shipping problems such as breakage, moisture, pilferage, and excess weight.
• Labeling – All countries – Grenada included – require specific information to be included on labels or in manifest records. Again, an experience shipping company can assist in this process.
• Insurance – Since your shipment will be traveling  a long distance, as an example it is more than 2,500 miles from Houston to Grenada, it is important to take proper precautions in the event of inclement weather, accidents, or other incidents that could damage your shipment.

Contact us for more information on shipping to Grenada. We are expert shippers with experience packing, transporting, and shipping around the world.

Finals weeks is fast approaching for college students. Whether your child is attending nearby University of Houston or Texas Southern University, or an out-of-state institution, a care package from home is always a welcome surprise. Here are four packages you can ship from the Houston area that your college student will appreciate receiving in the mail. You can make up your own care package from any city.

Toiletries Survival Kit

Sending a package with all the necessities is a practical gift, yet much welcomed by any college student. Assemble a kit of all the most important hygiene basics including soaps, shaving cream, toothbrush, and mouth wash. In addition, your student will appreciate laundry detergent, fabric softener, dry sheets, and other incident supplies for when it is time to do laundry. These are items that often go overlooked until there is none left.

Home-cooked Treats

Nothing connects a student back to his or her home like the smell of homemade treats. Baking cookies, pies, or other desserts are a great way to encourage students with a sweet tooth. Shipping perishable items may require special packaging and/or unique shipping arrangements, but anything is possible, especially when working with a professional shipping company.

Job Hunting Package

If your child is nearing the end of their college career, the desire to find professional employment is probably quite strong. Surprise him/her with a gift package for the big interview. This can include a new outfit or business suit, resume writing reference materials, or a new leather-bound portfolio to carry in to the interview. These items will help you prepare your child for success, even if you live far away.

Transportation

Student parking is notoriously bad at campuses across the country, so many students rely on alternative means of transportation. Consider surprising your child with a new bike, long board, or other trendy means of travel. For larger items, a professional shipping company can assist you in properly packing and shipping so that it arrives safely.

If you want to pack and send your college students something special while they are away at school, we can help. Contact us or follow our blog for more helpful packing and shipping advice!

International shipping can be tricky. Each country has its own list of dos and don'ts. The last thing you want is for you package to not make it to its destination because you weren't aware of the shipping restrictions. That is why we recommend reading this blog post if you have some international shipping to Luxembourg on your to-do list.

Luxembourg is a country in western Europe, surrounded by Germany, France, and Belgium. Although it is small (about the size of Rhode Island), it has a population of over half a million people. Interestingly enough, Luxembourg has just as many tourists visit each year, or more, than the current population. So perhaps if your travels to Luxembourg left you with a pen pal, or if your company does business in the European Union, you will find yourself shipping to Luxembourg.

Luxembourg does have a list of items it does not allow to be shipped into the country, many of them hopefully obvious. But just to clarify, they do not allow the shipment of firearms, daggers, loaded canes, or other hidden defensive weapons. The also do not allow human remains, live plants and animals, or radioactive material. 

Perhaps a less obvious restriction has to do with embellished postcards. They do not allow postcards with fabrics, embroidery, metal, spangles, or similar materials, unless they are packaged in a sealed envelope. Also, Luxembourg is famous for their banks. But they do not allow the shipping of lottery tickets or even printed advertisements or posters for lotteries or sweepstakes.

For further clarification on international shipping to Luxembourg, you can always verify with the USPS website, and contact us at Pack n Send for you international shipping needs.

Moving to a new home is an exciting life event but it is also one that comes with what sometimes feels to be insurmountable anxiety. There are many moving pieces that need to be coordinated in order for the move to go smoothly. This is even more so the case when it involves an international move. Relocating abroad takes much planning and organization. This is especially the case when it comes to handling internationally shipped cargo.

Your options

When moving out of the United States, there are several shipping options for your belongings. One option is to ship via a  10x 20  or a 10X40 shipping container. This is a good option for moving many large items such as an entire home’s worth of furniture or an entire business office. The other option is to have items professional packed on pallets. Your professional shipping company will assist will pack your pallets for you. Planning an international move is easy if you have an international moving company pack and move everything for you.

Be Prepared

There are a few elements of international shipping that do not apply to regular domestic moves across the country. When planning an international move, recognize that the time it takes to process and transport your items will take longer. This is due to the physical distance, but also because it is likely your goods will be transferred several times during the move. Think of it like a layover at an airport. Also, depending on the new country of residence and the items included in the manifest, you will likely be required to complete additional paperwork that can be time consuming.

Whether it is for a career advancement or just a fresh start, an international move requires the assistance of an experience professional moving company. For assistance packing, shipping, or any other part of the internal move process, contact us.

When museums or private collectors send their pieces around the country or the world to be in exhibitions, the paintings need custom crates to ensure the art gets to where it is going safely. Sure, if a collector never let a painting out of their private collection, nothing could happen to it. But no one would ever get to see it either. For example, if a collector in Houston had a famous Marcel Duchamp work, and someone asked if it could be in a Duchamp retrospective in New York, the collector could find a shipping company that crates paintings in Houston and have the piece shipped to New York. The proper shipping company will build a custom crate to fit the painting exactly so there is no shifting.

Marcel Duchamp was an extremely influential artist, and any private collector would be lucky to have his work. His famous works reside in museums around the world. For example, his painting, Nude Descending a Staircase is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The title is misleading however. The painting, created in 1912, was heavily influenced by Cubism, and shows a form moving down a staircase, almost like many still frames placed on top of one another. The form is also abstracted into shapes.

Duchamp also did many sculptures. He coined the term "readymades" to describe his works that were made from existing objects. One of his famous readymades, Fountain, is in fact just a urinal turned on its side, with a tongue in cheek commentary about the wealthy.

Whether you are shipping a urinal sculpture, a famous Duchamp painting, or even just a painting your grandmother made, contact us at Pack n Send in Houston. We do custom crating for any art. 

If you are in any city in the United States  contact  us for assistance in locating a crate builder for your precious art work.

Much has been written about the challenges of packing up and moving the contents of an entire house from one location to another. However, many people do not focus as much on the challenges of moving a smaller amount of furniture. This is unfortunate, because there are many occasions where consumers face a quandary of how to ship a small amount of furniture.

For instance, many people have to move teens to college out-of-state into dorm rooms that can only accommodate a limited amount of furniture. Parents are then faced with the dilemma of whether it is more cost-effective to move the items themselves with a rental truck or just purchase new items locally. Others wish to downsize and just want to keep a few cherished heirlooms. Still others may have found a great deal on a piece of used furniture in a far away location, but are debating whether the shipping costs will negate any savings.

Consumers need to know that there are many shipping options for shipping small amounts of furniture. Gone are the days when all shipping companies had minimum weight requirements. Today, many companies not only ship small amounts of furniture, but customize their services to fit your needs.

Maybe you just need a company that can ship one heavy piece of furniture without damaging it. Or maybe you need a company can disassemble a bedroom set, pack and ship it. Whatever your needs may be, you can certainly find a company that can fill them. Smaller loads can be shipped as freight or transported in a moving truck. We can look at  both freighting furniture and moving furniture. If you find yourself stuck and confused about how you're going to ship a small amount of furniture, stop stressing and contact us. We can help you decide what to do when you are shipping small amounts of furniture.

If you have ever been to the British Virgin Islands, you know it is nothing short of paradise. Consisting of about 60 islands in the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands are a colony of England. About 15 of the inlands are inhabited, with a population of about 28,000 people.

If one of your friends or family is lucky enough to be one of those 28,000 people, you may find yourself shipping to the British Virgin Islands. Or if you have a vacation home on one of their gorgeous beaches, you may be needing to send some of your belongings to your home down there that you couldn't otherwise travel with. You will be pleased to know there are very few restrictions on shipping other than no shipping radioactive materials. Many countries have long lists of dos and don'ts when it comes to shipping, but you don't have to worry about any of that when you are packing your care package to the British Virgin Islands. If you do have any questions about shipping restrictions, you can always double-check on the USPS website. 

Just a word of clarification. The United States does have their own set of Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, consisting of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John. Shipping to these islands are subject to domestic shipping rates and regulations. Shipping to the British Virgin Islands, however, is considered international shipping and is subject to international shipping rates. 

And another warning, if you look up the British Virgin Islands on the Internet, you will want to travel there! These pristine beaches, beautiful rock formations, and crystal blue waters might just be calling your name.

If you have a package or other shipping needs when it comes to shipping to the British Virgin Islands, contact us at Pack n Send today. We make your international shipping easy.

Moving is always a bigger task than it seems, and it is always riddled with emotion: excitement and happiness, uncertainty and all the other emotions we can’t name because they are all jumbled up with the physical task of moving. It’s a confusing time; moving is a physical act, but it means change is coming and change brings all kinds of abstract emotions.

Do you know what you need? It’s likely that you don’t because, as we began this blog, moving is always a bigger task than it seems. Always. Here, we will speak practically to you about moving your biggest items  (i.e., the things you don’t have boxes for), your furniture, so that you can at least have some professional advice for the physical act of moving, leaving you free to handle the change that is coming your way, hopefully, ultimately finding excitement and happiness amongst the chaos.

Let’s start with traditional moving services. These types of companies offer full load moves for out-of-town shipping. If you have a small amount of furniture, a traditional moving company will blanket wrap it for you and take it to your destination. Blanket wrapping is often cheaper than crating, yet still a safe way to move your furniture. Blanket wrapping is also a great way to move large, heavy, pieces of furniture.

Moving your furniture on a freight truck means that your furniture will be secured to  pallets and taken on a freight truck to your destination. Pallets give a firm foundation to the pieces they hold, and are a good tool to use for lots of small pieces of furniture.

Wherever you're moving, we hope you find the perfect furniture shipping services in Houston to help. Contact us for more information on your specific shipping and packing needs.

If you had a collection of paintings, or even one painting from the Abstract Expressionist painter, Mark Rothko, you would want to be extremely careful if you ever had to move it. Hiring a professional shipping company that does custom crate building is essential to moving valuable art. A custom crate will be built to the exact specifications for your valuable painting. You do not want your painting to move around inside the crate during shipping. You can ask that a reusable crate be built, so that you can ship the same painting more than one time for the same crate building charges. Shipping crates that are will built will protect your artwork.

Mark Rothko was born in current day Latvia in 1903. His family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1913 when they feared he and his brothers would be drafted into the Russian Imperial Army. Although Rothko attended Yale for a few years, he dropped out and began taking art classes at Parsons New School for Design. It was there he brushed shoulders with painters Arshile Gorky and Max Weber.

As a Russian Jew, painting became an important religious expression for Rothko. At the beginning of his career, Rothko painted representational pieces. However, his style developed into his more well-known color field paintings.

A Mark Rothko painting titled, Orange, Red, and Yellow, sold in an auction at Christie's for $87 million in 2014. Surely, a painting like this would need to be moved with the most care and precision possible.

When looking for a custom crate builder in Houston or throughout the United States, search for a company that  has crated and shipped valuable artwork.Each type of artwork will need to be individually analyzed to determine the most efficient way to crate it. Statues may need to be blocked and braced. Oil paintngs will need to be measured to their exact dimensions. Even though you do not own a  Rothko, you need to make sure that your artwork is crated correctly.

 Contact us to get a quote on crate shipping your art collection, and check out the other interesting and valuable works of art we have moved in the past.

 After  we sent our first Chuck Hipsher  picture back east for a customer, we received a special treat. The customer sent Chuck & pack n send a photograph of the picture hanging in the clients  home. Our customer could not say enough nice things about the artist.  We were happy to have packed and delivered the picture to Chuck Hipsters' customer. 

When the  Fort Bend Lifestyles & Homes published an article about Chuck we could not wait to share it with our clients.  Chuck lives in Katy, Texas and had his works displayed during February at the Katy Contemporary Arts Museum. This was his first Museum show. He had also had exhibitions in art galleries in Chicago, Miami and New York City.

While crating and shipping artwork is always fun, we really enjoy shipping for a local artist whose work is so  very well appreciated by his clients!!

 Undertaking a huge move is never easy, even when you are young and in the prime of your life. However, elderly people face even more difficulties moving because of physical limitations. Seniors have often also accumulated a lifetime supply of beloved trinkets, household goods and collectables that they are unwilling to sacrifice, so each item must be packed and transported safely to the new home.  

Here are five tips on moving senior adults.

1.  Pack Non-Essentials -- Pack non-essentials first. Focus on a spare room that contains items that are not frequently used. All non-essentials in the home should be packed before you move on to priority items. Just remember to pack a separate bag with important items such as medications, toiletries and clothing so the senior has everything they need handy when they reach their new home and don't have to immediately start unpacking and searching boxes to find day to day items. 
2.  Hire Professionals -- Hiring professionals is sometimes the least stressful way to handle a senior's move. Professionals will safely pack and move items  -- large to small. You can also have the professionals unpack the items at their new location so the senior is not faced with the often insurmountable task of identifying, opening and unpacking a stack of boxes. 
3.  Time -- Give the senior adequate time to adjust to the transition. Don't rush the move. No matter what your age, moving is a stressful time and allowing adequate time to move helps make the process easier on everyone involved.

When moving senior adults, remember to always remain patient. Often the senior has lived in the same house for years or decades, so the move might be emotionally upsetting. However, with a bit of planning and care moving can also be a rewarding experience with numerous hopes and dreams for tomorrow.

At Pack n Send we specialize in packing and moving items across the country or internationally. Please contact us to learn about our services. 

International shipping to Aruba may sound intimidating at first. Like many other countries, Aruba has a variety of very specific restrictions concerning what can and can not be moved into the country through the postal system. You want your package to arrive smoothly, safely, and quickly--so how do you expedite that process?

It starts with a visit to the USPS website, which describes in detail the restrictions associated with shipping to Aruba. These include: 

Prohibited and Restricted Items:

• Currency--this includes not only paper money, but also coins and banknotes; coins are not limited to those currently in circulation. 
• Extremely valuable items, including but not limited to jewelry and precious stones. Note: these items can be sent registered First Class International or First Class Package International.
• "Perishable infectious or noninfectious biological substances." Medical samples, therefore, should not be moved into Aruba through the mail.
• Radioactive materials
• Shipping arms and ammunition into Aruba can not be done without special permission, and the recipient will need to have the appropriate paperwork in order before the shipment goes out. 

If you're struggling to understand the ins and outs of international shipping in general or shipping to Aruba in particular, contact us! There's no reason to fumble around in the dark when you can work with a reputable shipping company with experience in international shipping. With an international shipping company, you can rest assured that your shipment will get the attention and help it needs. 

Facts About Aruba: Did You Know?

1. Aruba doesn't have its own administrative subdivisions. It's part of the Kingdom of Netherlands. 
2. Aruba has several major industries and exports. Live animals, animal products, art, and machinery are common exports. Profitable industries in Aruba include tourism, transhipment facilities, and oil refining. 
3. Items that must be imported into Aruba include food, machinery, chemicals, and crude oil. 
4. 82% of the population of Aruba identifies as Roman Catholic. Protestants make up another 8% of the population. Others are Hindu, Muslim, or Confucian. 
5. The Aruban floran, which has 100 cents, is the primary currency of Aruba. 
6. Tourists in Aruba will be pleased to note that English and Spanish are spoken widely, making communication easy. The official spoken languages, however, are Papiamento and Dutch. 
7. Aruba's temperature year-round is approximately 82 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a prime vacation destination. 
8. Tourists also love to visit the Arikok Natural Wildlife Park, which makes up more than 20% of the island. 
9. March 18 is the National Day of Aruba. Celebrations include the anniversary of the flag and the national anthem. 
10. Aruba also has a wide variety of wildlife, including marine life and a rich selection of birds that fascinate bird watchers all over the island. 

Tips for Making Your Move to Katy as Painless as Possible

Congratulations on your move to Katy, Texas. Katy is a sought-after community, prized for its low-cost of living, excellent schools and mild winters. Just minutes away from Houston, Katy residents are able to enjoy the amenities of the big city and the benefits of a family oriented, close-knit community. Now that you've decided to move to Katy, here are some tips to make your move as painless and stress-free as possible:

1. Take the Time to Plan

The key to a successful move is proper planning. Begin preparing for your move several weeks in advance. During this time you should determine your moving budget and set a timetable for packing and turning off utilities. The weeks before a move is also a good time to throw out or donate items you no longer need. The less stuff you have to move, the less stress you will have on moving day.

2. Pay Attention to Details

It's the small things that make the difference between a smooth move and a hectic one. Be sure that you have all the packing materials you need to minimize damage to your possessions. Items such as packing tape  and boxes are a necessity. Also, take the time to clearly label boxes so that you can find essential items fast when it's time to unpack. Place small items, such as a screws, in plastic bags and label them so you don't have to scramble when it's time to assemble furniture.

3. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Moving can be an overwhelming prospect when you're handling everything yourself. However, there is no reason you have to shoulder the burden alone. Ask friends and family for help, or you can find a moving company in Katy, Texas to assist you with the details. Whether you want a full-service moving company, help with moving large appliances or just need packing supplies, you can find the help you need. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with your move.

As anyone who's lived in, or visited, Sugar Land will know, it's one of America's greatest suburbs. The Houston suburb is home to numerous activities and events, and the metropolitan area continues to grow. New development will add over 250,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space by 2017. The 91 year-old Charhouse, which for the past decade has been an abandoned space, will become the Aloft Hotel.

Sugar Land is one of the fastest growing cities in Texas, and inasmuch, its real estate market is growing to meet demand. The master planned community is hospitable and surprisingly affordable, with many different areas fitting many different needs to choose from.  

An important place to visit in Sugar Land it the Sugar Land Town Square. It plays host to city hall,  The Marriott, numerous restaurants, retail shopping and has entertainment most weekend nights for free. You can learn to dance, sample international food or watch country music bands.

It  hosts the annual Snow Drop  Foundation fundraiser and has free family movie nights throughout the year.

So, if you're interested in moving to, or relocating within, Sugar Land, Texas here's a few things you should know.

First off, you probably want to decide what can be shipped through mail, what you can toss in your car, what needs to be moved by a professional moving company. You can opt to have just your furniture packed and moved, or you can request packing, moving and unpacking. It is all up to you. 

Be sure to  take an inventory of everything that needs to be moved. Of course you'll remember that grand piano and love-seat, but what about things long forgotten in your attic? Or garage? Now can also be an ideal time for some spring cleaning. A chance to throw away that antique Elvis statue you were convinced you needed, but now realize is just tacky. 

Moving can be a daunting task, but making it out to Sugar Land is worth it. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to visit our website or contact us. We're always happy to help.

When shipping a package overseas, you want to make sure you have all the details just right. International shipping to France can be expensive, as with all overseas shipping. So you need all of the information ahead of time so you don't end up shipping something that is prohibited, or have something else go wrong that makes it so your package does not get to where you need it to go.

Whether you are sending a care package to friends or family in France, or sending something for your business, here is what you need to know. You can always double-check with the USPS website.

Some of these first restrictions could probably go without saying, but we will mention them anyways for good measure. No sending firearms, ammunition, human remains, urns, live plants and animals, radioactive material, or cigarette lighters that use butane gas. These are obvious things to leave out due to safety and health reasons.

Some of the following restrictions are a little less obvious. France does not allow you to send imitation pearls made with lead salts. So if you are splitting up your grandmother's estate and sending some jewelry over to your family in France, you may want to do a little research first, before sending any jewelry with pearls. Also, if you are sending books written in French but not printed in France, make sure that the publisher is clearly printed in the books.

Other restrictions have to do with food. Often foods can be sent if they have the appropriate certifications or are under certain weights. For more details, check out the USPS website. 

And, for your international shipping needs, contact us at Pack n Send. We are experts in shipping to France, and around the world.

Shipping furniture can be a terrible headache if you take it on alone. Admittedly, it is difficult enough to get our furniture from one corner of the room to another, not to mention trying to take it to a new home or office or move it across the country or international waters. Yet among the things in our homes and offices, furniture can carry immense weight, literally and metaphorically speaking, since furniture is not only often heavy and bulky, but the tangibility of relaxation (couches, love seats, mattresses), the reliability of organization (desks, filing cabinets, bookshelves), and the visual reminder of refinement (chandeliers, dining tables and chair sets).

Shipping furniture  to another city?  Small load moving  verses  freighting your furniture.

How should one go about moving furniture from one place to another? First, we must discuss the decision to use a traditional moving company (small load moving) versus freight shipping. Either way, the furniture will be moved. Yet there are some differences worth noting. A traditional moving company will blanket wrap your furniture for protection during a move. A freight company will wrap your furniture and protect it during shipping on a freight truck.  Consider both options when you are moving furniture to a new city.

To ship overseas, special handling is required, as the furniture has a much greater distance to travel. Twenty or 40 foot containers are used for this type of moving. Shipping furniture by the cubic meter is also an option.

When American settlers brought furniture from England, perhaps they used sheets and ropes and barricades to ensure safe travel. No longer must we succumb to using whatever we can get our hands on. Today, many options are available including that of hiring an expert to freight and ship our furniture for us.

If you would like more information about how to move furniture, please contact us.

Many senior citizens face their decision to downsize to an apartment or assisted living facility with much trepidation. That's understandable, as it's an extremely difficult transition to make when you consider that they may have spent several decades in their current home. It's hard to leave a familiar place for somewhere new, but there are ways that you can help when providing moving assistance to the senior citizen in your life.

Take The Time To Make Them Comfortable

Remain patient and talk openly about the process. By discussing the plan from start to finish and reassuring them that you'll be there throughout, you'll help to ease some of the apprehension they may experience. If possible, visit their new living arrangements before the move actually takes place. Try to build some excitement by helping them plan the layout of their new living space. Maybe their favorite couch would look lovely beneath the living room window, and there's plenty of room for their china cabinet in the new dining space if it's laid out a certain way. The more they realize that they will keep some of their favorite things with them, the easier their transition will go.

Consult A Professional

A professional mover who has experience with relocating senior citizens can offer valuable advice whether you're packing everything yourself or hiring them to do it for you. They may share some ideas on how to make the move easier, ways to maximize the living space, and methods to streamline the packing process. Packing and crating in Houston, Texas or any other are should help the senior have less work to do on their own

Pack Small

Particularly if your senior citizen is the type of person who's used to doing everything themselves, packing items in small boxes will help them to maintain some of their independence. In a way, they'll still feel in control of the situation by being able to help you during the moving process, and the packing and unpacking of smaller boxes won't exhaust them.

Relocation is quite stressful for senior citizens, especially in the beginning, so it's important to remember that patience is paramount to a successful and smooth transition. Even after the move is complete, it's important to maintain regular contact with your loved one. For more information or advice about moving assistance for senior citizens, contact us. We're happy to help you through the process.

If you enjoy taking a vintage beat up automobile and restoring it to a like-new appearance with a purring motor then you aren't alone. Auto restoration has become a fast-growing, leading hobby in the United States. However, auto restoration is about more than purchasing and assembling parts. You usually have to hunt for the coveted vintage parts that you need to bring back your vehicle to its former glory days. 

In most auto restoration cases you will need to locate a bevy of auto parts to revive your dream to its once youthful appearance.  Sometimes the engine, door, chassis, steering wheel or hub caps are located across the country from you or even on the other side of the globe. No matter where in the world the part is found, don't despair because it can be easily shipped. 

Shipping auto parts -- small or large -- is a common practice that is done by commercial parts warehouses and private sellers. Small auto parts are easily shipped via common carrier. Larger auto parts can be shipped using freight services. You can opt for overnight services if time is important and you need the crucial part quickly or you can use 2 or 3-day air or ground transportation for domestic freight. If the auto part you want is located overseas, you can choose to use air and ocean shipping services. You can also utilize container shipping for extremely large shipments. 

At pack and send freight shipping is part of our daily routine. We are happy to ship and receive all sizes of auto parts.  Auto parts can be placed on pallets, put in boxes or shipping inside custom built wood crates. Please contact us to learn more about our many services. 

Shipping companies Houston  Texas and shipping companies throughout the United  States should offer you options when you are shipping auto parts.

Moving items both domestically and internationally is becoming increasingly popular as the world continues to advance. Houston, Texas is a very populated area that is responsible for both domestic and international shipping. Responsible for shipping an array of items on a daily basis, this area of the country ships everything from basic household items to equipment for big corporations. The most commonly shipped items are as followed:

• Antiques:Dressers, chests, benches, and more.
• Art:Sculptures, paintings, and statues.
• China and crystal:Stemware, silverware, plates, etc.
• Household goods:Vacuums, stoves, beds, and other furniture.
• Light fixtures:Lamps and chandeliers. 
• Medical equipment:Tongue depressors, machinery, and surgical equipment.
• Electronics:Televisions, stereos, computers, printers, and gaming devices.
• Signs:Digital and traditional signs.

Basically if you can order it, they can ship it—especially in Houston, Texas. Different packaging styles are offered for all items, as well.

Customized packaging options are available for all products that are due to be shipped. For example, the packaging of fine China includes wrapping the items and then packing them in boxes. Crates are used when packaging certain medical objects. Other medical supplies are packaged in boxes or shipped on pallets. Specific medical equipment such as examination tables can be transported by a small load mover. They can also be freighted to their final destinations. Certain objects are wrapped in blankets, as well. Essentially, the item itself dictates which manner it is to be wrapped in. The packaging options ensure the overall proper transport of all items and eliminate excess movement of an object during travel. You can crate and freight Houston Texas, or crate and freight just about anywhere in the world.  Consider the value of the item that you are shipping, and look for the best shipping alternative.

Shipping companies in Houston TX and throughout the world can decide to ship the largest thing ever shipped, which may be a whale or have a small shipment, you can ask for a quote ahead of time.

For more information on commonly shipped items or for a packaging service, contact us todday.

Imagine, mail being carried by a man on the back of a horse. The man carries a big, heavy bag filled with letters intended to allow people to communicate from Saint Joseph, MO and Sacramento, CA and everywhere in between.

The Pony Express was only necessary for a short time (about a year and a half), until the Pacific Telegraph line created a safer, easier way for people to communicate with each other.

Yet how quixotic, this time in American history: men facing the dangers of weather exposure and wildlife, not to mention trying to meet their basic human need for nourishment. All this simply to carry mail. Yet communication is never simple, even (especially) when done face to face.

We can take our hats off to The Pony Express, though, for the great fact that in all its days and all its obstacles, only one letter was ever reported lost.

Would we rebuild this system in America again, if needed? In this age of ingenuity and technological advances, it is hard to imagine the need to carry mail by horse.

Not only has the way we communicate with each other improved vastly over the centuries, but the things we care to ship. When crating and packing in Houston, Texas today, we can be thankful that we don’t have to have our artwork and our computers shipped via a galloping horse and a man riding a saddle. Though horse rides and cowboy boots are available like desert heat in Huston, so are several better ways to ship valuables.

Today, fragile items should be packed with care in individual boxes that were created unique, just like the items they carry. Crates can be built in order to provide a hard, protective surface.

Contact us for more information regarding modern shipping techniques.

Shipping an engine by freight is a great way to move large, heavy, or fragile items. Most engines can be strapped to a pallet and shipped by freight. If the engine has a high value, then a crate may be warranted, but usually palletized shipping works best. If you are planning to ship a vehicle engine, then this is the best approach to make sure that it arrives safely to its destination.

Preparation

Your engine will likely be considered LTL, or less than truckload shipping. This means that other crates or pallets will be included in the truck along with yours. Prior to shipping, drain all fluids out of the engine. Not only with this protect your engine while it is in transit, but it will also protect other freight around it. Engine shipping goes smoothly when you follow this advice.

Determine Freight Class

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association defines freight class as “a standard that provides a comparison of commodities moving in commerce.” This means your engine will ship with other items that are seen as having comparable characteristics. The four characteristics used to determine class are:

• Density (Weight in pounds per cubic foot)
• Stowability (Ease of transport)
• Handling (Type of packaging and the fragility of the item)
• Liability (Probability that the item may be damaged or stolen during shipping)

Vehicle engines are generally rated as Class 70 freight, but a shipping professional can help confirm this prior to crating.

Packing and Labeling

Consult with your shipping company to determine the best method of shipping your vehicle engine. Engines typically ship on a pallet, but if necessary, a custom crate can be built to better suit the engine. The shipping company will also be able to assist in properly completing the Bill of Landing (BOL) documentation. This tells the carrier what is being shipped, and where it is going. A thoroughly completed BOL can prevent delays such as re-weighs and lost items.

If you are shipping a vehicle engine and need assistance, we can help. Contact us to learn about our freighting services. We can pack, crate and ship from almost anywhere in the United States to almost anywhere in the world!

When you need a mover in Houston, Texas or anywhere else, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

Moving is stressful. From finding your new home to actually moving into it, the entire process can be daunting. Here are a few things to be sure to put on your to-do list. (And remember, a full-service moving company can mark a few of these things off your list for you -- they can pack, move, and unpack everything so you don't have to!)

1. Gather your supplies- Start asking friends and family for extra boxes and old newspapers. You can ask around some of your local stores for boxes they were going to throw out, too. Make sure you have makers, packing tape, and extra sheets that you can use to wrap larger items with. If you pick up used boxes from grocery stores, stay away from the boxes that were used to transport fruits and vegetables.
2. Make reservations- If you're going to be renting a moving truck, make sure to call or go online and request a reservation. Having your vehicle ready and waiting can seem like a small thing, but it can reduce a large amount of stress.
3. Make a clean sweep- As you pack up a room, clean that room. This will help you to not have a houseful of cleaning to do after everything is boxed. Before you move any boxes or furniture into your new home, go in and give it a deep cleaning. It's so much easier when you don't have to move anything in order to clean.
4. Update your info- Once you are officially at your new address, fill out a "Change of Address" card at for the post office. Also update your address on your driver's license, with your bank and credit card companies, and your doctor's office. You will also want to update everything at work for your tax info, too. (To pet owners: If your animal is micro chipped or tagged, don't forget to update your contact information with your vet's office.)
5. Out with the old- As you go through your house packing up, make a donation pile for all the items you no longer need, use, or wear. Scaling down on what you take with you can help you avoid unwanted clutter in your new place. Don't forget to shred old papers.

If you have any questions or need any help with moving in the Houston area, please feel free to contact us. Happy moving!

Whether it be for a residential move or relocating a commercial office, shipping furniture can pose significant challenges. Furniture such as chairs, sofas, or other irregular-shaped pieces do go into a moving truck efficiently in a moving truck. Shipping these items as freight in the Houston, Texas area may be a  more efficient and practical way of transporting goods – especially if it is a long distance move.

Furniture shipped as freight is typically palletized for convenient loading and unloading and then transported via freight carrier. This includes two types of service: full truckload (FTL) service and less than truckload (LTL). In most cases, a single residence or commercial office will fall into the LTL category. This means that it will be transported along with other items from different customers all on the same truck. This is a cost-effective way to transport large items.

LTL freight costs are determined by class, weight, and pick-up and drop-off destinations. If you are considering moving furniture by freight, a professional shipping company can assist you in properly packing your goods and preparing them to be shipped in this manner. This includes arranging or disassembling (if necessary) furniture in a secure, custom crate, and securing it on a wooden pallet using metal bands. LTL cargo may need to be moved on and off of vehicles several times while in transit, so it is essential that the crate is well-constructed and its contents secure.

If you are interesting in shipping items via freight, you can contact us for information. You always want to find a company that provides  packing, crating, and shipping services. They will provide you with an easy, safe, and affordable solution to transport your goods. We can assist in finding the packaging materials you need to make sure your freight arrives safely at their destination. Contact us to learn more about our crating and palletizing services.

Most everyone reaches the stage of life when they have to consider what to do with a loved ones estate. If you are estate moving in Houston here are some things you need to know.

Deciding what to do when your are moving an estate, or the estate of a loved one who has passed on is a delicate process.  An estate includes one's home, cars, and possessions that are of value in the eyes of the law. Things included in an estate are furniture, artwork, china, and antiques.

People may decide to split up an estate and ship it to different family members around the country. Sometimes it is difficult to get all the family members in the same place to split up an estate. And then there is still the matter of getting heavy, large, or fragile items delivered  to their new homes. It may be helpful to hire a company to help with shipping these important items. Large items can be shipped by freight or on a small load moving truck, and smaller items are shipped by common carriers like UPS or FedEx. A household of furniture can even be sent overseas in a 20 or 40 foot shipping container.

Often, if someone is planning on moving into a retirement home, they need to split up their estate among different family members and chose what to bring with them to the retirement home. For example, a person moving into a retirement home in Houston may decide to send their piano to their son in Austin, their dining room table to their daughter in Albuquerque, and bring their couches and dishes with them. An estate mover can help them separate out the items if necessary and get them where they need to go.

If you have questions about estate moving, including shipping, moving, and liquidating, please contact us at pack n send. We have all the experience and expertise to help you through this transition. 

The thought of using international freight shipping might seem a little daunting considering the longer delivery time, the considerable cost involved with moving anything that far, and the extra forms involved, but using international freight to ship your home or office furniture is a great way to carry your life with you, even to the other side of the world.

The first step to take after you've decided that international freight is the best way to go about shipping your things is to decide on the company you'll be using. There's a long list of them, including Fed Ex and UPS, and all with different restrictions and requirements so it's best to spend some time checking around before you commit to one.

Another consideration is how the things you need shipped are best packed up (containers, pallets, boxes), and how best to get them where the need to be (air travel or ocean). There are pros and cons to every combination of these things, but a little research should tell you what your best option is likely to be. Ways of shipping, cost, and time frames are all subject to change based on several different factors, such as whether you've moving a few boxes of residential things or several containers of office furniture.

Once you know who you'll be working with and how you'll be packing/shipping things, look into the forms you'll need to fill out to avoid any potential legal snarls. These usually include things like the total weight of the items being shipped, a packing list, a certificate of origin, a commercial invoice, and any export information required.

Contact us to discuss your options for international freight shipping.

With all the information out there regarding how you need a mover in Houston, Texas when you are ready to relocate in or around the area, there are a few things you should be aware of that may not have crossed your mind before. 

• First thing: 

The first thing you need to determine is the date you plan to move. You will need this information when speaking with the moving company to arrange their moving service.

• Second thing: 

It might sound like a no brainer, but make sure to provide the movers with the exact address of your new home before they show up to pick everything up. This will not only ensure that your belongings arrive at the right location, but the distance between your old and new address is factored into the cost of the move.

• Third thing: 

Before arranging for movers to load your things into a truck and haul them to a new location, make sure there is adequate room for a large vehicle to maneuver around the neighborhoods. It would be a shame for you to incur additional expenses due to additional unloading time while your household goods are carried down the street to your new residence.

• Fourth thing: 

Give the movers lots of details about your new home's configuration. Let them know in advance if they will be working with tight corners, stairs and other obstructions that make it more difficult to get furniture and appliances in and out. This helps them prepare by bringing along the appropriate equipment, tools and extra muscle power for the job.

To talk more about this, or anything else, please contact us. Thanks.

Packing and crating medical supplies is a lengthy task, but it is absolutely essential. The two, biggest things that packing and crating medical supplies takes into consideration are the cost if an item were to be damaged and the excess germs the items could be exposed to. 

Cost

Medical supplies are not only tongue depressors, gauze pads, and sponges. While those are even costly, much bigger supplies take the win in the expensive competition. A cardiac ultra sound system is roughly $142,725. Other machines and their parts can even cost over a million dollars. It is no secret that these are not cheap items, and taking the extra measure to not only pack them, but crate them, ensures their safety during transport. It is absolutely crucial. You have many alternatives when you are shipping medical equipment.

Exposure to Germs and the Elements

Medical supplies are sterilized countless times before use. While the supplies are surely not ready to use upon arrival at a medical facility, packing and crating these items can reduce exposure to any additional germs encountered during travel time. Additionally, medical supplies are not always shipped to medical facilities within a few mile radius. They sometimes travel internationally—being exposed to different elements along the way. Packing and crating these important tools decrease the likelihood for environmental damage to the items. Avoiding the additional pitfalls of transporting items is beneficial to all parties involved.

If your medical supplies or medical equipment does not need a custom built crate, you can consider using a small load mover or shipping the equipment on a pallet via freight.

In conclusion, packing and crating an item is an essential procedure for many things—especially medical supplies. Next time you are sitting in your doctor's office with a stethoscope against your chest, ponder just what that tool underwent to arrive where it is.

For more information on packing and crating items, contact us today.

Zillow Porchlight has reported the following moving trends for 2015.

For this blog, we will concentrate on Texas, since it was listed as the second most moved to state. It also ranked third for the most moves that take place within the state.  People that move to Texas tend to stay in Texas once they have arrived. A common bumper sticker says :  "I may not have been born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could."

Out of the top ten states, Texas also has the three of the top moved to cities, with Houston, Dallas and Austin leading the way.

Reasons to move to Texas may include housing that is less expensive than properties listed on both the east and west coasts.

It may have to do with the sunny climate, air conditioning and the general lack of snow.

It may have to do with a lack of state income tax.

Maybe it is the fact that Texas is promoting manufacturing facilities that are located within the state of Texas.

It may have to do with Texas's entrepreneurial spirit.

Texas has fewer rules and regulations than many other states.

Families can enjoy outdoor activities most of the year.

Whatever the reasons that people may give for moving to Texas all we can say after hearing about all the people moving to Texas is "Welcome to Texas!" 

If you are moving to Houston, Texas, please contact us for information about moving, packing and  unpacking and storing your household goods while you look for housing. We  opened our doors in 1981 and love Houston and love Texas!

When deciding whether to use freight shipping versus over-the-road transportation, there are times when transporting certain goods that freight shipping is a better decision. For instance, many parcel services have size and weight limits such as packages over 150 pounds or greater than 108" in length cannot be shipped by a parcel carrier. Consideration must be given to delicate items, whereby parcel carriers, even though your items may be marked "fragile" can't guarantee all handlers throughout the shipping process will treat your goods as such.  Find a reputable freight shipper that has established professional and reliable resources, and know how to coordinate delivery anywhere in the U.S.

What Types of Items can be Freight Shipped

Moving large and bulky items are also good candidates for shipping by freight. Custom crates and pallets can be created to properly secure any items against damage, such as:

• antiques
• artwork
• furniture
• medical equipment
• office equipment
• appliances
• oil field supplies

Freight shipping can get your goods to their destination faster and your items, because they are secured in shipping crates or onto shipping pallets are better protected.

How Does freight shipping Work?

Research to find a company that will pack your goods into crates or boxes loaded onto pallets for domestic or international shipment. By using an extensive relationship with large trucking companies such as Roadway, Central and Yellow Freight, along with the common carriers such as UPS and FedEx, a good freight shipper can set up the logistics to get your goods to their destination safely.

The goal is to get your goods to their destination, securely.  Contact us today to discuss how freight shipping may be the best option for you.

All retailers in the country, big or small, place orders for things that their businesses need to have in stock. Ultimately, the first and last destination of these good is not the store-front. Merchandise needs to not only travel from the factory they are manufactured in, but also stop at shipping and receiving companies. 

Upon arrival, merchandise undergoes the entire freight receiving process. This process includes signing for the merchandise, taking count of how many boxes or containers there are supposed to be of a given product, inspecting the packaging for any signs of damage, and finally, comparing a customer's invoice with the freight received. This process benefits not only all retailers, but even artists, contractors, and interior designers.

Take, for example, an interior designer. Their job is to not only decorate your home to your liking, but to ensure that certain things are a custom fit for your needs. More often than not, this means that the designer cannot simply walk into a furniture store, and find something perfect for their client. Most of the time, these designers need to go online to place orders for furniture, artwork, and more. They then perform their own freight receiving process, and inspect the merchandise, to ensure that the products are not damaged, and worthy to be placed in their clients' homes.

Finally, it is safe to conclude that the next time you go to a store, or hire an interior designer, you will think twice about the process your merchandise undergoes. It is, without a doubt, an essential process, and it is one that everyone can appreciate. For more information about freight receiving, contact us today.

International shipping is often confusing. There are so many different requirements depending on where you're shipping your goods that it can become overwhelming for an individual working on their own, which is why having a great shipping company is a critical part of the process. International shipping to Tunisia, like any other country, has a unique set of rules and regulations that will need to be observed in order to ensure that your shipment reaches its destination in a timely manner. 

Prohibited Items

There are several items that can not be packaged for shipment into Tunisia, including an extensive list of things that you might not consider before preparing your shipment. According to the USPS website, these include:

• Any kinds of guns or arms--no weapons should go through the Tunisian postal system
• A variety of medications and drugs, including aspirin, vitamin compounds, and sulfa drugs
• Chalk and pencils
• Soap and detergents that contain soap
• Leather, including leather products like shoes, jackets, and purses
• Jewelry made of gold, silver, or any other precious metal
• Women's hosiery
• Cooking appliances that don't require electricity
• Any type of paper money or coins
• Playing cards
• Lottery tickets or items that advertise the lottery in any way

If you're planning to ship items into Tunisia, it's important to consult the USPS website for a more detailed list of everything that is forbidden within the country or to work with a shipping company who is more familiar with these restrictions. You will have to exercise care to ensure that your package reaches its destination as smoothly as possible. 

Did You Know? Facts About Tunisia

1. There are two languages that are spoken commonly throughout Tunisia: Arabic, which is the official language, and French, which is fairly common throughout most areas.
2. Evidence of Stone Age settlements has been found in Kebili, a Tunisian oasis.
3. One of the most important cities in the Islamic faith, Kairouan, can be found in Tunisia. It ranks fourth, behind Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.
4. The largest tourist resort in Tunisia is the city Hammamet. Visitors have flocked to this popular vacation destination since the 1960s. 
5. Tunisia has been derived from the word Tunis, which is the capital of Tunisia. More than 25% of the population of Tunisia can be found in this city.
6. Individuals who live in Tunisia can expect to live for around 75 years.
7. Most of the Tunisian population practices the Muslim religion: around 98% of the population professes to be Muslim.

Whether it is seniors looking to enjoy the benefits of retirement or patio home living or empty nesters who are eager to move into something smaller to cut back on maintenance, downsizing a home can be stressful. The best approach is coming up with a plan to accommodate a smaller living space before deciding to move. Here are four tips for organizing and prioritizing your life to make it make the move into a smaller space.

Plan Long-Term

The trouble with downsizing is that many of your belongings live in the grey area where they are good to have but not essential. These items will require some serious decision making. Do you sell them? Donate? Give away to friends or family? This process takes time, patience, and focus. It’s best to start working through items before committing to a move as both require significant time to do well.

Think about what works in the new home

Furniture, wall hangings, and knick-knacks are not all created equal. Just because they look good in your current home does not necessarily mean they will be ideal for your new space. Consider ditching oversized furniture or décor that does not match the architecture or character of your new home. There is no sense moving these items if they aren’t going to fit the needs of your new home.

Maximize Space

If your new home, try to make every square foot count. Consider replacing a clunky entertainment center for a wall mount kit for the TV. Invest in storage systems to maximize closets and seldom-used spaces such as under beds.

Think Multipurpose

When downsizing, rooms often need to serve multiple purposes. Invest in furniture with dual purposes such as a fold-down couch or a rolling kitchen cart that can serve as an island or be pushed into an unused space for additional storage. These little additions will replace multiple items, providing for you the same luxuries without cramped and cluttered rooms.

A Houston mover says tha once you’ve downsized, you’re ready to find the new home of your dreams. Regardless of whether this is an apartment, retirement community, or smaller house, a professional full-service packing and shipping company can make sure your belongings arrive safe. If you need a mover in Houston, Texas area, we can help. Contact us to request a moving or packing quote today!

If you are considering doing international shipping to Ireland, there are some regulations you must know and follow. There are a number of prohibited items. A few are mentioned here, but you should check the  USPS website for a complete list.

Some of the items are common sense. Do not send any arms, weapons, human remains, plants, animals, fireworks, or coins minted in a foreign country. They do, however, allow gold and silver. There are some interesting oddities as to what is allowed. Typewriter carbon paper must be declared on customs declarations as “Typewriter carbon paper coated with wax and containing no oxidizable or fatty substances.” Certain items such as fruits, vegetables, and pharmaceuticals are subject to special regulations. For example, "Circulars or advertisements relating to the prevention or treatment of venereal disease must be addressed to physicians or pharmacists."  This, of course, is not the complete list.

Not only do you have to send the correct items, you have to address the packages correctly as well. A parcel may be sent to a street address or a post office. A phone number is optional with the street address, but required when sending the parcel to a post office. The name of the Irish county must be part of the address. While you might be familiar with Cork or Dublin, there are many other counties with interesting names like Sligo, Offaly, or Tipperary.  And then there is the longest name in Ireland: Muckanaghederdauhaulia. Take a deep breath and be sure to get your spelling correct if you are shipping there.

If you are considering international shipping  to Ireland, contact us. We specialize in packing, crating and shipping fragile, valuable, and unusual items, large or small.

So--you're tooling around Houston or another city that you are visiting, having a grand old time playing tourist and, of course, shopping! Or maybe you live here and that money from selling your 8 track collection on craigslist is crying out to be spent--now!! After careful consideration you're ready to start plunking your money down for the fabulous objects' d'art you have found, and nothing is going to be small. 

Houston shipping options abound, same as in most major cities. Do you really want the headache of trying to figure out if the case of hot sauce for Aunt Ethel should go UPS, USPS, Fed Ex or ?? Ground or air?  How about freight shipping, or white glove inside delivery for furniture that you purchased while you are visiting another city? What would be the best way to pack it? Being as the object is for glass and other fragile items to arrive intact, not shattered, packing is of utmost importance; if you aren't a pro you could wind up being sorry you didn't know how to wrap it properly. And do you really want to go stand in line at the post office? You may love your smart phone but it isn't that entertaining. Your best choice is going to be a reputable, experienced packing and shipping company.

There are many ways to find a reputable shipping company; online is easiest, as we all know. A little research will tell you who does a good job with freight items like artwork and large, heavy glass items, as these need to be crated and packed professionally. Anything really heavy or extremely bulky can go by freight, or even a blanket wrap moving truck. White glove inside delivery is always an excellent option for furniture. 

For stress-free ideas for shipping options contact us.

Three tips to help your move go smoother! 

When packing for a move, here are three tips to help things go smoothly!

• Start early and stay organized. Packing boxes takes more time than you expect, so start a few weeks early. Keep your boxes organized. Pack the least used items first, and most used items last. Mark your boxes on each side, and on the top too, and make a note on the box where each box is to go; kitchen, bedroom, etc. Use small boxes for heavy items like books, and larger boxes for light items. The more organized you are, the smoother the move will be!
• Make the most of your containers! You can save on the cost of  boxes  if you follow this simple tip. Instead of emptying dresser drawers, stuff them full. Why empty a dresser, put its contents into a box, then put both box and dresser into the moving truck? Fill up any container you can find; suitcases, laundry baskets, etc.
• Consider hiring a professional moving company to do the packing and transporting  for you. They know what they're doing, and this will really help your moving process go much smoother. A professional moving company can provide custom-built crates for things like glass table tops or china, and other delicate and fragile items, as well as boxes for large, heavy items such as sculptures and furniture which are bulky or difficult to package.

For more moving tips, feel free to contact us.

Crating and Packing in Houston, Texas, or How to Send It Once You Buy It (hassle and worry free, of course)!

This blog applies to shopping, packing and shipping all across the country!

Aah yes, browsing and buying in the big city can be so exciting, especially when you find bargains to resell at an incredible mark-up, aesthetically pleasing under-priced treasures for your castle, or gifts for the gaggle of friends and relatives back home.

Houston is an amazing place; full of life, entertainment, and SHOPPING! There are more than 600 art galleries, 700 antique stores, 50 auction houses, plus all the other retail options you can imagine in a city of over 2 million (wow).

Once you have completed your shopping spree(s) you are going to have the unsettling task of figuring out how to get all your goodies to their various destinations, preferably intact and without major time and effort on your part. So, you need to find out about packing and crating in Houston.

If you have the knowledge, or the time and patience to research shipping methods, you can embark on your next adventure: standing in line to buy packing materials (don't ya love the queue, heels being rammed by the cart behind you or listening to a screaming baby?) You will also need to calculate the proper amount of shipping materials to buy, and then hope you know how to properly pack fragile items. Large, valuable pieces (artwork, statues) need to be crated with ample padding, not just placed loose in a cardboard box, and smaller fragile items require peanuts and bubble wrap. And of course, there can also be the challenges of figuring out international shipping: first class packages can be up to 4 pounds (as opposed to 13 ounces in the US); there are many restricted (forbidden) items, and heavier packages require triplicate forms.

A quick search online will find you a reputable shipping company, with reviews confirming its ability to pack properly and knowledge of all things legal.

So, shop on! And when you are ready to ship your goodies with minimal fuss and effort contact us.

Hello, Houston mover! Do you want a safe and smooth moving experience? Here are a few tips for moving day to make sure you aren't disappointed.

1. Check the moving company's delivery windows!

Make sure you're going to get your items  when you need them. If the company is moving  one piece of furniture move out of town or just moving a few pieces of furniture to another state for you they may consolidates your possessions with other moving jobs.  You may have a longer timeframe but a less expensive price tag. 

2. Check the logistics:

• How many movers will they bring?
• How long will the job take? 
• Do they have any necessary specialty experience?  Moving into high rises or through elevators/stairs can make the move more complicated.
• Have they asked you if you need a Certificate of Insurance in order for the move to proceed.                                                                                                                                                           
•  3.  Personal precautions:
• Pack a personal suitcase: Take a personal bag with a few article of clothing and hygiene necessities. Even if perfectly planned, a move can still be affected by outside, unavoidable delays.
• Plan out where everything goes in advance: This saves you time and will cut down on the hours the movers spend working. (This also saves you some cash!) Make a scaled sketch of your new living space and where you want the furniture placed.

4. Does the company have any questions for you? Work out any potential concerns of either party to ensure a smooth and easy moving day. 

Let the moving company know ahead of time if you have any delicate or antique wood pieces and especially for glass tables or other fragile decorations.  The movers will need to take special care of these items. They may need to build custom boxes or custom crates to protect these items during you  move.

Contact us for more information or to ask us all about everything above! We would love to hear from you or help you with your next move! Whether you are moving in Houston, or sending one piece or a few pieces of furniture out of town, we can help you out. 

Weekly Houston area auctions abound. Area auctions and auction houses sell everything that you might ever want to collect or buy for a gift. You can frequently find bargains on antiques, jewelry, vintage clothing, fine china, silverware and glassware. You can also bid on large auction items such as furniture, beds, mattresses, tools. lamps and rugs at auctions. 

There is very little doubt that auctions are addictive and they have become a popular modern-day hobby pastime. The thrill of not only bidding on a coveted item but winning it is titillating. Most people who attend one auction quickly start counting the weeks until the next auction date. 

Auctioneers may require that you pay for and take the item home as soon as the auction ends. This might present a dilemma for you if you have bought an item as a gift and have very little room to store it at your home. The chances are good that you will be shipping your auction treasure. Shipping companies frequently provide pick up service for all of your auction treasures. They can also carefully pack and/or crate the items that you won at the auction.

If you bought large auction items such as furniture, rugs, mattresses, beds, or large tools, you can also opt to use freight shipping. Shipping companies that specialize in shipping auction merchandise and other items usually offer both domestic and international freight shipping to get all of your auction goods safely to their destinations.

Please contact us for all of your auctions shipping  packing and shipping needs. 

When a loved one dies, family members need to decide how to distribute their loved ones assets. Oftentimes this involves sending items out of town.  Items must be divided according to the terms of the will and shipped to their new homes. In many cases, these items have not only physical value, but also sentimental value to their recipients. That means that if you're the one responsible for the packing and shipping, you want to make sure you do it to the best of your ability. Not sure where to start? Try some of these tips.

Choose an estate shipping company that has experience packing and shipping a wide variety of items. When you're packing up an estate, you  want to have to work with an estate packing company that have experience shipping both large and small items, and delicate and non delicate items. Seek out a packing and shipping company that has shipped a wide variety of items successfully to make your estate packing easier. It's important to package the item according to what you're shipping, rather than a one-size-fits-all mentality. For example, your artwork may need to be carefully protected in a custom crate, or a custom built box may be all that it needs to get  it on its way to its destination safely..

Start with an inventory or list. That list can be arranged by item or by recipient--whatever works for you. You can save on shipping by packing items that need to be shipped to the same person together. 

Keep a spreadsheet. When you're dealing with an estate, it can be difficult to keep track of all the items, all the time. To ensure that you know where everything has ended up, work with a professional shipping company that will provide you with tracking numbers and other vital information to keep track of every item as it leaves your hands.

If you need help packing up an estate in Houston or anywhere else in the United States,  please contact us. We'll make sure that every item in your loved one's estate receives all the care it needs to reach its destination safely and securely. Better yet, we have experience in shipping a wide variety of items, so you can be sure that all of your items are receiving the best care possible.

Frequently doctors' offices, veterinarians, dentists, universities, hospitals and medical centers need to ship medical equipment. Small or large, all items can be efficiently packed, crated and shipped with the utmost care. Medical equipment shipping requires proper packaging -- both inside the package/crate and on the exterior -- to help ensure that the items withstand the rigors of  shipping transportation.

It is not uncommon for items such as MRI machines, CT scanners, x-ray devices, diagnostic equipment, medical examination tables, lab equipment, lasers, surgical equipment, and hospital/medical furniture to be shipped across the country or around the world. Even temperature-sensitive medical equipment is frequently shipped with ease to the furthest reaches of the globe. In the modern world, shipping medical equipment has never been easier, faster or safer. Medical items are safely shipped both domestically and internationally with ease. 

Look for a company that has trained personal who will look over your medical equipment to evaluate the best way to pack, crate and ship the items so they reach their ultimate destination safely. You need to find a company whose  personnel  will give you an assessment on packaging and shipping your medical items. Ultimately, how your equipment is packed and shipped will be your choice, however, trained staff will need  to work with you to help ensure that the transaction is smooth. At pack n send we deal with the most trusted freight and shipping companies in the industry. Please contact us for a free assessment and quote on shipping your medical equipment or other items. 

Valuable Tips on Shipping You Need to Know If You Are Moving to Another Country

So you are moving out of the United States, you are finally doing it. It's exciting, really scary and totally overwhelming, all at the same time. From dreams of the near-future, to fears of the unknown and tearful goodbyes; thinking clearly to organize the necessary details of actually getting you and all your stuff to your destination seems a bit surreal. So, where do you start?

You may think that the first thing on the list should be packing, but it isn't. In fact, it's nearly the last. 

Checklist-style advice 

1. Start by researching the international shipping company that is going to deliver your personal items such as furniture and other household or business necessities. It is imperative that you know what the method and options are, before you start the inevitable task of packing. Typical options include air shipping, shipping goods by pallets based on the number of cubic meters, or shipping via 20 foot and 40 foot containers. 
2. Make sure you use an international shipper that not only ships to the country you are moving to, but is experienced and knowledgeable with the government shipping requirements as well as the culture. This will reduce stress when you arrive and help to prevent any embarrassing mistakes. 
3. In most countries, the list of what you can't ship is the shortest and the most important anyway. Make sure you have a complete understanding of this list and give those items away (or store them) immediately. 
4. Complete and submit all necessary paperwork upfront. That way, if there are any questions, concerns, or mistakes; there is time to correct them before you leave.

Conclusion

Knowing where to start when it comes to moving out of the U.S. will save a lot of time and stress, and prevent potential difficulties. Having an experienced professional during the process is invaluable.

Taking care of what seems like small details up front, is the key to a smooth long-distance move.

If you are ready to take the first step in your international move, contact us today to learn more about how our experience can benefit you.

  When you decide to hire a freight company in Houston, Texas, you want to hire a company that will work for all your freight needs. One freight  preparation company is not exactly the same as all the others! To that end, there are several questions you should ask before settling on a freight company. Some, you can answer on the company's website. Others, you'll need to ask when you call. And here's a surprise: how much it's going to cost to take care of your freight needs probably isn't one of them.

1. "How much experience do you have with this type of freight?" Take a look at what the company is offering. If they aren't experienced in moving the items that you're shipping out, don't take the chance! Choose a freight company that has shipped items just like yours before and will know exactly what you need.

2. "What services do you offer?" Depending on what you're shipping, there are several different types of services that you might require. You might need a custom crate built just for your item, whether a skeleton crate or a full wooden crate. You might need a pallet specially designed for just your item. Your best bet is to look for a company that lists the service you need. 

3. "How would you ship this item?" Chances are, you already know how you want your shipment to be sent. If you need a custom crate for artwork, for example, you want to know that your crate is reusable, so that the artwork can be packed in it again if you need to transport it in the future. If you need to move a chandelier, you want to know that it's hung from a beam in the top of the crate, with packing material around the bottom to keep everything from moving around. Ask your freight company how they would ship your item and see if it lines up with your vision. 

If you're looking for the perfect freight company in Houston, contact us today! We'll work with you to get your items the protection they need to reach their destination safely, figure out any international shipping needs, and take care of anything you need throughout the freighting process.

Texas is known for oil wells, but also for oil paintings. Texas has a rich artistic history and a culture that encourages contemporary artists. When shipping artwork, it's important to consider the sort of crate that will protect the art in transit. Crate building properly determines whether your artwork will be shipped across country safely, or whether you'll find a torn canvas with paint smears when it arrives. Custom built crates protect artwork during shipping.

For shipping something as valuable and delicate as artwork, it is best to use international caliber crates rather than crates intended for domestic shipping, even if the artwork is only going from Dallas to Detroit or from Galveston to Gettysburg. Heat-treated wood is used when building crates intended for international shipping, and that is what Pack n Send recommends when shipping works of art. Crates can easily be custom-built to fit the art, for greater protection.

Kay Wyne is a Texas painter whose work is displayed at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas. Mrs. Wyne works in oil on canvas pottery and cotton panels, in a Contemporary Impressionist style. Mrs. Wyne is best known for her landscapes and still lifes, such as "Wildflower Vista," "Windswept," and "Blue Vase." She also does pictures of animals, such as her "Big Guy" and "Hen Session." Originally from the Midwest, Mrs. Wyne attended Western Illinois University. She now resides in Dallas and considers herself a true Texan. She often paints with a wide brush, but she sometimes uses a palette knife to create a thicker texture in her works. 

If you need to pack and send  your artwork or other valuables, contact  Pack n Send. 

Reasons to Consider Shipping and Crating Christmas Gifts

When choosing gifts for friends and family members, you’ve no doubt went to a great deal of effort to find them just the right one. In order to ensure your gift arrives safely, here are occasions when it might be best to consider shipping and crating them to your loved ones rather than delivering them yourself.

If you’re traveling by plane or bus, getting through the terminal with a large number of packages could be quite cumbersome to do. Not only that, but you could be subject to extra baggage fees, and clearing security checkpoints could be a virtual nightmare. When you ship your gifts ahead of time, you can focus on making your connection rather than worrying about handling packages.

You could want to ship packages even if you are traveling by car. Depending upon the size of your gifts, you might just find there is no room left over for your own luggage, or that you are unable to fit everyone in the car after all your packages are loaded. Even if you do have room for everything, you risk damaging your gifts if you experience a flat tire and need to unload your trunk in order to change it. You do not want to leave the gifts on the back seat of your car as you make a stop for gas or food. Unsavory individuals may consider this a time to to for their “free” gift shopping.

If you’re giving someone an especially large gift, you may find that handling it yourself is too awkward to do. Having a professional moving company take care of this task for you will ensure that you don’t strain your back and wind up spending your Christmas holiday feeling miserable.  

Here at Pack N Send, we can advise you how to ship gifts of any size, and can ensure your Christmas packages get safely to their destination. To find out more, contact us in Houston at 713 266 1450

If you are planning on shipping gifts internationally, it is best to ship as early as possible. There may be customs to consider in the country that you are shipping the gifts to. We have listed below  the countries that we ship to.  Please call ahead to make sure that you can ship the item that you have purchased to the country of your choice.

Your goal: international shipping to Kosovo. Your problem: each country has its own unique restrictions concerning what can and can't be shipped, and you aren't sure where to begin. Start with a look at the USPS website, which will give you a good idea of how to go about handling your shipment.  

Restricted Items

When you're creating a package for shipment into Kosovo, you need to be aware of the country's restricted items so you can be sure not to include any of them in your shipment. According to the USPS, these include:

• Paper money and other extremely valuable articles, including traveler's checks, gold and silver, and precious stones. Items of great wealth or that are intended as currency should not be shipped into Kosovo.
• Private individuals are not permitted to ship weapons or ammunition.
• Lottery tickets or advertisements promoting lotteries are prohibited.
• Cigarette papers are a restricted item that should not be shipped into Kosovo.
• Radioactive materials should never be shipped into the country.

It should also be noted that some shipments into Kosovo may require a license from the United States Commerce Department. Be sure that you understand these requirements before preparing your shipment.

Confused about these requirements or worried that you might have gotten something wrong? Try using a shipping company to help prepare your shipment and ensure that you've covered all the necessary paperwork. If you need to ship your package out of the Houston area, contact us for more information.

Did You Know?

1. 90% of the population of Kosovo is made up of primarily Muslim Albanians. Orthodox Christian Serbs make up the other 10%.

2. Albanian and Serbian are the primary languages of Kosovo. Other languages that are common in the area include Bosnian, Turkish, Romani and Croatian.

3. Kosovo has a high incidence of waterborne illness. Deaths that occur due to these diseases are higher in Kosovo than anywhere else in Europe.

4. Kosovo has a rich agricultural industry and mining industry. Micro-enterprises are also common in the country. Natural resources include lead, zinc, copper, silver, gold, brown coal, bauxite, lignite, and nickel.

5. Popular sports in Kosovo include basketball, canoeing, boxing, chess, soccer, gymnastics, swimming, and table tennis.

6. Like many European nations, Kosovo uses the Euro as its primary currency.

7. The highest peak in Kosovo, a mountainous region, is Gjeravica, which rises 8,714 feet above sea level.

8. Prishtinna is the capital of Kosovo. 

9. When Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, it became the youngest nation of the 21st century.

Moving is a lot of hard work and so much needs to be done in a limited amount of time. Adding a senior to the mix can make things a little more challenging. There are a few things to keep in mind that may make your move go a little smoother.

A few assisted living homes already have furniture. Most centers let you bring your own furniture. Moving companies that specialize in moving seniors can help you decide what furniture would fit in each room. Important items and keepsakes are a must to give the space a homey touch.

When it comes to decorating have a strong distinction between colors, walls,and furniture. It would also be helpful to choose a place that is well lit and if you are using their furniture that it is rounded to prevent accidents.

Another thing to keep in mind when checking out assisted living and nursing homes, is the kind of social life opportunities available. A key in being happy and well-balanced is being active and having something to do.

Look for a  great moving company for senior citizens that  get involved and do much more than just pick up boxes and move them from one place to another. They can pack and unpack and will assist whoever they are helping on what fits and where it fits.

Check out companies that can move belongings anywhere in the US, but does international shipping as well. If you or a loved one is in need of assistance in Senior moving contact us. We will be more to happy to assist you in your move and provide much more that just the muscle. We will help you make any decisions to turn your move into a happy one.

When you're packing up items for shipment, it can be difficult to tell what supplies you'll need most. In Houston, crating is done for a variety of items that require extra protection before being shipped to their destination. With a custom crate, you can rest assured that your item has all the protection it will need during the shipping process. For example:

Chandeliers are very difficult to ship because of their many small, dangling pieces. Packing them in a crate, however, takes this easily into account. The chandelier is hung on a wooden 1 x 4 in the top of the crate, suspended just like it would be in a home or business. Then, packing peanuts and other materials are added to cushion the other pieces of the chandelier. 

Medical equipment often requires specialty crates because of the size and delicacy of the equipment. If necessary, medical equipment is braced within the crate to ensure that it is stable before packing material is added to keep it in place throughout the shipping process. Custom crates are one of the best ways to transport medical equipment, which is often awkwardly sized or shaped.

Paintings, pictures, and other flat artwork are typically protected by placing a one-inch layer of Styrofoam all around the picture. Crates for these items are best custom constructed when the picture is an odd size, but it works for any type of artwork. Crating is also useful for large museum, gallery, or show displays of artwork that may need to be packed up and moved again.

Other artwork, like statues and sculptures, can be placed in a custom crate for ease transportation or shipment. These crates are constructed exactly to the specifications of the item.

Things to Note About Using Crates

• Custom crates require that the measurements of the item are taken before the crate is built. 
• Custom crates are reusable. This is particularly useful for artwork and other items that will be shipped or transported back and forth several times. Simply remove the item at your destination and store the crate until it's needed again. Then, when you're ready to move the item again, pull the crate back out.
• Crates can be made for both international and domestic shipments. It is important, however, to note your crate's destination: international shipments are placed in crates made of heat-treated wood to meet international shipping standards.

Ready to begin putting together a custom crated shipment in the Houston area? Contact us today to learn how we can help.

What to Know Before the Move- Moving out of Town

Preparing for a cross-country move with fragile cargo in the Houston area? With so many moving services available in and around the Houston area. When choosing a company to work with, it's a good idea to have some pre-requisite knowledge of the two main ways in which your belongings can be transported.

Blanket Wrap Move

Blanket wrap moving is common both for moves within a city and moves to other cities. Furniture and household goods are loaded, blanket wrapped and secured inside of the truck. This is a cost-effective way in which you can get your old home, moved into you new one. Your household good are delivered inside of your new home.

Freight Trucks

Unlike blanket wrap moves, freight trucks go back and forth across the country every day, delivering furniture and appliances. When using this method you will need to place and categorize your belongings on pallets before they get shipped. You can also choose whether to have your belongings dropped off on the curb or delivered and placed into your new home.

 Whatever you end up choosing, make sure that you're well-informed before doing so. We hope this brief explanation assists you in making the right choice.

You need to send some items via international shipping to the Slovak Republic but want to be sure that what you are sending will arrive at its destination without incident. The restrictions for mailing vary widely from country to country, making it impossible to know every little detail. Some things are obvious that you should not send them, such as radioactive materials; but what about the rest? Surely there are more restricted items, so what exactly are they? 

In a country that is about a third of the size of Minnesota, and home to 300 castles, the rules on international shipping to the Slovak Republic are as fascinating and unique as the historical land itself. With the highest percentage of gypsy genes and the origin of inspiration for Dracula, here are Slovakia's prohibitions, restrictions, and instructions for shipping to their country. 

Prohibited (do not send) 

Any publication that contradicts State public order. Publications are considered drawings, music (written or audio), images, and any written document.  

Apparently, Americans aren't the only ones annoyed by chain letters. A chain letter is one in a series and often requires the recipient to forward the letter on to a specific number of people. The Slovak Republic wants nothing to do with them as they are strictly prohibited with no exceptions. 

Perishable substances, whether the be infectious or not, are never accepted. Infectious perishable substances contain viable microorganism and toxins; non-infectious perishable substances do not contain via microorganisms and toxins, but are not accepted, nonetheless. 

Though radioactive materials (alpha, beta, and gamma rays) are actually natural, they can most definitely cause harm to humans and animals. This is another item that will never be accepted via international shipping in the Slovak Republic. 

And finally, the last prohibited item is an interesting one: playing cards. It is unclear if it is related to the coating of the cards, or if this is something that actually dates back to World War ll when playing cards were used to send secret information. Either way, do not send them! 

Restricted (review before you send) 

If you are sending a gift, be sure that you are sending as an individual and not a commercial firm; otherwise it will be rejected. Additionally, if you send more than three gifts to one person inside of a year, or if the gift is valued at more than 3,000 Slovak Republic crowns, you will need an import permit.  

You can send medicine as long as the addressee has an import permit granted by the Slovak Republic health authorities. 

Stamps and philatelic articles (related to the study and history of stamps) can be sent so long as they do not exceed 1,000 Slovak Republic crowns inside of a year; and do not exceed 100 stamps or philatelic articles. NOTE: gift packages containing philatelic articles may not exceed three per year or 100 Slovak Republic crowns in value. 

The last restriction is similar to that of many countries. Only the State Bank is authorized to send paper money, coins, securities of any kind, unmanufactured precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum, and savings booklets. 

Instructions to send 

You may address your package to either a street address or a post office box. The addressee phone number must be provided when using a post office box. 

Several articles sent to the Slovak Republic require import licenses and quantity restrictions. Be sure to confirm with the addressee that the items are permitted and they hold the necessary documents. 

Slovak Republic customs determine the value of gift contents based on internal prices of the same articles. So long as the contents do not exceed 5,000 Slovak Republic crowns, no import permit is required. Should the value of the gift exceed 2,000 Slovak Republic crowns, the addressee must provide a gift certificate authenticated by an authorized agent in that country. 

Articles imported in postal items are exempt from customs duties as long as the total value does not exceed 300 Slovak Republic crowns.  

Conclusion

Now that you have a complete understanding of parcels that are completed prohibited, the details of what is restricted, and easy to understand instructions on how to send; you are now ready for international shipping to the Slovak Republic. 

Do you need more information with regards to international shipping?  

Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.

Here are a few of the packing materials that are used when packing fragile or delicate items. Custom crates and custom boxes are discussed in other blogs. If you need to pack and ship items, be sure to use sturdy shipping boxes. Pack and send just about anything if you use the proper packing materials.

Bubble Wrap

Perhaps the greatest invention of the 20th century, bubble wrap is the absolute standard in packing. You can use it to protect most  fragile items and, for items with recesses or curvatures like bowls and cups, use it to fill any gaps in items that may need extra support.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam packing peanuts are a time-honored packing material that are most commonly used to create protective linings around goods that are being shipped -- even items that are, themselves, wrapped in bubble wrap. 

Pallets

When shipping larger items or large stacks of items, pallets are the way to go. Though the items must be properly secured to the pallet, it allows cargo handlers to easily move and store your items without them up-ending, and keeps them stationary on the truck. When shipping internationally, however, it is important that you use heat treated wood for your pallets, as international law requires, due to the possible spread of termites and other pests which can sometimes be found on untreated wood.

When packing in Houston in preparation for a shipment, you need to be sure you are using the proper materials for the items you are packing and the distance you are sending them. You can have your delicate items professionally packed, or you can purchase the packing materials and pack your boxes on your own.

Please contact us to learn more about the proper use of different packing materials.

Small-Load Moving

Small load moving trucks are not, themselves, small. These trucks instead offer a service to multiple families from the same general area who are moving to the same general area. They pack up the small loads from each family onto the same truck and then provide drop-off one by one.

While this may make you worry that you will have to find other families to move with, fear not: small load moving companies do all of the organizing for you. They generally set rates according to the distance of moves,the amount of space that your belongings will take up in the truck, and how many others are moving from your area to your new area at the same time.

Freight trucks are different insofar as they often ship with additional items, and are not exclusively used by families who are moving. Indeed, freight truck moving is usually a service offered by freight trucking companies that do lots of other business. Furniture will  be placed on pallets in order to fit properly. Drop off can be  often curbside, butthey should  also offer to do inside drop-off for another additional charge.

If you are looking for houston moving companies to help with your next move, you are probably overwhelmed by the number of different options available to you, from renting a U-Haul to differentiating between the different types of moving services. Knowing the differences between them is important for getting the most out of your money.

Please contact us to learn more about what moving options would best benefit you.

Many senior adults would prefer to age peacefully right where they are, never finding it necessary to move. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. Senior moving often becomes necessary for a variety of reasons. You might need help moving a senior into a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or a senior living community where they are able to live independently, but have help available as needed. They might need to move in with a relative for extra help, or decide to downsize and check out RV living to allow them to travel. Whatever the case, however, moving a senior adult can present unique challenges that aren't necessary to consider in other cases of moving.

Decide whether or not storage is going to be necessary. Do you have an elderly loved one who has always decked out the house for the holidays? What about one who has more clothes for each season than they could ever possibly wear? If downsizing is necessary as a result of the move, consider selecting a storage facility to make things a little easier. Clearly label every box, and make sure that decorations, mementos, and other important items are packed and stored in a way that will protect them. 

Hire a packing company. Many senior adults  don't have the energy to deal with complex packing arrangements. Instead, try bringing in the professionals! They'll pack up everything in the house and make sure that it will be safe throughout the moving process.

Let your senior loved one choose what items can be given up. It can be tempting to just have the family over and spend a few days packing up the house. You all decide if there are any mementos that you would like to hold on to, while the important items for daily living go with your senior loved one. If possible, however, you should allow your loved one to participate in this process and even lead it. They will know better than even their closest child which items are truly important and which ones can be donated, sold, or stored.

Take it one step at a time. Your senior loved one might not have the energy to go through the entire house in a day. Instead, break up the moving process so that you're able to dedicate a couple of hours to it at a time, then return to deal with the rest at a later date. 

Ready to start moving your loved one? Need an experienced packing company to help? Contact us today to learn how we can make the moving process easier for you and your senior loved one.

Any time you prepare an international shipment, you want to be sure that you've taken the time to do it right. That starts with ensuring that you know everything you need to know about restricted or prohibited items when you shipping to each country. Shipping to Taiwan might be intimidating at first, but with a minimal amount of effort and a little help from a reputable shipping company, you can be sure that your shipment has everything it needs to get to its destination safelyerything it needs to get to its destination safely. 

Taiwan's Restrictions

Like most countries, Taiwan has several items that should not be shipped within its borders because they are prohibited by the government. According to the USPS website, these include:

• Prepared tobacco products, including cigarettes and cigars
• Certain currency items, specifically coins that are more than 100 years old and banknotes known as "new Taiwan dollars"
• Sweeteners, including but not limited to sugar, molasses, and saccharine
• Tea concentrates, essences, or extracts
• Radioactive materials

Other Restrictions

All imported items are required to have a license. The only exceptions are gifts for personal or family use that cost less than $1,000 and books that cost less than $1,000. Mail that contains items that could have a duty assessed must be clearly labeled. Taiwan also prefers that, when possible, shipments bear mailing labels with complete addresses in Chinese as well as English. The Taiwanese government also recommends the addition of "Via Tiawan" on items that are being shipped to the Quemoy and Matsu Islands.

Facts About Taiwan

1. Taiwan produced the first woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize: Lu Hsui-lein.
2. Taiwan is a great place to live: it has the lowest poverty rate in the world. It also has the world's highest recycling rate.
3. The highest peak in Taiwan is the Jade Mountain, also known as Mount Yu. It is 3950m above sea level.
4. The national sport of Taiwan is baseball. Basketball, football, cycling, golf, and tennis are also widely popular. Taiwan's most common form of martial arts is Taikwondo. 
5. 4.9 million people in Taiwan follow Buddhism, the most prevalent religion. Other common religions include Islam, Taoism, Bahaism, Catholicism and Protestantism. 
6. Taiwan is rich in a number of natural resources, including natural gas, coal, marble, asbestos, and limestone. Major industries include petroleum refining, food and textiles, vehicle manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. 
7. Taiwan's official name is the ROC: the Republic of China.
8. The official currency of Taiwan is the new Taiwan Dollar. The country is the third-largest holder of exchange reserves.

Looking for more information about shipping to Taiwan? Contact us today to learn how we can help.

When you are packing in Houston and preparing your china, be it fine china, porcelain, bone china, or terracotta it is of the utmost importance that you pack it correctly. China is known for being rather delicate and brittle, even if it contains kaolin to strengthen it, and so incorrectly packed china can chip, crack or shatter during the shipping process if not properly packed. Importantly, there is a key distinction between packing plates/bowls and cups, so make sure to take note of the instructions below.

 China

1. After taping the bottom seams of the box securely, place a layer of packing peanuts two or three deep at the bottom of the box. You want enough to make sure that the china never touches the bottom of the box during the shipping process, as that nearly guarantees that it will break.

2a. If you are placing plates and bowls in a box, place them vertically in the box with a layer of bubble wrap or several layers of blank newsprint between them. Plates are stronger standing up than they are laying down, so be sure to use the correct orientation.

2b. If you are shipping cups, you can stuff the inside of the cup with paper and then wrap them with bubble wrap. Cups, unlike plates, should be placed like they would be if they were sitting on a table in use.  You can stack them, but put a piece of cardboard between each cup, in addition to the bubble wrap surrounding them.

3. Create cardboard dividers to section off different types of items, and then stuff any remaining space with newspaper. If done properly, when you  shake the box you should see no movement at all.
4. Put another thick layer of packing peanuts at the top, going slightly above the rim of the box so that they will compress once the box is closed. Then fold the flaps down and tape them into position.

Now your china should be ready for safe transit! If you need professional china packers, please contact us for all your packing and shipping needs.

 Bringing a traditional Texas Christmas to your friends and relatives long-distance means, of course, your annual exercise in shipping Houston Texas style!

So here are a few thoughtfully selected, sure-to-please holiday gifts you can add to your parcels that will actually make those presents a breeze to pack, and way more worry free! And since the current trend for 2016 is focused on all things artisan, handcrafted and natural, your gifts will be right in line with what's in style this Christmas! These affordable Houston treasures are sure to delight your family and friends and at the same time keep your shopping regional! Plus, they're easy-to-mail gifts that will save you time and money—and minimize that unwanted "shipping stress" you've come to dread each year!

1. Music, Texas Style! No, wait! This doesn't have to mean steel guitar and twang, though it most certainly can! But there's also Texas music that's sure to please everyone on your holiday list, especially those extra-particular, music-conscious teens! Visit the folks at the locally owned, Texas-only record store Cactus Music in Houston for specific suggestions, and you'll surprise those hard-to-buy-for music lovers in your life with some hand-picked, made-in-Texas music that they will more than likely love! And, of course, nothing's easier to slip into your carefully packed holiday shipping parcel than the gift of Texas music!
2. For the children on your list, you might try a popular Texas-themed, animal-motif T-shirt from Houston's trendy and artist-friendly boutique Hello-Lucky. The Texasssssssss-hissing-rattlesnake shirt or the Texas-ness armadillo T, among other great designs, are affordable andhand-screened in Houston—and nothing could be easier to ship! They also come in adult sizes and feature plenty of graphics to choose from—so grown-ups, too, can be ultra-cool and support Texas artists to boot!
3. A super-shippable gift and stocking-stuffer, perfect for virtually anyone on your list—but especially for that gentleman who has everything—is Houston's unique and practical Texas-style version of the traditional snap-on keychain—crafted from authentic cow's hide complete with beautiful fur left intact! Sturdy and functional with brass hardware, this handmade and handy fob comes in an array of natural-color choices! It's an affordable but one-of-a-kind, fun-yet-practical gift that will remind your loved ones every day of the incredible resourcefulness and artistry of Texans! Just like the T-shirts above, these keychains are also from Hello-Lucky, and they're made exclusively by hand in Houston!
4. For a gift that's, again, perfect for anyone, but is especially likely to please the women and girls you're shopping for this season, there's yet another popular Houston boutique, called Sparrow and the Nest, which offers the ultimate in easy-to-pack gifting: their beautifully crafted and fragrant Peppermint Chunk Soap! Hand-made yet affordable, not only will this exquisite soap be delightfully easy to ship, but it will likely make your entire Christmas parcel smell absolutely divine!
5. Lastly is a gift idea from Houston’s fine-art one-stop, the highly regarded Village Frame Gallery! What’s interesting is, although these one-of-a-kind keepsakes aren’t actually made in Texas, the designing artist’s name is, quite coincidentally, Houston! We’re talking about Atlanta artist extraordinaire Houston Llew and his gorgeous, quotation-embossed copper panels, hand-painted with exquisitely colored, kiln-fired molten-glass designs—and very-shippably-sized at just over 5 x 8 inches! Village Frame Gallery is an authorized dealer of these very special treasures, aptly and poetically dubbed Spiritiles. A higher-end, lifetime-keepsake gift that’s still affordable, these incredible tiles will be a hit with absolutely everyone on your list! Village Frame Gallery has plenty more to offer, too, plus they frame, of course, and giftwrap!

So you see, these easy-to-pack gifts are every bit as trendy and unique as some of the season's more fragile and unwieldy offerings—and they're also super-affordable and sure to delight that special recipient! There's nothing your family and friends will love more than opening up a big box of Houston at holiday time, no matter where they may be! Your parcel will be the highlight of the season.

For more information on this or any other aspect of Houston, Texas shipping possibilities, please don't hesitate to contact us at your convenience! 

Packing, moving  and unpacking seniors. When packing and moving senior adults, be sure to keep out all medications, food and personal items that a senior will need on the day of the move. Toiletries,  towels and face cloths should also be left out for the senior to use. We suggest a small suitcase or a separate backpack that the movers do not take with them.

Seniors may require a different moving schedule say than  that a younger family. You may need to pack a senior  over a number of days, so as to not overwhelm them. Packing may need to be done when the senior is out of their residence completely.

It is sometimes better to have the senior adult move into an apartment that is completely unpacked and set up for the senior. This includes hanging shower curtains and artwork. Cupboards can be loaded with dishes and cups. Keep out their favorite coffee cup so that they can locate it easily the first morning that they are in their new home.

The time of the move will also vary by the seniors schedule. For some individuals, a 10:00 am move will work perfectly well. For other seniors 2 pm may be the earliest that you can begin a move. For an elderly person staying the first time in a new home, it may be wise to have  friend or relative sleep over on a couch the first night the senior is in their new residence.

For more information about easing a senior into a new residence, please feel free to contact pack n send.

The last you want to worry about after your wedding is how to pack up all the wonderful and expensive gifts you’ve received.  Did you know you can hire a shipping company to take care of it for you?  Here are some possible wedding gifts you might consider having shipped:

Rings

This might be something you would have shipped before the wedding, as hopefully you are wearing yours after the ceremony!  If you have a special heirloom ring, consider having it carefully packed and shipped.  You can have it insured against loss as well.

Kitchen Electronics

You got that amazing juicer you both really wanted!  But how to get it to the new home you are starting together?  Have it shipped!  Although items are usually removed from their original packaging for shipping, they will be well taken care of on their journey to your home.

Kitchen Knives

Knives can be a real hassle to pack.  It is often difficult to package them so they won’t cut through the materials they are packaged in.  Let a shipping company with lots of experience help you out!  They are well prepared to protect that sharp edge as well as your other expensive items you are shipping with the knives.

Fine China

What a delight to receive those beautiful pieces of fine china in that beautiful pattern you love so much.  Not only do they need special care when packing, they take quite a bit of time to wrap and protect each individual piece. But if you hire a good packing company, you need not worry! 

Lamps or other decorative furniture

Not only do you get the joy of receiving your wedding gifts, you also get to open it when it arrives, well packaged in your new home!  Large items can be crated or palletized.  It can also be blanket wrapped for a moving truck.  Have fun arranging everything to your taste and comfort.

If you are looking for a great company you can trust to pack and ship your valuables, please contact us.

It's easy to understand that some items are a lot easier to ship than others due to how fragile the item may be. So, you should also understand that when you need shipping services for these breakable items selectivity is important. Look for a company that has shipped fragile or delicate items for many years. Have they shipped high value items?  Do they have the capability to build custom boxes or custom crates? Have they packed china, pictures, marble and sculptures?  Are their personnel brand new, or do they have years of experience in the packing and moving industry?

There are lots of different types of breakable items shipped throughout the world today. It's important to take a look at each of them and their special needs before shipping your items. Doing so will allow you to have peace in mind as you shift your items. Some examples include:

• Heirloom China, crystal, and stemware pieces are delicately wrapped in bubble wrap and double boxed with peanuts so that it arrives safely at its location. 
• Crystal and ceramic chandeliers are shipped via crates that are specially built for them. Did the moving company ask for a picture of the chandelier ahead of time so that they can determine the safest way to pack the chandelier? Did they discuss that the chandelier will need to be hung during transport. The crates should be lined with Styrofoam and then peanuts are used to fill the rest of the space.

Ready, Set, Ship

The next time you need to ship a fragile item, make sure to contact us. With over 30 years of experience, you can rest assured that we'll help you. Our company can do everything from packing the items to picking them up and shipping them to their end destination. No fragile item is too big or too small for us to package properly and ship to its final destination. So, why not contact us today to receive a price quote? 

When shipping any item, people want to know the packing procedures and tracking information for their shipment. Advances in technology have changed the way many items are now packed and shipped. Today it is easier than ever to get items from place to place. 

Shipping Begins With Packing 

To get any item to another place it is always best to pack it first. Last century, wood crates were the best way to do this.  The use of Styrofoam and cardboard boxes has changed and updated the shipping industry. Many items ship safely when securely buffered in this convenient and easy-to-use method. Packing peanuts and bubble wrap are two more packing materials that work well with boxes. They cushion the item while the cardboard box provides a tough outer shell. 

Today, you can have a custom crate built by a custom crate builder. This is often the preferred packing method when shipping fragile or valuable items.

Wrap It Up In A Blanket 

One of the ways shippers protect items during the moving process is to blanket wrap them.  This method is mainly used for shipping by truck. 

Tracking Your Shipment 

Modern methods of shipping use tracking software to keep up-to-date on package and shipment locations. UPS, FedEx, DHL and the Post Office now have online tracking. This software allows the person shipping the item to type in the tracking number for the package to see where it is and get an update on delivery. Trucking companies have the same type of software and provide either tracking information on their website or offer a number to call for this information. 

Shipping today is safer than ever. There are many methods to choose from when sending any item to another location. For more information, please contact us for the best method of packing and shipping your item.

Van Gogh and the Art of Crating Pictures

Today, Vincent van Gogh is widely regarded as one of the great post-impressionist painters because his work inspired so much of the work of later artists, though in his lifetime he was hardly known at all and he only ever sold one painting. He truly lived the life of a starving, unappreciated artist.

Van Gogh used color and texture to his advantage. Because of this, his paintings are fraught with, and also evoke, various emotions. He is certainly worthy of the entire museum in Amsterdam which is dedicated to his work.

Most notably is his painting Starry Night,  which most prominently uses hue variations of primary colors blue and yellow to depict the eerie night of a city. Inspired by the nightly view from the Asylum at Saint-Remy, where van Gogh was staying while he painted it. Interestingly, and more explanation for the emotions prevalent in his work, are the facts of van Gogh’s lifetime mental illness, his distraught yet passionate love life, and his continual religious devotion.

Though most people would argue the greatness of van Gogh’s artwork, beauty is always an opinion. Even intrigue is not a universal reflection. Each of us has our own view on what is beautiful and what is interesting. We each have unique taste and decorating style, and we each have our own ideas about what should hang on our walls.

If you have paintings in your home, large or small, you will want to take them with you when you move. Paintings require special attention, not unlike many other unique and expensive items you may have in your home, and the crating of pictures is somewhat an art of its own.

You may want to move your artwork with a traditional mover.  They can build  shipping crates for you. As an alternative, you may want to find a shipping company who can transport your artwork in a custom crate using freight shipping.

For shipping within the U.S., wooden crates should be used. For shipping internationally, crates should be made from heat-treated wood. Either specification will require a custom-made crate to snugly fit the exact size of your paintings.

Contact us for more information on crating pictures.

When the time comes to send a package to Thailand via international shipping, you might be worried that you're going to have trouble getting your package together.  Like most other countries, Thailand has a list of restricted items and other concerns related to the shipping process; and because your package is important to you, you want to make sure that you get it right.  

You can consult with the USPS website, which will give you all of the restricted items that can not be shipped into Thailand. For example, Thailand, like many other countries, prohibits the shipment of paper money and coins as well as gold, platinum, and silver.  It also comes as little surprise that Thailand does not allow the shipment of firearms and air guns, though the USPS website does specifically note that toy guns or those that are intended as part of a collection, not for use, are permitted.  However, Thailand does forbid the import of playing cards--an odd item that might not be considered as you pack your box.  

Concerned that your shipment might need more help?  Seek out help from a  packing company that's familiar with international shipping needs and will help ensure that your package receives all the care it needs to get to its destination.  Shipping out of the Houston area?  Contact us to see how we can help!

Did You Know?  Facts about Thailand

1.  Around ninety percent of the population of Thailand is Buddhist.
2.  Thailand contains close to 67 million people.  
3.  Ever wondered about the friendliest countries in the world?  While, according to the World Economic Forum, Iceland is the friendliest country, Thailand is very welcoming:  it ranks thirteenth on the list.
4.  The Great Buddha of Thailand, which is located at the Wat Muang Monastary in the Ang Thong province, is the ninth tallest statue in the world.
5.  Thailand was not colonized by Europeans.  It's the only country in southeast Asia that can make that claim.  
6.  In Thailand, it is illegal to criticize the monarchy.
7.  Doi Inthanon in the Thanon Thong Chai mountain range is the highest point in Thailand. It is 8,415 ft above sea level.
8.  Until 1939, Thailand was known as Siam.
9.  Plenty of rice in your diet?  There's a good chance that it came from Thailand, which is the world's largest rice exporter.

10.  Eng and Chang Bunker, about whom the term "Siamese twins" was coined, were residents of Siam (which became Thailand).  

If you are looking for an international shipping company you can trust to ship your valuables, please contact us.

If you're transporting goods to Vatican City, you're likely already aware that you're dealing with a unique set of circumstances.  As the smallest country in the world, with a population of around 1000, Vatican City is a religious city with laws that are based around this premise.  If you're concerned about international shipping to Vatican city, we can help!  We're familiar with all the rules and regulations associated with sending goods into Vatican City and can help you navigate the process.  If you're sending  out of the Houston area, contact us today!

Prefer to do it yourself?  Start by visiting the USPS website and looking over the list of restricted items.  Like most countries, Vatican City has a number of prohibited items, including, but not limited to:

• Human remains, including cremated remains
• Any live plants or animals
• Weapons
• Radioactive materials

The USPS website also notes that goods being sent into Vatican City have the same restrictions as Italy, so a visit to that site would also be beneficial.  In addition, a personal telephone number should be added to the outside of the shipment.  It's recommended if the item is going to a personal address, but is required of your shipment is addressed to a post office box.  

Did You Know?

• Vatican City only covers an area of about 100 acres.
• Members of the Swiss guard, clergy, the Pope, and cardinals are awarded their own passports from Vatican City.
• The Vatican mail system, complete with its own stamps and fees, is so much faster than the Italian system that it's often used by Italian citizens in the area if they want their packages to arrive faster.
• Inside the Vatican Gardens is a radio tower.  The Vatican's radio station broadcasts in 20 languages throughout the world.
• Italians are allowed to donate 8% of their yearly taxes to the Vatican instead of paying the amount to the Italian government.
• Vatican City is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site to encompass an entire country.
• The railway station in Vatican City, which was opened in 1930, is used primarily for freight.
• For 60 years beginning in 1870, popes refused to leave Vatican City and declared that they did not answer to the Italian government.
• Vatican City has its own currency, including a €1 coin that bears the portrait of the current pope.

Looking for more information about international shipping to Vatican City?  Feel free to visit our international shipping page for more information.

Do you need advice about how to send goods to Curacao? You’re in the right place. Pack-n-Send has been shipping internationally from Houston for over three decades, and we want to share what we’ve learned with you.

The most important thing about moving goods internationally is to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations of the destination country. Each country has their own:

• Prohibitions
• Regulations
• Observations
• General Conditions for Mailing
• Size Limits
• Value Limits
• Custom Forms Requirements

What Should You Know About Transporting ItemsTo Curacao?

The United States Postal Service explains Mailing to Curacao on its website under country conditions for mailing. These conditions also include the destinations of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius. Let's take a look at some of the basics.

1. Prohibitions When Sending Goods To Curacao

o   Be aware that prohibited items like banknotes, currency, coins (including copper, bronze, or nickel), traveler's check, and securities made payable to the bearer aren't allowed.

o   Whether manufactured or not, platinum, gold, and silver are prohibited. It follows that all jewelry with other precious stones is also prohibited.

o   Other valuable articles are not allowed unless sent by registered First-Class Mail International or First-Class Package International Service.

o   Perishable non-infectious and infectious biological substances, as well as radioactive materials, aren't permitted.

o   You'll find the full prohibition guidelines in the International Mail Manual.

2. Restrictions When Sending To Curacao

o    Importation of arms requires special permission.

o    These restrictions are greatly reliant on what method of shipment you select. What method of shipment you select is obviously dependent on what you have to go abroad, how quickly it must arrive, and your budget.

o   You might consult a professional to discuss your options. They will identify savings over the varying methods and, their advice in selecting the appropriate method will also reduce the likelihood of items getting delayed in Customs due to packaging mistakes.

o   If you decide that Global Express is right for your project, you may also wish to consult the USPS publication, Global Express Guaranteed Service Guide.

It's All In The Details!

International shipping to Curacao requires that you pay close attention to the details. The prohibitions and regulations are tricky to navigate in some circumstances. It's imperative that you send only allowable goods. All packing materials must be regulation approved. And custom forms are mandatory.

We know it's often confusing, especially if it's your first time transporting  internationally. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We also have several more helpful tips on our Pack-n-Send International Shipping Knowledge Base.

Did you know that 95% of the world’s raspberries are grown in Serbia? Serbian red raspberries are a popular summertime addition to fruit dishes and desserts, and few people realize they traveled thousands of miles before being served on your plate. International shipping to Serbia is actually surprisingly straight forward. The United States Postal Service offers the following guidelines when sending items  to Serbia:

• Postal items shipped to individuals in Serbian can contain items intended for personal use, or the personal use of family members. This includes household items as well, as long as they are not intended for resale. Resale items must be imported through Customs where duties and other fees will be applied.
• Shipping that results in business conducted between Serbia and the United States can be freely imported.
• Items addressed to individuals in Serbia are exempted from Customs duties if the items do not exceed $30 USD. This value restriction does not apply if the items are being sent to an individual who is entitled to special rules or conditions with respect to their professional circumstance.
• Serbian citizens exercising a profession are allowed to import items necessary to serve in their professional capacity. This includes specialized equipment, materials, spare parts, etc. These important may be subject to special conditions with regard to their import. The sender is required to declare this privilege on the Customs declaration.

It’s unlikely that you’re in need of a shipping solution to handle transport of the world’s raspberries. But for everything else, we can help. Contact us to learn more about shipping to Serbia.  

When you are moving, it is the artwork that might stump you. Artwork is spectacular; you probably wouldn’t have purchased it if you thought otherwise. Art has the power to make your home beautiful and interesting. Artwork: someone else’s heart and soul, someone else’s lifeline. You searched for it, you paid for it. You made an investment of thoughtfulness, and now it is the heart and soul of your home.

Do you remember the day that you first laid eyes on the sculpture that sits in your foyer?  Maybe you were at an auction or at the artists’ own gallery and you saw it, and you knew it would be the perfect thing to greet your visitors. Do you remember how it arrived? Likely, it was shipped to you or brought to you by a reputable c packing and  shipping company. Now, you are moving into a new home and you probably don’t want to think about how to bring this statue with you. You can’t lift it or slide it, and there is no box you can think of that would accommodate it.

Furniture can introduce a similar conundrum when it comes to moving. Furniture is nice, expensive, and part of your home (not only part of your house, which you are leaving behind, but part of the very essence of your life).

When you need to move a large, expensive piece of art or furniture, consider freighting by either by air or land. You should look for a shipper who can care for your favorite things and ensure that your things will be transported well. Custom crates can be created and packed with soft materials to cushion your items on their own trip, or your items can be blanket wrapped and transported on pallets.

Contact us to discuss the exact specifications of the items you have to ship, and discover how our freight shipping service can help you.

Pack-n-Send has over thirty-four years of experience in Houston moving  priceless antiques around the world. We understand that transporting antiques correctly is an art in and of itself. Let us share some of what we've learned with you so that, should you choose to pack for yourself during the next big move, you'll know how to pack antiques like a professional!

Better Safe Than Sorry

Shipping Antiques Correctly begins long before you break out the bubble wrap or packing peanuts. Play it safe and take these preventative measures before you start packing. If your antiques break in transit, you'll have a head start on reaching a resolution. The information will be invaluable if you have to file an insurance claim.

• Create An Inventory List 

Before you begin packing, it's always a good idea to create an inventory list of your antiques, especially the high-dollar items. Include as much detail as you can including maker, quantity, age, and any other special qualifying information that will be helpful. 

• Photograph Antiques 

Photograph your antiques in advance. The photographs make a great accompaniment to your inventory list. Examine the items carefully and take photographs from several different angles. This will also help you notice imperfections that exist.

• Get an Appraisal

If you have extremely valuable items, you might wish to get your antiques appraised prior to moving them.This will certainly give you an opportunity to make an informed decision as to whether the item is insured properly or if it is advisable to add another rider.

Remember that love alone will not get your antiques to their destination safely.

Almost Ready To Pack

It is a tough decision for some people to hand over their precious antiques for packing, even if it's to a team of experienced professionals. Remember that love alone will not get your antiques to their destination safely. Keep these basics in mind when packing antiques.

1. Make sure all drawers are empty.
2. Once you've emptied the drawers, secure them in place with shrink-wrap. This will keep them from sliding open and closed during transit. Not only does this protect the piece of furniture in question but anything else that the drawers might hit.
3. Remove any loose or detachable pieces from other items and wrap them separately. Use a packing material that is appropriate for the item. Typically, it would be safe to wrap an item in a roll of bubble wrap or padded envelope and secure in a small box with an ample amount of packing peanuts.
4. If the detached item you are packing is a mirror - or any antique mirror, for that matter - you must take special care.

o   Use additional padding on all sides of the antique mirror.

o   Take care not to place anything on top of the mirror once it's in place.

o   Secure the mirror in such a way that it doesn't shift during transit, especially if the truck makes a sudden stop or has to take a sharp turn.

5. When placing items in the truck it's a good idea to pad as much as possible to keep items from rubbing against each other during the journey. Use foam pads in between chair railings and wrap tables with old blankets to prevent scratching.
6. Use the blanket wrapping method for all antiques rather than tape. Avoid tape when shipping antiques. It is very likely to damage your valuable items.

Packing A Box

Everybody knows how to pack a box, right? However, not everybody knows how to pack a box specifically to keep antiques as safe as possible.

What You'll Need

• Make sure you use high-quality boxes. You may wish to consider purchasing packing material from a company that produces customized boxes, crates, and pallets.
• Stock up on bubble wrap, packing peanuts, Styrofoam, and multiple-sized boxes. Double boxing will be an important part to keeping your antiques safe, so get boxes that will fit inside each other, leaving room for packing material to go around all sides.
• Purchase quality tape to secure the outside of the boxes only. Use this tape only to secure the box tops. Make sure that the ends of the tape are securely affixed to the box so they don't roll or come unstuck. If this happens you run the risk of the tape sticking to other antiques and ruining finishes or damaging surfaces. This is another reason to individually wrap all valuable antiques with a blanket once in the truck.

Tips on Packing

• Wrap each item separately.
• If you're packing glass, secure each item in bubble wrap, fill the box partially with packing peanuts, put the antique in the box and continue to fill box with packing peanuts until there's no more room. Secure the lid with tape. Partially fill a larger box with packing peanuts and then insert the first box into the larger box. This is called double boxing. Now fill all around the box with packing peanuts, even on top. When the box is full, secure the lid with tape.
• It's important that you put enough packing peanuts in the box. Overfill the box. Once the lid is closed and secured, make sure there is no 'give' in the lid. In other words, the lid needs to remain strong under pressure.

To Crate or Not to Crate?

If you have an extremely valuable item, you might wish to consult a professional about building a custom crate. It's important to seek expert advice about crate construction and packing because the professionals know exactly how to build, load, and brace antiques in custom crates. This is particularly true if shipping large, expensive antiques internationally.

Happy Packing!

Pack-n-Send hopes that these tips help ease the anxiety of shipping antiques correctly. Aside from the monetary value that antiques retain, they hold precious memories that can never be replaced once damaged or destroyed. If you have any other questions or concerns about how to ship antiques, feel free to contact us. We're here for you when you're ready to make that move.

 When you receive a new shipment at your business, it oftentimes results in a really busy day of work ahead. This is because you have to unpack and sort everything. While doing so it's also important to inspect your entire order to make sure that your receive only what you ordered and that the shipping process didn't damaged any of it.

When all of this leaves you feeling overwhelmed, it is time to look for a retail freight receiving company! You need a retail freight receiving company to  simplify the process for you, and:

• Streamline the process so that your goods are ready to go.Let the retail freight receiving company examine the product for you. So, when they enter your store or warehouse you know you've received exactly what you ordered and it's all in good condition too.
• Let them deal with disposing of the shipping pallets, crates and packing materials. Oft times they can recycle these materials. If the materials need to be disposed of, they will not take up space in your trash receptacle.
• Let the freight receiving warehouse  deliver your goods at a time that is convenient for you so you always know when items will arrive.

So, when you're ready to simplify your business' receiving process, feel free to  contact us so that we can help you. As you can see, there are a lot of advantages to a retail freight receiving company with this process. We are anxious to help you start enjoying these advantages today! 

 There are times when you absolutely have to move a single piece of furniture. Maybe you inherited that perfect sideboard that was your great-grandmothers or maybe you commissioned the leather chair you've always dreamed of.

Whatever the circumstances, when shipping one piece of furniture or a house full, you have options. Start by contacting a reputable freight packing company and gathering all the information you need to make an informed decision.

How do you want your furniture packaged?

One of the first questions you will want to consider is how you prefer your furniture packaged. Blanket wrapping a sturdy piece protects it from bumps along the way. The soft wrap of the blanket is perfect for items that just need a little protection as they are taken to their new location. Most furniture is blanket wrapped for moving.

Another option is crating or palletizing your furniture.  

How do you want it to arrive?

Freight preparation companies should give you the option of having your furniture delivered on a pallet curbside at your home or having it unpacked, reassembled if necessary and then delivered to the exact room where you want it. When you are preparing to transport furniture, whether one piece or entire household, be certain to ask the freight preparation company what options you have for deliver and choose the one that best suits your needs.

One reason to consider having the packaging disposed of and the furniture delivered inside your home is that you might not have someone available to help you take  it inside. Especially when you are moving to a new location, assuming that someone will be available to help move that heavy oak sideboard might be a bad assumption. Instead, think about having it unpacked and delivered inside your home.

Where are you sending your furniture?

When sending furniture within the continental United States and some other parts of North America,you can transport  your furniture via traditional moving trucks, or consider freighting your furniture.If you are shipping one piece of furniture to Alaska, Hawaii or internationally, you will need to consider air freight and ocean freight. Air freight can be very expensive, so you should definitely consider all your options.

You may want to determine how your furniture will be moved before determining your packaging preference because ocean freight charges are based on cubic meters while sending via air  is based on size and weight.

When moving within the continental United States, be sure to compare costs between traditional moving trucks and a freight shipper.

Is this everything you need to take to a new location?

After purchasing a piece of furniture or inheriting an antique, it can be tempting to immediately schedule the shipping. After all, most people are very excited to see their new possession. But if there is a chance you will be purchasing additional pieces, it's a good idea to be patient and send them all at once.

Getting all your furniture moved  together can be time-saving and more convenient. Whether your furniture is delivered curbside or into your new home, someone will need to be there to receive the shipment. If all your furniture is sent  together, that means one day off to receive the furniture. If you send each piece individually, you could end up taking several days off work to meet the delivery company.

Receiving all your furniture at once can also help you arrange that furniture in your new space. When you receive just the desk for your new office, and are expecting the cabinets later, you may not be clear where the desk needs to be placed. The same holds true for living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms. Receiving all your furniture together makes it easier to see exactly what you have and where it goes.

Whether you have one piece to move to a new location or an entire household, contact us for help choosing the packaging and delivery methods that are best for you.

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Every country has restrictions on imports, exports, and moving items within the country.  It is a safe bet to assume that sending  things like drugs is frowned upon by nearly every country in the world, but some countries-- and even specific states within a country-- can have strangely specific restrictions that must be followed.  International shipping to Aruba is no exception to this rule. When sending items to Aruba, there are restrictions on transporting  hazardous and perishable materials through the postal system; it is important to use common sense when sending goods overseas, as perishable items and hazardous materials can cause severe disruption to the mail delivery system.

As part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba is a place that relies extensively on tourist capital for revenue.  The people of the country speak Dutch, Papiamento, English, and Spanish quite extensively; this may be important if you need to work with the mail delivery system in Aruba. There are some important restrictions that are in place in Aruba, particularly because the island is home to a large nature preserve that must be protected from invasive species. Any kind of perishable food item, including fruits, nuts, dried, tinned, crystallized preserved fruit has to be certified as originating in the United States to be transported within Aruba and Barbuda.

Another important restriction when sending  coins to Aruba and Barbuda. There is a prohibition that the government has placed on coins.  Coins can only be sent to the region if they are placed in insured Priority Mail International parcels.  There is a complete list  of pricing guidelines and specific rules for the region available from the USPS; these rules provide an excellent overview of the general structure of the   services available to Aruba and Barbuda (including Redonda).

Always feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the process of sending goods  to Aruba, Barbuda, or any of the surrounding islands and regions.  The process can be daunting, but with help from professionals, it can be made much simpler.

 Shipping to a country other than your own for the first time is tedious and nerve-wracking. But with some of the information below, international shipping to Italy is a lot simpler than it seems.

According to USPS, here are some of the prohibited items:

• Any kind of album.
• Weaponry.
• Artificial plants.
• Musical instruments.
• Cartridges.
• Clocks.
• Medication.
• Leather goods.
• All perfumery goods except soap.
• Radioactive materials.
• Typewriter ribbons.
• Toys, excluding wooden ones.

For a complete list, visit the USPS website. DHL also lists prohibited items.

The  restrictions when using the USPS for Italy are fairly straightforward.

• All currency and valuable items must use an insured Priority Mail International parcel.
• Stamps for philatelic purposes - the study of stamps - must bear the completed Form 2976.

The required observations for shipping are much more lengthy, but see below for a great jumping off point:

• A parcel must bear a street address of post office box. The sender should also list a local number when sending to a street address, and it is a requirement when sending to a post office box.
• For Priority Mail International parcels, a copy of an invoice is required for all shipments valued at $300 or more. The PS Form 2976-E must also be taped to the outside of the shipment or enclosed inside.
• First-Class Mail and Package International Service shipments cannot contain dutiable articles.
• Books must be accompanied by a PS Form 2976.

Italy's culture and history is rich and storied. See for yourself!

• Italy has only existed as a country for 153 years.
• Italy is home to the only active volcanoes in Europe: Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius.
• The Vatican City in Rome is not only its own country but also the world's smallest country.
• Italy is the setting of multiple Shakespeare plays, including Othello and Merchant of Venice. 
• Italy's national flower is the lily. 

When shipping internationally, make sure to do your research ahead of time, but if you are looking at this article, you are already a step ahead of the game. For more information or help with any of your shipping needs, contact us today!

Any one who has ever gone through the joys of furniture shipping, knows how nerve-wracking it can be.  The trickle of sweat which is constantly present, from packing to unpacking.  An over shadowing worry of whether your items are protected enough to face the journey ahead.  These three tips will help lift the cloud of worry and make your next move a breeze.

Wrap and box your breakables.

Reduce the potential of your breakables ending up broken by placing them in boxes properly padded and broke down.  This includes everything from floor lamps to picture frames. Ensure they are wrapped in protective material such as bubble wrap or moving paper and that they are placed in proper sized and sturdy boxes.  An easy way to check if the items are properly packed, is to gently shake it after wards.  Any rattling or clinking and you know you need some additional padding. Press down on the box to see if  the box moves at al.; If there is any give in the box, then you need to add more peanuts to the box. 

Prepare your furniture for the move.

There is nothing more heartbreaking than to see your prized curio cabinet arrived looking like Freddie Krueger got a hold of it, or that your table isn't going to be holding any more dinners. Avoid these mishaps by properly preparing your furniture for the move. Items should be covered in plenty of protective padding.  Also tape all drawers and secure all loose pieces to any furniture, to reduce the potential of them bumping around or disappearing during the move.

Pick the right company.

If you decide not to move your furniture on your own, then the company you choose is the main determining factor in the outcome of your move.  You want to pick a mover values customer service.  Communication determines a lot of outcomes and moving is no exception.  Choosing a company that you find easy to work with, will make the whole process simpler.

Choosing a mover that is going to treat your possessions like their own is the easiest way to make sure your next move goes smoothly. Contact us and let us show you how moving should go.

Moving is always going to be a frustrating process.  Even if you've only been in a home for a few months, the amount of "stuff" you've accumulated will surprise you when the time comes to move again.  The most difficult place in your house to pack?  The closets.  

Most people have at least one closet in their home that is a repository for all the things that they don't know what else to do with.  It's filled to the brim with random items, many of which you don't even know are there until you dive in and start the moving process.  That closet would be an easy place to start packing.  Unfortunately, it's also the last place that you want to deal with packing.

Packing and crating a closet in Houston?  Follow these tips to make the process easier.  

Get out both boxes and garbage bags when you get ready to pack.  The boxes are for the things that are going with you.  The garbage bags are for the things that aren't.  When you're deep into the packing process, it's easy to forget about the part of the process that happens on the other end.  As long as everything is in boxes, you convince yourself, you're ready to go--at least until you get to your destination and have to unpack.  By having both garbage bags and boxes handy, you can easily dispose of items that you don't want to take with you instead of having to move them, then figure out what to do with them on the other end.  Not only will this save you time and effort, it will save on shipping costs.  

Get rid of anything you haven't used in a year.  Some people discover that when they get ready to move, there are still boxes sitting around unopened from the last move.  That means that you're spending time and money moving around items that you don't really even want.  Unless it's a box full of pictures or family heirlooms, if it hasn't been used, don't even open it!  Take it to the nearest donation center or drop it in the trash.  Packing for a move is one of the best opportunities you'll get to dispose of items that you and the members of your family don't want or use anymore.  Remember, anything you can donate or throw away now is one less item that you have to unpack when you reach your new home.

Sort items as you pack.  There are things in that closet that you use.  Some of them, you can't find when you need them.  Others you can find, but have better places to keep.  Sort through those items as you pack so that when you reach your destination, you'll be better able to put them in the place they'll do the most good.  

Fill boxes completely.  Make sure that there's nothing in the box that can rattle around after it's sealed.  If you need to wrap delicate items or use padding to fill in the space around the items in the box, make sure that you do so.  You don't want anything to move around during the shipping process.  Also, make sure that you use proper shipping materials.  It might sound easier to use newspaper and masking tape, but they're often less reliable than materials that are designed specifically for shipping.    

Need a shipping company that will help get the contents of every closet in your house to your new home?  Contact us and we will help you with your move.

Freight shipping might be the perfect way to get your kitchen set from one place to another because freight shipping involves packing items, placing them on pallets, and delivering those things to a new destination.

The kitchen, specifically is quite a fascinating place, usually filled with everything from family history to brand new shiny appliances,  most of these items are in your kitchen in order to make your life easier, tastier, and more comforting.

The style of the kitchen has changed through history, but the need for its functionality has not. See, This Old House’s articleThe American Kitchen Through the Ages, which recounts a bit of kitchen history from the 1920’s into today.

In the 1920’s, the Hoosier Cabinet was a must-have for every kitchen, since built-in cabinets had not yet been widely established. In the 1930’s, the ice box moved into most kitchens and in the 1950’s, kitchen islands became popular. In the 1970’s, microwave ovens became ever so popular. In the 1980’s, the first celebrity cooks made importance of the kitchen's appearance, and the demand for things like beautiful yet functional shelving and appliances increased.

Your kitchen may have any number of these things, but likely has built-in cabinets in place of a Hoosier Cabinet and a refrigerator/freezer unit in place on an ice box. Maybe you have a breakfast nook with a table and four chairs and a bench under a bay window which lets in perfect light for your Saturday morning coffee. Maybe you have an antique cookbook shelf or a set of bar stools that you searched a century for.

Maybe you are a homemade chef with piles of unique kitchen equipment and the hands to use them properly, but maybe you are moving and you want to take all of your things with you.

“You don't have to be a chef or even a particularly good cook to experience proper kitchen alchemy: the moment when ingredients combine to form something more delectable than the sum of their parts. Fancy ingredients or recipes not required; simple, made-up things are usually even better.” ~Erin Morgenstern

Doesn’t the same hold true for kitchen design? It doesn’t matter if your kitchen meets the requirements stated on magazine pages. The moment when your kitchen belongings combine to make it yours, the fanciful is set aside as merely opinion and your kitchen, made-up of your things, is yours.

Contact us for information on how to ship a kitchen set so you can start a new kitchen with all the things that made your old one completely yours. 

In a quick search on online auctions, you can find almost anything for sale. In fact, with the rise in online auctions for delinquent self storage units, you can probably buy anything you want and the kitchen sink.

So what do you do when you buy something perfect or perfectly insane at auction?

You contact an auction shipper in Houston, of course.

The fun part about shopping at auctions is that you never know what you might want to buy until you see it. In the second half of 2015, for example, Auctions America intends to sell a Churchill Toad flail tank. The collector who buys this unique mine sweeper tank is expected to pay close to half a million dollars to own one of only 42 of the tanks ever made. And, then he'll have to find an company to send it to him.

Of course, professional packers and custom crating companies can send more traditional items as well. Whether it's an $850,000 original oil painting or an antique vase, proper shipping of your auction purchases should include a custom-built crate. You invested in this purchase that you love; be sure to invest in the best packaging  options as well.

A custom-built crate, unlike mass-produced crates, is specifically designed to fit your masterpiece. Your professional crating company should take the measurements of the item and then, based on its weight, size, and composition, determine what types of packing materials will best protect it during transport.

The packing materials may include plastic wrap around the item itself and then fitted foam or foam peanuts between the item and the custom-built crate. The crate is designed to minimize the item's movement in transit, preventing damage.

The specifics of the packaging will depend on the item being sent, but your auction shipper should be able to pack  a 10' taxidermy polar bear without breaking a nail, or claw as the case may be. When you investigate a professional packing company  to get your new purchase to its new home, be sure to ask what types of things they have successful delivered  previously and how they will package your item.

Once you know who you can trust to get your new stuff safely to you, it's time to head out to the auction or jump online. One of the newest trends in online auctions are auctions of entire self storage units. Buying one is something like a treasure hunt as the pictures for the auction can never tell you exactly what you might find inside.

From priceless books to funky old jewelry, at a minimum online and in-person auctions offer the chance that you might find a treasure that is priceless to you. Or, an auction might be the perfect way to track down the missing pieces of china or stemware that you need to complete your collection.

The company you choose should bubble wrap the delicate pieces, box them and then box them again to get them safely to your collection. The outer box is filled with foam peanuts to create additional cushioning for your breakables as they move across the country or are transported around the world.

A moving  company  may also be able to help when you find its time to dispose of some of the things you have collected over the years. With the right packing assistance, you can sell your treasures on eBay and be confident that they will arrive to the buyer in pristine condition.

Whether you are the buyer or the seller at an auction delivering  the goods to their final destination is an important part of the process.  Contact us to hear about some of the most interesting things we have shipped in the past and how we can safely pack and ship your goods as well.

Every country in the EU has its own rules and regulations, and Poland is no different. All it takes is a little planning, and international shipping to Poland is as simple as mailing a letter across town.

According to the USPS, the following items are prohibited:

• Arms and ammunition.
• Documents written with the expressed purpose of contradicting Poland's interests.
• Currency still in circulation in Poland and any valuable items such as jewelry or precious stones.
• Perishable biological substances, both infections and noninfectious.
• Radioactive materials.

The restrictions for Poland are simple and clear-cut:

• Urns containing human ashes need a permit from the locality's Presidium of the Municipal Council in which you plan to bury them.

Many goods in Poland require various import permits, so to prevent any international trouble, senders should ascertain from the addressee before mailing whether the necessary documents are held.

Poland's land and people are rich with culture and history. Need some proof? Check it out.

• People of Polish descent have won seventeen Nobel prizes, including four for Peace and five for Literature.
• Roman Catholicism is so popular that Poland actually has a TV channel dedicated to the Pope.
• In 1989, Poland held its first free elections in more than forty years.
• Marzanna is a Polish tradition where people weave straw dolls and then use ribbons to decorate them. These dolls represent winter, so when the snow starts to melt, citizens throw the dolls into a river, symbolizing the end of winter with their "death".
• The Polish are generally well-educated with ninety percent of Poles having completed at least a secondary education.

With research and preparation, shipping internationally can go smoothly. For more information and help with all your shipping needs, contact us today!

As a small business owner, it can be hard to compete with larger companies with huge shipping and receiving departments. Often, you can afford to buy and have the market to sell an entire pallet of goods from a specific manufacturer, but don't have the staff or facilities to receive a larger shipment.

That's when you need a retail freight receiving service.

What is retail freight receiving?

It is using is a company that operates a warehouse and can accept  shipments on your behalf. These companies will unload your pallet of goods, inspect it to assure you the quality you expect and then deliver the smaller packages of good to your store.

For retail business owners, working with a receiver can help save money in several ways:

First, when your pallets are offloaded at a retail receiver, you don't have to have a forklift and warehouse space for receiving at every store location.

Secondly, because you suddenly have the option of ordering in pallet-sized lots, you can order in larger quantities possibly earning a volume discount on pricing and almost definitely saving on shipping costs.

In essence, when you hire retail freight receiver you are saving yourself money and then can pass those savings on to your customers or enjoy a larger profit margin.

For more information about retail freight receiving options, contact us and we'll talk about receiving freight for you.

The Republic of Moldova is a small country located in Eastern Europe between Romania and Ukraine. Despite a tumultuous recent history since its independence from Soviet Union in 1991, Moldova still enjoys a consistent tourism industry that revolves primarily around the country's beautiful natural landscapes and historical ruins and architecture. The wine industry is also strong in Moldova; the country is home to Cicova, one of the largest wine cellars in the world.

If you are planning a trip to Moldova or you have a need to ship internationally to Moldavia, there are some limitations to be aware of. The United States Postal Service outlines the following prohibited items:

• Bank notes
• Explosives and pyrotechnic products
• Perishable infectious or noninfectious biological substances.
• Printed materials that are contrary to public order (obscene or immoral).
• Radioactive materials.
• Software or technical devices used to intercept information.

The following restrictions are also in place:

• Medical products used in medical treatment are subject to prior authorization granted by the Ministry of Health or by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

These stipulations are standard for international shipping and should not interfere with your ability to send goods to Moldova. These regulations are designed for safety purposes and hopefully do not discourage you from transporting items internationally. 

Some see international shipping as a potentially daunting task, but this does not need to be the case. If you are looking to deliver items to Moldova, we can help. Contact us to learn about how we make international shipping to Moldavia safe and quick! Whether it is a small or large move, Pack n Send can help.

A dining room set is more than just a table with chairs. A dining room set is therapy. It is a lifetime of happy memories. It is an investment in your child’s future.

According to an article in the Washington Post, “…dinnertime conversation boosts vocabulary even more than being read aloud to.… Adolescents who ate family meals five to seven times a week were twice as likely to get A’s in school as those who ate dinner with their families fewer than two times a week.… Family dinners have been found to be a more powerful deterrent against high-risk teen behaviors than church attendance or good grades.”

Norman Rockwell no doubt knew this as he painted Freedom From Want for the Saturday Evening Post in November 1943. Often referred to as a depiction of Thanksgiving or Christmas, in its simplest understanding,it is a family cheerfully sitting down to dinner at a large table.

Your table does not have to be so large or have a tablecloth or matching china, or even a home-cooked meal in order to engage cheerful thoughts. Your dining room table may be a fragile antique or something you whipped up in your wood shop, or the Nornas Drop Leaf Table from Ikea. Whatever form it takes, it is more than just a table and chairs, and if you are moving you probably want to take it with you. Moving a dining set is, for good reason, not an easy task. It's kind of like cooking a whole turkey. It takes time and thought, and if you are distracted by the other millions of things that you probably have to do, you may want some help.

Contact us to help you learn more about how to ship a dining room set. Remember, you can hire movers or you can freight your dining room set.

When you are offered a long-term position working overseas, the opportunity can seem like a great time to see the world. But moving your entire household can be a daunting task, especially when you think about moving your car as well.

International freight shipping through the port of Houston, Texas, may be easier than you imagine. Many people worry that they will have to engage in extensive preparations to assure that their vehicles are ready to move. With the roll on, roll off option available at the Houston port, or available door-to-door shipping options, your car can arrive at your destination at the same time your household goods arrive.

For an international move, the first thing you need to do is to verify what you can and can't take to your new home country. For example, you cannot take most forms of food, even in packages, to Australia because of the quarantine the island nation imposes. As seen with the furor over Johnny Depp's dogs, Australia's import laws are very stringent.

The next step is to determine what is best to send to have with you and what is best to replace when you arrive at your new home. Some items may be priceless to you and are absolutely worth the cost of moving. Others may be more disposable and easily replaced.

Once you have a list of what you want to take, it's time to start looking for the best means to transport your good to your new home country. If you are working for a company that has hired Americans to work abroad before, ask your co-workers or human resource department who they have successfully used for international freight shipping in the past.

Make sure that you have a clear title before you arrange to ship your car. Check with the carrier to see if they want the gas tank no more than 1/2 full. If you are looking for freight shipping Houston or would like more information about sending your car or personal goods overseas, contact us.

There are probably as many reasons why you need to ship a pallet to Houston as there are things that can be palletized..

For people familiar with palletizing , the decision to pack a pallet rather than a single box or even multiple boxes is often a question of weight and dimensions. Machinery, tools and heavy retail products are among the best candidates for pallet. transportation. Items prone to breakage or otherwise fragile are also good options tobe moved using a  pallet.

How do I decide what should be moved on a pallet?

1. Consider the weight of the individual objects. Some items, like mining tools for example, are very heavy as individual pieces. Putting one or two in a box and moving the box is both expensive and potential problematic. Cardboard boxes without the support of a pallet underneath can rip in transit, causing damage to or even the loss of your product. When your goods are particularly heavy, deciding to pack a pallet makes good sense.

2. Consider the volume of goods to be transported. Packing a pallet for a single item may or may not make sense depending on the size of the item, but packing hundreds or even thousands of smaller products any other way makes little sense.  When you have a large volume of items to send, placing the individual containers on a pallet can help assure that all of your product arrives at its destination at the same time. Your customer can rest assured that his materials or supplies will arrive together and when they are needed.

3. Consider the dimensions of the product to be sent. Many freight haulers will charge premium prices for non-palletized items that are above a certain weight or a certain size. In addition, some objects simply don't fit well in a box because of their dimensions or odd angles. Those objects are perfect choices to wrap in plastic and ship on a pallet.

4. Consider the fragility of the items being transported. Whether it's a pallet of light bulbs or coffee mugs, there's a reason that large manufacturers ship fragile items on pallets. When you palletize your goods you help provide additional structure for the packing material, further protecting you goods.

How do I move a pallet?

Many freight preparation companies can help you arrange to move a pallet whether it is a single pallet or several. Some questions you should ask when preparing  a pallet are:

• How will my items be loaded on the truck?
• Do I need a pallet jack or fork truck at the origin site?
• Will my customer need a forklift to receive the shipment?
• How soon will my item arrive at its destination?

Choosing a reputable  company to assist when you relocate a pallet is important because your freight preparation company will help you address any concerns you might have. They can create a bill of lading for you, indicating any particular restrictions regarding the care and delivery of the pallet or custom built crate. They can also make sure that those moving your pallet understand the importance of  transport it in the most secure manner.

When you need to send a pallet to Houston, or from Houston, you are helping to insure that your goods arrive safe and sound. The decision to palletize a shipment may also save you money, especially if there are heavy or awkward items.  A reputable freight preparation company can help you determine whether palletizing  is the best option.

Though you live in and use your whole house, your living room probably gets more use by more people than the rest of your house. Your living room may consist of large leather couches with cup holders and individual recliners. Your living room may be home to fragile antique furniture passed down from your great-great grandmother. Maybe you and your spouse sat on every single couch at the store, and you continue to sit on the one you purchased, drinking wine and laughing, playing board games and watching TV with your favorite people. Wherever your living room lies on the grand spectrum of style and age, if you are getting ready to move to a new home, you probably want insight on how to ship a living room set.

Often it is easiest to pack belongings in moving boxes using newspaper, plastic bags, or bubble wrap to secure them. However, the large items in your living room require a different method. Below are two basic methods that we use to get your living room from one place to another.

Blanket Wrapping Blanket wrapping is the process of using padded blankets to wrap large items. The use of blankets help to save costs since making a giant crate would be very expensive. You can move your living room set on a truck that you drive, or you can hire a professional moving company to take care of the move for you. If you are going from one city to another city a company with experience may be your best bet. You may be able to load a blanket wrap truck in your origin city, but what experienced individuals will you have to assist you with the unloading.  Have you considered gas prices and hotel stays in your effort to save money?  What is the cost of renting a truck?

Freight Shipping Freight Shipping is almost like sending small packages because your large items are wrapped and then transported either across the country or around the world. You can have your furniture wrapped and palletized and shipped via freight. Consider the cost of curb side delivery versus inside white glove delivery. Are there delicate or valuable items that may need a custom built crate? Look for a company that has experience with crate building and preparing custom built shipping crates.

We know you love your furniture. We love it too. Contact us to learn more about how we can care for your belongings. Allow us to assist in getting you safely and securely into your new home.

When you're gaathering items things for shipment, you may notice that there are a couple of different methods you can use to protect your items while they are in transit.  You can pack your items in a cardboard box or you can have a custom crate constructed for your shipment.  There are a number of differences between crating and packing in Houston, so you should carefully consider the method that will work best for you.  

When you have a crate made, it's constructed exactly to the measurements of your shipment.  Any time you're packing delicate items, they should be packed tightly to ensure that there's no movement during shipping.  A custom crate that is constructed exactly to the measurements of your shipment helps ensure that you won't need to come up with extra packing material to fill in the corners that your item doesn't quite reach.  This is particularly crucial for shipping paintings and other works of art, which need to be completely supported to make sure that they arrive in perfect condition at their destination.

A custom constructed crate provides an additional layer of protection.  Since crates are constructed out of wood, they're both heavier and stronger than packing your items in a cardboard box for shipment.  Most crates begin with an outer wooden layer, then they are specially padded with a layer of foam to ensure the best possible protection for your shipment.  That means that your item will be completely prevented from moving during shipment and cushioned during the transportation process, so no matter what happens around the box, your item will be safe.  Different types and degrees of padding should be added depending on the item inside, so you should be sure that your shipping company is familiar with the type of item that you're shipping.

Reusable crates make it easy to pack up your materials and ship them again.  In many cases, a shipment is made to move items temporarily from one location to another.  For example, you might need to construct a special exhibit for a museum or other location, prepare paintings or sculptures for an art show, or prepare for another event.  When your event is over, you'll have to pack those items back up and ship them again.  With custom constructed crates, it's easy to place your items back in their original shipping containers and pack them up to be sent on their way again.

Are you packing your items for shipment in the Houston area?  Contact us to learn if we might be the shipping company for you.

Are you going to be moving cross-country soon? This can be be very exciting! Before you can settle into your new home, however, you’ll need to do a bit of research and decide how you want to get your belongings from one place to another. There are several different options for how to furniture out of state.

Small Load Moves

If you choose a small load move, your belongings will be placed on a truck that also contains other customers’ belongings. A logical delivery schedule will be created, based on the destinations. For instance, if you are going from Houston to Miami, your truck may also contain loads bound for New Orleans and Orlando. White glove delivery service is included. Small load moves are often cheaper, but may take a bit longer than other methods.

Dedicated Truckload Moving

With dedicated truckload moving, your moving truck will not have anyone else's belongings on it. After the movers finish loading your furniture, they will typically drive directly to the delivery address. This is one of the fastest ways to get your belongings from point A to point B.

Furniture Freighting

With furniture freighting, your belongings are placed on pallets and shipped via freight. As far as delivery, you can choose either inside delivery, or curbside delivery. You can also select the shipping method, such as ground transportation, air, or overnight delivery.

Rental Trucks

While rental trucks may be the cheapest option, they also mean the most work, unless you’re going to hire people to help with loading and unloading. Make sure to do plenty of research before deciding to go the rental truck route. After you’ve figured in gas money, hotel accommodations, you may find that hiring movers isn’t much more expensive, and will save you a lot of work!

Other Options

If you’re traveling light, and only taking a few prized possessions with you, you have some additional options. You can rent a trailer that attaches to your vehicle, or even ship your goods using common carriers.

Tips

Of course, no matter which option you choose, you’ll want to go through your things and get rid of anything you no longer want or need. Be sure to pack your belongings carefully, and make a complete inventory.

Contact us for more information about small load moving.

So you've decided to move your business from Houston to Orlando, however, you have idea how to move the rare collection of Classical art which graces your lobby all the way across the country. While you assume you can send the paintings, you have no idea how you are going to get a rare, fragile, 100lb marble equestrian statue across the country.

You aren't alone. Looking for a solution, many customers turn to a  Houston Commercial Freight preparation company to help move rare, over sized, or otherwise complicated items both across the United States and internationally. It turns out many businesses are looking for a little extra care for their unique inventory.

Companies that prepare commercial items for shipping are capable of shipping a dizzying array of commercial items. Whether you're an interior designer who needs to make sure a vintage armchair ar arrives in pristine condition or an international traveler who wants to ship a Scottish broadsword to your arms store in Des Moines, you need to locate the right freight packing company. Pack n send in Houston can offer advice to make sure that your fragile or delicate item arrives safely to its destination.

You may know you can ship personal items, such as a taxidermy polar bear by freight, but you can also freight any number of business related items, from heavy furniture, to medical equipment, to delicate electronics, to bulky signs. For example, if you wished to move your 1950s Copyflo 24 to your new office in Finland, it's unlikely you'd be able to fit the 2500lb behemoth in your carry on luggage. To give your new office that 50s vibe, freight forwarding will pack, crate, and ship the turn of the century equipment directly to your Helsinki front door.

For help moving your fragile and valuable business equipment, contact us at Pack n Send, Inc. to make sure your items arrive safe and secure.

To many, the word antique simply means old.  Antique experts, however, define the word in a more narrow sense.  To them, a true antique must be over 100 years old with certain desirable characteristics such as beauty, rarity or artistry.  Other indicators include ornamentation, usefulness, place of origin or just personal preference.

The number and kinds of items identified as antiques stagger the mind. Collections involve things from A to Z, such as art to zeppelins (old air ships).  No matter how strange an item seems to anyone else, someone probably collects it!  A museum in St. Augustine, Florida, for instance, displays "flowers" made from human hair, a popular Victorian practice.

Antiques play an important role in today's world by representing a particular place or time in the world's history.  Museums flourish by keeping many valuable historical, antique items for the public to view. Seeing an antique offers an opportunity to reflect on an era or location and realize its impact on the present time.  The original Declaration of Independence, for instance, helps Americans to understand and treasure what their ancestors sacrificed to start the country in which they live today.

The price of an antique depends of many things.  The older and more rare and antique is, the higher the cost.  An item still in its original condition brings a higher price.  Antique jewelry brings some of the highest prices when sold at auction because of its beauty and desirability as well as rarity. Often, however, the value of an antique differs from the price.  A military uniform from World War I, for example, may cost a collector a lot to buy, but its value as a family heirloom is priceless.

In Houston antique shipping companies  understand that whether an antique belongs to a museum or a family, it is special. That's why antiques need special respect and care.  We know your antique is priceless regardless of monetary value. Contact us for the care your belongings deserve.

If you are planning to Ship items to Mexico from Houston, there are several things to consider.  Although Houston and Mexico are not far from each other geographically, it is still important to be aware of items that are prohibited from shipping to Mexico.  The USPS website includes these items as prohibited:

-ammunition, firing caps, and loaded metal cartridges for portable firearms.

-coins; banknotes;currency notes (paper money); securities or checks of any kind payable to bearer; traveler's checks; platinum, gold, or silver, manufactured or not; precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles.

-electronic cigarettes.

-meat and products derived from pork.

-perishable confectionery, pastries, fruit, and vegetables.

-perishable infectious biological substances.

-perishable noninfectious biological substances.

-pistols and other devices for emitting tear gas.

-radioactive materials.

-tickets for foreign lotteries.

-works infringing copyrights covering Mexico.

The USPS websites also includes items that are "restricted" for shipping to Mexico.  This includes such things as chocolate, medicine, toiletries and cosmetics.  These items require prior approval from the Mexican Secretary of Commerce or their Department of Public Health. There are also permits required for merchandise over $1000.  If you are in the Houston area, please contact us for more information about shipping to Mexico from Houston or other cities.

Did you know? Here are a few interesting facts about Mexico:

1. Mexico is slightly smaller than three times the size of the state of Texas.

2. Mexico celebrates its independence day on September 16, 1810 when Miguel Hidalgo made a speech (el Grito de Dolores) to motivate people to revolt against Spain.  Their independence was not achieved until September 28, 1821.

3. Spain ruled Mexico as a viceroyalty for nearly 300 years from the early 1600's until Mexico's war for independence. 

4. The highest point in Mexico is Volcan Pico de Orizaba at 18, 618 ft (5,675m).  It is an active stratovolcano and the highest volcano in North America.  It last erupted in 1687.

5. Nearly 83% of people in Mexico are Roman Catholic.

If you get a chance to travel to Mexico, here are three unique foods to try:

1. Mole - Pronounced "mole-ay", it is a delicious dark sauce made with tomatoes, spices, chilies, and chocolate.  Yes chocolate!  It is often served with chicken, beef, pork or turkey.

2. Esquites - A yummy snack made by boiling mature corn grain in salt water and the sauteing in butter with chilies, onions, and spices (usually epazote).  When it is served on the corn cob it is called Elotes.

3. Ceviche - This is a fresh fish which is prepared by marinating it in lime juice.  It is a delicious appetizer to eat while on a beautiful Mexico beach.

The love of your life, that little child you watched grow from a tiny baby is graduating from high school.  You are adjusting to the thought of them being away from you, but adding to that stress is the thought that they have chosen a college that is half a continent away.  How are you going to get all Junior's stuff to the chosen college in one piece with the peace of mind you need to assure yourself that Junior has everything necessary to thrive so far away from home?

A traditional cross-country delivery service depends on you boxing up the essentials, and shipping them to the door for Junior to unpack and then dispose of the packing material.  Doesn't that sound too stressful for Junior's first day on campus?  

There is another option for a delivery service that is perfect for your needs.  Our technicians provide inside pick up and delivery of Junior's college essentials. Inside Pick up and Delivery is a white glove service.  The technicians arrive at your home and you supervise their packaging of Junior's essential College items.  Anything Junior needs: bicycle, dorm fridge, bedding, boxes of clothing, even the entire contents of an apartment, will be carefully packed for shipment.  On the mutually agreed upon arrival date at the destination, the technicians unpack Junior's things inside his room, not simply leave the boxes on the curb or at the dorm door.  The technicians take away the packing material as well, leaving no mess for Junior to deal with.

Once your child has started college and realized he or she needs much more than they brought to campus, this is a great way to transport possessions without disturbing your students study time.

What better way for you to feel less stressful about sending your beloved child halfway across the country to college, than knowing that all of the essentials for a great school year made it to the dorm room safely?  If you would like to set up a consultation, contact us.

 One of the most difficult parts of moving is packing up everything you own. The good news is that packing companies in Houston or other cities can help make it easier. The bad news is it can sometimes be difficult to choose the right one.

Your search for the perfect company should start with an online search. Use search terms that are specific to your situation such as "moving an antique dining room set" or "shipping crystal glasses." Once your search has given you some options, set aside time to make a list of questions to ask before deciding on a specific company.

Here are some questions to start with:

1. How long have your been in business? While longevity is not necessarily the only benchmark of quality, a company that has been in business for several years does have an established history that you can verify.
2. What types of packing materials do they use? The company's representative should be able to offer you specifics regarding the way your items will be packed?
3. How do they handle specialty items? Whether it’s a high value antique or just something that means a lot to you personally, ask them how specialty items are packaged, including crates for over-sized or odd-sized objects.
4. Does the company handle unpacking as well?
5. Does the company move your items or arrange freight services?
6. What is the most interesting thing they have packed over the years? Companies that take pride in their work often have fun stories about what they have accomplished. This also offers you some insight into their personalities and the pride they take in a job well done.

When you are thinking about hiring a packing company to help with your move, be sure to ask lots of questions. After all, for a short time, they will be handling everything you own. Develop the trust you need by asking questions.  Contact us and we'll be happy to answer all your questions!

Shipping fragile or valuable items can be very intimidating for both the sender and the receiver. Sending very delicate objects can be very stressful because you fear what might happen to it.

The good news is that when you know how to ship fragile or valuable items properly, the stress and fear dissipate.

Choosing the Proper Container

The first step in transporting a valuable or fragile object is finding the proper box or crate. Standard  boxes and  crates might work if they have both enough room for the item and the packing materials.  They need to be  small enough that the item will not move around during the transportation process. The box or crate should be snug around your item, to prevent movement.

The second question for your shipping container should be what it is made of. If the item  is fragile, sturdy construction, with plywood can help prevent damage to the item from other items. While you may label items as fragile, not all shipping companies will be able to ensure that no other items are stacked on your shipping container, potentially damaging the contents. A container with rigid sides helps protect your item.

Choose the Right Packing Material

From bubble wrap around fragile vases to packing peanuts, the materials you place around your valuables can be as important as the box or crate that you use. 

Whether you need a custom built crate, help with selecting the right materials to use   or help choosing the perfect form of transit, contact us. We can put our expertise to work for you. 

Ask us about packing and crating Houston or anywhere in the United States.

Placing bubble, peanuts and Styrofoam around your items can help prevent movement during transport.

Preparing goods  for international shipment can be difficult if your business is not experienced. The paperwork necessary varies both by the item being shipped and the place it is being shipped to.

Whether all that is required is a simple bill of lading or your shipment needs customs documents in triplicate, when you consider international freight shipping in Houston, it pays to contact an expert.

For the small manufacturer selling his product overseas for the first time, the paperwork involved for an international shipment can be intimidating. Determining how to send your goods and what documents to send can take hours of time away from your staff.

When you use an experienced freight shipping company, the company will know what types of insurance are needed and what the best shipping methods are. Whether your goods are leaving from the Port of Houston or going air freight, proper packaging and documentation can make the difference between timely delivery and wasted money.

Customs documents can either help your goods flow smoothly through to their intended destination or lead to additional inspections and delays. When you use a professional freight preparation company, the documents get done right the first time and your customers get what they ordered when they need it.

International shipping firms will pick up your goods at your business, package them for shipment and complete the paperwork, leaving you with nothing to do but make the sale and collect the check. For help with your international freight shipping Houston, or international sales, contact us. We'll help you keep your customers happy.

While some people have the time and energy to pack and transport their own kitchen set to their new home, most people prefer to use professional movers to do the job.  Not only will they do the job much quicker, you will be free of the hassle and mistakes that someone without much experience makes.

Look for a packing and shipping company who has experience packing and transporting household goods.  Make sure they can offer you alternatives. They should know how to move and

  how to ship a kitchen set.  They need to know how to pack, wrap, box and send your household goods and kitchen items effectively.  

To begin the process, call or email and provide an overview of the amount of items you have and the type of material they are made of.  As you prepare, youcan take all of your goods from the drawers and group them with other items that you want to be in the same box. Or, you can ask your mover or packing company to do this for you.  Relaxation should be your prime motivation when you hire a company to assist you. So silverware should be with silverware, dishes with dishes and appliances with appliances.  

If you are sending your kitchen via freight, company should arrive and pack all of the goods, box them up. They will then load your kitchen items in their truck and take them to the warehouse. Inside the warehouse, your kitchen items will be wrapped and strapped to a pallet for transport. You will ultimately be l provided you with a bill of lading and contact number for the logistics providers.  You can track your household goods as they travel to the final destination. You can request either curbs side or inside delivery. 

If you use a traditional mover, they will pack your kitchen, load it on the truck and blanket wrap  the furniture to its final destination.

In either case, the freight company or the mover should call you a day in advance to arrange a delivery times. 

Customers come from the US, the Middle East, Europe; South America can use freight shipping in order to have their kitchen set arrive safely. Ask for cubic meter or containerized shipping.

For more information and to get a price estimate, please contact us.  We will be happy to provide more details and give you an estimate of how long the shipment will take to reach its final destination as well.

How to Send Something to The Netherlands is not as common of a question as most, but it is a very important one. There are a lot of regulations in regards to shipping overseas, and each country has its own varied regulations in combination to our own here in the States. Anything being shipped to another country like The Netherlands has to follow both country's customs laws. This may seem a little daunting at first, so here is a little information to help you decide if you can ship your desired item to The Netherlands.

Prohibited Items:

• Firearms or parts of firearms unless allowed under a permit, arms, and weapons of any kind

• Lottery tickets or lottery advertisements

• Human remains, live plants, or live animals

• Radioactive materials

  Restrictions Requiring Special Permits:

  It is up to the sender and receiver to obtain all the proper documents and permits from the corresponding departments or government agencies to abide by customs.

• Commercial items required to pass through import laws.

• Shares of stock, any currencies, securities, instruments of payment, and debt notices.

• Tobacco products restricted to specific quantities except cigarettes which are completely prohibited.

• Meat, meat products, milk, and milk products.

  USPS Requirements:

  The United States Postal Service is not the only company that ships to the Netherlands, but they do provide a good indicator of size and dimensions that would affect pricing.

• Item must be addressed to a street address or P.O. Box and it is strongly recommended to include a contact phone number for the receiving party unless being shipped to a P.O. Box which is required.

• A duplicate invoice is required for all personal shipments valued at $300 or more and all commercial shipments. It will be affixed on the outside of the package or enclosed with the customs declaration.

• The container being shipped must conform to the international shipping size requirements which can be found on the USPS website.

  Here are 10 amazing facts about The Netherlands:

  Fact 1: There is almost a bicycle for every citizen which equals over 16 million bicycles.

  Fact 2: In Dutch, the word “Netherlands” means low country which is rather appropriate since the majority of the county is less than 1 meter over sea level and 20% is actually below sea level.

  Fact 3: The Van Gogh Museum holds the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh art in the world.

  Fact 4: The Dutch people hold the title for the tallest average people.

  Fact 5: Rembrandt, Piet Mondrian, Jan Steen, Jan Vermeer, and Vincent van Gogh are all world-famous artists from The Netherlands.

  Fact 6: The Netherlands is known for its windmills with 1,180 windmills.

  Fact 7: The world’s largest flower garden is located at Keukenhof Park.

  Fact 8: There are actually two capitals in The Netherlands; Amsterdam which is listed in the constitution since the 1800’s and The Hague which holds the government seat and was also the first capital starting in 1584.

  Fact 9: The Dutch drive on the right side of the road, the same as here in America.

  Fact 10: Holland is not the same thing as The Netherlands. It is actually a region located inside of The Netherlands which contains The Hague, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, and Leiden near the western coast.

  If you would like to send something overseas or you would like more in-depth information or pricing about overseas shipping to The Netherlands or shipping overseas to other countries, contact us. We can provide customized information for your specific needs.

   

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 Houston commercial crating uses different wood products for domestic v. international shipping 

Transporting products that need to be in wooden crates from a Houston commercial crating company are going to use wood that's treated differently depending on where the shipment is going. 

Crates being sent domestically  can use plain wood, sturdy enough to do the job, but not so heavy that it adds unnecessarily to the total weight of the final crate and contents. The same goes for wood pallet materials. 

When it's time to ship something internationally, a different set of rules come into play. The International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures rule 15 (ISPM-15) requires any lumber be either chemically treated or heat-treated to kill any plant diseases that may be in the wood. That's what the words "phytosanitary measures" mean. Again, the same rules apply to pallets. With the choice of chemical treatment or heat treatment, heat is the obvious option. To start with, it's safer for everyone who comes into contact with the wood. There's no need to spray or soak the lumber in herbicides, which would expose the workers in the treatment plant. At each stage of the crate construction, more workers have to handle the wood to assemble the shipping container. That's more exposure. 

Next, the contents of the crate don't need exposure to the chemicals. The product in the crate might not be affected by the treatment. Then again, it might be. With heat treating the wood, there's no worry at all about possible contamination. 

Finally, there's the wood itself. When the crate reaches the end of its life, it can be broken down and used to make compost, if the end recipient likes to go green. The wood can be recycled into other projects, which runs right back to the contamination issue. It can also be burned for fuel or warmth. Burning chemically treated wood could bring people into contact with the chemicals left in the wood.

If you need to know more about domestic and international shipping options, contact us.

Artists create art but the finished product does not remain static in one place; artists need to show their art outside of the studio. Some artists elect to show in local galleries, some "show" online. But at some point in the life of every professional artist they are going to have to send their art - for traveling exhibits to multiple locations over a period of months or years, to and from art shows in other states or countries, and for national and international sales. Art galleries and art museums will often send featured exhibits to other cities. And the mechanics of shipping are always a challenge.

Although some artists do make their own custom-designed crates to accommodate paintings and small sculptures (e.g., Sarah Jane Gray MFA, of the Grunewald Guild in Leavenworth, WA, who builds crates for the guild's traveling art show), most artists do not. And even Ms. Gray, with her years of curator experience, runs into the continual problem of artists providing art larger than her crates will hold for her particular show, leaving her often scrambling and costing her valuable time to build new crates.

Custom crates built to keep art safe have many requirements; it takes specialized knowledge, experience and skill to make them correctly. Re-usable crates are invaluable for traveling shows. When shipping internationally customs will often need to inspect the artwork, so the crates have to be easily assembled and disassembled and made from heat-treated wood to prevent transfer of insect pests between countries.   Interior crate cushioning protects the artwork from moving during transport.  

Special paper wrapped around paintings and drawings provide excellent additional protection from chips or scratches.  Large paintings and large sculptures require additional consideration - crates and pallets that can handle the weight of the art. Houston art shipping is an art in itself as performed by the experienced art shippers at Pack n Send. We understand all of the needs of trasporting any kind of art to keep it safe. Please contact us for a quote to ship your art.

Relocating out of state can be difficult to organize, but there are services available that can make the move easier.

One option to consider is having your furniture shipped as freight. While many dedicated moving companies charge a premium price to offer to the door to door service, companies who ship furniture via freight can often offer similar or even better service at a competitive price. When looking at how to ship furniture out of state, the first thing to consider is how to pack it.

Companies that offer options can offer blanket-wrapping options similar to a traditional company or can pack your furniture on pallets and shrink wrap it for transport.  

When you choose to use freight shipping for your furniture, you have the choice of simply having the furniture delivered to your curb on the pallets or choose white glove service which includes inside delivery.  The furniture is initially sent to a warehouse and taken off of the pallets. It is then delivered inside your home or business. Either are perfect options when you need to send a single piece or all your furniture out of state.

When you freight your furniture, your furniture will be picked up, wrapped for shipping and then it will be placed it on pallets. It is then transported to its new location. Often, in addition to being cheaper than traditional moving services, this may be faster as well.

For many moving companies, if you have less than a full truckload of items, the moving company may hold your possessions until they have another shipment going the same direction. With a freight shipment, the items can be sent as soon as they are packed and loaded onto pallets. Freight forwarders or freight forwarding companies in your area may be able recommend a company to pack and freight your furniture.

If you are moving out of state in the Houston area, contact us to discuss how freighting your furniture can make sense for you.

How do I pack and ship my deer head? This isn't a common question although hunting is a common sport. When it's time to move of course you'll want to take your taxidermy with you. Here are a few tips that will help you out. 

If you need to ship a deer head,First things first, you may want to gently clean your precious trophy. This will also give you time to make sure there are no broken parts and to look for pieces that may need some extra careful attention when packing. You can get a damp rag and very carefully wipe off the antlers, nose, and eyes. To get all of the dust off of the fur and to get it looking nice and fluffy again, you can gently vacuum it with the appropriate tool extension on your vacuum. Remember to go with the grain of the fur and not against it.

Once all of that is done, you'll want to get a crate a little larger than your trophy. A wooden crate would be good for this. This way you'll be able to block and brace the deer head. Remember to leave a few inches of extra space around all sides. Mounting the trophy to the bottom can help prevent any unwanted movement during the shipping journey. Now with the extra space in the crate you can add the padding to keep it nice and safe from any nicks or bumps. Packing it nice and tight will ensure better safety, but you don't want to overload your crate with stuffing. These helpful steps will assist you in making sure your trophy is sent off safely. For other shipping tips contact us.

 How do I pack and ship my deer head? This isn't a common question although hunting is a common sport. When it's time to move of course you'll want to take your taxidermy with you. Here are a few tips that will help you out. 

oving is stressful, and it's hard to look at the biggest furniture in your living room and see how you'll get it out of your house. Luckily with blanket wrap moving--the process of using blankets to cushion unwieldy items--figuring out how to ship a living room set is as simple as packing your dishes.

1. Prepare ahead of time. As you prepare your living room set to ship, you will want to keep track of everything. Take note of all of your furniture and any smaller pieces such as end tables and desk chairs. You want to make sure you get everything prepped properly and know where everything is even after it's packed.
2. Track down what you need.If you are doing this on your own, for blanket wrap moving, you need as many old blankets as it will take to cover your furniture and shrink wrap to hold them in place. Make sure you have more than enough because nothing can disrupt the process like running off for more materials.
3. Break down whatever furniture you can. Many living room items have removable pieces whether they are chair legs or couch cushions. It is probably common sense, but anything you can pull apart and pack normally in boxes, go ahead and do so. It will make the whole process much smoother.
4. Cover furniture in blankets. You want to fully wrap every piece of furniture in the blankets you found. Don't leave any corners exposed and bind them around the furniture as tightly as possible. Then take the shrink wrap you have and use it to secure the blankets. This is the safest and most versatile material to use since you aren't limited its shape and size.

Once you have completely wrapped your furniture, you are ready to take it out to the moving truck. This method is best because of its simplicity and how easy it is to unpack once you get where you're going. For help shipping your living room set and all of your other blanket wrap moving needs, contact us today!

Settling the estate of a family member can create a lot of work, as you deal with the distribution of his or her possessions. Common items left to heirs after a loved one has passed away include large dining room sets.  Shipping a formal dining room (which often includes not just the table and chairs, but also a china cabinet, antiques, and even a chandelier) can be made easier by working with a company you trust. They will ensure that all items will be packed securely and shipped safely to your destination.

Here are some hints for preparing dining room items for shipping.

To pack a large china cabinet, be sure to secure the doors and drawers with shrink-wrap, and use padding for glass or mirrored parts. If you're also shipping china, crystal, or stemware, you'll want to protect them with separate packaging.

Protect antiques and collectibles you can either have them them blanket wrapped using a traditional moving service or avail yourself of freight shipping  and have them  packed in custom-made crates lined with Styrofoam. You need to chose a furniture mover or a freight preparation company that can give  furniture shipping options include using our own movers or one of our trusted freight carriers. You can also choose to send smaller antique items via DHL, UPS or FedEx.

When you want to safely pack and ship a chandelier, use a custom box or crate with a crossbeam for hanging it.

Carefully wrap it with bubble wrap if needed. Remember to block and brace it for moving or shipping. Lining the box or crate with one inch Styrofoam is usually recommended.

Additional Tips:

• Document the value of your items by photographing them and having them appraised if you're concerned about potential loss or damage.

• Hire professionals with experience packing and shipping fragile and valuable items.

  Pack N Send specializes in both domestic and international shipping services, and we can help with all aspects of the packing and shipping process. If you have not finalized the destination for your estate items, we'll ship them to a storage facility for you.

  We offer more than 30 years of experience and top-notch customer service at competitive prices. Contact us to request a quote.

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  Estate moving and estate shipping often involves

   

The question of how to ship medical equipment comes with a wide array of considerations.  These vary from packing considerations to delivery place and time concerns.  When moving equipment internationally the concerns can grow exponentially. This can also vary from device to device and from provider to provider.

Medical equipment tends to be expensive, sensitive, and heavy, making them especially sensitive to the potential impacts and jostling . Use of the proper size of pallets and boxes, as well as the proper packing materials is vital to whether it arrives in one piece and functional. Some medical equipment requires special crating and cushioning making it especially important to work with a service provider well versed in dealing with this type of freight.  

Sending  medical equipment overseas can be especially challenging.  Most overseas shipping is done via ocean.  This includes the hazard of corrosion and increased risk of contaminates such as dust, dirt, or salt water.  Not the type of things you wanting a laser or computed tomography scanner being exposed to.

When researching a logistics company. Whether you are freight shipping form Houston or anywhere in the United States, you should make sure they are certified in International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM-15).  This lets you know they are knowledgeable on the proper shipping standards and how to best ensure your equipment arrives safe and functional. Packing and tracking are important aspects of any medical equipment move. Make sure that the packing company you choose knows how to pack expensive items.

Another important consideration for medical equipment is time requirements.  In many cases the equipment is needed within specific time frames so as not to interfere with care or operations.  Make sure the company you choose has a proven track record of meeting the scheduling expectations of their clients.

Packing and sending medical equipment can be a daunting task, but when working with the right  provider it doesn't have to be.  If you would like to find out more about shipping medical devices or any other shipping questions, please contact us.  We would be happy to help.

The linen closet:  for many people, it's one of the hardest areas to keep organized.  If you have children who are in and out of the closet on a regular basis, it's even harder.  That means that when it comes time to pack up your linen closet, you may be looking at a mess that seems impossible to control, much less pack.  

As you're staring into your linen closet, you may be tempted to just scrape everything into a box and sort it out at the other end.  After all, you're going to have to figure out what to do with your new linen closet when you get there, right?  You might as well just wait to sort it out until then.

Actually, there are some serious advantages to cleaning out your linen closet before you move.  For example:

Get rid of towels that are so old no one will use them.  Sure, you're keeping them for rags, or to dry the dog after his bath; but how many towels do you really need for that purpose?  Limit your "rag box" towels to around half a dozen or less and get rid of the ones that you don't need.  This includes those inappropriate beach towels from college that you'd be ashamed for anyone to see.  While you're at it, clean out those decorative towels that you never use--the ones that are scratchy and uncomfortable.  You won't miss them.  

Clean out or donate sheets that are no longer in use.  This includes those oh-so-cute princess sheets that were purchased for a daughter who is now in middle school and the sheets decorated with preschool characters that are no longer appropriate for a child in elementary school.  It also includes that gorgeous white sheet set that you haven't put on your bed in years and the sheets with the uncomfortable braid that you don't actually like.  This also applies to "spare" quilts or comforters that haven't been used in years.  

Put sheet sets together.  Take the time now to locate pillowcases, the fitted sheet, and the flat sheet for each set.  By packing them together now, you make less work for yourself at the other end--and give yourself the chance to weed out sets that don't have all of their pieces.  Consider placing the second pillowcase and both sheets inside a pillowcase to keep all of the pieces together.

Pack one box that contains only one towel, one wash cloth, and one set of sheets for each member of the family.  Label it in big, bold letters.  That way, when you arrive at your destination, you'll be able to easily identify the box that will allow you to start making your house a home.  

Decide what kind of moving service  or moving services you're going to use.  If you're relocating  a short distance, a traditional service will be fine.  If you're moving out of state or out of the country, it might be better to work with a freight shipping service to get all of your items to their destination as inexpensively and efficiently as possible.  Be sure to consult with your packing service to determine what guidelines you need to follow.  

Moving out of the Houston area?  Contact us to see if we're the shipping company for you. We can help with shipping from Houston or anywhere in the United States.

Pack and send offers packing support can help with packing and tracking and knows how to pack expensive items correctly.  We have experience shipping antiques correctly, both using freight shipping and traditional moving services. If you need advice in order to pack your linen closet correctly, please feel free to contact us.

Although the thought of transporting a mattress may feel overwhelming, this really isn't a difficult task. In fact, there are only a few steps that you need to take in order to deliver your mattress successfully.

How to Ship a Mattress-If you are doing it by yourself.