Month: July 2017

While 123JUNK does not providing moving services, we work with a lot of moving companies to help clear out spaces both before and after people move. And we hate to hear bad stories about movers. We don’t operate our company that way and certainly don’t want to see our customers have bad experiences either.

Because we care about the homeowners in our territory throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., here is some advice on how to choose the right moving company and prevent fraud.

1. Ask for recommendations. As your friends, relatives, real estate agent—or us—for recommendations on a good moving company.
2. Get an in-person estimate. Don’t rely on internet estimates. Be sure the mover has come to your home or office to assess the quantity of items to move. Get a written estimate or a binding “not-to-exceed” estimate. Ask about differences in estimates: one company may provide items another does not.
3. Check with several companies. Have several companies visit your home to provide estimates. Make sure the estimate contains the words “Written binding estimate” as well as the mover’s signature and date. Never sign a document that isn’t fully filled in or hasn’t been explained.
4. Show them everything. Take the estimator into every space in your home, including the attic, basement, shed and closets. They will need to get an accurate assessment of the items you want to move, and prepare the correct size truck for the job. Do not hire a mover that provides a quote based on cubic feet.
5. Don’t assume the biggest companies are the best. You may be able to get a better referral and a sweeter price from a smaller company.
6. Research the company on line. Check references, testimonials and even consumer-advocacy sites like the Better Business Bureau or MovingScam.com or RipOffReport.com. Take heed if you see a bad report. Call the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Safety and Consumer Complaints hotline at 888-368-7238 to check for complaints.
7. Prepare the mover for issues at your new home. If there a parking problem, distance to the front door, stairs or other complications at your new home, let your mover know this ahead of time or they may challenge the estimate.
8. Expect the final cost to be more than the estimate. Estimates are based on weight and distance, plus the amount of time a job will take, and often unexpected items come up.
9. Read “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” This is a free booklet provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Federal law requires interstate movers to provide you with it. Download a copy at fmcsa.dot.gov.
10. Check the moving company’s licenses and insurance. Make sure you are covered through their company’s policies. You can also purchase additional insurance.
11. Make sure the moving truck is branded. A reputable moving company will provide trucks that are permanently marked with their company’s name. Do not use a mover that uses a magnetic sign on a rental truck.
12. During the move, keep their contact information handy. Do not pack the estimate, packing list or contact information. Keep it with you during the move.

What about the stuff you’re not moving?

We hope this information helps you to have a pleasant moving experience. And remember, when you’re ready to move, call 123JUNK to help clear out unwanted items you don’t want to pay to move, or even help prepare your home for showing by hauling away clutter or yard debris.

With our three-pronged approach of Donate, Recycle and Dispose, 123JUNK will sort through your items and delivery usable ones to our charitable partners, providing you with a tax-deductible receipt. Items that can be recycled, such as old electronics, metal or components we deliver to the recycling center. And only then do we take the rest to the area landfills. It is our goal to protect our environment to our best ability while providing the utmost service to our customers. Call 123JUNK today for a junk removal estimate or to schedule your appointment.

When people think junk hauling, their minds most often jump to residential needs. But did you know that we have a booming business with retail establishments? We’re often hired by large shopping centers, retail management companies or by multi-use complexes where businesses and retail outlets share the area.

Retailers Need 123JUNK

When dealing with the public, especially in retail, there is always need for change. Retailers move out and others move in; displays are changed out; or stores remodel or refresh stale concepts.

Then, of course, there’s always the matter of what to do with that overstuffed storage area. Most likely it contains items you haven’t used or even seen for years. With a storage area cleanout, you will have much more space to store and easily locate items for your customers, and you’ll be helping others with your donations.

The way that retailers clear out old materials like carpeting, fixtures, furniture, small appliances, or office furniture or equipment is to call a hauling service.

Retail Management Companies Rely on 123JUNK

123JUNK also receives junk removal requests from the companies who manage retail centers in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. They bring us in to help their tenants clear out the loading dock area, or when a quantity of junk and trash is dumped behind the shopping center, for example—everything from furniture and fixtures to trash.

Management companies need a company on which they can rely. They don’t have time to wait for estimates or deal with companies who arrive late. Their businesses depend on their services to remain vibrant. A professional company like 123JUNK remains at the top of their “to call” list.

Nobody Wants an Unsightly Shopping Center

Retailers live and die by the foot traffic through their stores, so they certainly don’t want to let an unsightly mess deter their customers. The more quickly the junk is removed, the faster they can get back to what they do best: serving their customers.

Our Environmental Commitment

Once we’ve removed your junk, our trained, uniformed staff will sort through the picked-up items and determine whether they can be repurposed, recycled or disposed of, according to our three-pronged environmental approach. We’ll deliver furniture and other items that can be repurposed back into the community to our charity partners, and deliver any recycle items like metals or electronics to the local recycling center. We’d rather not use the landfill unless we have to.

Contact Us

123JUNK is glad to provide a free, all-inclusive estimate, and quick turnaround service on hauling jobs. Please contact us today. Someone someone will always answer the phone in person.

“Yikes, I can hardly sit outside without getting eaten alive by mosquitos!”

Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever used this line, there may be things you are doing that are attracting insects to your lovely outdoor space.

Summer is mosquito breeding season, and whether you are aware of it or not, you might be setting up ideal mosquito breeding grounds right in your own backyard.

Yard Trash Can Attract Mosquitoes

It only takes a small amount of stagnant water for a female mosquito to lay her eggs, and with closer investigation, you can probably find lots of hidden places that a mosquito might find inviting:

• Planters and pots
• Kids playset and toys
• Kiddie pools
• Old tires
• Tarps and covers
• Bottles and cups
• Cans and buckets
• Piles of lumber or yard debris
• Discarded items or trash
• Clogged gutters
• Drainage pipes
• Bird baths
• Puddling areas

Take a few minutes to walk your yard, and think like a mosquito, looking for places that might hold even the smallest amount of water. Then eliminate those items. Toss out trash, tent tarps and covers so that rain won’t collect on them, and remove lumber and yard debris that might be piled in the corners of your yard. Turn over items that can trap water, or remove them from the yard entirely.

Let 123JUNK Clear Your Yard For You

123JUNK’s professional team can help eliminate mosquitoes by hauling away yard brush and other water-trapping items for you. All we want is for you to take back your space. Get back out there and enjoy your backyard. It’s summer after all. With a quick call to 123JUNK, you’ll be back in the pool in no time. (By the way, we haul above ground pools too…and hot tubs.)

If you live in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC, trust 123JUNK for all your junk and yard debris hauling needs. Call us today.

When we started 123JUNK, we wrote a long list of Core Values that included subcategories under “Culture of Excellence,” “Environmental Stewardship” and “Deep Community Ties.”

When hiring, we ask potential employees if they can uphold these Core Values. If they can’t, they won’t work for us. And our employees not only look at our Core Values every day (they are posted on our walls), we live by them.

From time to time, we like to take a look at some of our values, and reiterate why we chose them. Here are three listed under our Culture for Excellence.

Be Accountable

Every employee at 123JUNK is empowered to be accountable. This means they can make most decisions on their own without having to get approval from a manager. They are also empowered to take action when they see that things need to be done. It is not unusual for people within our company to jump on a truck, or help in a department other than their own from time to time. Even our founder, Collin, can still be seen on a truck occasionally. Each one of us feels like we are an integral part of 123JUNK’s success, and it shows in how we do our work, and how we interact with our clients.

Pay Attention

Going through life mindlessly doesn’t cut it at 123JUNK. Our employees are energetic, and alert to not only problems, but opportunities. Some of their suggestions have helped us grow and improve. Paying attention to the smallest details—like answering the phone with a live person every time it rings—shows that we care about how we do business. And when we’re at a client’s location, we look for little ways we can go above and beyond. We’ll jump in to help a client relocate a heavy piece of furniture within the home, for example, without being asked.

Finish Completely

You’ll never find a 123JUNK employee slacking on the job. They wouldn’t be an employee of ours if they did. When we commit to a project, whether our own or a client’s, we see it through from beginning to end—and then some. No matter how difficult it might be. At a client’s location, we not only take care of the job we’re hired to do, we sweep-clean the area, leaving behind nothing but our stellar reputation. That’s how we earn your repeat business and referrals.

123JUNK Chooses to Be Different

123JUNK wants to be a different kind of company; one that cares about more than just making money. That’s why we try so hard to live by these standards we’ve set. Like we’ve said before, we’re a blue collar business with a Ritz-Carlton attitude.

Experience the 123JUNK difference for yourself. Call us to schedule a pickup for junk removal, appliance and furniture disposal, yard waste and debris removal, or labor-only services. Contact us today.

There are a number of things that can cause a flood in your basement including a water heater failure, washing machine hose break, heavy rain, hurricanes, or burst pipes. Whatever caused the problem, you must act quickly to minimize even more damage. Even an inch of water can be devastating.

Locate and stop the water flow if possible

If the water is the result of a pipe or water heater, turning off the master valve may help staunch the incoming water.

Disconnect the power

Never enter water where power lines are submerged. Turn off the power, then remove any electronics and wires from the wet areas.

Remove possessions

The faster you can remove possessions, the less chance of damage. Bring all portable items to higher ground, and dry each item as you remove it.

Drain the water

Let the water drain on its own through drainage systems, use mops and towels, or call in professionals to remove standing water. If using a wet/dry vac, plug it in away from the water and do not use an extension cord.

Call your insurance company

Let your insurance company know that you have damage due to flooding. They will advise you as to any steps you should take.

Pull up carpet

Remove carpeting, underpadding, and area rugs.

Cut away affected drywall

Remove areas of baseboard trim, drywall and interior insulation where water has accumulated. Let the areas dry out before repairing the drywall.

Dehumidify

Use fans and a dehumidifier to help the area dry out completely, and open the windows if the weather is dry.

Disinfect

Once the area is dried out, disinfect all areas including floors, walls, wood, and non-upholstered furniture. Apply mold preventive.

Dispose of damaged items

Do not keep water-damaged items. They may harbor bacteria that will create mold and mildew problems in short time. Call 123JUNK and we will haul away possessions, carpeting, drywall, trim, electronics, and other items that are not salvageable for you.

Call 123JUNK

You have had enough stress with the water damage and loss of possessions. Trust 123JUNK’s courteous and professional junk haulers to take at least part of the load off your shoulders. One call, answered by a caring individual, a simple all-inclusive quote, and a pickup date is all it takes to get the job done.