How To Make Moving Efficient And Easier On Everyone

Pin It

Poll the average person and ask them what they think of having to move to a new residence and the answer won’t be all peaches and sunshine. It’s certain that almost can agree that having to move can be a time-consuming necessity, but nonetheless it’s a necessity. Settling on a new place can be a chore in and of itself, and having to plan, pack and unpack is on deck.

And procrastinating won’t get you any further, either. In fact, having a plan in place and the motivation to see through it is what separates an easy move from a loathsome one. With that said, below are a few basic tips to making the most from your move.

The Plan Before The Plan
Right off the bat, you must decide if you have the time and energy to do the move yourself or if you should hire a professional to do the task instead. There’s probably an abundance of moving companies around your area, but if you have some spacious trucks and a few helping hands to do if for you, that’s another option. Just make sure you’ve got this one decided before doing anything else.

Lists, Lists And More Lists!
Grab the nearest legal pad and start surveying your possessions. Make a note of every one, from the most fragile to the sturdiest. What this does is allow you to see just how much clutter you have in your home and you’ll know whether or not a garage sale is in order, or better yet, you can donate them to local charities.

Sort Packaged Items By Room
This one will save you time during the unpacking phase. As you start to pack up items, label the boxes for kitchen, living room, bedrooms and so forth. The last thing you want is a bunch of boxes stacked on top of each other in one empty room of your new home and not know which go where.

Pack Weeks In Advance
As procrastinators love to wait till a few days before the move, you should do the opposite. You should begin packing up all small to medium-sized belongings weeks in advance. In fact, save a block of time on certain days and dedicate that solely to packing. Also, if you’re in the hunt for big, sturdy boxes and don’t want to have to pay for them, ask around for some and see if friends and family have some in storage. Or go to the grocery store or liquor store and see if they have any extra boxes lying around.

Take Your Time When Lifting and Hauling
I included this one specifically because I’ve injured myself needlessly by either trying to act like a hero and carry more items than I should at once, or I just was not aware of my surroundings (see: steps and stairs). Be cautious with how you lift and haul away bulky items like couches and mattresses or other heavy objects to and from the truck and on into the home. Instead, call upon the help of two or three of your friends with each heavy item, being careful to bend at the knees and not put the weight solely on your back. There’s no sense in pulling a muscle or having something worse happen.

If Possible, Make Less Trips Back And Forth
Some moves require a lot of backtracking from the old home to the new one because there are simply too many items to be hauled away. But, if you take a few extra minutes with how you store every box in a truck or moving van and open up more space, you’ll be saving yourself an extra trip, which in turn saves the gas tank in the end. And really, this is all about making the move as effortless and swift as possible.

Lastly, Don’t Put Off Unpacking
I fell into this category on a couple of my moves where I just wanted to rest on the couch in my pretty bare-bones living room with just the T.V. and cable box to bide my time. All those unpacked boxes scattered around the house just stood there for a couple days to the point I would get to them one by one through the week.

Don’t do that.

You’ll have wasted all those good hours you saved from doing the previous steps and probably tack on a few more in the process. While you may be exhausted from the moving day, unpacking and sorting your possessions throughout your new residence can give you a good idea of what you want the layout to be and feel.

Concluding Thoughts
Moving into a new home should be about good vibes and getting the new chapter in your life underway. Don’t let the happy emotions fall by the wayside by dreading the moving process. Rather, embrace it and get a jumpstart on it. The rest should fall in place.

via homegain.com

Read more »

10 Worst Things to Forget Before a Major Move

Pin It

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- Moving day is a giant logistical hassle before you get to the minutiae. A missed detail just makes it that much worse.

Renting a truck, hiring movers and getting stuff packed up and out of the house are the relatively easy portions of the move. Only when you get second notices forwarded to your new address or the lights cut off as you're packing up the old one do you realize how much the little things add up.

In the interests of saving readers some hassle while they plan to ship out, we contacted the American Moving and Storage Association industry group and asked if there were any common oversights its customers made while planning long or involved moves. The following 10 items are usually the easiest to overlook and the toughest to just shove into a garbage bag with the contents of the junk drawer at the last minutes:

Your local government 
If you don't have a driveway for a moving truck to pull into or a storage container to be dropped in, chances are you need to put it on the street. If that's the case, in some places you're going to need a permit. To get that permit, you're going to need some sort of proof the company you're working with is insured or bonded with the local government. That's the case in Massachusetts, Florida and elsewhere and it can really put a crimp in your moving plans if you don't check first and your belongings end up in the impound lot.

Your hidden belongings 
It seems pretty obvious, but taking another few sweeps around the house can help you avoid leaving grandma's china to the new tenants or going without holiday decorations for a season or so. AMSA spokesman John Bisey says the easiest items to forget are usually those tucked away in crawlspaces, attics and built-in cabinets. If there's a spot in your house or apartment that's out of sight, chances are that's where your last box full of stuff is coming from.

Your items on loan 
Wondering where your reciprocating saw or popcorn maker got off to? Check in with the neighbors. The AMSA says items lent to neighbors, family or friends tend to cause customers the greatest headaches once they realize they're gone. Take some quick inventory and make some rounds at the going-away party.

Your sleeping arrangements 
So you've packed up the truck or container and are ready to take off in the morning. That's great, but where are you going to sleep tonight? The first night at the new destination isn't that big of a problem, as you'll get to your bed eventually, but the last night after the big load-up can be a bit tough if you don't pack the bed last or stay with someone else for the evening.

Your records 
It's a lot easier to do things electronically these days, but that's not always the case with medical, dental or school records. Sometimes it's just easier to keep these things on hand, so try to get copies from everyone as soon as you're ready to pack them up. Once you have them, keep them all in the same place so they're easy to refer to once you're setting up your new home.

Your heat and lights 
If you don't turn the electricity, gas or oil heat on, nobody's going to do it for you. The AMSA advises turning off all of the utilities two to three days after you load out and turning them on at the new place two to three days before you move in. It's not great to get a bill for lights someone else is using forwarded to the address you're already being charged for. Speaking of forwarding ...

Your mail 
Oh yeah, you're going to want to check in with the U.S. Postal Service and make sure it knows you're leaving. It'll only forward mail to your new address if you check with it in advance, and even then it's not permanent. Forwarding basically gives you a couple of months to change your mailing address with various institutions yourself. At some point, that yellow forwarding label's going to stop appearing. Just get the service's handy little change of address kit and you should be fine.

Your insurance 
"Be careful when referring to 'insurance,'" Bisey warns. "Very few movers offer true insurance, which is regulated by the states and is offered by an insurance agent."

The best you can get from the movers themselves is valuation protection, which covers only a percentage of what your goods are worth. In May, a federal regulation took effect requiring interstate movers to include the cost of full-value protection in their initial written estimate. This should give consumers some second thoughts about choosing the minimal valuation option, which is only 60 cents per pound.

Your paid labor 
If you tip someone for carrying a tray of food to you, you may want to consider tipping the people who just lugged a dresser up to your fourth-floor walk-up. There's no hard-and-fast rule about this, but if you're not at least offering some water afterward, you have no sense of empathy whatsoever.

"Not sure if people forget to tip or if they just don't think they should," Bisey says. "It's certainly not a requirement or even expected by most movers, but it is appreciated."

Your mess 
Whether there are a few nail holes left in the walls where your family photos once hung or a huge paint spot in the closet from when you knocked over a gallon of Periwinkle Blue, it's usually in your best interest to take care of it immediately. Your security deposit or even a sale could hang in the balance.

"I think the last-minute repairs and/or fix-ups are legit," Bisey says. "Especially when, for example, a large piece of furniture is moved away, revealing a problem with the floor or wall it was hiding."

via The Street

Read more »

Moving with Young Children

Pin It

Are you excited and happy about moving? Or are you dreading the sorting, packing and other chores?

If you look at moving as an exciting adventure full of fun, new possibilities, then you’re halfway to getting your children on board for the ride. Your children will absorb your enthusiasm like little sponges.

There will be some worries, of course, but you can defeat those with a little preparation and understanding.

Most children don’t like the changes associated with moving. The younger the child, the less able they are to "see into the future" as you do. They tend to focus on losing the security they’re used to, and they worry about missing friends and family.

You can make childish anger and doubt grow into a sense of wonder and adventure. You can do that by acknowledging and empathizing with the loss they feel and showing them how to balance their feelings with what they have to gain.

1. Communicate with your child patiently and frequently.  Let your children know, step by step, what is happening and what is likely to happen next. Tell them what the move means to the family -- how important it is that Mommy got a big promotion or that Daddy is opening a new office for his company.

2. List all the advantages there are for the child in the move. For example, will the family be closer to Grandma, the ocean, or another favorite person, place, or activity? Will they be able to see old friends and family frequently? Or at least at holiday time?

3. Show the child as much as you can about the new home. When you show your child their room, bath, and play area, make a game of it by asking where certain favorite toys or furniture should go. Have fun by showing your child the new house plans, or draw them yourself and let your child cut out furniture and toys to place in the rooms. Show your child a typical day in the home as you go from room to room.

4. Introduce your child to the new community online. Draw a map, and show how close Mommy and Daddy work, where schools are, where Aunt Bea lives, and other points of interest to help them orient themselves in their new surroundings.

5. Be ready for those "What about me?" questions. If your child is in scouts, little league, or other organizations, contact those associations for referrals in your new neighborhood or city. Knowing they won't have to give up favorite hobbies or sports goes a long way toward helping children adjust.

6. Let your child participate. Make a fun activity out of researching services you’ll need online, like finding a new veterinarian for your dog. Older children can find blogs online about their new school.

7. Keep your child occupied by letting them plan and pack a box or two of their special things. Consider their input on new decor and the layout of their new rooms. Encourage them to take the time to exchange good-byes with friends and loved ones and get addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers to stay in touch.

8. Try to stick to normal routines as much as possible. Let your children know that, although they will soon live in a new house, the rules of the household will still be the same. Bedtime is still at 9 p.m., and homework must still be completed before TV time is allowed. And although Mom and Dad are a little busier and distracted with the move, they love their children very much and are giving the entire household a new opportunity to grow.

9. On moving day, have a bag packed of personal belongings for each member of the family, being careful to include medications, clothes, and personal items. Let your children choose what amusements and favorite "loveys" they wish to take along, and reassure them they will see their other favorite toys when they arrive in their new home.

Your preparedness will go a long way in reassuring your children that their needs are being considered, even while big changes are happening around them.

via bghrealestate

Read more »