The Art of Efficient Packing: Tips for a Smooth Move

Posted by & filed under Getting Ready to Move, Home Buying, Home Improvement, Long-Distance Moving, Packing, Storage.

Packing is often considered one of the most daunting aspects of moving. In this blog post, we’ll explore the art of efficient packing and provide valuable tips to make your move smoother and less stressful. Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, the way you pack can significantly impact the ease of your transition.

  1. Start Early and Plan Strategically:
    • Discuss the importance of starting the packing process well in advance of your move date.
    • Provide a room-by-room packing plan to help readers stay organized.
  2. Declutter and Donate:
    • Explain the benefits of decluttering before packing, reducing the number of items you need to move.
    • Share tips on how to decide what to keep, donate, or discard.
  3. Gather Packing Supplies:
    • Create a checklist of essential packing materials, such as boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and packing paper.
    • Offer suggestions for where to find free or discounted packing supplies.
  4. Properly Pack Fragile Items:
    • Provide detailed instructions on how to pack delicate or valuable items like glassware, electronics, and artwork.
    • Share tips on cushioning, wrapping, and labeling fragile boxes.
  5. Pack Room by Room:
    • Highlight the importance of packing room by room to stay organized.
    • Offer specific tips for packing different types of rooms (kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc.).
  6. Labeling and Inventory:
    • Explain the significance of labeling each box with its contents and the destination room.
    • Suggest creating a digital or physical inventory to keep track of all your belongings.
  7. Pack an Essentials Box:
    • Recommend packing an essentials box with items you’ll need immediately upon arrival at your new home (e.g., toiletries, important documents, snacks, and a change of clothes).
  8. Hiring Professional Packers:
    • Discuss the option of hiring professional packing services and the benefits they offer.
    • Share the efficiency and expertise that professional packers bring to the table.
  9. Moving Appliances and Furniture:
    • Provide guidance on how to prepare and move large appliances and furniture safely.
    • Discuss disassembly, proper packing, and reassembly at the new location.

Conclusion: Efficient packing is a crucial element of a successful move. By following these tips and techniques, you can make your relocation smoother, more organized, and less stressful. Whether you’re a DIY packer or prefer to hire professionals, the art of packing can turn a challenging process into a manageable one.

save money on your move

Dos and Don’ts To Save Money On Your Move

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

No matter how you look at it, moving is expensive. There’s the money to find a new place to live. You shell out money for new schools and new alarm systems, etc. Of course, there’s the cost of packing and transporting your goods from your old place to the new one. We aren’t experts on how to save money on the new home, or the etcetera, but we can certainly help you save money on your move in pretty surprising ways.

Do — Pack Yourself

If you have the time, you can hundreds of dollars just by packing your own boxes. Your moving company can supply you with packing materials, or you can buy them used or at a store like Home Depot for a savings. Just make sure that the boxes are in good condition. Your moving company can also give you packing tips. Note, don’t use garbage bags. They might be fine to transport in your car, but most movers will not move them because they are prone to breakage.

Don’t — Move the Boxes

It might seem logical to move your boxes on your own, but they’re the easiest thing for a mover to move, and because of their shape, they make very efficient use of space.

Do — Move Weird Items

When we say “weird items,” we aren’t talking about your grandmother’s set of goblin figurines (that’s just my grandmother?). We’re talking about odd-shaped items that either don’t fit well in a box, or that you can easily move in your car. Some examples are lamps, pictures and mirrors, and electronics. In fact, we always advise you move your computers, after backing up your hard drives.

Don’t — Help the Movers Carry Things

A moving team is a little like a dance ensemble, they choreograph who does what and how. We want to save you money, but when you are moving long distance, you are paying for what we are moving for you, not for the time involved. Sit back, relax, or…

Do — Help the Movers Label Items

Invest in some room labels before the move. The movers will wrap each and every piece of furniture. If you know where that furniture goes in your new home, slap a room label on. This might not help you save money on your move, but it will save you time and headaches at delivery.

Don’t — Forget to Arrange Parking for the Moving Truck

The last thing you want is to be hit with a shuttle fee if you don’t need it. If you live on a narrow street, or you live on a steep hill, a semi-truck might not be able to make it, so we will have to move everything to a smaller truck. If, however, your street is wide, but there’s no parking, speak to your city in advance, and arrange to reserve the spaces. Your city will charge for a parking permit, but it’s less than having to shuttle your goods. The same goes for the place you’re moving to.

Do — Reserve the Service Elevator

Talk to your building’s management and find out if you need to reserve the elevator for moving day. Ask your moving coordinator about timing.

Your moving coordinator is an expert. Ask about ways you might be able to save money on your move. For any legitimate company, a happy customer is worth far more than the money you might save.

Featured Image CC 2.0, by 401(k) 2012, via Flickr

 

This Is The One Home Improvement Buyers Are Looking For; You Need To Get It Now

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

If you use a lot of electricity, and as temperatures rise, who can really blame you, you’re going to be hit hard very soon. California utility companies are raising their rates for about 9 million California homes. You can fight back though, and if you do it right, you’ll add value to your home. Solar power is booming. It can be pricey, but it’s an investment — one that pays off in multiple ways. To maximize your payoff, though, you’d better jump soon.

Many Californians pay over $200 a month just on electricity, and even average users are seeing rising bills, often more than 30 percent per year. We can fight back, though, with solar power, and you might reap the benefits when you sell.

When you go to sell your home, solar will add as much as $20,000 to the sale price of your home. That’s sometimes more than the cost of the system.

 

How to go Solar

 

Going solar is not that complicated, but there are some options. You can buy or lease. You can purchase a battery backup or simply sell any surplus energy back to your utility company. Either way, you will probably save money in both the short and long-term.

 

Buy or Lease?

 

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether to buy or lease. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Either way you go, you can go solar with no out of pocket cash.

If you buy, you can finance with low-interest loans. You can also take advantage of up to 30 percent tax credits, at least for now. The up to 30% federal tax credits are scheduled to phase out beginning in 2019. Unless you buy a backup battery, which can cost more than $7,000, your solar panels will only provide you electricity during daylight hours, when the sun is shining. That’s not all bad, though. If you don’t have a backup battery, you can sell any surplus daytime energy back to your utility company, meaning you’ll see your electric meter go backwards and you’ll have spare energy to keep your house comfortable even at night.

Leasing is cheaper. There is no initial cash outlay. If you lease, the leasing company is responsible for the upkeep, but they also get to keep the federal tax credits and they’ll be the ones to sell back the surplus energy. If you use electricity to cool or warm your home during the night, you might consider buying instead. Another factor to consider is that leases aren’t fixed. They can increase their rates over the course of the lease.

Another reason to buy instead of lease is that you may run into problems when it’s time to sell your home. If you are under a 20 year lease, and you sell just half-way through, the buyer will have to take over the lease, or you will have to remove the panels and violate your lease. You could buy it out, but you’d be better off buying from the start.

How to Choose a Solar Provider

Get referrals from neighbors or check with reputable referral agencies. You may be surprised to learn that some of the biggest names in solar have some of the worst reputations. Request a minimum of three quotes. If one solar company tells you your roof isn’t compatible, get a second and third opinion. Many companies have fixed size panels. They may not be able to accommodate some roofs, when other companies can.

Featured image via Wikimedia

Five Apps You HAVE To Have Before Your Move

Posted by & filed under Getting Ready to Move.

If anyone tries to tell you that they can make your move completely hassle and stress free, they’re lying. Even if you hire a mover to pack and unpack everything you own, there are still address changes, finding new doctors, and hairdressers, and, really, everything you need at your new home.

Fortunately, it’s the 21st century, and nearly everything you need for your move is available from your phone.

Here are just some of the apps that will help you with your move:

Sortly

Sortly is destined to revolutionize the moving process, and I’m not exaggerating. With Sortly, you can create an inventory of absolutely everything, both before and after your goods go into boxes. You can create lists, add notes, and make labels for your boxes. It even allows you to send an inventory list to your mover, ensuring a far more accurate estimate. The cost is anywhere from free, for up to 100 items and one user, to $5.00 a month for up to three devices and unlimited inventory items. After the move, Sortly will also help you stay organized. Get Sortly on Android or iOS.

MagicPlan

If you’ve ever tried room design apps before, and gave up because they were too complicated, you haven’t tried MagicPlan. It lets you take pictures of your room and design it from the pictures. Best of all, the app is free on iOS and on Android. There are in app purchases, though. Use MagicApp to help determine where to place your furniture before the move. It will help save time on moving day.

DoorDash

In most moves, one of the things that goes by the wayside is cooking, and who wants pizza three meals a day? With DoorDash, you can order from virtually any restaurant in your area, even some of the healthy ones. Get it for free on iOS or Android.

NextDoor

While apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter broaden your world, NextDoor is designed to make it smaller. NextDoor connects you with your neighbors, and that’s it. You can get advice about your new surroundings, and even get a lot of free stuff. Get it on Android or iOS for free.

Spotify

You can’t pack and move without music. Download Spotify, and get unlimited music for free. If you want the commercial free version., it’s about $10 a month Make playlists or let Spotify use its algorithms to play music you may have never heard. The best thing about it, is you can just set it and leave it, unless you want to change things up. Get it on iOS or Android.

Featured image CC0, by Jeshoots, via Pexels

 

 

Your Move Could Be Tax Deductible — Here’s How

Posted by & filed under Long-Distance Moving.

No matter how you look at it, moving is expensive. If you’re moving someplace for a job, or even just to look for a job, though, the IRS might be able to help. Under some circumstances, moves can be tax deductible. Before you get too excited, know that most moves are not tax deductible.

 

How do you know if your move is tax deductible?

 

First the bad news. Not a lot of moves are tax deductible. But if you moving for work, it might be. According to the IRS, your move qualifies for a tax deduction if it meets the following criteria:

Distance test

If you are currently employed and you are doing the commute from hell, you can deduct your moving bill if you are moving 50 miles closer to your job. For example, if you commute from Berkeley to San Jose, about 60 miles, your move might qualify if you move within 10 miles of work.

Time test

 

The IRS mandates that you must work full-time for at least 39 weeks during the first year at your new home. The 39 weeks don’t have to be consecutive and they can be with separate employers. So if your initial job isn’t your dream, or if it’s a contract, it’s still okay, as long as you find another job.

What is deductible?

 

The IRS is fairly generous in what they allow as moving expenses. You can deduct the cost of the mover, as long as it’s reasonable. Deduct your travel costs. Deduct the cost of up to 30 days of storage.

The best part of all

 

With the one year work requirement, you’d think you wouldn’t be able to deduct your move until the following year. But that’s not entirely true. With IRS form 3903, you can deduct the move and if it doesn’t workout, you’ll have to pay it back the next year.

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, not all moves are tax deductible. If you are moving into a bigger home, that’s still within about the same distance from work, it’s on you. If you are moving for retirement, or close to family, or just because you found a cool place to live, probably not. However, if you find a job that’s a good distance from your old place, contact your tax professional.

Image CC 2.0, by Investment Zen, via Flickr

How To Find The Best Schools For Your Children

Posted by & filed under Home Buying.

If you’re like the vast majority of Americans, your children attend public schools. It’s bad enough that when you move, your children are uprooted from their current schools, but then it’s your job to make sure you move into a school district with the best schools for your children.

Fortunately, there is a lot of information online, but to really get a feel for the schools, you have to do some legwork. Here’s how:

List Your Best Schools Priorities

Do your children have specific interests, such as art, music, sciences, or math? Do you want them attending a diverse school? Are they academically gifted, or are there specific challenges you feel need to be addressed? Are your children athletic, bookworms, or both?

A school might look fantastic on paper, but that school with the strong science and math programs might not be a fit for your musical genius. If you have a star basketball player, high test scores are great, but a ranking based on college basketball scholarships might be more appropriate.

Don’t let looks deceive you. Some of the roughest looking schools have incredibly high graduation rates and college acceptance rates. Sites like Great Schools list parent reviews. They rate public, private and charter schools.

 

Talk to Your Realtor

Choose a Realtor who’s local to your target area. They should be an expert on the schools. They should also know the boundaries surrounding good schools. Don’t rule out schools in transitional areas. You never know where you’ll find the most dedicated teachers.

Check the School Out

Once you’ve narrowed down your picks, spend some time there. Sit in on classes. If the school won’t let you, that’s a bad sign. When you do sit in, observe everyone in the class. Are the children interested or do they have glazed looks in their eyes? Does the teacher involve them?

Don’t feel that you have to send all of your children to the same school. Sure, it might be inconvenient, and sometimes prohibitive, for you to spend that much time carpooling. If you can work it out, though, you might find that separate schools allow your children to focus on their strengths and interests.

Remember that no school is perfect and with a little help at home, well-educated and well-rounded people can come from sub-par schools.

Featured image by Linda LaBonte Britt via Hanscom Air Force Base.

kids moving day

20 Fun Things For Your Kids To Do On Moving Day

Posted by & filed under Getting Ready to Move, Long-Distance Moving.

It’s moving day. Kids moving day can be even tougher. Moving and children aren’t generally a good mix, so if you can, get them out of the house for a few hours while the movers do their thing.

What should the kids do?

If your children are under around 12, you probably don’t want them out on their own, but that doesn’t meant they have to stick around the house. Make your children’s last day in what’s probably the only home they’ve known a great one by sending them out for a day of fun.

Hire a babysitter

For young children, you’ll want to hire a babysitter or ask a family member to watch them. Once you hire a babysitter, here are some activities your children will enjoy:

  • Go to the zoo
  • See a movie
  • Go to a children’s museum
  • Go to a playground
  • Send them to an art class
  • Create DIY projects for your new home
  • Say goodbye to each of their friends, with goodbye presents — something as simple as cookies and a homemade card can mean the world
  • Take the dog for a walk
  • Have a picnic
  • Go to IKEA to pick out new bedroom decorations — your kids can send you pictures
  • Play miniature golf
  • Do a treasure hunt
  • Play in the backyard
  • Go to a kid-friendly restaurant
  • Take a children’s yoga class
  • Paint their own pottery
  • Go to the beach
  • Play a sport
  • Make cookies
  • Take a hike

Before leaving for activities, make sure you ask the movers how long they expect to be at your old home. If you are moving long distance, you obviously can’t meet at your new home, but the shock of an empty home could be frightening to small children. Instead, pick them up at a neutral place like the babysitter’s home or a relative’s home. Perhaps you can even join them for a little of the kids moving day fun.

Featured image via af.mil

 

gig mover

Why Hire a Professional Mover Instead of a ‘Gig Mover’

Posted by & filed under Moving Estimates.

Is a gig mover right for you? The moving industry, like most these days, has a lot of options. There are small, independent movers, there are brokers. There are major van lines and there are plenty of hybrid movers, who are sometimes independent and sometimes brokers and sometimes, they work with van lines.

It’s a gig economy, though, and the gig economy is hitting the moving industry. Thanks to Craigslist and apps like TaskRabbit, you have yet another option.

The way apps like TaskRabbit work is you describe your need and they show you a list of service providers, with pictures, hourly rates and a link to reviews. You can book right on the site, so you never have to talk to anyone. When I posted that I was looking for moving services, TaskRabbit had a warning that in California, a mover had to have a license to operate a moving truck.

California law requires a license when using vehicles to perform residential moves. Taskers are unable to perform residential moves by vehicle through the platform. Please continue for hauling, office moves, loading/unloading, packing/unpacking.

The disclaimer is a bit unclear. Yes, the operator would need a driver’s license, but he or she would also need a residential moving license from the Public Utilities Commission.

Despite the disclaimer, it was clear that several people jumped right through the loophole that allowed customers to redefine their move as an office move. Then it’s technically legal, at least on paper. Is it ethical? We’ll let you decide.

The pros of a gig mover

One giant pro to apps like TaskRabbit (although not for Craigslist), is the at the “taskers” are thoroughly vetted and rather than seeing a company’s reviews, the reviews are on the people who will be coming to your home.

If you only want packing, or perhaps to move items with your own home, TaskRabbit could save you money.

There are cons to a gig mover, though

TaskRabbit taskers are not paid well. In many cases, according to taskers, they don’t even make the minimum wage. You may ask why you should care, but well-paid employees are happier employees. Happier employees take more pride in their work.

We’re not implying that there aren’t taskers who take a lot of pride in their work. There clearly are. It’s just easy to imagine a high burnout rate.

With rates ranging from about $30 to $60 per person per hour, though, things can start adding up quickly for you. TaskRabbit says they only take 15 percent of that, which certainly leaves taskers with more than the minimum wage. Other reports, though, say that TaskRabbit takes 30 percent.

A professional moving company charges around $120 an hour for two movers and a truck. Plus, they are licensed and have insurance. You can see how a gig mover might lose their appeal.

With a gig mover, it’s up to you to thoroughly describe the scope of the job. It’s very common for customers to underestimate the amount of things they have. A single tasker may not have the tools required and it could take hours longer than you imagined.

Conclusion

Whether you want a gig mover or professional mover is completely up to you, but if your move requires a truck, the laws in California and in many other states forbid anyone who’s not licensed for moving from using the roads.

Call a professional mover. Compare the rates and break them down by person and truck. You might find that the pro will save you money in the long-run. If, on the other hand, you are renting a truck, a gig mover might be exactly what you need.

Featured image license Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Mark Warner via Flickr.

What To Do When You Can’t Pay Your Mortgage

Posted by & filed under Home Buying, Real Estate.

The Great Recession of 2008 is long over. We rarely hear about a housing crisis, except perhaps for the fact that it’s gotten really expensive. However, a report from last year shows that the number of people who can’t afford their homes is on the rise. If you are one of the people who are having trouble, there’s no shame. You’re in the same league with about 38 million other Americans. Fortunately, there are things you can do.

What to do if You Can’t Pay Your Mortgage

1. Refinance Your Mortgage

If you’re struggling to pay, the first call should be to a mortgage broker. They may be able to shave a good amount off your monthly payment. Just a one percent difference in your interest rate can save you hundreds. Beware, though, that a new mortgage might come with closing costs and lender fees, and they can be hefty. The other drawback is that a good credit score is still important when refinancing.

2. Check into Loan Modification

The Making Home Affordable Modification Program is a federal program designed to help people who are having trouble. You may qualify if:

  • your home is your primary residence
  • you owe less than $729,750
  • you got your mortgage before January 1, 2009
  • your payment on your first mortgage (including principal, interest, taxes, insurance and homeowner’s association dues, if applicable) is more than 31 percent of your current gross income; and
  • you can’t afford your mortgage payment because of a financial hardship, like a job loss or medical bills.

If you owe more on your home than it’s worth, you may have trouble qualifying for either of the above options.

3. Call Your Mortgage Company

Your mortgage company really doesn’t want to foreclose on you. It’s nothing but a costly headache. Still, we only recommend calling them as a last resort. You don’t want them to know there is something wrong until they need to. They probably won’t shave anything off your balance, but they might be willing to work out a temporary arrangement, called a forbearance. If, however, you expect your situation to be long-term, selling might be the best option. If you are under water on your loan, perhaps your lender will let you work something out on the balance, or allow for a “short sale,” in which they agree to accept less than the home’s value. Both short sales and foreclosures will damage your credit.

Featured image via Wikimedia.

The Newest Ways To Get Rid Of All Your Extra Stuff

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

Throughout the 20th century, newspapers’ classified ads were a one-stop place to sell your extra stuff, find a roommate and even find a new place to live. Placing ads with your local newspaper usually meant a hefty fee.

That all changed, though, when a man named Craig Newmark started an online classified ad site for virtually every part of the country. It was called Craigslist and it was nearly all free, both for users and advertisers. Now, Craigslist looks almost antiquated as other ad sites have taken birth.

Mashable has a list of seven new sites that take classified advertising into the 21st century.

eBay Classifieds

eBay is truly one of the internet pioneers. For years, the site has been known as a place for auctioning all sorts of items. Now, though, they’ve stepped further into Craigslist territory. You can now find everything from shoes to a place to live on eBay.

Pawngo

Pawngo, as the name implies, is an online pawnshop. You won’t find a place to live or a roommate, but you can unload some of that stuff that you really don’t want to move.

Recycler

Recycler is for buying and selling goods of all kinds.

U-Exchange

U-Exahnge is a bit different. It allows you to barter for goods or services.

Adoos

Adoos is a lot like Craigslist, but you can log in through Facebook, making it more automatically targeted to your location.

Hoobly

Hoobly is a bit like Craigslist, but users need to register, which helps prevent spam.

Oodle

Our favorite of all the above sites is Oodle. Oodle is an aggregator of all the other online ad sites, including Facebook. It’s truly a one-stop shop. They offer goods, services and homes. You can find a roommate on Oodle or you can find a new place to live.

Featured image via Wikipedia.org.