3 Money Saving Moving Tips To Consider Before you Relocate

All of that aside, you can save money on your move. There are a few things that you can do to make sure that you don’t blow your entire moving budget. These things are all small things too. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Moving Tips: Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

If you decide that you will be hiring professional movers like North American moving company, try to book the move a minimum of 6 weeks ahead of time. This gives you enough time to complete a thorough check when it comes to the service they offer before you sign a contract. This also gives you the time to negotiate and shop around. You should always get estimates from a minimum of 3 different moving companies and compare the services offered as well as all of the charges and fees.

Another tip for relocating your family when it comes to professional movers is not to assume that the pros will be upfront regarding all of their additional fees. It is easy to make an assumption that the price they quote will be the total price for the move. Sometimes, it really will be, then again, there will also be times when the rental agent needs to add fees or charges for services that weren’t anticipated. It is always a good idea to determine before the move exactly what services will be needed.

2. Consider these Moving Tips: What Season are you Relocating?

Moving tips are important when you’re not sure what is the best time of year to move. Most of us don’t have an option when it comes to when we will be moving. However, if you do have this option, try not to move during the peak season for moving companies – in the summer. Because this is the peak season for moving, the moving companies will be at their busiest and they will also be costlier. If you do have to move in the summer and have kids who are school aged, think about booking the move the day after the last day of school. If your move will be from July through September, try to book the move for a weekday because this will typically cost less and be easier to get the day that you need. For more moving tips look to LifeHacker.

3. What Type of Packing Material will you Need for your Move?

If you will be doing your own packing as opposed to the moving company doing it for you, you will need to have the right packing materials. Now, you can go out and buy boxes, tape, markers, and bubble wrap as much as you want, but you will be wasting your money. You can get free boxes from grocery stores, liquor stores, and offices in your area. You should start making the rounds to collect boxes as soon as you know you will be moving.

If you have kids, there is a good chance that there are already markers that you can use to mark the boxes with in your home. Tape too.

Bubble wrap is totally unnecessary. You can pack your fragile belongings and keep them safe by using things like old newspapers, sheets, blankets, pillow cases, towels, and comforters. You can even wrap each drinking glass and keep it safe by putting them in clean socks. The glasses slide right in and are protected.

If you are creative with packing, you won’t need as many boxes too. For example, things that are in drawers don’t need to be moved to boxes. You can take the drawers out, full, as it is, and wrap the entire thing in cling wrap. This saves space and boxes. Most of us already have cling wrap in our homes too. If you have kids, toy boxes can be wrapped the same way. Put all of the toys inside and then wrap the entire thing with cling wrap.

Moving can be expensive and a massive headache, but with careful planning and a bit of organization, it really doesn’t have to be.

For more moving tips on Stagetecture, look to our moving articles archives.

Essential Moving Tips for Relocating your Family

After the moving truck has pulled away and the adults are tied up with setting up housekeeping, getting new driver’s licenses, and activating utilities, kids are just trying to find a way to entertain themselves. And while it’s not as important in the practical sense as what you are doing, it is the most important thing for them.

Consider Moving Companies that will help in an Efficient Move

The first thing you need to do is to plan for an efficient move. Use some of the clever moving tips from Allied to organize, protect, and quickly unpack your belongings. For example, photograph your electronic connections before unhooking TV’s and DVR’s to speed the reconnection process at the new home. The less time you waste in the transition of belongings, the more time you’ll have for helping your kids with the transition.

You’ll still need to take a break from the unpacking and re-organizing to build some time for the kids. A positive long-term experience is rooted in a great first impression, so be sure to help them develop an enthusiasm for their new surroundings right away.

But your kids won’t just live in your house or in your neighborhood. They have a whole routine that will involve moving about in the community just like you do. The faster you can build this routine, the more the kids will enjoy the new town.

So the process of getting them acclimated to a new place and finding new things to do should be structured around their routines. For example, you might frequent a certain coffee shop not only because of the quality of its products but also because it’s located near your workplace.

Part of what you’ll look to do will be to resume familiar recreation, but you will also have the chance to get into new things. Here’s how you can do each of those things in your new town right away.

Before Moving Forward Learn the Amenities of the Neighborhood

Got an athlete in your family? A musician? What about a hiker? Learn to find neighboorhood amenities for your kids to do doesn’t have to mean you start over with totally new activities.

Check on local soccer leagues and see who’s taking new players when you arrive in town. Help your kids find the sporting goods stores where they’ll start shopping for gear. If it’s a musician you have, find the stores, performance venues, and instructors that your kids will be interested in. Encourage them to seek out other musicians. Take your outdoor enthusiasts to locate the area’s hiking trails and other adventure destinations.

Start a New Chapter After Moving

Sometimes a move can help your kids broaden their horizons. If the band at their old school was decidedly too dorky for your uber-cool kids, you may find that a Friday night football game in the new city will expose them to an impressive marching band that lures them right into music.

There may have also been no way to participate in certain activities back home. A relocation from the mountains to the coast will open the door to surfing and deep-sea fishing.

Moving Tips: Create a Fresh Start in a New Home

Whatever the transition–geographic, climatic, or social–a fresh start can be a great time to build new activities for your whole family to enjoy together.

You’ll never be able to fully duplicate the old hometown when you are in a new one, but you can take advantage of the things that are different to build a new experience for your kids. You can also replicate some of the best things about the old haunts. If you can frame it this way for your kids–we get to do the things we’ve always done, but we also get rid of the boring stuff in exchange for exciting new stuff–their enthusiasm and acceptance will be higher. The key is to make this a priority and be involved alongside them!

For more moving and home staging tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Whether you’re looking for a vacation home, you’re preparing for retirement, or you simply want to surround yourself with the beauty of nature, away from the madding crowd of urban living, waterfront property can provide the serene setting you’ve been dreaming of. And there are a lot of obvious benefits to choosing such real estate. However, like any major financial transaction, you need to take the time to consider potential drawbacks, as well, before you jump into the deep end. So here are just few aspects of a waterfront property purchase that you should definitely think about.

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1.Cost.

Aside from the upfront cost to buy waterfront property (which is often pretty steep), you need to consider that there may be added costs for insurance and maintenance when you choose to live near water. If you can barely afford the purchase price you may not be prepared to take on the additional costs associated with waterfront living.

2. Market stability.

Yes, the housing market is in a bad way at the moment, with no signs of making a speedy recovery. So purchasing pricy waterfront property can be scary proposition. But as the saying goes, location is everything, and certain beach communities seem to be holding steady while others continue to see decreases in sales (and lowering prices). If you’re looking for a property that is likely to remain stable over the next couple of years, consider communities that have enduring appeal and that don’t see a lot of new construction (like Nantucket Island, for example). It won’t guarantee market stability, but your home is more likely to retain value over time.

3. Type of water.

You might not think that it makes a difference whether you purchase a lakefront property or a house that is mere steps from the ocean, but the type of water you choose to live near should be a consideration, and not just because of the view. You should always stop to think about how the climate you live in is going to affect the longevity of your home, and certain locales may take more of a toll on your structure, leading to additional maintenance (more frequent repairs and replacement of materials). Whereas a coastal home may be buffeted by strong winds and scoured by salt water spray, a lake home could be subjected to constant moisture. And don’t forget about the potential for shoreline erosion, sediment deposits, and seasonal tides that could affect a property placed too close to the water.

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4. Wildlife.

Sources of water are a natural draw for all sorts of wildlife, although you will mainly have to contend with fish and birds. For some people this is a bonus of living near wetlands. But others will find that cohabitating with wild animals comes with odors, racket, and other detriments they cannot abide. Just so you know, the wildlife isn’t likely to move out.

5. Seasonal storms.

Whether you’re living in your Malibu dream home, you’ve procured a lake house in the Adirondacks, or you’re looking at Galt Ocean Mile condos on the Florida coast, you need to consider if seasonal storms are going to pose a threat to your property (and potentially your life). Certain areas are notorious for harsh weather and serious storms (hello, hurricanes); you need to be aware of such dangers before you buy.

For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

If you’ve ever had to move from a house before, probably one of the things that you dreaded most about it was moving all of your stuff out. Just packing up your kitchen alone can be a project that takes a couple of weekends.

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So, if you’re about to put the house that you are currently living in on the market, you may be considering selling it already furnished. Aside from the furniture and other things being one less thing that you’ll have to worry about, there are actually some pretty substantial “pros” that come with making that decision; there are a few cons too.

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Before you make your final decision, we have enclosed three of each:

Pro. You don’t have to pack.

OK, you will have to pack some things. After all, no one is going to want your old books and probably not your dishes, either. But, if your couch and bed are in really good condition, you can definitely save some time and money (in moving expenses) by leaving those things behind.

Con. You will have to purchase furniture all over again.

Even if you don’t feel like packing the items up, if once upon a time, you made the effort to purchase the pieces, then that probably means that you like them. And, if you don’t pack them up and take them with you, that means that you will have to buy furniture all over again.

Pro. You can ask for a bit more with the selling price.

A tenant who doesn’t have to buy furniture is a tenant who doesn’t have to spend money on those things. Some people don’t have a houseful of pieces and so if they like what you have in your home, you are actually doing them a favor by leaving some items behind. This means that you can up your asking price just a bit.

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Con. You could keep some potential buyers away.

On the other hand, there are some people who want the freedom of being able to decorate their own place. So, you may actually keep some prospective buyers at bay with an already furnished house. One way to keep this from being too much of a problem is by marketing the home as an “either or”; that you’re willing to sell the house already furnished or with the furnished removed, pending the best offer.

Pro. You can negotiate rooms.

Studies support that there are actually more prospective tenants who are looking already furnished homes than people who want unfurnished places, but that doesn’t always mean that a potential buyer wants all of the furniture that you have to offer or that you’re ready to let all of your items go. If you love your bedroom furniture, but you can do without your living room sofa and chairs, then state that when people come to view the house. It’s a smart way to get “the best of both worlds”.

Con. Once you’ve sold it, it’s gone.

Whether we’re purchasing some Las Colinas real estate, some Raleigh real estate or even some property overseas, sometimes, we’re so excited about what lies ahead of us that we’re not really thinking about the things that we’re leaving behind. Although it may be more convenient (and sometimes more profitable) to sell a furnished home, there may be certain pieces of furniture that you want to hold on to, even if it’s just for sentiment’s sake. When it comes to making your final decision, be honest with yourself about what you can part with and what you honestly cannot. Because after you’ve sold it, it’s as good as gone!

For more moving tips on Stagetecture, click here.

If you are thinking of changing jobs and relocating to a new city, state, or even country, have you thought about the cost, time, and wear and tear on your family? While job relocating can be beneficial, think of all of the factors to help you and your family make an informed decision about moving. My Guest Blogger gives you 3 cost saving tips to consider.

Image courtesy of Hot Coupon World

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Job relocations have become more prevalent in recent years as job seekers have become more flexible due to changing markets, high unemployment rates, and the increasing popular of corporate relocation to cut costs. Although relocating can be a great way to boost your career and long-term employment prospects, there can be some hidden costs to such a decision. Here are some things to consider before relocating.

1. The cost of replacing lost or damaged possessions.

Moving in general is an expensive and time consuming process. It is all about taking all your possessions, packing, sorting and then moving them across sometimes vast distances. Items can be broken or damaged during the move. It is important then to make sure you enlist a highly-reputable moving company – which is hopefully something you can find with the aid of your company’s corporate employee relocation firm.

Working with a corporate relocation service can help you find a good moving company, work out other moving details (like property transfers and sales), and they can even offer advice if things go wrong during the move. These services will help you dramatically reduce the stress involved in your relocation, so hopefully your company will “spring” for one. Regardless, there’s always a chance your possessions will get lost or damaged in a move. Therefore, it’s good advice to plan for this possibility.

2. Negative equity in real estate.

Negative equity in real estate is also referred to as being “upside down” or “underwater.” Essentially, it means owing more on your home than it’s worth on the current market.

Negative equity has become increasingly common in recent years due to the mortgage crisis. There are many reasons for negative equity, such as depreciation due to declining property values or the fact that your house may have been overvalued in the first place. Regardless of the reasons, the end result is still the same, and unfortunately this is a problem for many people who undergo a job relocation.

If you must sell your home while you’re living and working out of state, it’s a good idea to ask a local relative (or hire someone) to check on your property regularly. If your home is vacant for a period of time, it can be vandalized or fall into a state of disrepair…neither of which help you sell.

3. Lost personal time spent dealing with your move. The personal time it takes to plan, coordinate, and then actually move your belongings can take weeks or even months to plan. Packing alone is time consuming because you have to organize everything first, buy boxes and then pack it up.

Then, once you’re packed up, you still have to coordinate the moving date, contact movers and/or rent a moving truck, and etc. This is not only costly in terms of dollars, but it definitely takes time.

Relocating is often a stressful experience that can be hard on your family, so it is not something to be taken lightly. You don’t want to underestimate the time you need to help your family both physically and mentally prepare.

Image courtesy of Allerair

While job relocations can be very time and money consuming, it’s usually because they’re worth it. It’s a huge compliment when your company thinks enough of you and your work to move you across country, and it’s likely your career prospects are a little brighter as a result. Good luck!

Author Jason Lancaster works with TRCGS.com, a corporation that helps employees and companies relocate. If your company is relocating your office, be sure to have them visit TRCGS.com.

For more moving tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Today, I’m talking about moving your belongings and when is it worthwhile to store them at a storage facility, rather than move them.  The reasons not to move them could be numerous – furniture is too big, move is temporary, inherited furniture that isn’t your decor style, etc…

Over the past 10 years, this subject has been near and dear to me. I had a relative that relocated from one state to another and chose to pay for a storage unit. With hopes to retrieve the belongings in a few months, easily turned into 5 years and they spent $100.00 a month for 5 years. You do the math, $6,0000 and the contents of the storage unit were not worth more than $500.00!

I found this great article on Unclutterer – a reader asks if she should move her inherited furniture. Read on, the answer may surprise you!

I am moving across the country (probably just for a few years), and would like to take just the essentials. However, I have three large pieces of antique furniture bequeathed by my grandmother that I can definitely see wanting to have in a more permanent house when I move back in the future. So… what do I do with them for the next few years? (Or am I deluding myself — will I ever want them?)

Lisa, your question brings up a number of different issues, so bear with me while I take a few twists and turns to get to a definitive answer.

To start, you seem more uncertain about life than you do about a few pieces of furniture. You use the phrase “probably just for a few years,” which speaks volumes about why this decision is difficult for you. Stop thinking about a possible future, and focus on right now. Are you moving across country? Yes. Do you want to take this furniture with you? No.

Since you don’t want to move the furniture across country, you need to decide what to do with it. Is there someone else in your family who could use the furniture now? What would the repercussions be in your family if you sold the furniture to an antique dealer and used the money to set up your new home on the other coast? If someone would be upset that you sold the furniture, are they willing to take it off your hands? (If not, don’t allow yourself to be guilted into keeping it.)

Maybe you love the furniture, and are considering storing it in self-storage? The reality is that you would likely pay $100 a month to put the three pieces of furniture into a storage locker. If you stay on the other coast for three years, then you’ll have spent at least $3,600 in rent for unused furniture. Would you pay that amount to buy this furniture if you saw it in a store? Could you even insure the furniture for that amount? The possibility also exists that you’ll love the other coast and decide to stay out there permanently. If this happens, then you’ll either continue to pay to store the furniture or you’ll have to pay to have it shipped across country. Whatever way you look at it, using a public storage facility will cost you … and it will probably cost you stress and worry in addition to the price tag.

The future is uncertain, but the present isn’t. If I were you, I’d give the pieces to someone in the family who wants them more than you do. You can admire the furniture every time you visit that family member, and know that it is being useful. And, remember, it’s just furniture, it’s not your grandmother.

For more moving tips on Stagetecture, click here.

In December of 2009, I shared with you that we moved from our 3600 sf home to our current

2000 sf home. For my husband and I, it was a move that needed to happen. Between the hours commuting, the gigantic house that was hard to keep up with, and our quality of life was suffering. For my two teenage sons, it was not a wanted move.  Leaving friends and getting smaller rooms was not on their agenda.

For many people getting ready to move, and downsizing to a smaller home can be a challenge. Whether it’s for financial reasons, or because a family member has passed, or moving into an assisted living facility, downsizing can be painful.

Unclutterer has a great article on ‘Saying farewell to the family home’.  I found the article especially interesting because I love talking about moving, and helping families stage their homes to move. In the same breath I often realize, moving isn’t always enjoyable. For those who struggle with the concept of moving, read these tips below.  I believe it will help.

If you are preparing to downsize (either yourself or for a family member), keep the following thing in mind:

• Emotions are strong during this time, even when the move is desired. Take the time to carefully sort through everything. Whomever is downsizing needs to be heavily

  

  involved in the process and have time to share stories about the items with others.

• Snap digital photographs of anything you plan to throw out, donate to charity, give away, or recycle that has an emotional connection for you or your loved one. This might be the one time you want to print the photographs and stick them in an album for easy viewing (especially if an older person who doesn’t have a computer will want to look at the pictures).
• Consider hiring a senior move manager to help with the process. Having a third party involved who isn’t emotionally tied to the situation can help significantly.
• Measure the new place and know exactly how much stuff can be moved into it. You may need to go through the “taking with me” pile multiple times to ensure that the right amount of stuff will be transported.
• If family and friends are interested in some of the personal items in the current home, only let the person or persons who are downsizing decide what pieces go to whom. Try your best not to let the person moving spaces be bullied into decisions. When financially valuable items are involved, you can contact an appraiser to provide information so the best decisions are made for the person downsizing.

For the rest of the article visit Unclutterer.