Moving Tip: 6 of 12

***Tip 6***

Utilize your luggage bags!

We have those stacks of bags that we used for traveling to a family members house. Put those to good use! Put towels, shampoos, sheets, and even quick food to make during the unpacking spree (Ramen, Mac and Cheese, chips). These duffel bags are easy to pack and will be much quicker to find in the sea of boxes than another box. 

Moving Tips : 5 of 12

***Tip 5***

Give every member 1 box!

Everyone has their own favorite items that they will be looking for when you get to your new house. Give every member in the house one box for those important items that they want to have as soon as they move in. For example, sheets, a couple sets of outfits, favorite toy, a jacket, remote to the tv (yes electronics are always the FIRST thing set up in my house! So make sure that remote and a favorite DVD is available.)

You maybe also want to include school supplies (pens, paper, and notebook) if you are moving in the middle of a school year.

To make it fun for the little ones (moving can be very stressful on kids), give them markers, crayons, and stickers and let them decorate their own boxes.

Moving Tips: 4 of 12

***Tip 4***

Color Code!

Buy the yard sale color dots (small circular stickers). They can be found at dollar stores and other bigger stress. They are relatively cheap and very useful! Pick one color for each room in your house (kitchen could be red, bedroom 1 green, etc.) After you pack every box, place a sticker on the box or take a marker and color a nice size square on the box.

On move day,

BEFORE you go and start unloading the truck, take a piece of paper and tape it to the door or a wall in the room. That way when all your handy helpers start moving the boxes inside, they will have direction without you having to be there.

Also, if you want, write on another piece of paper, STACK BOXES HERE. That way they can be put out of the way of busy feet.

Check back tomorrow for another great tip!

Moving Tips: 3 of 12

***Tip 3 ***

Use Wardrobe Boxes 

I know that I said yesterday to call around to store to get free boxes, but sometimes you do need to buy some boxes. Getting wardrobe boxes are an amazing time saver when moving. You do not want to spend hours taking closets of clothes off the hangers and then spending more time once you are in your new home putting them back on hangers. Utilizing these super tall boxes allows you to keep them on the hangers and saves you time. When you are moving an entire house, keeping track of children, making sure that all the items go where they are needed, you do not have time to spare!

Make sure though, that you do not over pack them! You do not want them to bust, it will destroy the hours that you are attempting to save. 

If you found this helpful, be sure to share it!

Moving Tips: 2 of 12

***Tip 2***

Have MORE than enough supplies!

You never realize how much stuff you have in your house until you start to pack it up or you go to move! It is truly insane; you will discover things you forgot you had. This is why it is important to get more than enough boxes, bubble wrap, newspaper, TAPE!! etc. I will let you in on a few secrets on how to get the best deals on some of these supplies.

Boxes: Call your local grocery stores, Big Lots, Dollar General (smaller stores within a reasonable distance) and ask them if they have any boxes that they are throwing out. Tell them that you are moving and are looking for some and you would love to pick them up if they have any. I have had friends do this on several occasions and it has worked for them every time. You want to start early though! When you know you will be moving, start calling and collecting boxes. If you can at all help it, do not take the tape off of the boxes. It will help save you tape and time later down the road.

Bubble Wrap: Dollar Tree normally has rolls of bubble wrap for a dollar. They are not A LOT, but it does provide you with something. 

News Paper: You can call the same local stores and ask if they have old ads that they would mind giving to you. Explain that you are moving again, and see if they would mind if you picked them up. Start collecting the Sunday paper instead of throwing it out.

Tape: Think about how much stuff you have in your house, and decide on how much tape you will need. If you think 4 rolls, buy 6. You will thank me later. Sometimes tape gets stuck, you may need to double or triple tape in order to keep the box from breaking open that you just happen to over back. Sometimes you may need to tape up a small tear, or tape the top of the box straight up, making all the flaps stick together to where you can place in taller items (Like Baking Pans and Rollers). If you have more than enough tape, you will not start to skimp on securing the boxes and you can also use tape to tape containers of food (like the noodle tubs – lids come off so easy!) or hair spray and cosmetics. Better to be safe than sorry! 

String / Rope: You will want to have some of this on hand during the move day. Making sure drawers and furniture are tied back! 

You can also buy your supplies from the truck rental companies. If you buy too many, they can be returned for a refund (as long as they are not damaged).

When packing, make sure you set aside around 10 boxes (various sizes) for last minute items. (Shampoos, last minute dishes, clothes, even sheets and blankets – although I have heard the best place to put blankets is in the dryer or use them to put between table and chairs – if you stack them- or between mirrors for protection). 

Do not forget to check back tomorrow for another tip!

Moving Tips : Tip 1 of 12

***Tip 1***
Make yourself a list. They can be the most crucial thing in a move!
Write EVERYTHING down. When you get to your new home, you will have several things to keep get ready for , new schools, meeting neighbors, turning on all your bills, and not to mention keeping your kids in order during all this crazy-ness! Your head can feel like it is going to explode (all though we recommend taking a

breather before that happens).

So you may be wondering, "What all should I really write down?"-

Create a "packing spread sheet". It can be in a notebook or binder (preferred method as you will want to include other important information in this too). Keep this notebook or binder in a spot / box that has SEVERAL rolls of packing tape, markers, scissors, water bottles (you will thank me later), cell phone, wallet, truck rental papers and anything you will want to keep handy. When packing, you can get into a throw it in a box frenzy, and you do not want to pack up something you may need)

1.) As you pack up the boxes label them with a number, and write down what is in the box on the spread sheet. Do not be afraid of details! When you move in trying to find the forks in the 10 boxes marked kitchen is no fun!

2.)Write down the name of the utility companies, their phone numbers, who you talked to for that move in special. Write down the dates and times that they said they would come in and turn on the utilities.

3.) Write down the name and number of the new schools that your children will be going to.

4.) Write down when you picked up the truck, when you need to turn the truck it. If anything goes wrong with the truck while you are driving it (During one move, a friend of mines moving truck sprang an oil leak and they had to buy a few tubs of oil). Keep any receipts to turn them in when you turn the truck in!

I really hope these tips and tricks help. If you have any others, please feel free to comment and add them! I will be posting the next tip on Monday! Enjoy your weekend!

Selling During the Holidays Is Not All Bad

Buyers can, and do, get serious during this busy time of year. 

Selling a home during the winter months has its advantages. Homes often show their best when decorated for the holidays. 

The holiday season is generally known as the worst time to sell a home. While sales do tend to drop off between November and January, there are actually some good reasons to sell your home during these months: 

• Buyers are more serious. Anyone shopping for a home during the holidays probably has to buy before a certain deadline. January is a popular month for job transfers, so some buyers may be looking to relocate before the New Year. Investors may also want to close before the end of the year for tax reasons. If you live near a university, students and staff may be looking for homes between academic sessions, and if you live near a military base, servicemen and women may be moving to the area. Work with your agent to target these motivated buyers. 
• Buyers have more time to house-hunt. Some buyers purposely wait until their families are together for holiday vacations to start looking for a home. 
• There are fewer homes for sale. Lots of sellers take their homes off the market during the holidays, assuming no one will be buying at this time. But with serious buyers still out there and a lower inventory of homes, your home has a good chance of standing out. 
• Services are more available. Business slows down for real estate agents, lenders, home inspectors, appraisers and title companies during the holidays, so they all have more time to spend with clients.  
• Homes show better in the winter. Decked out in lights and garland, homes often look their best during the holiday months. Read up on staging tips for the holidays. 

The holidays are stressful enough without having to think about staging and open houses, so if you're not truly motivated to sell, it's probably best to wait a few months. But if you absolutely have to sell, don't be discouraged. A good agent can take the burden off of your shoulders, giving you more time to enjoy the season.



See the original article:

By Shannon Petrie, FrontDoor.com | Published: 11/07/2008


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