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10 Long Distance Moving Tips

March 17, 2017 by StacyMoving ToolPacking Tips

  1. Start early:

Everything always takes longer than expected

  1. Pare down before the move:

The price of a long distance move is determined by cubic foot. Don’t pay to move stuff you are instantly going to get rid of at your new place

  1. Use a moving company, not a broker:

Having a middleman between you and the actual moving company is just a bad idea.  It can lead to miscommunication, finger-pointing, and lack of control, not to mention higher cost (the broker has to make some money too).  So, try to find actual moving companies who have their own moving people and trucks, not someone who will just contract the job out.

  1. Check the Better Business Bureau website
  2. Check online reviews:

If you simply Google the name of the moving company, you will find tons of reviews online.

  1. Clearly mark your boxes with the destination room:

You can make your life and your movers’ lives easier if you clearly mark your boxes with the room they need to go to (i.e., kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc.)

  1. Save on car shipping:

Find out where the shipping company’s depot is at and drop your car off instead of having them pick it up.

  1. Allow margin in your schedule:

Allow for extra time in your schedule for the unforeseen

  1. Confirm everything with a phone call:

To help prevent any no-shows, call a few days before your move to confirm your movers and your car shipper.

  1. Treat your movers well:

Buy a case of bottled water for your movers.  They will be grateful.  Be courteous to them. A little courtesy can go a long way.  If they do a good job, give them a good tip and leave some good reviews for the company online, so the rest of us can benefit.

When Is the Best Time to Rent an Apartment?

February 20, 2017 by StacyMoving Tool

A variety of factors must be considered when choosing the best time to rent an apartment. Ultimately, in order to be supremely picky, an individual must have sufficient cash flow, savings and a temporary place to stay until an apartment can be chosen. For an individual with the necessary time and space to be choosy, among the major considerations are whether the renter is seeking the best available choices or the lowest available rental rates.

Summer for Choice

The busiest rental-moving period is between the months of May and September. This is largely due to the fact that a number of life changes tend to occur in these months. For example, many high school graduates are leaving home, and college graduates are seeking real estate close to where they will start their careers. Also, the beginning of nicer weather makes for more convenient loading and unloading of furniture.

Life and weather changes during the summer season mean a much higher turnover rate. This means that finding an apartment is easier, and there is a wider selection of apartments to choose from.

However, precisely because the summer season has the most moving activity, demand for rental space is extremely high. This generally leads to higher rental fees, sometimes up to double what might be negotiated during the off-peak seasons of winter and fall. Also, with demand up, the quest for the perfect apartment leads to higher-than-normal competition for the same space and thus forces individuals to act fast in order to lock in an apartment.

Winter for Savings

For the lowest rental rates, the winter season is the best time to rent, especially right after the Christmas-New Year’s holiday season, when demand is usually at its lowest level of the year, with fewer renters interested in moving. Individuals renting between the months of January and March typically find the best rental bargains. However, the low level of moving activity and turnover at that time of year usually means that it’s more difficult to find exactly the apartment you’re looking for.

How to Apartment Hunt

Once a target moving season has been determined, narrow the choice down to a specific month. For example, consider that the target move month is August. The ideal time to begin the search for an appropriate apartment is at the end of the month prior to the target move month; so, in this example, the individual would want to begin the apartment hunt during the last two weeks of July.

While this tactic may seem somewhat last minute, it is actually ideal, because the majority of renters have leases that expire at the end of a month, or within the first few days of the next month. Renters that are about to leave vacancies will have given, or will be giving, their 30-day notices during this time, and individuals are apt to get first choice of available space if they begin their apartment search within that time frame.

Individuals willing to take a gamble or who have the flexibility to move on a moment’s notice may do well to employ a different apartment-hunting approach. Waiting until the second week of the month to move can prove lucrative, as landlords trying to fill vacancies become more eager to secure new renters.

How to Pack Artwork

February 19, 2017 by StacyMoving ToolPacking Tips

Learn How to Pack Artwork

All artwork, mirrors, marble tops, glass tops, pictures should be packed in mirror, picture boxes, unless they are very small. The small items may be packed in dish pack box on edge. The van line professional packers should crate the very large glass tops and marble tops. Their weight makes them impractical to be moved by a box.
The following moving supplies will be needed to secure your artwork, mirrors, marble tops, glass tops, and pictures for moving:

  • Tape
  • Blank newsprint paper or Bubble Wrap®, picture boxes

Framed Art Work and Prints

  1. Prepare a picture box for the artwork by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  2. Wrap each individual artwork or print with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  3. Put the item in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. Tape the box shut and mark it “Fragile-Art Work.”

Glass Tops

  1. Prepare a picture moving box for the glass top by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box or each box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  2. Wrap each individual glass top with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  3. Put the glass top in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the glass top, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile-Glass Top.”

Marble Tops

  1. Prepare a picture box for the marble top by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box or each box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  2. Wrap each individual marble top with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  3. Put the marble top in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the marble top, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile- Marble Top.”

Mirrors

  1. Put tape across the front of the mirror like an X to keep the pieces in place in case the glass cracks or breaks.
  2. Prepare a picture box for the mirror by putting wadded newsprint paper on the bottom of the box or each box. Do not close the top end of the box.
  3. Wrap each individual mirror with newsprint or wrap them in Bubble Wrap®.
  4. Put the mirror in the box and if they fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the mirror, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  5. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile- Mirror.”

Paintings

  1. If your painting is framed with glass put masking tape across the front of the painting like an X to keep the pieces in place in case the glass cracks or breaks.
  2. Cover the framed paintings or canvas with Bubble Wrap® and tape it closed.
  3. If you are packing a painting with glass then put the painting in a picture, mirror box and if it fit loosely in the box, fill in the spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper. If two boxes are needed for the painting, then put the second box on top of the other by telescoping them together and fill spaces with lightly wadded newsprint paper.
  4. If you are packing a canvas painting (no frame, no glass), wrap the box in Bubble Wrap® again, tape it, then build a second box for the first box. Your chances of sharp objects puncturing the box and canvas during the move to slim.
  5. Tape the box or boxes shut and mark it “Fragile- Art.”

Uses for Leftover Cardboard Boxes

February 17, 2017 by StacyMoving ToolPacking TipsUncategorized

Moving into a new house, after all the hard work of packing up and getting moved brings such a feeling of satisfaction and belonging. With each box you unpack, you discover a new place to store your belongings and new ways to make your new space feel like home. What you are left with, however, are the empty cardboard boxes and no idea how to get them out of the way or make use of them. Take a look at these creative uses for leftover cardboard boxes and see what you can come up with for the dozens lying around after your move!

Kids

You might be surprised at how entertained a child can be with something as simple as a cardboard box. Then again, the possibilities are only as limited as their imagination. A cardboard box and a handful of crayons, markers, and maybe even stickers is just a canvas waiting for a child’s masterpieces. A box can be turned into a racecar, a castle, or a fort to hide in and play. Cardboard boxes make excellent robot costumes or makeshift sleds. Again, the possibilities are almost endless.

Pets

Your four-legged friends might also enjoy some fun with the leftover cardboard boxes you were thinking about throwing away after your move. Cut a few holes in a box and you might find that your cat loves to sneak in and out of their own little corrugated cave.

Papers

Whether you have a filing cabinet that is full or you don’t necessarily want to spend the money on a filing cabinet, but need to hang onto paperwork that seems to just stack up and clutter your office, those extra cardboard boxes could be the perfect solution. You can create dividers with leftovers from other boxes or purchase some file folders and get your paperwork organized and out of the way in a stackable, square box that’s easy to access and easy to store.

Waste

Most cardboard boxes are recyclable, so why not renew your environmental efforts and use it to separate your recyclable waste in? When the box gets full, you can dispose of it and the contents in your household recycle bin or at a local recycling plant.

Crafts

The web is full of crafty and creative cardboard box ideas that you can make yourself. Decoupage letters for your wall, accessories for your office and decorations for your shelves can all be created using leftover cardboard boxes and minimal extra supplies. If you are not the crafting type yourself, consider donating the boxes to a crafting group, a preschool or a local organization that might be able to use them for arts and crafts projects.

What You Need to Know to Get Approved for a Home Loan

December 6, 2016 by StacyMoving Tool

Before house-hunting ever begins, it is good to know just how much house the borrower can afford. By planning ahead, time will be saved in the long run and applying for loans that may be turned down and bidding on properties that cannot be obtained are avoided. Know what banks are the best ones to determine individual eligibility is very helpful information needed before even looking for a home.

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Get Your Deposit Back: A Move-Out Cleaning Checklist

November 16, 2016 by StacyMoving Tool

The last thing you want to do before you leave one home to start another is clean out the old place. But alas, it must be done, so just throw on some tunes, grin and bear it. If your place is just surface dirty and not damaged, how well you clean could be the difference between getting back your deposit money that has been held hostage for years or not. So here is a checklist of things not to forget as you prepare your home for its next inhabitants.

 Everywhere:

  • Take all nails and screws out of the walls and ceiling and putty them smoothly.
  • Dust the ceiling fixtures.
  • Dust all ledges.
  • Clean the windows.
  • Clean the door knobs and doors.
  • Clean all light switches and outlets.
  • Clean the walls and baseboards.
  • Vacuum (get any stains out of the carpet, or get the carpet professionally cleaned).
  • Get rid of all cobwebs.

 Bathroom:

  • Get soap scum off the bathroom tiles and tub/shower and bleach the grout.
  • Clean out the bathroom drawers and vanity, making sure you get all the hair out (and remove any liners).
  • Clean the toilet, sink, counter top and finally the floor (sweep and mop). If the toilet seat is unsavory looking, replace it.
  • Clean the mirror.
  • Vacuum out the surface of the exhaust fan if super dusty.

Kitchen:

  • Clean out all cabinets and liners.
  • Wash the front of the cabinets.
  • Clean and disinfect all counter tops.
  • Clean and shine up the sink and faucet.
  • Scrub the refrigerator inside and out. Remove all shelves and clean separately if necessary.
  • Scrub the oven inside and out. Remove shelving, drip pans and burners. Use steel wool, it is your friend.
  • Clean out the dishwasher if you have one.
  • Clean exhaust fan if needed.
  • Remove all appliances and sweep behind them.

Bedrooms/Living Room:

  • Dust, sweep, vacuum and mop these empty rooms.

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