DO’S

1. Be flexible. Often it’s the little things that push a buyer into the “yes” zone. If the buyer goes on and on about how much they love your icemaker, throw it in. If the buyer would like to close earlier and your new home is not ready, use a PODS container and store your belongings so you can meet the buyer’s request.

2. Clean up. One person’s baseball card collection is another person’s cluttered nightmare. Declutter your home before you list. PODS containers work well to store personal collections that cause clutter, but also make it hard for a buyer to see the potential in a home.

3. Wash the windows – inside and out.

4. Clean your kitchen and bathrooms – Scrub like crazy, particularly the kitchen and bath(s). The kitchen may be old but it can still sparkle. De-clutter here too, especially countertop appliances, canisters, etc and keep cupboard doors and drawers closed if your hand is not actually in them.

DON’TS

1. Don’t be greedy. The market—not your emotions—dictates your home’s price. If comparables in the area, and several trusted real estate agents tell you your home is worth $400,000, you’re not fooling anyone by pricing it at $500,000.

2. Don’t get personal. If you’re selling your house for a certain amount, and someone offers something much lower, don’t take this as a personal affront and refuse to counteroffer. Letting your emotions get in the way can potentially ruin the deal.

3. Don’t procrastinate. if you’re serious about selling, consider doing it now.

Lists, lists, lists.

Once you start packing up and your PODS container is ready to go to your new location, it’s convincing to rush to the finish line. Instead of rushing, take your time and do everything right the first way around. Here’s a list of  tips you may want to follow before you ever open up a box:

• Take a walk through of your new house. It may have been a while since you last saw it. Refresh your memory and see where all the rooms are located. Make sure everything is in good condition and make a list with photos of anything that may not be up to par.
• Here’s a list within a list. Keep a list of your belongings that are in each box. Color coding the boxes by room helps you see them quickly while you’re organizing. When you place the boxes in their appropriate room, you’ll know exactly what is in each one.
• What rooms are on your priority list? Those are the rooms you’ll want to have set up and ready to go first. A word of advice: start immediately with the bedrooms and the bathrooms. Once those are set up you’ll feel more at home. Leave rooms like the den, family room, basement, etc. for last.
• Manage your time and strength. If you have multiple floors in your home, remember that walking up and down stairs with boxes will tire you out. You’ll want to avoid moving everything upstairs towards the end of your move when you have less energy.
• Once the majority of your boxes are in your new home, it may be easy to misplace things. Make sure your crucial items like medications, chargers, toiletries, etc. aren’t lost in the confusion.
• Have a playlist ready. This may not be the most crucial on the list, but it can help you reduce stress while you get everything in its right place. Try not to play anything that will make you feel too sluggish.

Can you think of any other tips to add to your list before you ever open up a box?

For about a week now, I’ve seen this couch that seems to be stuck in the back stairway on the third floor at this apartment complex. It’s hard to tell if it was on it’s way in or out, but the fact remains, something must have gone wrong in this move. It also seems like whatever is happening here could’ve been avoided. Seeing this day after day led me to write this post.

Moving isn’t always the easiest thing to do. That’s a given. But sometimes, things can go horribly wrong, and those are situations that are best to try and avoid at all costs.

When you first decide to move into a new house or apartment, it’s easy to picture yourself making that house a home. What’s easily forgotten is how to get all of your things in that new house. There a few things you may want to think about before you start physically moving things into your new home:

• How many flights of stairs will you have to walk up with all of your things? Packing more boxes that weigh less may be more practical than having less boxes with heavier contents.
• Is there an elevator that you can use on move-in day? While some buildings have no elevators, other have elevators but can’t always be used for big moves.
• Are all of your boxes sturdy? Tape the bottoms of the boxes you’re using to make sure they don’t collapse during the move.
• Does everything that fits in your current home fit in your new home? Avoid bringing too many items that will  only add clutter in the long run. This is the perfect site to use to plan your home interactively before ever lifting a finger.
• How wide are the hallways? It’s important to think about how your bigger furniture will fit in the hallways, that way you’ll know in advance if you have to take apart.

These are just a few tips to make sure you don’t end up getting stuck in the middle of a move. Do you have any experiences with ways you’ve avoided horror situations like the one in the picture above?

• Always pack at least one suitcase per person with the essentials. That way, when you unload everything at your new home, you know exactly where to find the bare necessities as you need them without having to wade through boxes. It’s a great way to reduce stress right from the beginning.
• When you start to pack up your electronics, keeping the cords organized can really help save so much of your time when it comes time to unpack. Take pictures of electronics while they’re still plugged in & tape it to the box so you’ll have a visual guide later on
• Wrapping up the cords is also a good idea so you don’t have to waste time untangling everything.
• Start with packing seasonal items that you won’t need for a while (seasonal clothing, home decorations, extra bedding) and begin loading your moving boxes with those items first.
• If you have a lot of extra boxes after your move, consider keeping them for storage. All you have to do to make them look nice is use wrapping paper or even pictures and collage your own design on them.
• When packing up electronics, label corresponding cords and components by using color coded stickers to reduce stress later on. (Keeping these labels on year-round is a good idea too.)
• Set aside your tools so you know where they are when it comes time to rebuild everything.

Hopefully these tips help during your move or packing up for storage. Good luck!

Legislative changes in November 2009 expanded and extended the First Time Home Buyer’s credit.  This is a credit for up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence. They also added documentation requirements for claiming the credit.  Be sure to identify and understand the documentation requirements to smooth the tax form completion. The tax credit applies to sales occurring after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. Home purchases completed by June 30, 2010 with a binding sales contract signed by April 30, 2010 will also qualify.

There is also a $6,500 tax credit available for qualified existing home owners.

Check out the helpful links below for more information on these tax credits.

http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html

Storage with PODS just makes sense. Some highlights of our storage facilities are:

• Secure – Storage centers are accessible by PODS employees and customers. Only you have access to your belongings because only you have a key.
• Climate controlled – Our air conditioned facilities provide you with peace of mind.
• Humidity controlled – If you’re storing items that can warp due to exposure to humidity, choose one of our humidity controlled centers. (Not available in all markets)
• Store more! – We bring your stored items to you!  Whether you need to add more boxes or valuables to your container or you need to remove anything stored,  we’ll bring your container to you, saving you time and money!

In the event that you need to remove a large number of items from your container, don’t even consider renting a moving truck. PODS can deliver your container back to your home or to a new location and you can pack and unpack your container at your leisure.

• Boxes: Always remember to use sturdy, thick boxes. This is one area where you should not skimp. Thick, durable boxes are key to ensuring that when packing fragile items, your boxes do not get smushed, putting pressure on your fragile valuables inside.
• Stock up on Bubble-wrap, Styrofoam (popcorn, peanuts or sheets) or thick packing paper. As well, most moving supply locations also sell handy bubble-wrap sleeves that you can simply slip your plates into, making packing that much easier.
• Top,  Bottom: While conserving your packing materials can sometimes be a priority, try and make sure to always place your bubble-wrap, Styrofoam or packing paper in both the bottom and top of the box to help cushion your fragile items from impact or the usual movement boxes make while in transit.
• The spaces in-between: Remember to place your cushioning material between your plates and glasses, not just between them and the box.

When packing your kitchen supplies, it’s always better to go overboard with caution.

Have your own packing tips when it comes to your fragile belongings?  Let us know!

1. Forward your mail: What seems obvious to most is often on the bottom of your to-do list.  The USPS website offers an easy, online way to do this. [https://moversguide.usps.com/icoa/flow.do?_flowExecutionKey=_c88DB6BD9-24A8-3F2E-DE33-2E5B0BC05703_kACF70886-82E6-D852-5327-DA58B3C084A5]. Keep in mind, when changing your address, the forward is in place for a maximum of 365 days but for 6 months following that year  maximum, any mail sent to you is returned to sender and they’re notified of your new address, so that’s not half bad.
2. Update any regular bills, subscriptions, deliveries or prescriptions: Remember, after a year, your permanent change of address expires.  Any regular deliveries that haven’t been updated by you personally may begin to return to your old address if not updated by you.
3. Update your Driver’s License: Another very common oversight is your driver’s license. Remember, even if you aren’t leaving the state, it’s against the law to have your incorrect address on your license. Check with your local police department to find out how much time you have before you’ll get in trouble over this one.
4. Insurance: This next one can be a little somber but you should always ensure that documents you’ve signed at work for things like long term disability insurance, your health insurance and your life insurance should be updated when you move. Often times, we’re with the same company for years so you’ll want to ensure that your contact information is up to date for these.
5. Services: These days, many people have bundled packages for things like cable internet (or DSL), telephone and television. You’ll want to call your provider(s) to get these services up and running at your new home.
6. Utilities: Some realtors, mortgage brokers or even sellers will get your water, gas, and electric services at your house up and running for you before hand. Make sure you check on this one, though! It’s kind of a given but it needs to be on this list anyway.

Can you think of any other items that should be on this checklist? There’s a comment box below and we’d love to hear your tips (as would other readers, surely!) for making a smooth move.

Step 1. Work with the pros –

Unless you’re a seasoned veteran or the epitome of independence, working with a realtor and a mortgage broker can drastically improve your home-buying experience. No one else knows the city better (growth patterns, property value escalation probabilities, average house type/dimensions) than a realtor. The rules can change from city to city as well as with time and a professional realtor can remove a lot of the headache. Have fun looking around but if you can avoid this stress, you’ll be much happier in the end.

A mortgage broker lives in paperwork and understands the ins, outs, ups and downs of loan types and also when the best time to buy is. They make sure all the moving pieces behind the financial aspect of the engagement stay moving while you’re deciding on the home of your dreams and where you’ll be placing furniture.

Step 2. What area of town can you live in?

“Can” is used here in several contexts. Your budget is going to be a primary factor when looking of course but when it comes to your peace of mind, which neighborhood will be best for your situation? Something may be too urban or too suburban for you. “Howdy neighbor!” may work for some people where privacy is more important for others. Quadrant or section the city and find out which area fits your personality best.  (tools: moving.com/zillow)

Step 3. What tools should I bring?

When house hunting with a realtor, if you can borrow a GPS unit or invest in one that’s reasonably priced, you’ll find it much easier to get from one place to another. This is by no means a must but if you’re unfamiliar with the areas you’ll be looking in (or even when you find your perfect home!) a nice addition to travel is a GPS unit for locating the quickest way to the grocery store, kids’ school and even work. Where is the nearest grocery store, anyway?

Step 4. Do your Homework –

Make sure you inspect your new home and do your research.  This may be the home you spend the rest of your life living in and realizing you’ve bought a money-pit is often one of the more common fears home-buyers face. How old is the home? Are there cracks in the exterior walls/foundation? How is the water pressure? How old is the furnace/AC? What are the neighbors like?

Hint: Talk to the neighbors!  No one knows more about the neighborhood and the former occupant of your potential home than the people next-door.

We know many of you have been there before.  We and other bloggers would love to hear your tips – comment below!

• Size: The overall weight of your move can affect the price with some companies. Generally portable storage is not weight based, however with professional movers, often the heavier the move, the more it’s going to cost.

• Distance: The number of miles you’re traveling can influence its cost greatly, as can your final destination. Keep in mind that some moving companies only serve a certain region.

• Time: The time of year you need to move will also have an effect on your bottom line. Moving during peak times, such as the summer or holidays, often means that you’ll pay more. If you have the luxury of time, try to plan at less busy times. Look for specials during unpopular periods.

• Level of service: Hiring a moving company to complete a “full-service” move – one where they not only transport your household items, but also pack and unpack them – will be significantly more expensive than a “self-service” move. Make sure you’re aware of the varying level of service available for your move and what works best for you.  Many times, people forget that self-moving has several levels of service available to meet your budget as well.

• Insurance: Be sure to consider insuring your move against mishaps or even disasters. Keep in mind that moves you do yourself are usually limited to $25,000 insurance, and cover only damage caused by disasters such as auto accidents or fires.

• Storage: Make sure to calculate if your new residence will be able to accommodate all of your belongings.  Many times, the couch you’ve had since college won’t fit in your new living room (or relationship) but hasn’t used enough duct tape to be sent to the trash bin.  Having the ability to store your extra belongings, even in the short term as you decide how to layout your new interior, is often overlooked when moving.

Taking some time to determine what your move will actually and honestly cost you will save you from a lot of the stress of moving, and will insure that you’ll be that much happier in your destination.