Category Archives: ~Moving

Moving Across The Country Made Easy

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There is a lot to do and think about when it comes time to move into a new house, especially if that new home is on the other side of the country. If you have a family that you need to bring with you, then the process becomes that much more complicated. The good news is that although it won’t always be fun, you can make a long-distance move with the family more manageable with proper planning, smart packing, and some great tips that we’ll discuss here today.

Proper Packing And Preparation Are Key

There is no way around it. Moving a family across the country will be an expensive endeavor. However, you can make many adjustments to cut unnecessary costs, so you aren’t so financially stressed. One big expense that you can cut is the cost of hiring professional movers and instead, pack and transport your belongings yourself. You can either rent a moving truck, a moving container, or a freight trainer to get your stuff from point A to B.

Packing your house can be a nightmare, so keep the process as organized as possible. Go room by room and start separating items that you want to keep from what you plan to donate or give away. This is a good chance to clear out unneeded clutter. If you are packing any of the belongings in your garage, then make sure to drain all of the fuel from the gas-powered equipment and bundle garden tools together for easy handling. That way, you will have everything together when you arrive at your destination.

Once the truck is loaded, you will want to start planning your trip. This is especially important if you have children that you know will get hungry or tired during the cross-country drive. Take the time to find affordable restaurants and hotels along the way that you can stay at to rest your eyes and wake up refreshed for another long day of driving. Also, consider making your hotel reservations ahead of time so you can just show up and get to your room with little fanfare.

Keep Your Kids And Pets At Bay

A road trip across the country may be fun at first, but as the drive goes on, your kids and pets may begin to get a bit restless. Since you will want to be cautious and responsible when driving, it is important that you ensure that your passengers are safe and entertained.

Safety is key during the drive. Before you leave for the trip, make an appointment to have your vehicle inspected so you can verify that you won’t have an accident along the way. Have them check the brakes, oil, tire pressure, and top off all of the fluids. Also, verify that all seat belts are in good working order before you leave and that kid’s car seats are properly attached.

If you have a dog along for the ride, then it is only a matter of time before it starts moving around, so you will want to help your pet get used to the car and provide them with a comfortable seat. If your pet has never been in a car before, then help them acclimate to the vehicle before you leave and never let them sit on your lap during the drive. It is also a good idea to give your pet a microchip or update your contact information on their tag before you leave so you can find them if they get lost.

When your kids inevitably get restless during the trip, keep them entertained by having them create a scrapbook of the move as you go about the journey and allow them to have their favorite toys, so you don’t have to dig through boxes to find them if the kids get crabby.

Other Tactics To Save Your Sanity

There are other strategies that you can use that can make an already stressful endeavor more tolerable. For instance, if you can afford to pay for hired help, then consider contacting professional movers as they can take a lot of stress off of your shoulders. Many moving companies will help you pack your house, transport the goods to the new location, and then help you unpack or at least put the boxes in the proper rooms when you arrive. Before you contact potential movers, look at online customer reviews to ensure that you are hiring a quality company.

It is very important that you practice self-care during the trip. You may be in a rush to get to your new home, but if you don’t take care of yourself, then you could do more harm than good. When you go to the hotels, get seven to nine hours of sleep, so you don’t get tired on the road. Also, eat a good breakfast and consider spending a few minutes in the hotel gym. Both of these activities will give you some natural energy for the trip.

Finally, although you likely want to make good time, don’t forget that this is an adventure for the entire family, so don’t be afraid to stop at some roadside pit stops where you can either see cool attractions or get a bite to eat at a unique restaurant. Plus, it will give everyone in the car a chance to stretch their legs.

So there you have it. Great tips to make your cross-country move fun, inexpensive, and relatively stress-free. Consider these tips, and you’ll be arriving and moving into your new home in no time.

How To Move To A New House Like A Pro

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When you’re moving into a new house, there’s a lot to think about. While we generally think of moving processes like packing and unpacking as the only main roadblocks to properly settling in, the things you do after you move into a new house are what make the largest impact.

Of course, you already have a lot on your plate. So, to help you organize your to-do list, we’ve compiled a fast list of the ten most important things to accomplish when moving into a new house. The majority of these tasks aren’t time consuming, but they do demand you to make a conscious effort to complete them. Read on to learn what you need to know, then make a strategy. Soon, you’ll be able to relax, crack open a bottle of champagne, and toast your new home.

1. Perform a walkthrough

When your new house is absolutely vacant, there is no better opportunity to undertake a comprehensive walkthrough. Take a look around before setting up your furniture and getting unpacked. You’ll want to double-check that: 

  • The previous owner has completed all required and agreed-upon repairs 
  • Everything that was supposed to be included in the transaction is present in the house 
  • All outlets, switches, and fixtures are in good working condition.

If you discover something that violates the sale contract (for example, the previous owner took the washer and dryer with them when they were supposed to leave them behind), contact your agent right away to see what options you have. Issues that you discover that were not covered by your contract are now your problem, but knowing what they are can assist.

2. Figure out where everything is going

When moving into a new house, establishing a plan of attack for putting everything up rather than winging it will save you a lot of time and headache. 

This is especially true for goods that are large and heavy, such as furniture. 

While you undoubtedly already have a general sense of what belongs in whatever room, take a minute to consider how you’d like the setup to appear. 

Of course, you may make adjustments afterwards, but approaching this activity with a basic strategy will always make the process easier.

3. Confirm that your utilities are operational

Hopefully, you took care of getting your utilities set up before moving into your new house, in which case, now is the time to double-check that everything is in working order. 

Check your electric, gas, water, heating and cooling, phone, and internet connections on moving day. Then contact your local waste management facility to make sure your new house is also set up for rubbish collection. 

If you’re having troubles moving try hiring Pinnacle Removalists to avoid stress and have experts do the whole moving process for you.

4. Find the water valve and fuse box

The fuse box and the water valve are two items you don’t want to be hunting for when you need them the most. It’s far better to locate them now, so that if your electricity goes out or you need to cut off the water for whatever reason, you’ll be able to get there quickly. 

Your fuse box will most likely be in your basement, garage, or storage area, whereas your home’s water valve will most likely be positioned someplace around the perimeter of your property.

5. Perform a thorough cleaning

Cleaning your new house from top to bottom may be the last thing on your mind after going through the moving process, but it is the greatest time to do it. 

Fortunately, we’ve put up a new house thorough cleaning guide to assist you. Consider hiring professional cleaners instead if you don’t have the time or interest to put on your cleaning gloves and grab a mop right now (we don’t blame you). Starting life in your new house in a clean condition is more than worth it, whether you invest in time or money.

6. Replace your locks

Changing the locks on your new house is always a smart idea. Even if the former owner isn’t a worry, you never know who could have a key.

 It’s best to be safe than sorry in this case, so call a locksmith or change the locks yourself if you’re comfortable doing so. Rekey the locks on all doors going from the inside to the outside of your house, as well as the windows. It’s a tiny price to pay for a lot of assurance.

7. Modify Your Address

You may have already notified the post office of your change of address prior to moving day, but if you haven’t, now is the time.

 Friends and relatives, subscription services, your bank, any loan providers, and anybody else who sends you regular communication or invoices should all be informed of your relocation. 

A comprehensive list of who should be notified may be seen here. If you’ve relocated to a new state, you’ll need to contact your state’s department of motor vehicles to get a new driver’s license and updated car registration.

Moving into a new house is naturally stressful, but following the 10 steps outlined above can make the process go more smoothly. However, there is a lot to do, so don’t be hesitant to ask for assistance, whether from a friend or family member or from a professional service provider. The sooner you can deal with the major issues, the sooner your new house will begin to feel like a home.

A Guide to Moving to the South

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So you’re thinking of making the leap. Your dream of pulling up stakes and heading way down south to Dixie is starting to feel less like a pipe dream and more like a real possibility.

And, if you’ve got southern skies on your mind, you’re not alone. In fact, in 2018, more than one million Americans moved to the south, with Florida and Texas topping the list of new transplants, especially from major metropolitan areas like New York City and Chicago.

It’s really not hard to see why. When it comes to the south, there’s a whole lot to love. But southern living isn’t likely to look much like a Designing Women episode. Your own southern saga will probably be nothing like a Tennessee Williams play.

But when you separate fact from fiction, you’ll find the south, with its beautiful landscapes, thriving economy, and vibrant cultures, to be a region unlike any other. Here’s what you should know before you embark on your own Dixie destiny.

The Weather: Good, Bad, and Ugly

Yes, in most cases, southern weather really does live up to the hype. If you’re a snow bunny, or if you have some particular affinity for shoveling your body weight in snow in subzero temperatures, then southern living may not be for you.

But living below the Mason-Dixon line doesn’t necessarily mean renouncing snow altogether. Some areas, especially in the Appalachian mountains of the mid-south, such as in Tennessee and North Carolina, still get fairly substantial amounts of snow each winter — just nothing like the paralyzing snows of the great white north. Even when you head further south, you can still expect to get at least a taste of snow each winter — just enough to be charming, to satisfy the winter itch, before you go back to savoring the mild temperatures of late January.

Unfortunately, though, there are some drawbacks to the south’s storied weather. Summers are hot. Really hot. And humid. Really humid. And unless you’re trying to clear your karma of some unspeakable sin, you better make sure you have great air conditioning.

But that’s not all. Because you also need to be prepared for the temperamentality of weather in the south, which is as changeful as a young girl’s fancies (and if you’re moving to the south, you better get used to colorful phrasing with lots of metaphors while you’re at it). A pristine summer day and a cloudless azure sky can easily give way within a matter of minutes to a monsoon-like rain or, worse, a powerful tornado.

So no matter where you go or what the forecasts may say, when you live southerly, you must be prepared for any weather — and to take these southern storms seriously.  

More Bang for Your Buck

One of the best things about living in the south is that you’re going to have a lot of professional opportunities combined with a lower cost of living than you would find in other parts of the US. In fact, the south is an unlikely — but rapidly growing — hotspot in the tech industry.

So when you’re preparing to relocate, make sure you give that resume a good going over. As more and more northerners flock to the south, you’re going to face more significant competition, even in the region’s lively job market. Nevertheless, punching up your resume to showcase the skills that only you can offer is the perfect way to land your dream job under these warm southern skies.

And once you’ve landed that dream job, you might well capitalize on the lower cost of living to build your own dream home. While the cost of surveying and clearing land for building may be significant, you’re likely to find it’s worth every penny to land your own piece of prime southern real estate. Depending on where you move in the south, you can pretty much have your choice of landscape, from oceanfront to lakeside, from mountainscape to valley view. Wherever you end up settling down, just be prepared for company, and lots of it.

Southern Hospitality is Real

There’s much to love about the south. But perhaps the best thing is the culture. Its history. Its hospitality. Its food. Its music.

The simple truth is that the south is a beautiful land with beautiful people. You will eat better, laugh more, and feel more welcome than perhaps you ever have in your life.

Because, when you come down to it, the south is far more than a place. It’s a feeling, a way of life. And once you’ve had a taste of southern living, you can never go back. No matter where life may take you, you will carry the south with you in your heart, bones, and blood.

The Takeaway

The south isn’t a region. It’s a state of mind. But if you’re thinking of moving down home, there are some things you should know about this extraordinary place, with its flourishing economy, rich culture, and profound sense of community. So do your homework and then come on down. We’ll be proud to welcome you!

Hit The Head Of The Nail And Not Your Finger

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Ok, I am guilty. I have hit my thump or finger multiple times over the years. Ouch, right? Here is a simple solution to make sure that does not happen again. This is a simple hair clip and they are dirt cheap. A dollar store has them for like twenty for a dollar. A great little cheap accessory for your toolbox.

My Cluttered Life – Part 1

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It has come to a time in my life that I have had an epiphany to the fact I hate clutter. I hate to move it around, to look for certain items and I certainly hate it to move from one place to another. I have started a quest to rid my life of excess. Don’t get me wrong I do like my stuff, but there has to be a line drawn in the sand.

So I am going to start writing a series of articles about clutter and for some of us hoarding. I will also talk about purging and cleaning and freeing yourself of the burdens ‘stuff’ brings to your life. You can follow these articles under the category ‘My Cluttered Life’ on the side panel of this blog. I will write every now and then. Some will be short and sweet with tips and tricks. Some will be an accounting of my goals and I want you to use them to help make your life a bit more free.

So, I just moved. Not far away but we moved from a temporary townhouse into a house so everything is now in one place. We moved from Rio Rancho, NM to West Jordan, UT (think Albuquerque to Salt Lake City areas). We moved from a house to a townhouse until we got established and figured out exactly where we wanted to live and where work would be. It took us two years. Yes, that temporary housing didn’t end up being so temporary. That caused a problem.

When I moved up here thinking it was a temporary move I packed accordingly. I packed stuff for a storage unit and packed stuff to live with for a few months. I figured I would keep things to a minimum that we were living with and I would handle it. So, most of everything went into storage. But when you live in a home for two years you need stuff (Yes, that temporary thin ended up to be two years). So, instead of digging through a three car garage packed very tight we just bought new. Now everything is in one place we have duplicates and lots of them.

This was the first step to make in my series of articles I am writing. I do not need two of most items. So out went ten good sized boxes that were just literally picked up by Big Brothers Big Sisters. It feels good to pass on items that were perfectly good to someone who could use it while it benefiting a worthwhile charity and in turn freeing up space in my home. I am sure I will find more duplicates as I move through the house but that is alright. I can make another large load to donate or take a box at a time to a local thrift store.

My strategy now is to go to one tote to another. Discard things that are no longer in working condition, broken or just not wanted anymore. I am also using labeled totes to put things that are ‘I don’t knows’. When I am done going through the house I will take one of these totes at a time and everything in the tote will find a home in my home or it will go to the trash or donate. Will write another article on the flip side of doing this. See you all then.