When we move, we often fail to realize just how entrenched we’ve become in our old city. After spending years living in the same area, you’ve come to know and rely on certain professionals, but you probably didn’t even think about how important they are to your life when you planned your move.

Who are you going to call when you find out that your dog just ate a pound of chocolate? What if you want to go out on a date with your spouse – do you have a babysitter available? What if the air conditioner stops working, or the hot water heater gives up the ghost?

When you live in the same area for a long period of time, you accumulate a list of trusted professionals that you can turn to whenever these situations arise. When you move to a new area, though, you’re completely out of luck – you don’t know who to turn to, let alone who to trust. Read more…

Whether it’s the first home you’ve purchased, or you hope it will be your last, you’re almost certain to find several things that you’ll want to change. But, remodeling a home that you’re just moving into can be tricky. Follow these tips to make the move and the remodeling project flow together as smoothly as possible.

Painting, Wallpapering, and Tiling the Walls

While this isn’t necessarily a remodeling project, it’s something that most homeowners will want to do when they first move in. Have the movers put all of your things in the middle of the room, leaving the walls free of clutter. Paint the bedrooms first, so you’ll be able to start sleeping in them right away. Read more…

With current economic situations being what they are, many people are looking for opportunities to cut their monthly expenses. While there are plenty of ways to trick the cable company into giving you a discounted fee, most of your utility bills aren’t budging in any direction except upwards. They also tend to comprise the smallest portion of your monthly expenses.

Your mortgage payment or rent probably makes up the largest portion of your monthly outlay, typically ranging from 30% to 50% of your income. While it may prove difficult to sell your home, doing so and downsizing to a smaller place can help you save money each month. Read more…

Moving out of your home? If so, it’s time to break out the tools and do some home renovations? Whether you’re going to sell the house, rent it out, or leave it unoccupied, it’s important that you leave it in good shape. Here are a few renovations that you’ll want to do before you move out:

Kitchen Renovation – Planning to sell the house once you move out? If so, giving your kitchen a facelift can help to increase your home’s value. Refinish the kitchen cabinets, change out the stove and appliances, and replace the kitchen counter. You’ll find that a few simple changes to your kitchen will help to make it much more attractive, as well as more valuable.

Pest Control –  Got a problem with insects, or just want to protect your empty house from being infested with rats, mice, or creepy crawlies while you’re letting it sit for sale? It may be time to call in professional exterminators. An exterminator will give the house a good once-over, ensuring that it remains free of anything that could eat away at the foundation, leave droppings in the hidden places, or make the house unappealing to potential renters or buyers. Read more…

You’ve lived in the same place for years. It started out as a blank canvas, with little (or no) furniture, and few possessions. You didn’t need to worry about getting organized because, in all honesty, you just didn’t have that much stuff.

But now that you’re planning to move, you realize just how much clutter has accumulated. If you’ve been raising a family, you probably have far more than you ever possibly imagined. Moving is the perfect time to get organized, so long as you plan for it.

Start by Cutting Down Your Possessions

How many things do you own that you don’t use? How many toys are you holding onto that your children no longer play with? Unless these things have serious sentimental value, you should start the organization process by getting rid of as much of this stuff as you can. The less you have, the harder it is for your home to become cluttered and disorganized. Read more…

Moving is fraught with perils. You have to worry about getting all of your stuff to your new location, disconnecting and reconnecting utilities, and in some cases dealing with your new state’s DMV. The last thing you want to worry about, though, is how your kids will adjust to their new school.

General Tips for Switching Schools

One of the best things you can do for your child when switching to a new school is to start off at the beginning of the school year. Even though the other kids have probably known each other for quite some time, they’re adjusting to many new things – new teachers, new focuses in their studies, and their cool new clothes.

If it’s possible, plan your move at a time that allows your kid to start at his or her new school at the beginning of the school year. It will make the adjustment much easier. Read more…

When you set up that monstrous fish tank you probably didn’t realize you would eventually need to move it. Moving a fish tank of any size can be a daunting task, and it can be extremely risky. Without the proper precautions, you could find most of your fish dying in the move.

Follow this short guide to moving your fish as safely as possible.

What You’ll Need

Besides the supplies you should already have (suction hose, fish net, etc), you’ll need a few additional things to complete this move successfully.

• Fish bags (ask your local pet supplier if you can buy a few)
• Previously unused transportation container (plastic buckets, Styrofoam cooler, plastic cooler)
• Plenty of patience

It’s important that the containers be unused to prevent poisoning (and killing) your fish. Read more…

With current economic situations being what they are, many people are looking for opportunities to cut their monthly expenses. While there are plenty of ways to trick the cable company into giving you a discounted fee, most of your utility bills aren’t budging in any direction except upwards. They also tend to comprise the smallest portion of your monthly expenses.

Your mortgage payment or rent probably makes up the largest portion of your monthly outlay, typically ranging from 30% to 50% of your income. While it may prove difficult to sell your home, doing so and downsizing to a smaller place can help you save money each month.

But What About All of My Stuff?

You’ve undoubtedly accumulated a lot of possessions over the years that have sentimental value. Some may even have cash value, as can be the case with precious collectibles. Chances are, though, most of the stuff you’ve got lying around is hardly ever used. Read more…

Whether you’re headed off to college, or simply leaving the nest to strike out on your own, you’ll want to make sure you get it right the first time. Nothing’s quite as embarrassing (and damaging to the ego) as having to admit to your parents that you’re not able to hack it all on your own.

Follow these tips to make sure that your move into your first place doesn’t result in the first move back home.

Make Sure You Can Afford the Rent

Whether you’ll be rooming with someone else, or going it alone, you’ll want to make sure that you can afford the rent, month after month. Don’t just compare your weekly pay to the cost of rent, though. Be sure to consider the costs of utilities, and food, too. Read more…

Alright, you’ve made the decision to handle your move on your own. Of course, you’ll need the help of a few friends (and half-a-dozen pizzas to feed them), and you’ll also need to rent a moving truck. But how could you have any idea what sized truck you’ll need?

We’ve written this article to help you precisely determine the exact size of moving truck that you’ll need to handle your move perfectly. Choosing too small of a truck means wasted time and fuel expenses (and if it’s a long trip, it might mean getting rid of some of the stuff you had hoped to keep). Choosing too large of a truck leaves your possessions at risk of bouncing around in the truck and costs far more than what you needed to spend.

Follow these steps to pick the perfect sized truck every time. Read more…