Are We Heading for Another Housing Bubble?

The U.S. housing market increased 18.4 percent from March 2012 to July 2013 according to this article from the New York Times. I highly recommend reading the article to gain some insight into housing market trends in the United States. If you don't have time, here are the main points of the article:

• When corrected for inflation, all house values eventually go down over time.
• Despite things like limited land, the aging of a houses almost always leads to a drop in value. Who is going to want a 30 year old house when they can get a new house from the development down the road?
• Real-Estate is not always the best investment for long-term holders.
• The type of thinking that housing is the best investment is ultimately what leads to the housing market bubbles. 
• Conditions of rapidly increasing home values like we are seeing now are similar to the previous housing bubble in 2008. This could or could not lead to another housing bubble.  

When deciding whether to move or not, many people look to the housing market to decide if it is a good to move onto something else. Since the market is on the rise now, it may be a good idea to sell and call the moving company before the bubble bursts again. This true especially if your house is around the ten-fifteen year old mark, because if the bubble burst your house is going to be older with more problems. It also will become outdated as new houses designed in different styles begin to enter your area.  

It is important to put this on all in perspective though. Frequently, economist predictions more often than not are actually wrong even though they are supposed to be the experts. It is just too hard to forecast all of the factors that contribute to our markets even if it is your job. Ultimately you should do what is best for you and your family. There is nothing wrong with getting while the getting is good by trying to sell your home when the market is up. 

Predicting the economy is sort of like trying to finish a jigsaw puzzle when a lot of the pieces are missing. 

  

What size self storage unit do I need?

"What size self storage unit do I need?" is the most frequently asked question that self storage companies receive from customers. I wan to level with you, some self storage owners may stretch the truth about the size you actually need for all of your problems, because obviously the self storage business profits more from you if you rent a larger unit. Also, some owners want to avoid suggesting too small of a unit, because if a customer needs to switch units they will not be happy with the recommendation.

Do not give up hope for picking out the correct sized self storage unit yet! The best way figure out what self storage unit you need is to do it yourself. There are three ways to approach this problem. I highly recommend number one over the other two options.

1. Do the math yourself! 

The most accurate way to get an estimate for self storage unit size unfortunately involves a little bit of math, but don't worry it isn't too difficult. All you need to know how to do is add and multiply to figure out how much space you need from a storage unit. Find out how much space each item will take up with this formula: width x length x height=cubic feet/space the item takes up. Then you add up of all your items' cubic feet to see how much self storage space you'll need.

There are a couple of issues with using this method. One is that you'll first need to pack any loose items in a boxes to be able to add them to your calculations

The second is that you'll need to consider how capable your are of stacking items. If you are not physically able to stack furniture, box, etc on top of each other, then obviously you won't be able to use every inch of space. To address this issue you'll need a bigger unit with more floor space to fit all of your belongings. To find out how much floor space your items will take up just calculate the width x length of items. Then add all of these numbers up. This moving calculator can actually help you figure out the floor space you'll need without you even getting out tape measure.

2. Use a self storage calculator. 

There are lots of self storage calculators help there that will help you figure out about how big of a self storage unit you need. Just as a warning, these calculators can significantly round up. Also, a lot of the calculators assume that customers won't stack any items besides boxes.

This is one of the better self storage calculator available on the internet. All you have to do is enter the inventory of items you plan to put in self storage then the calculator gives you an estimate of the size of self storage unit you'll need.

3. Ask Multiple Self Storage Companies for their Guesstimate 

If you are still shopping around for which self storage company you want to use, you can consider calling several self storage companies for an estimate. If the estimates vary widely I recommend going with the average of all the estimates. If the person on the phone won't give you an estimate, it may be a good sign the self storage company does not have good customer service.

As a bonus, you can also use these phone calls to price different self storage facilities in your area. It is always good to price around before committing to any particular self storage company.


 

5 Ways to Make Moving Fun!

Moving can be a real drag. Luckily, somehow millions of people get through the arduous process every year. I've never heard of someone who started to move than gave up, so I'm confident you'll get through this move. One way to make the process a little easier is to try to add a dash of fun whenever you can. Let us know any tricks you may use to making moving a little less painful by leaving a comment below. 

Listen to Music

Turn on some music while you are working hard on your move!  Although be careful, you don't want to waste too much energy dancing to your favorite tunes. Upbeat music can even motivate you to go faster while you listen to fast and fun rhythms. Even consider making a special playlist that you can use just for moving. Below I'll list some of my favorite moving tunes: 

'Papa Don't Take No Mess' by James Brown   

'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen 

'Movin' on Up' The Jefferson's Theme Song 

'Gimme Shelter' by The Rolling Stones 

'On My Mind, In My Heart' by Jesse Dee 

'I Will Survive' by Cake 

Have a Competition

If you have multiple people in your household consider adding a little competition into the mix. Race to see who can complete their moving to-do list first. This can be a great strategy if you are looking for ways to motivate your kids, might as well put that sibling rivalry to good use.    

Hire Movers

There is nothing like the joy of hiring movers to do the heavy lifting for you. Make sure to take the time to be thankful you are not doing all that hard work yourself! I'm not sure how professional mover do it everyday, but I'm sure appreciative that people out there willing to do it! 

Have an Adult Beverage

Having a beer, a glass of wine or a cocktail can make packing feel a bit more fuzzy. I do not recommend getting hammered on or before moving day, but enjoying alcohol in moderation can help ease the pain of moving. 

Plan a Reward 

Whether it is a big slice of cheese cake or a tropical vacation, make sure that you reward yourself for working so hard on your move. If we don't take time to pat ourselves on the back for all the hard work we've done, we'll never get the credit we deserve. Planning a reward also gives you something to look forward to when you are starting to fill the misery and stress of a move weighing down on you. 

Happy Moving!

Tips for Loading a Moving Truck

Moving is no fun! 

Doing all the labor for a move yourself is hard, I commend your efforts. I definitely know what it is like to not be able to splurge on movers, and it is definitely a lot of tough work. Between boxing all your stuff, hiring a moving truck, and moving all all of the boxes and furniture, you definitely have your work cut out for you. The following are some tips to make moving all your boxes and furniture into a moving truck just a little bit easier.

1. Get the right size truck. There is nothing worse than realizing you don't have enough room in your moving truck to fit everything. It is extremely important to go with the right size moving truck. Either calculate how much space you need yourself, or get an estimate from where your renting from the place you rare renting the moving truck. To avoid too small of a van, I always err on the side of caution by renting a moving truck that is slightly bigger than what I actually need.

2. Think about how everything will fit. Before you even start packing, consider how you want to organize all the items in the truck. A moving truck is like a puzzle, and every piece will need to go in its place.

3. Put one person in charge. Have one person that actually organizes and places everything inside of the van. When you have a bunch of people just throwing stuff in the van there is a tendency for chaos to ensue.An unorganized moving van is also a lot harder to unpack.

4. Load heavy items first. Put all of the heavy and large items in first. These will obviously need to be on the floor of the van.

5. Lighter items last. Items that can just be squeezed in or thrown on top, save for last.

6. Padding. For items you don't want scratched put a sheet over or some other form padding. Couch cushions, blankets and mattresses are a good way to put cushion in between large items. It is also smart to not put heavy items next to or on top of each other to avoid scratching on the road.

7. Put stuff inside of appliances. If you are moving appliances, you can put items inside of the appliances to save space. Small boxes, towels, pots and pans can fit inside of the appliance.

8. Mattresses. If you have multiple mattresses, you can use the cushion of the mattresses to protects things like pictures and mirrors.

9. Pack everything tightly. You should try to pack everything as tightly in as possible to avoid shifting during the move.

10. Bungee cords. If you have excessive space inside of your van, it is a good idea to strap down bigger items to avoid sliding.

Simple tips to Start a Make Over for Your Home Office

Is the state of your small home office starting to drive you crazy? Maybe you are even considering getting a dumpster or hiring out self storage? One of the best ways to avoid needing to throw things away or hiring out self storage is by utilizing all the space that our homes has to offer. A fun way to approach this method of interior decor is by giving your home office a face lift! 

The following are some ways for normal people to approach a new home office set up to make the office pretty and useful at the same time. Not all of us are natural born Martha Stewarts, but that doesn't mean that we can't get professional home decorating results for our home offices with just a little bit of effort. 

Choose a Theme Color 

Choose one color to add stylish and attractive accents to your new home office design. Make sure not to overdo it, because a little bit of color goes a long way. Keep this color in mind when you are selecting home office furniture, paintings or anything else. You can even add an orange cat to the family if that happens to be your theme color, but that may just be the crazy cat lady in me coming out.  

Set a Budget 

Know how much time and money you are willing to spend to re-decorate your home office. This will give you guidelines to go by as you proceed through the marvelous/painful process of re-decorating. 

Brainstorm

One of my favorite places to brainstorm for any home decoration is at IKEA. There displays give viewers great idea on how to best make use of a space. Write down or draw out what you are envisioning your office to look like when you finish. Don't be afraid to alter course along the way. 

Paint Things Yourself 

Painting a Home Office Can Be a Fun Headache! 

Office storage, office furniture and even the walls can all benefit from a splash of color. Keep in mind if you plan to paint, how much time you are willing to dedicate to renovating your home office. Painting office shelves is a lot easier than painting an entire room!

Self Storage for Your Home Office 

One of the best ways to re-organize and expand the space of a room is by adding storage shelves, storage racks or storage cabinets. You can hunt for cheap versions of these at Ikea or even yard sales. Consider getting office storage in fun shapes or various sizes to give the room a simple touch of creativity and style. If you are feeling industrious, you can add a splash of color by buying color storage shelves. Or even paint the storage shelves yourself!

New Home Office Furniture 

If you need it, getting new home office furniture can amp up the style of your room. For those on a budget, you can search craigslist, Ikea or yard sales to get great deals. Make sure that every piece of home office furniture has a purpose, because too much furniture can add unnecessary clutter to a room.

Give Away, Sell or Donate Extra Stuff in Your Home Office 

If you have any excess junk in your office, it is time to let that stuff go. Many of us are closet hoarders, so it is time to make like a Buddhist monk and minimize the worthless junk in our lives. If you are not going to use an item in the foreseeable future, it is probably time to toss it. 

Take Your Time Re-Decorating Your Home Office 

As we speak, I am in the process of re-organizing and re-decorating my own home office. It has been one month now, but I still can't say that it is completely finished due to lack of budget and time. Be kind to yourself by allowing yourself plenty of time to complete the project. Beating yourself up for not instantly changing your home office around in one day like some version of Mary Poppins is not helpful. Even with a spoon full of sugar cough syrup tastes bad anyways Mary Poppins, so what does she know anyways!