Moving Safety: How to Avoid Theft When you are Moving

When it comes time to move, theft is probably the last thing on your mind. You have endless to-do lists, and you just don't have time to worry about the worst. Unfortunately, due to the upheaval of a move, it leaves us quite vulnerable to theft. Here are some ways you can ensure the safety of your items when it comes time to move. 

1. Keep Door Locked 

When we move strangers (movers, repair men, etc) come in and out of our houses continuously. We also may have friends, family, etc coming in and out as well. The traffic increases the likelihood that your door will be left unlocked, or perhaps you will forget to lock your doors. The best way to avoid an easy theft is to keep all of your doors and windows locked at all times. It may also be a good idea to change all of the locks when you move into a new home just to make sure there isn't a stray key into your home out there. 

2. Valuable Items 

Jewelry, cash, weapons, etc. should all be stored safely away where strangers cannot easily access them. As soon as you move in you or trusted family member should put these items somewhere safely tucked away. A safe is ideal for such items, but a locked room or hidden storage area can work just as well. Many people will suggest hiding valuable items in closets, so that is an area many thieves will look first when they break into homes. That is why I urge you all to be a little more creative than that. Just don't be careless by leaving these items out in plain view or where they can easily be found by any unwelcome visitors in your home. 

3. Paperwork 

Another major problem these days is identity theft. Tax returns, bills, etc. should all be tucked away in a locked cabinet or somewhere safe. The valuable information on random pieces of paperwork can give a stranger all the room they need to create a huge nightmare for you down the line. Also remember to shred and throw away any unneeded paperwork that has your personal information on it. 

4.  Medications

Any important medications or toiletries should be moved on your person. Pack them in a purse, glove box, carry-on or whatever, to avoid them being swiped during a move or after. If you do not want to bother with this precaution, I suggest packing them in with clothes, book or some other box where no one would suspect to look for such an item. There is nothing worse than not only not having an important medication available when you need it, but now having to go to a doctor in your new area to get a new prescription. 

5. Alarm System 

I suggest installing and activating an alarm system, like ADT, to protect your home from intruders. Installing it before you even move in is ideal. Moving to a new place can be scary, and this extra precaution gives you a little more peace of mind when settling into your new home. 

6. Make Friends with Neighbors

Being friendly with the neighbor isn't a thing everyone wants to do, but it is a good way to protect your home. In the long run it gives you another set of your eyes on your home. This will serve you the whole time you live in this house

Quit Social Media While You Move

There are lots of great ways to save time on your move. You can hire movers, junk removal teams, move out cleaners, recruit friends and family or even hire a moving assistant. Or you can just quit Facebook and give yourself more time to deal with more of the move yourself. 

The average internet user spend around 10 hours on social networking a month. Around 6.75 hours of those hours are spend on Facebook. To read more about how are time is used on the internet, check out this nifty infographic that was released by Morrison & Foerster. It seems more and more of our time is spent on our phones, computers and televisions, that leave us with little free time for things in reality- like moving for example.

It doesn't need to be necessarily Facebook that you quit. Quitting any habit that takes up a lot of time during

the move can give you the extra time need to plan, organize and actually preform the move. Perhaps you spend a lot of time on television, texting, reading, drinking or whatever. Honestly consider what is taking up a lot of your time that doesn't benefit you all that much.Vow to quit one of the time consuming habits just for the duration of the move, but try not to quit any healthy habits (like exercising for example). Quitting this habit  will give you a bunch of extra hours to deal with moving related nightmares! 

You can return to Facebook or whatever else as soon as the move is over. I just chose to pick on Facebook, because it something I spend entirely too much time on some days. If you are going to quit for just a while, I recommend disabling your account. You can start it back up as soon as you are ready to return to the world of social media after you deal with this whole real world moving thing.

Quit Before You Run Out of Time to Plan Your Move

Where is my Truck?

When you use a moving company one thing you may notice is the moving truck drive takes a lot longer to get your new location than it is going to take you in your personal vehicle. It can be frustrating to arrive at your new home and wait for a long time for your stuff to arrive. Most of us want to get our stuffed moved in as soon as possible, because the sooner we start assembling our new home the sooner the whole move will finally be over with.

Moving truck drivers are not just cruising around during this time to make your family wait. The following is explaining why moving trucks take so much longer to get to a location.

1. No Moving Trucks Allowed

There are many roads that trucks are not allowed on. For that reason moving trucks often have to go on out of the way routes to get to your new location. These routes are usually extremely inefficient, but it is absolutely necessary for moving trucks to take the alternative way due to traffic regulations.

2. Traffic Rules 

The average driver goes around 5 mph above the speed limit. Professional moving truck drivers cannot take this risk of speeding at all. A traffic ticket is a huge threat to their livelihood;l so if the posted speed limit is 25 mph, they are going 25 mph.

3. Slow Down, Speed Up 

It takes moving trucks a lot more time to speed up or slow down. This has a lot of impact on how efficient a drive can be. For one thing, it means moving truck drivers need to drive extremely defensively, because if someone slams on their breaks they need more than enough room to stop. It also means getting started when the red light turn green takes a lot longer. All of these little things add a lot of time onto a drive.

4. The Law

The law is that drivers can only drive 11 hours a day. In addition, they are only allowed to work a total of 14 hours a day. For long-distance moves, these laws make a huge difference. Some moving truck drivers would love to pull all nighters to just get the job done to get home sooner, but doing so can get them and the moving company in a great deal of trouble with the Department of Transportation.

5. Unexpected Traffic 

Remember that unexpected traffic can happen anytime, anywhere. Unpredictable accidents, popular events and many other things can cause traffic to be extremely heavy. While most drivers will try to avoid expected rush hour traffic, incidental traffic is nearly impossible to avoid.

Tricks and Tips to Selling Your Home When You Have Children

Wish You Could Pack up the Kids Too? 

Getting your home ready to sell and showing it becomes complicated when you have children. Kids have this magical way of making messes everywhere that they shouldn't when are trying to move, and often it can be an up hill battle for parents to keep their sanity while trying to successfully sell their homes. 

The one consolation you can have is that people with kids will get any messes your little monster may have created. The problem is people without kids may not. The following are some simple ways to try to reduce the kid-related chaos in your home long enough to sell it. 

1) Pack up all the toys you can get away with. Toys are a lovely way of distracting the children, but you don't want them to distract the eye of your buyers. An excess of toys can make buyers feel like the space is a lot smaller than it actually is. Go with the goal of packing up half the toys, and see if you can get away with a little more. If you have the space, put them in the basement, the shed or self storage. You'll be surprised how much more spacious and less cluttered your home looks like without all the Fischer Price, action figures, etc. You may even find yourself whimsically daydreaming of the day that your child grows out of the toys, but for now just enjoy the lack of plastic piles while you can. 

2) The Toilet Problem. Kids are messy, smelly and just plain gross, especially when it comes to hygiene. Before the house is going to be shown make sure to check all of the toilets in the house, and to dispose of any stink diapers. Make sure all cleaning supplies, bathtub toys, diapers, etc. are stored away out of sight. The last thing you want a potential buyer to think about when considering your home is unsanitary smelling and cluttered bathrooms.  

3) Put Your Kid to Work. Selling your home can be a team effort. Give your kids small tasks to take care of. Washing windows, cleaning tables, keeping their room clean, dusting, etc. can all be tasks that make the house look more nice. Try to motivate your child to help sell the house by putting the move in a positive light. 

4) Put Your Kids Away. When you are showing your house, if at all possible have the kids out of the house. Send them to grandma's, a friend's or just outside to play. If you are using a realtor, it is best to take your whole family outside of the house. People like to browse their potential new home in privacy and quite. Two things that kids, and even you, can be quite disruptive of. 

5) Eat out. Spend the least amount of time as possible in the kitchen. This avoids any unwanted messes. If you do cook at home, keep it to simple meals that won't leave a mess. Make sure your kids know not to eat or make food when someone is viewing the house. 

6) Put away the kid stuff. Cradles, potty stools, high chairs, cribs, etc. should all be put away when someone is coming to view the house. These serve as visual and physical barriers to people who want to take a good look at the house. 

How to Find Out What Size Moving Truck You Need

One of the many obstacles of moving everything yourself is that you need to pick out a moving truck to rent. Getting too big or too small of a truck are both annoying errors that can cost you a lot extra. There is no magic formula to figure out what size you need, but we'v written this article to help you figure out it out. 

Pack Everything into Boxes First 

Packing everything before you rent the truck is a great way to figure out exactly how much space you will need from moving truck. This requires you pack everything that you can in boxes. For stuff you can't pack yet you can't guesstimate how many more boxes it will take to pack this stuff. For furniture and appliances you can just measure the cubic footage of those items. If you can't start packing before renting the moving van, you will need to guess to the best of your ability how many boxes you will be using. 

Calculate The Cubic Footage of Your Items

This step is a lot easier if you pre-buy boxes, so that you know the exact size of them. To get the cubic feet you will need to measure the width x length x height of each size box. If you know the sizes of the boxes already you can calculate the cubic footage of each individual box by how many boxes of that size you used. 

Remember Length x Width x Height = Cubic Footage

For example, if one of the sizes boxes you used was 5 x 4 x 5. You would calculate that out to equal 100 cubic feet. If you used 10 of those boxes, those boxes would take up 1,000 cubic feet.  

Alternatively you can measure around all the items. You will need to gather them in all in one area. You will measure the width, height and length of the area that the boxes take up then calculate the cubic footage of that area.

Knowing the exact cubic footage you'll be able to determine exactly what size moving van that you need.  

Go Out and See and Measure the Different Trucks 

You will need to measure the space inside of the moving truck to see exactly how much space that it offers. Some companies will offer a measurement, but it usually does not account for rubber lined wall guards or where the lining of the truck goes up to make space for the tires. This is especially an important step if you are going to have a tight fit. 

Compare the cubic footage of the truck to the size of your items. Then you will know which truck you will need come moving day. 

Make Sure that You have Plenty of Room 

I really can't imagine anything worse than realizing your moving truck is too small after you have filled it with all the items you can fit. If it is going to be a very tight squeeze, I would err on the size of caution and get a bigger truck. Even if it costs you a little extra money now, it will be better than the alternative of loading, unloading, getting a different truck then reloading. This has never happened to me personally, but I'm pretty sure my head would explode if it did! 

Happy moving! 

8 Ways to Manage Depression About Moving

What Causes Depression

Depression can come from hereditary, biological or psychological problems. With depression about moving, you are experiencing depression caused by environmental factors. Temporary depression can be set off from what life happens to bring us, and unfortunately, some of us have to move even when we don't want to.

For some people, relocation can bring about excitement, anticipation and exhilaration to start over in a brand new place. Many others are apprehensive to leave the familiar, sometimes into areas where we don't know anyone. I have personally experienced both ends of being super happy or super sad about moves, and I can tell you it is never good or bad as anyone makes it out to be. Life goes on, and eventually you will establish a routine that feels normal again.

Just to be on the safe side, we want to encourage anyone who is considering harming themselves or feeling particularly miserable to contact professional help immediately. People at The National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 are always available to talk to free if you are need.

How to Handle Depression About Moving

1. The first thing you should do is realize what you are experiencing is not unusual at all. About 6.7% adults above 18 in the U.S., or 14.8 million people, are experiencing depression at anytime. You are not alone, you are not strange and there are ways for you to deal with your depression. Whenever you are feeling like no one has ever felt as bad as you are feeling, remember how many people out there are experiencing the same feelings of despondence, helplessness and sadness. 
2. One easy way we can all fight off depression is by exercise. It can be simple as going on a walk around the neighborhood or a more elaborate effort to go to the gym. Your body releases hormones that fight off stress when you exercise. With major depression, you may not feel like it, but just make yourself do it. You'll feel a lot better afterwards. I know it is a lot easier said than done, but you can do it. 
3. Another thing to consider is to getting help with your move. Whether it be from a professional moving company, family or friends, lowering stress levels can be helpful to fight of depression. Sometimes it can be nice just to have some company if you are depressed, and seeing someone who is outside of your routine will make you realize life isn't that bad. 
4. Not EVERYTHING needs to be perfect. Let go. Control freaks (you know who you are) can have an especially difficult time with moves. Moves are chaotic. Even the best planners and moving professionals find them to be a not-so-pleasant part of life. Realize that somethings going wrong will not be the end of the world. 
5. Turn a negative into a positive. A common problem for depression is to get caught in a negative thought cycle. You think of one negative thing then the next thing you know you are dwelling on a whole list of negative things. The next thing you know you've spent hours dedicated to being stuck in this harmful cycle. The next time you feel yourself going into one of these cycles, make yourself do something positive instead. When you are done doing the productive/positive action you can feel the satisfaction of what you got done instead of moping. 
6. Keep a list. One common exercise cognitive psychologists give out is to keep a list of negative thoughts, especially very general ones. Some examples of this are "I am bad at everything", "I am a horrible person", "I'm never going to get everything done". Your job is to go back to this list and write why these views are extreme, and how they are not true. Even though you may feel these statements with such strong conviction at the time, when you go back to them when you are less depressed you'll see that they are not as true as you thought. 
7. Consider professional help. If your depression is getting in the way of your everyday activities, it is time to get some professional help from a psychologist. They can help you through with medication, exercises and therapy. 
8. Can't afford a psychologist. Whether you don't have the time, health insurance or energy to go to a psychologist, it doesn't mean you can't get any help. There are lots of books out there that can help you get over your depression. One book I recommend, that is very well renowned (this is not a marketing effort on my part), is here. I personally used this book to help me get out my depression after moving, and some of the exercises in there really did help.

I wish you good luck on your move and dealing with depression. Remember that you are not alone, and you are capable of getting through this rough patch of your life! Stay positive. 

Moving Insanity: Moving with a Baby 101

The first year of parenthood may be one of the most challenging human experiences. While babies look glamorous from a distance, we who have had them know the truth about these cute, stinky, vomiting and demanding little precious monsters. Your life becomes centered around the baby's every whim and need unless you are one of the fortunate who have family, friends or a sitter that will allow you to take a nap for a couple of hours. Even with that help, those short breaks are usually dedicated to much needed sleep, not actually getting much done. 

So when for some reason you need to move with a baby, it can be a bit tricky to say the least. If there is anytime you could afford to get a mover, now is the time. Obviously this is not an option for all of us, but you should at least do some pricing around to see if there is anyway that you can spring for it. 

With lack of sleep,time and no sanity to spare, moving is going to be very difficult with your baby. You are parent though, so we aren't confident that you'll be able to handle this. Here are some tips to help you get through the ordeal. 

1) Stay Calm. Babies can pick up on when adults are stressed. Moving is something that stresses about 99.9% of adults out, but try not to show it around the baby. 

2) Keep a schedule. We all know that babies are ticking little clocks when it comes to naps, feeding and the like. Try to build your moving schedule around the baby's regular schedule if at all possible. 

3) Get a sitter. While not strictly necessary, it can be infinitely helpful to have someone watch the baby while moving.

4) Don't wait to pack the baby stuff. You may be tempted to not pack some of the baby stuff till the very end. Think about it though, a lot of stuff can get packed pretty early on to get it out of the way. 

5) Start packing everything you can, as soon as you can. Anything that can be packed, should be packed as soon as possible. This tip is helpful for any move, but can especially come in handy when dealing with a baby and a move. 

6) Move a short-distance if at all possible. While most of us do not have a choice about how far or close we move, the shorter the distance the easier it will be on you at anytime. 

7) Find doctors, hospitals etc. If you are moving far or just to another town, make sure you know some of the hospitals and doctors in the area and on the route. This way, god forbid, any emergencies come up you will know exactly where you need to go or who you need to call. 

8) Bring baby supplies for long-distance moves. The worst part about long-distance moves with a baby is that you will be dealing with transportation via plane, car, hotels, etc with a baby. This is absolutely no fun. Take everything with you that you will need, and also take stuff you will need on arrival if possible. Moving companies can be late, and can leave us unfortunately unarmed for having a baby when we first arrive to our new homes. Include clothes, blankets, food, a safety-approved car seat, toys, bottles, pacifiers, formula, wipes, lotion, powder, cotton balls, first-aid kit, collapsible stroller, sling and anything else you use regularly.

9. On an airplane. Dealing with TSA with pre-pumped milk can be an issue. Know your rights. Bottled milk is an approved by TSA to get through security. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise If you plan on taking a plane, leave early to make sure if they try to give you any grief that you won't miss your flight.
Everyone dreads being on the plane with the crying baby. One thing you can do is attach a note to your baby-carrier explaining that you and the baby are doing everything that you can do to keep quiet. You may still get some scowls, but the note will make the person seem even more like a jerk than they already are.  

10. On the road. If you are moving a long-distance via car taking a lot of breaks along the way will help the baby keep calm. Fresh air will be great for you and the baby, and it gives you a chance to stretch your legs. 

Five Android Apps That Will Help You Move

Moving Apps excited me with the new possibilities of easing the mayhem of moving, and I have closely gone over the different Apps to see what I found to be useful. There are lots Apps that can help you in all stages of your moving, but to be honest moving still isn't all that easy with the apps. While the smart phone cannot do all the hard work of wrapping, boxing and lifting, they do help in the organization department. 

MoveMatch  (Free)
Useful for people who plan on renting a moving van.

As you may know, moving truck companies often charge by the weight of all your items. Anyone who has ever tried to rent a moving van, know it can be a seemingly impossible task to guess exactly how much your stuff weighs.  

MoveMatch tries to take the guess work out of figuring out how much your stuff weighs by helping you calculate a pretty accurate guesstimate. To figure out the weight the phone will ask you to go through every room, and list the items that are in the room. Once you've entered all the data it will have a result that is pretty close to what the volume of all your belongings actually is. 

Moving Plan  ($.99) 
Great for organizing a move. 

Not all of us are list-makers, but list making is probably one of the most useful tools when you move.There are so many things going on during a move, that it is all to easy for one, two or more items to slip your mind. Moving Plan is essentially a digital checklist.  Although an old fashioned pen and paper list can-do, these digital lists actually come in pretty handy. 

There are pre-made lists on the Moving Plan already to help you organize a move, and you can customize your own lists. To share the lists it is easy to email/export the lists to others who need to know what needs to be done. 

Gas Buddy (Free)
Saving money for gas on a move (or any other time). 

This App will let you find the cheapest gas in an area by GPS location. The best way to use it during a move is planning certain points you want to stop for gas. You can plan ahead to choose gas stations with cheaper prices that are near the highway. While most folks will not to want to go too far out of their way for gas prices, it is nice to save even a couple pennies per gallon  when we can. 


My Move (Free)
Helps choosing a mover.


My move basically works as a database of different moving companies in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. There are some other international coverage, but it is very  limited. You can find reviews and licensing information for different moving companies to help you choose who is best. In addition, there are other fun features of notes, lists, tips and other features that can help you along your move. 

The Joy of Move Out and Move in Cleaners!

To get a bid on move out cleaners you only need to answer a couple of questions on this website. The tool will find move out cleaners in your area that will be able to accommodate all your cleaning needs.

Move out cleaners are a great way to save time and money on a move. They will do all the dirty work of cleaning up a place, so that you can focus on the actual elements of moving.

When I used move out cleaners for my last move, they were great. The came in to clean the bathroom, living room and kitchen while I moved out of my old apartment. Amazingly I managed to get my security deposit back! As a person with cats, I had doubts that I would ever see that security deposit cash again.

When the cleaners come in, they ask you to direct them to which rooms you want done. Then their team gets to work, really scrubbing everything down. I was sad to leave my really shiny old apartment, and glad it was all cleaned up for the new tenants.

Next time I want to use moving in cleaners before I move into a place. We've all moved into an apartment or house that the past owners definitely did not clean thoroughly before they left. The thought of cleaning up someone else's bathroom has always really grossed me out.

Move in cleaners help you skip the gross step of dealing with someone else's grime. So instead of focusing on scrubbing your new bathroom, you can begin the really hard work of packing all your belongings!

10 Tips for a Self Move

Due to tight budgets, we are sometimes forced to self move. Moving can be very stressful with the help of professionals movers, but somehow us self movers manage to do it all. Here are some basic tips on how to make a self move a little bit easier.

1. Start boxing as soon as possible. Stuff that you don't need should be boxed a long time before moving day. If you do all the boxing and moving the boxes into the moving van in one day, you are going to be very tired.

2. De-clutter before moving. The less stuff you have to move, the easier it will be. You can sell, give away or even throw away stuff that you won't need in your new place.

3. Recruit friends, family and neighbors to help you move. Anyone you think that would be willing to help, ask them. The worst they can say is no or that they are busy.

4. If you are renting a moving van, do your research early as possible. Here is a guide that will tell you all you need to know about renting a moving truck.

5. Hire someone to do the move out cleaning for you. This is a cheap way to cut down on labor you have to do yourself. The last thing anyone wants to do after they have moved all their stuff into a truck is clean their whole house, but it is usually necessary.

6. Make sure you have moving insurance before you move. This can save you a lot of trouble if anything gets damaged.

7. Buy, save and search for all the boxes you will need to move long before moving day. It is better to have more than enough boxes than too few.

8. If you are doing a long-distance move, make sure to stop to rest. Try your best to budget for a motel or hotel that you can get a good night sleep in. Sleeping in the moving truck may save you some money, but you won't save money if you end up renting the truck longer because you were too tired to unload when you got there.

9. When you get there try to unload everything into the room it goes in. If you put everything in one place, you are just creating more work for later.

10. Before you arrive, plan for what you will eat at your new place. Either have the number of a delivery place or have food set aside for yourself.

What Not To Do When Using Moving Insurance

Investing in moving insurance is a wise precaution to take when using movers. Whether you get full value protection or just go with the included released value option, there are steps you can take to ensure that your moving insurance will work if items are broken, stolen, lost, etc. Your mover's liability is limited or eliminated if you act in what is considered to be an irresponsible and/or questionable fashion. Here are some steps to take to ensure your mover's insurance will be in full effect if need be.

Packing 

While packing our own boxes can save us money, in the event of a dispute it will cause difficulties within our claim. If the movers do not pack your items, they do not know if items are already damaged. You may be accused of committing insurance fraud if an item gets broken or lost while moving, and the movers did not pack the item in question
We recommend that you check-in with the movers to see exactly how much extra it costs for them to pack your items. If the cost is not that extra, you may want to consider saving yourself the work of packing and potential insurance nightmare later.

What Not to Pack 

You would be surprised at the silly thing people try to pack without thinking about the danger that could be caused by these items. Cleaning supplies, motor oil, gasoline and paint are notorious items that are accidentally packed. Most of the time movers will not move them, but there is always the chance these items may be packed either by you or by a careless mover.

Before a move make sure that you pack these types of items separately to take with you. You will probably want to use the cleaning supplies right away in your new home anyways. If you do not want to bother taking along paint or other items, take them to the dump before you move or ask your buyer if they want the supplies for future use. 

Is Your Stuff Worth More than 60 Cents Per Pound? 

If you choose released value coverage when your items are obviously worth a lot more than 60 cents per pound, you may be held liable for choosing this option. You really need to consider the value of your furniture, electronics, appliances before you move. If they are worth a lot, you need to consider upgrading the insurance to get more effective coverage. 

Notify Your Movers of Valuable Items

If you have items that are worth a lot, let the moving company know. We recommend documenting the notification, not just relying on verbal exchanges. This way if there are problems down the road you have paper to back-up the existence of items you may need to make a claim on. If at all possible, with smaller electronics and jewelry, we recommend just keeping them with you on the long move if at all possible. It is one less thing to worry about during this stressful process. 

5 Ways to Make Friends After A Move

Dealing with the stress of just physically moving a long-distance can be strenuous at best. Once you finally get all your stuff organized (or at least as good at is going to get for now) we may have tested every last nerve there is, and will be glad just to have some time to relax.
Thanks to social media and cell phones we do have better support systems even when have moved to an area where we know everybody. Phone time and computer time can only do so much, and you may find yourself wanting to make new friends after a while. This is not an easy task, so we have put together some tips to help you make new friends after a move.

1) Meet Your Neighbors- Some people may feel like they are acting grossly out of a sitcom by approaching their neighbors, but building relationships with your neighbors is important. Go knock on their door to go say hi, if they haven't already done so for you. Even if you do not find anyone in the same age range or gender, at least if something happens to your home they have a face and a name to make it more likely that they will act in case of an emergency.

2) Volunteer- Volunteering with local charities can be a great way to meet people while helping out your community. Think of a cause that you care about, and Google around to see if an organization that matches what you want to do for the community. If you fail to make friends while doing charity, at least your time wasn't completely wasted.

3) Bar Friends- Going to the local watering hole can be a good way to meet people in the area. Just be weary of some friends that may have too much of a drinking habit, and don't let drinking be your only social outlet.

4) Amateur Sports- Signing up for a rec league is a fun way to get exercise while meeting people with similar interests. Even if you aren't that great at a sport, most leagues are always looking for people just to show up so they can play.

5) Yard Sale- This is a great way to get rid of some stuff you don't need while meeting some people in your area. You can even think of things to say if people show interest in certain items to help start a conversation. For example, if you are selling an old CD collection maybe recommend one of the CD's to the person, and who there favorite groups are. If you hit it off with someone ask them to hang-out sometime since you are new to the area. If you can't sell all your extra stuff at the yard-sale you can hire a junk removal team to get it out of your new home.

10 Tips on How to Save on Long-Distance Moves

Moving long-distances is not only very draining physically and emotionally, it can be very expensive. There are ways to save some money here and there that can really make a difference. These tips will also help ease the burden of the move beyond cost. Here are the 10 cost saving tips that will save you a bunch on long-distance moves. 

1. Decluttering before a move can save your sanity and some money. This step is essential if you are moving into a smaller space. By getting rid of junk, you won't need to figure out where to put the junk in your new place. It also will save you time with hourly and weight costs if you hiring movers. You can either try donating items or selling items to get rid of the stuff you just don't need anymore. You can also try recycling or chucking items that do not have any use.  

2. Shop around for your movers, moving van, storage or any other services that you may be using for you long-distance move. Do not be afraid to call around and ask for quotes from as many places as you can. If a service is significantly cheaper, you may want to be cautious about using them. Moving scams are an unfortunately common occurrence in the moving industry, so it is better to err on the side of caution.   

3. Pick the right time to move! Most people move during the summer, the end of the month, holidays and on weekends. All of these times you are not going to get the best price on any moving services you may be using. The slowest time for moving companies is in the middle month, and you usually can save considerable money if you move during the time. If your moving dates are flexible, consider moving in an off-peak time. 

4. Choose your boxes appropriately. Some things we don't mind just throwing in any old box we found behind the grocery store, dumpster, etc., but some delicate items need special packaging. If you have items that are delicate make sure to use boxes that will not break, and add extra padding with newspapers and styrofoam. Also, if you are moving in extremely hot or cold weather, you may want to consider special packaging for electronics and other items that are sensitive to temperature.

5. Hire professional movers. Sometimes getting neighbors, friends, college students or whoever is cheap to pack our stuff up is great. In a long distance move to save your stuff from any serious damage, you may want to consider hiring professionals. With the right company any damage done to your items will be insured. Also, good movers know how to pack stuff so it won't get damaged.

6. Make sure you are insured or at least know what you are covered for. If you are using a moving company or moving van, make sure that you are insured in all ways possible. Specifics will be in your contract with the moving company and your homeowner's insurance. Now is the best time to figure out what you are or are not covered for. Even if you are not covered, it is good to know what you need to be extra careful with.

7. Read mover reviews! Moving scams are a problem in the moving industry. Fortunately, the internet has made reviews of movers readily available. Check individual reviews and reports on moving companies from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). More than likely you and your stuff will be fine, but it is good to try to avoid problems when you are moving.

8. Make sure the company is accredited by the BBB. Companies that are will be the least likely to give you any trouble during your long--distance move.

9. Look-up gas prices beforehand. With the high cost of gas, long-distance moves are expensive as ever. With the internet, you can look-up cheap stops to get gas. If you have a smart phone, you can look-up the cheapest gas to your location using GPS. If you do not have a smart phone you can plan gas stops in advance.

10. Get a tax write-off for you move. If you are moving for your job, moving is considered a business expense. In order to qualify you have to work for the same place for a year after a move, and move what is qualified to be a long-distance.

Winter is Coming: Tips on Moving During the Winter

The last thing anyone wants to do during the winter is move! If anything, our bodies want to settle down and hibernate for the winter. Unfortunately, the modern world doesn't allow us time to take it easy, and sometime we find ourselves changing residences during the winter.

Important- If at all possible, we encourage you to keep an eye on the weather before a move. The weather can be unpredictable, but do not schedule a move during inclement weather. Even if it means moving a little early or a little late, ask the buyer, sellers and or realtors if accommodations on moving dates can be made during the inclement weather. Most people will be willing to delay if a major storm is on the way.

It is dangerous to move during bad weather on top of just being particularly traumatizing. Moving boxes and furniture is bad enough without thinking you should have invested in a pair of snow shoes for the move.

Switch Utilities Before You Move- Make absolutely sure that the heat will be functional when you get to your new home. If you can't check yourself, double or even triple check with the moving company. The worst thing is to arrive in a new home to it being freezing cold. Also, items left in cold temperatures can get damaged or broken.

Prepare for Power Outages- Snow, ice, sleet and even rain can cause major power outages in most areas. This means you should have your flashlights and candles ready to use, and not packed away in some mystery box. If they are already packed, try to find them before you start the move. Also, if you have a generator, you may want to make sure you have it somewhere you can access easily.

Consider Cold-Resistant Boxes- This may be necessary for long-distance moves when your items will be kept in a cold moving van. Damage to items, especially electronics and appliance, can happen if they are left out in really cold temperatures.

Insure Yourself- Insurance is always important, but especially important if you are moving during the winter. If you are using a moving truck company or renting one, make sure that you are covered on angles. Winter is the time with most moving-related accidents, so it is not the time to take any chances.

Warm-Up For Your Move- This means two things: dressing appropriately and stretching. Make sure that you have plenty of layers that you can shed on and off. You may get hot while you are moving, but cool down while you are preforming more light-weight tasks. Before you start moving anything make sure to stretch. Cold makes the muscles more tense, so they are more prone to injury.

Hire Someone- If you are renting a movie van, you may want to consider hiring on a driver. Driving a large moving truck during the winter can be extremely hazardous to you and all your belongings. Wrecks can be bad enough, but if you wreck in a moving van you can do some very serious damage to your items and other vehicles. If you can't afford to hire a professional, consider looking on Craigslist. Or ask around on Facebook to see if anyone knows someone who is competent at driving large vans. In the midst of a snow-storm is not a good time to experiment with how well you can handle an over-sized vehicle.

Can I Have a Minute of Your Time? (Moving Deals Inside)

Currently our website is collecting data about our users and readers. We want to know how long our browsers are looking to use storage, so we can write more useful blog entries for you. The more we know about you, the better we can serve you through our blog.

If you could visit our homepage and fill out the poll on the right-hand side, you'd really be helping us out. All you have to do is answer how long you will be using self storage. No personal data required at all! Just one click of the mouse to say how long you need to use storage.

In exchange, you can take advantage of some of the great deals on the websites now or in the future. In fact, you can take advantage of these deals even if you don't feel like taking the poll. We just like you that much!

Following are some great deals to help you save money while you are moving or putting stuff in storage.

•  Pack-Rat Coupon for 5% off your monthly storage fees
• $10 Off Junk Removal Service
• 10% off Budget Truck Rental
• Pods: 5% Off Long-Distance Move or First Month Storage Rent
• Save 15% with Public Storage

As usual, we wish you a happy (or at least low-stress) move! 

Why Hire Moving Labor?

Moving laborers are modern day superheroes. I love these guys (and occasional girls). They make life so much easier for those of us who decide to invest in them. While it can be an extra expense some of us think we may not afford, there are different amounts of labor you can hire. It is at least worth investigating to see how much it does actually cost to hire movers, and why people bother with movers in the first place. Here are some of the reasons people choose to hire movers: 

1. Moving sucks! I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, I absolutely hate moving. For someone who hates moving, I have done a lot of it. If you have not moved in a while and think "oh it won't be that bad", think again! Besides just the physical tole moving takes on your body, it is hard mentally as well. Stress levels will be zoomings, back will be strained and even some tears will be shed (or at least that is what I end up doing once every move).
2. Less damage to your stuff. The more experience someone has moving, the better they are going to be at packing stuff so it doesn't break. Movers are great at packing stuff because of their extensive experience, and their fear of liability if any of your stuff is damaged in transit. I prefer avoiding damage to items at all costs myself, because replacing stuff is the pain. 
3. It won't break the bank! Okay, it may break some of our banks, but it is a luxury that may be worth considering. Even if you don't hire movers to do the whole process of the move, you can hire a couple of movers for a couple of hours to move some of the bigger items. 
4. Speed! When you are trying to get a move on with your move, the best way to do it is with professional movers. They move people almost everyday, so they know how to crack the whip to get this baby over with. 
5. If your move is long distance. Just moving yourself a long-distance can be extremely exhausting. The last thing you want to do is have to pack up all your stuff, drive across the country then unpack your stuff. Anyone who has ever been on a road trip knows that the first thing you want to do after a long transit is sleep or at least have some sort of break. Movers will allow you just to worry about transporting yourself.  
6. Exhaustion. Having to reassemble your house into a new space is probably one of the hardest parts of a move. It is something that can not be as done as quickly (or sometimes as carelessly) as boxing all your stuff up and leaving. It will take time to get everything exactly the way you want it. Sometimes it is better to save your energy for this step of the process. Also, good movers make be able to offer some insight into how your furniture will fit in a room. 

If you are on the fence, there is a 10 dollar discount available from this page for Elite Movers. 

Just Root up and Leave: Long Distance Moves for Plants

Moving is hard on everyone: the kids, your pets and your sanity.  It is especially hard on plants, because in no way are plants evolved to be mobile. Trees don't just root up and leave as the saying goes. It will take all the powers of your green thumb that helped cultivate your house plants to make them have a successful move.  Even if you are careful as possible, you may lose a plant or two. Let us guide you through this difficult process.


Step 1: Are you allowed to move your plant to a new home? 


Different state regulations limit which plants you are allowed or not allowed to move. Research what your new state or currents state's laws are regarding moving house plants before you decide which ones you actually can move. If you are making an international move there is a chance you will probably not be able to take your plants sadly. Investigate what the rules are, but it is probably a better idea to give the plants away. If you have no friends or family in the area ask your neighbors or you can donate them to local nursing homes.

The reasoning behind these rules is that your plants can bring foreign parasites and diseases to a different location which can be very harmful to the environment. One of the most harmful and current examples of something via plants is the spreading of the Gyspy Moths in the United States. They have been spreading through out the United States every since their accidental introduction from Asia. Gypsy Moths are unhealthy for plant-life and inconvenient for humans. That is why some sates requires that certain plants get a Gypsy Moth Inspection certification for you to move them there.
Before moving you will need to switch out the soil of your plant.  In almost every state it is required that your house plant have sterile soil. You will need to switch out the soil you have to sterilized potting soil when moving.  This type of soil can be purchased at most garden shops.

Step 2: Actually Moving the Plants


Now the time has come to actually physically move the plants.  You will need to start this process three weeks before moving day ideally. If you haven't thought about this until last minute, it is okay. Just condense the steps to get through the move.

So on week one you will want to repot your plants into moving containers.  This is when you will switch the plant's soil to sterilized potting soil. Moving containers for plants mean plastic containers versus any clay or decorative plots. The reason for this is so that your pots won't break during the move. Also, plastic containers are a lot lighter than their clay counter parts.  It is recommended that you stay with the same pot size if at all possible, because changing the pot size can be very harmful to the plant.

The next week you will want to prune your plants that are bigger. Pruning plants allows for maximization of the health of the plant. You will want your plant to be in it's healthiest state when you move.To prune you simply pinch newer limbs and leaves on the plants with your thumb and forefinger. That is it! One thing to keep in mind is some plants do not respond well to pruning. Research the particular plant to make sure that you do not damage any plants.

A week before the move you will want to check your plant for bugs and insects. It is probably wise to spray your plant with insecticide, but not absolutely necessary. You do not want to carry any foreign insects to the new place you are traveling.

Now here comes the big day, the moving day. You will want to wrap your houseplants with tissue paper or an old sheet to help prevent damage to the plant. To transport the plants you will want to put them all in boxes. By placing paper around the pots you can prevent the plants from shaking around during the move. You will want to punch air holes in the side of the box to help the plant to breathe. When the box is packed into the moving vehicle, make sure they are placed upright. If you follow these directions carefully your plants should be okay for up to a three day move.

NOTICE: Keep in mind watering is vital before the move. An over-watered or under-watered plants can cause the plant to die during the dark transportation.

Now that you are finally on the road to your new home you will need to give minor attention to the plants. If you are transporting the plants in your car do not transport them in the trunk if at all possible! This is the worse thing that you could do to a plant, because conditions are hot, dark and extra bumpy. You will want to give plants occasional access to fresh air and make sure the temperature does not drop too low. You will not have to worry about watering the plants on the way. If you get a chance overnight let the plants out in your room and open the box so they are exposed to some light.

Once you arrive at your new home the plants will be one of the first things that you want to unpack. When you unpack them remove them from the bottom of the box. This will help you to prevent damaging leaves and branches. Slide them out gently. Choose spots for your plants where you they will flourish, do not move them around much in the first week until they are acclimated to their new home.

Things to Hate About Moving

Is there anything that is more fun in life than moving? Yes that is a totally sarcastic comment because really there can be nothing in life that is more of an aggravating headache. Ah moving, how do we hate thee, let us count the ways.

There are so many things to hate about moving, here are just a few:

• Packing: Before you can move all of your stuff to your new place, you have to pack it all up. This is a hassle from the get go. First you have to find boxes to pack all of your belongings into which means plenty of trips to the grocery stores asking for their left over boxes. Then you have to make sure that you pack everything just so to ensure that nothing gets harmed in the move. Finally you get a good slap in the face from reality when you realize you will need a moving truck as big as a tractor trailer to haul all of your stuff to your new residence.

• Renting a moving truck: Just what you want to do on your weekend off, rent a moving truck. After you figure out what size you need you have to make sure it is available and then go pick it up and listen to the salesperson try to sell you a bunch of add-ons that you don’t need like a moving dolly or packing blankets. And what is with that smell that is always in the cab of the moving trucks don’t people know about the wonderful invention of deodorant? Then you get to experience the joy of actually packing up the moving truck. There is no way to do this without absolutely sweating off about 20 pounds and you are inevitably going to break something while trying to squeeze boxes here and there.

• Bribing friends: The time to see how many friends you really do have is when you are moving. You may think you have hundreds of buddies, but good luck getting two or three to commit to helping you for a fun filled weekend of moving your stuff. The ones you will be able to convince will more than likely require some form of compensation like beer and pizza. What’s worse is that once they help with your move you are now on their list of people that owe them one and you know they will cash in before too long.

• Unpacking: When the rental truck has been swept out, filled with gas, and returned and your friends have all left with full stomachs of pizza that you bought, you sit back and let the dust clear. But not so fast, you still have the daunting challenge of unpacking all of your belongings. You try in vain to find a home for all of your things but before too long you realize that everything won’t fit into your new place.

After all the fun you realize that you will either have to have a yard sale or rent a self storage unit. This is where you scream at the tops of your lungs and realize just how much you hate moving.