With many good deals to be had in the real estate market, many first time buyers see this as the perfect opportunity to buy an older, run down property and turn it into their dream home.  Others see the opportunity for making a profit from doing great things to that old fixer upper and reselling it.

If you’ve recently sold your home in the Seattle area and have had all your belongings moved safe and sound by your local movers in Seattle, then you’re ready for the next step of your moving and renovating adventure.  Here are some dos and don’ts of moving into a fixer upper without getting overwhelmed.

Do try and move boxes into an area of the home where you will not be renovating right away.  In fact, you may want to consider asking your Seattle moving company if they offer temporary storage of furniture that you can retrieve when the room is ready for it.  It’s very difficult to renovate around furniture and boxes of belongings.

Do draw up a plan of action and work in that order. For example you don’t want to spend time and energy fixing up old drywall only to have to tear it out to fix faulty wiring.   Be sure to put everything you want to do down on a list so you can plan your work in order.

Don’t forget to budget your renovations.  No doubt you have a dollar figure in mind that you want to spend.  It’s easy to get carried away and over spend on one area leaving you without funds to continue the whole job.  It’s a good idea to start  with a list of everything you want to do ideally, and then as you put the actual cost to jobs, you will eliminate or alter the jobs according to what budgets will allow. For example, you may want new tiles in the bathroom, but when you look at the budget, you may opt instead for a really good cleaning and polishing so you can invest in new fixtures instead.

Do invest in modern energy efficient products wherever possible. Energy efficient windows and doors, heating and cooling systems and air cleaners and purifiers are very highly valued in today’s real estate market.

Don’t be afraid to call on the services of a professional if you feel overwhelmed.  A few dollars spent getting help from a person with the skills to do the job right can often save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run.   In some cases there is still plenty that you can finish yourself once a professional has provided some basic advice and steps for you to follow.

Do take your time.  It may seem like a project that never ends once you start renovating.  Try to stay focused on the task at hand rather than always looking ahead to the day it will all be finished. Take joy from each accomplishment knowing it is a step towards your final dream home.

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Making the decision to move is only the very first of a long list of decisions waiting for you.  Once your house is sold and you know when and where you are moving, you will need to make plans for the best move for you.  A professional mover in Seattle is as near as your keyboard or telephone, and consulting with them will help you decide just which of the many services they offer are the ones that you can make use of.  To help you get started here is a brief rundown of moving services that are generally offered.

Free Estimates
All moving companies of reputable status will offer free moving estimates.  They will most likely send a consultant to your home to assess your belongings in order to give you an accurate estimate.  Be wary of companies that don’t visit you to do an estimate.  If they just give you a quote over the phone or online, the actual numbers could change and be a lot higher than originally expected.  Using an online quote as a starting point can be helpful but bear in mind that it will be an estimate.  Be sure to get a final quote in writing before committing to a moving service.

Packing and Unpacking
Depending on how much time you have and how busy your lifestyle is, you will need to decide if you will pack and or unpack yourself or have the movers do it for you.  For many folks, packing up their things to move is a very personal thing and not something they want left to strangers.  Likewise with unpacking, they want the adventure and excitement of unpacking all their cherished belongings and carefully choosing where to put them in their new home.  For others, however, the perfect moving scenario is to sell the house, go away on a little trip and come back to a new home all unpacked and ready to live in.  For them, the more the moving company can do the better.  Movers will most often offer as little or as much of a service as you wish.

Boxes and Packing Supplies
If you are doing your own packing, make certain your moving company can supply you with boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape and any other materials you may need.  These items can be purchased separately so you need only buy what you actually need.  Movers can also offer some good packing tips if you ask them, such as the best boxes for particular items and how to pack fragile items.

Oversize Furniture/Specialty Items
Even if you are doing all the packing yourself, you may still need to know if your moving service will move your piano or large pieces.

Storage
If you are moving into a home with big renovation plans, you may want to ask your movers if they offer temporary storage of your items until you are finished with the renovations.  Most Seattle moving companies will offer this for a fairly reasonable extra charge.

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Right after you move, it is important to take the time to make a thorough inventory of your belongings and make sure everything arrived in good condition and that nothing has been lost.

Most probably, movers will ask you to check your valuables as they bring them to your new home.  They will provide an inventory sheet with corresponding numbers and descriptions for the task.  Even though it may be difficult to concentrate with all the work being done around you during the move and with movers bringing several loads together, try to focus and organize the inventory check so that you don’t miss any items.  You could ask a friend to help you double-check every valuable, or divide the duties of checking the list and looking over the items.

Check furniture and appliances very carefully for missing feet, broken knobs, and scratches, and plug in appliances to ensure they are working correctly.   If there is something missing, mark it and tell the movers immediately.  If you see damage, make a note on the inventory list.  Do not sign the sheet until you are certain that everything has been accounted for.  It will greatly simplify things if you locate boxes or discuss damages while the movers are still there.

While you unpack, make notes about what you think is missing or damaged.  You’ve already checked for missing boxes, but not for missing things inside them.  Everyone who is unpacking should have an inventory list for the box they are working on.

Everything should be checked within the next few days after the move; otherwise, damages or losses may not be covered by the movers’ insurance.

As soon as you’re done unpacking and if you have found missing or damaged items, call the movers and ask them to track the items; maybe something was forgotten in the truck and is easy to recover.  If something is not found, call the insurance company to file a claim.  You will have to give detailed information about the item that is missing or has been damaged, and the inventory list you made prior to moving will be crucial.

Even though something could go wrong, normally everything works smoothly if you have taken the precaution of researching locally and hiring quality Movers in Seattle WA to help you handle the move.  Investing a little more could save you lots of headaches and bad experiences later.

A lot of people dread moves, but this is because they don’t take it seriously and fail to plan ahead.  When you know exactly what to expect, how to get organized, and even what could go wrong, nothing can get you off balance, and you will be ready to deal with whatever happens in an effective way.

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After a move, most people are left with dozens or even hundreds of boxes they don’t know how to dispose of.  Obviously, you are anxious to get rid of all that stuff that is only cluttering your beautiful new home, however, you should take the time to do it right and dispose of them in a useful and eco-friendly way instead of just throwing them in the garbage.

Here we give you some tips as to how to give moving boxes a good use after you don’t need them anymore:

1.    Contact a box broker
In many cities, there are companies that specialize in buying and selling used moving boxes; find one near you and sell them all of yours.

2.    List your boxes on BoxCycle
This is a service within the US.  You access the website, list your boxes for sale, and the company will sell them for you.  The service has great reviews, a clear sign of how well it works.

3.    Post on Craigslist
This is another great place to list the boxes you want to get rid of, sell, exchange, or just give away, and it is free.

4.    Use some of them as compost containers
This is a good option if you have an herb garden or beautiful yard at home and you are into organic gardening.  You just have to ensure the boxes are protected from animals that could destroy them.

5.    Contact a charity
Normally, libraries, community groups, and shelters need lots of boxes to move books, clothes, shoes, appliances, and food, among other things.  You can find a lot of places to help with just a few phone calls.

6.    Find local recycling programs
Almost every city has a place for recycling big quantities of cardboard material.  In some cases you will have to take the boxes to the recycling center yourself, but that is not a big inconvenience.  Make sure you find out details like how many boxes they will take, sizes, and if you have to flatten them before delivery.

Seattle moving companies can help you find the different recycling, reusing, and disposing options in the area; maybe they will even offer to take your boxes to help you dispose of them.  The important thing to remember is that when moving, cleaning up and disposing of materials in the right way is as important as packing, unpacking, and getting your home organized.

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Moving to a new place involves a lot of work and consideration.  Besides the move itself, with all its worries, possibly one of the most difficult challenges for new tenants is knowing the difference between normal wear and serious damage when asking for the security deposit back.  The line is fine when it comes to wear and damage, and you must be prepared to walk it without crossing it.

Security deposits are designed so that you work to get them back.  Here are some tips so that you learn what is normal and what is definitely not:

1.    Walls- some dirt and several pinpricks are normal, but huge holes, paint that is not the original color, and burns, will definitely be categorized as damage.  If necessary, paint and repair whatever needs it, so that you get your deposit back.

2.    Carpets- obviously, carpets and floors wear down with time due to aging, however, the landlord will not accept huge stains, burn marks or tears.  Research how to care for the carpets and floors so that you can maintain them in good condition for as long as you live there.

3.    Appliances- these must work properly, of course.  If a mechanical problem occurs, call the landlord immediately, or else, you will have an issue later.

4.    Keys- normally, these break with time, as well as locks.  What constitutes damage is due to misuse, loss, or removal of locks from the doors without proper permission and supervision.

5.    General condition- at apartment complexes, a cleaning crew will commonly clean the space before renting it, since managers know there will be some dirt.  Nevertheless, they don’t expect to find the place in a chaotic state, so you should clean before you move and hire a professional Seattle moving company that knows how to work in an organized way.  It will surely help you get your money back.

Once you are ready to move out, make sure you review the original condition report you filled out when you first leased the place, so that you can identify the trouble areas.  True, there is a fine line between normal wear and real damage; however, it is a lot about common sense.

If you are an organized, caring and clean person, you will most certainly not have any trouble getting your deposit money back.

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If you are thinking about moving to an apartment, you better have a digital camera handy.  It can really simplify your apartment search and move-in processes, by instantly capturing every crucial space and its condition.

Once you really get going, you will visit dozens of apartments, and it will be very hard to remember all of the details for each one of them, unless you have an out-of-this-world memory.  Through the pictures, us mere mortals will have no way of forgetting about the interesting or not so practical details regarding the design, style and colors.  These are research photos that will be very useful when making a final decision.

The pictures will help you move in too, as they will help you buy appliances and furniture that will truly fit and enhance the space.

Once you have chosen the perfect place, and before you call the movers in Seattle to help you, take a walk through the apartment and take photos to record its condition.  This will be very useful once you decide to move out, because you will only get your security deposit back if the apartment is in the exact same state.  Take pictures of problem areas, like stained carpets, so that you have a way to prove that it was not you who damaged it.  Make sure you talk to the landlord about any concern or damages you see before you move in.

When moving to a new apartment it is fundamental that you get rental insurance and be prepared in case of a burglary.  For this, you must take pictures of your belongings and the electronics’ serial numbers, and save the receipts for expensive appliances like TV’s, furniture, computers, china, and stereos, so that you can file an insurance claim with enough proof in hand.

And since they say that thinking ahead is thinking wise, when the time comes to leave the place, do not forget to take pictures of the condition you are leaving the apartment in.  The same as before you moved in, clear the space and take some ‘after’ pictures as a back up, just in case you have trouble when getting your deposit back.

The set of pictures you take must last several years in good condition, at least while you are living at the place, thus, file them in a safe place where you can find them easily, and also store them online as a back up.  And of course, make sure you take good care of your digital camera!

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So, you just moved to your new gorgeous home, and of course you want everything to look and be perfect.  This is a great way to start your new life, organizing everything so that your home, and your life along with it, doesn’t become a complete mess.

Organization is a science that demands discipline, and nothing shows how disciplined you are more than your closets.  Closets are where everyone dumps what is not used and wants to be forgotten.  Tell us… are your closets organized 365 days a year?  How about 182 days?  How about 91 days? How about a month a year?

Yes, we know how difficult it is, however, if you want to honor your new life and start it with the right foot and right attitude, you have to learn a method to keep your closets organized and user-friendly.  If you achieve this, you can be sure the rest of your house will be everyone’s envy and your biggest pride.

And without further ado, let’s show you this magic method:

1.    Assign a purpose for every closet
Before unpacking a single piece of clothing, think if the closet will be for storing linens and towels, coats and boots, or your everyday wardrobe.  Check it to see if it has all the rods, racks, and shelves you need to give it the best use.

2.    Prepare the closet to work for you
Get wire shelving or wheeled storage bins for items that need to breathe.  Consider the options that could help you get organized and uncluttered:

-    Shelving.  There are many permanent and portable units available.  Just make sure they fit your needs before buying.

-    Rods and bars.  You could add a second bar below the main one to add hanging space.  Take precise measures to make sure that what you buy will fit.

-    Storage containers.  These come in many sizes, shapes and materials.  The see-through type is very practical to store underwear, sweaters, accessories and sports gear.

-    Shoe racks.  Everyone knows women love shoes.  Shoe racks are great at holding lots of shoes out of sight, be it behind the closet door or on the floor, without having to swim through hundreds of boxes to find the ones you would like to wear that day.

-    Closet organizer system.  It offers many extra features, so make sure you know exactly what you need before going out to buy one.  These systems range from inexpensive to very sophisticated ones, so you have an ample variety to choose from.

-    Wire or wicker baskets.  You should go for baskets with a labeling system so that you can identify the content.  Wire baskets let clothes breathe, and wicker ones offer a neat look.  In order to give your closets a visually clean look, use the same kind of material in all of them.

-    Hangers and hooks.  Stay away from wire hangers!  These damage your clothes and they look horrible.  Invest in wooden hangers that look very nice, get some rubber ones that prevent slipping for delicate pieces, and look for special hangers for suits.  Hooks are great for belts, neckties and scarves.  A great tip: install a hook behind a closet door to hang the clothes for the next day, it will save you around 20 minutes in the morning.

3.    Unpack
Take this opportunity to sort out your clothes based on what you use, how often you use it, or even if you will use it again.  Next, if necessary, separate clothes by season, and within each season, sort by professional, leisure, at home, sports, etc.  You can even sort by colors and type of clothing, for example, shirts, pants, blazers, etc.  If you do this, you will never have to suffer again while getting dressed!

Being organized in every area of your life will come in very handy when moving.  It can really help your local mover in Seattle do a better job at helping you get your valuables safely and efficiently to your new place, and it will truly make you enjoy the process of moving!

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Not feeling that homey feeling yet because your new place is loaded with boxes and empty walls?  Do not despair!  There is a way to get there easily: you just have to unpack! (Ughhh…)

When seeing a lot of boxes piled up and a mess everywhere, most people’s first reaction is to open all the boxes and get everything out and in place just to get the work done and start enjoying their new home ASAP.  However, there are two things you must consider before rushing into unpacking and in order to keep your sanity and everyone else’s:

-    It is not necessary to unpack everything in a day.
-    Unpacking can be a lot of fun if you see it as the end of a great adventure.

In order to start unpacking in an intelligent and fun way, think of your family’s basic needs, which are eating, bathing, and resting, and get to the task following that order and centering on one room at a time.  Aim to get those areas operational so that you can take care of the details later without a sense of urgency.

Of course, we are assuming when you packed, you labeled all the boxes and know exactly which ones belong to what room.  You did that, right?

1.    Unpacking the kitchen
Commonly, the kitchen is the heart of the home.  Once it is a little organized, everyone will start meeting there.  Do not rush to organize it perfectly immediately though, start with the most important things and leave items that you do not need on a daily basis in the boxes until you decide where to store them.

2.    Unpacking the bathrooms
After the kitchen is ready, move to the bathroom.  Unpack your toiletries and put them where they belong.  Very important! Make sure everything is working correctly in every bathroom and that they’re properly supplied with fresh towels.

3.    Unpacking the bedroom
Bedrooms don’t really need to be ready for the first night.  You can sleep with the mattresses on the floor and make it a fun first night.  Assemble the beds and organize heavy furniture together, but let the bedroom owner take care of the rest on his or her own.

4.    Unpacking the living room
Finally, center your efforts on the family room or living room.  Do not just start moving furniture around, it is much better to draw a plan of the room showing where you would like to put the furniture pieces based on how you want the space to look.  In this way, pieces that have to be assembled can be put together where they belong.  You will save lots of energy, muscle ache, scratches, and probably even broken items.

Leave the garage for last; nothing in there is urgent, so take the time to think of the best way to organize it and keep it clear before taking things out of the boxes.

Once the basic stuff is ready, take some time to enjoy your new home, and work on the details for a few hours every day.

Believe it, unpacking can be a great activity, even a relaxing and meditative one, if you just don’t obsess over it.

To make it even easier, request the help of your local movers in Seattle; nothing beats the help of a professional!

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When moving into a new office, it is very important that your business move as quickly and efficiently as possible.  When it comes to moving your office, whether it is from an existing office nearby, or moving into a new office out of state, every second wasted means your hard earned money going down the drain.  But moving your office is much more complicated than just moving it quickly. It involves detailed planning and professional movers, as well as money.  It is very important, when moving your office, that your business not suffer too much during this relocation period.  But if your company follows the right steps, hires the right moving company, and spends its money wisely, then your business is sure not to lose hours of work and productivity with a poorly planned move.

In any business relocation move, planning is the most crucial, and important, step.  It is important to remember, that while your business is relocating to a different office, or building, it is literally making no money in this process.  This is why it is vital that your relocation period take place as swiftly as possible, without cutting the necessary corners in a large office move like this.  This is why planning is so crucial to your moving endeavors.  And one way to do this is to hire a professional moving company that specializes in large office moves, so that the moving will run smoothly, and get you back up and running as soon as possible.

To help your move stay cost-effective, as well as moving swiftly, there are a number of services that you can use that you may not be aware of.  One of those is taking advantage of a business relocation service.  These services can provide packing materials, can sometimes help with the actual move, and even help to reassemble your office equipment and furniture, when you successfully move into your new office.  Now it is important to remember, that these services are not a replacement to a professional moving company, but can be a helpful addition to your moving team.

Another important planning step your company should take is to get very familiar with the new office you’re planning on moving into.  Try to visit the office as many times as you can, to get a feel for where you plan on placing furniture, and what kind of plan you have for the new office in general.  It is important to obtain measurements, understand the location of outlets, special wiring, as well as Internet hookups.  Another important planning step you could take would be to create a detailed floor plan in advance.  By creating a detailed floor plan, you will be able to visually see how everything will work out in advance, as well as giving the movers an important resource to go from.  Once your items are in place, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments, instead of doing it all on the fly.  Whether you’re hiring a local moving company, movers in Seattle WA, or one out of Cleveland, the more information you can give your movers, the easier the move will be for everyone.

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A moving company can offer a multitude of services, depending on your specific needs.  If you are moving locally, out of state, or into a bigger business setting, a moving company can offer you the tools, and the professional support that you might be looking for.  But when choosing a moving company for your next move, there are a number of factors you will want to take into consideration.

You will want to evaluate exactly what you’re planning on moving and, most importantly, if you can find someone you can trust. By correctly weighing your options, and doing the proper research, there is no question there is a moving company out there to fit your specific needs.  But what should you be looking for?

Whether you are hiring a Seattle moving company, or a moving company out of Dallas, or Chicago, the most important thing you want to look for in a moving company is their reputation.  Remember, moving can sometimes be a very expensive endeavor, not to mention, when hiring an outside moving company. You will most likely be trusting complete strangers to be handling some of your most personal, and valued possessions.  So how can you make sure, that the moving company you’re choosing can even be trusted?

By taking a few simple, yet effective steps, you can ensure that you’re not only getting the best price, but you are getting a reliable and trustworthy moving company to fit all your moving needs.  The best thing you can do when evaluating moving companies’ reputations is to do a lot of research.  The first thing you can do is to look up different moving companies on the Internet.  Most reliable companies will have their own web site, including the services they offer, what sets them apart from other moving companies, and why you should give them your business.  Another important feature to look for is if the company has customer referrals on their web site.  This can be a great way to obtain some feedback about the company, from people who have actually used the service.

Besides checking out the company’s website itself, there are a number of other steps you can take to evaluate their credibility.  One step would be to call the local Better Business Bureau, to get more information about the company that you’re considering.  The Better Business Bureau can be an important resource because not only can they provide information on the legitimacy of the business, but will have any reports filed by unsatisfied customers, including if the matter was resolved in a timely fashion, or not at all.

Here are some things that you might want to look for as red flags.  One of those is that there is no website or no listed address for the company.  Another red flag to look for is if the company only accepts cash, and may want a large deposit upfront.  This can be a telltale sign of a con artist.  Also, make sure the moving company has insurance, and most importantly remember to sign a contract before any payment is transferred.

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