Paul Mcindoe asked:




It’s one of life’s most stressful tasks, but moving home doesn’t have to be as daunting as you might expect. When planning to move house, it’s important to stay organised and take the process one step at a time; in doing so, you can emerge from the moving process with a little less hair-tearing than initially anticipated.

Moving home can be both a costly and time consuming experience. In fact these factors are perhaps expected with such a task, but being organised helps a great deal and even if you’re not, then making and following a simple checklist could help alleviate all your moving home worries. In terms of the amount of time you should allocate, it’s normal to plan at least six weeks in advance to achieve all the steps on your checklist. This should be sufficient time to plan and pack your belongings and take care of any administrative duties, while also leaving enough time to allow for any unexpected occurrences that could set back the moving procedure.

Packing is an opportunity to have a spring clean of those possessions that have been gathering dust in the attic for years. It is also an opportunity to discover old forgotten items; however, once the packing is complete it is onto the next step – physically moving them! An important first decision to make is whether you will be hiring a removal firm to do all the hard work for you or if you are going to make the move on your own.

If you decide to hire a removal firm, then ensure the hire is made at least two weeks before you move and also check that they are a member of the British Association of Removers. It can also be helpful to make a list of your possessions to ensure you stay on top of things and don’t leave anything behind. However, if you choose to make the move on your own, then it will help if you have an idea with regards to the size of the vehicle you would need to make the move – can you make the move by car, or will you need a van? This will come down to the amount of possessions you are expecting to move and also the distance required to transport them to your new home; either way shop around for the best deal you can possibly get for van or removal hire.

Apart from the actual movement of possessions, the other main considerations are informing relevant companies, such as your bank and energy supplier of your change of address, and ensuring that your dentist, doctor, and optician are aware of your move. It is also important that you source home insurance cover by the day you move into your new home, or inform your current provider of the move.

Following these few simple steps should help ensure your move goes as planned, whilst helping you remain calm.

Brandan C Hadlock asked:




Relocating can be both an exciting and stressful time. It means choosing a new place to live, making new friends, working with new people, and learning how to get to new places. You can increase your chances of relocation being a positive experience by asking the following questions prior to buying a home.

How long will the drive to work be? Is it more important to have a larger, less expensive home that is farther away from work, or is having more free time (because of a shorter commute) more important? Will public transportation be available in case you need or choose to use it? How heavy is traffic in the area you’re considering moving to?

What will your neighbors be like? Are they friendly? How far away are essential places like gas stations and grocery stores? Is there a community improvement or crime prevention program in place?

If you are buying a home, is your future house roughly the same value as the surrounding homes, or is it significantly worth more or less? If it is worth less, then the neighboring homes might help increase the long-term value of your home. If it is worth significantly more, they may cause your home to be worth less than it might otherwise be when you try to sell it.

Are there disturbing noises or lights such as a street lamp shining through your bedroom window or a train that passes nearby? What is the quality of the local schools? Do they have programs that interest your children? What about the local churches?

How old is your house? Is it a fixer-upper? Will you have to pay more in utilities due to inadequate insulation? Will you need to spend a lot of time keeping up the yard?

Unless you enjoy loading up all your belongings often, you’ll want to buy a home in an area you feel comfortable about. Asking the preceding questions can aid you in doing just that.

Sarah Porter asked:




Holidays and birthdays are wonderful occasions to celebrate with cards and parties, but sometimes accomplishments like purchasing a new home or a first home often go unnoticed, unacknowledged, or unrecognized. Sometimes, we are just too busy to allow ourselves a moment of celebration, but moving into a new home is definitely an event worth celebrating. Whether you are moving to a new home, or hosting a housewarming party for your friends and family, nothing says “Come celebrate with us” better than a good greeting card.

Moving into, or purchasing a new home can be a life-altering event for any individual, couple or family. Unfortunately, most people rarely take the time to reward themselves or thank their friends for the accomplishment. If you think about it, a new home is as big an event as a new baby. If you send out cards and announcements for a new baby, why not send some out for a new home?

Besides announcing the purchase of a new home, you may also want to use cards to announce your very first dinner party, or even a housewarming party. Nothing works to help get you off to a good start in your new home like a good house warming party with friends, relatives, and anyone who helped you get the home. In addition to this type of announcement, you may also want to use cards to let your friends and relatives know that you have moved to a new address.

When the time comes to make the move to a new home, there really is no better way say thank you or to make the announcement than with greeting cards. At online stores, you can create personalized and affordable greeting cards that use just the right words, verses, and sayings to help you thank everyone for anything associated with your new home. The reality is that not too many places provide customers with greeting cards that announce the purchase or move into a new home.

Whether you are sending out a thank you card to friends who helped you move, or an invitation to invite your friends to a housewarming party, you can find just the right card online. Friendly customer service representatives can help you with everything from the wording to the overall design of your cards. Whatever it is that you want to say, from thank you to welcome, someone is ready to help.

Many companies offer same day shipping and printing, as well as affordable and discounted prices on the best greeting card service available online. Don’t let yourself be fooled by some websites who claim to offer high-quality work. Some stores are so confident in the work they do, that they will even offer you previews and proofs of your cards in an hour or less. This way, you know almost instantly if the card you have personalized is going to be printed out exactly the way you designed it to look. Let the professionals help you make the transition to a new home smoother and better.

Amy Nutt asked:




Relocating your home is a stressful endeavor usually strewn with individual little challenges along the way. If you are hiring a professional mover to assist you, it is essential to choose a moving company that will make the process easier, not harder. In this respect, a big national moving company will serve you better than a locally based mover. Not only can you be assured of a competitive price, you will have peace of mind knowing your possessions will arrive intact, on time, and end up in the right place.

Since the Household Goods Transportation Act came into effect in 1983, the moving industry has become more and more seedy and represents an area where the consumer must be wary and cautious in order to guard against being taken advantage. Since there is more competition in the moving industry than ever before, most companies will do anything they can to offer the lowest possible price. Moreover, small, local movers will be apt to try to scam a hapless individual whose belongings can be held for a ransom. One common scam is the low-ball (and ultimately inaccurate) estimate. A non-binding estimate can be a useful tool for a local moving company to make a sucker out of their latest client. An estimate is given, but, on loading the truck, it is discovered that the individual who is relocating has more stuff that was originally expected. Since it is already in the company’s truck, the person will have little choice but to pay to get his kidnapped possessions delivered to his new home.

National movers, since they have generally designed their pricing structures to assure the moving company makes a modest profit while still keeping their prices competitive. Moreover, a national moving company has less to gain from a scam, since their reputation on the national scene will suffer if it is known they give inaccurate quotes. Local companies usually work on smaller budgets, so any extra money they can squeeze out of a particular job is worth it. Also, local moving companies are usually owned and operated by an individual who is directly influenced by the company’s financial gains, whereas a national company has salaried employees who are far more impartial and disinterested in the profit margin and more interested in doing a quick and efficient job.

As they are large and serve a great many consumers across the country, a national moving company will have better equipment and will be able to attract skilled employees who are happy with their level of pay. This ensures the people and tools that are handling your possessions will be less likely to damage or steal them in comparison to a local company, which will often buy one dolly and never replace it and service the trucks as sparingly as possible.

Finally, national moving companies tend to have the best insurance policies; designed to ensure that your possessions are safe. The most important aspect of relocating is ensuring that your furniture will get to its destination intact and on time, as anyone who has gone through a bad move is well aware of. Particularly when it comes to inter-state or international moves, a national company is the safest route as they are expected to track their trucks movements and only an immaculate service record will keep up the moving company’s reputation. It is not that local companies do not want to deliver good service. But quite often, they cannot guarantee the same level of security as a national moving company can.

Joseph Kenny asked:




Moving home involves a lot of work. There are also a lot of financial considerations that people generally are not used to. Engaging a solicitor, arranging the mortgage, paying for bridging finance if it is necessary, seeking the best selling price for your home, and the best buying price for the home you are moving into, all of these are very large and important transactions that cost a lot of money and may also cause you a lot of stress.

Add to this the stress of actually moving house. There may be some emotional attachment to the home you are leaving and you may find this very difficult. Then you have all the practicalities of dealing with utility companies, having mail redirected, cancelling your services and informing friends and business of the move.

Traumatic

And this has not even begun to consider the hassle of packing up your belongings, arranging for a removal company, and transit insurance if you think you need it, and unpacking everything at the other end. It is really no wonder that so many people consider moving house such a major and traumatic experience.

However, if you take a step back, the situation is really not that bleak. Most people end up moving home for very positive reasons. These will include getting a new job, or moving to a bigger property. Therefore, as well as all the stress there is also a lot of joy and excitement involved.

Get Sorted

You can also use the move as a chance to clear out your possessions. Look through everything before you start packing and decide what things you do not want to take with you to your new address. If there are a lot of clothes you can pack them up and give them to a charity shop. You should think about getting boxes and old newspapers gathered up. Boxes will be available from local shops and you can save your newspapers for wrapping breakables.

If you are moving everything yourself, you can rent a van to help you out. Make sure it is a suitable size. If the van is too small you’ll find yourself doing multiple trips, and if it is too large you may not be able to park, or even drive it. You should be comfortable with driving the van so give it a try before loading it up to make sure. The alternative is always to hire a professional removal company.

Sonia C Llesol asked:




Moving into your new home is an exciting yet quite a stressful ordeal. However, the amount of work ahead should not overshadow your excitement. Relocating into a new home is one of the most prevalent realities since more than half a million people are considering moving into a different location. Factors that influence relocation could be work related matters, some families move into a different place due to acquiring a new home. Therefore, it is highly important to know what you should do in preparation for your relocation.

When you decide to move yourself, you should have a systematic checklist to ensure convenience and comfort when you make your move. Below is a checklist for moving yourself into a new location.

1. It is important to plan ahead of time. Check out truck rental companies and make to reserve for a moving truck early, at least two three months before your moving date. Make sure to have a written confirmation of all your expenses and a complete detail of your move.

2. Two months before you move, go over your home and determine what you want to bring along to your new location and what you want to throw away or donate. You may also make a garage or moving sale to help dispose of items you no longer need.

3. If your children are moving into a new school, start arranging the school transfer process as early as two to three months before your actual move.

4. Make a list of items that require extra attention when you move or things that need special packing instructions such as televisions, computers, and fine chinaware among others. Secure boxes and moving supplies such as bubble wrap, packing tape, tissue paper or newspaper for packing items.

5. A month before your move, start packing your things. Start packing items that you do not regularly use. Label and number the boxes accordingly to make the unpacking later easier. As you pack, take note of items of significant value like flat screen TV or stereo systems.

6. Fill out a change of address form with your new address at your local post office. Make sure to inform your bank, phone and cable providers, insurance companies, credit card companies, doctor and dentists of your new address.

7. Two weeks before you move, confirm your reservation with the truck rental company. You may also cancel or transfer your newspaper or magazine subscription.

8. Most of your packing should already be finished a week prior to your moving day. Also, pack a travel bag with the necessary items your family needs on moving day, like change of clothing, toothbrushes, soap, toiletries, medications, and paper plates and cups.

Put into consideration a thorough checking of everything to ensure that you are not missing on important details. On moving day, prepare yourself and your family both emotionally and morally since moving into a new home you are bound to experience a significant transition. If you have children, it is good to prepare them of what lies ahead in your new home.

Budda Oliver asked:




For all members of a family, moving to a new home is a big change. But for children in a family, moving homes can be an especially stressful and disorienting time. What for an adult may constitute a chance to switch up lifestyles and take on stress, for a child is a world-altering event with repercussions extending well beyond those stressful months of preparation and settling-in. As parents, one of your primary goals in attending to the needs and confusion of your child should be to create a dialogue about the move with your child. Dialogue is a useful and productive tool for creating a horizon of expectations, addressing concerns family members may have, and establishing ground territory for your family to proceed from as you continue to thrive as a unit.

Dialogue does not erase power imbalances in a family or put everyone on an equal playing field. When your household comes together to talk, it should be with the goal of allowing everyone to voice their opinions, but it should not be expected that all members will be ready to hear or provide an opinion on the move. This hesitancy is not a fault of your family’s or of dialogue as a method; it is simply something that needs to be addressed. If you or one of your partners feels reluctant to express your fears in front of your kid take the pressure off of face-to-face communication by doing a trial run. Practice speaking with each other about your nervousness and worries and allow each partner ample time to express fully the anxieties that they feel. Intelligence and style do not score points in an open dialogue, one partner may be better or listening and the other and speaking, or one partner may appear to be gifted at both aspects of communication, these traits should be taken as facts of the dialogue and not as sicknesses to be cured or faults to be fixed. Once you have spoken enough with your partner, after each of you have voiced your concerns about moving and feel you can present yourselves well as parents to your child, invite your offspring into a dialogue.

For the parent/child dialogue each family’s comfort level, openness, and emotiveness will vary according to the climate of the family. There is no one correct way to talk to your son or daughter about a move except for the way that seems to address the needs of the families’ members best. If you feel that fully voicing your own concerns and expectations will help your child best feel at home in their new home, do so, but keep in mind that this is not the law or the goal of dialogue. While complete openness with a child may seem refreshing, it should be taken with caution. As parents, you should not lift a burden off yourselves by shifting it to your child. For example, if one of your worries is that your new home is near an area where tornadoes have hit before, it might be a poor idea to confide in your child that you are terrified of the tornados that you expect to hit. On the same token, if you are inclined towards less openness with your son or daughter, try pushing the boundaries of the dialogue just a little by admitting one or two small things that you are concerned about.

There is no single right way to conduct a move and no single right way to conduct a dialogue about moving. A benefit of starting a dialogue about moving is that it establishes trust and companionship among members of the household. If you approach talking about moving as an opportunity to enjoy your situation and come closer as a family, you will be prepared for anything the new home has in store for you.

Chris Rowlands asked:




Many of you will have experienced the horrors of moving home whether it be to move in with a partner or simply buying a bigger property due to family expansion.

One thing you can be sure of, whatever the reason for moving – it’s going to be stressful.
In fact according to a press release by Helpiammoving.com; for 44% of you it is the most stressful experience of a lifetime.

The usual process involves finding a removal company to “cart” your precious belongings over to your new property. No matter how good the company (and how tolerant they are of your understandably shattered nerves) you’re still likely to be a jittering wreck by the end of it. And as I’m sure you can imagine this makes the whole experience that little bit more stressful and that’s definitely an understatement.

Many have now taken it into their own hands to move themselves to a new property and as a result van hire firms are prospering.

There are of course a large selection of reliable firms who specialise in the removal sector and have many years of experience behind them. Finding the right company for you can be the hard part.

Those who have opted to move without the aid of a removal specialist will know that along with this independence comes several negative aspects. Firstly you will have to source packing boxes which is not as simple as it sounds. Can you really risk your best china in a flimsy cardboard box appropriated from your local supermarket?

Secondly you will need to source packing materials such as bubble wrap, parcel tape, removal blankets, silica gel, furniture covers and cd boxes – well the list is endless really.

Moving house without help can descend into unorganised chaos, luckily with the advent of the internet this information has become easier than ever to find. If you perform searches on well known sites such as Google for topics such as; “help moving house” you should easily find plenty of information.

The same applies to finding removal companies in your area – any reasonably sized company should have its contact details listed online. Finding these websites is made all the easier by the many informative websites now available for you to browse on the topic.

The best piece of advice I can give is to carry out as much research as possible before you begin the process and remember – preparation is key.

Mark Donovan asked:




Basement Remodeling is a great way to increase the living area in your home. And unlike adding an addition onto your home, ground/site work and installing a new foundation are not required. Consequently a basement renovation project can be a much more affordable project to do and provide a much higher return on investment.

However before you decide to tackle a basement remodeling project it is important that you first develop a basement renovation plan.

Goals of Basement Project

Part of a good finished basement plan is listing the purposes of the finished basement. For example, will the basement be used for a recreation area, or for bedrooms? Is a bathroom or a kitchen area desired? Is a home theater or wine cellar part of the ultimate plan? Understanding how the basement will be utilized will help in determining what specific engineering and mechanical needs are required in the actual design and plans for the basement remodeling project.

Making Preliminary Repairs before Basement Construction

The second major item that should be addressed before tackling a basement renovation project is taking care of any problems that exist in the basement. For example if there are cracks in the foundation walls or floor, they need to be repaired before starting the basement construction project. Also, if there are leaking or sweating pipes they should be repaired before remodeling starts. In addition, if the basement construction plans include plumbing that will require demolition of some of the basement floor it is critical to do this before the rest of the basement construction starts.

Also you should consider the size and location of the furnace. You need to determine if the existing furnace will be adequate to properly heat the newly remodeled basement area? If it is not, a larger furnace may be required. You also need to consider the location of the furnace and the noise it generates. If the furnace is going to be located near a finished basement area then you may need to wall off and properly insulate the furnace room from the finished basement area. You may also need to modify the furnace design such that fresh air is pulled in from the outside of the home.

Insulation of the exterior walls should also be considered. During the framing/construction phase, rigid Styrofoam insulation can be installed to help make the remodeled basement area warmer. Consider insulation requirements before starting the basement remodeling project.

Basement Lighting

One of the most important aspects of a basement renovation project is the lighting. A finished basement that is naturally dark is very uninviting for family members and guests. To address this problem, your basement remodeling plans should consider adding natural light wherever possible. If the foundation has concrete knee walls, consider framing in windows above the knee walls. If the basement has a walk out area, consider installing glass sliders or French doors.

In addition to adding natural light to the basement, consider installing can lights in the ceiling, and sconces on the walls. They can really brighten up the basement area and make the space into a warm and inviting area.

Basement Floor Layout Tips

When developing the floor layout of your basement project, consider putting bedrooms and recreation areas near the natural light areas, e.g. near the walkout sliders.

If a home theater or wine cellar is part of your basement design goals, locate them in areas of the basement where natural lighting is not required.

If a bathroom or kitchen area is part of your basement design objectives, locate them directly below existing plumbing on the first floor of the home. This will help to minimize the amount of piping that is required in the precious head room area of a basement. It will also help to limit the amount of structural/framing work required.

Again, if there is a furnace area that needs to be contended with in terms of noise, locate the wine cellar, or storage spaces near the furnace. These areas/rooms can help to insulate the rest of the basement rooms from the noise of the furnace.

If there are Lally columns (support posts) that need to be contended with, try to develop a basement construction plan that locates walls such that the Lally columns can be buried in them. If burying them is impossible, then consider schemes for boxing them in or finishing them off so that they become less of an obstruction and eye-sore to the finished basement.

Basement Ceilings

When developing a Basement design, the ceiling choice is an important decision. Many homeowners choose to install dropped ceiling tiles, while others elect to install drywall ceilings. Both have their pros and cons. Dropped ceiling tiles allow easy access to pipes and electrical wiring, however they do impact the ceiling height more dramatically than a drywall ceiling.

Drywall ceilings, on the other hand can give a more finished looked and provide more head room, however access to pipes and wiring is limited. If a drywall ceiling is your preference or requirement due to limited ceiling height, plan for access doors underneath first floor bathtub J-traps, valves, and key electrical junction boxes.

Who will perform the Basement Remodeling Construction

Deciding on whether to hire a remodeling contractor, or do it yourself is always a big question. Yes, you can save yourself a bundle if you do it yourself. However, frequently many homeowners start a basement project and never complete it.

If you truly want a finished basement, you need to be honest with yourself on the time commitment and the skills required. If you can not dedicate your next 12-16 weekends to the project, or lack skills in framing and construction, then you should probably hire either a general contractor or act as your own general contractor.

A Basement Remodeling project is a great way to provide additional living space in your home at a fraction of the cost of building an addition onto your home. With proper planning, a finished basement can become the spot in your home where the family and friends want to spend all of their recreational time. Good luck with your basement remodeling project!

Ray L. Walberg asked:




As the mobile home construction standards improved through the years, more mobile home owners have decided to upgrade and renovate. The increasing quality and value of these newer mobile homes makes remodelling a good option, in some cases.

As with any home, mobile or otherwise, years of everyday activity can take a toll on floors, walls and appliances. In addition, a growing family might make it necessary to add room or reorganize the interior space of a mobile home.

As the homeowner reviews just what needs to be renovated and considers what can realistically be changed, there are some differences to consider between a “permanent” home and a “mobile” home. While it may not seem to be a plus, having no structural support beams or walls in the center of the home can actually make renovation go more smoothly. In a traditional home, interior walls can also be support walls. This has to be considered when removing or cutting through a wall to change a home’s floor plan.

It may be the case that a wall separating the living room from an end bedroom could be removed, without worrying about losing ceiling support. This could make the living room larger. On the other hand, if there is no end bedroom and the living room is large enough, a “false” wall could be installed to create a small bedroom at one end of the mobile home.

There is something else to consider when making major changes to a mobile home: Unless the home was placed on a basement or concrete foundation, homeowners should be careful not to create openings in the floor or along the walls that could allow cold air in during the winter. These unintended openings can also be an invitation to a prowling cat or small dog that might be seeking a hideaway.

Mobile home residents should also consider that removing a wall, even if it does not support ceiling weight, can expose a weaker section of the floor. This can also be a problem when nails or screws are removed from the floor. Care should be taken to inspect these exposed areas to be certain they support foot traffic. In addition, any exposed holes should be properly filled and finished before installing new flooring. If the removed wall was attached to an outside wall it will also be necessary to refinish the exposed places on that outside wall.

If the renovation plans include adding a porch or small room outside the mobile home, it is best to check with local officials so that the homeowner understands the building regulations and code requirements. Many communities have rules that won’t allow a structure to be too close to a property line, for instance. Extending the outside dimensions of any home can be limited by these local rules.

If the plans include putting a porch on the mobile, it may be best to treat the porch as a separate structure that is attached to the outside wall. Some contractors urge homeowners not to try to permanently incorporate the porch into the outside structure of the mobile home. You may also want to use an electric chain saw to clear away any small trees growing close to your mobile home.