The Incredible Moving Pod

The number one thing that if you forget to do while moving from one home to another home that can really come back to bite you in the end is;

Forgetting To Forward Your Mail!

Do I even need to remind you that people have gotten there identity stolen because of what is in there mail?

It is important to take every precaution with your personal information, so don’t forget to get you mail forwarded to a safe place as soon as you read this. You have several great ways of doing this.

1. Forward your mail to your new home if you have the address and you know that the mail would be secure waiting their for you.

2. Forward your mail to a PO Box close to your new home, if you can get one set up.

3. Forward your mail to a trusted family member or friend, if they tell you it’s OK. Just keep in mind that when you are ready to unburden them of your mail it won’t be a good idea to use a post office forwarding form from their residence because it might mess up their mail.

4. And my favorite, forward you mail to a service like "Earth Class Mail ". You can use this online PO Box type service no matter where you move or how many times you move. They will receive your mail and scan it for you so you can see it on your computer, and then you can tell them to forward that piece of mail to you or destroy it.

 

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I tend to be the frugal type even when I am moving from one home to another. I just hate to spend extra money when it seems that so much money has to go the new place. Unfortunately moving itself tents to be expensive weather you are going to use a moving pod, one of those you pack it rental trucks or the full service movers.

The only tool I would tell anyone that they will need to have for any move is the old trusty hand truck. This is a great tool if you are moving your stuff all by yourself or have a crew coming to help. Even if you are planning to hire people to do the heavy lifting I would suggest still have one for the before move shift your stuff around that most of us end up doing.

We finally purchased a sturdy hand truck for our last move. It made a world of difference, I am thinking of treating myself to a second one when the time comes for us to move again. We have used this handy tool numerous times since our last move as well. Hand trucks are great for moving stacks of boxes, furniture, sacks of dirt, and giving each other a ride (try this last one at your own risk).

Luckily you can find several to choose from at your local hardware store and sometimes even the big box stores carry them. Be sure to get a good sturdy one. You will probably be lifting heavier things than you think and you want the frame to stay strong and the tires to hold up. I at first wanted to just get the cheapest one that I could find, but ended spending a bit more for a stronger one. It was absolutely worth the extra cost.

If you would prefer to just order one then Amazon.com has a few nice ones to choose from.

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An important part of moving from one home to another is making sure it will be clean enough to either get your deposit back if you rent or make the house attractive to potential buyers if you are selling.

In the post made last week we talked about what you can do to make your home appear cleaner before your move. If you have lived in a rental for a long time or are trying to get your house ready to show to potential buyers then It will be necessary to do a bit more.

I truly believe that the list that you will use as you’re to do list for your move out cleaning is very individual. No one could give you a comprehensive list to work for everyone and every situation. It is the best to make your own.

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When moving you are trying to get so much accomplished it is hard to think of every last thing that needs to be done before you’re done with your old home. If you’re moving from a rental home then getting that deposit back is a priority. Even if you can’t get the deposit back then you can bet that you will be responsible for the cleaning that had to take place after you are gone. If you are selling your home then making sure it is clean to appeal to anyone being shown your home only makes sense. Over our many moves I have discovered a few really great tricks to make your home seem cleaner to others. If you only have a few hours for your move out cleaning then be sure to include these tricks.

Tricks to make the home seem cleaner

Clean the edges

Cleaning the edges of a room makes it look sharper and less dingy. Start at one edge, hopefully by a door. Sit on the floor with a dry scrubbing brush and a bucket of water and sponge. First use the brush on the edge of the carpet to push the fuzz and dirt that gets trapped there. Using a vacuum that cleans edges can help, but the results just aren’t as crisp. Next use the wet sponge to wipe down the floor boards or the bottom of the wall. Make sure that the paint is cleanable by testing a small section first. If you are working with walls that will be damaged by the water then just use a dusting cloth. When the area that you can reach is done then move over to a new section. Work all the way around the house until you are back at the place that you started. When you are done use your vacuum to pick up the gunk that was cleaned away from the walls. I have gotten my entire deposit back using this trick along with the most basic cleaning. Once even got a thank you note with it. This will take a few hours to do, but is worth it.

Bleach the sink

Smells are a powerful thing. When it smells cleaner then everything looks cleaner as well. This trick will not require a lot of work, so definitely do it. Just pour a capful of bleach onto all sinks, bathtubs, and even toilets with at least a gallon of water. Leave a few hours or overnight and then just before you are done with your cleaning just opens the drains. If bleach is just too strong for you to use then pick another cleaner with a fresh scent. If you do use a different cleaner then plan more soaking time. Your whole house should smell clean for a long time if no one starts stinking it up again.

Shine your sink

Making your sinks and other porcelain and metal fixtures should be among the last things that you do. Shiny tends to make people think clean. Use a soft cloth to rub baby oil into a nice shine. Luckily this is really easy to do after you have scrubbed off all of the grime that  it should only take a few minutes to a half an hour to do an entire house.

Fill the holes in your walls

If you have been renting your home and the lease stated that hanging objects that make holes in the walls is not OK, then try this trick. Rub white hard soap on white walls to visually fill in the holes. Do this carefully and sparingly so it won’t be too obvious.

Get rid of all trash

Not leaving anything behind would be a no brainier, but you would be surprised how often people just leave trash and other unwanted items behind. If at all possible take everything with you. Leaving anything behind is a sure way of annoying anyone that has to enter the home after you have left, like landlords or interested buyers. The home will also retain a fresh, clean smell longer if it is completely empty.

Take the time to do these extras and your home will be inviting and really feel clean to others.

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You are going to be exhausting yourself with moving out preparations and the actual move itself.  You may be too tired to think of this simple moving tip to do before the day you move in. Do it, and you save yourself a ton of grief; forget, and you will not be a happy mover.  

Now what is this mysterious thing that you must do to make your life easier?  Spray for bugs.

If you are moving to an area that cockroaches are a problem, then get ahead of them. For the United States cockroaches are the biggest problem in the warmer areas, with the worst infestation in the most southern parts of the country from Florida to California. That being said, very few places in the world are completely safe from roaches. I’ve heard of infestations in New York and even Anchorage.

Spray a newly built house.

Just think about it. All of those naturally occurring bugs that were there before the house was built never left, and they are looking for a new place to live.

Don’t forget to spray if your previous home had even the smallest roach problem

If you are moving from a place that these nasty little bugs live, then don’t forget to spray before you move in. If you can’t do it before hand, try to do it right away after you move in. And then spray again 2 weeks after you have finished moving in. I would also spray about a month after that just for good measure. If you had even the smallest problem with cockroaches before, then they are most likely going to move with you in your furniture. So get rid of them before they make themselves comfortable in you new digs.

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A complete moving checklist could be pages long and very by family and situation. These are just a few things to think about before you move.

1. Get estimates from moving companies, whether you plan on doing most of the work yourself or as little of it as possible.
2. Get your mail forwarded by filling out a form from the post office. You can do this either online or with the special post card that you can get at your local post office.
3. Contact every company that sends you a regular bill. Have them canceled or transferred to your new address.
4. Get information about your kid’s new school. Even better contact them.
5. Collect as many boxes as you can, and then buy the rest. You will use more than you think.
6. Return the things that you have borrowed and get back the things that have been borrowed from you.
7. Start packing as much as you can of the non essentials.
8. Get rid of items you don’t want in your new house or aren’t worth the money to move.
9. Decide how you plan on moving your pet.
10. Use up your toilet paper, shampoo, food, etc. Why move that stuff?

The most important thing is to get started as soon as you can. In my experience the sooner you get organized the better decisions you will make, the easier it will be to unpack, and the less it will cost you in the end.

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