It seems like everyone is moving lately as the housing market is booming. I just emerged from a year-long process of moving my husband’s parents from a fourth-generation farm (with two full kitchens) to a 1,000-square-foot apartment. Here are a few things we learned along the way:
1. Book movers early
Get everything done as early as possible. Reserve a mover or moving truck as soon as you have your moving appointment. These services are in high demand and you may have to wait a while. The more you pack yourself, the less it costs. Remember to bend your knees when lifting. By all means, use movers if you can, unless you know a local high school football team that you can pay for in pizza.
2. Plan where the furniture is going
Create a rough floor plan for your new home and determine where you will be storing each piece of furniture etc. so you know what to store or dispose of. If you plan to store items, be thoughtful. It’s really easy to pay for more storage than you need, and once things are in storage they tend to stay there, wasting money every month. Make difficult and realistic decisions about what you will really use or need in the near future.
Additional advice from real estate writer and moving veteran Pam Parker: Your grown-up kids probably don’t want your stuff. No matter how long you’ve kept it to their benefit, don’t plan on leaving it all with them. So before you assume they want their old cribs (safety hazards) or bikes (out of style), ask what they really want, and don’t be surprised (or hurt) if they shake their heads.
Nice placeErie Real Estate: In a $500,000 3,800-square-foot Millcreek home
3. Consider real estate sales
Real estate sales aren’t for the faint of heart, but they’re a labor-saving way to liquidate things you don’t need. The companies that run them know how to assess, arrange and promote things more effectively than you could on your own. You may think that going to a flea market will save you and make more money, but you may not be making enough money to make it worthwhile for you.
4. Find out where you can bring items you don’t want
Have a plan for what’s left. Call places where potentially serviceable items are being donated in good condition. If you don’t have a vehicle or have a friend with a truck, consider renting a van for the day and planning all your drop-offs that day. Find out where to get rid of beat up stuff. Don’t forget the junkyards for the old toaster and look out for municipal collection days for old electronics or tires.
5. Take advantage of options beyond weekly trash pickup
No mere weekly garbage pickup will take away everything you want to get rid of. A few options:
- Hardware stores sell “The Bagster,” which costs about $30 and can carry up to 3,300 pounds of trash. You unfold it and fill it with trash and then arrange a pickup. You call Waste Management and for another $220 they send a big truck with a crane and pick up the big bag and take it away. They pick up additional bags for $156. To purchase a bag, schedule a pickup, or for more information, visit thebagster.com/products/find_price.aspx. Waste Management also offers wheeled dumpsters. Demand is high so plan ahead at wm.com/us/en/dumpster-rental.
Message to take awayErie home sellers, get ready. The best time to list is before April 17th
- If any of the furniture you want to get rid of is useable, sell or donate as soon as possible, especially if you are selling your house. The more free space there is, the more potential buyers will like it. Look beyond the thrift stores for places like Restore, which collect items for sale and raise money for Habitat for Humanity. They take implements, some furniture and building materials including doors, windows, sinks, floors, vanity tops, countertops, lamps, paint and more. Greater Erie Area Habitat for Humanity has a Restore at 4922 Pittsburgh Ave. For more information, visit habiterie.org/restore or call 814-454-7025.
6. Label your boxes
As you pack, label the boxes next to the rooms where they need to be unpacked, such as: e.g. “kitchen”, “bathroom”, etc. Speaking of packaging, first package your family photos if you are going to sell them. Potential buyers need to see themselves in your home. Photos of people they don’t know are just a mess to them.
7. Mark boxes for immediate use in your new home
Pack a few boxes with everything you need for the first few days in the new location and label them clearly or stick them with colored tape so that you can find them again after the move: pack paper plates, napkins, utensils , trash bags, a few extra changes of clothing, toiletries, coffee pot and coffee, nonperishable groceries (like crackers, peanut butter, and granola bars), medication, and pet items (like groceries, dishes, and leashes). Don’t lose sight of the linens. After moving day, you will want nothing more than to sleep in a bed.
Vendor Market:How is Erie County’s real estate market? Real estate prices have increased year after year
8. Know where important businesses are in your new neighborhood
Before you move, do some research in the immediate area about things you will need in the first week. Find essentials like a bank, inexpensive restaurant, grocery store, gas station, and laundromat if your laundry room isn’t already set up. Find a place that sells ice cream, a drug store – don’t forget to wire prescriptions – and a hardware store.
9. Change your address and keep track of subscriptions and bills
Give your current post office a forwarding address. Visit bit.ly/changeofaddressUSPS or stop by a local post office to do this. Stop or transfer newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Keep track of bills during the move. Make sure you pay everyone on time and cancel your services at your old address. Don’t assume that you don’t have to pay an invoice if you don’t receive an invoice. When utilities shut down suddenly and remain off for too long, homes can suffer serious damage, such as frozen and burst pipes.
10. Schedule off and on dates for utilities
Schedule turn-on dates for the new home at the same time as the utilities at the old location are cancelled. Sometimes it takes a while for companies to flip the switch and you don’t want an ice-cold shower after a day of moving. Our family once went without a cable for three very long weeks.
Bonus tip: be patient
It takes time to make a home out of a new place. Expect some things to go wrong. Roll with the punches. If you have children, give them space to work on their spaces on their own. Be flexible with your partner’s ideas. If you are alone, don’t panic. Give yourself time to relax. The boxes are not going anywhere.
If you’re feeling stressed, take a break. Options: Search thrift stores for your new needs. Decoration and some flowers in a new vase can put a smile on your face. Or grab dessert and a bottle of wine. Focus on the positive reasons for your move and it will quickly feel like home.
Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @ETNgeisler.