Packing for a Move: Where do you get the boxes?

Packing and Unpacking

Finding moving boxes that fits both your needs and budget takes some preparation. It includes assessing what kind of assortment and how many boxes you will need and researching the costs. And being prepared with moving box knowledge saves time - you won't be running out at the last minute to buy more boxes and good organization helps save time during the loading and unloading process for your movers.

And don't forget, after the move, compress your boxes, remove the tape, and find place to stash them, like a storage unit or an overhead closet. You will have exactly what you need for the next time move.

1. Cardboard boxes 
Cardboard boxes are convenient because they can be bought virtually everywhere -- from Amazon to Home Depot to Sam's Club) The downside is that they are usually sold in one-size packs and you may end up with a surplus of unused, wasted boxes. 
Some online moving supply companies, like directmovingboxes.com and usedcardbordboxes.com, have solved this by selling "moving kits," which include a variety of box sizes and other necessities, such as bubble wrap, packing tape and markers. The benefit of buying a package is that the supplier helps you estimate how many boxes you will need, based on the size of your place.

2. Grocery store boxes (apple boxes, plastic milk crates, and glass or wine boxes)
Best to stow small, heavy items for the move. It's a cheap, eco-friendly way to get boxes for your move; however, it requires a little extra work on your part to get chummy with the manager of a local grocery and start accumulating a set of boxes. Restaurants and coffee shops are your best bet for finding plastic milk crates, free of charge.

3. Banker boxes (boxes that usually store paper or legal files; roughly a foot wide and high, by 2 feet long) 
They have handles for easy transport and lift-off lids. Best for little or heavy items, such as books, DVDs and cooking utensils or children's clothes.

4. Wardrobe boxes (the tall, slender boxes that come with hinged holes and a metal bar) 
Works well for light, bulky belongings such as pillows, comforters, sleeping bags, etc). Do NOT put heavy things in these boxes.

5. Eco-friendly boxes (eco-conscious moving boxes). 

You can rent these storage boxes for a couple of weeks to pack and move, and then they are picked up once your move is complete. The downside of this is usually cost.

Read More: DONATE YOUR STUFF
 9 Ways to Save on Moving Expenses
Five Must Have Moving Supplies

• Packing Supplies for a Smooth Move
• Green Moving Guide

• Packing Your Home for Moving Day
• Best Ways to Unpack After Moving

• Move with Storage Containers: Packing and Unpacking Made Easy

Planning a Move

Planning a Move

Before you start packing boxes you should be thinking about logistics. These guides will get you thinking about the decisions you need to make before a move. It's important to have the best tips and resources possible when planning a move! 

• Moving on the Cheap
• Moving Made Easy with a Timetable
• Don't Move It! Yard Sale Tips and More

• Home Improvements, Before You Move In
• Moving Costs: Ways to Budget for Your Move

• Changing Rentals? Save on Your Next Move
• Moving Tips for Every Season

Read More: 9 Ways to Save on Moving Expenses

Five Must Have Moving Supplies
Where do you get Moving Boxes?

Choosing Movers

When preparing to move one of the biggest decisions is figuring out how to find trustworthy movers to get your stuff from A to B. These guides will help you find the right movers for you.

• Movers: Hire Professionals or Do It Yourself

• Movers You Won't Regret

• How to Get an Accurate Moving Quote

Want more GREAT TIPS from a GREAT AGENT? Call Sarah First!

6 Things That Turn Buyers OFF

No fluff, let's jump right in. Here is the stuff buyers whine about. Where you're done here, check out more Tips for Sellers.

Is your house turning buyers off?

Curb Appeal: 

Besides mowing the lawn, your to-do list should include trimming scraggly trees and shrubs and removing anything that's dead or beyond resuscitation. Edge, weed and mulch garden beds. Plant annuals in a plot or pot for color.

Paint: 

Avoid using stark-white paint, though. Choose a warm neutral color -- beige, ivory, taupe or light gray -- that makes your rooms look inviting, larger and brighter. Redo painted trim in white. 

Popcorn Ceiling:

 If you've lived with a popcorn ceiling, you know that it accumulates dirt, defies cleaning and is hard to paint. A knockdown ceiling is the way to go.  Search this blog for more on ceilings.

Carpet:

Buyers these days expect hardwood floors and tile even in starter homes. If carpet hides your home's natural hardwood floors, remove it to expose them, even if the wood isn't in the best condition. If you don’t have hardwood, you may want to consider having it installed in a first-floor living area. If you must keep the carpeting, make sure it looks and smells its best by having it professionally cleaned, especially in high-traffic areas or if you have pets.
Fixtures: From switch plates to chandeliers, builder-grade, shiny yellow gold or brass is out. Replace it with chrome- or satin-nickel-finish fixtures for a contemporary look, or an oil-rubbed bronze or black finish to update a traditional room. This is a pretty straightforward do-it-yourself job. Acrylic knobs in the bathroom look cheap and can be hard to use by young, aged or soapy hands. Replace them with a faucet and handle set that matches the existing fixture's configuration (centerset or widespread) and meets the standard of the Americans with Disabilities Act with flipper- or lever-style handles. Polished-chrome finish will cost you the least and still be durable. Plus, the National Kitchen and; Bath Association says that the finish is enjoying a surge in popularity over brushed or satin finishes.
Nothing says 1970s like a Hollywood-style strip of bare, round lights over your bathroom mirror. Replace it with a fixture that includes a shade for each bulb in a style and finish that complements your faucet set. If you have a one-person mirror, you could replace the vanity strip with a wall sconce on either side of the mirror to achieve better lighting for shaving or applying make-up.

Stuff:

 In most cases, buyers walk in and see your furniture before they see the house.  Look at your furniture and ask yourself, would I buy that TODAY if it were for sale?  If the answer is no, it shouldn't be in your house when buyers come.  If your furniture is in rough condition, it give the house a feeling of poor condition. Some agents may disagree but I believe it's better to be empty and show the house than distract with bad furniture.  Yes, you have to live there but if you are getting rid of that furniture when you move anyway, just get rid of it now.  If you are keeping that couch, get a plain couch cover and make sure it's neat and tidy for showings.

Dirt and minor disrepair: 

If a buyer grabs a cabinet handle and it's loose, they immediately think "If the homeowner can't even tighten a handle, have they maintained anything?"  If they see stained or peeling caulk around tubs and sinks they often say out loud to their agent "that's gross. I wouldn't want to touch that" so it's important to get that handyman and the house cleaner out there if you can't make the simple repairs yourself.  This home will be "new" to the buyers so just like a car dealer gives the those trade-ins a good buff and shine, you need to do the same with your house.

• Check out more buyer and seller FAQs.
• Learn more about Sarah & Call Sarah First, Inc
• Contact Sarah Marrinan

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Lower Your Mortgage Payment! [Making Home Affordable]

If you currently own a home, this post is for you!!

Would you like to lower your mortgage payment?
Would you like to reduce your interest rate?
Are you trying to avoid foreclosure?

You might be eligible for the official program of the Departments of the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development called Making Home Affordable!

Find out if there is a Making Home Affordable program for you here:

http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/get-started/finding-the-right-program/Pages/default.aspx

9 Ways To Save on Moving Expenses

9 Ways To Save on Moving Day Expenses

Summer is a time when many of us move, an experience most people find painful -- often in the lower back -- and definitely in the wallet. Whether you are buying or selling a home, moving out of your parents house or finding a new place to rent, what people usually dread most is moving.

Maybe you're doing the heavy lifting yourself or maybe hiring a team to pack and move you, there are important rules of thumb to keep in mind.

1. Pull your friends and family together.

Assess whether you really need a moving company. You might do quite well asking your friends and family to help you move, particularly if someone you know has a truck. Sami Cone, a savings pro, says getting people together might be easier than you think. "Just make sure to show plenty of gratitude during and afterwards and free pizza doesn't hurt either," says Cone.

2. Seek free boxes.

Those professional moving boxes look nice, but they can add up quickly. You would be surprised at how many boxes stores, particularly liquor stores, throw out each week. Many times, managers of these stores are happy to hold them for you. Cone says that restaurants and coffee shops are also prime places for sturdy boxes. Where Can I Get Moving Boxes?

3. Do some packing yourself.

If you are using movers, ask if you can save on their estimate by packing and doing at least some of the work yourself. Cone says you would be surprised at how much you can save if all they have to do is send two people out to pick up boxes already packed.


4. Shop around for movers and deals.

Sometimes there is no getting around movers. If you have to hire them, look around at the local newspaper and daily deals sites, says Cone. You may even find some deals on moving trucks and storage facilities.

5. Tip well.

Aimee Elizabeth, author of "Poverty Sucks! How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire," says that she loves to move and has come up with a sure-fire way to make the movers move faster while saving money. Elizabeth calculates their hourly rate vs. the cost of an incentive for them to finish early. She then tells the movers that if they have the move completed by 2 p.m., for example, she will tip each of them $20.


6. Don't overlap residences.

"Don't overlap residences more than a month, so you don't have to carry two house payments," says Cone. Same goes for rentals. If you found that perfect next home and your lease isn't quite up on your current rental, ask the landlord if he will accept a deposit to hold it rather than having to put up a month's rent. You would be surprised how many will hold it a month for you, especially if your credit is good and you appear to be the perfect tenant.

7. Start over.

Depending on where you're moving, you might be ahead of the game by packing only things that you can take in your vehicle and selling the rest. Bonnie Russell with Personal Public Relations says that when her father retired from Oregon to a village for members of the Air Force in California, he gave heirlooms to his family, sold the rest, and purchased only what he needed -- some of it used -- for his new, smaller digs.

8. Look for tax deductions.

Tony Aguilar, founder of Amiti Advising, notes that if your move qualifies for tax deductions (talk with your tax accountant), make sure you keep all of the necessary receipts.

9. Retrieve utility and other deposits.

It may have been years since you last saw the money you put down as deposits on a rental home or apartment or utilities, but the money should still be there. Howard Dvorkin, author of Credit Hell: How to Dig out of Debt, says many people forget these, as well as pet deposits. Make sure to leave all of the property you're leaving behind in good working order and clean and you will get that money back.

Read More: Five Must Have Moving Supplies

• How to Make Moving Cross-Country Go Smoothly
• Making the Move for a Job? How Employer Can Smooth the Way

• Moving Day Horror Stories

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