Moving Tips

While the holiday season is in full swing, too soon, we’ll be focusing on taking down all the decorations after the New Year. Are you looking for holiday storage ideas? We’ve got a few for you, including some for the DIY-lovers out there! Ornament Storage Ornaments come in all shapes and sizes, especially if you collect the yearly ceramic ornaments that are so popular. While they look great on the tree, they can be a challenge to store. A simple ornament container with multiple layers is usually the perfect choice with these and traditional ball ornaments. Each layer is fabric-lined with padding to keep delicate ornaments intact, lightweight and usually come with handles to remove each layer. Tray dividers allow you to customize each space to fit oddly shaped ornaments. Want a DIY solution? Grab a plastic bin and upcycle: Plastic cups Cardboard Egg cartons Apple containers Beverage trays Coffee

If we lived in a perfect world, the timing of selling your current home and moving to your new one would happen on the same day. We wouldn’t have to worry about short-term rentals. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. So, what happens when you find the perfect seller for your current space but closing occurs 30 or more days before you can move into your new place? One way to prevent you and your family from homelessness is to rent your current home back from the new owners. While some buyers might be okay with this solution, many are just as eager to get into their new home as you are to pack up and move to your new home. Need another solution? Short-term rentals are probably the next best solution for filling the gap between settlements. And you have several options from which to choose.

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of the moving process and realizing you’ve forgotten where a vital document is. Or worse, it’s packed away in a filing cabinet that’s already on the moving truck. If you’re only moving a few miles away from your current location, keeping essential papers handy isn’t as crucial as it would be when making a long-distance move. Regardless of where you’re moving to, knowing which documents are the most important to keep with you during the move can ease your mind and make the process easier. Moving Documents Before your move, you’ll have several documents that should be handy. Suppose you’ve hired help with packing and moving. In that case, the moving company will provide documents you’ll want to have access to, including: Binding estimate Signed contract Inventory list Payment receipts Moving-guide pamphlets are also a great resource to which you’ll want to

Whether you’re moving across the street or across the country, planning your move ahead of time can make for a smooth and stress-free experience. People often say that moving is one of the most stressful life events you’ll deal with. We’re here to help you debunk that theory with our Timeline For a Smooth Move. 90 Days From Your Move Three months or 90 days, it’s not a lot of time for the moving process. One of the most time-consuming undertakings you’ll have when moving is packing – especially if you have kids or just a lot of stuff. The more you have to sort through, the more time you should give yourself to pack for your move. Here are six packing hacks you can use to help create your plan of attack. If the thought of packing yourself has you panicking, consider hiring a full-service moving company like Freedom

During the moving process, you may come to a point where you need to rent a storage unit. This location can temporarily house your furniture, clothes, and other personal items until you’re ready to move them to your new home. But is it better to rent an indoor or outdoor storage unit? Before you decide, it’s important to understand the differences between the types of units and the benefits for each. What’s the Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Storage? Indoor storage units often look like an apartment building on the inside – several floors of units separated by a hallway with doors to each unit on both sides. Indoor storage facilities are only accessible indoors and are usually climate-controlled. They are more common in urban areas with higher populations. Outdoor storage units are the largest units that have exterior access. They may not be climate-controlled, and there might not be

If you’re going to be moving next year, now might be a good time to start cleaning up to prepare. Pretty soon, the holidays will be here. If you get started now, not only will it better prepare you for your move, your house will also be ready to entertain for the holiday season! Fall Clean-Up – Outside Take advantage of the lovely fall Maryland weather by working on the outside first. After you’ve raked up all the leaves, removed any dead annuals, and mowed the lawn for the last time, assess all your outdoor furniture and equipment. Figure out what you plan to take with you and what you no longer need or want. Throw away things that can’t be donated or sold in a yard sale. Remove the gas from the lawn equipment that you’ll store over the winter. Fall Clean Up – The Attic/Storage Area Now it’s

If you need to store your personal or office belongings before or after a move, a storage unit may be your best choice. With so many self-storage facility options in and around Pasadena, Maryland, how can you choose? Here is what to look for at a storage facility to help you decide which one is right for you. Safety and Security Before you are tempted by storage facility signs about great deals on units, consider the price you could pay for that cheap storage unit. Suppose you care about your safety when going to and from the unit and protecting your belongings when you’re not there. If so, then the cheapest option may not be the best option. Even though it may cost more, storage facilities that put in measures to prevent theft, damage, and danger to its customers are worth it. Here are some features to consider when looking

Throughout the moving process, you’ve probably packed at least a box or two intended to donate to one of the Maryland businesses accepting them. Now that your move date is getting closer, what should you do with the donation box you set aside while prepping for the big day? Well, you have a few options in Maryland to donate gently used and brand-new items. Call or Go Online to Schedule a Pickup Suppose you don’t have the time or ability to drive somewhere to drop off your donation boxes. In that case, you could schedule a pickup with one of several companies that offer this service in Maryland. A few donation centers with pickup services available are: DonationTown Pickup Please Purple Heart Vietnam Veterans of America DonateDAV Second Chance Inc GreenDrop The Salvation Army These companies make it easy to set up a time for them to come out and

Whether you’re planning to move across town or across the country, the first thing you have to do is sell your current home. Even in a seller’s market, there are benefits to staging your home for sale, especially if you want top dollar, and to get the house sold quickly. Why stage your home? According to the 2021 Profile of Home Staging by the National Association of Realtors, 47% of buyers’ agents stated that staging the home helped the buyers view the home as their own. The Basics While you can stage your home yourself to save money, sometimes it’s worth paying a professional to stage your home with the buyers in mind. As much as 23% of buyers’ agents advised that home staging increased the final sale price by between 1%-5% compared to similar-sized unstaged homes for sale. From the buyer’s perspective, there are several benefits to viewing a

Moving your home or office space is a huge undertaking, especially if you try to do it all yourself. If you’re moving long distances, the process can be even more overwhelming, including the logistics of Having To Hire a Realtor® to Sell Your Home Purchase A New Home or Find a New Space To Live In What Items to Sell, Donate, And Take With You How To Pack and What Materials Are Best Is it better to move yourself or hire movers? While you’re the only one who can make that decision, we can help you figure out which method is best for you. Moving Yourself You’re in Control of the Process When you move yourself, you have control over the moving process. You can set your own timeline for getting your belongings sorted, packed, and ready to go. You can take the care needed to pack delicate items, choose

No matter where you are in the packing and moving process, it’s essential to take care of your valuables. Jewelry, fine art, stamp collections, family heirlooms, firearms, memorabilia, cameras, and musical instruments can be worth a lot. The last thing you want is for something to be broken during transport. By appraising and insuring your valuables before packing them for the big move, you can ensure they are covered if something were to happen. Appraising Your Valuables Just because something has sentimental value does not mean it has monetary value. The best way to know what something is worth is by getting an appraisal from a professional. The place to go for an appraisal depends on the item you want to value. Some of the major appraisal associations can help you find an appraiser in your area: American Society of Appraisers Appraisers Association of America International Society of Appraisers Even

Choosing when to set up your yard sale for success takes some careful planning and consideration. Most often, high-traffic days are Saturday and Sunday. People who frequent yard sales expect to spend early mornings on the weekend rummaging through other people’s stuff to find treasures. Check the weather to make sure it won’t be too hot, too cold, or raining. Start early and be ready to open for business by at least 7 AM, when the early birds are ready to go. Plan to be open until at least lunchtime or longer so that you can be available to the most people. A Week Before Your Yard Sale Prep work should begin a week before your yard sale. Make cardboard signs (maybe you have leftover packing materials?) with the words “yard sale” nice and big. Include your address, the date, starting time, and arrows pointing to your yard sale. Post

When planning a home or office move, you’re bound to have a pile of trash to throw away. The pile starts as you go through all your belongings and ends with an enormous stack of cardboard boxes as you unpack in your new home. Before you throw things in your residential trash, consider these tips and tricks to help you at your local landfill. Sorting Trash and Recycle Depending on where you’re moving from and to, you may have a local pickup for trash and recycle. If you don’t have too many items, you may be able to put them at the curb to be thrown away or recycled. But if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of or don’t have curbside pickup, you’ll have to go to your local landfill to dispose of them. Know how to sort items before you go. Many landfills have designated

Whether you’ve been in your home for a long time or just have a lot of possessions, decluttering can be a stressful part of moving. Most people don’t realize how much stuff they have accumulated until they are preparing to move. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff to declutter pre-move, but the best piece of advice is to start early. The more things you have, the more time it will take to go through, so leave yourself ample time to work through each room and declutter before moving. Prepping to Declutter Before you declutter, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place. Here are some steps to take to prepare for a pre-move decluttering. Pick a Room If you think about decluttering your entire house, it can be overwhelming and cause some people to shut down. Instead, pick a room and focus on just

Whether you’re packing to move on your own or having the moving company do it for you, it’s a good idea to create a pre-move inventory. It can make packing and unpacking more efficient and help you understand what you have and what you might need. If you’re using a moving company, a pre-move inventory can also help you estimate moving costs. One of the most important reasons to create a pre-move inventory is for insurance purposes if something happens to your belongings during packing or moving locations. There are several ways to create a pre-move inventory. One may work best, or you might find that a combination of these methods works better. Pen and Paper Sometimes, the old-fashioned way of doing things is still the best way. You can make one master list, divide the list up by room or packed box, or use another method that works for

When working on the logistics of your long-distance move, inevitably, the question comes up: should we drive or fly to our new home? To determine the answer, here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine the best way to get to the endpoint of your long-distance move. How Far Are You Moving? If you’re only moving across town, it doesn’t make sense to fly to your new home or office space. However, if you’re moving to another state or across the country, it might make more sense to fly instead of drive. If you’re up for a road trip, driving might be a more economical option than flying. Consider the time it would take to drive and how much gas, accommodations, and food would cost to get you there. How Much Will it Cost? Cost is a significant factor for many people when they make a long-distance move.

Long-distance moving requires a lot more planning than if you’re moving the next town over. Here are some tips to make your long-distance moving experience a success. Start Planning Planning to move long distances can be a huge undertaking that requires careful planning to reduce stress and hiccups along the way. If you’re planning to use a moving company, it’s a good idea to reach out to companies at least three months before your move. This gives you time to find the best moving company and know what you need to do for a smooth transition. Get In-Home Estimates Once you’ve narrowed down moving companies in your local area, it’s time to get an in-home estimate. Estimators will come out to your home or office to evaluate your belongings and give you an accurate quote on the cost of your long-distance move. If you’re planning to pack yourself, you can