Someday the stories of that disastrous first house move experience will be funny to tell friends and family. The day those bad memories become a hilarious anecdote may be far off, though, and it really is better to avoid those misadventures altogether.
Keeping In Touch After Your Move
Relocating away from friends and family in Plymouth, Maple Grove or any other neighborhood may be one of the hardest parts about moving. You’ll have to say goodbye, but you don’t need to end your relationships because you’ve moved to a new community.
You’ll make new friends after you move, but those new relationships don’t have to replace the old ones. It might be a struggle, but make an effort to maintain and stay in contact with friends from your old neighborhood.
Prepare Your Loved Ones Before You Move
Managing long-distance relationships begins before your move. Let your friends and family know that you will miss them and want to stay in touch. If you have it, give them your contact information before you leave. That includes:
- Cell phone number
- Landline phone number
- Skype address
- Social media profile names and addresses
- Mailing address
With today’s technology, staying connected is easier than ever before. If you give your friends and family multiple ways to contact you – you’re more likely to stay in touch after you have moved.
Re-Connect As Soon As Possible After You Move
After you have moved, unpacked, and organized your new home, start making contact with those old friends. Let them know you have successfully landed and give them a sense of your new surroundings. If possible, try to make contact on video through one of the multiple video chat services
- Skype
- Google+ Hangouts
- Facebook Chat
- Cell Phone Connectivity (e.g. FaceTime)
Another option to stay in touch with old friends is to start a blog. You can write about life in your new home and share your blog address with your friends and family in the old neighborhood.
And don’t forget to send birthday and holiday cards. You can call or Skype your friends and relatives. It’s the next best thing to actually being there in person.
After you have been away from your old neighborhood for a while – go back and visit. Plan a reunion with your old friends and neighbors. Let them know when you’ll be back in town and invite them to join you for a celebration. Catching up on each other’s lives is one of the best ways to stay connected after a move.
Planning a Move for the Disabled or Physically Challenged
Moving for disabled or physically challenged persons can seem overwhelming. Aside from mobility issues, there are logistical concerns that can make the move even more unclear. Those with physical mobility challenges may have special equipment they need moved, which could include:
- Wheelchairs
- Walkers
- Hospital-type beds
- Specially made furniture
- Medical devices
- Therapy equipment
- Therapy pets
These are just some of the items that may have to be moved to a new location.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are moving people with physical challenges, plan ahead using these tips:
- Discuss the disability with your moving company. If special needs equipment is involved, tell them up front so they can create a plan for moving that equipment safely and securely. A layout plan for your new home will need to be developed (which can create additional obstacles).
- To provide an accurate estimate of moving costs, your moving company needs to understand how many personnel are needed for moving and what kind of special equipment they’ll need for the move.
- Pack a bag with extra clothing, toiletries, and any medication or equipment needed at your new residence.
- When the movers arrive, have someone available to assist them, if necessary. Inventory all belongings prior to moving day. Also, make sure the movers have a clear walking path in and out of the residence.
- If it is important where furniture is placed in the new location, create a layout map for the movers and give it to them when they arrive.
- Take extra care with cables, cords and boxes on moving day. Keep them out of the way.
- If you are moving special equipment, make sure you prep it before moving day. Secure any moving parts for the move.
- Make sure your phone line, electricity, water, and other utilities are hooked up at your new residence before you arrive.
Moving day can be hectic, especially if you have a disability and special equipment. Be sure to plan and prepare well in advance.
4 Free Apps to Help With Your Move
In an age of hyper-technology, one of the benefits to moving is that you can use technology to your advantage. If you own a cell phone there are a many applications to help with your move.
4 Moving Apps to Help With Your Next Move
Here are four mobile apps we like that are designed to help you move your family to your new home and keep you organized during this hectic time:
- Sortly – is an organizational app. Take photos of your items, tag them, keep tabs on where you are storing your items (at home or in storage), and make tracking your belongings easier. Know in an instant which box your items are in. You can even create records of your moving chores, such as keeping records for insurance purposes, tracking your house-hunting activities, and even keeping visual inventories of your business stuff. Keep your records in the cloud for free.
- TaskRabbit – is an app that will help you find people to handle tasks you don’t want to do yourself. Need to clean out your garage but don’t have the time? Search your neighborhood for someone who can handle that task for you. You post a task and TaskRabbit will give you a list of taskers who are willing to handle it for you along with their hourly rates. You make secure payments and go back to doing what’s important to you.
- BrightNest – bills itself as an app that will help you simplify your life and keep your home in tip-top shape. It’s powered by the popular business directory Angie’s List. The app provides you with great tips on keeping your home maintained, clean, and healthy for the entire family.
- Houzz – offers you great tips for designing your home, from your kitchen to your back patio. Get photos of great living spaces and purchase furniture for your rooms – right from the app itself. After you’ve moved into your new home, start looking for the items you need to make it comfortable and livable at a price that you can afford.
Why not take advantage of these great tech tools to make your next move as smooth and efficient as possible.
How to Move Appliances
Moving large appliances can be a challenge if you don’t have a plan, and especially if you’ve never done it before. You could run the risk of causing major damage to them. Here are some guidelines to prepare and move your large appliances safely.
Moving Your Refrigerator
One of the biggest challenges many people face in moving their appliances is the refrigerator. If you do it incorrectly you could end up buying a new one. Here are a things take care of before the move:
- Prepare the refrigerator days before your move to allow time for it to dry thoroughly to avoid mildew and mold
- Remove all contents and throw your perishables away first
- Wash the inside and all removable parts and dry them thoroughly
- Pack loose parts and shelves in a tight container
- Vacuum the condenser or compressor
- Empty/clean the evaporator pan
- Turn off water and disconnect the water line
- Empty the water reservoir
Washing Machine and Dryer
- Dry inside of washer including rubber seal and drain if necessary
- Disconnect and wrap metal connector ends of hoses in a towel and place inside washer
- Secure the washer tub on front load machines-check your owner’s manual.
- Clean your dryer’s lint screen
- Make sure to check your new home’s power supply for the correct electrical requirements before plugging in your dryer
Dishwasher
- Clean and dry thoroughly
- Disconnect and drain all your hoses
- Leave the door open for a few days before you move to allow time for it to dry thoroughly
- Wrap dry hoses in towels and packing paper, then place them inside the dishwasher
Stove and Oven
- Clean your range thoroughly before you move it
- Take off any removable parts and pack them in a box
- Have your gas range disconnected prior to moving day by a qualified professional
- Schedule a qualified professional to reconnect your gas range in your new home
Microwave Oven
- Take out your glass trays and clean them. Wrap and secure in a safe box
- If you have the original box, store your microwave in the box for your move. Otherwise, wrap it in bubble wrap and place it in a box. Large microwaves can be wrapped in a pad on moving day
- Secure the microwave door closed during transit
The key to moving appliances is to plan ahead – have them prepped and ready to go when the movers arrive and you’ll save valuable time on moving day.
Moving Day: Be Prepared to Ensure a Smooth Move
If you want your moving experience to go smoothly, then you have to prepare for the day long before it arrives. You can’t just show up on moving day without any prior planning and expect it to go well. In fact, if you do that, it will likely end up a disaster.
What exactly constitutes good pre-planning for a successful move?
Pre-Packing and Centralizing Your Household Items
Don’t wait until the day of your move to start packing. You should be packing your belongings a full week ahead of your move. Start with items you won’t need on your last week, such as the kitchenware you use for special occasions and guestroom linen. Start organizing your storage items, things you keep in your garage, and keep a central list of your household items and what rooms you keep them in.
As you pack, label your boxes with the items packed in them as well as the rooms they are associated with. This alone will go a long way to making your moving day go without a hitch. Staging your packed boxes in a central location is also a time saver for the crews which is a money saver for you.
Disassemble Furniture
Office desks, TV stands, living room furniture, and anything else that requires assembly and disassembly should be taken apart before moving day. Start with items you don’t use often. You can begin disassembling furniture two weeks before your move if you are sure you won’t need those items before moving day.
Items that you use often can be disassembled the day before the move. That includes beds, video game consoles, and stereo racks. (Any items you do disassemble cannot be assembled by the crews due to safety concerns.)
Be Patient and Have Fun
Moving day is stressful any way you look at it. Prior planning and organization will make it go a lot more smoothly. You will also want to take a healthy dose of your patient pills that morning, but you may want to ramp up on the patience the week prior. Things will get hectic, so plan for the inevitable and try to keep things organized.
You also want to have a little fun. Just because work is involved doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. Your professional movers will take care of moving the majority of your belongings, but why not get your friends to help with miscellaneous tasks and promise them a pizza party at the end. Take breaks throughout the move to kid around and keep everyone motivated. A smile and words of thanks will go a long way on moving day.
Tips for Choosing a Home Security System
Even if you live in the best and safest neighborhood, it’s wise to equip your home with a security system because you never know when your home could be targeted for a burglary. It’s better to be safe than sorry. But what constitutes an effective security system for your home?
The Various Parts of an Effective Home Security System
First, you need a smoke detector in case your home falls victim to a fire and you are home. A glass break detector is also a good thing because if your home is targeted for a break-in, you’ll want to know it as soon as possible. Panic buttons ensure that you can sound the alarm at the push of a button and know that help is on its way. Pressure mats are sneaky; you place them under your rugs and when an intruder steps on them they activate your alarm system. A closed-circuit TV system will monitor your home in real-time video footage. Alarm screens are mesh window coverings that sound off an alarm if cut or removed.
How to Select the Right Security System
Your best bet for choosing the right home security system is to start local. A local security company will understand the neighborhoods in your area best.
Your first step is to contact several companies to get quotes. Ask each one if they are members of a federal or state burglar and fire alarm association such as ALARM. Also, ask if they are licensed through the Minnesota Electronic Security and Technology Association.
The Better Business Bureau should have information on each security company that offers you a quote. Find out if they have any complaints and, if so, how they responded to them.
Choose 3 or 4 companies and arrange to have a representative of each company visit your Minneapolis home to survey your security needs. Get all quotes and the results of your home inspection in writing. Be sure to ask the representative of each security company for references – and be sure to check them.
Read the fine print on all of your contracts. Make sure you understand all the provisions of the contract before you sign it. Don’t make a decision on price alone.
Unpacking and Organizing Tips
You’ve got all of your belongings moved from your old home and are one step closer to enjoying your new home. Now it’s time to unpack and organize. Use these tips to help you unpack faster and get settled more efficiently:
Make a Design Plan for Your New Minneapolis Home
Before you move in decide where your furniture will go – get a visual before you set everything in place. Draw out a plan prior to moving day. That way when the movers arrive they will be able to put everything where it belongs and you won’t be shifting furniture here and there to find the best placement. It will cut down on your organizing time.
Organize One Room at a Time
The key to unpacking efficiently is to focus on one room at a time. If you skip from room to room, you’ll spend more time taking things out of boxes and finding a place for them. So go easy on yourself.
The kitchen and bathroom are the best places to start because these are the areas that are most common to all members of your family and are typically high traffic areas. An added bonus to beginning in the kitchen is that you can have a snack to keep you motivated. Start with items you’ll need the soonest – plates, bowls, glasses, and silverware. Line your cabinets and put everything where it belongs as soon as you take it out of the box.
In the bathroom, you’ll want to get your toiletries set up as soon as possible. Also, make sure the plumbing is operational.
If you can’t get to the bedrooms before the first night in your new Minneapolis home, don’t worry. Have a family camp out. Roll out some sleeping bags in the living room or pitch a tent in the backyard. When you do get to the bedrooms, make sure all your furniture is set in place before you start unpacking. That way you can move everything from the boxes to right where it’s supposed to land.
After the bedrooms, tackle the living room. Save the garage for last. Make sure your sofa, other furniture, TV and other living room electronics are all in their places before you unpack your boxes.
Keeping to this routine will make your unpacking go a lot more smoothly and you’ll be done faster.
2015 Top Moving Trends
At the end of last year, MovingCompanyReviews.com posted an article on some of the trends from 2014 and what they expect to be the moving trends in 2015. Among the list of trends include:
- Tight mover availability in the spring and summer – Last year, there was a moving truck driver shortage. That caused a bottleneck in mover availability for a lot of consumers trying to book a moving company. The same thing will likely happen this year. Minneapolis-St. Paul moving companies are going to be busy, so if you know you are moving this spring or summer, then it will be to your advantage to book your moving company as soon as you know your moving dates.
- Major metro areas are hot moving locations – You can be sure that many people within the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area will plan moves in 2015. That makes it even more important to book your Minneapolis move soon.
- Smaller cities will be hot for interstate moves – People moving from state to state are choosing smaller cities and towns. That could mean smaller Minnesota cities like Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, and Eagan could see some urbanization and some attention from moving companies relocating consumers to those areas.
- Square footage will remain flat – In 2014, people upsized. This year, movers will stay within their range of real estate size.
- Keep an eye out for moving scams – The last couple of years have seen an increase in illegitimate moving companies scamming unsuspecting consumers. These scams will still be a threat in 2015 – however, there are organizations working hard to educate consumers on these scams so they won’t be taken. Be smart and hire a reputable fully licensed, insured and bonded mover.
MovingCompanyReviews.com trends for 2015 are based in part of what happened in the moving industry last year. Home sales went up, and they are expected to go up again this year. Interstate moves made for about 20% of all moves. This trend will likely continue, as well.
If you see a move this year for your family or business, why not start planning now. Book your professional Minneapolis-St. Paul moving company to secure your moving date.
How to Save on Moving Expenses
Let’s face it. Moving can be expensive. Whether you are moving across town or across country, you could spend thousands of dollars on moving your family and personal items. But you don’t have to.
Courtesy of your favorite Minneapolis residential movers – here are a few tips designed to help you save on the cost of moving:
- Get rid of the unnecessary stuff – Why move all that stuff you no longer use or need? Ditch it first. There are a number of ways to do this. You can hold a yard sale prior to moving. You could give it away to a charity. Or you might use it as collateral to trade for other items you do need (or will need in your new home). Another alternative is, if you can’t sell it or give it away, just toss it.
- Use free moving supplies – Professional moving companies will sell you boxes, tape, and other moving supplies, but you don’t have to buy them. You can get free boxes for your move at retail stores that throw out boxes after unloading the merchandise for their stores.
- Pack your own items – Having the movers pack your boxes can be an added expensive. You can save money by doing it yourself.
- Plan your move for off-season – If you move during peak season, you’ll probably pay higher prices. Instead, plan your move for when others aren’t—such as during the week.
- Ask your employer to help you move – If you company is moving you due to a promotion or interoffice transfer, ask them to pick up the tab for your moving expenses. If you are in the military, the government will pay for your move through its DITY program. Having your employer pay for your move – or at least a part of it – will save you a bundle in moving expenses.
You’ll also want to get more than one estimate. Compare the moving companies in Minneapolis before choosing one. They all have their unique ways of pricing their services, so pick the moving company that is best for you. If you do some due diligence and plan your move ahead of time, you’ll be able to spot opportunities for where you can save on the costs. Always ask your sales representative for ideas, as they are a great resource.
