10 awesome unpacking tips

As most of you know, my family has recently moved across the country (from AZ to OH). Who knew it would be so much work?! Woo! We are finally down to the last couple boxes and it feels GREAT!

Here are some unpacking tips I have found helpful for your next big move. If you have organized your move with a moving check list and used my moving tips, your job of unpacking will be much easier. If every thing is labeled and in the correct room, you are already off to a great start. It may be a good idea to quickly run through each room though before you start unpacking to make sure each box is in the right room.

1. Clean before you start unpacking. Make sure each room and closet has been cleaned and sanitized before putting your stuff away. It may look clean… but wait until you pull out the drawers. Eek! It will feel refreshing to know it is clean, I promise! You may even consider hiring a cleaning company to come in and clean before hand if it is really bad.

2. Open the “me-first” box and set up the beds first. Remember to take it one box at a time and make sure everything has a place.

3. If possible dedicate 1-3 days after moving in so you have time to unpack. It feels nice to get everything unpacked in the first couple of weeks.

4. Delegate helpers to unpack a room if you have help. Here’s the rooms I unpacked first and it seemed to work out well.

• Bedrooms and closets
• Main bathroom
• Kitchen/pantry
• Laundry room
• Living room
• Play room
• Office
• Garage/basement/other rooms

I almost put my kitchen first on the list, but you have to go to the bathroom and sleep. You just have to! ;) Having the kitchen unpacked, and in clean working order has always saved my sanity. It’s nice to have one clean and organized space when moving into a new home. Find what works for you. :)

5. Keep the kids entertained while you unpack. Give them some crayons and let them draw pictures on the boxes. It may be fun to buy them a new toy as well or let them just explore the new house.

6. Get your house in order before setting up the computers and TV. As tempting as it may be, open the boxes first and then it will be so nice to sit and relax.

7. Get the empty boxes out of the way. As you start unpacking the boxes will start piling up. Take a few loads to the recycling bin, or better yet, list them on Craiglist for someone else to use.

8. Reorganize as you go. As you get into a daily routine you will find yourself moving things around to wear they best fit.

9. Add your own style. Obviously decorating a home won’t happen over night, but it’s fun to start adding your own style to make it feel like home. A few easy ways to do this from the get go, is to add colorful curtains, rugs and pillows.

10. Turn of some music, invite your friends or family over and most importantly have fun! Moving is definitely an adventure!

11 Tips for For Hiring Quality Movers:

With millions of moves every year in the United States, it’s a minor miracle that most of them go smoothly, with no issues whatsoever. Hiring quality moves is a must, of course.

But even with so many smooth moves, scams or shoddy practices do occur. It’s in your interest to be informed about every step in the process.

Here are 11 ways to hire the right team for your move:

1. Don’t let your mover phone it in

A reputable moving company will take inventory of all your belongings and determine the bulk and weight of your move. The estimator should be thorough and check all of your storage places such as cupboards, drawers, garages and bookcases. A large component of the mover’s price is based on the weight of your stuff and the space your goods take up in the truck. Be sure you understand this estimate and that it is as accurate as possible.

2. Look for more than a cursory glance

An estimator who performs a quick walk-through without noting what you plan to move is going to be off the mark. A good estimator will ask questions about what you plan to take from your current house to your next home. So, be sure you are prepared to tell the estimator which items you don’t want on the truck—the items you plan to give away, donate to a charity, sell in a yard sale, or leave behind for the new owners.

3. Don’t pay a large deposit

Reputable movers won’t demand cash or a large deposit before moving. You should only pay upon delivery. If you pay in advance, you have no control over when you will see your belongings again. When you do pay, use a credit card to help protect you from possible fraudulent activity.

4. Avoid the name switch

Some companies avoid being assessed by the Better Business Bureau by doing business under a variety of names. Be sure the company has a local address and information about licensing and insurance. Their employees should answer the phone with the full name of the business.

Find out if there are any other names the company “does business as,” as well as their state and federal license numbers. Search online to see if there are complaints about the company. To find out more about the company’s history, call the consumer complaints hotline at theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 888-368-7238.

5. Get references

If your friends and family don’t have recommendations, get a list of reliable movers from associations such as the American Moving and Storage Association and state associations of movers.

Ask any mover you speak with for references. Tell them you want a list of three customers from your area who have moved in the past three months. Call those customers and ask direct questions about their experiences.

6. Avoid packing costs

If you pack your belongings yourself, the mover generally isn’t responsible for damage to them. However, if you have your mover do the packing, you may pay inflated prices for boxes and packing materials, not to mention time and labor. If you decide to have the movers pack, ask about the packers’ experience. Most packers are  careful, but you want to avoid the chance of getting someone who tosses whatever they can into a box and then seals it up with little regard for breakage.

7. Beware of extra fees

Do you live in a two-story house or are you moving into one? Moving to or from a 10th-floor apartment? If so, you’ll likely be charged extra for the movers’ having to negotiate stairs and elevators. Have a narrow street that won’t fit a moving van? Expect a surcharge for the transfer of your belongings to a smaller truck for delivery. Make sure to ask your mover about any additional fees that may apply to your situation.

8. Avoid a blank contract

Never sign a blank contract. Get absolutely everything in writing. The mover’s estimate and any extra fees should be listed, as well as your pick-up and delivery dates.

Read your contract and make sure all of your belongings are listed. If your laptop isn’t labeled on the inventory form you sign before the driver leaves, you can’t expect it to be in the box when he arrives. You can’t file a claim for something that doesn’t appear on the inventory list.

9. Don’t accept the “guaranteed” quote

There are three kinds of moving contracts:

A non-binding estimate on your contract means the company cannot require payment more than 10% above the original estimate. Any overages must by paid within 30 days of delivery.

A non-binding to exceed estimate on your contract insures that you will not have to pay for any overages to the original estimate. The estimate is the maximum you’ll be required to pay for any services rendered.

A binding estimate on your contract is supposed to be a guaranteed price for the move and all extras and services. If you request additional services (such as unpacking), any extra fees must be paid within 30 days of delivery.

10. Don’t let the window of opportunity close

You have nine months to report any problems to the moving company and file an insurance claim. So if you’re opening boxes a year later and find shards of glass, you’re out of luck.

On moving day, try to open each box and sift through it to check for damage. Note any problems on the mover’s copy of the bill of lading before signing it.

Your mover has 30 days to acknowledge receipt of your claim. Within 120 days of receiving it, he must deny your claim or make an offer to pay.

11. Understand insurance and valuation protection

All moving companies are required to assume liability for the value of the goods they transport. However, there are two different levels of liability. You need to be aware of the charges that apply and the amount of protection provided by each level.

Full (Replacement) Value Protection: This is the most comprehensive plan available for the protection of your goods. Unless you select the Alternative Level of Liability described below, your shipment will be transported under your mover’s Full (Replacement) Value Protection level of liability. With this plan, whenever an article is lost, destroyed or damaged while in your mover’s custody, the mover has the option to either:

• Repair the article to the extent necessary to restore it to the same condition as when it was received by your mover, or pay you for the cost of repairs.
• Replace the article with an article of like kind and quality, or pay you for the cost of replacement.

Under this option, movers are permitted to limit their liability for loss or damage to articles of extraordinary value, unless you specifically list these articles on the shipping documents. An article of extraordinary value is any item whose value exceeds $100 per pound (for example, jewelry, silverware, china, furs, antiques, rugs and electronics). Ask your mover for a complete explanation of this limitation before your move. It’s your responsibility to study this provision carefully and make the necessary declaration.

Alternative Level of Liability: This no-cost option is the most economical protection available, but it provides only minimal protection. Under this option, the mover assumes liability for no more than 60 cents per pound, per article. Loss or damage claims are settled based on the pound weight of the article multiplied by 60 cents. For example, if a 10-pound stereo component valued at $1,000 were lost or destroyed, the mover would be liable for no more than $6 (10 pounds x 60 cents). There is no extra charge for this minimal protection, but you must sign a specific statement on the bill of lading agreeing to it. If you do not select this alternative level of liability, your shipment will be transported at the full (replacement) value level of liability and you will be assessed the applicable valuation charge.

Can You Deduct Moving Expenses for a New Job?

Where you work is a major factor in where you live (duh!), and in the interest of keeping U.S. taxpayers gainfully employed, Uncle Sam will help foot the bill if you have to relocate for work. Awesome, right? In other words, you can deduct moving expenses on your annual income tax return.

Under the right circumstances, that is.

Single taxpayers can deduct qualified job-related moving costs—although an unmarried partner joining them on a move isn’t entitled to the same tax relief. But married taxpayers can both enjoy the tax savings even if only one-half of the pair’s job takes a couple—or a family—to a new home. Still with us?

Before you sharpen your pencils to start tallying up all the money you’ll save by filling out Form 3903: Moving Expenses, you’d better make sure your move passes the following tests.

You’re really moving for work, and it’s kind of far

OK, this one may seem obvious, but we’ll just say it: In order to deduct job-related moving expenses, you have to actually have a job in the place where you’re moving—not just the hope of one.

And we’re not talking about a move down the street, either.

“To qualify for a moving deduction, your new job location must be at least 50 miles farther from your former home than your old job location,” says ZM Ishmurzina, CPA, a partner at Artio Partners in Chicago.

You’re in for the long(ish) haul

Don’t expect to take a work hiatus a few months after relocating for the job, either.

Michael Raanan, a former IRS revenue officer who’s president and enrolled agent at Landmark Tax Group in Santa Ana, CA, says employees must work full time for at least 39 weeks during the first 12 months that follow a move. Self-employed individuals must work for at least 78 weeks during the first 24 months after moving.

That doesn’t mean you’re chained to your desk. Paid and unpaid leave or vacation time counts as employment time, says Gail Rosen, CPA, PC, in Martinsville, NJ. So do involuntary absences because of illness, strikes, shutouts, and natural disasters. And periods of seasonal unemployment of less than six months count if covered by your employment contract, or if you are self-employed.

Rosen says the time test is waived if you are laid off a job in which you could have reasonably satisfied this test, fired for reasons other than willful misconduct, or transferred for the employer’s benefit.

You’re keeping score—of your qualified expenses

If you’ve passed these tests, it’s time to tally up all the expenses you can—and can’t—deduct.

Travel expenses for the move are deductible, including transportation and lodging for you and members of your household, including pets. Expenses for the day of arrival are deductible, too.

The cost to pack, ship, unpack, and store your belongings is deductible as long as it happens up to 30 consecutive days after the move date and before the arrival date to a new location. “Additional expenses can be claimed if you move overseas,” Rosen says.

Reasonable costs only. Although there’s no dollar limit on your deductible expenses, don’t expect to get away with anything truly extravagant. And if your employer reimbursed your moving expenses, Raanan says, you can claim a moving expense deduction only if the reimbursement is included in your wages.

No add-on vacation costs. Don’t expect to squeeze in a vacation en route and deduct for that, too. “You also have to move by the shortest and most direct route available by the conventional mode of transportation used and in the shortest time commonly required to travel that distance,” Rosen says.

Also excluded: Sadly, you cannot deduct any meals, any part of the purchase price of your new home, car tags, driver’s license, expense of buying or selling a home (including closing costs, mortgage fees, and points), cost to enter or break a lease, home improvements to help sell your home, or the loss on the sale of your home. Deal with it.

Check your calendar

The expenses must generally be incurred within a year of your work start date at the new location, but Rosen says expenses may be postponed in certain situations—such as if you delay a move to allow your child to finish school.

You can deduct expenses in the year you pay them, even if you haven’t satisfied the minimum employment period by filing time, says Rosen. You can also wait and claim the deduction on an amended return when you have satisfied the minimum employment period.

If you deduct and for some reason it turns out you can’t qualify after all, you’ll have to either include the amount you deducted in your next year’s income or file an amended return for the year of the deduction.

Bottom line

“The best thing to do is save any and all receipts and/or canceled checks you think, question, or wonder might be deductible and talk to a tax professional to make sure you maximize your deduction without getting yourself in hot water with the IRS,” says Raanan.

Maintaining Two Households When One Doesn’t Sell:

Say you put your house up for sale, do everything you can to make it desirable to buyers, and it sits idle despite dropping the price.  Sometimes, no inexplicable reason exists to explain it, but you’ve already scheduled a moving day with the moving company to your new home and cannot postpone it any longer.  Is it feasible to transform your former residence into a rental property and simultaneously maintain two households? Find out whether renting out and owning two properties is for you.

Review Your Financial Portfolio

Before you saddle yourself with rental property ownership on top of your home, review your finances and budget.  Could you even afford to take on a second mortgage even if it’s only a temporary acquisition?  Remember that you must guarantee that you find a trustworthy tenant who pays rent on time and in full and plans to reside in your old place for an extended period of time.  Otherwise, the money you were counting in is nonexistent until you fill the vacancy.

Double the Bills

You know how you always happily anticipate receiving your mortgage and utility bills?! Imagine receiving two sets of bills that you must pay – not fun.  Maybe moving isn’t the best option at this time, and you should postpone moving services, especially if you’re underwater with your first home.  When calculating how much rent you need in order to cover your second home’s expenses including mortgage, insurance and utilities, research the going rate in your area, recommends Zillow, and adjust the rent within that range.  Falling behind on either mortgage payment, says US News, could cause you more financial stress and create significant credit problems.

Are You Landlord Material?

Take a hard look at yourself and ask this question, “Could you become a landlord?” Factors that indicate you’re not the best candidate, says Zillow, include laziness, unskilled at fixing things, too busy, lacking savings, easily stressed out and not being a people person.  Understand that becoming a landlord is another full-time job, so if you’re not prepared to handle everything that comes with a rental property, hire a property manager to oversee the home.

Document Alterations

If you decide to convert your former home into a rental property, you may also need to convert your mortgage terms with your lender and update and add to your homeowner’s insurance policy, says Money Girl.  One benefit to owning a rental property is that you can deduct expenses from your taxes which helps your bottom line, statesUS News, especially when you’re directly involved with the upkeep.

Rental Responsibilities

Be aware that when you are the landlord, you are responsible for your property and may be at the tenant’s mercy when they need something fixed or replaced.  Extra time and effort must be devoted to the rental, and you must ensure you have the money and a plan for handling emergencies.  Updating and servicing your appliances before you welcome renters is important to keeping them happy.   If you own more furniture than you need to furnish your new place, you could leave it at the rental for your tenant’s use or put it into storage through FlatRate Moving.

How to Help a Pack Rat Move:

Helping someone move is never fun. You eat up a precious Saturday schlepping boxes down dangerously narrow stairs while your friend or family member (who claimed to be totally great at moving, by the way) mostly seems to be taking breaks and carrying down “valuable” lampshades one at a time.

It’s hard and frustrating work. But if your pal is a pack rat, a frustrating day can quickly turn into something bigger. Way bigger.

Whether the friend is a hobbyist collector, an indecisive type who seems to keepeverything, down to old peanut butter jars, or a borderline hoarder, managing the move can be emotionally and physically trying. Here’s how to deal with it.

Allow enough time for sorting

When people have been collecting and storing stuff for years, moving them will take more than a few hours and a dozen boxes. Even if they’re just renting a tiny apartment, the amount of stuff to go through can be surprisingly vast. Start by giving yourself enough time. Plenty of time.

“A studio apartment stacked to the ceiling and filled with stuff from wall to wall can take a week or more to organize and clean,” says Emma Gordon, storage specialist at Clutter Storage, an on-demand storage company based in Culver City, CA.

You’ll also want to equip yourself with more supplies than usual.

You really want to help? “Come prepared with plenty of boxes and large garbage bags, disposable gloves, cleaning supplies, and disinfectant,” Gordon says.

Consider the emotional side

You may feel frustrated when you see the amount of work to be done, but don’t forget: This is hard for everyone.You did say you were going to help, right?

“It’s important to remember that as overwhelming as it is for you, your friend or family member is probably feeling vulnerable, embarrassed, or anxious—on top of feeling overwhelmed by the work ahead of them,” Gordon says.

The best route to take: patience. Don’t treat the individual’s collected treasures like garbage. Go slowly, work through each room, and really listen to what he’s telling you. Try to see things from his point of view.

Set a plan to declutter

Odds are, there will be a lot of stuff in the home that isn’t really needed anymore, but may be difficult for the owner to confine to the dustbin of history (and the actual dustbin). Make the owner feel better about the process by keeping the memory alive and donating some items, especially if the person you’re helping has a favorite charity that accepts gently used goods.

This process may be easy, or it may be grueling. After all, “there may be underlying issues that make it difficult for the individual to get rid of their stuff,” Gordon says.

Have a battle plan

Once you’re ready to go and the individual is (mostly) on board, it’s time to dive in. Having a plan in place can dramatically cut down on time, as well as emotional and physical strain.

Gordon recommends designating places to put stuff as you go through it.

“Clear an area for sorting items into ‘keep,’ ‘give away,’ and ‘trash,’” she says.

Once you have a designated drop point, start in one room and work through each part in the house. Carry a durable laundry basket or large plastic bin with you so you can quickly group and move items to the right spot.

But don’t expect it to be easy.

“Be aware that this is the most time-consuming part of the process, and also the most stressful,” Gordon says. Fun! Aren’t you glad you volunteered for this?

Keep deadlines

Odds are, your friend or family member was already feeling emotional before the move. Now that you’ve started working, you may find the individual dragging her feet or becoming argumentative. Rather than rise to the fight, it might be better to find another way to keep things on track. Gordon recommends using the charitable donations to your advantage.

“Some charities offer donation pickup,” she says. “By scheduling a pickup, it compresses the process into a tighter deadline. It makes the process of actually getting the stuff out of the home so much easier.” Every bit helps. Trust us on this.

7 Steps to Selling a House:

• 4
• Set Your Home Sale Price
  With the help of insightful local market data available on ZipRealty.com, your agent will be able to help you determine what your home will sell for in today's market. Learn more.
• 5
• Get the Word Out
  Your agent will create a winning marketing plan for your home to target active, interested home buyers searching in your area, both online and in person.
• 6
• Negotiate the Sale
  Review offers from prospective buyers with your real estate agent and decide on the offer that's right for you. Learn more.

7 Things People Forget to Do Before They Move:

You packed everything perfectly, including that dining room chandelier, the big-screen TV, the vintage ’70s “Dukes of Hazzard” T-shirt collection. You even got your dog’s medical records from the vet. But something’s keeping you awake at night as your move draws nigh. You know you forgot something.

Don’t worry, keep packing. We assembled this handy checklist of things people often forget to do—or don’t even realize they should take care of—so you can make sure you’re covered and can move and settle down in your new digs with ease.

1 month before: Cancel recurring charges

Taking care of a gym membership or other subscription services may fall by the wayside during the madness leading up to moving day. Worse, those recurring charges will keep mounting on your credit card while you’re in the throes of unpacking. Get a jump on canceling these at least a month before your last expected day of use, especially since many gyms require a 30-day notice.

Can’t get out of your contract or transfer your gym membership to a facility by your new home? Sell it through online classifieds such as GymTransfer (yes, most gyms allow this!). Don’t forget to unload any prepaid class cards, too.

On the flip side, important recurring charges on your credit card—such as mail-order medications—might be canceled if your address change hasn’t caught up with billing information. So compile a list of charges and make the effort to call these companies and give them a heads up to avoid disruption in service.

2 weeks before: Call your car insurance company

The Department of Motor Vehicles advises people in the process of moving to closely manage their car insurance during the transition, as states have varying levels of required coverage. Even if you’re staying in the same city, rates can differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. So call your insurer well before the move to find out the parameters and deadlines for updating coverage at your new address.

2 weeks before: Change your address early

Most people know the U.S. Postal Service offers an online form to quickly change an address for all of your mail, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until the last minute to fill it out.

“To make sure mail arrives at your new home in time for your life there, complete the form about two weeks before your move,” says Desmond Lim, founder of QuikForce, an on-demand website that links people with professional movers. That way “you should see the first of your forwarded mail by the time of move-in.”

1 week before: Organize your finances

Important financial tasks are often forgotten in the whirlwind of moving, says consumer finance expert Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix operations for Freedom Financial Network. Since losing track of bills among piles of boxes is all too easy, Gallegos recommends setting up systems before a move that can easily transition from old home to new. For monthly bills such as phone, rent, or mortgage, it can really help to set them up for autopay, which you can typically do through your bank or the billing company.

“This can help ensure on-time payment during a hectic time,” he says. Whatever system you choose, decide which household member will be responsible for paying which bills. And as moving often incurs unexpected costs, be sure that you’ll have enough money in designated accounts at time of payment.

1 day before: Snap pictures of your electronics

Those cables in the back of your TV and modem that keep your life wired? They don’t make sense now and will make even less sense when they are tangled in a box. A simple solution is to snap a picture of the setup before you take your electronics apart—and coil the cords and label them with masking tape, for good measure.

1 day before: Pack your plants

Do you have a special plant (maybe that hydrangea you planted for your child’s birth or your mom’s prized azaleas)? To make sure you aren’t forced to leave it behind in your rush, make a list of what plants you want to take with you and put a plant plan in place. Don’t put your shovels into the moving van until the last minute—you’ll need them to carefully dig up root balls. Buy large buckets beforehand and use them to transport each plant.

1 day before: Stock a go-to box

Jen Sandlin, an agent with Cornerstone Real Estate in Boston, reminds movers to “set aside one box for the first 24 hours” in your new home. “Pack paper towels, cleaning supplies, clean sheets, towels, paper plates and silverware, toilet paper, and maybe even a bottle of bubbly to celebrate all your hard work, picnic-style.”