If you are getting ready to move, you could be thinking about holding a garage sale. This is a great idea; then, you will have fewer things to have to worry about actually moving to your new home, and you won’t have to worry about filling your new home with clutter. If you are overwhelmed by the process of setting up and advertising your pre-moving garage sale, consider these tips.
For one thing, it’s a good idea to get started with planning for your garage sale (and your move) as far ahead of time as possible. Cheap Movers Seattle (here), provider of local and interstate moving services, suggests getting a start at least a month in advance of your moving date. If you start going through your things now and sorting out what you want to pack and move and what you want to sell at your garage sale, you won’t have to worry about doing all of the work at the last minute.
Even though you should not have a problem hosting a garage sale, you might have to get a permit or follow other certain laws. Contact your local city or town hall to find out if there is anything that you need to do to abide by the law when hosting your pre-moving garage sale.
It’s generally best to host a garage sale on the weekend when more people will be able to come. Consider hosting your garage sale in the morning and early afternoon for best results.
If you want to have a good turnout at your garage sale, you’ll need to advertise it heavily. You can put an advertisement in your local newspaper, which generally doesn’t cost much and can help you ensure that more people in your local community know about it. Additionally, consider advertising it on any local classifieds websites online. Making signs and passing out flyers can also help.
Even though you might not want to give your items away, it’s important to price everything reasonably so that your items will sell. After all, people go to yard sales to look for deals, not to pay prices that are similar to what they would pay at a retail store.
If possible, set up your items on nice displays, much as they would be displayed in a store. If people cannot easily see everything that you’ve got, then they might miss out on items that they otherwise would have purchased. Consider renting large tables and racks for setting things up, or ask your family members and friends if they have anything that you can use for this purpose.
As you can see, setting up a pre-moving garage sale doesn’t have to be as challenging as you might think. Follow these tips, and you can help ensure that your pre-moving garage sale is a success. Then, you can make a little bit of cash for your moving expenses and get rid of items that you don’t want to bring along with you.
Read MoreA cross-country move can be an incredibly stressful experience at even the best of times, as there is simply so much for you to do and think about before the move. Unfortunately, moving cross-country also has the potential to be extremely expensive. In fact, the average per-family cost of moving within the United States is now nearly $13,000, says Cheap Movers DC. This interstate moving company say this makes customers more sensitive than ever to cost savings. Sky-high moving prices might also help to explain why the most recent US Census Report shows Americans are now moving in record-low numbers.
No matter what you do, a cross-country move is guaranteed to take up a lot of your time and energy, and it will always cost a pretty penny. Nonetheless, following these seven simple tips should help to take some of the stress out of your move and hopefully ensure it goes as smoothly as possible.
Hiring movers to take all of your furniture and other belongings to your new home is always going to be the biggest expense when switching houses, which makes it essential that you do your research to ensure you choose a reputable moving company that won’t charge you an arm and a leg. The problem is that the best moving companies fill up their schedule far in advance, so it is vital that you start searching well ahead of your move. This is especially true if you plan on moving during the busy summer months when most companies have a full schedule and often charge much higher rates.
The total cost of your move will be primarily determined by how much stuff you need to move. For cross-country moves, most companies base their rate on the total weight of all the goods that need to be moved. In this sense, it will be to your financial benefit to try to consolidate your things and get rid of whatever stuff you don’t need by having a garage sale or donating it. As well, this will also make packing and unpacking far easier.
Although most companies charge based on weight, the total volume of your goods—i.e., how many boxes you have—is also important. For this reason, it is important that you pack smartly and attempt to fill all of your boxes completely. It is also important that you spend the extra money on sturdy, high-quality boxes and other packing materials to ensure your goods arrive at your new home undamaged and in one piece.
Once it starts getting closer to your moving day, you’ll want to make sure that you tie up any loose ends before setting off to your new home. This means making sure to go to the post office and give them your new address. This way, you can be assured that all of your mail will automatically be forward to your new home, so you don’t miss out on any important letters, bills, etc.
No matter whether you rent or own your current home, it is imperative that you not forget to have your utilities shut off once you’ve moved. Forgetting to cancel your internet or cable subscription could see you suddenly get hit with a huge unexpected bill in the future. Therefore, it is best to schedule utilities turn-off well in advance to ensure you have one less thing to worry about during the move.
If you have dogs, cats or any other pets, it is important that you carefully consider them with planning for your move. This means making a plan to ensure they don’t get in the way when packing or moving, while also ensuring that you pack in a way so that you can easily find their things once you get to the new home. Moving can be even more stressful for your animals than it is for you, so it is vital that you always think carefully about your pets to limit their stress.
Once you’re all packed and ready to go, the last thing is to make sure everything is set up your arrival at your new home. This means making sure you have keys to the home or a person who can meet your movers at the new home, as well as taking care of any other details like turning the utilities on and making a plan of where all of your furniture and boxes will go in the new home.
At the end of the day, moving is always going to be a hassle. Nonetheless, you can definitely make everything much easier by making sure to plan and prepare for your move well in advance. In this way, you can then focus on the other important things in your life without your future move dominating your thoughts.
Read MoreWhether you’re heading off to college or living between apartments, there comes a time in life when storing your belongings is necessary. You don’t want to get rid of your furniture, so these items are often the first things to […]
Read MoreThe right supplies make any hard task easier. So is the case with moving and packing your closet. When you have wardrobe moving boxes and other necessary supplies on hand, you’re able to make fast work of the difficult task of clearing out and packing an overstuffed closet.
Here are some of the things you’ll need to purchase and keep with you to prepare for your move:
Purchase the wardrobe moving boxes and supplies you need to pack your closet before moving day. Often, you can purchae these from your local residential moving company. That way, you have everything you need on hand when it comes time to do the actual task. You’ll be able to get it done in a matter of no time because of your advanced planning.
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Large appliances can be the most difficult household items to get out of the house when you’re moving. Unlike furniture, large appliances tend to be connected to one or more household utilities such as water, gas, and electric. Because of these special circumstances, there are certain protocols that you should follow when disconnecting and moving these appliances. Once you’ve followed the proper procedures, you can utilize these helpful tips to move them out of the house.
For large appliances like refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers, securing the doors and drawers will be of utmost priority. During the moving process, the doors and drawers of these appliances could swing open and hurt someone or damage a wall if they’re not secured. A local mover suggests using cord or rope to secure the doors and hold them shut during the move.
Appliances like your washer, dishwasher, and refrigerator are hooked up to water lines. These water lines could contain residual water that will spill out during the move. These spills could cause accidents due to slippery floors or even ruin carpets and hardwood flooring. Before you move your water-using appliances, be sure to drain the water hoses and secure the hoses to the appliance.
One thing you may not think to do before moving your washer is to secure the drum. If you fail to secure the drum before moving your washer, it could result in damage to the internal structure and components of your washing machine, rendering it inoperable. If you kept the owner’s manual for your washing machine, it should provide you with instructions on how to secure the drum of your washing machine to prevent damages during moving. If you didn’t keep your owner’s manual, there are online instructions for securing the drum of your washer in preparation for a move.
You might be tempted to move a refrigerator or other large appliance by simply scooting it, lifting it, or dragging it. These are the worst ways to move a large appliance. Appliances tend to have bottoms and legs that are not suited for sliding or scooting on any flooring. Doing this can cause serious damage to the floor of the home out of which you’re moving. In addition to residential damage, moving an appliance manually can result in severe physical sprains or injuries.
The best way to move a large appliance is by using an appliance dolly. These sturdy metal tools are constructed using durable materials and possess straps to secure the appliance to the dolly. They have wheels to allow easy moving once the appliance is secured on the dolly and can be used to move the appliance long distances, down flights of stairs, or up ramps. Even when you use an appliance dolly, it is imperative that you do not load or move any large appliance by yourself. This presents a serious health risk to you should continue the appliance fall on you or come loose from the dolly. Always move large appliances with a friend.
Read MoreOnce you’ve decided to move out of your apartment, the most important thing on your mind will be how to get your security deposit returned. If you’re about to begin the cleaning phase of your move, follow this comprehensive checklist […]
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