Moving, for whatever reason, is costly and stressful.  Planning the move, makes the move itself a reality, and it’s at this time, your mind can end up working overtime.  This is stress at work.

Just thinking about what lies ahead for you and your family can keep you wake at night, so it’s important to take control of the task ahead, with careful planning, preparation so on move day you’ll be surprisingly relaxed.  Unless of course you’ve not chosen the best moving team you can afford. Let’s look at the steps now in detail.

Planning

If you’ve been living in the same home for a while, you’ve more than likely acquired a lot of stuff, both personal belongings and of course home furnishings.  All of which, will need to be removed from your current premises, to somewhere else. Either to your new home or donated to a charity or the trash.

Create 3 Lists – Keep, Give Away, Trash

During the planning stage, it’s a good idea to make a list of charities you can donate items to before the move, so your movers don’t include them in their quote.  Plus, also make a list of the items for the trash or rubbish dump.

It’s a great time to have that ‘clean out’, you’ll find it liberating.  🙂 Plus this action alone, will save you money, as you won’t be moving what you don’t need.  This may not seem so relevant if you’re just moving down the road a bit, but long distance movers Allied Movers say it can make a big difference when you’re relocating to another area, state or country.

List everything

You’re the leader of the move so it’s up to you to organise everyone including your family.

Get each family member to list their own belongings in the three lists (keep, donate, trash).   Get the donatable items and those for the trash removed from your home as soon as you’re able. Then you can see what is left and need to be moved.

Room by Room

It’s time to go room to room making a master list of everything and coordinate it, insofar as each room, is packed accordingly, so your movers know where to place boxes at the new premises.  It will also help you to know exactly what’s in each box.

Who, What, When

You also need to keep track of everything that needs to be done such as forwarding mail, getting your change of address done and hooking up utilities at your new home, and insurance.

Remember to make sure you have insurance for your move.  It can be helpful to keep a planner with everything that you need to do, nearby, so that you do not forget to do anything important.

Of course there’s Apps for this and many are free so get one on your smart device and use it.

Move Day

Move day has arrived and by now you’re really relaxed as the hard work has been done.  A reliable moving company really is the icing on the cake so to speak. They will provide you with peace of mind.  Remember they’re role is to pack and move everything.

Choosing a reliable and honest mover is really your number one achievement.  These transit companies offer insurance and they’re professionals so handling all of your belongings with the greatest of care is their ‘modus operandi’.

It’s been there in the back of your mind – moving to a new city. And you’re not alone, about 34% of people move to a different county, meaning a different city either in-state or out.

But making that move is bittersweet! It can be exciting and fun to think of all the new possibilities. At the same time, the newness is super scary.

So how do you know if you’re ready to take that leap of faith? Let’s look at 10 signs moving to a new city is in your future.

1. Your Goals Have Changed

You had goals and a mission when you moved to your current city. But your goals have changed. And your mission has become lackluster at best.

That’s ok! Nobody is the same person they were 10 years ago, sometimes even 2 years ago. Change is an inevitable part of life.

So when your passions and interests start pulling you in another direction, you owe it to yourself to follow them. Let it take you to a brand-new city that supports those new goals.

2. There’s Somewhere Else You’ve Always Wanted to Live

You might have a longing to move somewhere you’ve never been before. Or you’ve traveled to a location that felt “right” the moment you got there. And now you can’t get it off your mind.

Whatever it may be, you know there’s a place calling you home. So it’s time to go!

If there’s a city you want to be in, make it happen. You don’t want to waste any more time thinking about the possibilities. Life is too short to spend it dreaming, make moving to your dream city a reality.

3. You Find Yourself Complaining All the Time

It seems that every little thing in your current city is getting under your skin. You complain about traffic, sales tax, that annoying weatherman on tv, and any number of things on a daily basis.

No matter what it is, you’re not finding happiness where you are. So it’s time to take a deeper look to find out what and why that may be.

Once you figure that out, look into other cities that fit your needs and interests better. Sometimes all it takes is a slower pace of life or a complete change of scenery.

4. You Can’t Afford to Stay Where You Are

If you can’t afford the simple things in life, moving to a new city may be a smart move in more ways than one.

You might love your current city, but the expense of living there is way too high. All your money goes towards housing and bills. You can’t afford to go out and have FUN anymore.

Moving to a new city that affords you the lifestyle you want can take a huge burden off you both financially and emotionally.

Read more about preparing your house to sell or figure out what the cost of living is in a new place…then pack up and move there.

5. You Have No Reason to Stay

Did you just leave your job? End a serious relationship? Or have your friends moved away already?

All these reasons untie you from keeping permanent roots in your current city. When you have no reason to stay, you have every opportunity to go try something and someplace new.

That’s not to say you need to run away every time change pops up in your life. But finding a new purpose and meaning in a different city may just be the new outlook on life you need.

6. You Feel Jealous of Others Moving to a New City

Every time you attend yet another going away party, do you feel that tinge of jealousy? Wish it was YOU having the going away party instead?

The sign that it’s time for you to make that moving leap is staring you right in the face!

That tinge of jealousy is trying to tell you more than you think. Follow your instinct and make a move to a new city yourself.

7. You Hate the Weather

At first thought, the weather may seem like a silly reason to move to a new city. But think about it… is it really?

The weather plays a huge factor in your enjoyment of a place. And if it’s too cold, too hot, too rainy, or too anything, it’s going to affect your daily life.

If sunshine makes you smile, go chase it. If rain keeps you calm and cozy, move to a wetter climate. You deserve to live in a place that makes you happy both inside and outside.

8. You’ve Never Lived Anywhere Else

We all know people, probably a lot of people, who live in one hometown their entire lives. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

But if you find yourself longing for someplace new, it may be time for you to get out.

Experiencing new cultures, people, and experiences help us grow as a person. And you’ll never know if you’ll like it until you try it for yourself.

Worse case, you hate it and move back. There’s no shame in that. At least you’ll never say “what if”.

9. You Want to Start a Family

Your current city was perfect for the single life. Party days and crazy nights out was what it was all about!

But now you’re looking to settle down, and you’re wanting a more family-friendly environment to start that next chapter in life.

Whether it be affordable family neighborhoods, good schools, or a slower pace of life. Find that new city that will be perfect to raise a new family in and make that move.

10. Your Gut Feeling Tells You It’s Time

Your gut feeling is one powerful little voice. If it’s been telling you it’s time for a change, it’s time to listen.

Your current situation may be fine. You may not have verbalized any thoughts, but you can’t shake this nagging little feeling that you need to do something new. And that newness should be a change of scenery.

Trust your instincts. It very well could be leading you to an amazing opportunity waiting for you in a new city.

Make a New Beginning by Moving to a New City

You know it’s been calling your name, you just haven’t been sure if you’re ready. But by examining these signs, you can know for sure that moving to a new city is right for you.

Is Texas on your short list of places to move? Check out these reasons you should make Texas your new home!

Selling your home takes time. You can expect to find a buyer anywhere from one month to one year after you put the house on the market. But there’s a way to make it sell faster: staging the house.

Staging a house correctly can help your house sell about 73 percent faster than other homes on the market.

But there’s more to staging your house than just cleaning up the interior. You also need to pay attention to your landscaping and exterior.

Improving your curb appeal landscaping can dramatically improve the first impression your home makes on would-be buyers.

Ready to get started? Follow these simple tips to get your landscaping ready in no time!

Get Rid of Dead Overgrowth

No matter how well you take care of your yard, plants will lose some of their growth. It’s natural and allows the plant to produce the beautiful blooms you love.

But no prospective buyer wants to see a bunch of dead leaves littering your yard and garden.

Use garden clippers to remove dead or dying growth from living plants without damaging the rest of the stem. Dig up any plants that you don’t think you’ll be able to rehab in a week or two.

If you have old plants from years past still taking up space in the garden beds, get rid of them. This is both unattractive and takes up space that you could use for other healthy plants.

Your garden may look a little sparse afterward. But this is only because you’ve gotten used to seeing the overgrowth.

Schedule a Tree Trimming Appointment

Whether you have a few shrubs on your property or have several large trees, it’s important to prune them regularly. Otherwise, they’ll struggle to grow and produce new leaves even when conditions are perfect.

But you shouldn’t attempt to do it yourself. Trimming your own trees is dangerous both to your health and your landscaping. Professionals may cost money, but they’ll make sure everything gets done correctly.

It’s well worth budgeting for. But how much will you spend? Read this article to find out more about the prices you can expect.

Spruce Up Your Mulch

Mulch is a great way to protect your garden beds and soil from the elements. But over time, it starts to break down and discolor.

There’s a reason for this: as the wood breaks down, it deposits nutrients in the soil. And the color change is how you can tell when it’s time to spread new mulch.

But when you’re selling your house and getting your landscaping ready to increase the home’s curb appeal, spreading new mulch can help. It makes your landscaping look more polished and cared for even from the road.

Add Color with Potted Plants

A clean landscape is great, but simplicity can still benefit from a pop of color. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of installing new garden beds or finding room for new plants, you’re not alone.

That’s where potted plants can help. Add a few potted flowers by the front entrance. If you have a porch, add hanging plants to increase the visual impact.

Once you sell the home, you’re able to take these potted plants with you, giving your new home an extra bit of color before you start improving the landscaping.

Tune Up the Irrigation System

When you’re selling your house, you don’t have time to worry about watering the plants in your yard. Instead, you’ll want to leave it to your irrigation system.

But that system needs TLC every once in a while. You’ll want to schedule a tune-up with a local irrigation specialist.

Over time, the pipes and fittings can get clogged with minerals and dirt. A pro will be able to flush those out and get your system up and running reliably. All you’ll need to do is set the timer and let it do its job.

Clean Your Driveway and Walkways

Your driveway and walkway may not seem like a major part of your home’s landscaping. But they’re often the first thing people see when driving up to your house.

When they’re dirty, it makes the entire exterior of your home look less pristine.

Luckily, they’re easy to clean. All you need to do is pressure wash the surface to get rid of unsightly dirt and stains. And you can rent power washers at your local hardware store.

You don’t even need soap. The pressure of the spray is enough to blast through most grime in a matter of minutes.

Just be cautious around your plants and landscaping. The spray nozzle emits water at such high pressure it can kill your grass and plants if you’re not paying attention.

Add Some Lighting and Inspect Existing Fixtures

No, we’re not saying you need to hire an electrician and install permanent outdoor lighting fixtures. Though, you certainly can.

Instead, look for solar or battery-powered stake lights. These are easy to install on your own and add enough light at dusk to make your landscaping stand out.

Even better, they illuminate your walkways, making the house look more approachable and welcoming when prospective buyers drive by.

If you have outdoor light fixtures already installed, inspect them. Make sure the bulbs are still working. And if the system runs on a timer, make sure the lights turn on when they’re supposed to.

Any issues should get fixed before you start showing your home. This will make the property more tempting to prospective buyers and it might make a difference during your pre-sale inspection.

Improving Your Curb Appeal Landscaping is Easy

Getting your home ready for prospective buyers can feel daunting. But getting your curb appeal landscaping in order is pretty simple.

Follow these tips and your home’s exterior will look market-ready in no time!

Looking for more helpful tips on getting your house ready to sell? Check out our recent posts to learn more.

Are you thinking about selling your home? It can be an exciting time, but it can also be a stressful one. There is a lot to be done when it comes to preparing your property for sale, and if you’re trying to encourage more buyers to view your property and put in an offer you’re going to need to pull out all the stops to impress.

So, which changes should you put in place to make sure your home is as attractive to potential buyers as possible? Here are our top tips.

Clear The Clutter

The very first thing you should do to prepare your home for sale is to get rid of any mess or clutter in each room. Nobody wants to have to wade through mounds of piled up mail or odds and ends in corners when they come to view your home.

Throw away anything you no longer need and then tidy up any remaining items into boxes, baskets or drawers. This will ensure that surfaces and floors are clear when people come to look at your home.

Get Rid Of Personal Items

Although you don’t need to get rid of everything that pertains to you and your family before people come around to view your home, it makes sense to get rid of excess personal items. If the entire mantelpiece and all the walls are full of photos of you and your children, for example, it becomes very difficult for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your home.

Try to keep everything as streamlined and basic as possible so they can really maximize their image of themselves living in the space.

Go Neutral

Although it’s never wise to go all out with a complete interior makeover in preparation for selling your property, there are a few things which you should do. One is to rethink any particularly dramatic paint schemes. While you may love your hot pink bedroom or orange kitchen, it’s unlikely that many potential buyers are going to share your enthusiasm.

The best approach is to give each room a neutral coat of paint ready for visitors to arrive. Whites, beiges, creams and soft grays are all attractive and appealing to potential buyers since they can pair them with accessories and furniture of their own choice. They won’t need to rush into redecorating immediately and this makes your home a better proposition from the get-go. Also, when you’ve just painted your home it has a stylish, fresh look which attracts buyers.

Remember Kerb Appeal

Before potential buyers even enter your home they are creating an impression about whether or not your house could be the right choice for them based on the exterior of your property. Think about how your front yard and driveway are looking. Tidy up any overgrown shrubs and mow the front lawn.

Tidy up the driveway, using a pressure washer if necessary, and cut back any overgrown bushes or trees. Make sure that your front door is looking clean and tidy. You may want to give it a fresh coat of paint or even update the hardware to make it look more modern. You might also want to consider hanging some baskets of flowers at the doorway or adding a couple of pots of plants by the front door to add even more aesthetic appeal.

Cleanliness Is Key

Before anyone arrives to view your property, make sure that you give the whole house a once over for cleanliness. You want to give the right impression from the start, so make sure that the floors and surfaces are all spotless and that the bathroom is grime and mold-free and smells good.

Use a good cleaning product to help remove stains from your kitchen sink, faucet and countertops as well as your appliances such as your oven. You should also make sure that your carpets have been professionally cleaned and smell good.

Give potential buyers the right impression about your property from the moment they walk through the door and you can be certain that you’ll be receiving an offer before you know it!

On average, a staged home will sell for 6.3% more than the asking price and with a shorter time on the market. Staging a house to sell is often as easy as hiring a home staging company.

Unfortunately, if you’re still living in the home while it’s being shown to potential buyers, a home staging company won’t be able to help. A staged home is hardly livable. While you stay at the house for sale, you still need access to your furniture and other accommodations. So how do you stage a house for sale while living in it?

How to Stage a House for Sale While Living in It

It’s true. You can stay comfortable in your staged house. Some sacrifices will have to be made, but you’ll be able to keep your home functional while also reaping the financial benefits of a staged home. Here are six simple steps to stage your house, even while you’re still living in it.

1. Remove Personal Items

It’s hard for potential buyers to imagine living in a space that already feels owned. Personal portraits, knick-knacks, and even religious iconography should be removed to create a neutral space. Luckily, this is one of the easiest steps to make.

Take down your pictures and posters. As hallowed as the family fridge maybe, find a new space for its homework assignments and crayon drawings. Along with removing items that are too personal for a staged home, you’ll also open up space on your walls and countertops. In place of these items, accent this neutral area with simple vases or decorative baskets or bowls.

Since you’re living in the home, you’ll need to be especially vigilant not to leave a collection of your personal mail or work paraphernalia lying around. The easiest solution is to keep your loose leaflets in a drawer or personal folder.

2. Stay Organized

Keeping organized is the hardest part of living in a staged home. We all have our vices, our messy little collections of books or CD cases that are the way we like them. While this can be a comfortable convenience in our own homes, any sort of mess and clutter will sabotage your staged space.

Remember that potential buyers will be looking through more than just the rooms. They’ll be opening cupboards and cabinets and closets, and these will have to remain as tidy if you’re looking to make a good impression.

3. Tidy up the Yard

Speaking of keeping things tidy, don’t forget about the curb appeal of your home. You’ll want to keep the hedges trimmed and the yard mowed. Maybe you’re used to leaving out your plastic sprinkler or toys for the kids. Collect these items and hide them from sight. These are some of the ways you can spruce up your garden before the showing.

If you don’t spend much time in your yard, this won’t be too difficult. But if your curb sees a lot of action, you might want to postpone your outdoor barbeque until you’ve moved into your new home.

4. Rent a Storage Unit

We’re all pack rats. As the years go by, we purchase new furniture and hide the older pieces in the garage or basement. Our rooms are stuffed with furnishings to accommodate all our guests.

When you stage a home, you need to make space. A lot of space. Crammed rooms can seem smaller than they actually are, and buyers won’t get a good feel for the true size of your home.

To best remedy, this, rent a storage unit. This is the perfect way to hide some of your excess or otherwise unnecessary furniture and other belongings. You can’t hide it all in the basement or garage. The buyers will be checking out those rooms as well.

5. Keep it Clean

Homebuyers don’t want a filthy home. If they see dust, mildew, or dirty carpets and floors, that looks poorly on the homeowner. They might assume you’ve failed to upkeep the home.

Likewise, it makes for a poor showing. Clean, sleek furniture and glistening floors provide the cheery and welcome atmosphere that buyers seek. On the daily, stay on top of your messes — especially in the kitchen and bathroom, where it’s easy to let things slide.

6. Get the Help of an Interior Designer

You’ve made space in your home and kept it clean. Great job! But that doesn’t mean you’ve presented it well. A home staging service isn’t an option when you live in the house you’re selling. That said, you can absolutely utilize the services of an interior designer.

An interior designer can make your house sell 80% faster and for 20% more than its estimate. Using the furniture you already have, they can rearrange your rooms to make them as flattering as possible for homebuyers. Check out this post to help you find the best interior designer to suit your needs.

Get the Most out of Your Home

Now that you know how to stage a house while living in it, you’ll earn significantly more when you close the sale. Your home will also be on the market for less time. That’s the power of staging a home: With some well-placed furniture and appealing space, your house for sale will seem even better than it actually is.

You made the right choice for your wallet by reading our short guide. Make another one and visit the sell section of our blog for more ways to get the most out of selling your property.

When you’re really looking to sell property, it’s often important for you to think about making the place looks its best. Because if you want to make sure that you’re getting the highest amount possible, it’s important to know what the ceiling price is, and then aim as close to that as you can. But, you need to know that it can sometimes take a bit of work for you to do this.

It won’t always be easy to get the highest price, but you can make work if you’re willing to put the time and attention in. On the flipside, if you don’t want to do any home renovations before you sell, then you might want to just accept the price that you’re quoted.

However, this idea doesn’t just have to be for homeowners looking to sell their properties. If you work in real estate, or luxury real estate in particular, and you want to be able to get the maximum possible for each property that you sell, you can also turn to these seven ideas. Because not everything is for the homeowner. You can also advise clients on some of these points so that, together, you can get a good price. So let’s take a look at what you can do.

1. Spruce

The very first thing that you might want to do here, is to just do a few small spruces here and there. Maybe the home is looking great, but there are a few details that are making it look shabby? Fixing cracks, cleaning, and even doing up the garden a little bit can really help you to sell the place.

2. Make Value-Boosting Changes

Next up, you might want to think about some of the bigger changes you can make. Because sometimes, doing a little spruce won’t give you the maximum value. However, if you’re to take this route, you may want to make sure that you have enough time. Because the ways to add value can involve structural changes or investment. At the same time, you will want to make sure that you’re not spending too much and cutting into the profits.

3. Declutter

Then the next thing that will always help, is having a good declutter and organizing session. Because if you just have too much stuff in the home and it’s looking a little messy, it may put potential buyers off. It’s important to do this before any viewings, as you’ll always want to ensure that you can present the best possible image of the home’s potential when buyers are coming to see it.

4. Depersonalize

While you’re doing that, it’s a good idea to go around and try to depersonalize the space as much as you can. Because if you have your own tastes and family bits and pieces around, buyers may not be able to see themselves in the space. So this can be a nice added touch to boost the sale.

5. Stage It

As a step on from that, you then might want to think about staging the place for sale too. Sometimes, you want to take some of your own property away to move into a new home. Or, if you’ve removed things to depersonalize, it may seem a little empty and lifeless. The process of home staging here will allow you to make the home look appealing to buyers. You can do this yourself or hire a company to do it.

6. Show It Off

And then, when it comes to listing the place for sale, it’s so important for you to show it off in the best light. For this, it can pay to hire a good photographer or to invest in luxury drone real estate videography to get the best shots. Sometimes, your home could look at lovely as possible, but if the imagery doesn’t sell it, it may not sell. So if you’ve invested in the property, you then might want to invest in showcasing it, to make sure you get some interest.

7. Price Competitively

Finally, you’re also then sure to make a sale if you’re pricing the property competitively. It’s important not to just go too low, because then you’re not going to get the amount that you want. At the same time, try not to be too overpriced as you may not get any offers at all. So, you might want to think about looking at similar properties to yours and what they are listed for. Or, you could look at past sales in the same area, to see what you should go with.