What Movers Leave Behind

You may want to alert your home sellers that their movers won't haul away all of their belongings on moving day. Sellers will need to prepare to remove some items themselves.

Read more: 10 Ways to Make Moving Easier

"Federal law bans moving companies from transporting hazardous materials," says Lindsey Schaibly, operations coordinator of Two Men and a Truck, a moving company based in Lansing, Mich.

Besides propane tanks, gasoline tanks, and ammunition, Atlas Van Lines provides a list of the following items of belongings they won't move:

• Car batteries
• Charcoal
• Darkroom chemicals
• Batteries
• Nail polish
• Scuba tanks
• Liquid bleach

Movers also won't take household plants. "Some states are really sensitive about plants," says James Sullivan, president of Humboldt Storage & Moving of Canton, Mass. "Officials are afraid of bringing in bugs or other problems into the state."

Perishable food items also can't be moved as well as some outdoor equipment – like lawn and pool equipment. Pool items, like acid or treatment chemicals, will have to be disposed of properly by the owner. Also, weed killer and pesticides will be left behind by movers too. Some movers will take a lawn mower or generator, but sellers will likely want to check beforehand. "We ask customers to remove as much gasoline from engines as possible before we can move the item," Sullivan says.

Contact Stacey Guzanick 262.490.3696,   RE/MAX Realty Center  Guzanick@gmail.com,  if you have questions about buying a house or selling one.

I can  guide you  toward your next home.

www.HomesWithStacey.com

See you at the closing!

No Pussyfooting! Keep a Close Eye on Your Cat When Moving

Your feline friends find comfort in routine, so disruption can cause stress for them. When it’s time to move, make sure to take precautions by prepping your cat for the transition.

Keep tabs on your cat during the moving chaos—the last thing you want is your cat wandering away while you’re busy with moving. On moving day, designate a room for your kitty and keep it behind the room’s closed door. If you will need access to all rooms, try putting your cat in its carrier instead.

Upon arrival at your new place, keep your cat in a quiet area away from the hubbub of unloading. Again, make sure it’s a place that won’t allow your cat to stray too far. Once the movers have left, you can expect your kitty to be skittish and a bit curious. Let your cat explore your new surroundings, but don’t let it go outside unsupervised.When you transport your cat, make sure it is comfortable in its carrier. It may howl and cry while you’re making your way to your new home, so try putting a towel over the crate to keep it calm. Make sure your cat has comfy blankets and/or towels in the crate. If you feel that your kitty may be overly stressed by the change of scenery, check with your vet about putting it on anti-anxiety medication prior to your move.

As you move in, you will also want to make sure your new place is cat-proof. Look for exposed cords or wires, windows without screens, or tight spaces where your kitty could get stuck. Clean up any concerns and also make sure that your cat is surrounded with familiar items—toys, blankets, food—that will help it form a bond with its new home.

After a couple of weeks, your cat should be familiarized with its new surroundings. When you feel comfortable that your cat knows where home is, you can let your it wander around outside. Keep a bowl of food outside so your kitty has a familiar smell to return to.

Contact Stacey Guzanick 262.490.3696,   RE/MAX Realty Center  Guzanick@gmail.com,  if you have questions about buying a house or selling one.

I can  guide you  toward your next home.

www.HomesWithStacey.com

See you at the closing!

How a Moving Expert Moves

How does a moving expert move? Just like everyone else, surrounded by to-do lists, stacks of boxes, and that sweet sense of nostalgia as humdrum routines get performed for the last few times.

I’m moving this weekend to a small town about two hours away and thought I’d share a few of the DO’s and DON’Ts of my personal moving routine:

I DO plan as far in advance as possible. For this move, I had just over a month between making the final decision to move and my moving day.

I DON’T hire professional movers. I generally live in small apartments and houses and prefer to pack myself and enlist friends to help with loading and driving a rental truck.

I DO like to leave boxes sitting open for as long as possible so I can group ‘like’ items together as I come across them in different parts of the house.

I DO use paper towels as padding around and between plates, kitchen dishes, and other fragile items because they are inexpensive and clean, and can be repurposed for wiping down surfaces in the new house.

I DON’T color coordinate or use a fancy box-labeling system. I pack like items together as much as possible and label boxes with their general contents using a black marker.

I DON’T like to pack everything in boxes. I usually put some blankets, pillows and clothes in basic black garbage bags with tie-on labels. Bags are easy to carry, flexible in size and shape (making the most of limited truck space), and can serve as padding in transit between delicate items that may rub or scrape against each other.

What tips or unique moving quirks work for you?

Contact Stacey Guzanick 262.490.3696,   RE/MAX Realty Center  Guzanick@gmail.com,  if you have questions about buying a house or selling one.

I can  guide you  toward your next home.

www.HomesWithStacey.com

See you at the closing!

Top Reasons People Want to Move

One in three U.S. households say they plan to move in the next five years, according to a survey conducted by the Demand Institute of 10,000 households' current living situations. And it's the location of the home that will be driving most of those moving decisions — more so than the physical home itself. 

Seventy-five percent of the households surveyed cited one or more location-related reasons for why they were moving. The top reasons were the desire for a safer neighborhood (30%); being closer to family (27%); a change of climate (26%); being closer to work (25%), and moving for a new job (23%).

More than half — 59 percent — of households say they don't plan to go too far, with most indicating a move within 30 miles of their current home.

For those seeking a location for climate reasons, the Western and Southern U.S. continue to be the top destinations.

The following were the top location characteristics identified as “very important” by those surveyed:

• Amenities/services in walking distance (39%)
• Good school district (34%)
• Close to work (32%)
• Diverse neighborhood (26%)
• Near public transit (25%)

Many movers say they're eyeing more walkable communities. Indeed, walkable communities have been reporting stronger home-price growth compared to less walkable communities, according to the Demand Institute's report. Those who reside in walkable communities also are more likely to report that their quality of life has improved in the past few years due to their change in residence.

As such, Americans are desiring more amenities near them. Of those surveyed, the following places were identified as what home buyers would most like to have near their future home:

• Grocery stores (63% say short drive OK; 22% want it within walking distance)
• Restaurants and cafes (56% short drive; 20% walking distance)
• Parks and green space (40% short drive; 35% walking distance)
• Healthcare services (62% short drive; 10% walking distance)
• Retail (57% short drive; 12% walking distance)

Looking to buy or sell?  Let me know how I can help.

 

Contact your local RE/MAX  Realty Center Agent Stacey Guzanick 262.490.3696, Guzanick@gmail.com,  if you have questions about buying a house or selling one. I can  guide you  toward your next home.

www.HomesWithStacey.com

See you at the closing!

Saying Hello to Your New Home and Goodbye to Your Old

Honor your past and embrace your future with these ideas for easing the transition during a move

Leaving a home, especially one you’ve lived in for many years, can be hard — and so can getting settled into a new house that doesn’t really feel like home yet. Whether you are downsizing or moving into your dream home, these ideas should help ease the transition.

Take photos of your old home before you pack your stuff. Part of what’s hard about leaving a place is knowing you’re also leaving the time you inhabited it. Little ones will be growing bigger in the next home, and everyone will be on to new things. Documenting your old house is just as much about treasuring where you are at this moment in life as it is about those hardwood floors and great light. If you have kids, be sure to include a few photos of them in your old home, doing what they do best: playing, building, drawing on the table, dropping cereal on the floor; you’ll appreciate it later.

Take pictures of your rooms when they’re not clean and tidy, but just as they are on a normal day. The snapshot of life as you live it is far more meaningful than tidiness. If you want, collect the photos into a small album with a photo of your home and the address on the front. This album has a dual purpose — it’s good for working through emotions you may be feeling about leaving a beloved home, and it acts as a realistic record to look back on when you find yourself waxing nostalgic.

Leave your mark. If you’ve ever found an artifact from another time hidden in an attic or under a floorboard, you know how thrilling it can be. Why not leave your own little treasure for some future owner to find? Go classic with a time capsule, write a letter or let your child leave a small treasure box. Or leave your mark in a more literal way by carving your initials into a secret spot, like in an attic or on the ceiling of a closet.

Have a “goodbye, house” party. Invite your closest friends and family to celebrate at your old place one last time. There’s no need to clean up — partying amid the moving boxes is totally acceptable. If you can, have music playing for ambience, and ask friends to bring paper plates and takeout snacks. And if you’ve made friends of some of the neighbors, don’t forget to invite them, too.Toast your old home. Raise a glass of champagne or cider, and toast your old house before you go. If one toast doesn’t seem like enough, invite friends and family to share stories about things that happened at this house, and end each story with a hearty “To the house!”

Freshen up. Moving into a new house can be an unsettling experience. Nothing looks, feels or even smells the same. Start things out on the right foot by giving the new place a quick refreshing with good-smelling organic cleaning spray in cupboards and on counters and floors. Open the windows on your first day in the new home and light a few candles in the evening.

Treat your new home to a few special goodies.They don’t need to be much, because after a big move, even the littlest pleasures will be most welcome. Think a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store, a bar of your favorite soap or a stack of fluffy new hand towels.

Host a housewarming party, no gifts required. It should be about bringing some life and love into your new space, not getting stuff, so feel free to include a friendly “no gifts, please” on the invites (or in the email). Who you invite is totally up to you — some folks enjoy inviting all of the new neighbors, open-house style; some enjoy a more tightly knit celebration with family and a few friends.

Put your stamp on the new place. Paint a wall, hang some art, order curtains — it doesn’t really matter what, just do something that makes your new place feel likeyou. Investing time and bringing treasures into your new house will help propel you toward feeling at home..

Contact your local RE/MAX Realty Center Agent Stacey Guzanick 262.490.3696 / Guzanick@gmail.com if you have questions about buying a house or selling one. I can guide you  toward your next home.

Looking to purchase a home, visit www.HomesWithStacey.com.

See You at Closing!