Ready to Sell?Uncategorized September 27, 2022

7 Ways to Make Your Move Less Stressful

A couple preparing for a move.

Most of us probably shiver at the thought of having to move houses – packing up everything in boxes, clearing up your home, transferring all of your belongings to a different place, and starting over sounds incredibly overwhelming and time-consuming – and it is. However, it’s nearly impossible to avoid stress in this kind of situation altogether. Here are some tips you can consider to make your move less stressful and as smooth as possible.

1.    Make your home organized and presentable while living in it

Keeping your house clean and organized before moving will make your job much easier when making the actual move. Not only will you have less work to do, but it will also help you sell your house faster.

It’s important to stage your home to be presentable and appealing to potential buyers. Although this sounds logical, it is a pretty tricky ordeal – keeping your home staged and prepared for selling while simultaneously living in it can be very difficult. You will need to say goodbye to keeping your clothes all over the chairs and beds, not removing the cutlery from the table after finishing lunch, and all the other things we do every day but take for granted. Apart from keeping it organized, you should ensure your home is always kept clean.

Make your home organized and presentable to make your move less stressful.

Keeping your home clean and organized before the move is a good idea.

2.   Make a moving checklist

There are so many things you need to do when you’re moving out – will you be able to remember them all? Although no one doubts the power of your memory, it’s probably best to ensure that you have everything you need to do written down, so you don’t miss a step or forget something – making a moving checklist can help you make your move less stressful from the get-go.

3.   Declutter and depersonalize

Decluttering is an important step to cover if you want to make your move less stressful. You can gain several benefits from making sure your home is decluttered and depersonalized. The two most obvious ones are:

A less cluttered space can give off the impression that a house is more spacious. Most people would find a pleasant and spacious home more appealing than one cluttered with unnecessary furniture and other items.

Removing personal items such as family pictures and other things is a good idea. The potential buyers of your home would prefer to picture themselves living in the house. Leaving your family pictures up would make this fantasy harder and could, therefore, potentially deter them from deciding to buy the house.

Decluttering home before putting it on the market to make your move less stressful.

Decluttering and depersonalizing your house can prepare it for a stress-free move.

4.   Clear everything away and put it in boxes

Now that your home is decluttered, you may want to begin putting your items away in boxes. You could then put them in a storage unit or any other place spacious enough to hold them. Of course, this step isn’t smooth sailing either. You should not take it lightly to spot and prevent possible issues from occurring. Some of the mistakes when packing for storage that may happen to include:

  • Choosing the wrong kind of boxes (too small, too wide).
  • Overloading them.
  • Not labeling them correctly.
  • Not labeling them at all.

These mistakes can lead to misplacing, damaging, or even losing your precious items – which you will want to avoid if you wish to make your move less stressful.

5.   Hire a good real estate agency to help you

Another question in a situation when you want to buy or sell a home is whether you need to hire a real estate agent to help you out. Sure, hiring an experienced and professional real estate agent will make your move less stressful. It is, however, an additional cost for you. So – summed up, is it worth it?

This is up to you to decide, but here is a helpful tip. A good agent could help you save money. This is possible because they know the right people who can help you finish the job – someone to help you get your home staged for potential buyers, excellent and reputable movers, a contractor, and so on. Furthermore, a good real estate agent also has a good knowledge of the market and the prices – so they will make your search for a new home and put your home on the market much easier.

6.   Find the best moving company

Hiring people to help you with your big move is an important step, and there are several factors you need to consider. First, ask yourself whether you need to hire movers and what budget you have at your disposal for hiring them. As Zippy Shell Louisiana suggests, the best way to determine if you can make a move yourself (possibly with help from friends or family members) or if you need to hire movers is to assess the size of your move. Naturally, if you are moving to a reasonably near house, and you have a car and some friends at your disposal – you might want to consider saving money and doing it yourself.

Hiring movers when moving houses.

Hiring movers can be essential to make your move less stressful and faster.

7.   Give yourself time

The most helpful tip to make your move less stressful is to give yourself time and take it slowly. Although it sounds very logical, it is something that we tend to take for granted. Naturally, you can’t avoid stress during the moving process, but you can make sure you ease the tension at least a little bit by giving yourself more time to complete the move. Most of us overestimate our speed and capability and underestimate a situation’s difficulty and challenge. No matter how easy you think the move will be – always make sure to give yourself enough time to complete it – or, if possible, more than just enough time.

Free Digital Download – Home Buyer’s Guide

Free Digital Download – Home Seller’s Guide

Staging September 13, 2022

8 Home Staging Tips for Pet Owners

a woman reading home staging tips for pet owners with her dog

Home staging does a big job when selling a house. It ensures you accentuate all the right features of the property and make buyers fall in love with the place as soon as they come in. However, home staging can be slightly more complicated if you have a pet. Your lovely fur friend can make your home messier, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve with home staging. For that reason, this is a helpful guide for you – here are the 8 home staging tips for pet owners you shouldn’t forget when selling your property.

Why is home staging important?

If you haven’t sold a home before, you may not understand the importance of home staging in the sale process. A house will usually spend less time on the market if adequately staged. Potential buyers will decide to make a purchase a lot faster if the property is ready for them to move in. Also, after decluttering and removing all the personal items, your home will not give that awkward feeling to potential buyers. No one viewing a house for sale wants to feel like they are snooping through other people’s belongings. Finally, a staged home can get you a better deal, too – buyers are willing to pay more for a house they liked the moment they saw it.

How to stage a home with pet residents – home staging tips for pet owners

Pets are cute and offer their owners a beautiful friendship and many mental and physical health benefits. However, if you keep them in your home, you can expect more mess than homes without pets. This can be an issue when presenting the property to people who might not understand what it’s like to live with a pet. That’s why we prepared the eight most home staging tips for pet owners.

1.     Treat the critical spots

Start with the problematic areas first. Make sure you deal with any spots, stains, scratches, or damage to your rugs or furniture before anything else. Puppies love chewing things, while cats enjoy sharpening their claws on the furniture. Dealing with these ‘traces’ of sweet crimes will ensure potential buyers don’t think you haven’t maintained the place properly. However, if there are pieces of furniture you can’t fix, it’s best to remove them from the property. Rockstar Pro Movers recommend taking such items to a storage unit until you figure out what to do with them. They’ll remain safe, and you’ll make your home ready for buyers.

a white dog on an armchair

You will need to cover up the mess your pet made.

2.     Remove any sources of bad smell

It is tremendously important for a home to smell nice when potential buyers come to see it. This is particularly important for properties that include pets as residents. Remove any sources of foul smell, such as food bowls and dog beds, but also other things that may not be related to pets – ashtrays, dirty garbage bins, etc. It’s essential to make sure the space smells fresh and feels nice. How your home smells can either be a bad first impression or why people feel good once they come in – choose the right thing to do.

3.     Give your carpets and furniture a deep-clean

Another source of bad smell can be the carpets and furniture in your home. So, if you’re a pet owner, be sure to refresh carpets, rugs, and seating furniture, as these can acquire the smell of the pets. You can have them professionally cleaned for best results or refresh them yourself with a cleaning solution or with some vinegar and baking soda.

4.     Vacuum every little corner

Pet hair and dust or dirt your pets might bring from the outside can present a threat to the overall opinion of the potential buyers. That’s why thoroughly vacuuming the floors and carpets is essential and regular maintenance afterward. It’s okay for your pet to shed and that you’re used to it – but you should know that not everyone likes having pet hair all around their homes. So, if you want to sell the house fast, ensure your property is suitable for most people and their lifestyles.

a woman vacuuming for staging her home

Vacuum any pet hair that might be visible.

5.     Remove any personal items – and the ones of your pet

Depersonalization of a home is one of the basic steps of every home staging process. Removing personal items such as family photos, religious or political items, etc., is vital, so buyers don’t feel like snooping through your home once they come to see the property. However, home staging for pet owners should include a couple more things on this list – pet toys, photos of you and your furry friend, leashes, pet beds/cages, etc.

Remember: don’t throw away the items your pets use; replace them with new ones after you move into a new home. The moving process is stressful for pets, and one way to keep them calm during this is to have all their favorites by their side. The familiar smell will help them stay peaceful and accustom to the new environment a lot easier.

A person handing over a ball to a dog

Remove your pet’s toys when you are staging your home.

6.     Clean the windows

If your pet loves to look outside, they often press their cute noses against the glass. This can result in multiple window stains, so clean that up before buyers arrive. Remove paw prints or saliva from all areas, but be especially careful when ti comes to glass and reflective surfaces.

7.     Take care of your yard

Finally, taking care of your curb appeal also belongs to the home staging process. Pet owners should pay attention to cleaning up their yard from all the things their pets may have left and ensure buyers don’t step into something smelly.

8.     Keep the house in good condition – find a temporary home for your furry friend

The best way to keep your home in good condition until the perfect buyer comes is to find temporary housing for you and your pet. This way, you can prepare the property and keep it clean until the sale is final. Think if your pet can stay with a friend, a family member, or another place where they’ll be comfortable and peaceful. This way, you’ll make sure that these home staging tips for pet owners are not in vain and that your home is spotless.

 

Moving September 2, 2022

7 Reasons to Move to California with Your Family

Three pairs of shoes on a doormat.

California – it’s one of the biggest and most populous states in the USA. Famous for its national parks, cultural diversity, and great life opportunities, California is also known as the Golden State. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular destinations for tourists and those looking for a place to settle down. There are so many things that make people love this amazing state and come there for good. Today, we will talk about the top reasons to move to California with your family.

1. Great living options

One of the biggest concerns every person has when moving to a new place is whether or not they will be able to find a perfect neighborhood for their family. And, if children are part of that family, then the responsibility is even bigger.

Well, when you come to live in California, you won’t have to worry about that. You will find so many great neighborhoods all over the state. With a good real estate agent, you will easily choose the one that suits best you and your budget. The cities are rather safe, and their residents tend to be warm and kind.

Great neighborhoods are one of the reasons to move to California with your family.

Find your new home in California.

California has a strong, active, and diverse community that creates a healthy atmosphere for raising your children. What’s more, this is a state where everyone feels welcome, no matter where they come from, what they believe in, or what ethnical or cultural group they belong to. California’s diversity is well known all around the world.

2. Healthy and relaxed lifestyle – one of the reasons to move to California with your family

When it comes to healthy living, California is among the top ten healthiest states in the whole USA. Everything in California reminds you how important it is to remain healthy and in good shape. From the various restaurants that promote organic and fresh food to the numerous outdoor activities encouraging for people of all ages. And then there is also California’s exciting lifestyle. It really seems relaxed and balanced. Sometimes it looks like people in California are rarely in a hurry.

This is more than a good reason to move your family home there. And if you haven’t found your movers yet, check out bestcrosscountrymovers.com and choose among the best.

3. High-quality education

After moving to a new state, one of the top priorities for every parent is finding a good school for their kids. Well, if you move to California, this will be easy. The educational system in this country is of really high quality. Starting from great primary and secondary schools to excellent opportunities at the well-known University of California. Both public and private colleges are reputable and offer a great number of different programs.

A teacher is speaking to the class.

Make sure your kids will have a bright future.

4. Job opportunities

If you realize your income cannot cover your expenses after calculating your home-buying budget, then maybe it’s time to find a new job. California is the place for you. Finally, it’s called the state of opportunities for a reason.

California is an economically strong state. In fact, it has the biggest economy in the nation. That opens a large number of job opportunities every year. The leading are film and technology industries, while healthcare, tourism, and agriculture are constantly growing. One thing is for sure, living in California opens doors to having a good job, a good life, and a promising future. And that is one of the top reasons to move to California with your family.

5. The weather

The best thing the new residents, especially those who have come from some colder states, love about California is its beautiful weather. In this state, it’s warm and sunny during most parts of the year. Precisely, for more than 260 days a year. Summers can be pretty hot, and winters are relatively mild, with snow only in some parts of the state. Those are great news for all the people who love spending time outside.

And, if you are among the interstate newcomers, don’t bother about moving to California by yourself. Look up the best interstate movers in California, and find the right team to assist you along the way.

6. Nature everywhere

California is a heaven for all nature lovers. Every part of this state is rich with beautiful natural landscapes. You’ll see mountains and forests, beaches and deserts. And, on top of everything else, nine national parks. All of that leaves great opportunities for exploration, family weekends in nature, and endless moments to relax and enjoy the beauty. A healthy atmosphere where the whole family will charge their batteries. Furthermore, if you manage to create your own little garden, your new Californian home will be your family’s realm.

7. Numerous funny activities

One thing is for sure. If you come to live in California, you will never feel bored. Throughout the state, there are several excellent everyday activities. Most of them are outdoor, and they are alluring for every generation.

  • First of all, there are great beaches, mountains, and valleys. No weekend can go without them, whether you’ll go swimming or just have a nice family picnic in nature.
  • California is a state with some of the best theme parks. Starting from Disneyland to Magic Mountain and Legoland, those would be places where your kids will create some of the best memories.
  • Great music festivals all over the year offer amusement for all family members.
  • Although there are only several parts of California where you can find snow in winter, they all have someexcellent ski resorts.
A family is having a picnic.

Spend some great family moments.

Family relocations are serious and responsible moves. Not to mention that it’s not easy to choose where to start over. However, it may be that these several reasons to move to California with your family helped you make up your mind. Make your first steps, and see why everyone is so much in love with this state.

Writers info:

My name is Tina Michael. I live in New York City, and I am an artist. I like long walks in nature because they inspire me to work. I also write short stories and blogs on various topics.