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If you’ve been playing with the idea of converting your basement into a living area, there are some things you should keep in mind.

• Most areas have some kind of regulation regarding remodeling and changing the structure of a property. This means that you may need a permit before you start, so make sure you find out in advance what the rules are for your city or county.

• The ideal basement should have a ceiling that is at least 7 foot high. Anything lower and you’ll have a hard time covering pipes and tubing when you start rebuilding.

• Before you invest any time and money into converting your basement, make sure there are no water leaks and no chance that the place would flood. If those are possibilities, you may not want to invest money on a structural change (and you may have a hard time getting a permit to do it anyway).

• What purpose you want the basement to fulfill has a huge impact on how easy it will be to convert it. If you are just looking for a small corner area to turn into a workout room, you probably won’t need as much work as if you want a full recreation room for the whole family.

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When packing for a move, you may be tempted to throw everything you own into moving boxes and just ship it to your new home. Unfortunately, moving companies have strict guidelines regarding what can and cannot be packed and sent. These items are basically divided into three major categories:

Hazardous materials

Anything that has a risk of exploding, causing fires or burning/corroding the surfaces they come into contact with. Obvious items such as kerosene and propane tanks are included here, but there are also lots of other items you wouldn’t necessarily consider dangerous, such as darkroom chemicals, motor oil, charcoal and nail polish. Even matches and household batteries are usually in the forbidden list.

Perishables

Most foods cannot be shipped, not matter their present condition. This is especially true of anything that needs to be refrigerated or can spoil during transit (such as fresh produce). Many companies have rules regarding live plants, and most won’t carry open packages of food, even if it is dried.

Items of Sentimental Value

Anything that doesn’t have a real money value should usually not be packed and shipped. This is because companies need a real number to attach to items in order to be able to provide you with insurance. Papers that cannot be replaced easily, such as airline tickets or insurance policies should be kept out of moving boxes. More surprising, however, is the list of items that are considered “personal valuables” and are not subject of insurance, including cell phones, jewelry, laptop computers, family photographs and even CDs and DVDs.

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When it comes to moving, the earlier you start preparing your things, the less trouble you are likely to run into. Moving is more than just putting things away in packing boxes, which is why having a specific time line in mind will help you streamline the process and make the most out of every minute.

The best time to get started is about a month before you actually move. This is the time to research the basics, including finding out about your new neighborhood, how and when you will need to turn the utilities on in your new place and whether you should be looking into opening new bank accounts or renting a P.O.Box there. This is also the time to look into pet-friendly hotels, in case you need to sleep overnight somewhere before the movers get home. If you are hiring a full-service moving company, which will pack and move everything for you, you should also create a detailed inventory of everything you’re shipping. Taking pictures of your most valuable items would also help.

Two weeks before the move is the right time to make all needed reservations, confirm with the moving company and start packing boxes. Fifteen days may seem like a long time to spend putting moving boxes together, but you probably need that much time if you want organized cardboard boxes that will be easy to unpack once you get to your new home. This is also the right time to verify your insurance and see if you need any additional coverage for special collectibles or valuable objects.

Seven to five days before you move, make sure your moving boxes are all packed and ready to go. Start putting together a bag or smaller box to take along with you, packed with all the essentials you need to survive a few days in your new home (you probably won’t feel like unpacking as soon as you get there). Also, check with the electric and phone company and have your utilities turned on. Don’t wait until the day of the move to do this –If you run into a problem or something fails, you’ll be stuck in the dark.

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Even before you hire a home inspector, there are a lot of things you can do yourself to verify the quality and overall structure of your house.

Start by simply walking around, both indoors and out, to take a look at the building itself. Are the walls flat? Walls that are bowed or seem “puffy” could indicate the presence of mold, excess humidity or an electrical or plumbing problem. What about insulation? Nothing should be apparent to the naked eye, as obvious insulation could mean that the foam or fiberglass is shifting, leaving some parts of the walls exposed.

Another simple thing you can check on is the water and plumbing. From the strength of the flow to the state of the pipes to the presence of water damage, this is one of the major sectors to which you need to pay attention. Outdoors, check the gutters and drainage pipes and make sure water moves away from the house and the foundation as it comes out. When inspecting the roof, check not only for lose tiles and cracks, but also for signs of water pooling in specific areas.

Finally, you can also check the house for safety issues. Be aware of anything that may indicate a risk, from lose electrical cables to fireplaces that lack a screen. These are the same things home inspectors will note and that you can get a start on fixing if you notice them early.

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Whether you’re trying to isolate your home from outside noise or trying to dissipate the humming of the washing machine coming from the garage, soundproofing your home can be done for a lot less money (and effort) that you could imagine.

The easiest and cheapest way to create sound insulation is to use soft surfaces in the room you want to be quiet. Carpet, thick rugs and acoustic ceilings all absorbe sound, while hard surfaces such as laminate and wood bounce it over, spreading it and sometimes even enhancing it.

Another easy way to reduce noise is to replace appliances. Dishwashers and clothes dryers are two examples of machines that are now available in quiet models, which are usually also more efficient when it comes to water and electricity usage.

If remodeling is not a problem, you may want to consider closing off doorways or passageways. This could mean altering the structure of the building to reduce the number of doors you have, or it can be done by replacing the opening with a thick door. To reduce noise even further, avoid hollow wood doors. Weather-stripping around the frame of a window can block part of the noise coming from the street. Anything that slides or bifolds will let sound through more easily, though, so be careful when making a selection.

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Moving a piano requires some special skills that not all companies are able to provide. If you have an expensive or antique piano, you may be better off contracting with a piano mover, who will have not only the required knowledge but also the special tools required to pack and transport your piano without scratching or damaging it in the process. Even with specialists, however, complete safety cannot be guaranteed, so having the right type of insurance is key in this case. Most piano movers will provide a warranty as part of the moving package, but this may not include complete coverage, so it’s important to find out if you need to buy additional protection.

If you decide to move the piano yourself or use a regular moving company to do so, the first step is protecting the surface by making sure every inch is covered with a padded blanket. Then secure the padded blanket around the legs with stretch wrap or packing tape, so that everything is covered.

The most important point to consider when moving is piano is form. You want to make sure that the piano stays firm during transport, so there is no risk of it bending out of shape (which would certainly affect the quality of play). This can be done by making sure the piano is secured once placed inside the truck and by using wheels to move it, rather than picking it up or dragging it. You may still need to have the piano finetuned once you reach your final destination, so keep that in mind as part of your budget.

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When given an estimate by a moving company, you shouldn’t expect the number on paper to be final. In fact, lots of things can increase that number, and do so considerably. The hidden fees in the moving industry are many and you should be aware of them if you want to ensure that you don’t end up paying a fortune to get your stuff to its final destination.

One reason fees get increased is that your items are not “standard” in weight, size or materials. This is true of certain heavy items, such as china cabinets or hot tubs, or items that are heavy and also require special handling, such as pianos. The same is true of any item that is too large to box or that has to be taken apart before it can be put away for shipping.

Believe it or not, many of the extra fees regarding moving come because you live in an “inconvenient” place. This means anything from a walk-up to a narrow street where the truck doesn’t fit. If the movers have to work harder to get your moving boxes from the apartment to the truck, you will be charged for it. If you have items that are particularly heavy and you’re also living in the third floor of a building without an elevator, the add-on charges can get stiff.

The best way to protect yourself is to ask in advance what things can impact the estimate you are given. While a company may not be willing to give you an exact range when it comes to price increases, they should be able to give you a list of things they consider important when deciding the final price. That way, you’ll know what to expect and may even come up with ways to keep costs down (such as getting friends to help you lower the furniture to the first floor, so there is no added charge for the stairs).

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The 400N Tariff is a special document created to outline your rights as a consumer. When it comes to moving companies, insisting on a 400N tariff can mean the difference between a smooth move and a lot of headaches.

As it stands today, the 400N outlines the following: rules about your estimate (it must be in writing and it may not exceed weight-based totals), specific pick-up and delivery dates, the right to be present when your items are weighed and the right to request a reweigh if you feel the first one was not accurate. The 400N Tariff also guarantees you a minimum insurance coverage (about 60 percent of the total cost of your items) and specifies how disputes over damage claims are settled, including the option for a settlement program through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Companies are not obligated to offer you a copy of the 400N Tariff, but they are required to provide you with one if you request it. Doing so may show that you’ve done your research and make it less likely that you will be taken advantage of by an unscrupulous company.

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Even with the best of planning, things may still go wrong during a move. The farther away you’re moving, the more likely things won’t exactly work out the way you planned them. Whether this turns out to be a tragedy or simply an inconvenience depends a lot on how well prepared you are for the roadblocks.

The first step in making sure things go smoothly is to avoid shipping anything that is of extreme importance. This includes personal paperwork (birth certificates, passports, deeds) and valuable or collectible items that could be damaged along the way. You also shouldn’t pack things you will need as soon as you get to your new destination, such as keys to the new house, paperwork and basic day-to-day living basics, such as a first-aid kit or towels.

If you are moving cross country and getting there before the movers do (always a smart choice), it makes sense to prepare a small “survival kit” that includes some food, towels, coffee, toilet paper and flashlight. If you have pets, the kit should also include some food (you don’t want to be running around trying to find a pet store in a city you don’t know) and food/water dishes.

You can also make things easier on everybody by booking a hotel room for your first night. Even if you have the keys to the place, chances are it won’t be in a livable condition, especially if the movers are not there yet and you don’t have any furniture, cooking utensils or basic utensils.

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Shipping your possessions internationally requires a little bit more planning than it would just to fill moving boxes and send them across the country. Finding the right moving company is key in an international move, as you need somebody who knows international laws and regulations, as well as has all the necessary permits and insurance coverage to guarantee the safety of your items.

International moving usually requires lots of paperwork in order to ensure that your items do not get stopped at customs. Depending on the type of items you are shipping and their final destination, this may mean taking lots of photographs, providing pricing estimates and signing lots of paperwork.

One important thing to keep in mind when shipping overseas is that some things are better left behind. A good example is appliances, which probably won’t work in other countries because of electricity differences. You could, in theory, buy adapters, but they don’t work on all appliances and they end up putting a lot of strain on the items themselves, which means they are likely to burn out faster or work at a lower capacity. Furniture or other heavy items may cost too much to ship as well, in which case it also makes more sense to simply sell them and buy new ones once you get to your final destination.

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