Renting a new apartment? Don’t move in just yet. If you can afford to wait for a couple of days, visit the apartment after the old tenant has moved out and do a few things to prepare the place.

1. Clean the whole place again. Even if it looks clean, spray everything with disinfectant and clean with paper towels or disposable cloths. Not only will this leave a better scent in the place, but you’re guaranteeing that it’s really clean, rather than just dusted. Before you leave, put a couple of room deodorizers around the apartment. When you come back, the place will smell fresh and clean.
2. Replace the toilet seat. Just because.
3. Give the freezer a quick cleaning and then place a fridge deodorizer inside. Or just place an open box of baking soda inside. This will absorb all odors that might be lingering and give you a clean start.
4. Place a few roach traps around the apartment. Chances are there won’t be any bugs around, but if there are, you can get rid of them before you even move in.
5. Plug in the fridge and buy a bottle of Coca Cola or beer and place it inside. Add a bag of chips or some cookies. After all the work of moving in, you’ll be happy to find something waiting for you in the fridge!

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Books are an item that can be damaged very easily when your moving. Try some of the below tips to  make sure they have a safe move to there new home.

1) Pack in small to medium size moving boxes. 1 book is light but when you put a bunch in a box it can get heavy really fast. If you have a large book collection like i do, its best to stick with medium moving boxes. Medium boxes hold more books then small boxes and are still easy to lift.

2) Group books by size. Put all your smaller soft cover books in one box and your large hard covers in another, this will help you fill the box more complete.

3) Fill empty space with moving supplies. Since books come is all shapes and sizes you will have some empty space in the box. Simply take moving supplies such as packing paper, bubble wrap or newspaper and crumble it up and fill in empty spaces. Doing this will help prevent your items from shifting around during the move.

4) Label the moving boxes with the word “Books”.

Optional
5) Weather proof the box. Sometimes it rains during your move and sometimes it doesn’t but why take a chance. Simply wrap the packed boxes with some stretch wrap. Make sure to wrap the top and bottom of the box for a complete seal.

Follow the above quick tips to you keep your books safe when moving. If you have have books you don’t want anymore, give them to a friend or donating them to your local library.

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Moving is usually an emotional time and chances are you won’t be in the mood (or even have the energy) to make big decisions about anything. The truth, however, is that in the rush of packing boxes and getting ready to leave, you’ll probably end up taking things that you don’t want, need or even remember owning.

If you can plan your move in advance, a good way to make things easier on you (and save you money in the process) is to go through your belongings and get rid of everything you don’t consider essential. If you haven’t used it in a while, it’s broken or has no sentimental value, there’s no reason to cart it along to your next destination.

The process of discarding things should be quick. If you dwell too long on your decision, you’ll have a harder time letting go. Give yourself five seconds to decide whether you want to keep an item or not. If you hesitate, chances are you don’t really want it.

Have a few cardboard moving boxes set up and mark them with the words Trash, Recycle, Donate, Keep. As you go through your closet, kitchen cupboards or storage bags in the garage, quickly put items in specific moving boxes and then keep moving on to the next item. Once a box is full, resist the temptation of looking inside and instead just close it and put it away.

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When shopping for a moving company, stay away from these three types:

The company that won’t budge on price or offer some kind of discount. Companies might have a starting price, but most offer some cheaper alternative as well. They should also be willing to work with your budget and look for ways to cut costs (even if it means eliminating some perks) in order for you to be able to afford the price. If a moving and shipping company is not willing to match a competitor’s price, you should also consider walking away.

A company without a track record. Mom-and-pop establishments are fine if you can verify they’re the real deal. Always check with the Better Business Bureau and do a quick Google search for the name of the company. You’d be surprised at the things that come up.

A company that doesn’t provide the services you need. If you need a full service pickup, don’t settle for a company that requires you to pack your own moving boxes. And if you need to save money by packing yourself, don’t let a company pressure you into paying for extra services.

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Before you sign a contract with a moving company, it’s important that you do your homework. This means a lot more than just picking up the phone and asking how much they charge. In fact, the quote you get on the phone can mean nothing depending on what the service includes and whether there are hidden extras.

Your first two questions should be how much do you charge and for what? Some full-service companies will pack your belongings but ask you to provide the packing boxes and other moving supplies. Other companies will simply show up and bring the moving boxes to the van. Even there you can find differences, as some companies will charge extra if you live on the second floor or away from the street.

Next, ask about insurance. What does it cover and what’s excluded? Can you buy additional insurance if you choose to? Is the insurance price based on the number of moving boxes you have or the size of the truck used? Does it depend on the declared value of your items? What about the billing? Is the price quoted an estimate or the final cost?

The more questions you ask at the beginning, the less chances you’ll make a mistake when it comes time to sign the final contract.

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Relocating is an expensive endeavor, especially if you have lots of moving boxes to take along or details to finalize. While it might be the last thing in your mind, figuring out when to move can save you not only lots of money but also a number of headaches.

One of the most important things to consider is the cost of your mortgage. If you already own a home and are planning on buying another in your destination city, you need to decide how you’ll manage the expenses associated with it. Are you planning on selling the old house before you buy the new one? Can you handle two mortgages? Would it be better to rent a home until the old one sells? The answers depend on how much money you have available or whether you can pay two mortgages at once.

Moving expenses and shipping your boxes to another state might be cheaper during the summer or at the end of a calendar month, since these are the preferred times for moving and moving companies can get away with charging higher fees. If you’re shipping moving boxes that you need immediately upon arrival, keep in mind that winter weather can cause delays on the roads and complicate your plans.

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If you run a business from home or have your own office, you will need to move it with you when you relocate. Bringing your office along can be complicated if you don’t plan well and in advance.

Before you do anything else, make sure you hire a shipping company that has any experience moving office. Sometimes known as “office removal specialists,” these people will know what should be packed in cardboard boxes and what shouldn’t, how to protect valuable equipment and how to dismantle and reassemble office furniture.

If you have electronic equipment, make sure it gets boxed using padding material and thick cardboard moving boxes. Always seal moving boxes with quality packing tape so there’s not risk of contents getting spilled or shift around.

Aside from moving the actual office equipment, you will need to move the logistics of the business. This means getting new business cards, renting a new office, changing your business address and making sure your clients can find you. If you can’t provide services at a distance, you will need to plan on finding new clients upon arrival.

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So, how do you save money before you even buy moving supplies and boxes? Simple, before you buy moving boxes and packing supplies you should go through your items and simply just throw stuff out. Yes, I will repeat it again, Throw Stuff Away. You know what I am referring to, clothing and shoes sitting in the back of your closet that don’t fit you and haven’t worn in the past 5 years, old furniture such as tables, chairs and lamps that have been sitting in your garage collecting dust, luggage that your old uncle Buck gave you with broken zipper and squeaky wheels, stacks of old magazines, books and newspapers.
You should think of moving as starting a new chapter in your life, so don’t schlepp all that old baggage with you it will just slow you down.

You might be saying, hey I can sell those old chairs, clothing and stuff. Well then, sell them, but in most cases used items will not bring much money back to you when you will consider how much time and effort it takes to sell them. For example, I had a coffee table I purchased new for $300 and when moving I put it for sale on a classified website. It took me 2 weeks to sell and I spent almost 2 hours a day checking emails, talking to frugal people on the phone, showing the table to thrifty people and reposting the ad daily till I finally got fed up and sold it for just $40. Now most of you will be saying, hey $40 that can still pay for 12 large moving boxes and a starbucks frappachino, yes very true but the stress in dealing with bargain hunters looking to buy my item was hell, very frustrating and used up a lot of time. In the end I decided to throw away and donate other items I had instead of selling them which included lamps, magazines, outdoor chairs, night stands, clothing and other similar items.

Just remember, the less stuff you have to pack, the less boxes and moving supplies you will need to buy. Also you will get packed so much faster when you have less stuff that needs packing. So if you want to save money before you even buy moving boxes, go through items you don’t use and throw them away or donate them to a charity.

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Yes, moving day can be stressful for you if everything is not planed out correctly. If you have a pet such as a dog, they will also feel the stress of your move because they will see you packing boxes and moving around of furniture and be scared and stressed out also.

Tips to help you pet deal with moving day:
1) Long walk. Yes, you will be busy but your dog is part of the family and taking it for a long walk the day of your move will relax and calm your dog. Also it can help you do some last minute thinking to make sure everything is packed.

2) Snacks. Everybody loves snacks and your poochie does to. Make sure to pick up a bag of yummy treats for your furry friend and show them some love during your move by giving them a treat every now and then. Apples and carrots make good health snacks.

3) Toys. Ok the squeaks of the squeaky ball might drive you a little crazy during your move but maybe a toy that doesn’t squeak that much such as doll or bone to keep your dog entertained.

4) Bed. Nothing is better to your dog then its soft, comfortable bed that it has slept on for so long.

If you have packed all your dogs toys and items into moving boxes already then try to make an effort to make your dog feel comfortable. You can even take one of your empty moving boxes and create a bed for your dog by simply placing a T-shirt or towel inside so they can lay down and relax. Remember dogs and other animals are not like humans, they don’t understand what moving is but can feel stress and pressure of it because of the energy you let off. So take a little time out for your doggie to help them cope with your move, after all, they love you.

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Staging item: Adding candle holder on top of a coffee table your selling will make it look more stylish

Its true that most of your personal items such as furniture loose value when they leave the store. So to get top dollars for items you want to sell, try some of the below tips:

1)    Clean and repair item. Cleaning up or fixing your items so it looks almost new can help you get more cash from potential buyers. For example, if you have a leather sofa for sale, try using a leather cleaner and conditioner to bring the life back into it.

2)    Staging the items. Staging is popular when people try and sell their homes, they simply add nice furniture and nick nacks around an items to make them look better. For example, that coffee table you want to sell looks boring, try putting a candle holder with nice candles on top of it to make it look more interesting. Or if your selling a lamp, try putting it next to a sofa with some books stacked next to it so people can visualize and relate to using it.

3)    Free stuff. Everybody loves free stuff and giving something away free with the item your selling will definitely help sell it faster. The free item can be cheap but will make people feel like there getting a better deal. For example, a lamp for sale can include free bulb, coffee table for sale can include free drink coasters or  candle holder, leather sofa for sale can include bottle of cleaning solution.

People want to feel like they are getting a nice item at a good or fair price. So take your time and make your item look there best by cleaning it, using some staging techniques and offering something free. After you sell your items you can use to extra money to help pay for your move buy purchasing moving boxes and supplies or buying a different item for your home.

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