Here at DirectMovingBoxes.com we are pet lovers. So if you are packing or unpacking your moving boxes, its always a good idea to be careful were you are putting moving supplies with you pets around. Moving supplies such as small packing peanuts, rolls of packing tape and bubble wrap may seem like fun to play with for a dog or cat but can be very dangerous to the pets if accidentally eaten and swallowed. 

Here is 2 good ideas you can do when unpacking or packing boxes:

1) Designated Moving Boxes. Have 1 or 2 designated moving boxes were you can put all your moving supplies. If your packing boxes, this is helpful because you will be more organized and always know where you moving supplies such as packing tape, markers and bubble wrap are. If your unpacking, it will help make clean up a snap because you will not have pieces of moving supplies such as plastic stretch wrap, paper, packing tape or styrofoam lying around the floor of your home, instead they will be contained into 1-2 cardboard boxes. 
2) keep pets separate. During unpacking or when packing boxes simply put your pet in the next room if possible. If thats not an option, you can also leave your pet with a friend or neighbor. 

Things not to do with your pets:

1) Don’t let your pet run around your moving supplies and chew on rolls of packing tape, play in piles of bubble wrap and packing peanuts. 
2) Don’t put your pet inside of a cardboard boxes if they do not have a safe way of getting out. 

Remember pets are like kids and you have to keep an eye on them during your move. Being more organized with your moving boxes and moving supplies will not only help you in packing faster it will keep your pets safe to.

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There is a real difference between buying an apartment (or even a house) and buying a co-op. While the details may escape most inattentive readers, the truth is that your choice of real estate will have a great impact on your economic future and the rights and obligations you are buying into.

The most important difference between apartments and co-ops is that with an apartment, you are buying not only the actual walls where you live, but also the right to the land in which the building is standing. On a co-op, however, you are buying shares of stock to the property itself. You’re not buying a place to live, you’re making an investment into a specific property.

Attached to this comes a series of details. For example, buying an apartment means you get your credit history checked. Buying a co-op means you need to pass a rigorous interview (if the committee doesn’t like you, they don’t have to sell you anything) and more than likely have a background check done.

You are also limited in other areas when it comes to a co-op. For example, you are probably not allowed to sublet or use the place as a weekend stop. Instead, you are expected to live there full time. The same goes when the time comes for you to sell the place. Before you can do that, the Board of Managers would have to approve the potential new owners.

So why do people buy co-ops in the first place? They’re usually cheaper than apartments of the same size. There are also substantial tax breaks associated with owning a co-op. For example, you are not required to pay real estate taxes, since you are technically considered a stock owner, rather than a property owner. There is also an issue of privacy involved, as you are not listed as a property owner in any public record.

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Bigger is not always better. When it comes to buying a home, especially a first home, choosing a small space can actually be the wisest choice.

Assuming a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and a low interest rate (8 percent or less), a small house will probably end up costing you the same per month than you would be paying for rent. This is a huge plus, as many people put off buying a home because they assume the costs would be astronomical. On the other hand, a large house that costs twice what you would normally pay in rent could end up being a huge financial burden.

Smaller houses are easier and quicker to fix, a big plus if you’re planning on selling early or are interested in an investment, rather than looking for a permanent place to live. Also, the smaller the home, the easier it would be to make at least part of the repairs yourself without feeling overwhelmed.

If you’re a first-time buyer who just spent all his money on the down payment, a smaller house could also benefit you because it’s easier to maintain: less electricity, less furniture to buy, less heat needed during the winter to keep the place cozy. While these may sound like small things, they add up over the course of a year.

Finally, buying a smaller home can mean having some money leftover every month to invest in other ventures. For example, you could contribute more to your IRA or 401(k) or buy stocks. You could probably also afford to repair your car without having to use your credit card in the process.

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Whether you’re trying to save money or looking for ways to make your home greener, making your home more energy-efficient is a great idea. Despite what you may think, most of the things that can save you tons of money in the long run are actually cheap and easy to implement.

• Defrost your freezer or consider switching to a frost-free one.
• Keep the freezer as full as possible, since that makes better use of the space and saves electricity.
• Only run machines when they’re full: this goes for the dishwasher and the laundry.
• Make sure the door on your kitchen appliances close properly so there is no leak or energy waste. This includes the oven, refrigerator, toaster oven and microwave.
• Wash your clothes in cold water if they’re not too stained.
• The dryer is pretty much the only appliance that shouldn’t be too full when you run it because it actually spends more energy that way. So load it halfway and make sure the clothes have enough space inside to turn, so they can dry faster.
• Turn everything off if you’re going away on vacation.
• Fix leaks, dripping faucets and toilet tanks that never get full. Even a few drops a day amount to a lot of water over the course of a year.
• Close up any window or door openings so there is no heat escaping or cold wind coming in during the winter. Then lower the thermostat a couple of degrees and use an extra blanket.
• Use low-flow showerheads.

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1. Order internet and cable service for your new home. It usually takes several days (or even weeks) before things are up and running, so make sure you do this well in advance of your moving date.
2. Change your address. Let the post office know you want your mail forwarded to the new address.
3. Make sure your home will be ready on time. If you aren’t sure or if you need a place to stay in between homes, book a hotel in advance. Confirm that pets are allowed if you are taking them along and make sure your furniture doesn’t arrive to your new location before you do.
4. Let the companies know when to shut down the utilities. Phone, electricity and water/gas should be shut down either the day that you are moving or the morning after. You can usually specify the exact day you want things turned off and sometimes you may be able to request a time (evening, mid-day, etc.). This will allow you to check that everything is off by the time you leave the house for the last time.
5. Make sure you change the delivery address of anything you are subscribed to. This includes magazines and newspapers, but also other common services like food or dry cleaning.
6. Paint the new home as early as possible before your move. If you have access to the place, painting the walls (or doing anything that requires the use of strong chemicals) is best done in advance, so the place will have a chance to breathe before you get there.

And don’t forget to get your packing supplies!

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Upstaging refers to the idea of making your home look as “presentable” as possible so it will impress potential buyers and make the most of each room, downplaying its faults and exalting its positive aspects.

The first step in staging a home is to make sure everything is absolutely clean. This may mean hiring somebody to help you go through the rooms, shining metal pieces, picking up dust bunnies from the corners and making sure there are no weeds growing in the garden. While you may think these are small details that buyers can take care of by themselves eventually, they can actually have a negative impact on how the house is viewed and how much they are willing to offer for it.

The next step is to get rid of anything too personal. Visitors don’t need to see your laundry, family photos or dog toys laying around. The less of your personal possessions in a room, the more they can imagine themselves actually living there.

Once the basics are taken care of, it’s time to replace whatever is obviously broken or dirty. Old shower curtains and dead plants are the most obvious items, and, surprisingly, the ones that home owners often miss. Tighten up cabinet doors, replacing broken handles and making sure the bathroom mat looks new can also help. If something looks too old or in obvious bad condition, either replace it or take it out of the room and hide it out of sight.

Finally, put out some fresh flowers or light a vanilla candle (according to experts, the favorite scent but also one that is not intrusive) to get rid of any lingering pet smells. Don’t forget to open the windows to air out the place.

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When packing for an overseas move, it’s important, first of all, to do your homework. This is especially true if you are moving over to a country where you haven’t lived before and you know little or nothing about.

Finding out what to expect is a good first step: for example, do you know how big your new apartment will be compared to what you have now? This will help you decide how much of your belongings you need to purge in order to fit in comfortably. Also, research the climate of the area (if you’re moving to Thailand, you probably don’t need to take your winter jackets along), whether apartments come furnished and how and where you will be staying until you secure an apartment (if you’ll be staying in a hotel, carrying lots of boxes and bags along is probably a bad idea).

Next, take a hard look at the things you own and decide which ones you truly love. Things you haven’t worn or look at for months should be either sold, given away or put in moving boxes and placed into storage. Only take along things that have a useful purpose or that you truly love.

Finally, know when to give up. If you have too much stuff and little time to sort through it, consider storage space. This will end up costing you dearly, especially if you are planning on staying overseas for an extended period of time, but getting ready on time is more important than anything else.

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With the alarming mortgage crisis that this nation is going through right now, remaining apathetic about the upcoming election will only increase our consequences. By now you have probably selected between McCain and Obama but nevertheless the majority of individuals still remain uninformed. Those of you who own homes should be especially concerned about what these candidates plan to do to alleviate this predicament.

John McCain plans to enact the Homeownership Resurgence Plan to steady the housing market. He believes that mortgages should be simplified and reordered in order for homeowners to have more manageable mortgages. This will be available to primary residence homeowners that will be able to demonstrate credit worth at the time of the original loan. The latest mortgage will be a FHA-guaranteed fixed- rate mortgage with conditions that are manageable for the property holder. According to the McCain official website, “the purchase of mortgages would relieve negative equity for some homeowners.”

This blogger remains unbiased to the upcoming election but believes that McCain brings a fine position on this issue. Because of our current economy, it has been very difficult for many families to make payments on their heavy mortgages. These new mortgages for the qualified homeowners will make it easier to pay their mortgage as well as help avoid foreclosure. It is essential that those who have been fortunate enough to buy homes not lose them due to the recent financial situation in this country.

Barack Obama has an entirely different take on the matter. He wants to provide homeowners with a 10% universal mortgage credit who do not receive tax relief. This might aid us initially but in the long run families still have those high mortgages that still need to be paid off; 10% is a nice break but won’t keep us from breaking the bank. Obama will also create something called “Homeowner Obligation made explicit (HOME)” score. This will provide possible borrowers with a basic standardized metric for home mortgages. He states that it will allow property owners to more easily compare mortgages and better understand expenses for the long term. This measure can prove to be effective for those that purchase a home in the future but doesn’t support individuals currently owning a home.

It’s a tough call to choose between McCain and Obama. After doing my research for this article I realized that I agreed more with McCain on this particular issue. Although I am not a homeowner, a family member of mine is looking at foreclosure in the near future. These decisions affect us head on or indirectly; which can be just as important. Even if you are unhappy with our 2008 candidates, don’t vote, and feel that our nation has a gloomy outlook, know the facts and where our country will be heading.

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Do you need a permanent vacation? Considering moving out of your state but haven’t decided on a location? Everything becomes a factor, and having a family complicates things all the more. Your wife needs to be near a mall, your son has asthma, your dog yearns to run free, and you clearly need some peace and quiet. The first necessary step is to select a specific region. For this you would have to decide what the ideal environment might be. It seems like a forming migraine, but if you know how to prioritize this may turn out to be an exciting adventure. I am sure you have already given this topic some thought but let’s review.

Do you enjoy the idea of knowing all your townsfolk INTIMATELY, considering them all as neighbors and friends? The plus is becoming part of a warm and tight knit community where you can count on a support system. The downside is your neighbor told your coworker who told your doctor who told your best friend who told your priest who then told your boss that you cook breakfast wearing a half open robe while singing along to Celine Dion-yeah word gets around. Something to look forward to is vast open country that can be quite beautiful with its bountiful nature. In the country you can enjoy the wild life whether on the farm or in the forest but that’s as wild as its going to get. In rural areas you are usually left to your own schemes for entertainment, which is why you might want to keep a closer eye on your teenager. Night life is almost nonexistent. Depending on which state we are considering, you could look forward to outdoor recreation if you are into that. I personally would enjoy a good hike or some white water rafting-but not enough to sacrifice weekend clubbing. If you dream of an honest day’s hard work and wonder about the simpler times, you might want to concentrate on looking within the Mid West or south.

If you like the concept of Orange chicken with fried rice being delivered to your door at any hour than you prefer the fast paced urban life. New restaurants open and close each week, shops bring in their new lines for the upcoming season, and museums line the streets which make the city flush with attractions day and night so you will never get bored with all of your options. Cities hold higher populations which can be very rich with diversity and culture, but could mean a higher crime rate. You can look forward to a larger job market with a possible greater than average salary. But the downside to this would be a higher cost of living. Look towards the coasts for metropolitan living.

If you are looking for the best of both worlds where your kids can play in the backyard with the dog, yet a night out dancing is within reach look no further than suburbia. You might also consider the reasonable commuting to your job in the city from here in exchange for a home instead of an apartment. The suburbs are found within the outskirts of any city.

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How to Properly Lift Moving Boxes

I have always been kind of a weakling. When I moved into my apartment last year I had to rely on big tough looking men, and my boyfriend, to handle my share. I got to thinking recently how dependent I have to be on others for basic chores and decided that it was time to learn how to rely on myself. Of course with my luck, I made this resolution just before making another move back home. To be smart about it I decided to do some research on how to properly lift objects without hurting myself.

Lifting heavy moving boxes can cause a lot of stress on the back. When moving, it is actually best to hire professionals to load your things for you. You can always enlist a friend(s), remind them that they are your best friend in the whole world, and try to ignore their rolling eyes and sighs. Having help is the ideal situation to get those moving boxes loaded quickly.

When lifting moving boxes, decide where you will place the object and make sure the path is clear for you. Bend your knees to have a firm base for your spine, keep the trunk upright when you are bending down, and use your leg and butt muscles to raise your body back to the standing position instead of straining your back muscles. Try to limit your twisting because it adds more force to the backside, instead pivot your feet. Use both hands, and lift gradually. Congratulations, you just lifted a box in a safely manner.

Don’t raise the object too far from your body so that you can lessen the pressure from the vertebrae. The heavier the item, the shorter distance it should be lifted. Lifting things at torso height puts significant tension on the lower back so try not to reach higher then chest level. Always use a ladder when lifting items above your head. If you do have someone helping you, discuss your strategy to move the item as simply as possible beforehand.

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