New Home Owner Tips to be Organized

New Homeowner Tips

Welcome to your organized home! Here are some smart tips to follow to help you settle into your new home in organized style.

• Shout it from your (new) rooftop!   Let friends and family know you've moved! Choose from printed moving announcements or send a quick email. Be sure to provide your new address and telephone number.
• Contact local utility companies.   If you haven't already done so, you'll need to contact electric, gas, cable, waste/recycling, water and phone providers to set up service in your new home. If your home has a security system, contact the security company and change the codes.
• Get the lay of the land.   Locate the circuit breaker panel and make sure it's clearly labeled. Identify where the emergency water turn-off valve and the gas heater switch are located. It's also a good idea to know where the water heater and HVAC units are housed.
• Identify service providers.   Unless you are skilled at home repairs, the last thing you'll want to do when an emergency arises is search for a service provider! Check your home warranty for items that are covered. Ask neighbors for referrals for plumbers, HVAC technicians, roofing companies and electrical technicians – have a list ready before you need it!
• Set-up a filing system.   You'll want to set up a filing system for keeping home-related documents and receipts organized, including repair and warranty information, insurance policies and any home improvement projects.
• New home toolbox.   A new home inevitably means hanging pictures, assembling furniture and other general maintenance needs. Create a small, portable toolbox stocked with the essentials that will help you at move-in and in the future. It should include a hammer, screwdriver (including standard and Phillips bits), tape measure, pliers, duct tape, flashlight, level, safety glasses, wall stud finer, nails, screws, dry wall anchors and Command™ Hooks. A lightweight cordless drill and stepstool are also helpful.
• Be prepared.   Put together a first aid kit and make sure everyone knows where it's located. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on each level of your home. Identify nearby doctors and dentists through your insurance company. Find out where the nearest hospital/emergency room and 24-hour clinics are located for unexpected emergencies. Plan and communicate emergency/evacuation routes with your family.
• In the community.   If available, visit your new home's municipal Web site to learn of services and events that may be of interest to you. Locate the nearest library and shopping destinations. Contact your child's school for a schedule and to set up a tour.
• Make space in your closets.   Whenever possible, it's a super idea to makeover the closets in your new home before moving in. Standard construction closets generally only offer a single shelf and closet rod, which is an incredibly inefficient use of space. Try our free design services using elfa, the premier shelving and drawer system.
• Contain your cabinets.   Before unpacking your kitchen and bathrooms, measure lower cabinets so that you can install some kind of pull-out organizer. Once everything has been moved in, you'll love how easy items are to see and access. It's a lot easier to do this before unpacking than to go back later and do it! While you're at it, add a drawer and shelf liner to all cabinets and drawers before unpacking – it will make clean-up in the future breeze!

Top Relocation Destinations

Allied Van Lines have released their annual survey of top relocation destinations.

1. TEXAS tops the list for the 4th year in a row iwth 1903 in bound
2. North Carolina with 800 inbound
3. Virginia with a gain of 398

Biggest Losers:

Michigian
Pennsylvania
no surprise New Jersey
Illinois

Staging is not just INSIDE it is OUTSIDE too for Curb Appeal

Realtor.com and other websites have photographs of your house for sale, and those photographs are a BIG FACTOR in whether buyers choose to visit your lisitng offline.

Curb Appeal today means WEB APPEAL!

• How do I make my lisitng/ house for sale  more photogenicc?

  Start by taking a picture of it form the front. Look at it and critique it.

  What are the best features?

• What is it lacking?

• Are the bushes overgrown and you can't see the windows? trim the bushes down so you can see the window and more light can get in.

• Can you see the trash can from the front?

• Add window boxes for more color and interest they should be the full length of the window and NOT under the shutters

• Is the light bulb on the outside light working? What does the fixture look like old and rusty? Replace it

• Is there a tree with no leaves just branches? get it cut!

• Does the door blend in with the house? Paint it with a contrast color. and if not then place some flower pots with colorful flowers to give it pop.

Anything that you have procrastinated about now is the time to get it DONE! before the buyers start looking and calculating 3 times what the actual cost to fix it would be.

 

  

"ELDER MEDIATION RESOLVES FAMILY CONFLICTS."

"ELDER MEDIATION RESOLVES FAMILY CONFLICTS."

 

“My daughter is insisting I move in with her,” complains Martha.  “She just wants to control my life and take away my freedom,” she continues.

 

Jenny, Martha’s daughter worries that her mother keeps falling, and fears one day she will break her hip or hit her head.

 

“I’ll take my sister to court before I will let her get control of mom and my inheritance,” exclaims Jim about Jenny’s desire to move her mother in with her.

 

It is amazing how quickly formerly cordial relationships between family members will sour when the family has to deal with care of elderly parents or inheritance at their death.  Sometimes the consequence of dealing with the final years of elderly parents can break families apart and create long-lasting animosity.…" read the entire article by going to the link below

 

Please go to the following URL for the entire article and previous articles: Either click on the link   http://www.planforcare.org or copy and paste the following into your browser:      http://www.planforcare.org

Ten Most Forgotten Items when moving

Ten Most Forgotten Items

With more than 43 million Americans planning to move this year, odds are even the most organized may not remember every detail of a move -- or every item. Remembering the “out of sight, out of mind” objects increases your success in moving all of your belongings. Mayflower suggests adding the following 10 points to the top of your preparation list:      

1. For the record -- Obtain copies of your and your family's medical records, including any dental and vaccine/immunization information, as well as any veterinary records for the family pet. In some cases, a notarized letter is required to receive official documentation; you may need to contact the American Medical Records Association to determine your new state's needs. You might also consider transferring current prescriptions to a drugstore in your new town.
   
   Another record you'll want to be sure to have in hand is your child's permanent school record. School records are usually required when registering your child at his/her new school. Often, copies are not sufficient and require a raised seal
       
2. Buried treasure -- If you've hidden any valuables around the house, be sure to collect them before leaving. You should carry valuable items such as jewelry with you or keep them in a safe deposit box instead of packing them on the moving van.
            
3. Old phone numbers -- Pack phone books from your existing residence to take with you. You may think you'll remember the numbers you frequently call now, but more likely you'll spend a small fortune on directory assistance charges to contact old friends or tie up loose ends.
            
4. Taken to the cleaners -- Remember to collect all items that are being cleaned, stored or repaired (for example, dry cleaning, shoes, watches, etc.). Also, remember to return library books, movie rentals and anything else you may have checked out.
            
5. What's your new address? -- Keep your new address handy in your wallet or purse. In the flurry of preparing for a move, you may forget your new address -- important information when forwarding periodicals, mail and credit card bills, as well as keeping in touch with old friends.
            
6. Spic and span -- Remember to leave out cleaning supplies for the final “once-over” before closing the door for good, or make arrangements in advance for a service to clean for you. To reduce the amount of things you take with you, if you are cleaning the home yourself, use up previously purchased cleaning products, and then throw away the empty containers when you leave.
            
7. The opener -- Many people often forget to take the electric garage door opener out of their automobile before leaving. Remember to leave the opener for the new residents.
            
8. Remember “Rover” -- In most cases, moving companies cannot transport animals or plants. Plan ahead and make arrangements for their safe transfer.
            
9. Bank on it – It's wise to open a checking account in your new town about a month prior to your move so that you have immediate access to your funds. It enables you to have a little cash on hand for unexpected expenses. On occasion, retailers will decline to cash “out-of-town” checks.
            
10. Keys to success – Remember the collection of spare house keys. Whether it means retrieving keys from neighbors or from under the rock next to the front door, don't forget to gather all sets before you depart.

for more information and checklists please go to Moving Tips at Mayflower