Day: April 11, 2023

Categories
Buying a Home For the Home Moving

Five Smart Tips to Make your Next Home Move a Breeze

Make your Next Home Move a Breeze

Moving to a new home is both exciting and stressful. Leaving your home move to the last minute is a recipe for a moving day you would rather forget. But, with the right planning, it can be easy, and you can reduce stress while increasing enjoyment. Here are some helpful tips to make your next home move a breeze:

Make your Next Home Move a Breeze
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Make your Next Home Move a Breeze

Start Planning Early 

You should start the planning process as soon as you decide to move. Even if you haven’t secured a property or decided on a new location, you can begin the moving process by considering what you must do. Buy a notebook to use as a moving journal and make lists. 

When it comes to staying organized for your moving day, lists are your friend. You will have many ideas and information to write down, so make categories such as household services, paperwork, and packing. Planning helps cover everything for a stress-free move.

Book a Removal Firm 

Some people choose to move home themselves using their vehicles and some help from their friends and family. While this can be a low-cost solution, it is also a high-stress one that can be risky. Without training, amateur movers can damage your furniture and belongings. 

Unlike planning, booking a removal firm can happen closer to your moving date, but don’t leave it too late. If you plan to move on the weekend or a holiday, you might find a firm hard to book or overpriced. Contact North American Van Lines about the proposed moving day. 

Smart Packing Systems to Make Your Next Home Move a Breeze

Moving to a new home can be stressful mainly because people fail to plan correctly and encounter avoidable obstacles. Some common moving obstacles include broken boxes and furniture that won’t fit through new or existing doorways. Again, a removal service can help you with furniture packing and new installation.

After you declutter your home, it’s time to pack up your rooms systematically. Invest in new boxes of various sizes for individual rooms, then pack the rooms up according to categories. It allows you to shift the rooms to a new location and find everything easily.

Declutter the Home 

Moving is a chance to declutter and downsize the home, something many try to do every Spring with mixed results. As you pack up your home, you might come across items and belongings you haven’t used for some time. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable. 

Whether it is clothing you haven’t worn in some time, toys and games your kids have grown out of, or books and magazines you have read and are unlikely to return to, now is an excellent time to offload them. Consider selling them or giving them away online or in local secondhand stores.

Manage the Kids 

Moving day is stressful, especially when you have kids. Their energy levels will be up and down as usual, but you will still have to manage the logistics of the move. The secret to a stress-free moving day is to find ways to occupy the kids with entertainment and pre-planned meals.

Recap: Make your Next Home Move a Breeze

Moving to a new home can be stressful, but these tips can make your next home move a breeze. Do you have any other ideas to add? Leave a comment and let us know.

Categories
For the Home

6 Useful Things Every Homeowner Should Have Around the House

Things Every Homeowner Should Have

Owning your own home is a big responsibility. Houses are expensive to run and maintain, but you must do so because they are also your biggest asset. Plus, more importantly, they are your much-loved home. With that being the case, it is a good idea to have everything you need to keep it in the best possible condition. Here are some key things every homeowner should have around the house:

Things Every Homeowner Should Have
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Things Every Homeowner Should Have

Level or Stud Finder

Levels and stud finders are one of those things a lot of us forget to put in our toolboxes along with the nails and screws from Fastenere.com. But, it is a valuable tool that can help prevent accidents when hanging pictures or shelves by finding the studs quickly and effectively.

A plunger and drain snake

Some of the most common issues in any home are plumbing issues. No one wants a blocked toilet or drain. Having a plunger and drain snake on hand is so useful. These tools can help you deal with minor blockages quickly, so you don’t have to call a plumber.

A fire extinguisher is one of the Things Every Homeowner Should Have

A fire extinguisher is an essential safety item that every homeowner should have. Keep one in your kitchen, as this is a common area for household fires. Ensure you know how to use it properly and regularly check its expiration date.

A smoke and carbon monoxide detector

Although you must have a fire extinguisher in your home, you can prevent fires by having a smoke alarm. It will alert you as soon as the first signs of fire appear.

It’s also good to have a carbon monoxide detector to alert you to any gas leaks. Then, you can get your family to safety and secure your home. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Ladders

Even if you happen to be tall, you want to have a ladder on your property. From replacing light bulbs and pruning hedges to hanging holiday ornaments or clearing debris from the eaves, ladders provide a practical and secure solution compared to balancing on chairs or piling objects on top of one another.

Screwdrivers

Having at least one flathead and one Philip’s screwdriver is a good idea. It will enable you to make many repairs, like removing and replacing electrical sockets and tightening loose shelving units. Screwdrivers are a basic tool, and the more you have, the easier your DIY will be.

Recap: Things Every Homeowner Should Have

If you do not already have these things in your home, it would be a good idea to stock up on them as soon as possible because the better prepared you are for any eventuality, the safer your home will be in your hands.

Categories
Healthy Living Mental Health

5 Simple Ways to Bring More Calm Into Your Life

Bring More Calm

Creating more calm in your life might seem like a bit of a stretch – after all, it can be pretty tough to be calm 24/7 when there are so many demands on your time and efforts. However, you can do little things each day to ensure you have moments of peace. Some things you can do to bring more calm into your life include the following:

Bring More Calm
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How to Bring More Calm

Mornings 

Mornings can be one of the toughest times of the day. You and everyone else in your home have to get ready, make sure bags get packed, lunches get prepared, and breakfast is eaten – not to mention the adults need to prep too!

Mornings can be a busy, stressful rush. 

To make the mornings run smoother, getting up early, starting with some stretches, and then making a to-do list is highly recommended by those already enjoying a more peaceful and calm day.

Evenings

Adults tend to stay up much later than they should to get peace and calm. But that can negatively impact the following day. So what can you do? Change your evenings. Once everything gets done for the day, instead of trying to stay up even later, start a nighttime wind-down routine.

Start with having a calming cup of tea, making a list of what you need to do tomorrow (if you don’t like making morning to-do lists), getting into some loungewear, and trying to avoid using your phone.

For those who have trouble sleeping and getting into sleep mode, a CBD spray or gummies from Redeem can help to support your sleep system and help you drift off. Other people find success with camomile tea and lavender pillow spray. 

Reactions

One way to gauge your stress level is to consider how you react to situations. If you instantly respond, and your responses are typically short and sharp – you might be causing damage.

Pay attention to how you respond to situations and ask yourself if it is a measured and considered response or if you are instantly reacting negatively.

Keeping an eye on how you respond can show you your mindset. And when you recognize the patterns, you can start to change them.

Coping Habits to Bring More Calm

Unless you naturally head for healthy coping mechanisms – you might notice you have a few that might be problematic. Healthy coping habits for stress include resting, reading, exercising, and doing things to help you relax. 

Unhealthy ones are reaching for alcohol, drugs, food restrictions, and other things that negatively impact us. Bringing more calm into your life can help you to form healthy coping habits. 

Task Switching 

Even if you pride yourself on how much you can take on, how much you can do at once – and you do it well, task switching is high-stress. Not only will all the tasks take longer because you need to refocus between each one – but you will also have a lot of clutter in your mind as you focus on everything. 

Try to get out of the habit and mindset that doing everything all the time is healthy. Instead, recognize that doing things one at a time is better. And further that you don’t need to multitask to be successful and productive. 

Recap: Bring More Calm

Bringing more calm to your life can make you feel happier in general. Here are some other tips to help you achieve that goal: 3 Unique Ways To Care For Your Mental Health And Achieve Greater Happiness. 

Categories
Buying a Home Moving

4 Reasons Property Searching is Better in Spring

Property searching is better in spring when the days start getting longer. It is a good time for viewing homes and getting a feel for the property. The changing weather is a huge help, and many other factors can make your experience more positive.

Property Searching is Better in Spring
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Why Property Searching is Better in Spring

The Weather is More Favorable

The spring weather is often unpredictable, but it is much better than in the winter. Additionally, the days get longer, so many sellers are open to allowing you to view a home later in the day. This is great if you have work commitments but are serious about moving. Finally, you can get hold of a reputable moving company on sites like iMOVE much easier than in the winter. Movers are more open to jobs when the weather is bright and dry.

Owners Want to Sell

Spring is known to be the best time to sell a home. And just like you are eager to buy, many owners are eager to sell. And when a homeowner is ready to sell, you will often have a better cushion for negotiating a better deal on the price. It is because, just like you, a homeowner is probably also looking at another house and is eager to move in quickly and easily. You can take advantage of this if you think they will accept a lower offer, meaning more for decorating.

Property Searching in Spring is a New Beginning

As you are aware, spring is the time for new beginnings. New life and plants spring up all around us. And this can give you the sense of wanting to start something fresh, hence the spring cleaning and redecorating rush. But a new home will help get your spring off to a great start. Because of this, you can begin thinking about all the new possibilities a new home affords you, such as having family around for long BBQ dinners.

You Can Get Your New Home Ready for Summer

Summer will be amazing if your new home has yard space, a garden, or patios and decking. You can relax in your private oasis, with no distractions, in maximum comfort, and with many conveniences. However, gardens and patios aren’t always cared for, and your home’s backyard may need some TLC. It means spring is great for getting it ready for the warmer weather. And you can also take advantage of DIY store spring sales on garden stuff.

There is More Choice

October is officially the worst month to list a home. But spring months are also the best. More buyers and sellers are eager to look at properties and accept offers. So, there is a lot more choice in the spring regarding property listings. It can be excellent for negotiating a better price. But while looking at the many more homes on well-known property sites, be aware that competition among sellers can raise prices.

Recap: Property Searching is Better in Spring

You can often find a better deal or what you are looking for when property searching in spring. The weather is better, it’s a fresh start, and you’ll have more choices.

Do you have any other tips for property searching? Leave a comment and let us know.