Tag Archive moving

Flipping houses or buying a fixer-upper seems to be a common trend. If you want to join the masses and throw some elbow grease into a space to make it amazing, then you need to err on the side of caution. While you can get a great deal and make a run-down shack an amazing dream home, you should be careful of such a purchase. Your diamond in the rough may have some hidden problems that could cost you big. Here are some things to keep in mind when buying and moving into a fixer-upper:

1. Do Your Research

Sometimes an offer that is too good to be true may be just that. Make sure that before you dump 50 thousand dollars into a home in remodeling fees that you can get that out of it. For instance, if you buy a house for 20 thousand and the neighborhood comps are in the 70-thousand-dollar range, you cannot afford to go over your initial budget.

You want to make sure that your remodel makes sense for the area or you will be on the losing end.

2. Set A Budget and Prepare for Incidentals

Whether you’re buying an old or newer home doesn’t matter. You need to make a budget, and if you watch any of those house flipping shows on television, you know that nothing ever goes according to plan. Add about 10 percent to your budget to cover incidentals and unforeseen problems. Nothing like having knob and tube wiring and not having any money in the budget to fix it.

3. Interview Many Contractors

Unless you’re lucky and can do all the work, you will need to hire a contractor. You want to interview several before you make your decision. Make sure to check references, and ask them to see pictures of work they’ve done. The more legitimate companies are the ones that have permanent addresses and have been in business for some time. Never give any money upfront.

You want to make sure that you have a draw system, and don’t hand money to someone who will run off with it.

4. Don’t Cut Too Many Corners

There are things that you can compromise on and cut some corners to save money. However, there are things that you cannot skimp on too. For instance, it’s okay to go with a cheaper grade of cabinets, but you don’t want to pinch pennies on the structural elements or your central systems like the HVAC, plumbing or electrical. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it can end up costing you in the end.

5. Expect Delays

Never make goals that you cannot obtain. Even if you are working with the best contractor in town, there are going to be delays. The contractor may be held up because of the painting crew or a custom order that is running behind. You must always add more time to your estimated time-frame to ensure that you have an accurate completion date. It takes time to do it right, and you don’t want to rush perfection.

It’s fun and adventurous to rehab a home from ruins and making it a masterpiece. However, make sure you have a detailed plan, an excellent work crew, and plenty of money. These projects are amazing when they are finished, but it takes a long time to hit the finish line.

Do you need to store your belongings during a home remodel temporarily? As inconvenient as this may be, you’re in luck if you have a storage unit facility located near your home. In this guide, we’ll explain how to pack up and move your belongings into their new, temporary home without breaking a sweat. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s start packing with tips from professional moving companies!

Reasons to Use Temporary Storage During a Renovation

Although there are plenty of reasons you may want to temporarily store or be requested to store your belongings, below are the two main reasons you should:

Prevent Damage to Your Furniture During a Remodel

The last thing you want to do is damage your furniture during a remodel. A great way to avoid this altogether is to move your furniture to a temporary location, such as a storage unit, in the meantime.

Making it Easier for Contractors to Work in Your Home

You may be requested to move some of your belongings to make it easier for the contractors to work in your home. Similar to what we mentioned before, the reason they may give is to avoid getting it dirty or accidentally causing damage. Considering your odds, it’s better to be safe than sorry and move your belongings to a temporary storage area.

Tips for Packing and Moving Your Belongings

Now that you know why you’re moving your belongings, it’s time to start packing up. Follow our steps below on how to properly pack up and move your belongings:

1. Pick a Unit That Can Fit Your Belongings

No matter what style of unit you’re looking for, it’s important that you choose one that will fit all your belongings. However, this moving service warns, avoid picking a unit that will either be too large or too small. The last thing you want is to overpay for storage or not have enough room to store your belongings.

2. Pack Smart

Since this is only a temporary storage solution, you don’t have up things too professionally, but to the extent that your belongings won’t become damaged. When you pack up your home, make sure that you don’t stuff your moving boxes too much and invest in bubble wrap. This will help prevent your belongings from breaking while transporting them to your storage unit. Other things to keep in mind is properly draining your lawn mower, emptying fuel from gas tanks, removing batteries from electronic devices, and defrosting your fridge and freezer. See here for specific tips on packing the kitchen.

3. Label Your Moving Boxes

As a rule of thumb, you should label every one of your moving boxes, so you know what you stored in them. This can help make unpacking your boxes easier when you remove them from your storage unit. However, it can also make it easier to group and organize boxes in your storage unit as well.

4. Have a Plan

It’s important that you plan out where you want to place every moving box in your storage unit, so you know where it is when you need to bring your belongings back home. Additionally, if you only need one thing in your storage unit, mapping out your unit and knowing where each box is will only make things easier.