Moving News and Relocation Advice

Life is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Virtually gone are the days when a towns person opens a small feed store in a small farming town and does a great business on just the few people who live in the town.  Today, opening, and particularly moving, a small business (whether a computer store, a manufacturing company, or even a feed store) can make it more successful or bust it.

Here are some examples and tips and things to think about:
Moving a business after many years in one location, especially, can be a very emotional decision to make. You have friends in business and/or loyal customers. There is a lot to think about, a lot to plan for and quite a few decisions to make. Sit down with a plan and a physical chart. Consider everything as you work with your chart. Start at the most important decision first and work from there.

The first thing you have to think about is your reason for moving. More than likely you want to grow your business and not leave you at a stalemate in  your current location. Is it worth it?

Next, you want to do serious research. Selecting states and areas is a hefty process. Will your business really succeed there? What area within the state has the population and need for what you offer? What is the level of the local community in respect to the type of business you own?

Think about tax structures and local and state fees. Is it worth it? Will your business have the opportunity to grow physically and economically?

Other costs such as utilities may cost less or more than where you are now. Will your projected income make it worth the moving fees?

Costs vs. Income level. Will your income and that of your employees be more or less than the costs of moving and residing in that area. Costs include everything, including your home and family and all the costs associated with moving your house and business. If you have a manufacturing business, you might have a lot of heavy equipment that needs to be relocated. Proper hauling with a good moving company is vital.

How many employees will you need once relocated? Is there a need for jobs in the area you have chosen? Or do you have employees in your current location that will be willing to relocate with you?

And what about employment rates? How much is the average pay to employees in your new area? Will the end result be worth it?

Think about supply houses as well. Where do you obtain your supplies? A distributor who is located nearby and will cost more or less to ship inventory and necessities, is a very important item on your comparison chart.

What of the economic development of the area?

It is imperative to research and visit the state, area and competitive businesses well before you make your decision. Once you have crunched the numbers, dotted the I’s and crossed all the T’s, researched and checked the Chamber of Commerce and done all of your comparison shopping, it’s time to make the final decision. Remember, it all comes down to the bottom line of your chart: money.

As you look at the belongings you will have to pack up before your big move, you might feel overwhelmed. On one shelf alone is some antique baubles you picked up at a flea market ten years ago, the antique monkey statue you inherited fom your grandmother when you were eighteen, A ceramic dog statue you got as a gift from Uncle George when you were eight,  and the list goes on.

Now you have to pack them all. But before you do, ask yourself, “Do I need all this stuff?”  And I mean really need it? No, but what to do with it all?

Well, make a bit of extra money and have a tag/rummage sale (or yard sale or garage sale, or whichever term is used in your area). To some people that might seem like just too darn much work for a few dollars. But, really, if you weigh the time it takes to move all the items that you really don’t need to keep and the fact you will make some money (depending on the time, day and what you have to sell, you can make hundreds, even thousands of dollars); the one or two days you spend holding the sale will be worth it.

• Hold the tag sale on a weekend, preferably well before the move. You might want to hold more than one tag sale on consecutive weekends for more chances to sell.
• You can sell on three days, but make sure they are Friday, Saturday and Sunday when it’s more likely people will be around and out tag saling.
• Start early in the morning. Most tag sales run from 8:00 AM through the early to mid afternoon.
• Be reasonable with your prices. This is not a store; not even a thrift store. You might have to sell something for only a dollar that you know is worth much more. Keep in mind what you get is pure profit and you also get the added benefit of not having to move it.
• Lastly, take the money you earn and use it towards your move. Look at that, instant discount and less to pack and move.

When you move to your new location, there are a few other tips you might want to follow besides the obvious - how to pack the boxes, what kind of packing material to use, loading trailers, etc. These are all important tips, of course, but a here are a few things that might make your move better and a bit less stressful, particularly if you are moving a long distance.

1. Clean everything before you move it. As you pack, clean your belongings well just as you are getting ready to pack them. Picture frames, knick knacks, books, and the like collect a lot of dust and stains through the years. To make the unpacking easier, clean these items before you pack them, one at a time, before placing them into boxes. Then, when you arrive at your new home (which you should have cleaned professionally before moved in), you can simply unpack and place everything where you want it.
2. Carry emergency supplies. Whether you are moving a long distance or a short one, carrying certain supplies with you can make your life a bit easier. Everything will be packed, including all your kitchen and bathroom supplies. You don’t want to have to scramble through boxes if you need a bandage or a bottle of water. Carry obvious items, such as spare clothing, travel pillow, bottles of water, some first-aid items, etc. You can place them in a tote or a small luggage bag. If you find yourself having to wait somewhere you will have some supplies to make your life a little more comfortable.
3. Entertainment. Depending upon where you are moving to, your moving truck might not arrive before you. Delays can happen anywhere, anytime. So, to avoid a situation such as that in the comedy movie, Funny Farm, think ahead. You don’t want to get stuck sleeping on a hard floor, having no TV and no food. Carry with you a portable DVD player, a computer laptop, a portable TV or stereo, or whatever else you can carry and feel you may need. Portable games for the kids are also great entertainment must-haves.

Follow some of these tips, rearrange or adjust them according to your own needs and you can save yourself quite a bit of hassle in the long run.

Often trailers are rented for short distance and self service moves, and if you go this route, you should know how to properly load the trailer for the best spacial ratio and protection of your property.  Taking the time to load the trailer careful can actually save you money.

Loading Tip 1.  The trailer. Before putting any of your belongings into the trailer, think about protecting your stuff by “protecting” the floor of the trailer. Set down blankets, or plastic wrap, or even large sheets of packing paper or cardboard. This will help keep furniture clean and protect from scrapes if anything shifts a bit during the move.

Loading Tip 2. Proper placement of large items. Place sofas and love seats standing on end in the back corners of the trailer. Utilize the corners properly by placing them back corner of the furniture piece snug into the corner. If legs can be removed easily and put back on, do so. It will help the fit. Place large appliances along the back wall between the sofas. Make sure they are flush against the wall. And space between them and the sofas should be filled completely either with large, heavy boxes (from your earlier household packing) or any sort of packing filler/protector (such as sheets of foam). Blocks and/or braces can be used as well to keep large items from sliding.

Loading Tip 3.  Packing it tight. You don’t want to have any or very little gaps between items and boxes or your entire load could shift, causing something to fall or unsettle your entire load. Pack the entire trailer tight and to the roof if possible. Make the best use of the space you have.

Follow these tips for a stress-free move without worry.

You are planning well for that international move. You have everything set up according to schedule pertaining to the new living quarters, passports and the like. But once there you will need a mode of transportation. Most people do not take their cars with them on an international move, particularly if they are moving to a British Colony or Asian country where driving is on the left side of the road rather than the right.

Cars’ steering wheels are on the opposite side of the car, and driving is very different (such as in the Scottish Highlands where roads can be winding and narrow; quite different than the streets of, say, New York City). If you are moving to France or other right-side road country, you can option to ship your car over or sell it and buy a new one.

Besides the vehicle issue, in whichever country you decide to move, and regardless of what side of the road they drive on, you will need an International Driving Permit. Before your move, you will most likely be spending a bit of time in your destination country and unless you have a friend or can acquire a taxi everywhere you go, you will want to rent a car to get around.

Most countries accept an IDP International Driving Permit, but not all. So, make sure you research and know what driving laws are mandatory in your new country. Once you have settled into the country, get a valid driver’s license as soon as possible. Research through the embassy or consulate of your new country for laws and requirements pertaining to acquiring an official driver’s license.

You want to move to a historical home or one that is from a much earlier era.  Perhaps you have an expanding family and need more space. Many older homes are larger yet less expensive than the larger new homes now being built. Or perhaps you need to downsize, or you want a change of scenery, a new job, or even a fresh start. Maybe you always wanted that beautiful historical Victorian. The older the home, the more renovation and other considerations have to be made.

Ask yourself about the house’s codes and know its history. Is the electrical up to date? Through the years, standards have risen for electrical requirements.  Make sure you have a good electrician  inspect all the wiring in the house, plugs and switches for any flaws.

Think about square footage and floor load. Older homes tend to have smaller rooms, but more of them, so there are more walls used as support walls. The inspector should check the basement for support beams and the structural integrity of the house.  Although many older pieces of furniture could be just as heavy, and you might not think you need to worry about the weight of your furniture, appliances and computer equipment, have the structure and floors checked anyway. Better safe than sorry.

And never forget little friends that love to eat your house, particularly if it has sat empty for a little while.  Termites can be quite destructive and need to be eliminated before you move in.

Remember, good common sense and research plus advanced planning will help your move to an older home more pleasant and prevent costly problems later on.

Let’s face it, it’s the 21st century and people all over the world meet one another through the internet, date and fall in love. At one point or another, something has to change. One of the people in the relationship has to move to be near the other, unless you want to remain in a long distance relationship forever (which rarely lasts). The main question in a situation such as this is, “who moves to whom?”  You also want to ask, “Do we live where the other person in the couple resides, or do we buy our own place?”

Most of the time, the couple will stay in the home of the person who remains, at least for a little while. However, the person who is relocating will have a few things to think about.

First and foremost is a job.  Something important that concerns both people in the relationship is where the relocating person will work. Is there a job similar to yours looking for employees? Or perhaps you work at a company that has offices near your moving location.  Or you work from home, which is ideal.

Make sure communication is open between the two of you, and that you both agree to every aspect of the move. Look over everything before jumping into the relocation.

• What if there is nothing in your field anywhere near the relocation point?
• Should you move to the other person’s location? Or find a new job?
• And what about living costs? Will you be able to make a living at the new location? This is an important question and one in which you will need to do some math. Every location has its own cost of living expenses as well as its own pay scale. Most of the time, regardless of where you move to, it evens itself out. Northern areas on each coast have higher costs of living than southern states. However, the same job in New York City may have a higher pay than one in Louisiana.

If everything is worked out in advance then the two of you should be able to coordinate schedules and come to an understanding in making your long distance move as smooth as possible.

When you are planning a long distance move, it is crucial to have all your ducks lined up in a row, so to speak, well before the trip begins. Certain steps need to be taken in order for the move to go along as it’s meant to. And deadline dates must be met for movers for truck and trailer delivery, picking up and moving your belongings and contracts and bills of lading have to be signed and ready by a specific date. And then there’s all the details of the move itself.

Your passports are up to date, all paperwork is done and everything on your list is checked off. But, still your trip can become postponed. Unexpected events can delay your well planned move.  Be prepared for unexpected events with alternate plans.

Mother Nature loves to wreak havoc on carefully laid out plans. Depending on where you are moving to, a hurricane or a tornado, even a blizzard can postpone all those perfectly choreographed International Moving Plans.

Try to plan ahead and purchase moving insurance well in advance. If your new home is destroyed or damaged by a natural disaster, at least it is insured. If you are thinking that buying insurance is too big and costly a step for something that may not happen, just think of how much it will cost and the time it will take having to store all your goods and find a place for yourself and your family until such time you can relocate or move into your new home at last.

The question you have to ask yourself when moving a vehicle is, Do I want to go through the hassle or should I sell the car and get a new one? The answer to this question determines everything. If your vehicle is new and/or worth far more than the move, then go for the move. However, it will cost more to move than the vehicle is worth, you might want to sell it and buy a car when you arrive at your new location.

Before Your Move

Moving an automobile can be a long and tiring process when you are moving a long distance, so make sure you know what you are doing and have researched everything beforehand. This is not a process you want surprises during. Below is a list of some of the tasks you will want to have thorough knowledge of before you move your car:

• Call the DMV in the state to which you are relocating.  Learn and understand motor vehicle laws, registration costs, emissions and safety standards. These can vary widely from state to state. Make sure your car is up to date on these regulations so you don’t find yourself going through the hassle and expense of moving your car only to find out it failed emissions in the new state and needs more repairs than the car is worth.
• Consider insurance.  Can you transfer your insurance or is your company local? Make sure all your insurance needs are cared for ahead of time, especially if you decide to keep the car you have.
• Drive or hire a mover? Do you want to drive your car to your new location? For long distance moving, it is often a good idea to look into moving companies that can move your car for you. They will save you the hassle, time and risk of moving your car or truck by yourself.
• Type of vehicle. Are you moving a boat to the desert? Consider the vehicle you wish to move and the area you plan to live in. The same holds true if you plan to buy once you get there.  A sun roof in a rainy area might not be an option you wish to pay for.

Whether you have an RV, a boat, a car, a truck or a motorcycle, be sure all preparations are in order and you know what you want to do before the big move.

Moving to a different country can be difficult and nerve-wracking. But, today, with global economical changes, more and more companies are moving employees overseas or into Canada. And people with pets want to bring their family members along as well.

However, moving with your pet is not an easy task, particularly when moving to a different country. This is a process that cannot be rushed into nor taken lightly. Many countries have quarantine laws for pets coming in, and often these quarantines can be up to a six-month stay in a kennel (check to see if home quarantine is available). And these kennels are not always welcoming.

Be sure to check into this carefully and visit the kennel if your pet needs to stay there. Be sure it is clean and the animals cared for well. If you know anyone who has quarantined a pet at the facility, talk to them about its reputation.

Any pets moving overseas must have proof of a neutralizing antibody titration test for rabies performed at least six months before the date of importation. Even countries that don’t require a quarantine period will need a health certificate and proof of a current rabies vaccination. The U.K. is especially strict with mammals (cats, dogs, ferrets, etc.) moving into the country.

A program called PETS (Pet Travel Scheme) is the system that allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the rules. Mainland USA is on their list of countries that qualify for PETS so long as the animal has not been out of the country at least 6 months prior to the move, and is updated on its rabies vaccinations (from the time the animal was old enough to receive the vaccination).

To make the move a bit easier on you, there are international pet travel agents available who will book your pet’s flights. Make sure all health certificates are in place and help is available to get your pets to and from airports. Everything is done for you so you can worry only about yourself and your human family’s international move. Companies such as WeHaulMoving.com are available with international moving services