So recently, after 39 years in my home, I made my first move cross country to start a new life journey but didn’t want to spend $15-20,000 using a traditional moving company. So I explored other options and eventually chose to rent a UHaul Truck and movers to load it, drive it and unload it at the other end. I figured I would rather do all my own packing anyway to decide what will get sold, donated, tossed or packed and really how hard could that be? Turns out, pretty darn hard. With a leaning toward sentimentality and having raised my only child in my home, selling and donating was tough and tossing was even harder! BUT I will admit that once I started selling some things I got more conducive to the idea. By the time I moved, I was giving stuff away!! So here’s some tips to help you on your way!

UHaul: The UBox is ridiculously small and though it might be good for a move across town or taking a child to college, it is NOT a good choice for cross country moves no matter what their Infomercial says. Seriously small!!

UHaul 26ft Truck: This was my choice as all their literature and employees stated that this would accommodate a 3-4 bedroom home. And let me say, when you look at an empty 26ft truck trailer, you will be convinced your things will fit.  Reality, maybe a 1-2BR home at the most. I moved one set of bedroom furniture, one mattress, a sofa, loveseat and twin sleeper plus 4 desks and a few incidental small tables….NO dining room, other 3 bedrooms, kitchen, family room, appliances, washer dryer NONE of THAT! I had lots of bins and boxes but hey, without all that extra furniture it should fit, right? Wrong. Ended up having to buy a 14′ trailer to attach to my daughter’s truck which was also full to make the 1100 mile drive across country.

Granted moving this way saved me probably $10000 in costs and so I would do it again, just smarter and better! My movers were very very nice people….but incredibly slow. Take the time to get referrals as best you can. It will be a great help!

I’m still glad I packed myself as I made sure I have what is most important to me with me in my new home. One thing that made it difficult was that I wasn’t confirmed on the deal going through until 2 weeks before closing so I had to leave a lot of packing until the last minute so the home would still be staged properly in case it had to go back on the market. These are all factors I was not aware of when I started the process but know now and want to pass on so that your move can be less stressful, more joyful and an experience you can look back on as a good part of your new journey.

The key is recognizing that your past memories will be with you forever and your new memories are lying ahead. Give yourself the authority to move forward so when you look back it’s with joy and appreciation for the blessings you enjoyed. Home truly is where your heart is and with the people who mean the most to you.

Happy Journey!

Per Merriam Webster….Definition of Labor Day:  A day set aside for special recognition of working people celebrated in the US and Canada as a legal holiday the fist Monday in September. At this challenging time, many working class people have been suffering reduced work schedule or been out of work all together while others have been called upon to work more deemed essential for maintaining daily living. Here at ByOwner.com we wish to celebrate all our “Laborers”…Farmers, Police, Firefighters, Hospitality Workers, Retail and Grocery Workers, Doctors, Nurses, Hospital Workers, Dentists and their Workers, Teachers, Restaurant Owners and Workers, Janitors and Maintenance Workers, Nursing Home Workers ….Workers, Workers, Workers!!!! You have earned our respect and our wish that you take the time to enjoy a very relaxing Labor Day Holiday!!

It used to be that if you wanted a free standing tub in your bath, you pretty much were looking at Victorian style clawfoot tubs. These are certainly gorgeous and add an elegance to your room BUT for many people the style just doesn’t blend with the rest of their more modern styled home so have simply gone the traditional route or eliminated their tub option all together. For those people, there are now many options available from the simplest model available for under $1000 to extravagant styles that can cost upwards of $10000 but rival the best 5 star luxury hotel. No matter which route you go, a free standing tub updates and upgrades your Bath all by itself!

This month, August 2020, Fannie Mae has announced historically low interest rates:

30 yr. mortgages     2.88%

15 yr mortgages       2.44%

With the pandemic still coursing the world, this has been a challenging time for many with regard to buying or selling a home. With this new announcement, if you’ve been considering selling, this is a great time to take that step. Inventory is low and demand by those who are in a position to buy is high.  If you’ve been thinking about buying and have the ability to do so this is an amazing opportunity for you. With rates so low, you can qualify for more home or perhaps if you haven’t been able to qualify before, now you will have options.

Yes, for many this is a scary time, but an old proverb says,  “If you have an advantage offered you, take advantage!”

So your home is vacant but the cost of having someone come in and stage your home is prohibitive for you. So what can you do? Virtual Staging!! This is a cost effective alternative to having a “stager” come into your home, create a plan, bring in furniture, have a crew set it all up and then have to do so again to pick it up when your home has sold. Those cost can run into the thousands or tens of thousands depending on the size and grandeur of your home. Virtual Staging takes advantage of new and evolving technology to allow potential buyers to view your home online, fully staged and then if they choose, to walk through physically to get a sense of the vacant space for their own furnishings.

At this time, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many people have chosen to not go to homes personally until they have completely walked through online. As good as photographer may be, still photos are the least effective when people are online shopping because they often do not adequately show the depth or dimensions of your rooms. Being able to see furniture in the photos gives people a better sense of flow and space. 

There are many options and prices available to you so rather than just take a company’s word for their quality, make sure and shop around. A simple search titled “Virtual Staging” will yield numerous results so relax, take your time and be diligent. Ask for addresses of homes they have staged that you can view online instead of what they’re showing you on their website. Look at the real effects they’ve created and not just what a commercial web designer may have built into their website.

As always, buyer beware. Then once you’ve done your due diligence and had your home virtually staged, get ready for buyers to be ringing your bell!