Moving House Plants

Living in dry climates such as Wyoming makes for an interesting gardening experience, but because of my love for plants, I have committed myself to my plants (both house plants and gardens) to make sure they grow to be big and tall! Now, if I were moving this summer, there is NO way I would leave my plants behind. So I got to thinking, how would one transport their house plants or their favorite garden plant to their new house? After extensive research, this is what I have come up with.

If you are moving long-distance, chances are that your moving company will not move your plants for you. There is too much risk involved as plants are considered "perishable" items. This is when moving your plants becomes your responsibility. It is also important to look into different state regulations to make sure that you can transport your plants across state lines. You can find this information by calling your local U.S. Department of Agriculture. The next step is actually preparing your plants for the move. Now, this is the crucial part, making sure that you do this in advance will save your plants from the stress of moving.

-Three weeks before the move, repot your plants that are in clay, ceramic, fragile pots into unbreakable plastic pots. Make sure to use the same size plastic pot as you do not want to stress the plant.

-Two weeks before moving day, prune the larger plants. By pruning them, it will be easier to pack and there is less of a chance of leaves and stems breaking off. Research your types of plants first to make sure they will respond well to pruning.

-One week before moving day, check plants for insects and different parasites. You do NOT want these creatures crawling around your car or even infesting your new home!

-Two days before the move, water your plants normally. If you over water your plant during winter months, the chances the plant will freeze during the move are greater. If you over water in warmer weather, your plants are subject to fungus growth during transit.

-Moving Day! Pack your plants in the morning or the night before. You can use large boxes such as wardrobe boxes for large plants or dish pack boxes for smaller plants. Secure the pots so they are not shifting in the box and surround the pots and plants with damp newspaper if moving in the summer. Punch air holes in the sides of the box and loosely fasten the lid so the plants can breath. Make sure to mark the box so no mistakes are made!

On the Road! You will want to load the plants into your car close to your departure time. If possible, avoid putting plants in your trunk, imagine how hot it gets back there! Throughout your drive, let the plants breath and bathe in the sun during your stops (if its warm out). If they seem dry, try and give them some water.

Arriving at Your New Home, make sure to unload your plants first! They want out just as badly as you do! When you bring them inside, place them somewhere where they are not in direct sunlight. As they become more accustom to being out of the box, you can slowly move them towards the sun.

If you follow these steps, your beloved plants should make the move as easily as you did, especially by using CRS to coordinate your move!

Reasons People Move

Did You Know: Reasons People Move

According to Arun Barman, Research Economist with the National Association of REALTORS® there are several reasons why people move
5.8 percent of those over the age of 16 moved, because they wanted to own a home rather than rent
13.5 percent of people moved for some “other family reason”
10.8 percent of people moved to establish their own household
About a fifth of people moved for a job related reason
If you are one of these statistics, be sure to call us at 1.800.839.6683 to let us help you planyour move!
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Take the time to check everything during your move

All too often people moving do not take the time to actively participate and manage the process during the loading and unloading of their moving truck. By not being actively involved, they often give up many of their rights if damage occurs at loading or unloading.

During the loading process, the moving crew will take inventory of the items to be shipped, tag each item with a number and list all items on an inventory sheet. This inventory is then used as the "manifest" of what the moving company is responsible for loading, moving and unloading for the customer. When asked to sign off on this list, the customer is agreeing that this is the total move, and that the condition noted of all items by the moving crew on the list is agreeable. The moving crew will note scratches, or other conditional facts on the inventory, and by agreeing to these the customer can not expect to file a claim for items that were already scratched at origin.

At destination, as the items come off the truck, the customer MUST take the time to check every item as it is moved into their home. Each item that is moved off the truck must be checked off by the customer so they are confident that everything that went on the truck is arriving safely at their new home. Any damages or missing items must be noted on the inventory at this time. The customer will be asked to sign the inventory acknowledging that all the items were satisfactorily delivered and in the condition noted on the inventory.

If damage or missing items are noted at a later date, and do not agree with the signed off inventory, the moving company has every right to flat out deny the claim. This means. if the customer signs off that box number 43 was delivered, and later the customer says it was not delivered, then the claim for the contents of box 43 can be denied.

Things can get hectic during the moving process, but customers MUST take the time to be involved and understand what is being moved onto and off of the moving truck.

This advice, and much more hands on assistance can be gotten when you move through Consumers Relocation Services, Customers will be assigned a personal moving Consultant who will walk the customer through these important facts.

Moving Season!

Moving season is here! As summer slowly approaches, it is time to begin planning your move. Because summer is the most popular time to move, it is important to start planning early so that you can move on the dates that work for you and avoid blackout dates. The best way to avoid any problems is to plan your move with Consumers Relocation. When moving through CRS, we offer multiple moving estimates which allows us to accommodate any moving date and also allows you to move during the movers blackout dates. Summer is the busiest time for movers, so if possible, avoid the first and the last days of each month during the summer, those tend to be the busiest. If possible, schedule your moving estimates about 8 weeks in advance of your intended move date. You do not need to know the exact date of your move, or even know your precise destination to have this step completed. However, knowing the city or county of the state is necessary. Once you have reviewed the estimates, if possible, select a mover 4-5 weeks ahead of your move date.

Is that 8 week mark coming up? Call Consumers Relocation Services to speak with one of our professional moving consultants. Your consultant will help you set up your next move and answer any questions you have! Call 1-800-839-6683 or email us at info@consumersrelocation.com. You can even visit us online www.consumersrelocation.com

Car Shipping vs Costs of Driving

So it's the middle of the school year, and your son calls from college and decides that he wants his car at school. What do you do.... take a few days and drive it to him or put it on a truck and ship it to his front door? Some may think that the expenses of driving a car across the country would be cheaper than shipping it. When it comes to driving vehicles long distances, some fail to calculate the real cost. It is not just the cost of gas, which in some cases depending on your car, is a large amount in itself. There are other costs to factor in such as meals, hotels, unforeseen expenses and the mileage on the car. You can also add in the time you take away from work and did you think about how you were going to get home? That's right, you can add in a one way ticket too! So once you really think about it, your trip has gone from an estimated $500 to possibly a few thousand. So now what? Having your car shipped by a qualified car shipper is often less expensive that driving it yourself and much less of a headache! If you are in the market to have your car, boat or motorcycle shipped, just call CRS at 1-800-839-6683 and we can put together an estimate with a qualified car shipper for you!

National Association of Realtors reports house prices rising in many Metro areas

NAR reports that in the 1st quarter of this year that 91 out of the 152 metro areas in their statistical analysis showed higher median single family home prices compared to the 1st quarter of 2009. This should be great news for all reading this blog. On a national basis, the median price remained pretty stable at $166,100. At lease this wasn't a significant decline! Hopefully this news will build the confidence for all those who are contemplating buying or selling single family homes this spring.

Refer to the following link for the actual statistical study.
http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice

Once you have decided its time to buy or sell, be sure the call Consumers Relocation Services to take care of moving all of your personal belongings; 800-839-6683

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

Spring means more than just warm and sunny weather, it's the beginning to my favorite season.... yard sale season! Because Summer is the time of year when moving is most popular, families are taking the time to clean out their house, go through their belongings and make a few extra dollars. If you are moving this summer, start organizing your things now, figuring out what you don't need anymore and organize a yard sale. I have found that multi-family or friend yard sales are the most fun. By holding a yard sale before your move, it will make the amount of things you need to move smaller therefor making your move more affordable. Once you have moved into your new home, that's when the fun begins! Help another family out by visiting their yard sale to see if they are selling anything that might make settling into your new home more enjoyable!

Buying a home at an auction

A interesting article by June Fletcher at the Wall Street Journal regarding tips on "How to buy a home at aucton".

June suggests "You can pick up a deal at an auction—if you do a lot of sleuthing in advance, and can keep your emotions in check. But realize that seasoned investors often cherry-pick most of the best properties and try to make a deal with the owner before the property hits the courthouse steps. You should find a good buyer broker who's experienced with foreclosures and do the same. "

You should visit some auctions ahead of time just to get more comfortable with the process. Most auctions are published as a public notice in the newspaper for a specified period of time. A site called Realtytrac also lists properties. In the real estate section of this blog site, blogger.com, there are also blogs regarding foreclosure and auctions.

"When you've targeted a few prospects, look up their addresses on Web sites like Zillow to see what home values are in the neighborhood; since you'll have to pay more in costs and repairs than you would in a regular sale, you don't want to pay more than 70% of market value. Although you probably won't be able to get inside any of the properties, at least drive by to assess their conditions. " June suggests.

Just as in moving, don't try to go it alone without expert help.

When you move to your new home, don't go it alone either. Call Consumers Relocation for expert guidance. money and time savings. Call 800-839-6683

NAR reports pending home sales up in March!

"Pending home sales increased again in March, affirming that a surge of home sales is unfolding for the spring home buying season, according to the National Association of Realtors®." NAR reported that pending home sales, which are new contracts not closings, increased 5.3% in March. Closings typically lag pending home sales by one or two months.

Lawrence Yun, the chief economist of NAR reports “Clearly the home buyer tax credit has helped stabilize the market. In the months immediately following the expiration of the tax credit, we expect measurably lower sales,” he said. “Later in the second half of the year, and into 2011, home sales will likely become self-sustaining if the economy can add jobs at a respectable pace, and from a return of buyer demand as they see home values stabilizing.”

If Mr. Yun is correct, this is good news for the real estate and household goods moving industry for the later part of this year and next. However, not so great for the immediate months this spring and summer. Lets hope that the sales continue without the tax credit at a good pace.

If you are one of the new pending home sales or buying or selling in the near future, you need to contact Consumers Relocation to assist you in moving your household goods. Save time and money by using Consumers Relocation to order your moving estimates, negotiate the deal, and act as your advocate throughout the move. Call our offices and ask to speak with a Consultant.

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