Everyone knows that buying a home is a huge financial and emotional commitment. Most of us purchase a home just a few times in our lifetime. It’s full of countless decisions: Is this the right house for my family? Is the neighborhood where we want to live? Can we afford it?  Unfortunately, one of the first and most vital steps in the home buying process is often overlooked – hiring a qualified home inspector.

Hold it! Before you pack every tea cup and toy car in your home; take a break and step back. There are some items  you should first set aside; these items should not be packed. Certain valuables should always be kept close to you during a move, other items can be dangerous and some items simply should be left to the pros to pack to prevent injury and breakage. Here are some of the items NOT to pack and move with the rest of your belongings.

Picture this: Stacks of taped up boxes fill your home and the moving truck is about to arrive. In the corner of the room you are still staring at a box of important documents. What should you do with your birth certificate, social security card, passport, banking documents, will, and all of the other valuable papers? You know better than to pack them up and send them in the moving truck or ship them. But, what is the best way to keep them safe and accessible during your move?
Knowing where your records and identifications are during a move will give you peace mind. And, you need a little peace of mind during a move!

 

China packed? Check. Picture frames packed? Check. Clothes packed? Check. Suddenly, you look into your office and family room, the music from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho plays in your head. The computer, stereo, and home theater all glare back at you, taunting you – “Go ahead pack us, we will never come back to life again.” Electronics are some of the last things to be packed before a move. No one wants to disconnect their entertainment and online lifelines. You’re filled with the dread of trying to fit each electronic piece into boxes and the terror of not being able to set them all up correctly in your new place. Thankfully, with these tips your entire computer, stereo and home theater will fit into boxes properly.

 

How are your 2016 resolutions going? It’s that time of year again when we break out the running shoes, eat healthier for a couple of weeks and pledge to get our lives more organized. However, how are we supposed to eat healthier if our pantries are overflowing or be inspired to hit the pavement every morning if we are looking at piles of clothes? To lead a more organized and inspired life the clutter around you must be cleared. It’s simple, if your home is organized your mindset will be too.

Follow these ten tips and I promise you it will inspire you to complete your other resolutions and lead you to a more organized, happier year!

The holiday festivities are under way! The radio is playing the classic merry tunes, every other car on the road has a Christmas tree strapped to it and the holiday invites are rolling in. Next, is the joyful task of unpacking your holiday décor to put your home in the festive spirit. Hopefully, every figurine, glass ornament, and holiday dish stayed in one piece! If not, Laura McHolm who is the co-founder of NorthStar Moving has simple solutions to easily pack away your fragile décor like a pro to protect them moving forward.

Movers hired? Check. Moving day scheduled? Check. Packed? Um… If your answer to this question is no, it’s probably because you’re overwhelmed by looking around at all the stuff in your home. One of the most common moving questions is: “How many boxes will I need?” Once you know the answer, it helps “move” along the packing process.

So, how do you know how many boxes to buy? We have created a handy graph to give you an estimate of how many boxes you’ll need based on the size of your home:

Just thinking about the process of moving can put you in a panic but don’t worry, there is no need for it. Unlike the popular perception, it doesn’t need to be a stressful and overwhelming process. A bit of planning ahead and the to-dos of moving are very manageable.

40,000,000 Americans were on the move last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For some, the decision came on the heels of a life change like a new job, relationship or baby. For others, warmer temperatures or a cheaper cost of living was the reason for change. Whether these 40 million were upsizing, downsizing or just “rightsizing” for their lifestyle one thing is for sure, there were quite a few cities with revolving doors of people coming and going.

The official start of spring is just around the corner!  Most of hope, that  spring will bring us warmer temperatures but it also brings us the task of spring-cleaning. Each year we dream of starting the new season off with a cleaner, brighter and more organized home. Sound like a miracle? Well, it can all come true with one simple “miracle” closet. You may already think your closet is a miracle because it holds everything you ever bought.

With one weekend and these simple step-by-step tips on how to create a true “miracle closet” you will be more organized. Follow these three steps to create your very own miracle closet, the launching pad for a clutter free spring […]