Moving Guru Blog

How to Make Moving Fun

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Devie Lin

Wondering how to make your upcoming move… less bad? Believe it or not, there are many ways to make moving fun. That’s right, fun, like I’m actually have a good time fun.

The best way to make moving fun is to move on a Saturday. It’s that simple. Saturdays are great days to move, because you have plenty of time on hand and it’s generally a relaxing day. Take it one step further and break up your move a bit, taking time to have brunch, a mid-pack beer, or a post-move movie.

Check out this article for more ideas on how to make moving fun.

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Pros and Cons of Providence, RI

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Devie Lin

Every American city, including Providence, is good enough to live in.  Even the cities with the worst reputations in the nation, like Detroit and Oakland, are great when compared to many other cities around the world.  And even those other cities have fun and fulfilling things to do.

That being said, whether Providence, RI, known as the Renaissance City, is a city that you’d really enjoy living in is a different story.  You need to take some time to learn about it to answer that question.  Fortunately, we have given you a head start.  Check out our article on Providence, RI, and learn about the pros and cons of living in Providence.

 

Providence, RI article.

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Pros and Cons of Los Angeles

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Devie Lin

LALALand is teeming, absolutely teeming, with both the good and the bad. It has a stellar array of restaurants and nightlife, you just half to drive a hour in traffic to reach them. It has pristine beaches, but the sky is like soot. It has celebrities aplenty, but all the paparazzi follow them like gasping fish.

But, man, Los Angeles does really have a lot going for it. The best thing to do in LA is to wear some loose fitting, airy clothing, sunglasses, and sandals, then hit up the beach for a bit, before taking your night into the city, where you can roam the seemingly empty streets looking for the perfect burrito spot and a trendy, where-did-this-place-come-from bar. This plan is both terrible and can’t fail. Experience.

Learn more about the pros and cons of Los Angeles.

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Waiting for Internet After Moving Is the Worst

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Devie Lin

Avoid it by scheduling with an Internet provider before you move.  Learn how to set up utilities quickly and easily.

Posted in Settling into Your New Home | Leave a comment

How the Internet Can Help You Settle into Your New Home

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Devie Lin

If you’re moving to an unfamiliar place, meet your new best friend: the Internet!

Okay, maybe it already was your best friend, but now it’s going to take on a new role. Here are three major ways the Internet can help you settle into your new home:

  1. Neighbor websites – Websites, like Nextdoor.com, allow neighbors to join private groups, where they can ask questions, like “does anybody have scissors?”, and set up a time for the neighborhood-wide water balloon fight we all dreamed of as children.
  2. Local reviews – Websites, like Yelp!, allow people to find local businesses and get candid reviews about them.
  3. Route planning – Google maps and other online maps can help you plan routes, including public transit, for your epic explorations of your new city/town.

 

Read more articles about how to settle into your new home.

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Tips for Moving from a Small Town to a Big City

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Devie Lin

The big cities beckon even the small town souls. Farmboys end up wearing suits on the subway. Girls who grew up in cozy cabins end up living in big city lofts. It happens.

What if it happens to you? Here are some tips for moving from a small town to the big city life:

  1. Open your palette – Your friends and co-workers are going to be talking about exotic meals a lot. Be ready to start eating sushi, vegan, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, Scandinavian, Indian and foods from places everywhere in between. Be open to these new tastes as much as possible. If you don’t like something, make sure to try it again. People like foods for a reason; remember that.
  2. Put away presumptions – You’re going to meet people of vastly different races, backgrounds and constitutions.
  3. Get to walking – The best way to learn about all the stuff going on in a big city is to jump into it. Don’t coop yourself up at home.
  4. Parklife – Wide-open nature will no longer be in your backyard. Parks will be your best bet for nearby outdoorsiness. Try visiting all the ones in your city.

 

Posted in Apartment and House Hunting | Leave a comment

Tips for Renting a Home

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Devie Lin

If you’re looking to rent a home, make sure to do these three things:

  1. Check ownership – Go to your county recorder’s office or assessor’s office to understand who owns the home.
  2. Search the address – See if it was involved in any bad activities recently, like drug busts.
  3. Document the problems –  When you move in, make sure to take plenty of pictures and notes regarding how different things are working.

Learn more about how to rent a home.

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What's It Like Moving from Big City to Small Town?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Devie Lin

If you’re moving from a big city to a small town, there are a number of things you can do to make the transition a bit easier.

Small towns and big cities are vastly different. San Francisco has more in common with Paris than it does with Independence, California. It comes down to selection and population. Both San Francisco and Paris have representatives from across the world; they have Ethiopian markets, world-class clubs, and marble-walled museums, and their populaces argue regarding which restaurant has the best Pho.

Independence doesn’t have Pho.

Here’s are some tips for moving from big city to small town:

  • Bring spices – Your local grocer probably will not have chili paste, or exotic spices, or that random dressing you really like. Stock up, even more so than what you usually have on hand, because if you want Pho, you’ll need to make it yourself now.
  • Embrace what’s local – What will be dependably at your disposal will be local. Figure out what this is, and incorporate it into your life as much as possible. If there’s a farm nearby that grows Pasilla peppers, you better start liking Pasilla peppers.
  • Become one with nature – The glitz won’t be in any clubs; it’ll be in the night sky. The best shopping will be at the local outdoorsman store. Alter your activities accordingly.
  • Get creative – You’ll have time on your hands. Lots of it. Start painting/drawing/writing/singing/sculpting/strumming.

 

Posted in Settling into Your New Home | Leave a comment

Is It Customary to Tip Movers?

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Devie Lin

Tipping movers is like tipping anybody else. It’s an informal affair. There are a lot of ways to do it, and there are a lot of ways to do it wrong.

One idea is to tip your movers a flat amount, somewhere between $10 and $20 per mover. This amount will vary depending on:

  • The difficulty of your move
  • The time it takes
  • Their attitude
  • Their work
  • Any other things worth considering

Tipping movers a percentage of your over-all move, like waiters, is not a good idea, because bills are so expensive. Tipping even 2% on a $10,000 bill is $200, a bit high considering these men are already getting paid for their work.

So, is it customary to tip movers? Yes, it is. But how you tip is different than how you tip others. Keep a couple twenties on hand when your movers come, and let your gut determine what you actually end up throwing down.

Posted in Moving Logistics | Leave a comment

When Did Presidents Start Moving into the White House?

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Devie Lin

Happy President’s Day, everyone. In honor of all the presidents in our country’s history, we’ve got some fun factoids about how they moved into the White House.

  • John Adams was the first president to move into the White House in 1800.
  • Presidents, like you, need to figure out how they’ll move their stuff from their current home to the White House.
  • Presidents also, like you, need to pay for transporting their stuff.
  • The White House staff covers move in, working double time to get the old president out and the new one in. This stately service the presidents do not have to pay for
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