Moving Guru Blog

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Cleaning

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Devie Lin

You should clean, don’t get me wrong.  If you’re kitchen is pitiful with dishes, go clean it and do it now.  It’s just sanitary.

However, moving complicates cleaning a bit.  If you’re moving out in two days and your rug is besmirched with years of shoes and the showerhead is crusted in rust, you’ll have to decide whether to hire a cleaning service.

When deciding whether to clean your old place, compare the costs of you doing it to your landlord doing it.

Two things to remember:

  1. Your landlord’s cleaners will cost more than your own.
  2. If you hire your own cleaners, you landlord will still probably have someone take a look at the place.

To accurately calculate your options, talk to your landlord.  See how much their basic cleaning costs.  Also, see how much they expect a full clean to cost.  Then get some quotes of your own.

Weigh your options against your deposit.  If hiring a cleaning service would cost near to or more than your deposit, then it doesn’t make sense to hire one.  If, however, your deposit is a few hundred dollars more than a cleaning service, hiring a service can save you money in the end.

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Difference Between Public and Private Schools

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Devie Lin

If you’re moving with kids, you’re going to need to find a new school for them.  Your choice will probably boil down to deciding between a public and private school.  But how do they differ?

Money – money is the biggest difference you will notice right away.  Private schools cost a lot more than public schools.  Does this mean private schools are unaffordable?  No.  The reason they are so much more expensive is because public schools are, for the most part, free.  You can find affordable private schools.  You can also find private schools that will run you well over $20,000 a year.

Location – if you go to public school, your mind is made up for you: except in rare instances, you child will go to the school whose district your reside in.  Private schools do not care where you live, though.  If you want to drive your kids across the city each day, you can do that.

Specialization – public schools’ curriculums are fairly uniform.  They generally follow state-mandated subject-matter plans.  However, private schools can focus on anything from religion to specialized skills.

Size – private schools can control their populations and often offer intimate class sizes.  Public schools, however, struggle to maintain manageable class sizes, especially those in the cities and other densely populated areas.

 

Posted in Settling into Your New Home | Leave a comment

How to Meet New People after Moving

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Devie Lin

Meeting new people in a new city or town isn’t easy.  Even though you might be a very nice, fun person, it’s stressful approaching a stranger. It’s also hard to know the right places to meet new people after you just move.

One of the better ways to meet people is through forced interaction.  That is, put yourself in a situation where you will meet others, rather than putting yourself in a situation where you will have to approach the people out of the blue, such as at a bar or sporting event.

There are many ways to spark interactions.  Here are a few:

Posted in Settling into Your New Home | Leave a comment

How to Move Fish

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Devie Lin

Moving fish requires making a fish tank in your car.  Difficulty level: 7.3.

Okay, maybe that’s a little too huge, but moving fish isn’t easy.  It’s definitely harder than moving a dog, which is definitely harder than moving a chair.  Here’s how to do it:

  1. Get the materials – at the most basic, you’ll need a plastic container, a plastic bag and some heavy-duty rubber bands.  The container will protect the bag.  If the container cracks, the bag will keep the fish swimming.
  2. Make the tank – put the plastic bag inside the container.
  3. Fill it with fish – fill the plastic bag with fish and fresh water from your tank.
  4. Secure it – use rubber bands to either secure the plastic bag to the container (if the container has a lid) or to close off the plastic bag.  Make sure to leave some air for the fish.
Posted in Children & Pets, Difficult Things to Move | Leave a comment

Where Are People Moving in the Bay?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Devie Lin

Is the Bay Area’s extravagant cost of living is finally catching up with it?

San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties all shed more people than they gained in 2010.  Actually, this has been happening since 2005 in San Francisco.

However, Marin and Contra Costa counties saw net gains in population.  Perhaps it is because they don’t have the big cities that the above-mentioned counties do, so their residents aren’t feeling the rising heat of home and rental prices.

For those wondering where I came up with these facts, Forbes has a great map for determining where people are moving.  You can find it here.

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Lease vs Sublease

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Devie Lin

Leases are rental contracts between a landlord and renter/tenant.  Subleases are rental contracts between a renter and a different renter, or sublessee.

There are a few key differences between leases and subleases, which make leases appeal to certain people and subleases appeal to others.

When looking for an apartment and deciding whether to sublease, consider these factors:

  • Duration: subleases are usually only for a few months, whereas leases are generally for an entire year.
  • Price: subleases are often cheaper than the rental price in the original lease because renter wants to find someone.
  • Furnished: subleases are almost always furnished with the renter’s belongings.  Some leases come furnished.
  • Obligations: a lease requires the renter to pay the landlord. A sublease requires the sublessee to pay the renter. If rent is not paid, the landlord cannot come after the sublessee.  In this way, subleases are less risky.
Posted in Apartment and House Hunting | Leave a comment

How to Move a Refrigerator

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Devie Lin

A fridge is a bulky, heavy thing. Moving it takes some care and know-how. Here’s what to do:

  1. Unplug – unplug the electricity and turn off the water connection. Do this at least fifteen minutes before moving the fridge.
  2. Clean – take out any food and wipe off the top of the fridge so you don’t get dust in your eyes.
  3. Take measurements – make sure the fridge will fit through whatever door or hall you plan on taking it through.
  4. Fasten the doors – use rope or a bungee cord to secure the doors in place so they don’t open mid-move.
  5. Use a dolly – a fridge is too heavy to pick up, especially if it’s a decade or two old. Get a dolly, and lift the fridge onto it.
  6. Secure the fridge – use rope to tie the fridge to the dolly.

Okay, you’re ready to move it!  And check out our website if you have other difficult things to move.

Posted in Difficult Things to Move | Leave a comment

Deciding Whether to Hire a Moving Company

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Devie Lin

For those moving who live alone or who have few possessions, the question will arise: do I need to hire a moving company?

Hiring a full-service moving company is not a necessity for everyone.  There are four basic ways to move:

In deciding whether you need to hire help, consider what you need to move. Then ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Can I pack/load all of my possessions and furniture?
  2. Can I transport all of my possessions and furniture?
  3. Do I have the time to move all of my possessions and furniture?

If the answer to all three of these questions is “yes”, then you don’t need a moving company. If there is a “no” in there, think about people you know who might be able to help you load or transport your belongings for free. If you can’t think of anyone, then it’s time to get some free moving quotes.

Posted in DIY Moves, Moving Companies | 1 Comment

How to Calculate Moving Costs

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Devie Lin

How much does moving cost?  It’s a question all prospective movers ask themselves, and one not all of them answer correctly.

Accurately calculating moving costs is an involving process. Here are the steps you should follow:

  1. Use MovingGuru’s cost calculator – to get an accurate estimate of your moving costs. If you are comfortable with it, move on to step 2.
  2. Get free moving quotes – get a number of quotes and pick out the right company for you.
  3. DIY costs – if you are moving some or all of your stuff yourself, calculate the costs of supplies, travel and effort.
  4. Post-move costs – your moving costs don’t stop at moving. You’ll need to get new services and pay various fees, such as for a new driver’s license.  Learn how to budget beyond your move.

After adding your moving company costs, your personal moving costs, and related post-move costs, you’ll have calculated the cost of your move.

Posted in Moving Financials | Leave a comment

Moving Truck MPG

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Devie Lin

You can’t truly calculate the cost of moving without taking into consideration gas.  Whether you’re renting a moving truck or paying a moving service, your stuff is going to get from point A to point B on the fumes of gasoline.

Moving trucks, like all trucks, get pretty terrible miles per gallon.  At best, on an open highway, they’ll get 17-22 mpg.  At worst, in a congested city, they get 8-12 mpg.

To put that into a dollar figure, if you’re planning on driving a moving truck 1,200 miles to your new home, 200 of which will be in traffic or a city, you’re looking at shelling out roughly $290.

1000 miles / 19 mpg x $4 per gallon = $210   200 / 10 x 4 = $80

Point being, the price of gas should be a part of any accurate moving budget. And if you’re thinking about renting a moving truck, definitely consider the moving truck’s mpg.

Posted in Moving Companies, Moving Financials | Leave a comment