MOVING DAY CHECKLIST:

Spring and summer are high season for moving in Canada. Even if you’re moving into your dream home, the actual process of moving itself can be highly stressful. But if you stay organized and pace your preparations over a few weeks, you’ll do a lot to make the big day go more smoothly. Just follow our guidelines below, and good luck in your new home!

Four to six weeks before the move

1 Create a master list of everything you need to do, and keep it handy to jot down things that occur to you in the coming days. Make note of special tasks like booking piano movers, sending change of address forms out, cancelling newspapers and utilities, special packing and storage needs.

2 Clean out closets, drawers, cupboards, chests, shelves, garage, attic, basement. Divide everything into four groups: Throw Away; Recycling; Giveaway/Yard Sale; Keep.

3 Hold a yard sale to get rid of things that are too valuable to throw away or recycle, but that you don’t want to take to your new home. Check your municipal website for items that can be donated for recycling or reuse: electronics, leftover paint, appliances and reusable building materials are a few items that can be dropped off there. Charities like The Furniture Bank will pick up old furniture and mattresses at no charge and give you a tax receipt.

4 Send out change-of-address forms to magazines and other correspondents. (Many periodicals now allow you to do this online.) Arrange with Canada Post to have mail forwarded to your new address starting on moving day. Begin changing over driver’s license and registration, passport, health cards, and other official forms.

5 Notify utilities, cable company, alarm companies, lawn service companies and other service providers of your moving dates.

6 Plan to use up as much of your food as possible, especially frozen items.
 
7 Call your insurance company to set up insurance for your new home and cancel your old policy on moving day.

8 Research schools in your new neighbourhood and register your kids at the new school.

9 Have upholstery and rugs cleaned; book window and eavestrough cleaning services.

10 Begin researching moving companies and getting estimates. Once you have chosen the company you want, confirm and sign the contract. If you are doing the packing, obtain boxes and other packing materials from your mover, or a moving supply or discount store.

11 Start packing less used items and storing the boxes in a convenient but less central room, such as den or family room. (Avoid storing them in the basement, which will just make headaches for the movers on moving day.)

12 If possible, visit your new home and make note of any special issues for the movers, such as narrow hallways or steep or winding staircases.

Two to three weeks before moving day

1 Keep records of all your moving expenses; in some cases, you can deduct them on your income taxes.

2 Continue packing boxes. Be sure to label all boxes clearly with the rooms they are going to.

3 If you live in (or are moving to) a condo, book the freight elevator for moving day.

4 Make sure appliances and house are in good working order and make any repairs agreed upon in your house sale.

One week before moving day

1 Defrost (if necessary) and clean out refrigerator, and clean oven. If you have a wood fireplace, have the chimney cleaned.

2 Start cleaning the house as much as possible, to minimize this task on moving day.

3 Finish packing all but the essentials you’ll need right before and right after the move.

4 Arrange to have pets and small children spend moving day with a sitter.

5 Start to plan for changes to the new house, such as booking painters or contractors.

6 Take down artwork and mirrors and pack them in special boxes or crates designed for this purpose.

7 Be sure arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth handover of keys to both the old house and the new house on moving day; usually these are given to the buyers’ and sellers’ lawyers.

Keep reading for more moving day tips.

The day before you move

1 Take down your perfect curtains, rods and rings (if you are taking these with you).

2 Pack sheets and pillows in a dresser drawer, for easy access on your first night in the new house.

3 Pack a special box with essentials such as toiletries, pajamas, a change of clothing, food and serving utensils, and anything else you might need on the first night. Be sure important documents, including real estate documents and moving company documents, are readily accessible and safe.

Moving day

1 Compare the movers’ inventory with yours to ensure nothing has been left out. Plan to be there while the movers are loading, to make sure they take everything and that there are no problems. Ensure the movers have your cell phone number, or a number where you may be reached if there are any problems.

2 Once the old house is empty, do any final cleaning and sweeping up. Walk through all rooms, ensuring that nothing has been left behind, and that windows are locked and lights turned off. (Check outside as well.)
 
3 Turn the thermostat down to 15 degrees and turn off water heater.

4 At the new house, check to make sure nothing is broken or missing; if so, notify the moving company immediately.

5 Check to make sure appliances, furnace, hot water heater, and air conditioning unit in the new house, and anything else specified in the buyer’s agreement, is in good order; notify your real estate agent if anything is amiss.

Obama administration lowers government mortgage costs, claims Trump won’t reverse:

Future borrowers are about to get a break on their monthly mortgage payments — a parting gift to the housing market from the Obama administration, which may or may not be returned by the Trump administration.

The Federal Housing Administration, the government insurer of low down-payment home loans, is reducing the annual mortgage insurance premium by 25 basis points, which it says will save FHA borrowers an average $500 this year.

The FHA's insurance fund was a major player in the housing bailout, offering borrowers the only low down-payment option available. Borrowers can put as little as 3.5 percent down on a home with a mortgage backed by the FHA.

In 2008, at the height of the crisis, nearly one-quarter of new loans were backed by the FHA. That is now down to about 1 in 6. The housing bailout, however, put the FHA in the red for several years, but strict underwriting and numerous premium hikes totaling 150 basis points, pulled it out.

The FHA's insurance fund has gained $44 billion in value since 2012, according to the agency, and its capital ratio has been above the required 2 percent level for two years.

FHA to lower annual insurance premiums  Monday, 9 Jan 2017 | 10:44 AM ET | 00:34

"After four straight years of growth and with sufficient reserves on hand to meet future claims, it's time for FHA to pass along some modest savings to working families," said Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. "This is a fiscally responsible measure to price our mortgage insurance in a way that protects our insurance fund while preserving the dream of homeownership for credit-qualified borrowers."

Industry leaders applauded the move, but suggest more needs to be done to juice a housing market that is becoming ever more expensive. First-time homebuyers in particular are struggling to enter today's market, as higher home prices and higher mortgage rates hit affordability. Underwriting, in particular, remains tight, and credit scores for FHA are still higher than they have been historically.

"Reducing the cost of FHA loans benefits borrowers, but other changes to reduce uncertainty for lenders would be required to truly invigorate the FHA program," David Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said in a statement. "MBA looks forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders, including the new Administration, to ensure the safety and soundness of the FHA program."

And therein lies the biggest question: Will the Trump administration welcome much-needed housing stimulus or balk at the prospect of more government risk? The Trump transition team has been getting "good briefings" from HUD officials, according to Castro, who says the transition is, "proceeding well." The transition team, however, was not apprised of the premium reduction until Monday because it could move stock prices, especially of mortgage insurers. 

"I have no reason to believe that this will be scaled back," said Castro. "The fund is in a much stronger position than it's been in years." The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

And not everyone in D.C. was applauding the move. Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling, chair of the House Financial Services Committee with oversight over the FHA, said: "It seems the Obama administration's parting gift to hardworking taxpayers is to put them at greater risk of footing the bill for yet another bailout. Just three years ago the taxpayers had to spend $1.7 billion to bail out the FHA. Lowering premiums to below market rates now only puts the FHA in a more precarious financial condition. Playing politics with the FHA through cynical, surprise 11th hour rule changes is irresponsible and endangers the integrity and success of the FHA."

Trump's pick for HUD secretary, Ben Carson, is scheduled to go before the Senate Banking Committee this week. Carson, who has no experience in housing policy, advocated scaling back government programs during his presidential campaign but did not address FHA specifically.

"Any pricing cut will likely attract negative attention from Congressional Republicans and the incoming Administration," FBR mortgage market analyst Edward Mills wrote in a note to investors. "We highlight that any cut could quickly be reversed by the Trump Administration in a matter of weeks.

HUD officials said the reduction is likely to lower the cost of housing for approximately 1 million households who are expected to purchase a home or refinance their mortgages using FHA-insured financing in the coming year.

How Much Should I Budget for Utilities After Moving?

Trulia recently partnered with UtilityScore to calculate the median costs of utilities in various metros and how they impact homeowners’ aggregate budgets. The study showed that nationally, individuals in single-family homes spend $226 per month on utilities, or $1.68 per square foot. Thus, utility costs equal 1.4 percent of the median single-family home value.

A few hundred dollars might not seem like much to some, but these hidden incidentals may limit your buying power depending on where you live and your intended budget. For markets like Oakland or Miami, where housing prices are higher, utilities aren’t as staggering when measured as a percentage of monthly home ownership costs. But, when buying in an affordable city like Syracuse, utilities increase monthly expenses at overwhelming proportions.

Utility Costs in Miami, Florida

Miami residents should anticipate utility costs around the median of $157.17 per month. Based on Miami’s median home price of $297,913, homeowners pay $1,535.04 toward their monthly mortgage – taxes and insurance included. After combining both mortgage and utilities, the grand total equals $1,692.29 per month. Therefore, homeowners in Miami pay an estimated 9.3 percent of housing costs on utilities. Miami is no. 8 on the list of U.S. metros where utilities make up a marginal percentage of the monthly budget.

Utility Costs in Oakland, California

The median home price in Oakland is $692,172, which means homeowners pay around $3,566.52 toward their monthly mortgage with taxes and insurance. The median utility costs in Oakland are $276 per month, consequently increasing housing expenses to $3,842.52 per month. Based on these median costs, Oakland residents can anticipate paying 7.2 percent of their monthly housing dues toward gas, electric and water.

Utility Costs in Syracuse, NY

Unlike Miami and Oakland, Syracuse homebuyers suffer a heftier utility bill as a percentage of overall monthly housing costs. The median home price in Syracuse is an affordable $120,291, bringing the average mortgage, taxes and insurance bill to just $619.82 per month. However, given the median utility bill in Syracuse is $216.75 per month, the actual total monthly bill comes out to $836.57 per month. When thought of as a percentage of total housing costs, Syracuse residents spend 25.9 percent of monthly homeownership bills on utilities. Cities like Syracuse act as substantial proof of why calculating utilities before you buy is key. Disregarding over a quarter of your projected homeownership costs is dangerous, especially when home shopping at the top of your price range.

Winter is right around the corner and homebuyers may be even more cautious of their forthcoming bills. Fortunately, Trulia’s analysis found climate does not have the substantial impact on utilities as predominately presumed. Despite Syracuse’s harsh winters, the median utility costs are almost $60 less than those in Oakland where average temperatures in January near a comfortable 60 degrees.

Rather than focus on the thermostat, consider utility costs in relation to your personal usage, yard size, local taxes and rates. This allows buyers to avoid surprising charges, all while living stress-free (and warm) in their new abodes.

Things to consider while moving:

You know moving is a sort of hectic process. Deciding a good moving company is again a challenge. Though the moving job is assigned to a professional moving company, it is your job to ensure things go as it is dealt. It may be a different feel for you to get into new environment as soon as you reach your destination.

You can go for a search online to get to know the general things necessary for a move. You can call to the moving companies to get a quote from them. You should know the factors that affect the estimates of a san francisco movers company. There are quite a lot of things you should consider while moving.

Moving Checklist - 1 day until moving day:

 - Packing. Aim to finish the packing today, apart from a few essentials in the kitchen and bathroom. You will feel so much better when you can see the end is finally in sight. "Don't forget to clearly mark the boxes with the room name you would like them to end up in".

 - Dismantle & Disconnect.  Unless you have arranged with the removal company, you will be expected to dismantle any self-assembly furniture that cannot be moved out in one. Take down curtains and any fixtures you are intending to take with you. Make sure you have disconnected the washer and fitted the transit brackets to secure the drum. Defrosted the fridge / freezer unless you have arranged to have these moved with the food inside, if this is the case pack the contents into bags so they can be lifted out quickly.

 - Snack box. Make up a box of refreshments for the next day, bearing in mind that your cooker may be disconnected or in the back of a removal van. Include tea, coffee, sugar etc, and the most important item of all the kettle, you will have to keep the refreshments flowing as moving house is very thirsty work. A selection of cold drinks is also a good idea. Mark on the box "kettle things" or "brewing tackle" and it will be guaranteed to be last on, first off the van.

 - Toiletries box. Make up a box in the bathroom and put in the toiletries that you aren't using. Leave this box open to put in all the other toiletries tomorrow morning after everyone has got up and cleaned their teeth, you can then seal it up.

 - Outside items.  Anything outside that you can move, try and put either inside the garage or in a dry place, there is nothing worse than putting soaking wet outside furniture into a removal van along with all your other furniture.

 - Parking. If you have difficulty parking outside your house, it could be a good idea to park your own car or cars outside so that your removal van will be able to park outside. Remember the van needs more room than its own length to manoeuvre.

 - Draw a map. Sit down and either write out some directions or draw a plan on how to get to your new address, including a contact number.

 - Mobile phone. Make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged up for tomorrow, you are probably going to need it.

How to Meet the Neighbors After Moving

POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

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All eyes are on your moving company truck driving down your new street, but who are these people now known as your neighbors and will you ever meet them?  Even though numerous ways to connect via social media and electronics exist, they sometimes detract from in-person meetings that truly acquaint people and build relationships.  When you move somewhere you may not know what the neighborhood protocol is, so you may miss opportunities to make new connections if you avoid meeting your neighbors.    Step out of your comfort zone and discover how to meet your new neighbors.

Greetings and Salutations

Don’t be afraid to smile and say hello to your neighbors even if you tend to be shy or the person looks intimidating.  Remember looks can be deceiving.  Even the woman with the Resting You-Know-What Face could be a lovely person and possible friend.  Women’s Health suggests inserting compliments in your conversations or commenting on their beautiful landscaping, for instance.

Hang Out Outdoors

The only way to get acclimated to your surroundings and acquainted with your neighbors is to become more than part of the scenery.  If there’s a central place where other residents frequent, make an appearance even if it’s to sit and observe.  Strike up an outdoor interest and attend neighborhood events, says Apartment Therapy.  A trending idea featured on Allstate.com is to start a lending library on your property that attracts neighbors, especially if you have the same taste in books.

Be a Joiner

In addition to meeting neighbors, joining clubs and volunteering produces more ways toward making friends and connections.  Using the Internet as a guide, locate your local gym, religious organization or meet-up groups for activities.  Before moving, ask everyone you know if they know people who currently live in your new neighborhood and if they can introduce you.  To get further acquainted with your neighbors, start a neighborhood group like a neighborhood watch or book club, says Women’s Health, or organize a block party.  If you organize a neighborhood-wide yard sale, sell anything undesirable that you kept in storage and meet neighbors in the process.  Apartment Guide recommends becoming a regular at a local restaurant or café, too, and accepting any invitations you receive to meet people.

Use Your Kids and Pets

Although it sounds sneaky, meeting people through your kids and pets is an ideal socializing tool.  When your children play outside, observe where other children play and take them there.  Once you’ve met neighbor kids and their parents, host a playdate with them, especially if they’re around the same age.  If your kids are enrolled in school, join school organizations and local sports teams to meet other parents.  With your dog in tow, walk around the neighborhood, so you can meet other dog lovers.

Make the First Move

It’s a big step but introducing yourself to neighbors will eliminate any unfamiliarity and foster relationships.  After learning their names and getting acquainted, neighbors can offer the neighborhood and township scoop.  If you need a nudge to talk to them, bring cookies you baked or show off your neighborly behavior, says GOOD, by helping them with unwieldy bags or exchanging misplaced mail.  If you’re confident enough, when you’re holding your housewarming party for loved ones include the neighbors or plan a get-together for just the neighbors so everyone can get acquainted and build up your community.

Moving Yourself Is Tricky! Top 5 Self-Moving Mistakes To Avoid:

You’ve probably heard numerous clever quotes about making mistakes in life, and until you’re the one making a mistake, these words of wisdom actually sound fine. Depending on your current state of mind, such quotes can even be somewhat inspirational /”Mistakes are stepping stones to success.”/. But make no mistake, once you find yourself on the other side, the grass doesn’t even seem remotely green. Make a costly blunder and you may not be able to see any grass at all.

Now, it’s never fun to err, especially during a period where there’s a bad combination of elevated stress, money at stake, and too little time – like a house move, for example. Without a doubt, moving from one home to another is a unique period in one’s life where the extremely transitional nature of the life-changing event tends to put a lot of pressure on people. And as you can imagine, increased levels of stress lead to a higher number of errors from the people who are often already too stressed out enough as it is.

If you yourself are facing a house move anytime soon and you’re thinking of moving on your own, then it’s extremely important that you stay away from serious trouble by avoiding the most common mistakes when moving on your own. Some move related mistakes are too insignificant and you can simply ignore them (like forgetting to clean your refrigerator prior to moving day), other errors will greatly slow down your progress (running out of essential packing materials), while yet other blunders could really cost you (hiring the services of a bad moving company).

Stay safe. Stay protected. Learn the top 5 mistakes when moving by yourself.

DIY mistakes #1: “Professional movers are too expensive!”


With experienced movers, you can rest assured that your prized possessions are in good hands.
It’s a common misconception to assume that professional relocation services are always much costlier than organizing and executing a Do-It-Yourself house move. The truth is that it’s very hard, and even unfair, to make general comparisons due to the fact that the moving price is formed on a case-by-case basis. In other words, because of the great number of additional factors that affect the final moving price, no two house moves will cost the same even if they seem extremely similar.

Generally speaking, DIY moving can be cost effective only if:

you’re moving within the same town and city,
you’re moving locally within a radius of 100 miles and won’t cross another state,
you have previous experience in organizing a house move,
you’re moving out of a relatively small home with not too many, too heavy or too expensive household items in it, and
you know you can rely on a few good friends to give you a hand when you need it the most.
Don’t make the moving mistake of assuming that hiring a professional moving company will cost you more, especially if you don’t meet all, or almost all of the conditions above. Once you leave the realm of a local move, a top rated cross country mover becomes vital for the successful end of your relocation adventure. After all, not for a moment should you forget the staggering number of hidden costs when moving on your own – obtaining quality packing materials, renting a moving vehicle and moving equipment, purchasing adequate relocation insurance, paying for road tolls and taxes, paying for additional loading/unloading labor, food and lodging along the road, etc.

Learn how much your house relocation will cost you and use that valuable info to set up your moving budget accordingly.

VERY IMPORTANT: What to know when hiring a mover



DIY mistakes #2: “Packing is just another pre-move task.”

Let’s get straight to the point: packing up a house for a move is not just another task you need to mark as checked before Moving day comes around. No matter how you look at it, packing is the most important job during your pre-move preparations and failure to approach it with the urgency and dedication it requires could easily become one of the most serious mistakes when moving yourself.

To avoid costly mistakes when packing your home by yourself, you must be familiar with and follow these 5 fundamental Do-It-Yourself packing rules:


Whatever you do, you can’t really hide from packing.
Start thinking about packing up your home as soon as you know for sure that you’re moving to a new home. Or on the next day at the latest. It’s easy to underestimate the staggering amount of time that packing up for a move requires, and it’s even easier to switch into a procrastination mode. Trust us – just don’t it.

Unless you really wish to lose extra valuable time and waste even more valuable money, don’t even think about packing all of your earthy possessions without sorting them out first. Make a detailed home inventory to help you slim down the number of your belongings prior to the move.
Create a packing calendar to introduce discipline and order into your packing process. Start the process from the premises that are the hardest ones to sort and pack – storage rooms and the kitchen.
Safety is a real concern when moving home yourself, and especially when you’re packing on your own. Safety both for you and for your prized possessions. So, the first step to ensuring nothing bad happens is to get hold of quality packing supplies.
Packing up an entire home is a challenge that cannot be usually dealt with by only one person. To avoid falling behind schedule, ask your good friends to lend you a hand, or even better – if you can afford it, hire professional packers to finish the job several times faster and several times safer.
DIY mistakes #3: “I’m immune to move related injuries.”

It’s important to keep in mind that some DIY moving mistakes can be rather painful – literally! One of the major differences between having professionals handle a house move and having non-professionals do it is the level of overall safety. In fact, professional movers are vigorously taught how to reach and maintain the highest degree of safety when working on a move – both personal safety and protection of property.

Therefore, if you have decided to undertake the DIY approach to moving to another home, don’t make the mistake of assuming that you are immune to any type of accidents. Instead, follow this self-moving advice to stay on the safe side of things from Day 1.

Avoid personal injuries by using your common sense at all times. Before having to lift and move heavy furniture pieces with your pals, make sure 1) the walking path is clear of any obstacles, 2) you use proper moving equipment /an appliance dolly, moving straps, etc./, 3) you know the proper lifting techniques to avoid nasty (back) injuries, 4) you wear durable work gloves to protect your hands and fingers, and 5) you have your most comfortable pair of shoes with excellent traction and ankle protection.
Remember to 1) double tape your cardboard boxes even if they seem sturdy enough, 2) place clean sheets of paper on the bottom of each box to protect, 3) use plenty of crumpled packing paper, bubble wrap or pieces of clothing to create cushioning layers inside the moving boxes and fill up any empty spaces, and 4) keep all your moving containers less than 40-45 pounds each.
Don’t make the self-move mistake of letting small children and/or pets be around the action on Moving day! Too many pairs of playful feet could endanger the safety of the entire DIY moving operation. Keep your loved ones away from the moving epicenter for both your sakes.
GOOD TO KNOW: How to ensure your safety when moving house

DIY mistakes #4: “Renting and driving a moving truck is child’s play.”

As far as DIY moving tips go, an important stage in most self-moving adventures is to secure a vehicle with which to transport your household items. And when it comes to self-move rental trucks, there are some not-so-funny mistakes you should avoid at all costs.


The important job of loading a rented moving truck on your own is not to be underestimated.
Truck rental mistake #1: If you select a rental truck with smaller storage capacity than you need for your stuff, then you might be forced to make more than one trip to your destination. Or worse – you may need to return the vehicle and rent a larger one, which would mean loads of wasted time and nerves.

Truck rental mistake #2: If you choose a truck with larger space than you actually need, not only will you be paying for extra storage which you have no way of utilizing, but you will also run the risk of damaging some of your belongings if you fail to secure them well for safe transportation. Still, it’s the “preferred” mistake out of the two scenarios.
Above all, it’s useful to have a basic understanding about the approximate capacities of self-move rental vehicles. Here are some approximate truck capacity calculations to help you make a good choice. However, discuss this important issue with a knowledgeable representative of a truck rental moving company before your final decision.

Pickup truck. Good for small loads and partial moves.
Cargo van. Suitable for college moves, partial moves or moving out of a studio apartment when moving locally.
10-12 foot truck. Ideal for college moves and small apartments.
14-17 foot truck. Good for moving out of a 1-2 bedroom homes or smaller offices. These are the most common rental moving trucks on the market.
20-26 foot truck. Ideal for moving the household items found in large 3, 4 bedroom homes.
IMPORTANT: Learn the best ways to protect your move

DIY mistakes #5: “My friends will gladly help me move out.”

One thing you should do at all costs when moving on your own is to explore your self-moving options as far as they can go. Of all the self-move mistakes to avoid, the costliest error you can ultimately make is to underestimate the complexity of the upcoming relocation, and therefore only think you’ve got all the bases covered.

As mentioned above, a self-move is not the right time to attempt to prove to yourself that you can manage all the tasks without assistance of any kind. If you can’t afford to let professional packers and movers take care of the toughest relocation stages for you, then you will most definitely need to reach out to your friends and ask them for help.


Having your friends bail out on you in the last minute could really complicate things for you.
However, don’t make self-moving mistake of assuming that your pals are obligated in any way to give you a hand. On the contrary, they will probably be dealing with complicated work schedules, previous commitments and other responsibilities, so

contact them as early as you possibly can to maximize your chances of positive answers;
it’s best to ask them for help face in face, if possible;
don’t try to underplay the amount of work they are expected to help out with, but be a straight shooter from the start;
show understanding to the ones who cannot lend you helping hand for one reason or another;
prepare and organize in advance whatever you can yourself to save your friends much valued time and efforts; and
remember to show your enormous gratitude and reward their sacrifice in a way that you seem to be the most appropriate and memorable.