Moving South For The Winter? Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes
We have officially entered ‘snowbird season’ when folks move to warmer parts of the country like Florida, Texas and Arizona. Some opt to cross the border to Mexico or head overseas like Italy and the Mediterranean. This migration typically consists of mostly retirees. But more business owners whose businesses are virtual, can be easily moved or those on independent incomes are joining the annual escape from winter. If you are part of that migration, be sure to read about these common mistakes before you head south.
“The house will be fine while we’re away”
For the most part, this is probably true. But from a security perspective, it’s best to have some visible signs of life in your absence. A lamp on a timer is great except when the bulb burns out, or a power outage throws the schedule off. Make arrangements for family, friends or neighbors to check in on the basics like water damage, rodents in the home and to keep the walkways and drive clear of snow. If no one is available, consider hiring a house sitter to live in part time, or a property management company to check in regularly to prevent you from returning to a disaster. Don’t forget to forward your mail to your winter address and stop deliveries like the newspaper.
“We never even thought about insurance”
Insurance is a detail that is often overlooked when preparing for a long absence. Before you head out of town, pull out your homeowners, auto and life insurance policies. Make sure they are current and will not be expiring while you are away. Check your policy to be sure that you are still covered while away from your primary residence for more than a month. And check for coverage on your home while it is vacant for an extended period. And speaking of important paperwork, be sure to bring your most vital documents along for the trip. You never know when you might need access to that information.
“We don’t really need to notify the bank”
With hacking and data breaches at an all-time high, the easiest way to keep your accounts accessible is to make that call. Financial institutions are quick to shut accounts down if they detect activity deemed unusual due to the location of a transaction. Be sure to notify your bank or financial institution and credit card companies. If you are taking your own car, contact your insurance company. You should check with the local motor vehicle registry in your winter location in case you need to register your car or obtain a driver’s license.
Make your snowbird moving easy by planning ahead. And be sure to give us a call when you are ready to book your move!
Are You Prepared For A Power Outage?
Winter is around the corner and we can expect colder temperatures along with snow, ice, and the occasional power outage. As a kid, a power outage meant the fun of setting up a blanket tent in the living room, playing with flashlights and telling ghost stories. You may be thinking about slightly different things now like how long the outage will last. Preparing for an extended power outage is the best thing you can do to be safe and comfortable in your home.
Lights and communication
Candles only work if you have matches or a lighter to ignite them, so be sure you have a good supply on hand. Check the batteries in flashlights and portable radios, then make sure you have a backup supply. Self powered flashlights and radios are worth the investment if you live where outages are more common. Camp lanterns are another option. Locate your cell phone car charger and be sure it’s in good working order. Check your first aid kit and include bandages, gauze, tape, scissors, hydrogen peroxide, antiseptic ointment, pain medications, and your prescription medications.
Food and clothing
Experts recommend that you have a gallon of drinking water per person per day on hand. Coolers can be used to store food from your freezer to prevent loss. Put them in a garage, basement or screen porch to keep the food cold. Canned goods, a can opener and non-perishables like peanut butter, crackers, and bread are easy options. Use a camp stove or your outdoor grill for basic food heating and cooking needs. Make sure you check the propane and charcoal. Stock up on trash bags, paper plates, napkins and plastic flatware. And make sure you have warm clothing that you can wear in layers, including hats, gloves or mittens, and boots in case you need to be outside. Remember to stock up on food and water for your pets, too.
Extras you might not think about
A full tank of gas in your car will be useful in case you need to charge a cell phone or evacuate. Remember, if you use your car to charge devices, make sure the car is well-ventilated outside or by opening the door to your garage. Have printed copies of your personal documents and a list of emergency, family, and work contacts in case your cell phone runs down. During a power outage, local businesses may also be without power so credit card readers will be down too. Have cash on hand in case you need to buy more supplies.
Don’t forget the good, old-fashioned fun of board games and playing cards to pass the time. And the blanket tents, too!
Giving Back In The Twin Cities
The holiday season is officially here, and we often turn our attention to helping those in need. Helping others benefits so many, like the organization where you volunteer and the actual recipients of your help. But then there’s the benefit you receive personally. Volunteering can give you a new perspective, new experiences and some new connections in the community. And it feels good to help others. Just think about the stories you can share with your family and friends at your upcoming holiday gatherings. These resources will get you started with your search for the organizations that need help during the holidays and year-round.
Volunteermatch.org is a great place to start if you are new to volunteering. This website has a searchable database of organizations throughout the Twin Cities area. You can search by category such as children & youth, community, education & literacy, health, animals, faith-based, and several more. Their search tool allows you to look for local or virtual needs like mentoring. The site also includes a volunteer spotlight section where you can read about how others are helping in the community. This organization is nationwide with separate databases for many large cities around the country, with listings for over 58,000 volunteer opportunities and over 75,000 participating organizations.
Minneapolis.Happeningmag.com is a local resource for a variety of events around the city. The do feature a section on volunteering opportunities listed by month as well as ongoing needs.
HandsOnTwinCities.org is another great local resource focusing on volunteer opportunities in the region.
This organization is the Twin Cities only full service volunteer center that both promotes and facilitates volunteerism while improving the community’s ability to create more impact with the time generously given by volunteers. We work with all types of volunteers, companies and nonprofit affiliates to ensure that every hour spent in the community is valuable. For people who want to volunteer we promote local, organized and relevant volunteer opportunities at nonprofits that know how to work with volunteers.
Second Harvest Food Bank is one of the largest and most efficient food banks in the U.S. The focus on children, parents and seniors providing access to food on both a temporary and ongoing basis.
Be sure to look at the national organizations with local operations including:
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Salvation Army Northern Division
Twin Cities Habitat For Humanity
Your options for volunteering are almost endless. Get started today and make volunteering a new tradition for you and your family.
Is Your Home Ready For Winter?
With two months left to the year, it’s time to turn your attention to getting your home ready for the winter months ahead. It’s been a mild fall season so far and for many of us, the milder temperatures make it seem like winter is still months away. But Minnesota winters have a way of sneaking in and reminding us that it can be a tough season if you aren’t prepared. Take a look at these tips to get ready for the cold, snowy days ahead.
- Doors and windows – replace weatherstripping and replace screens with storm windows. Check your wood framed windows and doors for rot or decay. It’s best to have the rotted frames replaced before the deep cold sets in. Put a fresh bead of caulking on the windows both inside and out to prevent heat loss. Replace any cracked or broken glass as well.
- Roof and gutters – to prevent leaks check for loose, missing or damaged shingles and replace them. Be sure to check the flashing around your chimney, skylights, and vent pipes for gaps and reseal as needed. Clean any debris from the gutters, downspouts and drainage areas to prevent water backup to the roof and walls or flooding of the basement area.
- Lighting – Shorter days and less daylight mean your outdoor lights will be on for longer periods of time. Make sure to check and replace any broken bulbs outside your home. You may want to consider Energy Star LED bulbs that should last longer and help you save on energy all winter.
- Insulation – now is a good time to make sure there are no air leaks in your home. You can cut your heating bills up to 10% by simply sealing air leaks. Check the insulation in attic access, ceilings, walls, floors, and around heating ducts. Pay particular attention to pipes and vents that go through walls to the outside.
- Heating and cooling systems – remove window unit air conditioners, or at least cover them with an insulated liner and seal the area around where the unit meets the window frame. Clean or replace the air filters in your furnace to improve efficiency and air quality.
- Thermostats and fire detectors – if your home has older thermostats, consider upgrading to the programmable version that automatically turns heat down and up on the schedule you prefer. And now is the best time to test your fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to be sure they are in good working order. Replace batteries for added safety.
These tips are a great way to make your home feel warm and inviting during the holiday season. Enjoy!
Moving And Life: Impact On Your Kids
The experience of moving can impact your life and the lives of your family in significant ways. We talked about trailing spouse syndrome in our last post. This time, we are focusing on the impact a move has on children. Relocation can be particularly hard on them. Relocating in the summer is ideal but life doesn’t always work out that way. The goal is to take some steps before a relocation to help alleviate children’s fear or apprehension. We pulled together some ideas for talking with your kids of any age about your upcoming move.
- Plan a time to sit down for a family discussion well in advance of your move. Every member of the family deserves fair warning if a relocation is being considered. Children have to be given the most time to adjust to the idea. Be honest and don’t try to hide the subject.
- Look for ways to get the family excited about the move. Take time to list the positive aspects of a relocation for every member of the family. Have photos of the potential new home and spend time online looking for fun and interesting facts about the new town or city. Focus on things that will capture their attention, like amusement parks, outdoor and kids activities or sporting attractions.
- Do plenty of research on your future location so you too, can have a sense of familiarity and comfort knowing what the area has to offer.
- If possible, let your children know they will be able to come back to visit their friends. Set a tentative date or month to make it real for them and help ease any separation anxiety they might be feeling.
- Plan a field trip to your new city or town. An introduction to the new surroundings could make dealing with the move easier on them, especially if you make it fun. Check out points of interest like schools, neighborhoods and parks they will become familiar with once you relocate.
- Arrange a visit or orientation at their new school to tour the facility and meet teachers. Help them prepare so they have a better chance of feeling like they fit in. Encourage your children to scope out the basics while visiting, like the typical clothing styles or favorite after-school hangouts.
- Be sure to answer your children’s questions honestly, putting a positive spin on things when it makes sense.
Moving can be a great adventure and time to start fresh. Give your entire family the chance to participate in the process through lots of discussion and exploration. And give us a call when you are ready to make your move.
Moving And Life: Trailing Spouse Syndrome
Moving can have a significant impact on your life. We’ve seen many of our customers struggle to cope with the stresses of relocation, job change and overall culture shock. In this post, we are taking a closer look at the issue of trailing spouse syndrome. Whether you are relocating domestically or internationally, this issue can creep in and shake even the strongest will. Take a look at some of the symptoms and ideas for dealing with this common stressor.
What is ‘trailing spouse syndrome’?
The term ‘trailing spouse syndrome’ first appeared in the early 1980’s. The definition we found on Wikipedia says:
The term trailing spouse is used to describe a person who follows his or her life partner to another city because of a work assignment. The term is often associated with people involved in an expatriate assignment but is also used on domestic assignments.
What’s interesting is that it doesn’t matter if you move at the same time or not. It’s the impact of the move that defines what a spouse or life partner will experience. And it can take its toll.
Overwhelmed, homesick and isolated
A trailing spouse often bears the brunt of adapting to the new environment. While you are busy settling into your position at work, they are left to deal with everything else. Setting up the house itself, finding their way around the new neighborhood, finding resources like a doctor, accountant, veterinarian, or hairstylist, and getting the children settled into a new school. These ordinary tasks can become pretty stressful for the trailing spouse. And if your spouse has left their job, family and friends behind, they might find themselves feeling homesick and isolated. Loss of their support system can make this entire process pretty challenging.
For most of us, having a profession or job gives us an identity and a sense of purpose. If a trailing spouse has given up a job to accompany their partner, they can experience a deep feeling of loss, which can lead to depression. An international relocation can complicate matters even further as many countries won’t grant the trailing spouse a work permit, which means they cannot get a job in their new country .
How to take control
The impact on the relocating partner can be significant. Stress at home can lead to a lack of focus and sense of stability, causing your work to suffer. And that’s the last thing you want in your new job.
Identifying and discussing all these issues before your move is a critical first step. Prioritizing tasks, sharing them as equitably as possible, and setting realistic deadlines will relieve some pressure. Look for support services, groups and organizations that can help ease your transition to your new environment. And don’t hesitate to seek counselling services if the sense of overwhelm and depression persists.
Moving can be a stressful time but understanding what you will be facing and being prepared will make your relocation much smoother.
Packing How To’s: Moving Your Electronics
Electronics are a bigger part of our lives that ever before. We are investing more into our electronics so it makes sense that they become ‘precious cargo’ when it comes to moving your belongings. We put together a few best practices for preparing your home electronics for an upcoming move.
Manufacturers know best: your first stop for packing advice with any electronic device is your owner manual or the product website. Manufacturers know the most about protecting their products and spending the time to learn from them is a good investment.
Record and insure it: take the time to make a list of your electronics and their serial numbers before you get packing. Send a copy to your insurance company before you move so they have advanced notice of your move and what’s involved.
Keep the originals: whenever possible, keep the original packaging for your electronics. The box and preformed filler like Styrofoam are designed for maximum protection.
Invest in packaging: if the original packaging went to the curb a long time ago, it’s worth finding a suitable alternative. You can purchase specialty boxes and packaging at various online outlets. Check with your moving company to see if they have specialty boxes to rent. If your budget is limited, look for standard packing supplies like plastic bubble wrap and Styrofoam packing peanuts. But always invest in a good box.
Simplify with color: it’s tempting just to stuff all your cords and cables into one box and figure you will remember what goes with what. That may work for someone with very few electronic items. For the rest of us, we recommend taking the time to tag each cord with a colored sticker to make the sorting and reconnecting as hassle free as possible.
Seal the deal: nearly every type of electronic device is sensitive to dust, humidity and water. Once you’ve wrapped the device in packaging, place it in your chosen box and secure it with additional packing material to keep it from moving inside the box. Then seal the box well with packing tape. We recommend sealing every edge and corner along the flap sides of the box.
Back it up: remember to back up computers and devices with operating systems prior to packaging them. Check all of your electronics to see if they have a shutdown mode and use it where applicable.
Taking a few steps to protect your ‘precious cargo’ will be well worth the peace of mind it gives you on moving day. And don’t forget to give us a call. We treat all of your belongings like precious cargo.
Autumn In The Twin Cities: Our 2015 Edition
As the seasons change, we like to see what’s happening in the Twin Cities area and throughout the state. If you are considering a move to our amazing region or state, this article simply gives you a bunch of great reasons to call Minnesota home.
Activities abound: something for everyone
The Twin Cities Book Festival is among the largest and most important literary gatherings in the Upper Midwest. This day-long festival in mid-October is free to attend. The festival welcomes ‘rock star’ authors, local literary heroes, publishers, magazines, booksellers and of course, book lovers and aficionados from across the country.
The 2015 Trail of Terror is another annual tradition that is truly unique. Starting with an Oktoberfest celebration in early October, this attraction offers both ‘spine-chilling’ and scare-free options to suit your taste. The offer a great mix of entertainment, food and fun for the adult crowd.
The Twin Cities are host to some of the best arts and cultural events in the country. Check out the Orpheum Theater calendar for a great mix of theater productions, live music and even a Ryder Cup golf event. The Ritz Theater is a great place to watch classic movies from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s on the big screen. It’s a family-friendly destination with movies for every age and affordable prices.
Another fall tradition, celebrating their 19th year, is the Sever’s Corn Mase & Fall Festival in Shakopee. They are a wonderful family destination with an exotic animal petting zoo, pick your own pumpkin from the farm market patch and explore the giant corn field maze. This year’s design honors the firefighters of Minnesota.
The 2015 Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 45th season this year. This festival runs from August through October with theme weekends like Passport to Adventure, Canines and Christmas, Wine Chocolate & Romance, and ending with their own Oktoberfest celebration. Every weekend features live armored jousting, artisan booths for shopping and parking is always free.
Be sure to check out the Nordeast Big River Brewfest on October 10th. It’s a chance to sample an exciting and diverse array of over 200 micro, craft brews along with samples from local food vendors. All proceeds will benefit the programs of East Side Neighborhood Services.
Everything we listed here can be found at CityPages where they do a terrific job of being the center of the universe for news and events in the Twin Cities region. So make plans to get out and enjoy the great weather and fun events. And be sure to tell us which one was your favorite!
Online Tools To Help You Find Home
Looking for a new home can be a daunting task. Whether you are looking for a home acr
oss town or across the country, finding the perfect combination of location, size, style and affordability can be rather time consuming. With the internet often being the first place we all go for information, we decided to check out a few online tools that can help you find home more easily.
Trulia
What is it: Trulia is a real estate website the provides listings around the country along with helpful information like details about the house, the neighborhood, and the real estate buying process itself. The site goes further by sharing details about schools, commute times, past sales history, crime mapping, and market trends for the area. Trulia prides itself on collaboration with the consumer stating that their user community is broader, more engaged and willing to share valuable insights.
How does it work: Enter an address, town, or zip code into the search box. The site is free for buyers, sellers and agents. The site is a ‘third party data aggregator’ so listings are updated with p
rice changes, number of days on the site, and demographics like median age, education levels, and length of ownership of the surrounding homes. You can also register for a free account that allows you to bookmark the properties you like so you don’t lose track. Social share buttons let you post a favorite property on Facebook or Pinterest or email a link for the listing.
Redfin
What is it: Refin is similar to Trulia in that it lists homes for sale. From there it differs in a number of ways because of its roots in map-based search and the agreements it holds with the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. Their technology roots also give them the foundation to launch features such as 3D walkthrough. The agents are paid through Redfin, which is a very different model from Trulia with simply lists the properties of independent agents and brokers. The look and feel of the site is also different from its competitors. Visually it is customer centric featuring pictures of their customers and agents instead of properties.
How does it work: Enter a city, zip code or address into the search box. They offer many of the same features and information as their competitors. However, they also host free classes on buying and selling a home as well as a more personalized free lunch and learn should you miss the class.
Both offer features like a tool that calculates the value of your existing home, a find a realtor tool, mortgage calculators and offers, and rental property listings. Both sites have an active blog with helpful tips, insurance information, and guides for every step of the buying process.
Whether you are looking for a home across town or across the country, these tools will be extremely helpful. And when you’re ready to move, we’ll get you there safely, affordably and professionally.
We Love Minnesota: Five Great Cities To Move To
We have written posts raving about our favorite vacation spots, fun family activities, festivals, sporting events and everything that the Twin Cities has to offer. Now it’s time to give a shout out to some of our favorite cities to live. We move people to every part of Minnesota so we get to experience them first hand.
Rochester, MN
Rochester is proud home of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. An exciting renovation project is currently in the works on the Mayo Civic Center. Opening in 2017, the expanded center will feature a 40,000 square foot ballroom and 14 additional meeting rooms. When complete, the center will be a total 200,000 square feet with 23 meeting rooms. A lively and bustling city.
Duluth, MN
This beautiful city sits on the shore of the largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior. It shares that lakeshore with neighboring Wisconsin. Duluth is Outside Magazine’s “Best Town Ever” with 6,834 acres of city parkland, 178 miles of wooded trails, 16 designated trout streams, you have endless options for year-round activities in Duluth.
St. Cloud, MN
St. Cloud is the largest population center in Minnesota’s central region. Just 65 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, the city is home to the state’s third largest public university, St. Cloud State University. The Mississippi River runs right through the center of the city. Just beyond the city limits the Beaver Islands form a maze for a two-mile stretch of the river. The approximately 30 undeveloped islands are a popular destination for kayak and canoe enthusiasts and are part of a state-designated 12-mile stretch of wild and scenic river.
Fargo/Moorhead, MN
Fargo–Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. Located on the banks of the Red River of the North, Fargo–Moorhead has it own unique style providing the cultural, retail, healthcare, educational, and industrial center of the region.
Mankato, MN
Mankato, just 75 miles south of Minneapolis, is considered a premier vacation destination. Thanks to the Sclare/Far Fissure, water seeping through the earth heats to well over 165 degrees and comes back up to the surface in steam pits and boil holes. The heat from the steam warms the valley air enough that the winter temperature in many Mankato neighborhoods doesn’t drop below 70 degrees.
Be sure to call us when you choose the perfect Minnesota city for you. We’ll be ready to get you moving.
Moving Tips from Good Stuff Moving 