Properly Pack Your Closet!

The closet is the one space in the house that we tend to forget. Every day we keep adding to its contents, then quickly close the door and leave it for that magical day when we'll finally get around to cleaning it out. Well, that day has arrived! You're moving and it's time to throw open that door and unveil exactly what you've been keeping in there...so roll up those sleeves and get ready!

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: No set time.

Here's How:

1. Remove everything from the closet and I mean, everything! Don't sort it yet, just move it out into the middle of the room or hallway.
2. Now, after you've removed everything, grab a bucket, cleaner and a sponge, mop or whatever cleaning tool you have on hand. Completely clean it from top to bottom. Dust the shelves, scrub the floor (or vacuum) and wash the walls. It's probably been a long time since this closet has been so thoroughly cleaned.
3. While the closet is drying and you're enjoying the fresh smell that replaced the dingy, dusty one, start sorting the contents. Place them into piles of "keep" and "don't keep". You can even go a step further and sort the "don't keep" into a sell or donate pile.
4. Place all the donate or sell objects in separate bags or bins and set them in a place where they will be out of the way, but not forgotten.
5. Look at the items that you decided to keep. Go through each one to make sure you'll use it again. If you're hesitating, add it to the "donate/sell" pile. The things you want to keep, organize by type and select the appropriate sized boxes. For example, you may want to pack all the shoes into one medium-size box. Label the box with the contents and which closet it came from, i.e., "hall closet" or "bedroom closet".
6. For clothing, use large-sized boxes and carefully fold clothes before placing them inside. For ease of unpacking, keep items on hangers and simply fold them into the box. Make sure you don't pack too much into one box. Clothing can become heavy.

Tips:

1. Keep Pile: To decide if an item should be kept or tossed, ask yourself how often you've worn or used the item in the last year. For clothing, you should've worn it at least 2 times to warrant keeping it.
2. Donate Pile: Items that you haven't used or are unlikely to use and are still in good shape, add them to the donate pile. Make sure the items aren't ripped or stained. If they are, they should be put in the garbage or made into cleaning cloths. Don't waste a charity's time by donating unusable items. 
3. Sell Pile: These may be items that you know you could fetch some money for, things that you can imagine someone else using. Take clothing to consignment stores. Household items can be sold on eBay or in a garage sale.

http://moving.about.com/od/stepbystepguides/ht/pack_closet.htm

Making Use of Suit Cases...

Courtesy of Life Tricks user @kingraffit

Satisfaction

           Delightful is a great adjective, especially when applied to the Rent The      Help's services. We are proud to boast that over half our customers were   delighted with the work that we did and the help we provided. Don't worry, we                                                    think you're equally lovely :)

Moving Timeline Checklist

A successful move does not happen over-night. There are months of tireless planning involved; lots of calls to make, services to switches, and boxes to pack. It can be hard to keep track on what exactly needs to be done when. Use these checklists as a guideline and your move will run smoothly!

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2009Q3/ms_checklist_moving.pdf

Hosting a Yard Sale!

Is there a better way to get rid of junk from that pre-move purge than a yard sale?! A yard sale not only generates a little revenue to cover moving expenses, but it also is a fast and easy way to get a lot of unnecessary items. With very little effort all your old things are out of your hair and have a new home with people that will actually make use of them!

Here's what you'll need:

• Markers for pricing.
• Duct tape and heavy paper or cardboard for signs.
• Plastic and paper bags.
• A change box with lots of quarters, $1 and $5 bills.
• Plastic tarps, folding tables and boxes to display merchandise.
• Friends to help out (bribe them with beer and pizza.)

And here's how to host a great yard sale:

Have a yard sale on a weekend or holiday. Saturdays are generally the best days for Yard Sales, especially when the weather is good. Whatever doesn't sell Saturday you can always haul back out on Sunday morning. Memorial Day weekend and other summer holidays are also popular.

Team up and have a neighborhood sale. Yard sales are enticing alone, but when a yard sale becomes more of a flea market, it’s hard to not stop.

There are two ways to do this. You can each have separate, neighboring sales. On the other hand you can consolidate the sale into one big sale. Designate one “checkout” table and mark all items with price tags color coded for each house. When a shopper buys an item, take the tag off and stick it to a piece of paper marked for the house selling the item. At the end of the day add up each house’s profits and distribute the cash accordingly.

Remember to advertise your yard sale. A couple days before the sale, go around the neighborhood and post signs and flyers on lampposts and at key intersections. By the way, masking tape doesn't stick very well to lampposts, so use duct tape to post signs.

Also write up a simple ad to let people know about the event. Local newspapers often have local event or classified ads that are free or cheap. In the limited space you should list the simple where and when. Online listing sites are also very popular. For online ads that allow more space, entice anyone looking for a yard sale by listing any popular garage items you have.

Start your yard sale early. If you're serious about selling as much as you can, place a classified ad in your local paper; most have a listing of weekend sales. There are yard sale pros who read these weekly, who will show up early to cart away the best bargains.

Offer refreshments to shoppers. Buy a few different cases of soda and bottled water and some pre-packaged snacks and sell them for a reasonable price. Browsing yard sales in the sun can accelerate and amplify the symptoms of dehydration causing grumpy shoppers and screaming children. Refresh them and they might just buy more while they have their wallets out.

Remember yard sales are for bargain hunters. Be prepared to accept a fraction of what you paid for things, especially clothing. Yard sale shoppers generally won't pay above the $1-$10 range for clothes, no matter how much you paid. If you have several high-ticket items to sell, consider bringing it to a consignment store where you'll get more than just a couple of bucks for each item. You can look for Consignment stores in your local Yellow Pages.

The same holds true for books. Expect to get $.25 to $1 for paperbacks and $2 to $5 for hardcover books.

To get a better feel for what sells and how to price, check out a couple of yard sales in your neighborhood ahead of time.

Clean up after the sale. List larger things you don't sell on an online classified ads site like Craigslist.org. If they still don't sell, try again with a lower price or even free. For smaller items, offer a curb alert online and let passersby pick the items they want. If you have a lot of children’s’ clothing or similar items, bag them and offer one "bulk" price.

You can also easily donate any unsold and unwanted items. Many thrift shops have convenient drop-off locations and some even come to pick up your charitable items, a great idea when the item is a large piece of furniture.

And after the big event, remember to remove and dispose of your signs and flyers. Don't leave the neighborhood in a trail of clutter.

Last but not least, have fun! Play some music and enjoy the sun with friends and family.

Copyright © by Move, Inc.
http://www.move.com/rentals/Moving-Tips-And-Checklists/Yard-Sales-A-How-to-Guide.aspx

Lift boxes with ease!

Courtesy of Life Tricks user @kandiemorgan

What to pack very last!

12 Things to Pack Last 

Things you will want to have around for the move:

1. Extension cords, batteries. Everything's electric these days it seems. Computers, CD-players, your Walkman, all those little gizmos you just can't seem to live without. So it just makes sense to keep that extension cord or pack of new batteries right on top and within easy reach.
2. Tools. We're talking hammers and screwdrivers, nails and screws, scotch tape, duct tape and especially, a tape measure.
3. A bottle opener and glasses. Thirst always seems to come first -particularly if you have to lug that stuff by yourself. Dehydration is a sneaky beast, so be prepared.
4. Snacks, pizza or fast food coupons. You're going to work up a hunger so think about treating yourself to a quick bite or a night out at Mickey D's.
5. Address book or PDA. Keep those important telephone numbers handy.
6. Cell phone  -put these within easy reach. There's always potential for an emergency.
7. Sufficient cash. Duh...but if you're opening a new bank account you may have to wait for your first check to clear. Traveler's checks wouldn't hurt either.
8. A copy of your lease and personal ID such as a driver's license. And speaking of banking, if you're starting a new checking account (or applying for utilities service) you'll need proof of your new address too.
9. Cleaning materials. Especially paper towels -accidents do happen.
10. Light bulbs, a small lamp (perhaps a flashlight). It may be dark when you finally move in.
11. Alarm clock. You don't want to miss your first day at school, right?
12. Box cutter. Don't pack this puppy at all! It's the first thing you'll need to open your packages.

Copyright © by Move, Inc.

http://www.move.com/rentals/Moving-Tips-And-Checklists/12-Things-to-Pack-Last.aspx