Moving is like life, what you make it. Organization in packing and moving can save you time and limit stress at the end of an long process that transitions you into or out of your home. It’s easy to delay the laborious task of getting three moving company quotes, finding temporary storage and deciding what to move, donate and throw away. Even the throw away items might need special attention such as paint, old gasoline or computers. As an experienced real estate broker who has seen the right way to move and the all-nighters the last five nights before moving, I can tell you it’s much easier on relationships and pets to become proactive in the moving department of your next residential real estate transaction.

Mark Nash author of 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home offers your readers or viewers streamlined tips to make even the most disorganized person have a lower stress experience. Moving day is not packing day, rental moving trucks are in big demand all the time and what’s behind you isn’t ahead of you should be your mantra for your next move. Put those last three statements on a piece of note paper on your refrigerator as soon as you have a closing date on your home.

- Plan ahead for your move five weeks before moving day. Begin pricing and cleaning items for garage sale. Register children in new school. Verify with insurance agent that your possessions will be covered during your move. Obtain new homeowners and automobile insurance in your destination community.

-Research how moving costs for national moves are calculated. Weight of shipment. Time involved in transport of household goods. The cubic footage of the shipment. Any combination of the above.

-Research moving days and times that are the least popular. Weekdays. September through April. First three weeks of a month.

-1 Month before closing or lease expiration. Fill out change of address order form for the post office. Make moving company appointments for bids or reserve rental truck. Make travel arrangements for you and your family, pets Obtain medical records, including dental, eye, and prescriptions. Set up savings and checking accounts in your new community.
Inventory household belongings. Create a photo or video record. Record serial numbers. Start using up inventory of household products and non-perishable food.

-2 Weeks before moving. Inform utilities at current address of disconnection date and forwarding address. Order utilities in destination city. Electric, disposal, newspaper, magazines, telephone, cable, Internet, gas. Confirm travel reservations.
If moving out of a condo or apartment building reserve elevator. If moving into a condo or apartment reserve elevator.
If moving into condo pay moving in deposit if required by association. Clean rugs or carpets if required by contract.
Close bank accounts. Visit and close safety deposit box. Make copies of important documents. Verify insurance coverage during transition from one property to another. Purchase new coverage in destination city. Homeowners and auto. Defrost freezer and deep clean freezer and refrigerator. Send email change of address to family and friends.

-Learn how to move your computer. Make backup copies of all your files. Store and move original program and backup disks separate from your computer. Prepare your hard disk for moving by placing in park and lark position. Pack your computer in the original box and materials. Remove ink cartridges from printer. Insert piece of paper in platen to secure.

-Moving day. Clean house, hire cleaning service if it is too much to do yourself. Check closets, cabinets, basement, and attic one last time for missed items. Carry valuables with you during move. Make sure you have extra cash or traveler’s checks for emergencies during move. Leave welcome note for new owner or tenant.

-Arriving at your new home. Renew auto related registrations, including drivers license. Find services that you will need in your new community. Day care, veterinarian, doctors, hospitals, train/bus, police/fire stations, and lawn/pool services.

-Remember to create an essentials kit for your family that goes with you in transit. Change of clothes.Towels.Over-the-counter and prescription drugs. First aid kit. Toilet paper and paper towels. Flashlight. Pen, pencils, and paper cups.

-Be prepared for your first night in your new home. Post an emergency phone list for your new community on your refrigerator. Change the locks. Change batteries in smoke detectors. Have flashlights handy. Check to see whether all blinds and shades operate correctly before nightfall.

Mark Nash’s fourth real estate book, “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home” (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on ABC-TV, CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, CNN-TV, Chicago Sun Times & Tribune, Fidelity Investor’s Weekly, Dow Jones Market Watch, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today.

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Picture this: You and your spouse have just bought the new home you’ve been wanting for years. It has everything you want - a big yard for the kids and the dog, enough bedrooms so you can have guests overnight and still have your own home office, and a kitchen that would make Emeril Lagasse green with envy. Yes, all that time spent saving and searching has finally paid off. Your family is living in a dream home.

Until the dream becomes a nightmare when your next door neighbor is bringing you a welcome basket, slips on a loose step climbing up to your porch, and breaks both of her legs. Yes, at this point your dream becomes more than just any nightmare - it’s now a legal nightmare.

Unless you have adequate homeowner’s insurance.

With homeowner’s insurance, you can rest assured that you, your family, your visitors, your valuables, and your property will all be protected in the event of an accident, theft, vandalism, and damages caused by certain weather elements. As long as you have adequate homeowner’s insurance, your next door neighbor’s accident won’t result in a legal battle over who must pay for her injuries and how; your homeowner’s insurance will have it all taken care of.

It’s true that homeowner’s insurance isn’t a legal requirement, unlike automobile insurance, unless you’ve borrowed money to pay for the home, and you’re lender requires you to purchase homeowner’s insurance. For this reason, many people opt not to purchase homeowner’s insurance. Who needs the extra bill, especially if you’ve just purchased a new home? You need it, unless you want to pay hundreds, even thousands, of dollars should the “next door neighbor” scenario become a reality for you.

So, consider purchasing a homeowner’s insurance policy. Make any repairs your home might need, and take inventory of your valuables. Then, call up a few insurance companies that offer homeowner’s insurance and get quotes.

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Many of today’s drivers have dangerous driving habits. You do not have to travel far to see people driving with risky driving techniques. Dangerous driving habits can be observed on highways, on residential streets, and in parking lots. Dangerous driving habits are not only fraught with danger to the driver performing them, but to the public as well.

Everyone eventually crosses paths with a reckless driver! Many of us survive these encounters, but some do not. Dangerous drivers kill people and destroy property everyday. As a result, Insurance companies cite dangerous drivers as one of the main reasons for the skyrocketing cost of automobile insurance.

There are drivers from all age groups that have dangerous driving habits. Younger drivers can be dangerous drivers simply because they lack experience driving in various environments, such as driving at night, or driving on interstate highways. Older drivers are sometimes dangerous because their senses and reflexes are not as sharp as they once were.

Technology has also added to dangerous driving habits. Cell phones are now more popular than ever, many drivers have cell phones. While driving in town or on the highway, it is rare not to see someone driving while talking on his or her cell phone. Another dangerous driving habit is applying makeup while driving. Applying make-up while driving is thought to be a leading cause of accidents, and is completely irresponsible. One of the most common dangerous driving habits is eating while driving. Many drivers leave the drive thru lane of their favorite restaurant and immediately pull onto a road while trying to eat and drink the food they just purchased. All of those bad habits can distract a driver from paying attention to other drivers on the road and being aware of road conditions.

There are many kinds of driving habits that are considered risky. Speeding is a very common driving habit that can lead to a disaster. Drivers that speed are engaging in reckless and impulsive behavior. It is especially dangerous to speed in residential neighborhoods where children and pets may be playing. Speeding drivers can also be dangerous in neighborhoods where homeowners in their vehicles are entering and exiting their driveways.

Another category of dangerous driving habits is failing to use turn signals. Proper use of turn signals can help prevent most accidents. Failing to use turn signals properly can increase the rate of accidents with other vehicles and pedestrians. Turn signals are simple devices that can give advance notice to other drivers about your driving intentions. It is unfortunate that failing to use such a simple device can cause so many tragedies in terms of lives and property damage. Road rage is a one of the consequences of failing to use turn signals. Many drivers become enraged when they barely escape an accident due to another driver failing to use a turn signal to notify them before changing lanes or making a turn.

Many dangerous driving habits are a result of over confidence. Drivers with years of experience sometimes become dangerous drivers because they are over confident with driving their particular vehicle, or a particular route between home and work. They are not prepared when something out of the ordinary occurs.

There is an old saying, “Good habits are as hard to break as bad habits.” If you have dangerous driving habits you can change them by applying good driving skills for a few weeks, after a few weeks many of these good driving techniques will become your new habits. You should practice watching for speed limit signs, and adjust your speed if necessary. If you practice using turns signals every time you make a turn or change lanes it will quickly become a habit. Developing good, safe driving habits may one day save your life or the life of someone close to you.

(c) 2006, Marcus Barber

Marcus Barber is an Author and freelance website publisher. His favorite site is http://www.HiTechGuide.com

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