Moving Made Easier with A Plan of Action! - Guest Post

Moving is one of those things that everyone inevitably does at some point. Most people dread going through everything in a home, packing, moving and unpacking at the end. Buying a home should be an exciting time in life, but it’s often overshadowed by the stress of the move. Make moving easier with a few conscious decisions.

1. Don’t Procrastinate:

    The absolute worst thing to do before a move is put everything off until the very last moment. Not only is there more stress, there is also the chance that something will be forgotten. Avoid unnecessary stress by making a plan. Write down all of the tasks that need to be done before the move. Group similar tasks together to create bite-sized projects to avoid becoming overwhelmed. For example, decluttering and cleaning may be grouped together by room. Also, set aside a reasonable amount of time to complete the tasks on your list. Don’t designate a single day to cleaning the entire home, you’ll only feel swamped by the lofty job. Instead, set aside a few days for this task. Perhaps spread the chores out to avoid burn-out.

     2.   Packing By Season:

    Start by packing the out-of-season items that won’t be used until long after the move. If you are moving in the warmer months, start by packing your winter coats, shoes, toys, or other winter-related items. Pack away your decorations associated with out-of-season holidays. Packing all of the out-of-season items eliminates a huge portion of items that need to be packed, and it’s relatively easy to complete. Also, there isn't a chance that a winter jacket is needed in the summer so boxes aren’t disturbed once packing has started.

     3.   Declutter, Declutter, Declutter:

    When moving, most homeowners find items that haven’t been used in months or even years. Preparing for a move is the perfect time to donate, sell or throw away these items. Before anything is put in a box, take a moment to ask if the items has seen the light of day recently. Earn a little extra cash for the move by selling those items at a garage sale or online. If that sounds like too much work, there are plenty of places to donate your used items. Don’t let the donation pile sit for too long, or it will simply turn to clutter and cause stress down the road.

    4.     Label Everything:

    Labeling boxes might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget this simple step in the packing process. Use free printables to keep track of all of your items and know the contents of each box. Although most people simply scrawl the designated room the items belong in on the outside, go the extra mile and write the specific items inside, if it’s fragile or needs to be set down a certain way. It will also be easier to know which boxes need to be opened first. For example, plates, bowls, cups and utensils are typically the first things that need to be unpacked after a move. If there are multiple kitchen boxes it might be difficult to find exactly what you need right away.

Take labeling to the next level by adding a splash of color. Creating a color coding system for the boxes makes it easy to know where each box goes at a glance. This can be done by taping some paint chip samples from your local home improvement store to the boxes or with a crayon or marker.

       5.    Pack a Bag:

    Unpacking can take a few days. Pack a bag or two with “must-have” items: clothes, chargers, toiletries, bedding, and towels. That way, unpacking can be done at your pace because you already have every necessary item at your fingertips. Pack the “moving bag” the same way you would pack a weekend bag or suitcase.

       6.    Be Proactive:

The garage is typically the catch-all for boxes and bins that have yet to be unpacked. Before stuff has a chance to take over the garage, decide on a storage plan that will work for your family. Shelving, cabinets, or overhead storage racks are great ways to keep items off the floor and out of the way.  Choose a solution that is adjustable to meet storage needs as they change. Having a storage plan in place ensures that you aren’t forced to park outside!

Moving doesn’t have to be such an ordeal. All it takes is a little bit of planning and organization. Enjoy this new adventure!

BIO: Bri works for The Garage Medics, a garage storage and organization company that helps homeowners create custom garage storage solutions. Bri graduated from BYU-Idaho in Advertising and Public Relations. When she's not working, she enjoys all things film, good books and making memories with her husband and German Shepherd.

When in La Jolla

When in La Jolla, sauntering along Coastal Blvd., be sure to drop in at Gelateria Frizzante. Great gelatos, caffe and other beverages. Excellent, cool, clean place to rest and get recharged while in La Jolla - picolo gelato (2 flavors and a cappuccino just $6.75.

Hillcrest Living

Considered San Diego's first suburb, Hillcrest is two miles north of downtown San Diego, home to approx. 36,000 residents and brimming with trendy shops and cafes. Restaurants of almost every ethnic specialty are located here.

2007 marked the neighborhood's centennial, 100 years after William Wesley Whitson purchased the 40 acres north of University Ave to Lewis Street (between First and Sixth Ave) in 1906 for $115,000 that were to become today's Hillcrest.

Known for its "tolerance and acceptance, Hillcrest has a high population density compared to many other neighborhoods in San Diego, and it has a large and active lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Hillcrest is part of the Uptown community planning area, which consists of the neighborhoods of Mission Hills, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, Park West, and University Heights.

The older neighborhood has undergone gentrification, which in recent years, has made it appealing to people seeking a more central urban setting without being in the center of the downtown. Many Hillcrest streets are lined with trees and homes of different architectural types. There are Craftsman homes and Mid-century modern apartment buildings. Zoning is mixed, so you'll find single-family residences, apartment communities, and other multi-family dwelling types all on one street.

The neighborhood is bound by Mission Hills to the northwest, Bankers Hill and Balboa Park to the south, University Heights to the north, and North Park to the east. A large ridge overlooking San Diego Bay borders the neighborhood to the west.

Hillcrest loves to celebrate, each weekend, the local cafes, restaurants and bars fill up for fun and entertainment. Hillcrest "CityFest" is an annual street festival which features food, live entertainment, a beer garden and street vendors. Other regular events in Hillcrest include a weekly farmers market on the grounds of the local Department of Motor Vehicles, a Book Fair and Mardi Gras.

San Diego Pride is an annual celebration each July for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. It features the Pride Parade on a Saturday morning, preceded by the Hillcrest Block Party on Friday night and followed by a two-day festival in Balboa Park. It is sponsored by San Diego LGBT Pride and is considered to be the largest civic event in the city of San Diego. The large rainbow flag approved in May 2012 was erected in time for the 2012 Pride Festival.

The Hillcrest Farmers Market currently consists of 175 vendors offering a wide variety of locally grown in-season fruit, produce, gifts, arts and crafts, and flowers. On any given Sunday we have about 175 of our vendors. Many of the local farmers participating in the market grow their produce organically or with no pesticides. The market also hosts a large variety of prepared food and hot food items with an emphasis on international cuisine. Additionally, each week, there are a large number of arts and crafts vendors participating, as well as weekly entertainment performed by Shawn Rohlf and the 7th Day Buskers, a local folk band (additional bands play weekly, check out the heart of the market to see who’s playing).

Hillcrest offers residential neighborhoods with great walkability to shopping, entertainment, as well as public transportation. Its centrality to freeways and downtown make for practical easy-access living.
For more information on Hillcrest and other Uptown neighborhoods, call me at 858-603-7879. www.sandiego-ca-homes.com
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The Year You Were Born Predicts When You Will Buy A House

Two new generations are taking over the new home economy for 2015.

Buying their first homes in 2014 and 2015 will be Generation X, born from the early 1960s to 1976 and Generation Y, the first part of the Millennial generation, born from 1977 to 1994.

Like almost every generation, their life spans have included economic slow times, but the good news is consumer confidence today is growing.

While the American economy is slow-poking its way toward full recovery, it is nonetheless growing more and recovering more with each passing year.

 

Generation X and the early Millennials will be seeing friends and former classmates invest in homes this year.  It's important that this new generation prepares itself for home ownership, one of the main avenues for wealth and security.

 

To prepare for home buying, the new generation will have to pay close attention to credit scores, one of the most important factors in buying a home. There is room for optimism there.  Lenders are increasingly loosening standards for credit scores.  In addition, FHA insured loans can give a first-time borrower lower down payments, lower closing costs and easier credit qualifying.

You must have two lines of credit to qualify for an FHA loan.  If you are planning on buying a home soon, make sure you have credit and you pay on time.

 

Credit scores are important. FHA requires a credit score of at least 580 for maximum financing. Lower scores, down to 500, can mean a borrower would have to put 10 percent down on the home.

In fact, plan on a down payment of at least 10 percent.  Some lenders will require more, even up to 20 percent.

 

Lenders will look at total debt, also and that includes student loans.  Many lenders will require that your total debt, including mortgage, be no more than 45 percent (or even 35 percent) of your total pretax income.

 

Some first-time buyers may wonder if it is all worth it.  After all, real estate has had a bad rap since 2008 and many are wary of getting into it. But, home values are rising every year. That means the homes bought now will be worth more next year and beyond.

The payment on a 30-year mortgage will never rise. The same cannot be said for apartment and home rentals, which are predicted to go up by 3 percent each year. And none of that goes back to your net worth as home equity.

To find out about San Diego Homes for Sale or Rentals, feel free to call or email me: 858-603-7879 or robert@sandiego-ca-homes.com  www.sandiego-ca-homes.com

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