Selling your house? Clean out the Clutter before you try to Sell!

I met with a group of Realtors yesterday and the mood in the room was somber. As I listened to agents talk and console each other about subprime mortgage changes and a more challenging market I'm thinking that many of these agents have forgotten the basics in the froth and exuberance of the last run in housing prices: Clean up your house so it shows well!

Clutter is buyer repellant. Before putting your home on the market, get rid of clutter in every area -- closets, attic storage, kitchen cabinets, drawers, bath vanities, and shelves -- everywhere. Remember, this is no time to be sentimental: if you don't use it, get it out of the house. Potential buyers are seriously put off by clutter, and most of us keep a lot more things than we really show buyers.

Also, don't forget the furniture and fixtures when getting rid of clutter -- most of us put too much in too little space, which makes a buying prospect, think your home is too small.

• Then, have a great moving sale with all the stuff you've collected and use the proceeds for paint or whatever other materials you need for repair projects.
• Get storage. Mobile storage providers have made it easier than ever to pack up your belongings and keep them out of sight. They come in a variety of sizes and can often ship to your new home without having to repack. Find a local one at Mobile Self Storage Association.
• Give it away. There are lots of local charities that will recycle your belongings. Call local churches, thrift shops or post a listing on Craig's list in the free section. Often times, people will come and pick it up from you.

After you've cleared out the clutter, it's time to really clean. Have the carpets professionally cleaned, strip and polish the floors, scour the bathrooms, go over the laundry room, polish the furniture, scour out the cabinets, wash the windows and window coverings, and spiff up the ceiling fans and kitchen appliances. In short, clean everything. And don't forget the exterior; paint or power-wash everything that needs the work. Remember, this is a ceiling-to-floor, roof-to-foundation clean-up project.

The market is tougher, but don't neglect the basics. A clean, de-cluttered house is the best way to get buyers to buy your house!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Storage tip: Take special care with your lawn mover and snowblower

Hello nightowls, 

People use storage for multitude of things. I just helped a landscading contractor move from Chicago to Philadelphia and he had 3 large lawn tractors and a bunch of weedwackers and motorized yard equipment. Speaking with him reminded me of all the special precautions you need to consider when storing or moving these items.

Most importantly, drain the gasoline. Gasoline is volitile and degrades over time. If you leave gas in the tank of your lawnmover over the winter it becomes gummy and can cause damage to the engine when you try and run it again in the spring. This also eliminates a flamable material inside your storage unit which can be dangerous. These units are not well ventalated and, particularly if your unit is not climate controlled, can be a real fire hazard. If you've ever seen a bucket of oily rags spontaneously ignite you can imagine that you've inadvertantly create a similar situation. And draining the gas is easy, simply disconnect the gas line running from the tank to engine and pour into a gas can and when empty run the mower/blower until it is dry. Most gas stations will take back the gas and recycle it properly.

Clean your mower and wrap in cloth material. To prevent rust and corrosion, you want to avoid moisture traps. Old grass clipping will decompose creating water in the process and wrapping with a plastic or impermiable tarp will trap this moisture inviting rust problems.

Lastly, seasonal items are very conviently stored in portable storage units. I have a customer who we deliver her storage unit to every spring and fall as she rotates her lawn mover/summer waredrobe/outdoor furniture with the snowblower/Christmas decorations/winter coats.

"Winterizing" and storing your equipment is really pretty easy. These simple steps will help your equipment run well next season and make for happy mowing/blowing. Best of luck!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Moving Tips: Give yourself some time

Moving is stressful and amazingly, a whole industry has popped up to make it more so: I amazes me how many rental trucks I see on the road because they generally do a very bad job at servicing their customers.

• At two and a half feet about the grourd, they are difficult to load. Further, they are often so big that it's hard to use any of the tie downs effectively.
• You have to drive this monster truck with which you're not familiar.
• If there is any mismatch in your closing dates, you must rent the truck longer, or face the hassle of unpacking into a storage faciility only to have to move again!
• You must race the clock to return the truck on time or face additional fee and penalties.
• And on top of all this you have to pay for gas and often times mileage charges.

Portable storage units has decompressed the moving process. Units can be delivered right to your clients home and they can take all the time they need to load their belongings. Here are some tips to make it even easier:

• Create a time frame as to when you will be able to pack certain groups of items in your home. For the most part, almost everything can be packed away as long as enough is left out for what you will need, such as clothes, food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.
• There may be entire rooms in your home that can be packed up days before you move. Alternatively, you may need access to most of your things right up until moving day, perhaps for business purposes. If so, go through closets, storage areas, and cabinets. Get all that stuff that you don’t use daily.
• Go through your things in advance also gives you a good opportunity to clear out the things you will not want to bring with you. It gives you a better idea of how much stuff you need to get rid of. You may decide to have a garage sale before you move due to the amount of things you want to divest yourself of.
• Pack up all your decorations ahead of time, as well. Pictures, vases, statuettes, and other such items can all be packed away with no problem.
• Pack up any movies you will not want to watch, books you are not reading, and music you will not need until after the move.

Remember, the more you pack prior to moving day, the easier your moving day will be!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Storage tip: When less is more!

A friend of mine told me that 4 quarters is the same as a dollar until you need to pay the parking meter. His analogy reminded me of a customer who is happily using a couple of our smaller mobile storage units rather than the more common, much larger PODS brand (one POD is about the same amount of storage as 3 of our units).

Two interior decoraters married and were consolidating into one house. Each had beautiful furniture and after she sold her home, we delivered her 4 units to load all of her belongings into. The couple packed all of her things into the FlexBoxes and then we redelivered them to his house which they were now sharing. They kept the units onsite for a month and a half as they rearranged and decided upon which items they were going to keep and which ones they would eventually sell. Ultimately, they packed everything that had to be sold into storage units after taking some pictures of all the pieces to list them on eBay.

Slowly but surely they sold their pieces and as their storage needs changed, they reduced the amount of storage the were renting with ease. They would stop by weekly to pickup the pieces that they sold (mostly to local dealers and antique shops) and have consolidated down to 1 box. Instead of repacking all of their things and moving to a smaller space, or paying for storage that they were not using, they simply emptied the units one at a time and avoided all of the hassles. I'm constantly amazing the new and creative ways customers use our boxes.

Happy storing!

Christopher Johnston
FlexBox Mobile Storage
www.GoFlexBox.com
888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Moving Tips: What to do with your car

Moving can be chock full of questions and decisions that most people don't face very often. A common one is what do I do with my car when I'm moving long distance. And if your family has more than one car it can be even trickier. Well, much like with the rest of your move, you have a lot of choices:

Some full service movers will load your car onto the truck along with your furniture and other household items. That's also the most expensive because movers are required by the Interstate Commerce Commission to charge a weight-based household goods tariff.

Their are also companies who specialize in shipping cars.These are often the same companies that deliver new cars to dealers and can be shipping your car on an open or on an enclosed truck. If you drive your car to one of their terminals, you can receive a discount and some companies have more than 100 terminals across the country.
Other companies have someone drive your car for you. Companies such as AAAdvantage Auto Transport and Schultz International Shipping offer this choice. This method often depends on driver availability and requires more flexibility on when your car will ship and arrive. Still, it can save you $300 to $400, depending on distance and population of your end points.

You can also save money if you use your own auto insurance coverage rather than the transporter's for possible damages. Insurance carried by the transporter should include cargo and liability coverage (with no deductible) that insures your car for its full value. Check with your insurance agent about covering your car during shipment, and whether the transporter's coverage is adequate.

In any of these scenarios, you want to be careful who you choose to hire. Here is a list of thing to check:

Who is the transporter's insurer and what does their insurance cover?
Is the transporter licensed and registered by DOT and ICC?
What's the transporter's motor carrier number and do they have a surety bond? Both are required to legally haul freight in the United States.
Does the transporter guarantee dates for pickup and delivery?
How specific are pickup and delivery times?
If delivery is late, what does the transporter promise as way of recompense?
All this being said, the most popular choice is to drive yourself. One of the benefits of portable storage and self-moving companies, is that you don't have to drive a moving truck and you can drive the car you a familar and comfortable driving. Best of luck!

Christopher Johnston
FlexBox Mobile Storage
www.GoFlexBox.com
888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Moving Tips: Packing the ficus with the furniture

I fielded a phone call from a college kid moving from Philly to LA and he want to know the best way to move his plants. All jokes about a college guy and his plants aside, moving live plants can be a challenging. Live plants are typically difficult to pack and protect during the moving process. In fact, there are even some laws which prohibits moving a plant in a moving truck or van. This customer inspired me to do a little research and compile some tips.

• Because of the challenges transporting plants, the best way to move your live plants is in the vehicle that you are driving. Keeping your plants in the car or the cab of your truck has several benefits:
• It allows you to keep track of your plants health and protection during transport and avoids the temperature fluctuations in a van or trailer.
• You can water them as needed although with a little prep work, you'll have better luck. Water them well the week ahead of your move and then keep plants a little dryer than you would generally while in transit. These keeps them from making mess in your car and prevents them from trying to grow or build it root network en route. Much like when you transplant, water a bit more upon arrival to stabilize you plant.
• Plants need sunlight, keep leaves exposed. This also lets your plants breathe.
• Wrap the pot and stems with newspaper or burlap. This protects the plant and limits moisture loss.
  

Consider moving into temporary pots or proctect fragile pots with bubble wrap and packing materials.

Lastly, consider if it is worth the hassle. You could donate your plants to a local nursing home or friends before you move and know that they'll have a happy home.

Best of luck!

Christopher Johnston
FlexBox Mobile Storage
www.GoFlexBox.com
888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)