Selling Your Home? 4 Professionals to Help With the Process

Even if you feel you know quite a bit about selling homes, there will most likely come a point when you want to speak with a few different professionals. With a little bit of help from the pros, you can rest assured that you are going to get fair offers as quickly as possible.

General Contractor

No matter how much money and energy you have put into maintaining your home, you will probably still have at least a few upgrades and repairs that need to be carried out. A general contractor is going to have an idea of all the licenses and certifications that are needed to ensure that your home projects are completed quickly and safely. If they don’t have the proper training for a specific job, then a general contractor will be able to refer you to a third-party company.

Certified Inspector

Home inspections can be very stressful for sellers, and that is just one of the reasons why you need to work with a certified home inspector. Potential buyers will most likely want to hire their own inspectors, but you can hire one yourself before you put your home on the market if you want peace of mind. Your inspector can give you a list of any repairs or upgrades that needed to be carried out before you put your home on the market.

Real Estate Agent

A qualified real estate agent is another individual that is going to make the selling process much easier. The best realtor in your area is going to have their finger on the pulse of the local market and know exactly what needs to be done to complete the sale. Some realtors also maintain lists of motivated buyers who are ready to pay cash for beautiful and well-maintained homes.

Stager

Giving your home a quick cleaning isn’t going to be enough if you want to make as much money as possible on the sale. A stager is a professional who specializes in making homes eye-catching as well as enticing. Many stagers even have their own cleaning crews who will wrap their services into your final cost. You can also speak with your real estate agent if you want to find a qualified stager.

In addition to these few professionals, you should consider speaking with your financial advisor as well. That type of transaction can have a big impact on your finances, and you want to be sure that you don’t run into any problems down the road. All in all though, if you want to get your home on the market quickly and for as much money as possible, these are the people to talk to. They can get your home ready quickly and accurately, leaving you feeling confident in your home’s marketability.

Ways to Maximize Your Minimal Space

When you live in a small house or an apartment, it can be a bit frustrating trying to find room for everything. You may feel like you don't have enough space for your belongings, or even yourself. Fortunately, there are things that you can do in order to make the most out of what you do have.

Declutter

You may just simply have too many belongings for the amount of space that you have. That is why one of the best things that you can do to maximize minimal space is deciding what’s worth keeping, and what’s worth getting rid of. You should get rid of everything in your home that you no longer have a use for. Not only will you be able to move around, but it will be easier for you to get organized.

Choose Multiuse Furnishings

You may not have enough room to furnish the way that you would like. However, you can choose furnishings that have multiple purposes. For example, you can buy a piece of furniture that transforms into a table, couch, or desk. This is the ideal choice for people who live in apartments.

Use Small Shelves

Whether they’re attached to the wall or assembled as free-standing units, shelves are great for storage, though the bigger ones may not fit if you’re working with a small space. Fortunately, that means you’ll just have to break up your storage space into as many small shelves as reasonably possible. Shelves, no matter the size, can be used to maximize your space in a variety of ways. For example, you can use them in your bathroom to store your toiletries or your towels (or both). You can also use them for books or knick-knacks in your living room or bedroom. Shelves anywhere can be a useful thing to have on hand.

Conceal

If everything in an area can be seen, then that will make it appear smaller. There are several ways that you can conceal things. For example, you can use baskets and curtains to store things. You may also want to buy furniture that has built-in storage that can be tucked away.

Use Mirrors

A trick that can be used to make a space appear bigger is to use mirrors. You can use mirrors in just about any place in your home, including the bedroom, living room, entryway, or bathroom. The size of the mirror doesn't matter. Even if you only have enough room for a small mirror, you can still make the space appear bigger by finding the right place for it. Plus, there are other benefits you can reap from having a mirror. For example, it can increase the appeal of the room. It can also help you maximize the lighting in the room.

Even if you do not have a lot of space, you can still make the most of it. You can declutter, use mirrors and conceal things. You can also use small shelves. Additionally, you can buy furniture that can be used for multiple things.

5 Clever Ways to Cut Moving Costs and Save money

The cost implication is one of the prime concerns for the people who relocate, and therefore it is imperative that we find ways to curtail it. That is what we aim to elucidate you in this write-up. There are numerous ways to help you save bucks while moving. However, very few of them are clever and effective. Those of you planning to avail services of adroit domestic removals would find this article very useful.

This write-up would guide you about clever strategies like booking a removalist at a strategic time, decluttering, self-packing, shared moving, shipping heavier items in advance. Peruse the below sections to get a clear insight on how to cut moving costs and save money. 

Top 5 Clever Ways to Help You Cut Moving Costs and Eventually Save Money

We have shortlisted some of the smartest techniques that you can consider to help you save your hard-earned money during the relocation. 

1. Book the services of removalists at a strategic time

If this is your first move or relocation, you would probably be unaware that booking the removalists on specific days of the week or month can help them save huge sums of money. 

Let us give you a brief insight into how the removalists' booking charges work. Booking the services of movers or packers for a weekday move would be cheaper compared to availing their services over the weekend. It will prove to be cost-saving if you take a day off to plan your move during the weekday. 

Also, if possible, you should try to move during the off-season and not on public holidays. These are busy periods for movers, and hence they charge more during seasons like Christmas or New Year. 

2. Declutter much before your actual moving date

If you are aware of your move dates and have a few weeks before that, it would be smart to start decluttering your stuff. This is important as it can help you save the money you pay to the packers (who charge by the hour). 

You can start giving away or disposing of the things that you do not plan to carry along to your new destination. You would be astonished at the quantity of unnecessary stuff you have, and that can be given away. 

Imagine that if you still carry such stuff to your new place, you end up paying additional hourly charges to packers and additional moving charges to the removalists. Rather you can choose to be smart and start decluttering when you have time to save money. 

3. Self-Packing your items to save money 

Now, this is a no-brainer! One of the smartest methods to curtail the moving cost is by doing the packing yourself. It requires additional effort from your end and would surely consume more time, but it would be worth it. There is a substantial cost associated with the packing services. And this could be completely avoided if you can pack your stuff on your own. 

You can procure the moving boxes from the large bookstores or libraries that are literally looking to dispose of them. Few stationery items like tapes, labels, scissors, etc., must be purchased to help you with quick and easy packing. Self-packing can help you keep a track of items you pack and also save money. 

4. Consider heavy shipping items like books 

Heavy items such as books take up a lot of space and bear heavyweight. It will be a clever step if you decide just to use UPS or FedEx to ship them to your new destination. Your movers and packers would charge you much more than these shippers. Once again, just compare the costs so that you have a better insight into the actual cost. 

5. Shared moving is another good way to save money

Not many are aware of the option of shared moving. It is a clever way to help you cut down the cost of your move. If you are planning a long-distance move, then you can use the services of a shared load moving company. These companies usually have large freight trailers that can haul huge household items in large numbers at one go.

Understandably, it would take a little extra time compared to a dedicated mover company, but it surely helps to save a lot of money. If you are not in a hurry, then availing of the services of a shared load moving company would be a clever decision.

Concluding Thoughts

Moving can take a financial toll on many, and therefore, one must plan to save wherever and however they can. There are numerous ways by which you can save money on relocation. 

However, this write-up focused on some of the smartest shortlisted ways to help you cut moving costs and save money. Hopefully, the details of this article help you save on your move and make your relocation simpler. 

What to Do When You Think You Have Mold in Your Home

Mold is a type of fungus that releases spores into the air that can be harmful to people with allergies or asthma. The first thing is to review what mold looks like and where it is usually found in your home so that you can then start inspecting it. Next, make sure that the moisture problem has been dealt with because mold will not grow without moisture. After that, find out if there has been any structural damage done by water or other moisture problems by contacting a contractor to assess the property. Finally, it will be helpful if the residents of the house who are on medication for asthma or allergies do not try to deal with the mold removal on their own as this could lead to an allergy attack when exposed to the mold. It is best to call in a mold expert.

Mold is a potential health hazard, but it can be hard to know whether or not we are dealing with mold at home. It is important to inspect the area and make sure that the mold spores were not introduced by outside sources. If you believe you do have signs of mold in your home, then it's time to take action.

Create an Environment That Can Help Kill Any Existing Mold

This means opening windows and making sure moisture isn't trapped in any parts of the house. Also, scrub down any surfaces that might have been exposed to water or moisture before they dry out--this includes floors, vents, window frames, sinks, and countertops. If these steps do not work, then experts recommend removing all porous items from the area and discarding them.

Hire a Professional for Inspection and Removal of Mold

Mold can grow and thrive in moist environments, and it is important to remove it as soon as possible before it spreads. Contact a local company, like 1-800-BUSY-DOG, to safely handle the mold. A professional will be able to find the source of the mold and remove any visible portions using bleach or other safe resources. In some cases, they might recommend that you replace any materials that were exposed to moisture or mold spores.

It is important to remember that some fungus types are toxic when ingested (and for some people allergic). If you have any concerns about this process or about your personal medical history, consult your physician before deciding whether or not to engage in this process.