July 13, 2005
Relocation Companies in UK
Relocation, Moving or Removal Company?
A friend of mine recently moved to London and had been looking for relocation companies in UK. He told me he was having a hard time finding a reliable moving company to move his stuff. After he told me this I immediately thought that England has the same issues as the US when it comes to moving companies. After doing a little bit of research, however, I think I may have found my friends main problem; it seems that in the England, moving companies are actually called removal companies.
Now as an American, this doesn't seem to make too much sense but if you really think about it, you are not only moving your belongings, but you are also removing them from your current residence and moving them to your new home. So whether you are from the US and call it a moving company, or British and call it a removal company, it is safe to say they serve the same purpose.
Regardless of the name, you always need to be careful when hiring a relocation service or moving service. Normally, if you are being moved because of a job, the company that hired you will take care of the relocation. If, however, you are relocating or moving yourself, it is always a good idea to get a few different estimates and check the Better Business Bureau to make sure you are not going with a moving company that has a lot of complaints.
Moving is a very stressful process, especially if you are moving to or from a foreign country. The last thing you want to worry about is if your relocation company is going to show up with all your stuff. I have personally relocated 3 times, of which once was internationally, and the process never gets easier. I've had two very good experiences and one really bad experience with relocation companies. The best advice I can give is make sure you are very involved in the entire process and keep a watchful eye when your belongings are being boxed up, loaded, unloaded and unpacked. As for my friend looking for relocation companies in UK, I'm going to tell him to try removal companies or removal UK.
Posted by Dogger at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2005
Hotel Fun - Part II
Hotels have Thin Walls - Part II
Well it happened again! It seems as if I have no luck when it comes to picking hotels. After my family and I returned from dinner (we couldn't deal with the Sizzler for a second night so we found a Chinese restaurant), we gave the kids a bath and got them ready for bed. I anticipated us all turning in early because everybody seemed tired out from a long day. My kids spent the entire day in the hotel pool and my wife spent the whole chasing my daughters around the hotel pool. I didn't have a particularly hard day but I was exhausted from not getting any sleep the night before due to the fireworks in the adjacent room. We put the kids down and I finished watching the end of a program on the Discover Channel called "Deadly Catch" which was about the dangers surrounding the crabbing season.
Not being interested in the show, my wife quickly went to sleep, which left me amazed by the fact that these guys make over $100,000 in a few weeks. Any way, about 30 minutes before the show ended, I heard the hotel door close at the room next to me. Next, I heard the TV go on and the volume was turned all the way up. This by itself was enough to annoy the hell out of me, but of course it didn't stop there. If you read my entry from yesterday (Hotel Fun), I think you know what happened next.
The squeaking started out slowly; I guess you could say almost gently. I jokingly thought to myself that they might be taking it easy tonight. I was wrong. After a few minutes the pace picked up until I heard banging on the hotel wall. Just like the night before, the quick pace was accompanied by moans, or should I say acts of encouragement. I looked over at my wife and to my disbelief she was sleeping which meant she would again miss the show. The banging continued for a few more minutes until they ran out of gas. The couple must have had a long day because the hotel show didn't last quite as long and there wasn't a second act so I wasn't nearly as impressed as the night before.
The moaning and groaning was over but they forgot to turn off the TV. This kept me up for about another 15 minutes until I finally fell asleep. I guess I must have been tired because I didn't wake up until this morning, I didn't even hear my daughter who apparently got up around 3:00 am. My wife will be checking out of the hotel today as our townhouse has been deemed safe again after the fumigation. My only question is what will I do tonight without the moaning?
Posted by Dogger at 02:00 PM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2005
Hotel Fun
Hotel Walls are Thin!
My wife and I decided to go to the Four Points Sheraton hotel at the Los Angeles Airport for the two nights we had to be out of our townhouse due to the fumigation. We chose this hotel for two reasons. Number one was that it is one of the few hotels that will accept a dog over 70 pounds and number two because they have a heated pool where my kids can play.
Now to be honest with you, I didn't really have high expectations of the Hotel considering it was costing me $189 for two nights. We booked the room using Hotels.com and I think we got a pretty decent rate. My wife checked in while I was at work and called me to tell me that the place wasn't all that bad. The room was clean and she said the swimming pool was really warm (hopefully from a heater and not from all the kids swimming in it). This was a nice surprise considering the fact she usually hates going to hotels.
When I got to the hotel, it looked nice enough. After all, I'm not really picky and the room did have ESPN and ESPN 2 so I was happy. We went out for dinner to the Sizzler, yes I said Sizzler (it was the only place that was close to the hotel). This by itself was enough to make my day. I hadn't eaten at the Sizzler in probably 25 years. Where else is the menu on the wall in huge letters. We had a "nice" dinner and then went back to the hotel to get some rest. This is where the fun started. I don't know if you have ever stayed in a small hotel room with two young kids and a large dog but if you haven't, let me tell you it isn't easy. We finally got the kids cleaned up and into bed so I figured I would watch the end of the Pistons - Heat game and relax for a bit. My wife and kids quickly fell asleep and this is when the noise began. It started with the airplanes. The hotel is literally a mile from the Los Angeles Airport so you can hear every plane that lands and takes off. During the day you block the noise out because you are busy. At night, however, the noise become amplified.
If the only thing that kept me up were the airplanes, however, I would have been happy. Around 11:30 just as I was slipping into never never land, I heard the door close at the room next to us. About 15 minutes later a heard some squeaking, kind of like a headboard hitting a wall. I think you see where I am going with this one. The squeaking noise sped up to a rapid pace and was then accompanied by a women screaming catchy phrases like "come on baby" and "give it to me". Now under normal circumstances this would be pretty funny but considering my wife and 2 kids were in the room, I was kind of upset. I mean the couple had to be aware that everyone on the 3rd floor could hear them. They kept at it for about 15 minutes and then ran out of gas. I was relieved because I figured I could finally get some sleep. Wrong... About 10 minutes later I heard the squeaking noise again. Same routine. It started out slow, quickly sped up and was then followed by the same sweet voice telling her partner how much she appreciated his work. After about another 10 minutes it finally came to an end.
I figured that if they started up again, the guy should win a gold medal for hotel olympics. I think I fell asleep around 1:00 but was then woken up by my wife because I was snoring too loud. I asked here if she heard the fireworks and she innocently said no. Now whether I believe her or not is a different story, but she is a heavy sleeper. I still have one more night to go at the hotel so I will write back tomorrow if I have another interesting experience. I guess you really do get what you pay for.
Posted by Dogger at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2005
Fumigating your Home
Termite Fumigation
After we sold our home FSBO in Virginia, we moved to Santa Monica, California and decided it would be best to rent for a year. We moved into a very nice townhome about a mile from the beach. Before we signed the lease, we were informed that the townhomes were going to be fumigated in June. This didn't seem like a big deal at the time but as the date grew nearer, some papers were dropped off at our door stating we had to abandone the property for 3 days. I've had exterminators spray my home before but I had no idea what a termite fumigation involved.
The gas which is used is called Vikane Gas or Sulfuryl Fluoride and is produced by Dow AgroSciences. This stuff is so strong that the entire complex is going to be sealed off so the gas can penetrate the wood throughly and kill the termites. The complex will be sealed for up to 72 hours before they start the aeration process.
After we received the notice we decided to make a reservation at a nearby Travel Lodge. Not the best accomidations but it is a block from our house. The next thing we had to do is bag up all our food, spices and drugs in Nylofume bags. This has truely turned out to be a pain in the ass. Anything that does not have an airtight seal has to be bagged. Because we have young kids my wife has decided to put all their clothes and toys in large plastic bags as well. We are going to put the bags in the minivan just to be safe.
We are almost done putting everything in the Nylofume bags and packing up our suitcases. We have to be out of the house in two days so I will write an update as soon as we move back in the house.
Posted by Dogger at 05:35 PM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2005
Don't Forget the DirecTV
You've sold your house, set a closing date and a moving date. You're full of emotions and there are a ton of things to do between now and the time the moving van arrives. Here is a list of things you need to take care of from a services standpoint. Regardless of the service, you will need to provide a cutoff date and a start date. You usually want to stop service on the day of your closing for the property you are selling and start services a few days prior to moving on the property you are purchasing.
DirecTV & Tivo
First and foremost, don't forget your DirecTV. What could be worse then arriving at your new home and not having your DirecTV and Tivo activated? Well maybe not having electricity in your new home, after all, no electricity means no Tivo, but I am digressing. Luckily for us addicts, DirecTV has a great movers program. You simply call them up (1-877-616-MOVE), give them your info and they will schedule a time to have your service switched. Best of all, it's free (with a one-year agreement). They will bring you a new dish and include standard installation. The only thing they ask is that you have your TV's connected. I've personally used this service three times and had great service all three times. Remember that if you are moving into a Condo or any property that has a homeowners association, you need to have written permission for the installer to do the installation.
Local / Long Distance / VOIP
Depending on the distance you are moving, you may be able to transfer your current phone service and retain your phone number. If you are moving to a different county or state, you might even need to change your provider. When you call the provider of your choice (I use Verizon) they will ask you for your zip code and tell you if service is available. If you use a VOIP service such as Vonage, you don't need to do anything except check on 911 regulations.
Electricity and Gas
You usually don't have a lot of options when it comes to electricity and gas providers. There are co-op programs in some states where you can choose a different provider but I have always gone with the large gas or electricity company so I'm not sure how these work.
Garbage
Most cities offer a choice of at least 2 service providers. Waste Management is found in most states and is a good option. Pricing is usually very competitive among providers with the largest difference usually being the pick-up day.
Mail
Don't forget to forward your mail. This can be done online via USPS.com and is a very simple process. You can also go into your local post office and fill out a form. Your mail will usually be forwarded for up to a year but you will still need to contact your banks, credit card providers, magazine subscriptions and other creditors and let them know you are moving. Most of this can be done online so you don't have to spend hours on the phone.
Other considerations:
1. Water and Sewage - almost always provided by the county
2. Snow Removal - Needs to be contracted out.
3. Landscaping - Needs to be contracted out.
As always, each persons situation is a little different so this list is by no means all inclusive. I think I have covered most of the important services but may have forgotten a few. Just remember, don't forget the DirecTV.
Posted by Dogger at 07:00 PM | Comments (1)
May 22, 2005
How to market your House - FSBO
One of the main arguments a real estate agent will make against selling your house by owner is that you won't be able to list your house on the MLS (multiple listing service) and thus people (and other agents) won't be able to find your house. As I've mentioned in previous blogs on FSBO, there are certain instances when you want to definitely want to use a realtor and other times when you can try and sell your home yourself. If you want to try FSBO and listing on the MLS is a huge concern of yours, don't dispair, there are services such as salebyownerrealty and forsalebyowner.com you can use. The MLS listing, however, is only one of the many weapons you have in your arsenal. As long as you are creative and aggressive you shouldn't have too much of a problem.
Here are some of the steps you should follow to market your home:
1. You need to come up with a fact sheet. A fact sheet should include your house details, estimated taxes, your school district, a picture and anything else you want somebody to know about your property. The fact sheet is comparable to your professional resume. You need to grab the attention of whoever is looking at the fact sheet right away and want to make them schedule a visit. If these are placed outside your home,
Posted by Dogger at 09:27 PM | Comments (1)
The Home Depot Effect
This is a random entry but something that I have to get off my chest. It is what I call the "Home Depot Effect." Home Depot can be subsituted with Lowes, it just depends on your shopping preference. Actually, Home Depot can be replaced with a lot of stores if you aren't disciplined. It goes something like this:
"Honey, the (fill in the blank) broke and I want you to fix it." or "Honey, we just ran out of (fill in the blank) and we need to get some more." Let's go to Home Depot. This one request sends chills through my body. I don't have anything against Home Depot, or Lowes, or any other retail store. As a matter of fact, I love going to these places ALONE.
You see, when I go by myself, I go in, get what I want and simply leave. I fully realize that the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. My straight line starts at the car, goes to the aisle I need and then directly to the check-out counter. Ok, so it's not exactly a straight line, but it is the closest thing to it. When I go to Home Depot with my wife, the straight line turns into a maze. You wouldn't think that somebody who knows very little about home improvement would enjoy spending so much time and MONEY in a home improvement store.
Let me come clean, it really isn't the time, it is the money. I can't remember the last time I went to a Home Depot with my wife and spent less than $100. If I need plywood, I buy the plywood and leave. If I go with my wife, she suddenly remembers all the things she needs. Case and point, our townhouse is being fumigated for termites so my wife wanted to go buy some heavy duty garbage bags to put my kids toys in before they go into storage. I tried to convince her that we could buy these bags at the local supermarket but she insisted on going to Home Depot. Here is the final tally on our shopping cart:
1. 55 gallon garbage bags
2. AA Batteries
3. 10 air freshners
4. 1 large coke, french fries and a burger (Yes there is a McDonalds at the local Home Depot).
5. A Barbie-Princess beach chair
6. Floor cleaner
7. Vaccum bags
8. Light bulbs
9. Air filters
10. Welcome mat
I think you see where I am going with this. Total was $114. Now if I would have gone by myself, the total would have been $14 and I could have saved $100. It's not that we didn't need everything we bought, it's just that I wasn't planning on buying all those things. It's all about your mindset. If you go into Home Depot knowing you need to buy all these things, you aren't upset when the cash register rings up $114. It's when you're expecting to spend $10 and you spend $200 that you have to start wondering. I guess the one good thing that has come from getting this issue of my chest is that I now accept the fact I will never spend less than $100 when I go to Home Depot with my wife. Now that I have accepted the fact, maybe I can get over the "effect".
Posted by Dogger at 04:38 PM | Comments (1)
May 17, 2005
FSBO - Lights, Music & Cookies
Setting the Mood
Ever notice that when you go to view a house all the lights are usually on? Well it is for a very good reason. If you sell your house using an agent, they will always make sure the house is full of light before they show it. When you sell your house by owner, you will not have the agent taking care of the last second details for you. This blog will be short but very important. Today we are going to talk about setting the mood and making sure you have a successful FSBO experience.
You've fixed up the home, mowed the lawn, put up the for sale signs, put the ads in the paper and now you are ready to show the house. Here are some tips to make sure your showing is a success and that people leave your house with the desire to return:
1. When people enter your home, ask them if they would prefer to walk around by themselves or have you show them around. Most of the time if they are accompanied by a real estate agent, they will want you to leave. If you have children or a dog, make sure they are not present.
2. Turn on all the lights, yes even if it is a sunny day. You don't want people to walk into a dark, gloomy atmosphere. The more light, the better.
3. Put on some soft music. If you have an old traditional or colonial home, you may want to put on some classical music. If you have a more modern home, some light jazz or blues might do the trick. Try and cater to the type of buyer you home is attracting.
4. Make sure the house smells good. My wife likes to burn Yankee candles.
5. Put out some fresh baked cookies. I thought this was stupid at first but my wife insisted. I was shocked at the number of people who took one and then commented how good they were. This works great if the people looking at the house have kids.
6. Make sure the house does not appear cluttered. If you have a lot of family photos or pictures, put them out of sight. When somebody is looking at your house, they are trying to picture themselves living there. If they are constantly reminded that other people live there, they might have a hard time.
Well there you have it. Short and sweet. There may be more things you should do but these are the ones that really important. If you follow these tips, your FSBO experience should be a huge success.
Posted by Dogger at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2005
Basement Water Damage - Waterproofing & FSBO
Basement Water Damage - The Causes
Before you put your house on the market you need to make sure it is in good condition. Good condition can be defined in many ways. At a minimum, good condition means your house will pass inspection. One of the things a good inspector will look for is water damage in the basement. If you have basement water, moisture or dampness problems, you will need to have these fixed before you can sell your home. You are much better off getting the problem fixed by having your basement waterproofed prior to putting your house on the market. The last thing you want to happen is to have the buyer back out of the deal because his inspector finds water damage in the basement. Water damage can come in many forms but there are four basic reasons that cause this type of damage. Today I will discuss in detail these causes.
The first is surface water. Water that accumulates on or near the surface can penetrate the foundation walls and find its way into your basement via seams, gaps and cracks. The cause of this is usually gutters and downspouts that no longer function or from a reverse grade. If you see puddles forming near your house every time it rains, you need to fix the problem.
The next cause is footing drains. The footing drain is the drainage system that is found around the perimeter of your foundation below the basement floor level. This drain is designed to get rid of excess water that accumulates at the bottom of the foundation. This system can fail over time as a result of clogging. If this happens, water can build around the exterior perimeter creating pressure. This water has to go somewhere and will usually force its way into openings found at the base of the foundation where the floor and the wall come together.
The third cause is vapor transmission. The materials that are used in building foundations are porous. Because of this, water vapor can move from the coolness of the soil found under your foundation into the warmer environment found in your basement. This is one of the main reasons that vapor barriers are required. Any damage to your vapor barrier can cause damage to your foundation.
The last cause (which happens to be one of the most common) of water damage to your basement is humidity. During the summer, warm, humid air will enter your basement. As this air cools and shrinks, the relative humidity found in your basement will increase. When this cool air comes in contact with your cooler concrete walls or cold water pipes, it will inevitably condense. The condensing water will then fall onto your floor from the pipes or drip down the concrete wall causing damage over time.
So there you have it, the four most common causes of basement water damage. Now that we have discussed the causes, tomorrow I will tell you how to identify water damage and what some of the solutions are.
Posted by Dogger at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2005
For Sale by Owner - House Appraisal
FSBO - How do you appraise your house
The first part of the FSBO discussion focused on time constraints and the attractiveness of your home. Today we will dig a little deeper and discuss how to actually sell your home. Remember, my intention with this blog is to help you determine if you have what it takes to sell your own home. Selling your home by owner takes a lot of time and energy and is definitely not for everybody. There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a real estate agent to do the work for you. It definitely takes a lot of the potential stress away. Real Estate agents, however, do not work for free and their fees come directly from your profit.
Lets say you have sufficient time to sell your home and you honestly believe your house is sellable. You qualify (as far as I am concerned) to try and sell your home FSBO. The next thing you need to do is develop a game plan. Today we will discuss how you determine how much your home is worth.
How much is your home worth and what will your asking price be? This is probably the single most important factor in selling your home. If your asking price is too high you run the risk of having your home sit on the market for months. If your asking price is too low, you are basically giving away potential profit. So how do you find the sweet spot? There are at least two ways to figure this out. One will cost you money and the other willnot. If there are other homes in your neighborhood for sale that are similar to yours (square footage, year built, overall condition) you want to price your home in line with those homes. A good measuring stick is to calculate the cost per square foot. If the other homes in your neighborhood are selling for $100 per square foot and you are at $120 you are probably priced too high. I say probably because there could be good reasons behind you asking for more. If your house has wood floors and crown molding while the other homes do not, you may be justified in asking for more. Again, you need to investigate. Go to some open houses in your neighborhood to get an idea. If there aren't any similar homes for sale you will want to have a professional come in and do an appraisal. This will cost you but your peace of mind is well worth the expense. I don't want to endorse any sites but you can find an appraiser by looking in your local yellow pages or by simply Googling Home Appraisal. Using an appraiser is the best way to insure that your asking price is reasonable. Another good way to find an appraiser is to ask friends if they can recommend somebody.
Now that you have your price, you need to market your house. This is where things get fun so we will leave this topic for tomorrow.
Posted by Dogger at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)
For Sale by Owner
For Sale by Owner- Do you have what it takes?
To FSBO or not to FSBO, that really is the question. Before you can move across the country, you need to sell your house, that is, if you own a home. I think most people who sell a home wonder if they could sell their house by owner. After all, who likes to pay a 6% commission to somebody they don't really know. Unfortunately, the majority of people selling their home feel that it is an extremely difficult and time consuming process. This belief is what ultimately makes them hire a real estate agent. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against real estate agents. As a matter of fact, I have a good friend in Virginia who is an agent. In some instances, you really do need to hire a real estate agent. Lets try and get to the bottom of this and figure out if you have what it takes to sell your home FSBO or if you are better off hiring somebody who sells homes for a living.
The first question you need to ask yourself is do you have enough time to sell your home. Let me clarify this. When I ask if you have enough time, I'm referring to how much time do you have before you have move out of your current home? People move for a number of reasons, some desirable and some not-so desirable. If you have to move quickly, you probably want to hire a real estate agent. If you have a few months, you might want to try and sell your home by owner. Both times I have sold my house FSBO, I have had roughly a 2 month cushion. If I would have had less time, I probably would have hired an agent. Selling your home, regardless how you do it, can add a lot of stress to an already stressful life. If you are on a tight timeline and try and sell your house by owner, you may be biting off more than you can chew to save some money. This is why sufficient time is my number one consideration.
So lets say you have plenty of time to sell your home. The next question you have to ask is how sellable is my house? I think this question can be easily answered, here are some considerations:
1. Do you live in a desirable area? Lets see, is your house in a good school district or does your neighborhood make the 10:00 news for the wrong reasons?
2. Are there other houses for sale in your neighborhood? A good way to generate traffic for your house is to put your for sale sign close to other for sale signs (hopefully from real estate agents). Let other people do the heavy lifting for you.
3. Is your house the most expensive in the neighborhood? You have probably heard the saying that you never want to have the most expensive house on the block, well, this is almost always true. Normally, the more expensive your house relative to the ones surrounding it, the harder it is to sell. If this is your situation, you might need an agent.
4. Is your house in good condition? Do you have a fresh coat of paint on the shutters or are they ready to fall off? Is the grass cut and are the bushes trimmed or do you have tumbleweeds rolling though the front lawn? Do you have Berber carpeting or shag carpeting from the 60s? I think you see where I am going with this. I will go into greater detail about basic home improvements in a different Blog.
5. How much are you asking for your home? If your house costs $750,000, you need to attract a different type of buyer. These buyers always have agents and these agents are used to dealing with certain types of selling agents. I guess what I am trying to say is that the more expensive your house, the more difficult it is to sell by owner.
Well, we have covered the fist two steps in successfully selling your house by owner. As you can see, it is all about asking yourself some questions and then answering them honestly. I will cover the remaining FSBO steps in the days to come.
Posted by Dogger at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)