It's ok to live in a disaster zone

I feel so often that people expect your to be perfect all the time. Well my home is normally organized and clean. But currently it looks like this:

Drawers, Drawers, Drawers

    So many drawers in one house!  I'm speaking of cabinet drawers and furniture drawers. My drawers were located mainly in the Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Living Room, and Office I've been taking an drawer a weekend and  removing it if possible. Dusting it and/or wiping it out and then reorganizing. I did not think it was going to be a "serious" undertaking, and then I realized that some things were extremely dusty and almost gross. I can't even believe I was living with that much dirt.

 This story has a happy ending. This is a great and easy (once a week, or as may you choose to do more) project which you can do in advance of your move. Happy cleaning!

Immediate Open Tub or Box

This is a key box  to create and keep in your vehicle when you move.

I have a tub full of cleaning supplies and bar minimum stocking the house supplies for the new house. You never know when you'll have to clean the home before they bring your furniture.

Cleaning Supplies you will need:

•  3 gallon bucket
•  Mop
•  Lysol 
• Windex
• 409 cleaner
• Murphy's Oil Soap
• Pledge Wood Polish
• Sponges and/or rags
• 2 or 3 sets of gloves
• Dust pan
• Broom (Apparently its bad luck if you bring an old broom.)
• Paper Towels
•  Enough rolls of toilet paper and hand soap for each bathroom  
• 3 Trash Bags

Household items you should have with you:

• Paper Plates and Cups
• Can Opener
• Bottle opener and Corkscrew
• Colander
• Pot and Pan 
• Appropriate Cooking Utensils 
• Toaster
• Crockpot 
• Knife
• Small Cutting Board
• Plastic Silverware
• Small Tool Kit
• Scissors and or Box Cutter
• Light Bulbs
• Air Mattress and Pump
• Linens for Air Mattress
• Flash Light

Bathroom things:
We both pack a towel or two in our luggage and our shower supplies are packed along with us.

Moving articles from SpouseBuzz

I love researching moving and I found some pretty fabulous articles that I thought I should share.

Movers are our friends. How to be nice to the movers with these easy tips.

Top 10 PCS Don't.   Love these very funny!

Operation Empty Freezer we're currently trying to start this in my own home.  I want to have an empty pantry when we move!

Rental Deposit Dilemma  Great read so important for the first time mover!


Plan My Move Great for the person who's having a hard time getting started!   Here's the plan my move website http://apps.militaryonesource.mil/MOS/f?p=PMM:ENTRY:0



Happy moving!

Realtor Rental Inquiry Letter

So I decided since wanted to start creating  a bond between a realtor or two I should send out a introductory letter.  Here was what I sent them.

W. A.  Martin

123 Easy Street  

Tucson, AZ 85712

(***)-123-4567

Dear Sir or Ma’am,

In late May or early June my husband and I will be moving to the Pensacola area. I’m seeking information on when is the best time to start looking at rentals and signing a lease. I noticed that last year the rental homes close to NAS Pensacola went very quickly by the end of June. I would like to ensure that I am able to rent a clean single family home, and my goal is to beat the post graduation and commissioning rush. 

At this point we do not plan on taking a house hunting trip to Pensacola.  The majority of our leg work will be done via the internet, email, and phone calls. We will be looking to rent a home in the zip codes of 32507 and 32506.  We’re looking to sign a 6-12 month lease with a military clause. 

What we are looking for is a single family rental home with a minimum of 1,100+ sq. feet, 3 bedrooms (or 2 bedrooms and an office), and 2 bathrooms. Our price point is $650-$950, but we would like to be around $850.  We have two dogs (2 and 3 yrs old) both of which are crate trained and we would prefer a fenced yard.  We have a letter of recommendation for our dogs from our current property manager.

I would appreciate any information you can give me on the the Pensacola area.

Thank you for your time,

Whitney A. Martin

InsertEmailAddress@gmail.com

I got fabulous replies back. We'll be starting our major house hunting in March. Hoping for great success.

Renting

Renting a home from the other side of the country via a source online is a scary thing. During our most recent move we had an idea of where we wanted to live, but we didn't find a living arrangement on our trip there. I spent hours searching online at local property management websites and craigslist.org . We eventually found a place on craigslist.org and its pretty wonderful.

I've been introduced to a national website www.zillow.com and its a fabulous place to start your research.  One thing I like about Zillow is that the property manager normally have their links at the bottom of page, thus making it easier to get in touch with them. If your move is many months in advance you can start your search 8-6 weeks out by emailing property managers your needs (bedrooms, bathrooms, pets, fenced yard, etc).

Some property managers are less than truthful or don't take care of their property. Things to look for in photos:
-Time Stamp (if the photo is more than 3 months old ask for more recent photos and or a video walk through).
-Broken items (I've seen so many photos with broken cabinets, cracked windows, or mirrors). I truly believe that if a property manager takes care of their property they will not take photos and post the property until its ready.
-Trash in the yard or on property. My current property manager has a someone come do the front lawns every week. I rarely see any trash on the drive or in the lawns.

The Neighborhood:
Take a digital walk in the neighborhood. Using Google maps you can take a digital walk through the neighborhood. Things I looked for are the cars similar or nicer than yours, if not then you'll have the nice car in the neighborhood and could be a target. Find out the rent of other similar home in the area. Check the crime rate many websites this function.

It's important to have phone numbers, fax, and a physical location for the property manager. If it sounds to good to be true it probably is. Beware of scam artists.

Renters Insurance

Soap Box on the Importance of Renters Insurance

If you don't have renters insurance you need it. Please get some today! It doesn't cost very much a year. Ours is cheaper than our the upgrade on our internet a month.

 Benefits of Renters Insurance:

• Protection in case of fire, vandalism, and other disasters.
• What if your toilet explodes while your out on a date and you come home to a pool in your house? Yep, insurance covers that!
• Coverage of personal possessions during shipment (moving) or storage.
• Travel (luggage and other items can be covered in some policies)
• Legal protection if someone is injured on your property and decided to sue. 
• Get started by knowing your possessions and how much you own. http://www.knowyourstuff.org

 Best wishes!  Get your things insured so you know that they covered currently just in case of disasters and for the future when you move. Accidents happen when you move especially when you DITY or with movers they aren't always extremely careful with your things.

Edit 8/12/2012

I have my nice jewelry on "riders". Most insurance only covers $2,500 for jewelry or less. Its really important to have your nice pieces such as engagement rings, diamond earrings, heirloom pieces, and whatever you have covered for their replacement value.