Getting ready to move can be overwhelming to say the least! Earlier this week, we gave you a few tips on making Moving Day a little less stressful. Now we’ve got a checklist for you to help you stay on track! From cleaning, to packing, and everything in between, here’s what you need to remember when you’re getting ready to move:
CLEAN THE NEW HOME
Our #1 recommendation is to clean the home you are about to move in to. It is the only time that the home is vacant and ready for a full cleaning. Clean things like cabinets, drawers, corners of closets, window, lights, etc. Most homes are cleaned before you move in – but if not, make sure you take a couple hours to put the elbow grease in before you pile all of your things in the home.
PACK SOME ESSENTIALS
Pack a box or bag of essentials that you will need the next few days after the move. Things to include: a few changes of clothes, kitchen utensils, towels, sheets, a can opener, electronic and phone chargers… anything you might need for a few days while everything else you own in still in a box! The last thing you want to do is dig through a dozen boxes to find these little essentials. Also, keep a folder handy that has your most important papers in it, so it is easily accessible in the event you needed to get to them quickly (this helps keeps them safe, too).
SORT AND SELL ITEMS
About 6 weeks before you move, start sorting and selling items. This will allow you enough time to coordinate, de-clutter, and organize. Moving is a perfect time to get organized!
START PACKING
Pack one box at a time. Remember to designate an area or box/bag for trash, donations, any additional things you will be selling and things you are giving to 
family or friends. Remember to label your boxes clearly. Packing and labeling them by room is a great start, and label boxes on their sides, as you will most likely be stacking them. It also helps to make a list of what is in each box if you are considering storing your boxes after moving.
TAKE PHOTOS
If you are disassembling electronics or furniture, do yourself a big favor and take a picture of it BEFORE you take it apart. This will really help when you go to put things back together! This time saving trick will save you lots of frustration, too.
CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS
Change your address with everyone! There is nothing worse than ordering something great on Amazon and it getting sent to your old address. Think of all of your online ordering sites, banks, PayPal, credit cards and of course your family and friends – you don’t want to miss out on the yearly birthday card from Grandma!
Moving is an exciting time, full of anticipation of what the future holds in your new home. Take it one step at a time, prepare to be successful, and you will find that moving is not as hard as you think!
For additional tips, tricks, and moving hacks, check out The JS Realty Team Pinterest Page!
Don’t forget to Contact Us today for a FREE, no-obligation consultation!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia
The day has finally arrived – it’s moving day! You have accomplished your goal of buying a home and now reality is setting in. Packing up and moving your belongings can be a stressful event. Good preparation and planning will help minimize the stress.
One fabulous benefit of moving is that it’s a great time to purge your home. The more you purge the less you have to pack! So it saves you time and money in moving expenses. If you haven’t worn or used an item in the last 6 months, donate it! There are many great charities that will take unwanted clothes, books, furniture and anything else you don’t need or use. The JS Realty Team uses 
Now that you have reduced the amount of unneeded items in your possession, it is time to organize your new home! If everything has a place then it is easier to keep your new home organized. There are many resources out there to help you organize every corner of your home. From the garage to the Master Bedroom closet you will be amazed at how a little planning and a few organizational tools can help you make the best use of the space you have. 
Seems like this would be a pretty easy question to answer, but it really depends on the state that you are closing in, and how that state handles defining the term “settled”, or when escrow has occurred. Most often this has to do with the way the money is funded and disbursed, and how the Deed (the paper work that deems you are the owner of the property) is recorded and recognized in your state. Since we are located in 
the Seller to sell their home and then buy their next home. Physically, though, this can be a real challenge. Offering the Seller to stay a couple of extra days after settlement could be just what they need to make selling their home to you easier. In this case, you (the Buyer) will be offering a “rent back”. This is done through a signed agreement (a Post-Settlement Occupancy Agreement) that states they will stay in the home for a specified period of time, for a certain amount of money, and will be exiting the property on a specified date.
So does this mean you get keys or not? In most cases the Seller will agree to give you one set of keys with the understanding you will not need to access the property until the specified date that they will be exiting the property. Once they have exited the property you will be able to re-inspect the home and take possession based on the terms in which you both agreed to. This is pretty common and often occurs with little to no issues.
Technically it is, however we often do not recommend it due to many various risk factors that could make this a bad idea for both the Buyer and the Seller. There is a possibility that something unforeseen happens and the deal does not go through at the last minute. Or worse, if something tragic happens to the home while the Buyer is occupying it and the Seller is still the owner. This would create a potential insurance nightmare. The reasons this could be a bad idea are numerous, however if you and the Seller are prepared to face these risk and are able to come to mutual agreeable terms, this is an option and does occur from time to time. It would be similar to the “rent back” method and it is called a Pre-Settlement Agreement.
day of the settlement in the event something unforeseen causes a delay.