moving

Why It Makes Sense To Move Before Spring

February 28, 2023 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Spring is usually the busiest season in the housing market. Many buyers wait until then to make their move, believing it’s the best time to find a home. However, that isn’t always the case when you factor in the competition you could face with other buyers at that time of year. If you’re ready to buy a home, here’s why it makes sense to move before the spring market picks up.

Why It Makes Sense to Move Before Spring

Spring Should Bring a Wave of Buyers to the Market

In most years, the housing market goes through predictable seasonal trends in activity. Winter is typically a quiet point in the year, while spring sees a surge of buyers begin their search. And experts project that this year will be no exception.

Right now, buyer demand is low due to a combination of normal seasonal trends and a reaction to last year’s rise in mortgage rates. But rates have started to come down since last November, which has more and more potential buyers planning to jump into the market. That means right now is a sweet spot if you’re in a good position to buy, before more buyers reappear. Affordability is beginning to improve, but demand is still low — for now. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), shares:

“…expect sales to pick up again soon since mortgage rates have markedly declined after peaking late last year.”

If you’re ready to buy a home, right now is the best time to do so before your competition grows and more buyers enter the market.

Today’s Sellers Are Motivated

Low demand from buyers often means sellers are more motivated to work with you, and that can set you up to buy a home on your terms. In fact, sellers have been more willing to negotiate this winter because there are fewer buyers in the market. According to a recent article from Forbes:

“…sellers gave concessions to buyers in 41.9% of home sales in the fourth quarter of last year.”

But keep in mind, the advantages buyers have this winter won’t last forever. The competition you face could be greater if you wait until spring to make a move, and increased buyer demand means sellers will have less motivation to negotiate with you. Be sure to work with a trusted real estate professional to learn what you can expect in your local market right now.

Organize Your Move: Moving Checklist

January 10, 2020 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Whether you’re buying a home or selling your home, once you’ve left the closing table and everything is signed off on and the loan is funded, you’re going to have to move. Moving can be a bit of a crazy time for anyone – boxes everywhere, the fear of packing that one thing you know you’re going to need on the last day, the decisions of which boxes go where, the physical stress of the move – it’s a lot. Some people go it alone, some people hire the professionals, but no matter which way you decide to go, you can always benefit from a moving checklist. A simple list of what to do and when to do it. While everyone may have different items they want to add to the list, we thought a simple, basic list would help get you started. You can download a PDF of our moving checklist by clicking on the image below.

Moving Checklist – Download

Image of Kimberly Howell Properties Moving Day Checklist

Download a PDF version of our moving checklist.

image courtesy of myguys.nova

Things to Do After You Move In

April 30, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

It’s move in day! Moving into a new home is an exciting time. So much to do; trying to remember where you put your spoons or your coffee mugs, running up and down steps, paying the movers, meeting the neighbors for the first time while your hair is sticking up and you look like you just rolled out of bed, calming the cat down because she’s probably freaking out right about now…whew. You may also need to rent a storage unit if you need extra time to sort out which of your stuff to keep and which ones to let go. Who else is tired already? Now you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture, but before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first.

Change the locks. Even if you’re promised that new locks have been installed in your home, you can never be too careful. It’s worth the money to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that no one else has the keys to your home. Even if the sellers handed you all of their keys, you never know if they made one for their uncle that time he stayed for a week or the maid and their best friend has one “just in case.” Changing the locks can be a DIY project, or you can call in a locksmith for a little extra money. It’s also advisable to change the garage door code if you have a keypad entry. Not sure how to do it? Find your model and then look up the manual at ManualsLib.

Steam clean the carpets. It’s always a good idea to get a fresh start with your floors before you start decorating. The previous owners may have had pets, young children, or just some plain old clumsiness. Take the time to steam clean the carpets so that your floors are free of stains and allergens. It will also help freshen up the smell of the new place – it’s amazing how much odor gets trapped in those carpets! It’s pretty easy and affordable to rent a steam cleaner – most HEBs carry them as well as the big box hardware stores. Not in the DIY mood? Call a steam cleaning company and have them arrive before your move in day.

Call an exterminator. Prior to move-in, you probably haven’t spent enough time in the house to get a view of any pests that may be lurking. You’ve probably had a WDI inspection, but those only look for wood destroying insects. Call an exterminator to take care of any mice, insects, and other critters that may be hiding in your home. Here in South Texas we have a lot of creepy crawlies and a good, regular pest control service will help keep the insects at bay.

Clean out the kitchen. If the previous occupants wanted to skip on some of their cleaning duties when they moved out, the kitchen is where they probably cut corners. Wipe down the inside of cabinets, clean out the refrigerator, clean the oven, and clean in the nooks and crannies underneath the appliances. If you’re feeling brave, see if you can pull out appliances like the refrigerator, stove/range, and dishwasher to get under and behind those. Be careful though, those appliances may be attached and can be heavy. You might want to contact a commercial cleaning company if you need help with these tasks.

image courtesy of Genista

Moving? Call Two Men and a Truck

March 28, 2016 by Matt Stigliano Leave a Comment

Recently, I moved to a new place and hired Two Men and a Truck. I hate moving with a passion and can think of about ten million things I’d rather do. I called around to a bunch of companies, looking for someone that could haul my stuff from Point A to Point B without breaking it all. Let’s just say my last experience wasn’t so great, so I wasn’t looking forward to this one very much. After finally settling on Two Men and a Truck (based on some recommendations and their price quote), I awaited my Saturday move with my parts of the semi truck. Unfortunately, I came down with a nasty fever just days before my scheduled move and knowing there was no way I could finish packing or handle moving day with a fever and chills, I called the company to see what their cancellation policy was.

Laura Jordan, who had been handling the setup of my move, reacted quickly and got me rescheduled for the following week so that I didn’t have to pay any cancellation fees. The company gets a point for that alone. They easily could have charged me for it, but worked with me to get it all rescheduled without any hassle. After spending the weekend recovering from the plague, I awaited my new move date and packed up the last few items I had left. If you’re one decision away from moving as well, it makes a difference to hire local movers.

I moved on a Wednesday in the afternoon, so I was rushing around trying to get last minute work things done while keeping my eye on the clock to be sure I wasn’t late getting to my place for the movers. The guys were running a little late, but the Two Men and a Truck office staff called me to let me know and gave me a new estimated time of arrival. When the guys showed up, they wasted no time going through a checklist of what needed moved and any special instructions I had about some bigger items (large paintings and TVs/computer monitors). The flurry of activity that followed was unprecedented in all of the moves I’ve ever made (including several cross-country trips). The Edmonton movers didn’t stop, didn’t take a break, and didn’t pause for the next three and a half hours. From loading to unloading, they were fast, efficient, and careful with my stuff. They knew what they were doing and did it in a way that made me feel confident that nothing would be broken at the other end of the move – and that feeling was justified when I went through the various boxes and started to unpack.

Like I said, I hate moving. I hate everything about it. But if I ever move again (I hope I don’t anytime soon), I will most certainly be calling Two Men and a Truck to do so quickly, safely, and efficiently. If you’re looking for a moving company, give them a call at (210) 693-1455 or visit their website to start the process of getting a quote for your move.

image courtesy of Anthony Griffiths

Moving Day – Are You Prepared for Your Move?

February 1, 2016 by khproperties Leave a Comment

I hate moving. When I was younger, I once clocked in at 18 different places to live in under 2 years. I’ve moved cross country three times and no matter how much I prepare for it, I am filled with panic whenever I think about it. When you buy your new home or sell your old home, you know the countdown is on to moving day and soon your place will be filled with boxes and you’ll be looking at a lot of hard work ahead of you which is why you should read here about How to choose the right moving company?

Now I just get help from house removals on my moving day. Making the move is exciting, so knowing some of the secrets to a successful move can help. We thought we’d take a look at some moving advice culled from some of our agents and clients over the years.

Moving Basics

Dedicate a space in the house for important papers and valuable items. There are items that you will need when you move. Everyone has different “must have” items, but we recommend you keep IDs, wallets, keys, documents about your home, garage door openers – anything you can imagine you might need and won’t want to dig through boxes trying to find – all of these items should be placed in a safe place in your home that you designate as a no go zone. Tell the movers to not move it, tell your family to not pack it, just pick a place and make it known that no matter what, the items there are not to be touched. Call in moving experts like the ones from Sunrise Moving to help you sort your stuff. A kitchen or bathroom drawer often makes a good storage spot. Just don’t forget to grab it all as you make your final walk through of the house and walk out the door.

Keep things compartmentalized. Packing always starts the same. Careful labeling, specific items from specific rooms separated by box. Similar items packed together. As the time begins to approach, the packing begins to shift and before you know it, you have a box that contains a waffle iron, your underwear, a bottle of ketchup, and a few candles. Keeping order to the boxes and compartmentalizing your home as you pack will save you hours of digging through boxes later to find a spoon to stir your coffee with in the morning.

Use strong boxes. This might seem a little obvious, but there’s nothing worse than picking up a cheap box and watching as the bottom gives way. When it comes to glassware, dishes, or that heirloom china, make sure you use the best boxes you have. Now might even be a good time to invest a few dollars in some boxes for these delicate items.

Don’t be afraid of bubblewrap. Newspaper works great for a lot of things, but if you really worry about an item and its safety as it bounces up and down in the back of a moving truck a couple of miles across town, step up your wrapping and purchase some bubblewrap. There’s a reason you always find it in packages shipped to your home. You can find it at most big box stores and office supply stores. It’ll cost you a few bucks, but it’s better to spend a few now than to open a box of tiny fragments of something you value.

Hire someone to do the heavy lifting. While you can save money by moving on your own, some times it just makes sense to bite the bullet and pay a local moving company residential to do the work for you. Not only can you hire companies that will physically move the items, but there are plenty of companies that offer packing services. We’d recommend you buy insurance as well, as it can cover any items that do get damaged in the move. Just be sure to read all of the fine print before signing on the dotted line. Ask friends for recommendations – there are a lot of fly by night, inexpensive companies out there that are not worth the money you will spend and you’ll wind up with more headaches than wanted. If you’re looking for a recommendation for a car shipping company to help you transport your vehicles to your new place, you may see it here.

image courtesy of C1ssou