THE REAL ESTATE POST Connecting Buyers & Sellers in Tampa Bay

Uprooting your life is not fun let’s face it.  It’s an exhausting process that takes time during the day to coordinate and leaves you disenchanted when you get home to all the boxes and transition happening around you.  We ALL go through it now and again.  I’m personally experiencing a move right now.  As a Realtor®, there is a sense of pride I had at the beginning of all of this.  In my mind I thought I should be able to whip this up in a jiffy… ummm… NO.  This time it is overwhelming having a 3-year old and my in-laws living with us on top of working evenings and weekends.  Even though the move is only seven minutes away, the to-do list is growing and it’s been a real eye-opener for how I can help make buying or selling a home a little easier for my customers.  I’ve been researching, taking copious notes, and creating forms.  Here are my suggestions for making your Tampa real estate move easy, organized, and stressless.

1) YOUR KIDS:  Let’s start here.  Buy your kids a book about moving as soon as possible.  Transition for children can be stressful and they want to know what is going on.  Involve your children in the home buying and home moving process as much as possible.  I bought my daughter the Berenstain Bears Moving Day book.  As a side note and speaking from experience, I do not recommend moving a younger child during the last semester of a school year.  If you can avoid it, plan your move over the summer or fall before children can establish close friendships.

2) MATERIALS:  Go to LOWE’s and buy boxes, tape, sharpies, and heavy-duty black garbage bags.  LOWE’s has a fantastic resource on their website for moving guides, coupons, and more.  I also used Crayola finger paints to color code the boxes.  You can also use 2-3 cans of spray paint for quick marking.

3) ELIMINATE:  Forget the garage sale; they take too much time for little return with everything you will have going on.  Purge!  Less is more and you’ll want to create a new environment in your new place anyway.  If you haven’t used the item in a year, thought about it in six months, or know it won’t be useable where you are going- donate, ditch, or document.  I suggest doing this twice over two weekends.  On the first pass, it will be hard to let go but after a week of thinking about all the things you have to move the second pass should be much easier.  If this is really hard to do, just watch an episode of Hoarders and you can pick it right back up again!  You’ll need to declutter anyway before you list your home to sell in Tampa.  When I say document I mean take a few photos of the object to sell on Tampa Craig’s List or eBay.  Price to sell the pieces or objects, not to keep them.  If you prefer to have the Salvation Army pick up the items you can schedule a pick-up online now which is very helpful!  http://www.satruck.org/search.  I tried to coordinate the pick-ups for Craig’s List to be on the same day.  It was a fantastic organized Tampa Craig’s List garage sale where they moved it and I got paid.

4) REALTOR:  Hire an organized and reputable Realtor® that practices open communication (me?) to market your home and guide you through the tedious transaction details.  My blog, www.TheRealEstatePost.com, is a resource to accompany the services my partner and I offer.  You might also enjoy the real estate Buyer’s Guide that is available here as well.

5) ORGANIZE:  Designate a box or drawer to all things pertaining to the sale of your home like paperwork, past survey and title, association documents, keys, remotes, warranties, before photos, etc.  I also recommend making a list for the new owner of all the contractors you use that you love.  I am sure your current vendor would appreciate the continued service and they already know the home.

6) MOVERS:  Call for mover quotes AFTER your home has been purged.  The more they see the more they will quote you.  A move on Monday through Thursday will save you more.  Your Tampa Realtor® can make local recommendations for professional and insured movers.  Tampa Bay PODS or Tampa UHaul are great DIY moving options.

7) PACKING:  Once you are under contract on a home you should begin phasing your move.  Start with the attic, garage, and yard.  You won’t need these things for a while and they can easily be moved first on the truck.  Use paint or spray paint to color code the boxes once they are packed.  Make sure to label the room the box will go to.  I invested one day in each paint category.  Here is how I organized my boxes:

• BLUE for seasonal items and things that are rarely used and found in the attic and garage.
• PURPLE for items that can stay in storage until I’m settled in like decorative pieces, drapes, candles, books, and games.
• ORANGE for items that you’ll need upon moving in like laundry, kitchen, extra bedding, kids toys, extra shoes/bags, and pet items.
• RED for items you’ll still be using and will need throughout the final days and moving in.  These boxes can be taped up and ready but not filled until the night before or morning of your move.  Use the garbage can to store the mops, brooms, etc.
• Items for your car-  A full tank of gas, your real estate documents, pet food, jewelry, computers, art, plants, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, and 2-3 days of clothes in your suitcases.  Oh, and don’t forget your cell phone chargers and laptop cables!

8 ) NEW NEIGHBOR BRUNCH:  Not necessary by any means but I’ve put a few of these together and they are so wonderful!  If you are the Seller, this can be as easy as a party box of fresh brewed coffee from Buddy Brew on Kennedy Ave with a box of donuts or bagels.  Send an email or invite to your neighbors to join you one weekend morning to meet their new neighbors.  Quick, easy, and a wonderful gesture!

9) ADDRESS CHANGE:  This will take some time to do.  A few companies to notify include insurance, credit cards, web/email billing accounts, and don’t forget to put your Netflix account on hold.  You will need to update your driver’s license asap or you will pay a hefty fine if pulled over.  Notify your employer of your new address.  Prepare an email draft to your friends/family with your new move.  Re-order checks from your bank (if you still use checks).  You can easily access the change of address form from the USPS by clicking here and for $1 they will make account change on whichever date you select.

10) USE WHAT YOU’VE GOT:  Don’t go buy food or cleaning products.  Eliminate your pantry and freezer contents.  Don’t forget to let the fridge defrost with the doors open at least 24 hours before the movers come.

11) TRANSFER YOUR UTILITIES:  Roughly 4-5 days before you close on your home you’ll need to get your accounts set up with the utility companies.  If you are new to the area they will most likely require a large deposit from you.  Here is a link to the utility companies in Tampa Bay.

12) MAKE IT MEMORABLE:  Moving your home is a BIG deal and should be a special experience.  Our senses are heightened during this time so take advantage!  For me, fragrance is important to memorialize an event or change.  Whenever my husband and me take a trip I make sure to buy a new perfume, lotion, or candle to mark the occasion.  I use it throughout the experience so I can quickly reflect back to it when I want to.  Candles, a tea, engraved notecards with a story… there are many ideas.  Even a last photograph of the home to keep.

13) HOMESTEAD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES:  If you are making a local move don’t forget to apply for Hillsborough County homestead exemption.  This will save you money and protect your primary residence from high tax increases.  You might also be eligible to take advantage of the one time portability transfer!  Here is the form to change your address.

I’ve tried to make this guide as useful as I can to make a Tampa real estate move easy as pie.  I’ll most likely make updates over the next few weeks as I work through it first hand.  If I can help you with your move please let me know! Best wishes!  ~Sophia