7 Tips for Moving With Pets

Moving with pets is stressful – for you and for them. Check out these seven tips for moving with pets to make the whole process more successful.

7 Tips for Moving With Pets

Your pets, whether they’re dogs, cats, birds, reptiles or something more exotic, can easily get stressed out during your move. Use these seven tips to make things easier on all of you:

Get your pet used to being in a crate.
Keep your pets away from the moving action.
Prepare an overnight kit for your pet.
Hand-carry all your vet records.
Transport your pet in his or her crate.
Keep your pet confined to one or two rooms in the new house for a while.
Give your pet extra love (and treats).

#1. Get your pet used to being in a crate.

Long before moving day, make sure your pet is used to his or her crate. You can do this by leaving the crate open for a week, letting your pet explore at-will. After that, place your pet’s food and water inside the crate – and when he or she becomes comfortable in there, you can practice closing the door with your pet inside.

#2. Keep Your Pets Away From the Moving Action

On moving day, confine your pet to one empty room in the house – a room that you’ve already removed all the furniture from. Be sure to put your pet’s bed, favorite toys, litter box and plenty of food and water inside.

Keep the door closed until it’s time to leave for the last time. This minimizes your pet’s chance of escape.

#3. Prepare an overnight kit for your pet.

Put together an overnight kit for your pet, just like you have for yourself and your other family members. Include food, medications, favorite toys and supplies (like extra litter).

#4. Hand-carry all your vet records.

You don’t want to risk losing track of your pet’s proof of vaccination and other medical records, so hand-carry them in the front seat of your car or in your overnight kit.

#5. Transport your pet in his or her crate.

The safest way to transport a pet is in his or her crate. If your pet is too big to transport in a crate in your car, talk to your veterinarian about special dog seat belts, which are available at most pet supply stores.

Related: How to Hire the Right Moving Company

#6. Keep your pet confined to one or two rooms for a while.

Once you arrive at the new house, it’s tempting to let your pet go room by room to explore – but that can be a lot more stressful than it looks. Keep your pet confined to one room at first, and when he or she starts to get comfortable, you can let your four-legged family member explore another room. It takes time for pets to adjust, so be patient when giving your pet access to the rest of the house.

#7. Give your pet extra love (and treats).

Who doesn’t love extra love and treats? Your pet might not seem stressed about the move, but even if he or she is fine, extra TLC offers plenty of benefits for everyone involved.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Orlando?

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How to Hire the Right Moving Company When You Sell Your House in Orlando

Moving is hard work – and if you’re like most people, you’ve at least considered hiring a moving company to come in and tackle it all for you.

If that’s the road you’re going down, check out these tips on how to hire a great moving company you can trust with your most treasured possessions.

How to Hire the Right Moving Company

We’ve all heard horror stories about people who have chosen the wrong moving company, but that doesn’t have to happen to you. Read these tips on how to hire the right moving company and you’ll be off to a great start:

Check license and insurance
Read moving reviews
Get an in-house estimate
Know that cheaper doesn’t mean better

Check License and Insurance

Checking a company for licensure and insurance is the most basic thing you need to do. Moving companies typically have to have state licenses, and a good moving company won’t hesitate to show you theirs. If you’re tackling an out-of-state move, you’ll need to hire a moving company that has a designation from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Read Moving Reviews

Before you make any decisions, you need to read what other people are saying about the moving companies you’re considering. You’ll need to check star ratings, of course, but you also want to read actual reviews – and companies with more reviews can give you a better picture of what to expect. In addition to Google reviews, you can also use things like Angie’s List, Home Advisor and Thumbtack.

Remember, too, that nothing beats a word-of-mouth recommendation. Talk to family and friends to find out what moving companies they used and whether they were happy with the service they received.

Get an In-House Estimate

Nobody can give you an accurate estimate on time or money without coming into your home and having a look around. A lot of people underestimate just how much stuff they have, which means a professional mover needs to stop by to figure out how much the move will cost you and how long it’ll take.

Know That Cheaper Doesn’t Mean Better

As with most other things in life, you get what you pay for when you hire a moving company. You’ll usually pay more for a company that uses good packing materials (as opposed to cheap packing materials, which put your “stuff” at risk) and good, hard workers.

You don’t have to hire a full-service crew, either. You can rent your own truck and hire helpers separately.

Are You Selling Your Home in Orlando?

If you’re selling your home in Orlando, call us at 407-529-4621 or get in touch with us online to find out how we’ll market it to all the right buyers.

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3 Moving Tips to Save You Time and Money

If you’re buying a home for sale in Orlando, there’s a big move in your future – and these three tips can save you quite a bit of time and money.

3 Moving Tips to Save You Time and Money

Whether you decide to move yourself or hire a moving company to handle the job, there are plenty of ways you can save time and money – but three of our favorite tips are:

Start early and work often
Get rid of what you don’t need
Work from lists

Moving Tip #1: Start Early and Work Often

As soon as you find out you’re moving, get to work. If you’re hiring movers, get a date. If you’re doing it yourself, start picking up boxes, packing paper and tape. You’ll be able to pack smarter after you follow Tip 2.

Plan to spend a day packing each room, and give yourself extra time for rooms that have delicate or fragile items.

Moving Tip #2: Get Rid of What You Don’t Need

Make a trip through each room. What haven’t you used in a year? Six months? If there are items hanging around and taking up space, ask yourself if you need them in your new place or if you’d rather have the money from selling them (or the satisfaction from donating them).

The more items you get rid of before the move, the less you’ll have to unpack in the new house – and you’ll have the freedom to change things up a bit in your new home, too.

Moving Tip #3: Work From Lists

Moving requires a lot of work, and it’s really easy to forget important things. Making a checklist or printing this one can make sure you’re on the right track for a smooth move.

Book your moving truck or schedule your movers
Pick up packing supplies
Have high-value items insured
Organize school records if you have kids
File your change of address with the post office
Notify important parties (like creditors and magazine subscriptions)
Forward your medical records to your new provider, or at least obtain copies of them for yourself
Refill your prescriptions for the next several weeks
Pack suitcases of essentials
Defrost your freezer before you move it

Are You Looking for a Golf Course Home for Sale in Orlando?

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7 Signs it’s Time for You to Move

Sometimes it’s time to move on – and if you’re at that point with your home, you’re probably kicking around the idea of buying a new home for sale in Orlando.

But how can you tell it’s really time to for you to move?

These seven signs can signal that you’re ready for a new house.

7 Signs it’s Time for You to Move

#1. You need more space.

Whether you’re renting or you already own a home, you might be in a tight spot… literally. If you look around and realize that things are a little cramped, it may be time to upgrade to a bigger home.

#2. You have too much space.

Sometimes it happens when your kids move out; other times, you just realize that you’re paying for space you don’t even use in your home. Downsizing is another major reason people in Orlando sell their homes.

#3. You’re too far from work.

Transportation costs can really add up – and not just financially, either. Your time is valuable, and if you’re wasting half your life in the car trying to get to and from work, you might want to think about buying a home closer to your employer.

#4. You’ve had a change in finances.

Sometimes a change in the amount of money you bring in can necessitate a move – or at least make moving feel like the right choice for you.

#5. Upgrading or repairing your current home costs more than buying a new house.

If your house is older or requires upgrades, but it’s more cost-effective to buy a new home than pour work into your existing one, it’s a sure sign that you should sell the house and buy another.

#6. You just don’t like your neighborhood anymore.

Neighborhoods always evolve, but if yours is headed in a direction you don’t like, pack up and buy a new home. One of the biggest factors in your happiness is how satisfied you are with your living circumstances, and it’s not worth staying in a neighborhood that makes you miserable or concerned for your safety.

#7. You don’t like the weather.

This probably requires a longer-distance move, but if you’re unhappy shoveling snow or you’re sick of the constant heat, it’s time to start looking at houses in cities with a climate you’ll like better.

Are You Buying a Golf Home in Orlando?

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7 Tips for Moving With Pets