Moving Tips

Welcome to the neighborhood!

You’ve done the hard part—house hunting, packing, hiring movers, unpacking—and you’re finally starting to settle into your new digs.

Now, what better way to make your house a home than to invite friends, family members, loved ones, and even new neighbors to check out your new spot and do a little mingling? 

Here, we discuss some housewarming party ideas that take the stress of planning out of the equation. After all, you just finished moving—you don’t want to work too hard! These ideas guarantee a party that’s smooth, fun, and simple to execute. 

DIY Food and Drink Bar

One of the best ways to ensure you spend the party with your guests, rather than meal-prepping in the kitchen, is to have do-it-yourself food and drink bars.

This allows guests to grab food or make drinks whenever they want from pre-set stations while you get to think about other things.

For food bars, consider themes like

• A nacho bar (include ramekins for toppings and keep the meat hot)
• A sandwich bar with meats and cheeses, toppings, and bread
• A slider bar—you can prep meat like pulled pork early and include buns and toppings

You can also put out small trays with dips, veggies, cheeses, and the like.

For drink bars, consider

• A tea, lemonade, and water station
• Build-your-own mimosas (put a variety of juices and fruit garnishes out)
• A beer cooler
• A white and red sangria bar
• A simple ‘bar,’ i.e., liquors, mixers, and lime/lemon garnishes

This allows you to take a “hands-off” approach at the party and enjoy yourself! Plus, the clean-up is simple.

Make sure to have plenty of plates, cups, and napkins around, as well as coasters for the drinks.

Consider an Open House Mentality

First, set aside a chunk of time that will be best for you and the attendees—like a Saturday or Sunday, mid-afternoon.

If you send out invitations, consider doing an “open house” style party. An open house allows attendees to come and go as it is convenient for them. If they’re not able to show up right on time, they won’t feel bad about attending for the last hour—instead of not showing up at all. 

You can even consider inviting neighbors. Keep the entrance to your home inviting and distinct, perhaps also placing streamers, balloons, or a sign near the front door or mailbox.

Play Some Games

No housewarming party is complete without some games.

Plus, if you have some queued up, you can suggest playing one whenever there’s a lull in the party. This is also an excellent way for people who don’t know each other to meet, hang out, and connect.

Some great housewarming games include

• Cornhole
• Jenga (you can even have guests sign Jenga pieces for a cool souvenir)
• A ‘new home’ trivia—include questions about your new home and neighborhood and see what your guests remember!
• Charades

You can even place some kid-friendly games in a particular room to keep the children entertained.

Enjoy These Housewarming Party Ideas

Are you excited to host a party in your new home?

With these inspiring, fun housewarming party ideas, you’re well on your way to a fantastic shindig!

Another great way to settle into your new neighborhood is to explore the town’s fun spots. Check out this list of some of Tampa’s most fabulous weekend activities.

Are you getting ready to relocate?

Hosting a moving sale can be an excellent way to cut back on moving expenses and downsize your overall load. That said, moving sales aren’t for everyone.

Here are some things to know to decide whether or not a moving sale is the best option for you.

Should You Have a Moving Sale?

For many people: Yes, you should have a moving sale before relocating.

While a yard or garage sale can be a hassle to put together and host, it’s one of the best ways to cut down on the amount of stuff you need to move while offsetting some of the costs associated with moving.

Here are a few of the most notable benefits you should consider when trying to decide whether or not a moving sale is the best option for you.

The Benefits of Downsizing

The fewer things you own, the less you have to pack up and haul away.

Whether you’re downsizing or upsizing with your next house, getting rid of some of your belongings won’t just make moving more manageable, it will also make unpacking and setting up your new home a breeze.

If you’re downsizing, getting rid of as much as you can before arriving at your new house will eliminate the need for additional storage — which could save you a lot of money later on.

What You Can’t Move

There are several things your movers may not be willing to touch. Doing your homework ahead of time and selling off these items in a moving sale can save you from having to find an alternative way to transport these goods last minute.

Check with your moving company for a full list of items they cannot or will not move on the day.

Earn Some Extra Cash

Whether you’re moving your family down the street or across the country, moving can be an expensive venture. Depending on where you’re going and the amount of stuff you’re taking with you, you could wind up spending upwards of $2,000 on your movers alone.

Hosting a moving sale beforehand can help offset some of the additional costs in several ways.

If you do your research and price your items properly, you could earn enough from your moving sale to cover the cost of your move.

On top of that, selling off heavy or hard to move items will cut back on the overall weight of your load and the amount of time your movers have to spend packing everything, which could wind up saving you some money.

When You Shouldn’t Have a Moving Sale

Moving sales can be highly beneficial and a quintessential part of the moving process, but only if you have the time to put one together.

The downside to moving sales is that they can be time-consuming, and if you need to relocate quickly, trying to host a moving sale can jeopardize your timeline.

If you cannot dedicate one full week to planning and organizing your yard sale, then you would be much better off calling it a wash and disposing of goods you cannot take with you through other methods, such as donating them.

Getting Ready for Your Next Move

Now that you know whether or not you should host a moving sale before relocating, it’s time to get planning.

Need help finding the right movers to help you take on your next big move? 

Contact us for more information about our services or to receive a free quote today.

When moving into a new home, everyone has a list of items they don’t want to put in the moving van. There are always several things you’d rather transport yourself. 

But did you know there are some things that movers can’t move, even if you ask them to? 

Below is a list of the common item categories that most movers don’t allow in the van. Although, the full list of prohibited items varies between moving companies. For this info, contact your mover.

Perishables

Unless you arrange for it specifically, movers will not transport perishable items such as refrigerated or frozen food. Standard moving trucks are not designed to maintain the delicate conditions necessary to keep these items from spoiling.

You may move canned and dry goods as long as they are appropriately packed.

Consider if it’s cost-effective to move your canned goods since they are typically inexpensive to replace but tend to be heavy when packed together. You may end up paying more to transport them than to replace them.

Foods like cereals, pasta, herbs, and grains can all be moved safely ─ even if the boxes are open. Make sure to seal all open packages with tape. 

Living Things

Live plants and animals are also perishable. Therefore, movers won’t transport them for the same reasons they won’t transport food. Plus, in most cases, it’s illegal for them to move such things without a special license.

Of course, most people would never think of stowing their pets in a moving van, anyway. Pet owners generally have arrangements for pet transport planned out far in advance.

On the other hand, people are far less likely to make such arrangements for plants. Any houseplants will have to be discarded unless you can transport them yourself.

If you can’t take them with you, consider gifting your household plants to neighbors or friends.

Hazardous Materials

Another risk movers avoid is the danger of transporting hazardous materials. Some of the more obvious items in this category are combustibles, such as fireworks, ammunition, gasoline, and other dangerous materials.

Yet there are some combustibles you may overlook, including aerosol cans, nail polish, polish remover, paint thinner, matches, and charcoal. You’ll also have to empty combustible fluids from items like lawnmowers for movers to transport them.

Corrosive items like batteries and toxic chemicals like pesticides are also prohibited. Other chemicals, like bleach and ammonia, are also banned.

Personal/Sentimental/High-Value Items 

Cash, jewelry, and other such valuables are too high of a risk for movers to transport. Personal, invaluable, irreplaceable items, like urns with a loved one’s ashes, are prohibited for the same reason.

Essential documents and devices with sensitive, personal information are also considered too significant a risk. This even includes items as simple as address books and CDs/DVDs with personal photos/videos.

Be Prepared When the Movers Arrive

Don’t be caught off-guard when the movers show up. Make arrangements to transport or discard the items on this list before moving day.For more help with moving, read these 5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Moving Company.