Professionals can normally complete the packing for an average move in one day, (usually the day before the van arrives) “Do-it-yourselfers” should allow more time, several weeks if possible. It’s unlikely that you will be able to drop everything to devote a full day to packing, so try to work it in between making necessary pre-move arrangements and your regular activities.

To pack or not to pack. First decide if you want the movers do the packing for you, or if you want to save some money by doing all or some of the packing by yourself. Second, decide what you would want to take with you and what to leave behind. Consult the following tips to make your decisions easier:

Before you start packing, determine the items you want to throw away, give away or sell. You will save money and have less to pack and unpack.

This is the perfect time to unload unwanted items or call a local charity to remove items for you. And remember donating goods is a tax credit.

If you decide to do your own packing or partial packing, remember that the moving company is not liable for damage to boxes packed by the customer. For the safety of your items, tell the movers which boxes you packed. They are required to inspect each box prior to shipping.

The driver has the right to refuse to accept any carton that may be improperly packed. If the driver has to re-pack cartons that the customer has packed, additional charges will apply.

You can save a lot of money if you do the bulk of the packing on your own. Limit yourself to non-fragile items such as books, linens, clothing and shoes; and replaceable items such as plates, dishes (not fine china or expensive silverware), and small kitchen appliances. These items will be cheaper to replace in case of damage as opposed to hiring workers for the extra labor. Leave the furniture, mattresses, and heavy appliances to be packed by the mover.

Dresser drawers do not need to be empty. Movers usually move chests of drawers with the contents of the drawers left intact. Do look through all drawers and remove any breakable articles for packing in boxes. Be sure that the contents of a drawer are not too heavy. Too much weight in the drawer could cause damage to the drawer while your furniture is en route.

Important items, such as photographs, wills, jewelry, home videos, and any other important documents, should be packed separately so that you can personally carry them with you on moving day. Another alternative you might want to consider is placing these belongings in a safety deposit box until after the move.

To protect themselves, movers will not disconnect your major appliances. Make sure your refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer are all unplugged and ready for the move when they arrive.

Start collecting boxes early. If you decide to do your own packing, get packing supplies and start collecting strong boxes suitable for moving. Consult the following tips:

Look for boxes that have a uniform size, rather than just grabbing any old box you can get your hands on. The reasoning behind this is that such boxes are far easier to safely stack both in the truck and on a dolly. If a mover can take eight of these boxes out on a dolly in one trip and stack them all easily so they’re no risk of falling, it’s a win/win situation.

Get more boxes than you think you will need. Most people tend to underestimate the amount of boxes needed for their move.

It may be necessary to purchase from your mover some of the specialized cartons that will be impossible for you to find elsewhere. This would include such cartons as mattress cartons, wardrobe cartons, containers for large pictures and mirrors (telescoping boxes), and possibly some large size cartons for tall table lamps (lamp boxes).

Use towels and blankets to protect fragile items. Instead of just packing your towels, blankets, comforters, etc., use them to cushion delicate items like china and glassware.

An easy way to store cartons so that they won’t require a great deal of storage space is to open both ends of the cartons and flatten them out. You can open them again and re-seal the bottoms with your mover’s tape when you are ready to use them.

Start the packing process early. It always makes good sense to begin packing well ahead of the move. Most people have no idea how much energy and time packing requires. If you start too late and can’t get the job done before moving day, you may either have to pay the movers to finish or change your moving date

Complete all packing by moving day. You will be busy enough on moving day to have to worry about packing. You could start in areas where the goods are not in frequent use, such as the cellar, attics, garage, closet shelves, etc. Any items that you don’t need for your daily living routine should be packed first.

There’s no reason older children shouldn’t do some of their own packing. It will make them feel a part of the process and save you some time and effort as well. Just keep an eye on how and what they’ve packed before the containers are sealed.

Designate a room for the boxes and prepare adequate workspace. Consult the following tips to make your move more organized and quick:

You might consider setting up packing headquarters in a spare room, if available, so it’s ready to use when you can devote even a little time to the job.

Prepare a convenient place to work. The dining room table makes a good work surface. Be sure to cover it first with a heavy quilt or blanket. It’s handy, also, to have a covered card table on which you can line up the things to be packed.

Before starting the packing, separate your boxes by size, and place appropriate size boxes in each room. Have all supplies (i.e. tape, bubble wraps, packing paper) lined up next to your boxes when packing.

If possible, put packed and sealed boxes in one room. This will minimize the disruption you and your family feel as the packing process continues, as well as speeding up the loading process when the movers arrive.

It is recommended to designate a room closer to the door. Remember to leave a clear path, in case certain items need to be put at the front of the truck.

Pack on a room-by-room basis. Don’t get overwhelmed. Try to concentrate on one room at a time and do one area of the room at a time. Consult the following tips:

It’s best not to mix items from different rooms in one box. For example, don’t pack articles from the living room in boxes with articles from the kitchen. This will save much confusion later when its time to unpack.

Keep related boxes together so they will end up in the same room in your new home. This will cut the carrying time and make the move more efficient.

Don’t tape your boxes closed until you’re about to go, so you can add items as you see fit.

Put things in boxes with a view to where they’ll be in the new house, not where they were in the old one.

To prevent small items from being lost or mistakenly thrown out with the packing paper, wrap miniature knickknacks and other small items in brightly-colored tissue paper before placing them in the box.

Be sure that every box is clearly labeled by room and item.

Labeling. It is important to label each box carefully, with respect to the contents and its destination in the new home. Consult the following tips on how to label your boxes right:

For each room in your new home assign a number, for example, dining room – “1”, living room – “2”, kitchen – “3”, etc. Write the number on each side of each box, and make it big. Use a broad, felt-tipped marker.

The reasons to use numbers instead of full text on the box are 1) if you have a lot of boxes it is much easier to write a number on each box instead of “Master bedroom”, especially when you are in a hurry, 2) you don’t want to attract too much attention to your boxes with tempting descriptions written on it.

To mark your boxes you can also use different colors for different rooms – as long as you plan the unloading carefully and mark the door of each room with appropriate colors (using colored balloons, for example).
If you do specify specific items on the lid of the box, try to avoid mentioning anything that might tempt someone to make off with your belongings.
It is important to have your name and new address written on each box, especially for long distance moves. It might be difficult to do given huge number of boxes you might have. But in case one of your boxes is lost in the process it would be much easier for the moving company to find and mail it to your new address.
To be more efficient, you can print the labels with your computer and tape them to your boxes. You can also ask your children write this information on the boxes so they can become familiar with their new address.
Use red marker to indicate “FRAGILE” on delicates, and “THIS END UP” where appropriate. Make sure those notes are clearly visible and written on each side of the box.
Make a master list of all household items and your belongings. You can also number the boxes, but make sure you don’t confuse those numbers with the numbers of rooms already written on your boxes.
Prepare for arriving at your destination. It may take some time to unpack everything when you get to your destination. It is important that you prepare for that when you plan your packing. Consult the following tips to make your unpacking more comfortable:

Prepare for the first night in your new home by packing essential items in a separate bag or box and carrying it with you. This bag or box should include:
Basic tools such as flashlights, pocket knife, hammer, screwdrivers, nails, masking tape, tape measure, and light bulbs.

Bathroom essentials such as hand towel, soap, toilet paper, shampoo, and shower curtains.

Personal items such as a change of clothes, toothbrushes, and prescription drugs.

Kitchen goodies such as paper towels, coffeemaker and filters, paper plates and cups, plastic utensils, dish detergent, a sponge, pet foods, dishes, can opener, and trash bags.

Keep an emergency medical kit available. Make sure any medication you are taking is packed in the emergency kit, along with any other over-the-counter medication you may need, such as aspirin.
When everything is packed and ready to load, make sure the items you need least are loaded first. More information here Moving Services San Antonio

The Bathroom – How to have it functioning correctly

Toilets
As with all plumbing fixtures toilets must be kept clean in order to last. Two simple methods of cleaning a toilet are with a brush and toilet cleaner or for more difficult stains a good cleanser and Scotchbrite sponge. Try to keep up under the rim as clean as possible as this is a place for the buildup of calcium deposits and mildew.
Avoid using bleach or blue tablets in the tank as this is hard on the rubber parts. If you must use them expect to be changing the flapper regularly.
Be sure to keep caps on the floor bolts or they will corrode quickly.
Wipe down the sides and around the base with a light detergent or other cleaner.
Caulking around the base of the toilet is recommended for a neat appearance. Caulk must be kept clean to last.

Faucets
Keeping a faucet clean will help it keep its shine for a lifetime. A daily or regular wipe-down of a faucet will do wonders occasionally you may need to use a general-purpose cleaner or a cleanser for tough stains.
One way to protect the finish of a faucet is to give it a car waxing.
Chrome will far outlast other finishes because of its nature. A polished brass finish may loose its luster because contaminants get under the protective coating. Avoid purchasing polished brass fixtures.
Occasionally you will need to replace the aerator to obtain a nice aerated flow.

Tub/Showers
Take care of the chrome and brass in the same manor as a faucet, wiping it down daily. Clean with a non abrasive cleaner. Protect with car wax.
An important part of tub/shower maintenance is the caulking. Clean caulking regularly with a bleach based mildew killer. Replace the caulk if it is separating from the fixture as soon as possible. Be sure to caulk around the faucet controls and tub spout. see recaulking.
Scrub walls and base with a non abrasive cleanser such as comet.
Seal tile grout on a regular basis as recommended by the manufacturer of the sealant..
To keep clear glass shiny, use a squeegee after every shower.

Drains
Never put anything down the drain except water, soap, toilet paper and human waste. Avoid allowing food down the drain, even with a garbage disposal.
Treat trouble drains such as the kitchen sink drain with an enzyme made for drains. The bacteria will dissolve buildup before it clogs the drain.
Try to keep hair out of the shower drain with a strainer.
Pour bleach into drain and let stand for five minutes to destroy odors.

Exterminators – Local Pest Control

At the thought of your local neighborhood pest control dude, most people picture a man in a white space suit, wearing a gas mask, and spraying death in a thick, dark cloud of smelly fog. They may also imagine tiny, little innocent bugs inhaling toxic gases and dying on the spot, gasping for air while trying to shield their children from sudden death.

This however, is a vision from fiction world. The truth is that pest control professional don’t wear scary suits and masks and bugs don’t live in villages made out of hamburger boxes. And mother bugs don’t wear aprons, while they make bug cookies for their bug children in their bug oven.

OK, lets get back to the real world.

Pest control men do not need protective suits and gas masks anymore. They do not spray thick fogs of poison that kill everything.

And bugs do not have ovens in their hamburger box houses.

So, is there anything that you should worry about when considering hiring a pest exterminator for you bug problem?

The honest truth is that you are much safer living in a bug free home, and chemicals are so much safer and eco friendly than what they used to be decades ago.

The scary pictures and images mentioned in the beginning come from science fiction movies and DDT from the 50’s. Modern day pest control techniques are far superior.

To start with, the pest control specialist that you hire will focus on permanent pest control. That will include making sure that the bugs that they kill never have the option of re invading your space. They will make sure that all nooks and crannies become frightening places of doom for bugs.

They also make sure that all of the eggs are destroyed as well, that way you won’t have any young ones hatching without appropriate parental control. Trust me, that is a HORRIBLE experience. Teenager bugs with no boundaries? Not a good thing.

So, aside from not wanting unsupervised bugs in your home, why is it important to get rid of all of the bugs the first time around?

The answer is that you don’t want to propagate a new race of super bugs.

What does that mean?

It means that if you don’t kill all of the bugs and their eggs, the ones that survive can easily become resistant to the newest chemicals.

This is a huge problem. Its huge because becoming resistant basically means that the survivors are MUCH harder to kill. Plus, the can pass the resistance on to their offspring, thus creating a problem for everybody. Actually, this is why store bought chemicals are a really bad idea. You are basically just making the bugs harder to kill for the exterminator that you will eventually hire.

So, in summary, hiring a professional pest exterminator is a brilliant idea, and the sooner you act on it the better!