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Moving: How to Perpare for a move

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Moving: Preparing for Move to Wilmington or Leland, NC….

 

Moving should be an exciting time - you’re off to a new apartment, your first home, maybe moving up to a larger home. But for many people, moving turns into a stressful, aggravating experience. It doesn’t have to be that way. Some advance planning, a little research and the right attitude can combine to make your next move the best one ever.

Wilmington NC moving

Wilmington NC moving

Organization is key to a successful move, so lists are your friends. Keep track of all the details that need to be tended to, especially things that might fall through the cracks, like taking back your cable box. Include everything from renting a moving truck to forwarding your mail, and start doing anything on the list that can be tackled early. As you plan, keep in mind that many truck rental companies will give you a discounted rate if you move mid-week and mid-month instead of at peak times.

Speaking of getting a jump on things, start packing now. You can find all the supplies you need, such as boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape and more at truck rental outlets like Budget Truck Rental. The experts there can help you figure out how many and what types of boxes you’ll need to protect your possessions. Whether you’re moving in a few months or in a few weeks, you should be packing things you know you can live without for a while. This allows you to pack with care, and mark the boxes so you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for when you get to your new place. Leaving packing until the last minute is one of the biggest sources of stress for people who are moving.

About a month before your move date, reserve your moving truck. The company you choose makes a big difference. With 30,000 trucks nationwide, Budget Truck Rental has locations where you need them, and a great selection of trucks for every size move, whether it’s a 10-foot truck (for studio apartments with one or two rooms), a 16-footer (for three to four rooms) or a 24-foot truck that can haul up to 8 rooms of stuff. They’ll even give you expert tips on loading the truck. The trucks are easier to drive than you might think. All Budget trucks have automatic transmissions, air conditioning and are clean comfortable and well-maintained for safety and reliability.

If you’re moving long-distance and need to tow your car, Budget offers two options: the car carrier, which carries your entire car on a trailer that attaches to the rear of your truck (recommended for four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles); or the tow dolly, which is recommended for front-wheel drive vehicles. The tow dolly lifts the front wheels of the car off the pavement and pulls it behind your truck.

Take care of mail and utilities. Stop by your local post office and fill out the form to forward your mail. You’ll also want to change the address on any magazine subscriptions or other services you receive by mail, such as video rentals. You can take care of most of these changes online. You also need to contact all your utilities, both for the place you’re moving out of and your new place. This includes local and long distance phone, Internet service, gas, electric, water and cable/satellite. Don’t forget to update your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance as well.

Make sure you have a group of friends lined up to help you move. If you have followed your list and have everything packed and ready to go, loading up the truck should be a breeze. If you still have some boxes to pack, your friends can load while you finish up. Be sure to keep the moving crew happy by providing plenty of food and drink. Just save the beer for after the move is complete. Hehe!

If you take care of all these details before your move, all you’ll have to worry about once the boxes are unloaded is finding the perfect spot for your favorite chair. For more moving tips, visit BudgetTruck.com or contact me at www. Nileshjethwa.com .

 

 

 

Post by Nilesh Jethwa Wilmington/Leland Real Estate

 

Nilesh Jethwa is a local real estate agent for the Wilmington and Leland area. To contact Nilesh Jethwa please click here. Don’t forget to request a free relocation package.

 

 

 

 

Today’s Homes and Appliances are built Smart

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Today’s Homes and Appliances are Built Smart.

Here are some ways you can integrate new technology into your home so you can both relax and increase its value.

The Future:  Whole House Remote Control

With home automation, the ability to control every aspect of your home-from lighting and room temperature to entertainment center- can be held in your hand. A “smart home” uses a single centralized controller to integrate various systems, so that with the push of button, you can turn on lights, open or close blinds, adjust multiple rooms to your desired temperature or even activate or deactivate you security system. You can set a group of actions to happen when certain events occur.

Just about anything you plug in can be networked into your home automation system. This makes your life easier and provides a great point if you decide to put your home on the market.

 

 

Be Smart. Save Energy and Money with Efficient Appliances

Cut you monthly utilities bills while helping the environment by purchasing appliances- refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry machine, ECT. – That is energy efficient. The Plant (and your wallet) will thank you.

 

Look for the Energy Star Label

Energy Star products exceed the minimum energy efficient requirements set by the federal government. In addition, utilities and state government may offer rebates on Energy Star- related models. Pay attention to the Energy Guide label as well. This label allows you to compare the typical annual energy consumption and operating cost of different models of the type of appliances you’re thinking of buying.

 

Choose The Right Size

Why buy an oversized appliance when a smaller counterpart will get the job done? When you choose the appliance that fits your needs, you’ll save money and reduce your energy bill.

 

Choose Natural Gas

Look for dyers and water heaters that run on natural gas, rather than electricity.

 

Think Long Term

Energy efficient appliances last for years and will lower your monthly utility bills over the lifetime of the appliances higher initial purchase price.

 

 

Join me next week as I go over HOW TO HIGH TECH YOU HOME?

 

Posted by Nilesh Jethwa Wilmington, NC

 

Nilesh Jethwa is a local REALTOR in Wilmington, NC.  To contact Nilesh please click here!

 

 

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, Wilmington NC

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the final version of the Economic Stimulus Bill - a massive, $787 billionpackage of tax cuts and federal spending. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on this bill later today or over theweekend. Included in the bill is a $8,000 tax credit to first-time home buyers.

To veiw the chart with more details about this tax credit click here.  

Posted By Nilesh Jethwa Wilmington, NC Real Estate 

Nilesh Jethwa is a local real estate agent in Wilmington, NC.To Contact Nilesh Jethwa please Click Here!

The top reasons why your home as not sold Wilmington, NC

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Mortgage interest rates are near a record low and people are buying homes every day. So, why is it that some home sell right away while others sit on the market for months and  months.?
 
1. Overpricing. The number-one reason a house or condominium does not sell is because it is over-priced. If you listed your home with the real estate agent who recommended the highest list price, they probably “bought” the listing. Now, they may be reluctant to admit that your home is over-priced.
 
Do you wonder why you’re not getting any offers? Today’s savvy home buyers will either not look at over-priced properties, or when they do, they make offers that are much lower than the market value. Home buyers are very smart and they often know more about home values than real estate agents. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days, it’s time to review a new market analysis to check the list price against other active listings and recent sales. Then, adjust your price accordingly.
 
2. Condition of the home. The second major reason homes do not sell is their physical condition. Few home buyers want to purchase fixer-uppers. Most want a home to be in near-perfect, “model home” condition. Does your home need a fresh coat of paint or new carpeting? Is your yard and landscaping appealing? Are the windows sparkling? Is the garage clean? Have you put off making needed repairs? Take time to put your home into tip-top condition, so that all a buyer has to do is turn the key in the front door and move in.

3. Bad location. No matter how appealing a home might be, if it’s in a bad location it will not sell, or it will sell for substantially less than comparable homes in good locations. Negative location factors include bad schools, busy roads, high crime areas, poorly maintained neighboring homes, lack of public transportation, poor shopping, power lines and poor parks. The only way to compensate for a bad location is to reduce the price.
 
4. The listing agent. Few sellers realize that their listing agent could be the reason their home does not sell. Some agents are known among their colleagues as “difficult agents.” The result is that other agents do not want to show the listings of those agents unless there is nothing else to show prospective buyers. Sellers may never know that their listing agent is not liked by other agents and is hurting the home sale. Experienced, cooperative, friendly, enthusiastic and accessible listing agents are a major asset to their clients.
 
5. Poor marketing plan. Some real estate agents get the listing agreement signed, put it into the MLS and sit back to wait for other agents to bring a buyer. That’s not enough to sell a home. The best agents have a written marketing plan and they follow it to be sure the property sells.
 
Although the MLS is a powerful sales tool, other resources are essential. The best agents have Internet sites to market their listings. They also arrange broker tours, advertise each listing regularly, send out “just listed” announcements and actively network their listings with other agents. Contact Nilesh Jethwa for his marketing plans.
 
6. Difficult to show. A common saying in real estate is “If you can’t show it, you can’t sell it.” The more a home is shown, the faster it sells. And, usually the quicker the sale, the higher the selling price. The message is clear, make your home easy to show by installing a lock box. If a lock box is not feasible, ask your real estate agent to set up a procedure that will make it easy to show your home.
 
SUMMARY:  The key reasons some homes do not sell, even when the real estate market is doing very well, can be overcome with savvy marketing. Real estate agents like to show listings that are priced right, in good condition and easy to show. If your home is not selling, talk with your agent to find out why. Have your agent ask other agents who have shown your home what they think of it. For example, a modest price reduction might be all your home needs to convert it from “for sale” to “sold.”

 Posted Nilesh Jethwa Wilmington, NC

Nilesh Jethwa is a local real estate agent in Wilmington, NC. To contact Nilesh Jethwa please click here!