When you're moving to the great city of New York, you want to make sure you're moving to a place you'll love and you'll be able to call home. However, finding good housing in NYC isn't exactly an easy task as the city is overpopulated. This makes finding your dream apartment a real nightmare. Something that can make finding a nice home easier is hiring a realtor. Of course, there are plenty of real estate agents out there, so we'll tell you how to pick the perfect NYC realtor for you.
Ask friends for recommendations of NYC realtors
The best thing to do when you're hiring professionals is asking your friends and family for recommendations. This goes for everything from moving companies Long Island to NYC realtors.
If they have experience with moving and buying properties, it's best to ask for their advice. So, the easiest way to make sure you're choosing the perfect NYC realtor is hearing people's positive experiences with them.
Ask the realtor for references
Something that's very important when you're picking the perfect NYC realtor is that they have a good track record. You don't want to hire someone whose clients aren't satisfied. So, before you hire a realtor, ask them for their references. Contact the customers and hear their experience with the real estate agent at hand.
Get answers to all the important questions
Before you hire an NYC realtor, you should ask them a few important questions which will tell you if they're the right choice. Just like you're doing research when looking for 24-hour storage Manhattan, you should do the same when searching for a realtor. So, here's an idea of what to ask them:
How many homes they've sold this year
How much they charge
If they work alone or with a team
How well they know New York
What to look for in a realtor
Picking the perfect NYC realtor isn't just about the way you find them, but it's also about making sure they have all the qualities of a professional agent.
Experience
As we've mentioned earlier, it's important to know you're working with someone who has experience. Real estate agents who have been in the business for ages know the ins and outs of the industry and they're more likely to find your perfect home with ease. Also, it's easier to trust someone who knows what they're doing.
Professionalism
If you're about to hire someone and trust them with the job of finding your new home, you need to know they're reliable and professional. The last thing you need is a realtor who you can't trust and who doesn't take this job seriously.
A personality that matches yours
When you're working with someone on a big project like this, it's important to feel comfortable around them and trust them. Well, that's why a way to pick the perfect NYC realtor is to make sure your personalities match. Figure out whether you two get along before you give them the job.
Get ready to find the home of your dreams
Now that you know how to pick the perfect NYC realtor, you're ready to delve into the world of real estate and find your dream property. Once that's done, it's time to hire professional movers and start moving to your new home. Don't worry, we're sure you'll find a great realtor who will make moving feel like a piece of cake.
Seniors Moving In NYC? Divine Moving and Storage Has You Covered!
Moving is exhausting even for people who are in the prime of their life, let alone the elderly. Someone who needs support with their everyday life will need a lot of help when moving to a new home. Whether they want to live closer to their family, downsize, enjoy a warmer climate or get greater care, a move can be tough on senior citizens. Our tips for moving with seniors will make the whole process easier for them and you. Here's what you need to know.
Moving to Manhattan is usually a complicated procedure to go through. Moving to Manhattan from abroad is even more difficult. Obviously, moving to Manhattan is not going to go down the same way for two people. Especially so if those two people are coming from different backgrounds. By different backgrounds, we mean that one might have lived in Manhattan before while the other has not.
Moving can be costly, but with proper planning, you can manage your expenses efficiently. Here’s how:
1. Determine Your Moving Method
Decide between hiring professional movers or a DIY move. This choice significantly impacts your budget.
2. Estimate Professional Moving Costs
Moving Company Fees: Get multiple quotes.
Insurance: Consider additional coverage for valuable items.
Extra Charges: Be aware of potential fees for special items or services.
Packing Services: Include costs if you need professional packing.
3. Plan for DIY Move Costs
Truck Rental: Choose the appropriate size.
Fuel: Calculate based on distance.
Packing Supplies: Purchase quality materials.
Insurance: Ensure coverage for your belongings.
4. Account for Moving Day Expenses
Travel Costs: Gas or airfare.
Food and Lodging: Budget for meals and accommodation.
Pet Care: Arrange for your pets.
5. Don’t Forget Your Old Home
Cleaning and Repairs: Budget for final clean-up or painting.
Selling Costs: Include realtor fees, inspections, and advertising if selling.
6. Include Storage Costs
Storage Unit: Rent space for items that won’t fit in your new home.
7. Prepare for Unexpected Costs
Damages: Set aside funds for any unforeseen damages or replacements.
8. Save Money by Decluttering
Reduce costs by selling or donating items you no longer need.
No matter how much money you have, planning a move should include planning the moving budget. If you do it step by step and be organized, you will not have any surprises or unexpected costs to stress you out. The most important thing is that you start on time, and have a clear idea of your moving budget. And we will show you some useful tips on how to plan and create your moving budget without any problems.
Having a moving budget in your head is a tricky business. Sometimes things are easily forgotten in stressful times like moving times. So, having a clear image of your moving budget in front of you is the best solution. Using your computer or tablet(you can carry it around and update the information anytime) you can create a certain table or template of your moving budget. Probably the best way to do it is using Microsoft Excel or a similar software. It can help you to easily run a table and calculate your costs if you put a certain formula. Very useful and easy to use! Your moving budget table should include the following categories:
category
estimated expenses
actual (final) expenses
Categories you will put in your table depend on the type of your move and special requirements.
Use Excel spreadsheet to prepare your moving budget.
Decide on the type of your move
First things first, you need to know how you are going to do this move. Are you going to hire the professional movers or do everything by yourself? When you decide on that, you will be able to know which cost categories you need to put in your moving budget table.
Hiring professionals – what are the costs?
Moving company fee – general fee usually includes paying the workers for their job and fuel charges. You should be able to know a rough number by getting a free estimate NYC. Be sure to get estimates from a couple of companies before you choose the right one.
Insurance– some basic insurance is probably included in the pricing, but if you have some special items and valuables, you may want to consider additional insurance.
Extra charges – if you have any special items, expect extra charges. Extra items also include flight charges, shuttle service, long carry expenses, etc.
Packing services – if you want your belongings to be packed professionally, you will have to pay extra for this service.
DIY move
You may think that moving by yourself is basically free. Well, think twice, Here are the costs you need to consider before deciding on a DIY move.
renting a moving truck – be sure to know how big truck you need, because the price depends on that information.
gas –to calculate how much gas you need, ask the rental company how much gas the particular vehicle needs and measure the distance you need to travel.
packing tools and supplies – if you want to pack your belongings right, make sure to get the right packing supplies NYC. The things you need are the good-quality moving boxes, a lot of tape, markers, labels, bubble wrap, protective plastic sheets, scissors, etc.
Insurance– insurance is very important during any kind of travel, so if you are not already insured, be sure to get it now.
Many items should be put on the list of the moving costs.
The costs on your moving day
Once the moving day comes, moving budget has some more items to add to the list. Be sure to count:
gas for your car/flight tickets – if you are driving, make sure to include the gas fees into your costs count, and if you are flying – be sure to book tickets in advance, to save some money.
food-especially in a long-distance move, you and your family will have to eat during travel.
hotel– if you are traveling long-distance, make sure to book accommodation in advance and include those costs in the budget.
taking care of your pets – if you need somebody to take care of your pets on your moving day, you can check a pet hotel and ask for the fees.
Taking care of your old home
Whether you are moving from a rental or you are selling a place, there are some costs to pay before you leave it to move to a new home. If you are selling, there is a commission you need to pay. Also, there are lawyer services, inspections, and advertising that can be added on the list. Both rented and sold places need to be cleaned or/and painted, which costs you a certain amount.
Storage is often included in moving budget
Very often there are some boxes and items that can’t be loaded to your new home. So, you need to rent a storage unit in NYC for the leftover boxes. Make sure to get a storage space of appropriate size, so you don’t need to pay more.
Unexpected costs
During loading, transport, and unloading, some unexpected things could happen. Some of your items could be damaged, so you need to fix or replace them, which implies more costs.
Unexpected costs can be an issue if you are not prepared.
You need to save some money?
If you are looking at your budget plan and realize you need to cut some costs, don’t worry. There are ways to reduce moving costs. One of the most effective is decluttering your home before the move. Go through your belongings and set aside all the items you no longer need. If you are not moving too many items, you can reduce the moving costs significantly. You can also sell those items online or on a garage sale, and earn some money to help your moving budget.
One of the biggest causes of stress while you’re moving is the whole concept of it. Moving is a BIG deal. If you don’t think it is, then you must live out of a backpack. Think of all the stuff you need to do, you not only have to find a place to live, you have to find movers, cancel any utilities, and make sure the apartment you’re leaving looks brand new, like you were never there (which can be sad). So, we’re going to try and make things a little easier for you and let you know the timeline in which you should start looking into every part of your move.
How to Set Up Your Moving Timeline
Your Moving Timeline:
One year before you move, you want to start saving money. Bottom line. You’re going to have to pay for security deposits, rent up front, and there’s a chance you may be paying rent on two apartments for a couple of weeks. So, save up.
Two months before, you want to start getting your act together. This is when you want to start going through all of your things to determine what you’ll keep, donate, and give away. Once you have a list of what you’re keeping, take detailed inventory of it for insurance purposes. Also, if you have any documentation such as passports, birth certificates, social cards etc, you want to gather those up so you know where they are because you may need them.
Six weeks. Alright, once you hit the six week mark, you want to start looking for movers, whether you’re investing in a reliable moving company like us at Divine Moving, or if you’re enlisting in friends (they must be awesome friends), give them a call. You also want to start gathering boxes at this point so you can start packing some of your stuff away.
One month before the move. So you’ve got four weeks left before the big move; if you’ve kept up thus far, give yourself a pat on the back because you’re right on schedule. Once you’re at the one month, you want to get everything organized. This means making sure you give your landlord notice that you won’t be renewing your lease, and you also want to change your address and notify service providers you’ll be changing location.
One week before you move, schedule your walk throughs for both your new apartment and old one. You want to make sure there are no damages in the new apartment and that the old one looks brand new so you get your full security deposit back.
On your final night, defrost the fridge and freezer. You’ll also want to pack up any final essentials that you’ll be taking with you in your own car. For that last night, we recommend just treating it like you’re going on an overnight trip, so just pack a few pieces of clothing, toiletries, and valuables.
When you have your moving timeline call 212-244-4011
