Sacramento Movers Share Tips On Landscaping

Does your yard scare the neighborhood children? Does it need some TLC, but you don’t know where to start? Don’t worry because we have simple tips to turn your yard into a landscaping wonder!

Quick stat: According to Bob Villa, the first impression, aka the yard, can add 20 percent to your home’s value, a figure that rivals the return on a new kitchen or bath.

(Photo Credit: Flickr)

Before starting any projects, make a wish list. What would your ideal yard look like? How do you plan to use it? Do your kids or pets need a nice grassy area? Do you want a formal look or a natural one? These are just some of the questions to consider when landscaping. Once you have your vision, draw a sketch of your dream yard and include designated locations. For example, a dining space with a grill, a lounge area accompanied with a hammock, and general open areas. The sketch doesn’t have to be fancy; just some circles and squares with labels will do.

Remember, landscaping projects don’t need to be completed all at once. You can continually add to it over time. Not everyone is Ahmed Hassan from Yard Crashers, who enlists a team of 20 people to make over a yard in just a few days. So start small by adding focal points, such as a flower bed or a modest rock garden, and live with those for a while. Once you’re comfortable carrying your plan forward, the final draft of your sketches will become an eye-pleasing reality. Add family and friends and you’ve got yourself the best outdoor entertainment space on the block!

Simple landscaping tips

1.  Keep it green and clean. It’s important to protect your landscaping investment and keep your property looking its very best. According to WikiHow, taller grass is healthier grass. It shades out weed seeds, preventing them from sprouting. It keeps the soil cooler, moist longer and encourages the proliferation of soil microbes. This doesn’t mean let the lawn go wild but instead when mowing your lawn, have the blades set at the highest setting (3 1/2 to 4 inches).  Also keep the lawn raked and free from pine needles and leaves for a nice clean look.

2.  Trim plants. Shaping plants not only enhances their beauty and gives a manicured look, it also allows sun to reach their center. This is essential to plant health. The best time to trim plants is early spring or late fall.

3.  Add colors and textures. When selecting plants, make sure they have variations in color and textures throughout the year. This will ensure your yard will always have visual interest. Choose flowering plants for warm weather, bushes with leaves that change color seasonally, or have colored berries during the winter.

4.  Mulch: Your new best friend. Adding mulch to flower beds is a simple and inexpensive way to add curb appeal. Mulch makes it look like you spent hours gardening, when actually it only took a few minutes to add it to flower beds.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Sacramento employs a staff of over 40 Full-Time Movers and Drivers, with a fleet of 10 trucks. We have performed home and business moving services in and around the Greater Sacramento area for almost 10 years. Our award winning services include full service moving and packing services and we also sells boxes and packing supplies.

With comments or questions contact Carolyn Durkee, Marketing Manager at the Sacramento office of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® at 916-852-7411 or contact us here. 

Sacramento Movers Explain How To Pack A Kitchen Prior To Moving

The kitchen is one of the most challenging rooms to pack. Many people opt to have this room alone packed even if they can’t afford to have the whole house packed by a moving company. Considering how many oddly shaped or fragile items this room has, not to mention the sheer amount of pieces to be packed, it certainly makes sense to hire someone else to do it. However, for those trying to keep costs down or who would just rather do the job themselves, here are some tips for packing up the kitchen before a move.

Start the pack job well before the move day. The more time in advance the better as this will give you the opportunity to carefully pack each item and get extra supplies if necessary. For tips on moving large appliances including the refrigerator check out our blog post on preparing appliances for the move.

Begin with packing items that are not used often such as fine china dishware, stemmed glasses, seasonal or decorative dishes, souvenir mugs, as well as party platters or food warmers. Wrap china and glassware in plain packing paper so that newspaper ink will not bleed onto these delicate items. Thoroughly pad the bottom of the dish pack and put extra stuffing in the corners of the boxes which are the most likely to be smashed in. Place the heavier items toward the bottom of the box using cell dividers to keep dishes in place. Pack glasses and stemware toward the top of the box.

In small moving boxes pack cookbooks with their binding facing up. If you have additional space in this box you can stow away decorative items, coasters, place mats or other miscellaneous items. You can also use small boxes to pack up cooking utensils and kitchen knife sets. Pack away your spices in small moving boxes. You may want to pack oils and spice jars that could spill in individual zip lock baggies to keep everything else in the box clean and dry.

In large or medium size boxes, pack your pots, pans, and small appliances. Wrap each item. Pack the toaster oven, microwave, rice cooker, mixer, and coffee pot. Pots and pans can be wrapped and placed within each other, larger pans at the bottom and smaller ones stacked on top.  You may want to think through ahead of time which items you will need till move day for last minute cooking and leave these aside.

As the last few days approach, begin packing your everyday dishware and utensils. If you want to really make things easier, you may consider getting paper plates and cups to use so that you can pack up your dishes before the last minute. Remember, heavier items at the bottom, lightweight glassware up top.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Sacramento employs a staff of over 40 Full-Time Movers and Drivers, with a fleet of 10 trucks. We have performed home and business moving services in and around the Greater Sacramento area for almost 10 years. Our award winning services include full service moving and packing services and we also sells boxes and packing supplies.

With comments or questions contact Carolyn Durkee, Marketing Manager at the Sacramento office of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK at 916-852-7411 or contact us here. 

Sacramento Movers Share A Checklist For Moving To A Foreign Country

If you are considering moving to another country, there are many arrangements that will need to be made. Not only are you uprooting your home and family, but you also must adapt to new laws and customs. Keep track of all the relocation to-do’s for a move to a foreign country with this checklist.

(Photo Credit: Moving Guides)

□   Make sure your passport is current

□   Make arrangements for moving pets

□   Make arrangements for moving specialty items such as pool tables, grand pianos, or wine and liquor collections

□   Consider storing items at either end

□   Have at least three household movers come out and perform onsite estimates for the move

□   Get timing and pricing guarantees in writing from the mover that you select

□   If you own a home, contact your real estate agent to help you sell the home or contact a property manager to rent it out

□   Sell your car or make arrangements to have it shipped overseas

□   Research health insurance and primary care physicians available in the area you are moving to. Gather your medical records and pack them with your important papers or have them sent over directly from your current physician.

□   Make sure that your bank is aware of your relocation, and open a banking account in the country you are moving to if necessary.

□   If you have children that will be moving with you, talk to your kid’s current school and the school they will be transferring to in the foreign country. Set up to have school records transferred to the new school

□   Get vaccinations and visas for yourself and any family members that will be moving with you

□   Develop a timeline for packing and stick to it. Begin with items you will not need for a while

□   Look into items that cannot be moved into the new country so that you can dispose of these prior to the move

□   Look for accommodation in the new country. You may do better to stay in a hotel or apartment for a few weeks or months until you can find a suitable place to buy or rent.

□   Wait to buy or sign a lease on a place until you have seen it in person. Don’t rely on internet to make that decision.

□   If possible you may consider visiting the country prior to the move to check out the real estate that’s available.

□   Talk to a lawyer about purchasing property in another country so that you can fully understand taxes, fees, liens, caveats, etc.

□   Your current attorney may be able to give you a recommendation for an attorney in your new country

□   Host a garage sale to get rid of any excess items that you don’t need across country or don’t wish to store

□   Find out if your driver’s license will be valid in the new country or if you will need some form of international driver’s license

□   Provide notice to your work of the relocation in plenty of time before the move

□   Use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email to keep in touch with friends and family you've left behind. Use Skype to have face-to-face talks: it's almost like being there

□   Find out if it is possible to get a job there before moving

□   Learn all that you can about the country. Learn about local customs and laws and determine whether you can abide under those laws and if the customs and routines will affect your daily life.

□   Learn about the country's immigration laws and procedures. Some countries have very strict requirements for immigrants based on income, age, skill set, training or family connection.

□   Consider learning the language to a proficient level before leaving your own country

□   When learning a language, don't forget to learn slang terms and idioms—learn how people really talk

□   Be sure that you're clear on work and work rights in your new country. Many developed countries, for example, now offer eased work permits.

□   You may experience discrimination. Remember, you are the foreigner in the new country

□   Arrange for a medical health check to be sure you are in good health before you leave

□   Obtain guidebooks and the like for learning cultural information

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Sacramento employs a staff of over 40 Full-Time Movers and Drivers, with a fleet of 10 trucks. We have performed home and business moving services in and around the Greater Sacramento area for almost 10 years. Our award winning services include full service moving and packing services and we also sells boxes and packing supplies.

With comments or questions contact Carolyn Durkee, Marketing Manager at the Sacramento office of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® at 916-852-7411 or contact us here.

Sacramento Movers Share Tips On Moving While Pregnant

Moving while pregnant or just after a pregnancy can be more challenging but it’s also more important than ever to take care of yourself. For example, expecting mothers should not try to lift boxes or furniture but rather delegate that to a helping hand. Here are a few tips on taking care of mother and baby when moving.

Start packing as soon as you know you’re moving. Rather than leaving everything for the last minute, spread out the packing over several weeks or even months. Begin with the items you will not need for a while such as off season clothing, sporting goods, books, and small kitchen appliances. Pack these and clearly label the boxes so that you will know where to find things on the other end.  Pack a little each day and take breaks as often as you need it. As it gets closer, get friends to help you pack the bulk of your home goods. Remember to leave the most essential items for last and make sure they are the last items on the truck so that they can be the first items unloaded after the move.

Some mothers have advised that it is easier to do a move earlier on in a pregnancy, so if you have the option, the sooner you can schedule the move date, the better.

On move day, let the movers or family and friends do all the heavy lifting. You just sit back, put up your feet and direct everyone where you want them to go.

Remember to rest often, drink lots of water and resist the urge to get up and help out with the lifting.

After the move is complete, don’t rush to unpack everything. Begin with the essentials and pace yourself as you work on the rest. It’s more important to rest up than to get everything put away immediately.

One final note, before moving, take a moment to sit down and research a good doctor. You will want to have that set up early so that you don’t miss any essential check-ups.

For an easier move, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK can offer packing tips as well as a full line of boxes and packing supplies. We can do as much or as little as you want to make your move smooth and stress-free. That includes any packing, unpacking, disassembly of furniture, loading, unloading and the move itself.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Sacramento employs a staff of over 40 Full-Time Movers and Drivers, with a fleet of 10 trucks. We have performed home and business moving services in and around the Greater Sacramento area for almost 10 years.

With comments or questions contact Carolyn Durkee, Marketing Manager at the Sacramento office of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® at 916-852-7411 or contact us here.

Sacramento Movers Suggest Household Fix-Up Projects To Prepare For Winter

If you own a home it is likely to be the largest, most expensive investment you will make and it’s important to keep it in good shape. Fall is well underway and winter fast approaching. This is the best time make a couple small improvements or fix-ups to be sure that the property is not damaged in windy, damp weather. In fact it may be possible to save some money on energy and heating over the winter months by making a few improvements around the house.

(Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

Replace light bulbs. This may sound a little silly but the last thing you want to do in the holiday season is rack up the electric bill. Get rid of incandescent light bulbs and replace them with high-efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs to save energy. Check with your local electricity provider to see if there are rebates available for making the switch. Why do it now? With less natural light and long evenings indoors, lighting is used in the home far more than any other time of year.

Keep the warm air within. Carefully inspect the caulking and seals around window frames to be sure there are no gaps that may let chilly air into the home. Replace weather stripping around doors including garage and side doors. If these steps seem a little more than you can manage, perhaps just install drapes or curtains over each window. That layer of fabric covering a window can do a lot to keep a room warm and cozy.

Check the furnace. When the weather gets cold enough to turn on the heater it’s always a good idea to have a professional come out to inspect the furnace and retune it if necessary. If this simple, routine maintenance is not completed, the heater can end up costing an exorbitant amount. This should be done once a year at the beginning of heater season.

Check the roof. It’s important to check the roof for leaks before you get hit with rain. You may be able to fix any leaky patches yourself but if in doubt, always call a professional. Meanwhile check the instillation in the attic to be sure it is keeping all that warm air under the roof.

Clean the gutter. Get out the ladder and remove any leaves or debris that traps the gutter wells and drain. This afternoon cleanup project will allow water to flow smoothly off the roof without landing in rough puddles along the flower beds or across the front entry way.

Winterize the plumbing. Call out a plumber to winterize any exterior faucets or sprinkler systems. If left without this essential fix, freezing temperatures can cause these to freeze and burst. If all else fails, turn off the water supply to these faucets and drain the hoses of water when you anticipate freezing weather.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Sacramento employs a staff of over 40 Full-Time Movers and Drivers, with a fleet of 10 trucks. We have performed home and business moving services in and around the Greater Sacramento area for almost 10 years. Our award winning services include full service moving and packing services and we also sells boxes and packing supplies.

With comments or questions contact Carolyn Durkee, Marketing Manager at the Sacramento office of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK at 916-852-7411 or contact us here.