Move Smart Solutions Blog

There are many great reasons to upsize in 2021. After a challenging year and new lifestyle changes that have impacted us all, now is a great time to upsize your home and finally gain the comfort (and sanity) you’ve been looking for.

Affordability

Mortgage rates have hit historic lows, thanks to efforts by the government to stimulate the economy. Many metro areas have also seen a slowdown in-home price increases. Now that remote work is available for many Americans, buyers are free to stay farther away from their metropolitan workspaces, offering them more affordable options. If you want to grab more space at a lower price, now is the time to do it!

Fall is nearly here and even though this one will be different than previous years, it can still be incredible. You might not be sitting in the bleachers at a football game or wandering through a corn maze, but making some minor changes to your home's interior can nevertheless put you in the spirit. Check out these simple home hacks to make this the best fall ever.

1 Slippers

That's right- slippers. When the cool weather starts to (finally) creep in, there is nothing better than coming home and sliding your feet into some cozy, warm slippers. Especially if you have tile or hardwood floors that can feel chilly on bare feet, slippers are a must.

If you’re facing a move across country with kids in tow, you may be nearing panic mode. The mere thought of getting a whining toddler to pack up all their toys is unnerving, let alone the thought of spending six hours trapped in a car with that toddler. Or, maybe your kids are school-aged, and you have to break the news that they’ll be leaving all their friends behind and starting a new adventure somewhere else.

If that doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, you’re not alone. Fortunately, we see families like yours make the big move from one side of the country to the other all the time—and we’ve learned a thing or two from their strategies throughout the process.

Ready to get a head start on the spring selling season? Listing your home in the wintertime is a great way to take advantage of a less competitive market and more committed buyers. You won’t have to worry about landscaping, and you might sell your home in days if the right buyer finds you at the right moment.

Showcase your space with these five tips for winter home sellers:

Staging your home may not be mandatory, but it’s something that should be strongly considered when selling a property. Staging your home means having it professionally decorated and furnished to make it look more appealing to buyers. It helps potential buyers imagine life inside of the house, which could lead to a shorter time on the market! According to the National Association of Realtors, “39% of sellers’ agents stated that staging a home greatly decreases the amount of time the home is on the market.” That’s why staging your home can be a very beneficial part of the selling process, keep reading to learn why it’s an important step.

Give Room for Imagination

A cluttered home can have adverse effects on your health, causing low-level stress and anxiety, making you feel overwhelmed and mentally drained. Decluttering can let your home feel more relaxed, even if it’s simply because you’re not running from place to place looking for misplaced items. Having an organized environment can also allow for a concentrated mind, allowing for more productivity and creativity.

Think First Usefulness, Then Sentimental Value

To really declutter, you’re going to have to part with some things. So, when sorting items, it’s important to think of their usefulness and need before you take into account the sentimental value. If the item has a unique purpose or if it does a job better than an item of a similar nature, then keep the more useful possession. When taking the sentimental value of the possession into account there may be things you find that you don’t want to give away, but you also don’t have the time and space for. Think about re-homing these items to give them another life with family or friends who understand their value.

If your children have left for college or maybe to start families of their own, your home might be suddenly quieter and better organized than it’s been in years. Now that you can finally hear yourself think, you may have realized that you have more space in that big house than you know what to do with. If you’ve found yourself with an empty nest, downsizing might be the perfect solution for your new lifestyle needs.

Here are five things to consider when thinking about downsizing:

Spring is just around the corner and that means breathing some new life into your home. It’s the perfect time of year to clean out, freshen up, and do a little bit of redecorating. With so much to do it can be daunting figuring out where to start. Luckily, we have all the tips you need to help you prepare your home for spring!

Start Spring with a Clean Slate

Start by doing some simple cleaning around your house. Mop and vacuum floors, dust shelves and counters, declutter bookshelves, tables and desks. Take the chores you do throughout the year and add a little extra time and attention for a good start to your spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning is the perfect excuse to take care of semi-annual maintenance tasks as well! Here’s a quick checklist to help:

• Replace or clean HVAC filters
• Clean out your gutters
• Wash your windows (inside and out)
• Touch up any cracked or peeling paint
• Replace smoke detector batteries

Go through and see what on the list needs to be done, and make your home fresh and clean!

Decorating a house is an important part of making your home feel like, well, your home. When kids come into the picture, it gets harder to keep your home looking as nice and stylish as it once was. We have a secret to tell you: There’s no need to sacrifice having a fantastic looking home just because of the little ones. There are several ways to make any room look stunning while still keeping it kid-friendly! We’ve picked out some of our favorites to give you an idea of how to decorate your home while keeping those loveable mess-makers in mind.

Get Creative with Seating

If you’ve got a toddler wandering around, too-high seating areas and pointy edges might be a cause for concern. Considering replacing it with poufs or even a storage ottoman. These will be easier on the little one if any accidents happen. As your toddler grows, the poufs can provide extra seating for them and any playmates they might have over, freeing up couch space for the adults. And a storage ottoman can be great for quickly clearing toys off the living room floor before guests arrive. Poufs and ottomans are easy to move around, and can make great accent pieces to any room.

If you’re a DIY kind of person, you can take your old, rectangular coffee table and turn it into an ottoman with this handy guide!

Use an Outdoor Rug Indoors

Outdoor rugs are incredibly easy to clean, but they don’t just have to be kept outside. Find one that’s stylish to add a nice touch to your dining or living room. When the kids get messy during meal time or rowdy at play time, your floors will be protected and you don’t have to worry about an expensive rug being ruined!  These are also great to throw down in other high-traffic areas of your home, in case of muddy footprints or spilled drinks while your family moves about.