Owning a dog can bring such joyous moments until it comes time to clean up after them. No matter how much you try to clean up a mess after it happens, there is always a lasting odor from pet dander or accidents on the carpet. When moving out of a home, it is essential to get it as clean as possible for the next owners of your house. Here are some tricks from the local movers and long distance movers at Cheap Movers Sacramento to help clean up after your pooch before moving day!

1. Vacuum The Floors

This might seem like a no-brainer, but make sure the pet fur is all vacuumed up before you try any other ways of cleaning the home. Fur and pet dander has been known to linger not only on carpeted areas but also on other surfaces such as upholstery and hard floors. Sprinkle baking soda all over the floor, leave it for a few hours and vacuum it again. The baking soda will help kill any unwanted odors. Let the ground sit for a while and vacuum another time, to be sure you got all of the baking soda up.

2. Let Nature Help

Exposing your home to fresh air and sunlight will help eliminate unwanted odors as well. Hang your rugs on a clothesline to avoid bugs and let the air and sunlight clean out your items. Another great way to allow sun and air in is to open the windows of your home and let it air out on a nice cool day.

3. Identify The Source

When you have pets on carpeted areas, urine odors are more than likely the reason for the smell in your home. If you are unsure where the problem is exactly, turn out all of the lights in your house and walk around with a black light. When you come across a stain on the floor, it will glow in the black light, and you will know where you need to clean. Once you have identified the source of the odor, you will be able to move on with a fresh smelling carpeted area.

 4. Wash Floors And Walls

Using a spray of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water, spritz all of the walls and floors to clean the home fully. You want to spray enough to make the areas damp, but not so much that it is completely saturated in the cleaning mixture. If the stench still does not go away, you might have to repaint the walls using Kiltz to neutralize the odors completely.

If you do not take the time to clean up pet messes, you more than likely will not get your deposit back on a rental property, or you will have to pay for professional cleaning before you get your money back. When selling a home to a new owner, they will demand the home be cleaned from top to bottom by a professional before they agree to close on the house. If you clean up accidents as they occur, it is much easier to maintain a fresh smelling home with little to no signs of a pet even living there.

Q: What Is the Difference Between a Home Warranty and Home Insurance?

A: When you are buying a new home, your real estate agent may encourage you to request the seller to buy a home warranty plan for the property. With a warranty on the home, you may wonder why home insurance is necessary. A home warranty usually pays for repair work related to wear or tear or general usage. For example, it may cover plumbing repairs or HVAC service. A home insurance policy, on the other hand, usually pays for damages related to major perils. According to this Greenville insurance agency, these perils may include fire, severe weather, theft and more. In many cases, new homeowners may benefit by having both a home warranty and a home insurance policy because these two coverages offer different types of protection.

Q: What Are the Different Options for Home Insurance?

A: If you have started shopping for a home insurance policy, you may be discovering that there are various types of coverage available. A standard policy may include benefits for liability expenses as well as for major repair work to the home. However, you may also opt for coverage related to flooding, earthquakes, mold growth and more. Some homeowners can buy coverage to replace the contents of the home, such as if a fire destroys all of your personal belongings. Displacement costs, such as if you need to live in a hotel temporarily, may also be covered by some policies.

Q: What Are Reasonable Coverage Limits for Home Insurance?

A: Buying home insurance is something that is rarely done in most cases. Because of this, you may understandably be wondering how much coverage you need. First, understand the inclusions and exclusions for each coverage type available that you want to buy. Second, pay attention the compensation rules for each coverage type. For example, if your house burns down, the insurance company will pay to replace it up to the limit of your coverage. However, because the land is not destroyed in a fire, you do not need to insure the value of your property. The replacement value that takes into account new construction or building costs in your area must be determined.

Q: What Should the Deductible Be?

A: A home insurance deductible is paid each time that you file a claim against your coverage. Your insurance company may establish a minimum deductible amount that you can request, but keep in mind that a lower deductible will create a higher premium payment. A common deductible amount is between one to two percent of the replacement value of the home. Before you request a higher deductible, remember that the deductible amount can decrease the benefits of your coverage. For example, if your deductible amount is $4,500 and you have $3,000 of roof damage, it is not beneficial to file a claim.

Q: Why Does the Home Insurance Premium Need to Be Paid Up-Front?

A: In most cases, you will pay your entire home insurance premium for a year up-front. Your mortgage company may also establish an escrow account that begins collecting money each month for the following year’s insurance premium. Insurance companies usually require the premium to be paid in full up-front as a matter of policy. Because of this, the mortgage company wants to ensure that your escrow account has enough money to pay the full premium amount at the next renewal date. Remember that any unused amount will be refunded to you if you change providers or sell the home.

Moving can be a tedious process. Even if you hire a moving company, it can still be a difficult process. There are many things that professional moving companies recommend doing to ensure that the moving process goes by smoothly.

1. Get Organized and Start Packing Early

Before you start packing up, you will need to get organized. It is also a good idea to declutter. Pack up one room at a time. Avoid putting items from different rooms in the same box. Make sure that every box is labeled correctly. For example, the boxes should have living room, bedroom, bathroom or dining room written on the label.

This will allow the moving company to know where they should put your boxes. It will also make the unpacking process a lot easier. Additionally, you will need to use bubble wrap to protect fragile items.

Waiting until the last minute is one of the top causes of moving stress. That is why you should start packing at least one month in advance. The earlier you start packing, the less you will have to rush.

2. Do Not Overpack

You may be able to fit a lot of things into a large box. However, you do not want to put too many things in one box. Ideally, you should put heavy items in a small box. You will also need to avoid packing more than 50 pounds into one box.

3. Leave Clothing on the Hangers

You do not have to take your clothes off of the hanger. You can leave them on the hanger and place them in a wardrobe carton. Not only will this make packing easier, but it will also make it easier for you to unpack.

4. Know What Not to Pack

Certain things should not be packed because your mover will not be able to transport them. Ammunition is an example of something that you should not pack. You should also avoid packing flammable liquids because your moving company will not be able to transport them. Liquids that you have already opened should not be packed. Additionally, moving companies are not able to transport pets of any kind.

5. Have Clothes out The Day of the Move

Looking for clothing on a moving day is the last thing that you want to do. That is why you should have the clothes that you plan to wear on moving day out the night before. It is also a good idea to pack an overnight bag so that you will have something to wear when you get to your new home. If you have an overnight bag packed, then you will not have to unpack the night that you move to your new place.

Moving is always a stressful process, right up there with divorce and dealing with a death in the family. One of the ways that you can make it easier on yourself is to hire a professional moving company to help you. In California, there are many moving companies you can turn to, so how do you know which one is the right one for your needs? We have some things you should look for when shopping for a mover.

Licenses and Professional Affiliations

One of the most important things that you need to look for when searching for local residential moving services is whether the company has the proper licenses in place to work in the state. There are federal licenses that are needed, as well as state ones, so asking about these is vital. Many companies these days have all of this information on their websites, so it can be much easier to find the right person. You can also search online in the official state database for the company you are considering. If your move takes you across state lines, make sure you double check that the moving company has an up-to-date federal household goods carrier license through the US Department of Transportation. This information should be on its website, and the US DOT # should be prominently displayed on its moving trucks.

Another important piece of information is whether the company belongs to California Moving & Storage Association and American Moving & Storage Association. These associations keep a high standard for membership, so you trust movers who are official members.

Insurance

You cannot hire a moving company that does not have valid insurance in place. If damage occurs to your property, you need to ensure that the company will replace the items or provide you with their corresponding value. Reputable companies always have insurance, so keep this in mind when choosing a moving company.

References

You need to ask for references from the moving company. Usually, you should ask for 3 or 4 of them, though you do not have to check up on all of them. Companies without references are not ones you want to turn to since you run the risk of them being disreputable or inexperienced. Once you receive the references, choose a few at random and contact them to ensure the company is one you want helping you. Alternatively, dive into the 21st century and scour reviews posted online by past customers. Yelp, Angie’s List, Better Business Bureau, and Citysearch are great places to start.

Fees

Of course, rates are also a concern when hiring a California moving company. There are so many different businesses to choose from that you are sure to find one in your budget if you research. Keep in mind that you do not want to choose the least expensive service since this could mean that they are not reputable, but you also do not need to hire the most expensive people either. A happy medium guarantees that you will be choosing the right people for the job.

All of these tips can make choosing a moving company much easier for you. Do some research online to see what companies are available in your area and check out their websites. Be sure they have insurance and licenses in place and that they offer the quality services that you need to make the moving process an easier one.

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With so many things to get done, moving day can be stressful, especially if you have a lot to pack and move out of state. However, following these five steps can make moving day easier and more manageable.

1) Get Rid of Stuff

It is essential to get rid of everything that is unnecessary to remove clutter and to make more room in the moving truck. You can either donate clothes you do not wear or sell them beforehand, to give you time when moving time comes. To stay organized as you pack, set aside everything that you think you are going to sell in a separate pile. Decluttering makes moving easier, and it makes it cheaper too!

2) Label

Color code or label boxes so you know what is inside and where it should go in the new house. Labeling is especially important if you have a lot of packages. When you arrive at your new home, you do not want to be opening up all packages to try to find the ones you need. Labeling and color coding reduces stress and expedites the unpacking process. It is also important to pack your essentials in a separate clear box. This box contains all the stuff you will use right away that you do not want to lose, which is especially important after an exhausting day of moving and packing.

3) Groceries

If you do not want to waste food, which is important not to do, do not buy food a week before you leave. It is very likely you will have to throw away food, especially produce and food that needs to be refrigerated, because it will go bad within hours. If you do end up having more food than you need, you can invite a few friends over to help you finish it all or ask your local moving company if they are part of the Move for Hunger program.

4) Plastic Bags

When packing up clothes, sheets, towels, and dishes, remember to put plastic bags inside the boxes first before adding these items will keep them clean. This way you won’t have to rewash any fabrics or dishes, which helps conserve water as well. To keep the clothes and sheets smelling fresh, you can throw a fabric softener inside the bag. Also, if you packed appropriately, you won’t have to worry about refolding clothes or sheets, they can easily go right into drawers as they were packed. This step saves time and unnecessary stress as well.

5) Defrost

It is important to defrost, clean, and dry your fridge before the movers arrive because it can leave unpleasant smells and leakage if not done the night before. If you are only moving a short distance, then it is okay to pack a cooler of foods you might eat that week. It is best to hire a moving company if you are planning on moving your fridge with you. The fridge is cumbersome, so it’s easy to damage the compressor. Letting experts handle this job prevents mishaps.

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