Before Moving Checklist

Moving can be hectic and unorganized if you don't plan properly. A few weeks ago I talked about packing tips while moving. Today I have come up with a before moving checklist.

To Call

• Utilities. Its a good idea to call them about a week before to make sure you aren't out any necessities like power. 
• Cable and Internet. Same as utilities I would suggest calling approximately a week before.
• The City. Or area you will be moving to. For us we will want to know more about the city and important information as a new resident.

To Rent

• Moving truck. If you don't have vehicles big enough to move all your belongings like most, it is likely you will need to rent some sort of moving truck.
• Supplies. You can rent anything from cardboard boxes to dollies. 

To Gather

• Movers. Make sure you have confirmed with friends and family who is available to help you move. You wont want to be short handed on moving day.
• Food and Drinks. Its always nice to provide some sort of food and drink for you helpers. We are moving early morning and plan to be done around lunch. I have organized my mother and mother-in-law to help with food. I will provide drinks and a side dish for the lunch.

Here are just a few tips. Happy moving!

Packing Tips

As I mentioned before my husband and I bought a house! So this means the packing and moving process begins. I want to make it as smooth as possible so I have come up with some tips. 

Write it down

Make a schedule. We both work full time so to come home after a full day of work and pack is not happening. This means we only have weekends to pack which limits our available days to get it all done. Planning out ahead of time is key. 

We only have 6 weeks from Saturday till we move (eeppp!) so I have broken each area or room down to a weekend making the spaces we used most last. 

Purge then Pack

DONT.PACK.JUNK. In this process I refuse to pack junk. Use the rule "have you used it in the last 6 months". If not its out of here.

Label everything

On moving day you want to make sure your boxes are clearly labeled so the people that are helping you know where the box goes or whats in the box... fragile. Another point when it comes to labeling  make sure not only your box is clearly marked but the room to where the box is going to go should be clearly marked. It maybe obvious that "kitchen" boxes go to the kitchen but what about the bedrooms? My plan is to have the bedrooms labeled 1,2 and 3 as well as the corresponding box. That way there is no guessing and makes it easy on everyone.

What are some tips you have when it comes to pick up your whole life and relocating? I have only done it a few times in my life so I am not an expert and would love to here some suggestions!

Boy Do I Have News For You!

...We bought a house! We are officially in contract! After several weeks of looking and a week of inspections we are hopefully (fingers crossed) done with that part of the process for a long while! Now we are looking forward to signing our life away and having cramped hands at closing. 

We are beyond excited yet slightly stressed at the same time. There are a lot of thing we don't know about owning your own home yet so it will be an adventure for sure! 

House Hunting Blues

This past weekend my husband and I went through every house in our price range in our desired are we want. Talk about exhausting  We fell in love with 1 particular house and ask the Realtor if we could come back on Sunday to take a second look at it. With in an hour of being home from house hunting we got a phone call...and disappointing phone call. The house we had fallen in love with went into contract. Were we upset? Yes. Were we disappointed  Yes. What we did know is God knows what he is doing and the house he has planed for us will come. We only seriously started looking this past week. Here are a few tips on how not to get the house hunting blues.

Don't fall in love with a house on the internet. What we have learned is houses look much different in person. You are up close and can see all the flaws the pictures didn't reveal. It has been very disappointing at times but just move on in a positive attitude. That's all you really can do. 

No house is perfect even if you built a custom home you will probably compromise with something. So go in knowing most things can be changed and altered to your style. Cosmetic changes are obviously the easiest and budget friendly compared to a structural change. Remember the paint color can always be changed!

Be positive when looking at house. Don't get hung up on one thing wrong with the house...unless it serious and a costly fix. Just remember the perfect house that God intended you to have is out there and in the right timing he will reveal that. 

Jesse and I are constantly praying for that house. We pray often to that this house will not only be to provide shelter for our family but to be a welcoming place for friends and family. A place where we can share Gods word. 

Happy House Hunting!

House Hunting: Pre Approval

If you are like most people buying a home, cash is not the easiest thing to do this day in age. Although it would be nice and if you have the means to do that...go for it! But Jesse and I do not. We are newlywed below average income people. So we had to go the mortgage route and the mortgage route starts at getting a pre approval.

A pre approval does not guarantee we will be able to get a house but it shows the real estate agent that we are serious and gives us a general idea of what we can afford based on our income and credit. The pre approval processes doesn't typically take long. Just make sure you submit all the paperwork you need and the lender will get back to you with in a few days.

When getting pre approved there are several factors they look at. income and credit are probably the big ones. Thankfully Jesse and I were raised similar when it comes to credit and have been on the same page since day one or our marriage. That is a credit it card is yes in fact used to purchase things for the month but the balance it not to be carried over. Meaning we don't put anything on it we know we cant pay off right away. This is huge because we don't make "bank" income wise but having good credit is helpful. But don't think only having a credit an hardly no income will get the house of your dreams.

Before we went to a lender to get pre approved I went to a few mortgage calculators online. The best one I have found so far is bankrate.com. Just make sure you do your research. Not only will the mortgage calculators not be 100% accurate but also every situation is different. So even if you think you wont be approve, give it a try!

Buying our First Home

source

These past few days have been really exciting yet nerve-racking for us and let me tell you why. We are starting our house search. YAY!! As for most newlyweds and first time home buyer it will be the biggest purchases of our live so far. Exciting? Yes!  Nervous? Yes! Although we will be broker than broke the first few months after purchasing a home it will be great to finally settle into a place, decorate the walls and buy furniture to fit OUR space and style. 

Jesse and I have been married for 9 months now but have really never lived on our own just the 2 of us. We are currently renting a 1 bed 1 bath garage apartment from his parents. It is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for the first few months of marriage but it is still attached to the rest of the house. So we are ready for our own separate space. 

Because  the home buying processes is not the quickest and because I'm not known to be a super patient person I have decided to blog the process.  This will help hopefully (crossing fingers) pass time quickly and also be a document of a huge thing in our life. I plan to share steps and tips from start to finish on what the whole house buying deal is all about. I am no way an expert at houses or the whole mortgage process but I love looking at house for sale online and  going through model homes (fun fact: growing up as a fun activity my family would walk through model homes on the weekends...lame). Its so fascinating all the different layouts and styles houses can offer! 

So here's to house hunting and the whole process that comes with it!