No time of year conjures more warmth in your heart than Christmas. Friends and family, food and merriment, all come together in your house to make the holidays special. The backdrop of it all is the festive atmosphere you create […]
Tips for Finding the Right Neighborhood to Call Home in St. Louis
Moving into a new neighborhood is a risk in any circumstances, especially if you don’t know the area well. This is especially true if you’re looking for a home to buy, where you can raise a family. Once you commit, you’re stuck for quite a while. However, there are some practices you and your partner can employ to ensure you find the right St. Louis neighborhood to call home. Here are some tips for scouting out the right neighborhood from St. Louis moving companies:
Rent First
Even if you’re already pre-approved for your loan, there’s no reason you have to buy right now. Take your time to get the lay of the land. If you’ve found a particular neighborhood that appeals to you, rent a home in the area. It may be worth it to sign a year-long lease and get to know the people in the community.
Research Taxes
You’ll want to look up average property tax rates in the area for a couple of reasons. First, low taxes indicate a depressed area, which means the home you buy may significantly depreciate. Secondly, taxes that are too high can place a financial burden on your household. Look for a happy medium.
Tour Neighborhood Amenities
Take a ride around the St. Louis to tour the various neighborhoods that most appeal to you. This can provide deep insight into what you can expect in each community. Is public transportation available? If so, do the bus stops look well-maintained? Check out the condition of area parks as well. Find out what events and activities are available for children. An area that offers more services and amenities will likely take the extra effort to care for those facilities.
Don’t Rely Solely on Crime Statistics
Safety is definitely going to be a major factor in terms of choosing a neighborhood in which you’ll want to raise your family. While it’s a good idea to contact the police department and ask for crime statistics for the neighborhood, those numbers can sometimes be inaccurate. Supplement that information by talking to the people living in the neighborhood. Ask about their experiences and find out if they feel safe in their homes.
Look at Area Businesses
When a small business owner is going to set up shop in a neighborhood, he, or she, does extensive research. If there are a number of businesses, such as cafes and antique shops, in the neighborhood, this is a good indication that the area is on the rise. However, a number of empty storefronts can often serve as an early warning sign of decline.
Observe Activity in the Neighborhood
Look at the activity in the area, as well. Are children playing outdoors frequently? Driving around after sunset can also help you evaluate the neighborhood. If it seems the streets suddenly become abandoned and quiet, this is a strong indication that there may be a bad element in the area.
While these tips can help you identify more desirable neighborhoods throughout St. Louis, you’re ultimately going to have to rely on your gut instinct. This is why you should learn as much as you can about the neighborhoods that interest you. The more you learn about each area, the better prepared you’ll be to select a promising place to raise your family.
Minimalist Moving Guide | How to Declutter Before You Relocate
Less is more. This is true of many instances in your life, but it is especially true when moving. When you’re starting to pack, you’ll realize how many things you have collected over the years. Not only that, you’ll realize how many useless things you have collected over the years. Getting rid of your junk can be overwhelming. However, here are some tips from Cheap Movers Kansas City (www.cheapmoverskansascity.com) on how to declutter your home before you relocate.
Get rid of as many books as possible
Books are heavy, and they take up a lot of space. If you have already read the books on your bookshelf and they fall under “mediocre,” get rid of them. There will be some books that you can’t bear to part with, of course, and there will be others you may choose to read again (will you really?). However, the rest of them can be easily donated to the library, recycled or sold at a garage sale.
Even if you’re an avid reader, or especially if you’re an avid reader, books should be given away. The reason is you’re bound to buy more, which means your collection is ever growing. Moving gives you a good reason to pare down your at-home library.
Newspapers and magazines
Once you start to sort through your belongings, you may find a lot of old magazines and newspapers. You’ve probably decided to keep them because of a specific story or article. However, like books, they take up a ton of space and attract silverfish. Best thing to do? Digitize them. Take photos of the articles you like so that you can save those pages as jpegs. Then toss out your entire paper collection.
The beauty of saving articles as jpegs is you can now share them with whomever you like, simply by attaching the jpegs to your email.
Declutter room by room
Once you’ve decided on the date of your move, declutter your space room by room. Bring several big garbage bags and go through everything. Make a “keep” pile and a “throw away” pile. What goes into your throw away pile? Everything that you’re not using or won’t be using in the foreseeable future.
There is also a lot of stationary and toys that pile up over the years. If you have five clipboards, get rid of four of them. If you have three soccer balls, throw away two. Sit down with your kids, and go through their toy boxes. Then together, decide what gets tossed. Don’t forget the kitchen. Old can openers, pots, pans, and Tupperware can probably be tossed, as well.
Get rid of your old clothes
Fashion changes and your tastes probably change along with it. Go through everyone’s closet and find out what never gets worn. Then pack all the no-longer-worn clothes into bags and give them to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or a charity of your choice. Do the same with shoes and hats.
Reducing your belongings to the bare essentials will make relocating a lot easier. The good news is, it will make the unpacking portion a lot easier, too.
How-to Guide for Planning a Garage Sale Before Your Move
If you’re moving, you might be taking a look at everything you need to pack and realizing that you have more things than you need (or are willing to pack). A garage sale is a good idea to load off […]