Ayla P.R. Representative with Moving Made Smooth, Inc. ​

Special care should always be given to items that may be sitting in storage for an extended period of time. Many hazards exist that can damage or destroy them. Moisture, dust, stains, rust, and insects, to name a few, can all be detrimental to your stored belongings. In this blog, I aim to reduce or possibly even eliminate the threat that these hazards pose to your possessions.

Items to Protect your Belongings
The short list below will help you to protect anything from clothing to furniture to appliances.
•    Desiccant/silica gel- this absorbs moisture from the air.
•    Cedar chips or balls- these repel insects.
•    tarps, old (clean) bed sheets, or furniture covers- to protect from dust.
•    motor oil- inhibits rust formation
•    packing paper- to prevent damage/dust formation.

How to Use These Items
Desiccant: Any electronic device, cloth, or paper materials placed into long-term storage should be protected with desiccant. This can be easily done by placing silica gel packets inside a box or container that has these items stored inside. It is also a good idea to place a few larger desiccant containers around the walls of the storage unit. Desiccant can be easily purchased at Walmart, many hardware stores, or online.

Cedar Chips or Balls: These are a great alternative to traditional moth balls.  They smell nice and they will not damage materials, as moth balls sometimes can. I suggest putting these inside small cloth bags, similar to what you would see used for potpourri (an example of these bags is shown on the left). Then place the bags in your containers or set them near any stored upholstered furniture.

Tarps, Old Sheets, Or Furniture Covers: It is very important to protect furniture from dust during long-term storage. Dust that is allowed to settle on your furniture can and will eventually stain it. I recommend purchasing slipcovers or covering furniture with tarps/old bedding. If you decide to use old bedding, be sure it is thoroughly washed because organic material (like your sweat or dead skin) will attract insects and other pests.

Motor Oil: First and foremost, any kitchen appliance should be thoroughly cleaned before going into storage. Leaving any food residue will cause pests to infest the storage unit. To protect your precleaned appliances from rust, use a very small amount of motor oil applied to a cloth and wipe off the exposed surfaces of the appliance. This is also a nifty way to prevent rust on yard tools, bicycles, or any other metal item.

Packing Paper: Fragile items should be wrapped in packing paper and put in boxes. Be sure to fill any empty spaces in the box with more crumpled paper to prevent items from shifting and the box from being crushed. Notice that I said packing paper and not newsprint. Newsprint's ink can often transfer to the surface of the item you are trying to pack over time. Remember to pack books flat to prevent damage to the spine. Records and plates should be packed on edge, wrapped in plenty of packing paper, and the box should also be lined with plenty of paper. Be sure to mark any fragile items as such on the outside of the box or container.

Feel free to leave comments down below, but try to keep the posts relevant to the blog. For Instance, if you have any ideas for a blog you would like to see written (on the topic of moving/relocation) or you have a question about a topic the blog has covered, leave a comment. Thank you for reading!

Ayla PR Representative at Moving Made Smooth, Inc.

If you are relocating due to starting a job in a new location, which can be a new job, an old job that has moved you to a new location/branch, or a move due to your company relocating. The IRS form needed to deduct moving expenses is Form 3903.

Who Qualifies For These Deductions?
There are three main qualifications that allow you to file for these deductions.
1.    Your move must be closely related in time and distance to the start of work in the new location.
2.    Your move meets the requirements of the Distance Test.
3.    Your move also meets the requirements of the Time Test.
A move that is closely related in time is usually defined as occurring within a year of starting work in the new location. Exceptions are made if you can prove that reasonable circumstances prevented you from moving within the year time frame. You can look over exceptions in greater detail on the IRS website linked below. A general guide to determining if the distance is closely related is if your new home is closer to your place of work than your old home.
A move that qualifies under the Distance Test means the distance between your new job location and your old home is greater by 50 miles or more from the distance between your old home and your old job location. To clarify, this means if your old home is 5 miles from your old work location, then your new work location must be at least 55 miles from your old home. This requirement does not take into account the distance to your new home. Members of the Armed Forces do not have to meet this requirement. For more details about this requirement see the full IRS document linked below.
Qualifying a move under the Time Test means that you meet the requirements outlined for an employee or self-employed person. An employee must have worked or will work full-time for 39 weeks within the first 12 months of moving to your new location. A self-employed person must have worked or will work full-time for 78 weeks in the first 2 years and have worked or will work full-time for 39 weeks within the first year of living at the new location. If you have not yet completed these requirements before filing your taxes, but will do so within the new year, you can still file for this deduction. There are more extensive rules listed on the IRS website linked below.
A retiree or survivor of a person who moved into the United States may be able to deduct some of the costs of moving from another country. Follow this link to the IRS for more information about this exception (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs- pdf/p521.pdf#en_US_2014_publink1000203483).

What Moving Expenses Can I Deduct?

• The costs of moving your belongings (even in-transit or foreign move storage expenditures)
• The cost of travel to your new home (including hotels or other lodging, but not meals). This includes expenses for the day you arrive.
• Any sightseeing or stops along the way from one home to another aren't deductible, i.e. take the most direct route from one location to the other. If you do any sightseeing, you can then only deduct what it would have cost for the direct route and cannot deduct the lodging you stayed in for your indirect route.
• If you drive yourself you can deduct your gas and oil if you have kept accurate records or you can deduct their standard mileage rate of 23.5 cents per mile. You may also deduct parking fees and tolls.
• You may also deduct the cost of packing, crating, or transporting your belongings.
• The cost of disconnecting and connecting your utilities is deductible.
• The expense of shipping your pets or car is deductible.
• Money spent on storing and insuring your belongings for up to 30 consecutive days after they are moved out of your old home and before they arrive at your new one.

For any information regarding reimbursement or traveling to another country please refer to the original IRS document linked below.
​
For more information check out this link to the IRS website:
​http://www.irs.gov/uac/Publication-521,-Moving-Expenses

Ayla PR Representative with Moving Made Smooth, Inc.

There are a lot of decisions involved when you decide to move in with another person; whether you're newlyweds, dating, or just roomies. The task of merging your stuff can be tedious and even frustrating at times. Coordinating the move itself can be tricky. Setting ground rules is also an extremely important task. You should also make a financial plan for bills and rent.

Deciding to Move in Together
The decision to move in with a friend or significant other is a very important life decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. This will be a person that you spend a lot of time with and you will have to deal directly with this person and their habits for an indefinite amount of time. Think about your personalities and what you both do in your spare time. Are they compatible or are you able to be flexible? If you're considering moving in with someone who has a party every Friday night and you work early in the morning every Saturday you may want to reconsider the arrangement. Are you frequently in conflict with them or in an 'on-again, off-again' relationship? Maybe you are allergic to their favorite pet. Sometimes there are circumstances that cause people to be incompatible under the same roof even though you are the best of friends or devoted partners and that's okay. It's a whole lot easier to prevent the arrangement than to organize moving out and breaking a lease in the back end.

Merging Your Possessions
It can be difficult to decide on who's furniture will end up put into your new place together. Maybe you have a favorite chair that you are absolutely unable to part with. Assert yourself about your 'must-haves,' but remember to be flexible. They may be just as attached to some of their belongings as you are to yours. Give them room in your new home, but don't forget about yourself. Balance is key. If you have a lot of left over furniture, consider selling, donating, or storing it. Keep in mind that long-term storage can get costly.

Coordinating the Move
When two people are moving into a new place together it can make a move harder to coordinate simply because you have two homes and a lot more stuff to keep track of. Keeping organized is very important (you can check out some of our other blogs for tips & hacks). Even more important is proper planning. We recently had a customer schedule her move (in my opinion, ideally) for a move in with a significant other. They had a storage unit and a house that both needed to be moved onto moving trucks and unloaded at their new home together. So they hired four of our men and rented two trucks. Two of our men were able to load one truck at the storage unit and the other two went to the house to load the other truck. Both trucks then arrivedat the new house and the four men unloaded the two trucks in record time. Whatever you decide to do for your particular situation, remember to take it easy on yourself. The last thing you need is an argument on moving day.

Setting Your Ground Rules
When moving in together, it can be mutually beneficial if you lay out all of your pet peeves to the other person. If it bugs you, let them know. It is NEVER a good idea to let a continual annoyance fester into resentment. If your boyfriend leaves the toilet seat up and that little voice in your head flies into a tirade, you should let him know that. Be aware though that it may be destructive to your relationship to start off the discussion if you are annoyed or angry. Bring it up, let them know that a change in their behavior is important to you and beneficial to them (because it grows your relationship), but don't bite their head off! Treat your new roommate or significant other with the same respect you would want to receive from them. Be understanding. Remember, they are adjusting to you just as much as you are adjusting to
them. If they forget about the toilet seat a few times before it becomes a routine it's completely normal.

Financial Planning
Financing is also very important to have worked out in advance. Decide if you are going to split the rent and bills or if you are designating certain bills to be a particular person's responsibility. Be sure to make your roommate or significant other aware if there is any reason that they unexpectedly cannot afford a bill and make it clear that you expect the same from them. You never want to have them angry at you because the power got shut off and you didn't tell them about it or vice versa.

Ayla PR Representative at Moving Made Smooth, Inc.

A lot of factors must be considered when deciding upon your new home. One of the most important factors is whether or not the new neighborhood is a good fit for you and your family. Moving Made Smooth, Inc. has made a helpful list of attributes that you will want to research before deciding on where to relocate.

What is the crime rate in the neighborhood?
An important factor to research is you and your family's personal safety. If a particular area has a large number of crimes or registered sex offenders in the vicinity, you may want to consider relocating to a different neighborhood. Below I have links to the different sex offender registry sites and other general crimes.

Useful links:
Search for crimes in any area
Nebraska sex offender registry
Iowa sex offender registry
Links to any state sex offender registry

Are there any nearby schools that are a good match for my children?
One of the hardest parts of moving when you have little ones is finding the right school. Some kids want to go to a school with the best drama or football departments. As parents, you may be interested in schools that have good before and after school programs. Be sure to thoroughly research a school before enrolling your kids. We have collected a few links to get you started if you are new to the Omaha area.
​
Useful links:
Omaha Public Schools (OPS)
Catholic Schools in Omaha
Private Schools in Omaha
Council Bluffs Community School District

Are there any activities available for me and my family in the vicinity?
​It is important for families to do activities together to facilitate bonding. Or maybe you justaren't interested in becoming a hermit in your new city. Either way, it can be difficult to find new routines in a new environment. We have a few attractions in the Omaha area that may interest you.

Useful links:
Henry Doorly Zoo
Joslyn Art Museum
Durham Museum
Lauritzen Gardens
Centurylink Center
Old Market
TD Ameritrade Park
Holland Performing Arts Center

Is the neighborhood quiet? What is the Community like?
Everyone is looking for a quiet and safe place to live, right? Maybe you like old houses or modern ones. Or possibly you want to get Cantonese for dinner on Wednesday night and Mexican food the next. Whatever it is you are looking for in your new neighborhood, doing research will help you find the right place.

Useful links:
Statistics & Demographics About Any City (some information on this site requires a fee, but the site is very helpful without paying a cent).

Will I have job opportunities after I relocate?
Omaha is home to many small businesses and large corporations. It is relatively easy to find work and many businesses in Nebraska have been little affected by recession. This is pretty attractive to many people who move into the Omaha area. If you are moving out of the area it may be useful to look up unemployment statistics for the new city or search job websites for jobs in your field.

Useful links:
​Unemployment rates for metropolitan areas (I suggest using ctrl+F to find a particular city)
Cost of living

What is the Natural Disaster Risk in the New Neighborhood?
This may not be the first thing you think of when moving to a new area, but it is nonetheless important.  Below I have a link where you can see the disaster risks as reported by FEMA. You can check a disaster risk by region on the left menu.
Useful Links:
Disaster Risk