Tips for Moving Your Child to a New School

If you have moved your family to a new location this summer, chances are you also have the double duty of introducing your child to a new school. The transition can put stress on your child's temperament, but with some understanding and careful planning, you can encourage your child to embrace the change. Here are some tips:

• Practice the route to school: Children will be reassured to know the exact trip that they will be taking by schoolbus, car, or on foot ahead of time. Point out attractions along the way to help your child get familiar with the area.


• Visit the school before the first day: Most schools are open during the late summer for teacher preparation, so call the school in advance to see if a visit is possible. Be sure to check out the areas that your kids will be most interested in, such as classrooms, the gym, cafeteria, and playground/sports fields.


• If possible, introduce your child to his/her new teacher: Even a simple hello will help your child feel more comfortable about starting a new school.


• Meet other school-aged children in the neighborhood: Encouraging your kids to meet new peers at places such as the local park or community center will increase their chances of making friends that will also be attending their new school. Talk to other parents about getting the neighborhood kids together at your home or the local play area.

To Pack or Not to Pack? Here Are Some Answers

If you have chosen to hire a moving company to handle your move, there are some things that are typically not allowed to be loaded onto a moving company's truck. Here are a few categories of items that are usually not good to go:

• Irreplacable items: If you are moving jewelry, family heirlooms, or valuable documents, you will want to keep these things on your person during your move. If you are not sure, ask your moving insurance provider if any of these items can be covered in transit.


• Perishables: Most moving companies will not permit food and other perishables onto the truck, so you'll probably want eat or give away whatever's sitting in your freezer.


• Flammables: Hazardous materials, gasoline, and lighter fluid are probably not okay to put on the moving truck. If you aren't sure, pack questionable items such as paint, aerosol cans, or ammunition in a separate box and be prepared to take the box with you if the movers refuse to pack it.


• Living things: Plants, animals, and people are usually not allowed to go into the moving truck.


• Essentials: Anything you might need during your personal move such as your cellphone, wallet, medication, eyeglasses, or keys should not be loaded onto the moving truck. This might seem obvious but with so many of your belongings going into boxes, you'll want to make sure you don't lose anything important.

A Checklist for the Week Before You Move

The week before your moving day is likely going to be a very stressful week. Organize your priorities and create a checklist to make your move as smooth as possible:

• If you are doing the packing yourself (as opposed to a moving company) label boxes according to which room they will go to in your new home. Also, mark boxes such as "fragile," "load last," or "do not load."


• If you have hired a moving company, call and confirm the dates of your move. Make sure you have notified them of any extraordinary items, such as heavy appliances or a piano.


• Ensure you have money to cover the cost of your move, including cash tips for the movers.


• Back up your computer files and gather all of your software start-up discs. Be sure that your computer and electronic equipment is not exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture during your move.


• Properly dispose of hazardous waste such as paint, oil, and pesticides.


• Make sure your utility companies have been notified of your move, as well as your doctors, pharmacists, banks, schools, friends and family.


• Make sure your subsciptions (newspapers, magazines) have been notified of your move.


• Return any items you have borrowed from friends and neighbors.


• If you have children, prepare them for moving day by engaging them in the process. If possible, let them have a going-away party with their friends.


• Try to either eat or give away food in your fridge and freezer.


• Pack valuables that may not be covered by moving insurance such as jewlery and heirlooms separately. You will want to carry these items with you on moving day.


• Thoroughly clean areas that have been cleared.

You Don't Know What You've Got 'Til You Move It

Once you start packing, you'll probably realize that your belongings have somehow multiplied like rabbits. You might be wondering how you will fit all of your stuff onto the moving truck on moving day. Hopefully you've found arrangements for the things you no longer need, such as selling them at a yard sale or online, donating items to charities and friends, or simply throwing them away. Even if you have a huge garage or attic awaiting you at your new home, you will probably want to purge many items that you don't use anymore because the more things you move, the more expensive your move will be. If you are still stuck with too many things you can't bear to part with, you may want to consider renting a storage space. Whichever solution you choose, starting the packing process earlier than later is going to help you organize your belongings for the easiest move possible.

Is Your Move Tax Deductible?

If you are moving because of a job opportunity, you may be able to get some help from Uncle Sam in recovering your moving expenses. There are strict time and distance requirements and you will need to fill out the 1040 long form, but if you think you apply, hang onto all of your receipts and seek an accountant during next year's tax season. Here's a rundown of the requirements:

• Your move must have occured within one year of your start date at your new job, unless you have a valid reason for moving more than a year after you started your new job.


• The location of your new job must be at least 50 miles farther from your previous home than your last workplace was. So if you lived three miles from your old job, your new job must be at least 53 miles from your old home.


• You need to have worked full-time for at least 39 weeks within a year after moving to your new location. The worked weeks don't have to be consecutive or even with the same employer, but if you are self-employed, you need to have worked full-time for 78 weeks during the first 24 months after your move.

If you are confused about whether or not your move is tax-deductible, see this flow chart here, or read more at http://www.irs.gov/publications/p521/index.html.

Make Sure Your New Neighborhood is Safe

By day, your new neighborhood may seem quaint and charming, but have you checked it out at night? Be sure you will be comfortable walking around your new area after dark by doing a little detective work. If possible, go to your prospective neighborhood at night and see how many people are out on the streets. Is it bustling, or is it eerily quiet? What sort of people are in the area at night? If you are not able to see your new neighborhood before moving, enter your zipcode a search engine such as SpotCrime.com to view crime statistics for that area. Before you sign your lease or pay your broker's fee, do your research and make sure you will be able to rest easy in your new home. Other useful websites on crime include:

http://www.familywatchdog.us/

www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/registry.htm

http://www.nsopr.gov/

Uprooting: Tips for Moving Plants

When planning your move, your houseplants and garden plants are probably the least of your concerns, but depending on how far you are relocating, you may want to take some of your greenery with you. Since plants are delicate living things and require special care when moving, you will want to plan ahead to make sure your plants survive the trip. Keep in mind that moving insurance typically does not cover plants because they are perishables. Also, many moving companies will not move plants for long distances, especially overseas. Contact your moving company at least a couple weeks before your move to find out if they'll take your plants. If you are planning on moving your plants yourself, here are some tips:

• If you are moving internationally, you may not be able to bring certain plants, such as fruit trees. Contact customs in advance of your move.


• Decide which plants you will want to move, and get them in peak condition prior to moving day. Keep them watered, remove pests, and prune them.


• Plants in breakable pots, such as clay, should be re-potted in plastic pots. Pack the breakable pots separately, wrapped in packing paper or bubble wrap.


• One or two nights before your move, water your plants normally. Be careful not to overwater them--if they are too moist, fungus can grow during the move.


• Line sturdy boxes with plastic to move your plants in. Pack plants in snugly--but not too tightly--and fill gaps with packing paper to prevent shifting.


• Punch holes in the sides of your plant boxes for them to breathe and mark them "plants," with instructions to pack them last.


• Dig up any garden plants you want to move on moving day, and protect the root ball by wrapping it in plastic. Alternatively, if you must leave your plants behind, you can bring cuttings in small plastic bags with wet paper towels.


• Tall plants should be bagged or wrapped in plastic. Just make sure you poke some holes in the plastic to let your plants breathe.


• If possible, the best way to move plants is in the back seat of a car or van. This will give you some peace of mind knowing that you can keep an eye on them. If you have to spend a night in a hotel, make sure to check the weather. Cold temperatures can damage fragile plants, so to be safe, move them indoors with you.


• Try to unpack your plants as soon as you arrive at your new home. Remove the plastic immediately, water them, and try to gradually expose them to sunlight.

Bottled Up: Tips for Packing a Home Bar

Moving delicate items from one place to another is complicated enough, but when those delicate items are glass bottles filled with precious liquor or wine, the task can seem overwhelming. If you are doing the packing yourself, take a deep breath and get a few friends to help. Promise them a drink when you arrive in your new place, and you'll likely have a few volunteers. Here are a few tips for keeping bottles intact during a move:

• Go through your inventory and weed out anything you don't need to bring. Bottles are heavy, so moving anything unnecessary will be a waste of energy. Perhaps you'll want to throw a going-away party and your friends can help you finish off near-empty bottles.


• Ask your local wine or liquor store for boxes with cardboard dividers, which they should give to you for free. Otherwise, purchase divided boxes from your local moving or shipping company. This type of box usually holds one dozen 750-ml bottles. Remember, smaller boxes are best for heavy items, so you don't pull your back out trying to lift them.


• Make sure your boxes are well-secured. Reinforce the bottoms with tape and/or cardboard.


• For odd-shaped bottles, you can place them in a milk crate or large plastic container with handles.


• Make sure bottles that have been opened are capped and/or corked tightly. If a cap seems loose, you may want to wrap that bottle separately in a plastic bag and secure the top with a rubber band.


• Wrap bottles tightly in sheets of newspaper or packing paper. For valuable bottles, do not use newspaper--the ink can stain the label on the bottle. Secure wrapping with tape before placing bottles inside the box.


• Write "fragile glass" prominently on the box so that when you or your movers transport the box, extra caution is taken. The last thing you want at your new home is a big spill on the floor that reeks of Kahlua. You may also want to write "booze" on the box so that you can easily find it and open it first!

Flooring: Hardwood vs. Carpet

Unless you are building your home from scratch, it is likely that your next home will either have carpeting or hardwood floors. Of course, tile, lineoleum, and stone are other options too, but hardwood and carpet are more common. Which do you prefer? Here are some pros and cons of each:

Hardwood:

• Pro: Durability. If maintained well, hardwood floors can last for generations, even centuries.


• Pro: Easy to clean. Dust and dirt are simply swept and mopped away, reducing allergens.


• Pro: Natural beauty.


• Con: Can be expensive, both to install and to maintain.


• Con: Easily scratched by moving furniture.


• Con: Noisier than carpeting.

Carpet:

• Pro: Inexpensive and less of a hassle to install compared to hardwood.


• Pro: Soft and quiet. Great for infants and toddlers learning to walk, and also adds extra insulation in the home.


• Pro: Can add to the decor of the room.


• Con: Can trap dust particles and allergens.


• Con: Stains easily, although carpet cleaners usually do the trick.


• Con: Traps odors.