3 Reasons Why It's Cheaper to Hire a Moving Company

Once the kids are out of the house and you no longer need the extra rooms, you may consider downsizing to a smaller home. Or maybe you desire a warmer climate or need to move to another state to start a new position for work. 

If you are preparing to move and are contemplating hiring movers, but aren't sure if it is less expensive to move and pack yourself, take a look at the three thoughts below. While DIY moving may sound less expensive, in most cases it's not.

Hidden Expenses of DIY Moving 

Often times when people are weighing the benefits of hiring movers over DIY moving they are so focused on the price of their estimate that they often forget all of the hidden expenses associated with moving your home yourself. 

Some of the hidden financial expenses are taking time off of work to pack and move, boxes and packing supplies, truck rental, and the often forgotten moving supplies, such as dollies, pads, and covers. 

Also take into consideration the impact on your social calendar as you make your DIY arrangements and purchase all of your moving and packing supplies. 

Last but not least, consider when the last time you moved was. Think of how much more stuff you have accumulated over the years, and how different you are physically since your last move. 

Even if you are 55 and in tip-top shape, moving a couch up from your basement can take quite a toll. Just make sure your moving company does not have any restrictions for moving the items in your home, like a piano or very fragile art, and that your home owners insurance covers loss and damage. 

Easier When Moving Long Distances 

Even if you enjoy road trips, moving long distances is an entirely different ball game. You have a large truck to maneuver, the truck is a gas guzzler, and you either have your car towed behind you or your spouse driving in the car—leaving you both driving solo. 

If you are moving a distance that takes you more than an hour away, hiring movers can prove to be far less expensive. Even when renting trucks you are limited to the size you can drive with a general driver's license. However, professional movers have commercial licenses allowing them to move all of your belongings in one trip instead of several small trips. 

This not only saves you time, it reduces your stress level. If you are moving out of state you can even let the movers drive while you hop on a plane to meet them at your destination. 

Helps You Stay Organized 

Staying organized while packing and moving is quite a difficult task, but not for professional movers. Movers understand the systems that need to be put in place when packing and moving your items. They will not only move your things to your new home, but they will make sure that each box goes to the appropriate room. 

If you will be packing your home before the movers arrive, make sure you understand what kind of system they would like to use to identify which room the box needs to go back into—such as color-coding the boxes that go in each room with different stickers. 

While the initial cost of hiring a mover may seem as if it is a significant expense, when you consider the factors above it is often times both financially and physically less expensive. When hiring a moving company, make sure you do your research to confirm that they are a reputable company. 

About the Author: Ace Barnes is a full-time freelance writer and researcher - he does a lot of research online, making it easy for him to share his expertise and gems of wisdom. If you're in the Dallas area, he suggests checking out North Dallas Moving and Storage for a free quick quote.

Selling Your House Online is a Better Option than Using an Estate Agent

Many prefer to use an estate agent simply because they do not have the time and skill to sell a house. They are not aware that there are various methods available to increase awareness of their property for sale. It is also possible to deal directly with prospective buyers without the need to travel. Being more involved in the sales process of your home can be more effective and economical than using a middleman. You can sell your house online, and reach potential buyers from any location.

What Estate Agents Do

Estate agents can have multiple functions, depending on what is required by their client. They are mainly hired to market a property, and act as a representative of the owner in negotiating with potential buyers. Estate agents are responsible for completing all legal documentations involved in transferring ownership of a property. They also answer all questions potential buyers will have about the property.

Selling a house used to be very tedious, and many relied on estate agents to do the legwork for them. But with the advent of technology, such things as advertising, communication, and filing of papers now take just a few mouse clicks. If your time is not very limited and you know how to use a computer, you can actually sell my house online without the need for an estate agent.

The Benefits of Selling Your House Online

Nowadays, people are looking for more options to find a house to buy. They are not likely to settle at just getting the information from an estate agent. Potential buyers will often search the internet for any property that meets their needs. But this is not the only reason why selling your house online is better than using an estate agent.

• No need to pay commissions. Estate agents are paid on commission. If you will sell a house through an agent, the total proceeds is not yours alone. You will need to deduct a certain percentage from the cost of the house to pay the agent is usually about 3 percent, or higher based on the time and effort required of the agent. If you will sell your house online, you will not have to pay thousands of dollars on commission. 
• You know your property better than an estate agent. It is your house, so you should know the littlest details about it. An estate agent will only examine the actual condition of your home, and determine its value based on the current market trend in your area. But the buyer can have questions about the property that an estate agent will not have the answer to. In addition, you as the owner, know about the community where the house is located such as where to find the nearest shops, restaurants, and hospital. 
• Fast turnaround. The use of an estate agent may only delay the transaction. Expect a potential buyer to haggle over the price, and try to lower his or her bid until the final price is heard directly from the owner. Having a middleman only prolongs the process. You will notice that those who are really looking to buy a property may find it more convenient to reach an agreement with the owner. 
• Focused marketing strategies. An estate agent may have other properties to sell, so he or she cannot give your house his or her full attention. If you have signed a 6-week contract with an agent, it does not mean that the agent will make the effort throughout this period. Moreover, you do not have control of the methods the agent will use to market your home for sale. But if you will sell your house online, you can take advantage of the different advertising options available. 

Conclusion

An estate agent can help sell your house in many ways, but is very expensive. If you are concerned about the time and effort required in selling a house, doing it online may be the best solution. With online selling, you will not need to pay high on commissions. You can communicate directly with the buyer, and close the deal faster than it would take if you used a middleman. Written in behalf of forsaleprivateowner.com

Should We Live in Fear of Natural Disasters?

We live in a great country, which has afforded many people the opportunity to excel and to make goals which have a realistic chance of becoming reality. On the flipside, so to speak, we in live in a country that appears to have more than its share of natural disasters. It seems that every few months, if it's not an avalanche in one of the mountainous regions in the West, it is tornadoes wreaking havoc in the Plains; add to that wildfires out in the West and, somehow without exception, hurricanes hitting the Eastern seaboard, often targeting Florida and the rest the Gulf States. It's almost as if the calendar is set up so that every few months, we get hit with some unpleasant natural phenomena.

How Have We Been Doing?

Perhaps not surprising for a country which prides itself on law and order, as well as statistics, there have been those that have been keeping track of the types of disasters that we have been subject to, how many people been involved in even the economic cost related to them. Everyone recoils in horror when they see on the news the latest information about a hurricane or a tornado. But the numbers are actually quite startling when one starts to compile the big picture, so to speak. Ready?

A Quick Tour through the Last 30 Years

It is worth bearing in mind that sometimes, the damage and suffering caused from events such as hurricanes are not just the initial impact of the winds themselves, which can obviously level entire buildings. The ensuing flooding takes its additional toll that can often be far worse than the initial event itself. One comprehensive study identifies 640 individual events in the last 30 years. Of these, almost 400 of them were related to storms. The next most frequent disasters are floods, which occurred over 130 different times. In third place, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, are wildfires, with only 24 major recorded occurrences. What's really surprising is the fourth-place contestant: earthquakes. Earthquakes? One hardly ever hears about them on the news these days. It would be interesting to know exactly where they are occurring, and who is affected by them.

The Real Cost

Understandably, the main concern is loss of human life. The same study indicates that over 12,000 people were killed by natural disasters during the last three decades, which is a shockingly large number. Perhaps also surprisingly is the number of people affected by these disasters: 27 million! The other metric which many would find relevant is the economic cost to the US economy. Here the numbers really start to jump off the charts, with the total economic impact estimated at over $540 trillion. No wonder we pay ever greater attention to the weather reports: there's real danger lurking out there.

Keeping Your Home Protected

It's worth bearing in mind that a closer look at the statistics above indicate that over 70% of the damage caused over the last 30 years has been related to storms or floods. This is why it is very important that residents in Florida have the very best Florida homeowners insurance coverage possible. Unfortunately, it's not really a question of if, but more of when the next natural disaster will strike. A responsible homeowner will want to make sure that their insurance adequately covers their property and all their possessions at their full replacement value.

In the best case scenario, such an insurance policy will not have to go into effect, but given the statistics, chances are it will at some point. It's better to be prepared than sorry.

How Long Does Settlement Funding Take Now that The Judge Has Awarded My Money?

There is no easy answer to the question of how long settlement funding can take. But there are some basic things that you can know to help you get your money as fast as possible. Once your court case is decided, the judge will award your damages. This award will be stated as a lump sum, however, if you are reading this article then most likely the judge also determined that you should receive your settlement through a structured settlement, paid out over some lengthy term. This type of settlement funding can take weeks or months to complete. 

Understand the Basic Process

While the exact method of settlement funding can vary from case to case, jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and even change based upon the parties involved, the basics are relatively simple. It all starts when the judge makes the award and determines that the damages should be paid out with a structured settlement. From there the judge will likely set terms under which the defendant must fund an annuity in the name of the plaintiff. This judgment can include restricting the time that the annuity must be funded within. You should talk to your lawyer prior to this point and ask him if his recommendations to the judge can include some time frame for this decision within his judgment.

Once the order for a structured settlement is made, the defendant and his lawyer will find an annuity company to work with. This is where it is best if the judge ordered this to be done within a set period of time, because as you can imagine the defendant could really drag their feet and stretch this out. Likely, you can count on them to take up the full amount of time that the judge allows them. This will probably take anywhere from four to twelve weeks, but it could go much longer. Of course, if the defendant appeals the judge’s original decision, this can take years.

Settlement Funding in the Hands of the Annuity Company

After the defendant chooses an annuity company they will have a lot of paperwork to fill out, and then they have to actually fund the annuity account with the amount of money ordered by the judge. This can take time depending upon the internal processes of the annuity provider. By the time they mail you your first check it could now be a number of months since your original award by the judge.

Accessing Your Lump Sum

Now if you decide that your settlement funding plan is not working out for you, that is you want a large lump sum of money instead of the smaller monthly payments, you can call an annuity settlement company who can purchase your annuity payments in exchange for a single, large payment. In this way you can cash in your entire settlement funding amount, or just a portion of it – whatever suits your financial needs at the time.

You can work with a settlement funding company, like. Here, we do all the footwork, including handling legal issues and paperwork; all you do is answer a few simple questions and sign some papers when the time comes. And, of course, you must decide how best to use that lump sum of cash that we can deliver to your door or bank account in four to six weeks.

So call Strategic Capital now. We are happy to answer all your settlement funding questions, even if you are not quite sure what decision to make yet.

Invest on Something Big: Aviators’ Guide to Spending a Meaningful Retirement

Retirement. To some, it is something to dread because it means to sever themselves from their everyday duties and habits. But to many, it is fulfillment. Consider it the prize of your hard work. It’s time for you to enjoy the fruits of your long years of uphill battle.

Finally, you are ready to hang up your boots. You have done enough flying and have seen almost every corner of the globe. And upon checking on your coffer, you have enough to survive the rainy days ahead. Besides, you are entitled to pension benefits that will help boost your finances. Now, you will no longer worry about ETD or ETA and the possible risks of your critical missions and flights. The only thing that you are going to think about and hammer away is how to save, invest and enjoy your retirement.

A lot of retirees would like to spend their retirement basking under the sun on white sandy shores, travel around the world, meet different people, taste different cuisines, and discover new cultures. That’s wonderful! But eventually, they waste their money without any investment. That’s awful. Now, you have to make a concrete plan. Consider incorporating the following ideas into your plan and surely, your retirement will not only be fun and exciting, but fulfilling and meaningful as well.

Buy a plane

Flying is your passion. You can’t get that desire to fly out from your system, and even when you retire, you will ache for it. This may sound expensive for you. But having your own aircraft is the best reward you can give to yourself. This is not wasting of money, but putting your money into something important and useful to your financial exploit ahead. Having a plane means having the medium to do big business in different places. At the same time, you will be making beautiful memories and enjoying the thing you love most.

Invest on something big

Aside from buying a plane, invest on something remunerative. You have already mastered how to Trade-A-Plane, so why not do something along that line? Open a shop showcasing aircraft-related products. Or, start a flight training school to fire up your interest. Consider preserving your passion without losing your coffer to expendable ventures. You must enjoy all things about aviation and keep your wealth safe at the same time.

Go on a promotional cruise

Try something new and refreshing. You are now your own boss and you are free to go anywhere you like. Check out the best cruising promotion available and go on an memorable adventure. Cruising is something you will surely find interesting and enjoyable. See the world in a different perspective, in an expedition that will take you to some of the world’s most magnificent islands where various cultures and lifestyles meet. This could mean finding business opportunities too.

retirement (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Travel to the most beautiful cities in the world

Expand your financial network. Why not enjoy an enchanting walk in Venice? The romantic air of Paris could be life-changing. Or, try discovering something new in Prague. In these places, great and productive entrepreneurs exist. Discover new business insights and fresh ideas you could use to help you put your money on. Besides, there are so many things to see in these cities and you will surely treasure your finds. This time, you will not be flying to these cities on a mission, but as a retired aviator who deserves spending a valuable time in the best places in the world.

Enjoy a cup of coffee

Treat yourself to a soothing cup of coffee and enjoying the magnificent sunrise while tracking the flow of your money and the fruits of your investment. Or, you can enjoy it with your wife or partner while planning on how and where to spend your next adventure together to make your retirement more meaningful and purposeful.

Brandon Peters is an entrepreneur, foodie, writer, and aviation enthusiast. He enjoys few things better than a good takeoff and he loves to check out on Trade-A-Plane.

Save Heating Costs by Using the Sun

English: Solar panel installation at an information center adjacent to Ögii Lake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Heating costs are soaring these days due to the increasing costs of fuel. What if you could reduce those costs easily by simply adding a glass conservatory and creating a means to funnel that built up heat from the glass encased room to the other parts of the home. You can harness the natural power of the sun with technology.

Add Solar Panels to the roof

You may want to consider adding solar panels to roof of the glass extension to store heat to be used later on cloud covered days. These solar panels can then be channelled to the rest of the house as a source of heating energy. Why pay for natural gas to heat your home when the sun can provide ample energy in solar panels?

Use open space between your garden room and the rest of the home

The garden addition to your home need not be blocked off to the rest of the home with walls or heavy doors. You can use the heat from that room to heat the other nearby rooms. Another way to use the heat from the glass room is to have glass walls between the conservatory and the rest of the home. Look into manufacturers who make double glazed glass that will use the heat of the sun more efficiently. 

Consider using Argon Gas windows

Some manufacturers build double or triple paned glass windows or walls that have argon gas between the panes that will help the plant life within your garden get a steady source of heat. They can also be used to provide renewable heating for the rest of the home.

You can enjoy the beauty of a garden full of flowers and other vegetation and gain the added advantage of using the sun’s wonderful rays to heat your home with a little forethought and careful planning. When you plan your addition study the way the light plays on the part of the home where you want to add a garden. Make sure that there will be ample lighting for the plants. Check the climate information to learn the average number of days with full-on sun in your area. You want to gain as much advantage from the sun as possible to heat your garden and your home.

Isn’t it amazing how improvements in technology have helped us gain power from the sun in our lives? Learn how you can harness nature to heat your home.

The Alpine Group in the UK specialise in bespoke Orangeries, Glass Verandas, Conservatories, Pool buildings for residential and commercial properties. Check out their website www.thealpinegroup.co.uk for inspiration and advice.