When decorating a freshman dorm room or a first apartment, think about how all of that stuff will fit into future dorm rooms or apartments. Don’t spend a fortune coordinating with a roommate. Do buy items that will last at least four years. Choose neutral colors for the more expensive items. Add splashes of color with duvet covers or pillows that can be updated — inexpensively — as needed.

Tips for Buying Furniture and Big Ticket Items
Consider durability and portability when buying furniture and décor for a college dorm or apartment. Make sure you buy items that are easy to pack and move at least four times in four years. Choose fabrics that won’t show dirt and are easy to clean. For beds, shelves, and dressers, choose items that dismantle easily and aren’t difficult to carry up stairs. This year’s apartment may not have stairs, but next year’s apartment very well could.

When decorating a small space, always consider functionality. Invest in items that can serve more than one purpose. For example, consider an ottoman that could serve as extra seating, as well as storage for books or blankets.

Dorms without carpet can be very cold. Carpet can be very expensive and often can’t be re-used if cut to fit a room. What’s the solution? Carpet remnants are often large enough to cover an entire dorm room and are a fraction of the full price of carpet. This is a great solution — especially if you aren’t picky about the color. If you buy carpet first, it will be easier to match items like duvet covers. Make sure you know the dimensions of the room before buying a remnant. Area rugs can also warm up a room. Search for bargains, and remember that  area rugs can be reused so it could be worth investing a little more into a rug than a remnant.

Tips for Making the Most of Small Spaces
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves will draw the eye upward, creating a sense of space — and providing much-needed storage space.

Use strategically placed mirrors to make a room appear larger and to better distribute light throughout the room.

Raised beds provide more room for storage underneath, and loft beds provide plenty of room for a desk and bookshelves below.

Allconnect can assist with your move, whether to a dorm, apartment or new home, by offering free mover quotes, an online change of address form, and help transferring your essential home services. You can also compare services available at your new address to make sure you are getting the best deal.  See tips to help you during your move.

College Kids, First Apartments & Safety
Your all-grown-up little girl is moving into her first apartment. She’ll be fine! But won’t you sleep better if you know she’s prepared for anything? Make her apartment safer with the following safety checklist:

Smoke & carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors should be located on each floor of the apartment and in each bedroom. Install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in hallways near bedrooms and near fuel-burning heat sources, such as furnaces, ranges, and water heaters. Make sure the CO alarms are not blocked by furniture or draperies. Install new batteries when you move in and test each detector.

Fire extinguishers. Keep one in the kitchen and on each floor of the home. Make sure she knows how to use the extinguisher!

Pilot lights. If any appliances (stove, furnace, water heater) have a pilot light, review pilot light safety with your teenager. For example, don’t store flammable liquids or materials nearby. Never use insect foggers or “bug bombs” in a home with a lit pilot light as it can cause an explosion. If a pilot light will not stay lit, it could be malfunctioning or leaking gas. If there are any urgent safety concerns regarding gas leaks, contact the gas department or the fire department.

Doors & windows. Make sure all the doors and windows lock properly and can be opened in the event of a fire.   If windows are painted shut, fix them. If the windows cannot be opened, make sure she stores a hammer or something nearby to break the window in the event of a fire.

Emergency numbers. Keep a list of emergency numbers near the main phone. Look up the local numbers for the police and fire departments to call directly in case calls to 911 are put on hold. In the U.S., call 1-800-222-1222 for Poison Control. Include emergency numbers for utility companies, including gas, electricity, and water. Don’t forget the number to report power outages. Include the number for campus police.

Cell phones. College students may want to program some emergency numbers into their cell phones. Good examples are the number for campus police or roadside assistance.

Security system. The best home security systems are monitored and provide peace of mind for your son or daughter in college and for you.  Let Allconnect help you compare monitoring companies in your area.

Cover this safety checklist with your kids going away to college to provide peace of mind for you and your new college student.

Your home is likely the largest investment you’ll ever make. As a prospective home buyer, you should hire an expert to help ensure you are making a sound investment. You might spend the next 30 years paying for it.

A home inspector can help a homeowner see beyond the lovely wood floors, crown molding, and trey ceilings to determine whether a house has a solid foundation and discover any potential safety issues or required repairs.

What Does a Home Inspector Do?
A home inspector should evaluate a home from roof to foundation. This includes testing major appliances, such as the dishwasher, air conditioner, and furnace. Home inspectors should look for evidence of current or previous water leaks, test for gas leaks, and test electrical outlets. They should note the presence of mold.

Home inspectors should also inspect attics, living spaces, basements, garages, and crawlspaces. They should report anything that does not meet current local building codes. This covers all aspects of the home, ranging from electrical wiring to spacing on deck rails.

In addition to listing problems with the home (whether a leaky roof or a dripping faucet), home inspection reports should evaluate major systems. For example, the report should note the age and the average life expectancy of the furnace so the homebuyer can estimate upcoming major expenses.

When in doubt, a home inspector should refer clients to specialists. For example, most home inspectors will test the air conditioner to see if it cools properly. If it doesn’t cool to a certain temperature within a certain time frame, the inspector should recommend you have an A/C specialist check out the system.

What is Outside the Scope of a Home Inspection
Before hiring an inspector, ask him for a full list of items that he will not assess. Do not assume the inspector will inspect pools, outbuildings, or sprinkler systems.

A home inspector may notice evidence of termites during a routine inspection. However, inspectors that are not trained in this area  could easily miss an infestation. Therefore, a homebuyer should hire a certified termite inspector to complete a termite inspection prior to closing on a home.

The home inspector is also not trained to provide an appraisal of the home. This is a separate report, and it is based on a comparison of recent sales data of comparable local homes to the home being appraised.

Allconnect can assist with your move by offering free mover quotes, an online change of address form, and help transfer your essential home services. You can also compare services available at your new address to make sure you are getting the best deal.  See tips to help you during your move.

Get a Green Start in Your New Home
Moving is hard work. It is also hard on the planet. All that trash, all the packaging. What can you do to reduce the impact of your relocation?

Use Eco Friendly Recycled Boxes

• Check with local retailers, including grocery stores, wine stores, and big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target.
• If you don’t mind picking up a few boxes at a time, check with smaller retailers and restaurants.
• Post a “Wanted: Boxes” request on Freecycle to see if free boxes are available from someone in your area.
• Try UsedCardboardBoxes.com to purchase quality used cardboard boxes.
• Check craigslist for free or cheap moving boxes.

Make sure you pass the boxes along to someone else who can use them!

If you prefer, reusable moving boxes are available to rent in some areas from ZippGo and RentAGreenBox.

Choose Packing Materials Carefully

• Reduce the amount of disposable packing materials you use. Try wrapping breakable kitchen items in cloth napkins, washcloths and hand towels, which you’ll be packing anyway. You can also use sheets, T-shirts, and pillows to protect breakable items.
• If you need disposable packing materials, try newspaper and grocery bags you’ve saved (which you can later recycle) or re-use bubble wrap or packing peanuts from a local retailer.
• You can recycle packing peanuts after your move. Visit http://www.loosefillpackaging.com to find drop-off locations.

Consider Eco Friendly Travel Logistics

• Fewer trips in fewer vehicles means less pollution. Hire a mover or rent a moving truck to reduce the CO2 impact of your move.
• Planet Green — Move Across the Country the Eco-Friendly Way
• International Association of Certified Home Inspectors — Eco-friendly Relocation

Keep Trash Out of the Landfill

• Start sorting and packing early so that you have time to donate or  recycle anything that you are not moving.
• Donate items to local churches, charities, soup kitchens or food banks, shelters, or daycare centers.
• If you don’t have time to drop off items to donate, call a local charity to see if they will pick it up, place it near the curb with a  “free” sign, or list it on Freecycle.
• Sell items on craigslist or eBay; hold a garage sale.
• Dispose of hazardous substances responsibly.  Check Earth 911 for places to dispose of items like paint, electronics, batteries, cleaning supplies, and light bulbs.

Allconnect can assist with your move by offering free mover quotes, an online change of address form, and help transfer your essential home services. You can also compare services available at your new address to make sure you are getting the best deal.  See tips to help you during your move.