Tag: moving fun

Tools to Create a Floor Plan For Your New Home

Posted on by olympiamoving

Not every part of moving is fun. One of the most enjoyable things about relocation is planning your new house and how you’re going to make it feel like home.

One useful exercise for your planning is creating a floor plan for your new home. Floor plans can help you:

  • Decide the right spot for each of your furniture pieces in the new space
  • Determine whether to sell some of your furniture because it will not work or fit at the new house
  • Figure out whether any furniture you’re considering purchasing will work in your new home

Ultimately, figuring these things out in advance can help you save money on your move!  The crew rearranging furniture until it’s in the place you want can add time and money to your bill. Spending the cash to move furniture that you end up deciding to sell is also a waste of your hard-earned money.

It can even be fun if you use one of these easy and free tools to create a floor plan:

floorplanner

Floorplanner.com

This free website makes creating a floor plan fool proof, and is probably the most robust free floor planner online. Their drag and drop tools make it easy to add rooms, doors, windows, all types of furniture and more. It’s also easy to customize the size of all the items to fit your needs. You also have the ability to add your own photos and videos to the floor plan so it feels like your real home. Floorplanner.com lets you save multiple options and designs in your account.

 

 

 

 

MagicPlan

Magic Plan mobile app

This mobile app actually works in conjunction with floorplanner.com. Magic Plan makes getting started with a floor plan even easier. All you have to do is take pictures with the app and it will draw your floor plan with measurements for you! Then, import what you started with Magic Plan into your floorplanner.com account to customize and play with it.

 

 

RoomScan

Room Scan mobile app

Room Scan is another popular and highly rated mobile app for floor planning that will automatically draw a floor plan for you. The main difference is this app automates the plan and measurements by holding your phone against each segment of wall, which reviews say create very accurate results. This app is a little more popular than the Magic Plan app, which is the similar app above that automates the plan through pictures. The drawback is that this app does not integrate with other tools like Magic Plan does.

 

 

HomeStyler

HomeStyler

Like floorplanner.com, Homestyler has a website tool and mobile component. HomeStyler has a heavy emphasis on home design. One neat feature of this tool is that in addition to the ability to drag and drop furniture, you can insert real furniture from dozens of real home design brands such as Ethan Allen and Jonathan Adler. The mobile app specializes in placing real furniture products in photographed layouts of your actual room. This tool is much sleeker than floorplanner.com, but floorplanner.com is a little more practical and easier to use.

 

 

Songs About Moving: A Moving Playlist Mix

Posted on by olympiamoving
Click for the Moving Songs Spotify playlist
Click for the Spotify playlist

 

Moving away can inspire a range of emotions: excitement for a new phase of life, anticipation for what’s to come, sadness for leaving friends and familiar places, and fear of change. What better pairing is there for this whirl of emotion than music?

We cover it all in our Songs for Moving playlist. From classics to indie rock to pop and country, we put together a diverse mix of 24 songs that are sure to resonate for anyone relocating.

Check out our track list below, and listen to the entire playlist on Spotify! After all, you’re going to need something to listen to while packing!

 

 

01. Travis: Moving

02. Simple Minds: Don’t You (Forget About Me)

03. Phillip Phillips: Home

04. John Denver: Take Me Home, Country Roads

05. Diddy: Coming Home

06. Green Day: Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

07. Brett Dennen: Song for Leaving

08. Two Door Cinema Club: Come Back Home

09. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros: Home

10. Simon & Garfunkel: Homeward Bound

11. Young the Giant: Home

12. Lady Antebellum: Goodbye Town

13. Jack Johnson: Home

14. Styx: Come Sail Away

15. American Authors: Home

16. Peter, Paul and Mary: Leaving on a Jet Plane

17. The Beatles: Hello, Goodbye

18. Bombay Bicycle Club: Home By Now

19. Bastille: Get Home

20. Johnny Cash: I’m Movin’ On

21. My Morning Jacket: Movin Away

22. City and Colour: Comin’ Home

23. Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway

24. Van Morrison: Brand New Day

Also check out our other moving resources:

Free Printable Moving Box Labels
Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards
“How to Pack” Video Series

Post-Move Organization Inspiration

Posted on by olympiamoving
12_07_04_home_organization-300x224
Avoid becoming this person!  From XKCD

After the movers leave, setting up your new home may be daunting, but that’s where the fun can begin!

Before you start unpacking, consider some ideas to make a fresh start.  These post-move organization tips will help you save space and create a beautiful, practical home.

Utilize Your Movers

One of the best ways to jump start organization is a bit of pre-move planning.  Create a floor plan of the placement of your furniture in the new house.  There are some fantastic, free online tools to assist you.  This plan will allow you to direct the movers to place the furniture in the perfect spot on delivery day.  Remember, if you’re moving locally the charges are by the hour, so your advance plan will save you and the movers from time-consuming and expensive feng shui experimentation!

Unpack

You’re in your new home and the truck is empty, but there’s still a lot to be done.  Unpacking can be a daunting prospect, especially if you just packed!  Did you know that your mover may offer unpacking services?   Olympia can jump start the settling into your new home and remove those pesky boxes with our unpacking services.

Call in the Experts

Maybe you crave organization, but it’s just not your forte.  Fortunately, there’s organization professionals who are eager to lend a hand.  Consider getting an organization consultation.  Here are a few great, local companies that can help you out:

Boston:  The Little Details | Ditch the Clutter | Organizing Boston | Sort It Out

Washington D.C.:  The Organizing Agency

Philadelphia:  JM Home Organizing

Get Inspired

We created this Pinterest board chock-full of easy, DIY, and creative organization ideas.

Organization Inspiration

Post-Move Organization Pinterest Board

More tips and fun for after the move:

Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards

Tips for the Perfect Housewarming Party

Post-Moving Fun: How to Build a Box Fort

Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards

Posted on by olympiamoving

So you’ve sold the house and booked the moving company.  Now you’re ready to announce your big move in style!  Whether you want to use old-fashioned snail mail or the speed of e-cards, there’s a variety of cute moving cards and moving e-cards on the market or for free!

Moving cards and moving e-cards are a great way to show off your new home or announce your change of address to your friends and family.

Paper moving and change of address cards

We put together this Pinterest board to inspire the creation or purchase of your own moving cards:

 

"We're Moving" cards on Pinterest

 

“We’re Moving” cards on Pinterest

Moving and change of address e-cards

If you want to go the cheaper route, these free e-cards will brighten your friends’ and families’ inboxes.

E-cards from Punchbowl

Moving e-cards

E-cards from U-Pack

Animated e-card

Animated e-card from Hallmark

Your friends and family aren’t the only ones who need to know about your move!  Double check against our list of agencies and institutions to inform of your address change.

Once you’re happily moved in, learn how to host the perfect housewarming party.

Tips for the Perfect Housewarming Party

Posted on by olympiamoving

When the stress of your move is finally over, you can finally begin to enjoy your new home!  There’s no better way to get off to a good start than hosting a housewarming party.  Moving is a big accomplishment, you deserve to celebrate!

A housewarming party is the perfect opportunity to bring together new and old friends.  If you moved locally, those that are close to you will be excited to see your new house.  It’s a good chance to make new friends in the neighborhood.  A party is also a great way to thank the people who helped you through your move from your realtor, to the friend that helped you pack, to the neighbor who baby-sat your kids.

Recipes

To keep it simple and casual, put together a spread of finger foods and h’orderves.  This allows your guests to explore your new home as they snack.  Set up 3-4 small food stations around the house to keep your guests from congregating in one area.  Below are some easy and delicious recipes.  If you want an even simpler option, frozen and pre-made appetizers have gone gourmet at grocers like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Spinich, ricotta, & pesto mini pizzas
Antipasto platter
Sliders with chipotle mayo
Bourbon meatballs
Apple & brie puff pastries

Party Games

They may seem cheesy, but including an original party game or two into the mix can help break the ice and set your party apart.  Here’s some links to a few ideas:

The “Key in and win” game is pretty simple and original, just be sure to collect all the keys when you’re done!

People love trivia!  The “New town trivia” game can create some friendly competition.

Unpacking

You’re likely going to want to wait a few weeks or months after the move to host a party so you have time to settle in.  You can finish organizing your new home much quicker if you hire your movers for unpacking services.

Inspiration

Half the fun of party planning is the creative details!  We put together this Pinterest board to help inspire your housewarming plans.

Housewarming Pinterest Board

Tips for Moving with Kids

Posted on by olympiamoving

Sometimes the hardest part of a move isn’t figuring out how you’re going to get your things from point A to point B, it’s breaking the news to the kids and helping them through the transition.  Whether you’re moving around the block or across the country, moving is one of the biggest events in a child’s life.  Below are a few tips to help your kids cope on moving day.

  • Stock up on some books that are specifically geared to explaining moving to kids.  For the little ones, we suggest The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day and Big Ernie’s New Home.  The Moving Book: A Kid’s Survival Guide is a great handbook with activities and tips for kids.  Moving can be even tougher on older kids, but reading some young adult books on the topic might help.  We recommend Lois Lowry’s Anastasia Again, or Judy Blue’s Starring Sally J. Feedman as Herself.
  • Have your kids participate in the packing process.  Have them pack a special box of toys they can’t live without for the car, especially considering it could be days before your things arrive at the new house.  Buy stickers for the kids to decorate the “their” boxes.  Not only is it fun, but it helps identify which boxes hold their belongings.
  • Put together some special activities to help kids understand the transition.  Help them write and decorate a card to leave for the new owners, welcoming them to your house.  When you get to your new neighborhood, bake some cookies to bring to your new neighbors to break the ice for introductions, and more importantly, to scope out potential playmates.  For more fun post-move activities, check our our blog on building a box fort.
  • There’s a lot going on on moving day.  Keeping the kids around on move day is potentially distracting for the movers and confusing for the kids.  It’s probably a good idea to drop the kids off with grandma or friends’ houses on move day, or hire a babysitter.
  • It might be corny, but it’s important to help kids feel like the family is going to face the changes together.  As important as it is to point out all the benefits of your new home, mentioning the things you’re going to miss about your old house helps kids know that it’s okay to have different feelings about the transition.  Be sure to take the time to plan some special family activities and outings after the move.

Post-Moving Fun: How to Build a Box Fort

Posted on by olympiamoving

Your move is finally over, and it’s time to enjoy your new home with your kids. What are you going to do with all these boxes and packing materials? Why not let the kids have some fun and help them build a box fort?

This craft is a perfect way to re-use moving supplies and let your kids’ imaginations run wild.

Supplies you’ll need include boxes (the bigger the better!), a box cutter (for adult use only), duct tape, paint or markers, and packing paper.

Start by having your kids put together a plan for the fort. The possibilities are endless!

Following are some options:

  • Stack and tape together some small (1.5 size) boxes “brick-style” to create three walls and use a disassembled box as a roof. This will give your fort a “house” like feel.
  • Flip a large box (such as a refrigerator, wardrobe, or mattress box) upside down and cut off one side for an entrance.
  • Completely disassemble some boxes and tape them together into a wide, standing cylinder, then cut a hole on one side for an entrance. This should give you a silo-style fort with some good height. Use another disassembled box or a blanket as a ceiling.
  • Disassemble only the bottoms of the boxes, then layer the boxes inside each other to create a large tunnel or crawlspace.

Once the body of the fort is assembled, it’s time to let your kids start decorating! Lay some packing paper under the fort so cleanup is easier. Give your kids markers, paints, stickers, sequins, glue, construction paper, and kid-safe scissors to work with.

When the fort is finished, help them make it a fun place to hang out. Furnish the inside with blankets, pillows, beanbag chairs, and Christmas lights.

Be sure to build the fort in a basement, playroom, or bedroom, because once your kids have their fort, they won’t want to take it down!

Here’s some examples for inspiration:

Large, tunneel-style box fortOle! A southwestern style box fort

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more moving tips, tricks, and fun, check out these awesome resources.