Moving Day Etiquette

Written by dan the roommate man


Continued from page 1

Don't neglectrepparttar inside of your old house. Vacated homes always look awful; that's inevitable. From furniture leg indentations to dust to scuffs and various debris, it won't be a pretty sight afterrepparttar 110445 movers have finished their job. Now it's your job to vacuum, dust and leave your old home in presentable condition. You may even want to hire a local maid service to cleanrepparttar 110446 house before its new owners arrive. Sure, it's money out of your pocket, but it's a generous and extremely considerate act. With any luck,repparttar 110447 previous owners of your new home have shown yourepparttar 110448 same regard.

Before moving day arrives, you should have asked yourself for whom you made duplicate copies of your house key. With any luck,repparttar 110449 new owners will changerepparttar 110450 locks and have new keys made for safety reasons. But if they don't, and your teenage son gave his buddy a spare key that was never returned,repparttar 110451 new owners could have a problem - particularly ifrepparttar 110452 house is left vacant for any period beforerepparttar 110453 new owners take possession.

A word to all pet owners: During your move, you'll need to keep Fido and Fluffy confined to a separate room away fromrepparttar 110454 commotion. Better yet, find a trusted friend or family member with whom your beloved pet can bunk until you're ready to have him join you in your new residence. Even if your pets are typically well-behaved, they could easily escape duringrepparttar 110455 move; or they could be easily frightened byrepparttar 110456 unusual level of activity and presence of strangers. Dogs who are usually friendly could turn on your movers.

And speaking of your movers, you'd be wise to have some basic refreshments ready for your trusty crew. We're not talking lobster and champagne (although if you went this route, you wouldn't be met with protest) - soda and ice water are very much appreciated, especially during this time of year, when movers have to withstand blistering summertime temperatures.

If you're moving duringrepparttar 110457 winter months, keep a thermos of hot coffee and some paper cups on hand. I happen to know a very nice customer who picked up hamburgers for her moving crew, but that's going above and beyond. If your movers showed up on time and have done a terrific job, however, there's nothing wrong with showing a little gratitude beyond your standard tip, which averages about $25 per crew member.

If you were lucky enough to convince your friends or family members to help you move withoutrepparttar 110458 aid of bribery, you should express your gratitude on moving day by treating them to a nice dinner, or atrepparttar 110459 very least, digging into your own pocket to spring for a pizza. Once again, a little benevolence goes a long way, and should you assist them in their own moves someday, you'll hope they'll dorepparttar 110460 same.

Published: September 14, 2000



Since 1989 dan the roommate man has helped 1000's of people find roommates. Need help? Contact him at 800-487-8050 or www.roommateexpress.com


Adjusting to Small Town Living

Written by dan the roommate man


Continued from page 1

So what is a small town, according to Crampton? A small town is between 5,000 and 15,000 people, with independent social and economic bases and stand-alone economies. Forrepparttar criteria that he used to selectrepparttar 110444 best towns for living, Crampton includedrepparttar 110445 proportion of residents inrepparttar 110446 25-34 age group, people he callsrepparttar 110447 "young volunteers" and "the new recruits for local leadership." Also included in his criteria are annual growth rate; per capita income; per capita bank deposits; crime rate; available physicians; public school expenditures per pupil; and percentage of population with a bachelor's degree or higher ( an indicator of possible employment opportunities.)

Small town living is not just inrepparttar 110448 logistics, it is also a mindset. Living in a small community knits people together, explaining why some behaviors may come unraveled in a more crowded, faceless environment. Take crime, for example. Everyone knows each other in a small town, so random violence by strangers is relatively rare. Some feel so safe and comfortable that they never lock their doors. Community involvement is another benefit, with volunteerism highly encouraged. Explains Crampton, "Small towns nurturerepparttar 110449 essential first part of civilization - civility...people don't honk their horns very much in small towns."

Will you be able to adjust to less noise, pollution, traffic, crime, loneliness and pressure? Surpisingly, Crampton notes that small town life is not for everyone. It isrepparttar 110450 small town's simplicity that may makerepparttar 110451 difference. Making friends takes time. Along with less noise and hub bub is less excitement, but if you want to concentrate on family values, enjoyrepparttar 110452 sense of community, enjoy a higher standard of living in terms of affordable housing and services, and slow downrepparttar 110453 pace of your life, you are a good candidate for small town living.

Since 1989 dan the roommate man has helped 1000's of people find roommates. Need help? Contact him at 800-487-8050 or www.roommateexpress.com


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