NLGA Moving Association NLGA Austin, TX Movers Association
Packing a truck requires careful planning. You’ll find it hard to unload later on if you don’t arrange your belongings properly. See, the main objective when putting things into the truck should be to maximize available space. Your next concern should be distributing the weight evenly and securing fragile items. If you’re here, you must …
Moving is stressful, whether you’re switching to the other side of town or relocating somewhere far away. Besides being physically exhausting, it can be mentally draining and financially burdensome as well. If you’re moving out of an apartment, note that it follows a process quite different than moving out of a house. Nonetheless, you still …
A storage space can quickly become messy and chaotic if not properly organized and planned out. Between navigating through a cramped room, protecting your belongings from bugs that could infect furniture and clothing, and keeping all of your items in order, packing a storage unit can take a lot of hard work. If you’re planning …
The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area has become one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the United States and is home to more than 7-million people. With a thriving marketplace, diverse population, and big-city attractions, it’s easy to see why so many people are moving into the area. If you’re planning on relocating to DWF and are a little nervous about the move, check out our guide from local apartment moving company, Cheap Movers Dallas, to ensure a smooth transition for you and your family.
For those looking to buy a new house, the average home value in the DFW area is around $202,000, which is an increase of nearly 12-percent over the past few years but is still relatively lower than averages in similar parts of Boston, New York City, and San Francisco. Renters will also find the average two-bedroom apartment rent of $1,700 slightly less expensive and a very affordable rate for big-city living as well.
Families with children should consider the popular Grapevine neighborhood when moving to DFW. With natural parks, shopping boutiques, low taxes, and a highly-rated school system, the community provides a safe and friendly environment within the region. Other family-oriented spots include Willow Park, Allen, and Roanoke neighborhoods as well, and have high home values and home ownership rates that are perfect for first-time buyers. Singles moving into the DFW area will love the hip Uptown neighborhood of Dallas that boasts a mix of bars, clubs, cafes, and restaurants. And with plenty of lofts and apartment spaces, it’s an excellent spot for meeting other locals as well.
The DFW area has an incredibly robust and rising job market due to the number of employers scattered throughout the region, including many technology giants such as Facebook, and experienced a recent construction boom that led to a spike in jobs. And with major corporation branches such as Walmart, American Airlines, Texas Health Resources, and Dallas Independent School District in the region, it’s a steady source of employment opportunities for all walks of life.
If you’re looking to ditch your car when moving to the DFW area, you’re in luck. Public transportation options have expanded throughout the region over the past few years and include a light-rail and bus system provided by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit. For those who drive, commuting to and from work in DFW can be a quick and easy trip through the extensive network of roadways here, with major highways including the I-20 and I-30. And while there are a few hours of heavy traffic in the mornings and evenings, getting around the DTW can be a breeze.
Once you get settled in your new surroundings, there are plenty of attractions in the area that you’ll want to explore. Popular destinations include the Dallas Museum of Art, Fort Worth Zoo, and Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden that are perfect for weekend outings with the whole family. The region is also home to several professional sports teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, and Dallas Stars. And with plenty of shopping districts, upscale dining venues, and fun neighborhood bars, DFW has enough entertainment to keep you moving and on the go.
Are you gearing up for a big move? If so, you’ve probably discovered that moving can be a tricky process and that finding a reliable moving company can be tough. However, by planning out your first steps and taking the time to research each company, finding the right professional mover can be relatively easy. To …
Over recent years, the population of Austin has been booming. In fact, Census data shows that between 2014-2015, Austin’s population expanded by 2.1%, which means the area is now home to more than 2 million people. Among those moving to Austin, there are many entrepreneurial types allured by the city’s strong economy and reputation for …
There’s no such thing as a simple move. Packing up the contents of an entire house, loading it all into a truck, and transporting it long distance will never be easy an easy feat. That said, many moves are much harder than they really need to be. By implementing some simple hacks, you can make your next move far less hectic:
Space is precious during a move. Every box needs to be labeled, packed, moved, and unpacked, and each one of those steps is an opportunity for things to get lost or broken. Making things smaller is a good way to make the move simpler, and vacuum packing is one of the best ways to do it. It’s best for dealing with flexible objects, like large bags of clothing or linens and shouldn’t be used for rigid and breakable items.
Vacuum packing is a technique that involves sealing a bag and sucking the air out of it. This makes the objects as small as they can possibly be, which leads to efficient packing. There are a lot of machines that are designed for vacuum packing, but you can do it at home with a vacuum cleaner and a garbage bag.
Cords have a strange talent for getting tangled, and modern homes are full of them. Untangling a knotted mass of cords after a move can be a nightmare, so it’s best to prevent them from getting tangled in the first place.
The best way to do that is to keep the cords separated. Wrap each cord as tightly as possible without damaging it, and then slip it inside a cardboard tube. The tubes from toilet paper are usually ideal, but particularly large cords might need bigger tubes. Cover both ends of the tube to make sure it doesn’t slip out, and then tape the tube to the side of whatever device the cord goes with to make sure it doesn’t get lost.
Bubble wrap great for protecting delicate objects, but it also takes up space. While these affordable DC movers say bubble wrap is a good choice for heirlooms and other particularly valuable objects, they, like most other professional movers, say most dishes and glassware don’t need it.
Instead, wrap dishes and other breakable items in blankets or shirts. They will keep things just as safe as bubble wrap needed to be packed anyway. This minimizes the amount of extra space that needs to get dedicated to packaging. It also saves a little bit of time at the end of the move because unwrapping a dish also unpacks a blanket.
For years, people have labeled their boxes with simple text, but this Charlotte-based moving company suggests that adding colored tags makes it easier to see what’s in each box at first glance. There are a lot of different methods for color coding, and all of them can be useful, so just pick one. It’s best to combine this with written labels in case somebody forgets the code or needs additional information about what exactly is in the box.
Many pieces of furniture, like bedframes and bookshelves, are easier to move when disassembled. While taking things apart might not be too difficult, trying to put them back together without all the right pieces is a trick. Two Men and a Truck recommends putting all the lose hardware in a plastic bag and taping the bag to the piece of furniture, so you won’t have missing parts when you get to your new home.
Texas is one of the largest, most diverse states in the nation, which can make moving to Lone Star State pretty darn intimidating. However, thanks to its great economy, world-class healthcare, and low cost of living, people are moving here in droves. The Texas Tribune estimates that approximately 345 people move to Texas every day. Most of these are moving in from across the state, coming from other states like California, Florida, and Illinois. Drive through places like Austin, and you’ll see California license plates announcing the arrival of the latest migrants who seem to be overrunning the Capitol city. While native Austinites feign distaste for new arrivals, in truth, the majority of Texans embrace newcomers with a friendly Texas welcome. But, before you pack your boxes and call Great Guys Moving (find on Facebook and about.me), there are a few things that you should know before moving here:
Texas is very much a pro-gun state. People love their guns, and they aren’t afraid to say it. In fact, it’s legal for most citizens to buy, own, and carry guns in Texas. This includes carrying concealed weapons as long as they complete an all-day training course to obtain the special permit.
Do you enjoy state fairs? You will be happy to hear that Texas has the largest fair in all of the United States. The State Fair of Texas, which takes place in Dallas, starts on the last Friday in September and lasts for 24 days. At the fair, you’ll find a bevy of fried foods, a livestock show replete with longhorn cattle, rides at the Midway in the shadow of a Texas-sized Ferris wheel, and tons of other activities for the whole family. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves rides, music and food.
From the Dallas Cowboys to the Houston Rockets, Texans are loyal when it comes to their sports teams. While they understanding that you may like a non-Texas team, don’t expect them to show any mercy come game day.
Texas is known for being hot, real hot. However, it’s also a large state, which means that weather varies greatly depending on the area in which you live. In general, the west side of Texas is hot and dry, while the eastern side is more hot and humid – walking around in Houston is like being swathed in a hot, wet blanket. Regardless of where you end up in the state, the majority of Texas has mild light winters and long summers.
People from outside Texas seem to think that the state is simply overrun by cowboys. While there are real cowboys living in Texas, the majority of people live a normal, modern life. Cowboy boots, however, are a staple of Texas fashion, from sorority girls at UT who don them for football games to the regulars at local honkytonks who shuffle their boots across the dance floor.
It’s already been covered a few times that Texas is a large state, but you really need to understand just how big. Driving from El Paso in the west to Orange in the east can easily take you 13 hours. That’s right. After 13 hours of driving, you’re still in the same state.
While it may not seem like it from the outside looking in, Texas is high-tech. In fact, tech and entrepreneur-friendly Central Texas, has been nicknamed the “Silicon Valley of the South”. This is thanks to all of the high-tech companies like Dell, 3M, Google, Facebook, Cirrus, and National Instrument that have set up shop in Austin.
Texas has been ruled by six nations, including the United States, the Confederate States of America, Spain, France, Mexico and the Republic of Texas. This has given the state one of the most diverse backgrounds in the country and a theme park named Six Flags over Texas.
Texas has a lot of land to build on, and it has done a great job keeping up with growing demand. This keeps the cost of living lower, which is why so many people consider moving here.
Texas has one of the largest Native American populations in the United States. This is because there has been a total of 12 Native American tribes in the state at one point or another.
Texas is one of the seven states that doesn’t have personal income tax. Additionally, Texas’ tax legislation is favorable for doing business. This proves to be another reason why many people move their businesses and families to Texas.
Texas is a unique place filled with friendly people. Though it has its quirks, you’re sure to enjoy Lone Star State.
One of the biggest reasons people love moving to Texas is for the ample employment opportunities. In Texas, the oil and gas industry has turned the state into an economic paradise ripe for the pumping. According to Investopedia, business services, healthcare, construction, technology and financial services are big business too, with cities like Dallas, Austin, and Houston driving the region’s economy. Resilient to much of the fall out from the mortgage crisis, the Texas economy has remained healthy for decades, enabling the state to set the pace for nationwide job growth. In 2014, Texas added more than 450,000 jobs, far outpacing even the closest competitors, California and Florida. Texas, it appears, is a land of opportunity.
Five of the states who have seen the greatest influx of people, Texas, Florida, Alaska, Washington, and Tennessee, also happen to be no income tax states. Residents of these states get to hang onto more of their paychecks than states who charge their residents for state income tax. Additionally, Texas is extremely business friendly when it comes to taxes, which incentivizes more businesses to set up shop there.
The low cost of living in Texas means residents on average spend less on housing, groceries, utilities, and other necessities than people in other states. Those moving from expensive cities like San Francisco or New York find the change refreshing, and they find that they have more money to spend on luxuries than they would back home. One moving company in Houston that we spoke with said they couldn’t believe the number of long distance moves they’ve completed in the last couple of years for people moving into the state. “We’ve helped dozens of families relocate from California to Houston in recent years. When we ask why they’re moving, many tell us they just can’t afford the exorbitant expense of real estate in California anymore.”
The weather in Texas is often hot and humid, but some prefer the consistently balmy temperatures to the more drastic climate shifts in more northern geographies. In Texas, dealing with snow or ice is a rarity, with average temperatures even in the winter months hovering between the 40s and 60s for most of the state.
Low cost of living means there’s plenty of room for even large families to spread out. The public school systems, while not at the top of the charts, get the job done. In fact, you might be surprised to know that Texas students actually clenched some of the highest scores on nationwide testing, even outranking students in states like California and New York.
There are plenty of reasons people are moving to Texas and it’s expected that the trend will continue for many years to come. For moving companies in the state, the influx of people is a welcome boost to normal sales.
For almost all of us, moving is a harrowing experience. You never seem to get things done early enough. Coupled with that is the desire to ensure that everything goes according to plan and that your moving company shows up. At the end of the day, what you want to do is get to your …