What to Ask for When Negotiating a Corporate Relocation Package

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While many professionals may see a corporate relocation as a necessary step in their career path, that doesn’t mean it’s not a major change. The company you work for you is expecting you to leave your network of friends and family behind and abandon the home you may have known all your life for a strange new city. While it may be the best opportunity for you, that doesn’t mean you should simply accept your move as the cost of doing business and take whatever your boss offers. Relocation negotiation is a complicated dance, and individuals who go into the process unprepared may walk away with a bad deal.

Relocations are becoming more and more common as companies become global, but even if it’s a standard process for your company, don’t expect there to be a plan in place. You may have to initiate the negotiation yourself, and you should come prepared with terms.

The Cost of Relocating

Relocating can cost a lot of money, particularly if you’re crossing over state lines, and that’s one of the key factors when determining the value of a relocation package; but companies are looking for hard numbers when they enter a negotiation, so come prepared. Take an inventory of your belongings and get quotes from a commercial moving company so that you can provide your employer with an accurate estimate.

Researching Your New Home

Your employer may think it’s personally reasonable for you just to pick up and move at the promise of a new job opportunity, but are you sure you’re ready for the change of environment? Finding housing isn’t always easy, and using the justification of searching out a new home or apartment can be a great justification for your employer to fly you out to the city. It can also be a great means to get your feet wet and explore the local culture.

Terms Within Reasonable Expectations

There are probably at least loose parameters regarding what your employer will offer you for a relocation package, but they wouldn’t be in a good negotiating position if they were transparent with that information. Seek out other employees who have received benefit packages, and try to learn more about the terms they took. This can help you determine how much room you have in negotiating your own deal.

Look at Your Specific Needs

Ultimately when a company decides to pay out a relocation package, it comes down to simple finances. The specifics are less expensive to your employer than the raw cost of the package. With that in mind, make a list of the objectives that matter to you and carefully prioritize them. This could mean the cost of breaking a lease, the need to provide a spouse or partner with assistance finding a new job in their new city, or temporary housing until you can settle on a new rental or mortgage agreement. Whatever you terms are, determine the very least on which you’re willing to settle on and make this your line in the sand. Then, using the expectations you’ve gleaned from other employees, set your non-mandatory goals as bargaining chips.

Apps for Finding an Apartment When Moving Out of State

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You are preparing for your move to another state, but there is so much to do. You know you need to find an apartment, but where and how? Check out these apps to make apartment hunting a little easier.

Zumper

Zumper lists apartments in real-time. Once a listing is posted, you will see it in the app. Fill out applications and get notifications when new apartments get listed o Zumper. Popular cities include New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and San Francisco Get market reports, descriptions of destination attractions, neighborhoods, culture and the weather, which is especially helpful for non-locals. Listings are shown on a map, so you know where they are relative to where you need to go.

Price: Free

Realtor

Find what you want, quickly, with Realtor. This is the app to download if you want the lowdown on neighborhoods. Check out the map where restaurants and other businesses on Yelp are displayed. See recommendations for neighborhoods that are similar to your top picks.

Price: Free

Apartments.com

Apartments.com has all of the expected features, plus some unique ones. Use a feature to see the distance of apartments from your place of work. You can also just view listings that have video or 3D tours. Your apartment search just got more interesting.

Price: Free

Abodo

Abodo makes it your apartment search more streamlined. See where you want to live before you do with photos and other multimedia. See only verified listings, so you know that wherever you are looking is legit. Read reviews and view ratings to get the real scoop on apartments straight from previous owners.

Price: Free

New York Times Real Estate

If you are moving to New York, check out the New York Times Real Estate. There is a basic search bar to look through listings, but the real hidden gem is in the articles. Check out in-depth neighborhood guides, listings of the week and other information about living in the state, particularly around New York City. “On the Market” and “Living In” are two series that are worth a read.

Price: Free

Apartment Guide

Are you the type of person who needs to see all angles of an apartment before signing a lease? If so, Apartment Guide is for you. Use the filters to see what matches up with your requirements, browse through the photos, take a tour of the spaces and see exactly what is included in the rent. Secure your new place and have peace of mind because of Apartment Guide’s transparency.

Price: Free

Finding the right apartment will be easy once you download some of these apps. They make your search a little less stressful and a lot more interesting. Of course, once you’ve signed a lease, the next important step is finding movers. The best Austin, TX moving companies make your apartment relocation a whole lot easier. Get hunting and good luck!

How to Pack Large and Small Appliances for Moving

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Sometimes when you move, you will not be taking many appliances with you. Major appliances may belong to a landlord or may be left behind for a home’s next owner in favor of getting new appliances for your new place. If, however, you choose to keep your old appliances and bring them with you then transporting them safely is important. You will want to know how best to move them without damaging your appliances or yourself. Here are some tips on how to pack appliances big and small.

Moving Big Appliances

Big appliances require some strategic planning just to move. Their sheer size can present many challenges in the moving process. But protecting them so that they still function properly after the moving is done is important, too. Here are some suggestions to help you move your major appliances.

  1. Clean Them: The first thing you should do is clean them. This prevents any food or particles that might still be hanging around from turning to mold. It also makes receiving your appliance at the other end of the move a pleasant experience.
  2. Remove or Secure Loose Parts: A refrigerator and stove both have shelves or racks inside of them. Because these are adjustable parts, they are not secured to the appliance. To prevent them from coming loose and doing some damage during the move, Cheap Moving in Atlanta, GA, says to secure them, wrap them or remove them from the appliance entirely and transport them separately.
  3. Secure Exterior Parts: Your appliances are likely to receive some jostling during a move. If you do not want your refrigerator or stove door to fly open when the moving van hits a bump, you should secure it. Packing tape is usually sufficient to secure doors. Do not forget to remove other exterior parts that may come loose such as the burners on your stove.
  4. Wrap Them: It is likely that your mover has large, heavy blankets in their moving equipment. The purpose of these blankets is to wrap your appliances to prevent them from being damaged during the move.

Moving Small Appliances

Packing small appliances is very much like packing large appliances only on a smaller scale. Because they are smaller, they tend to be easier to move. They still need to be protected, however, if you want them to be functional when you unpack them.

  1. Clean Them: Just like with your large kitchen appliances, make sure your smaller tools are wiped down, dried, and ready for the road.
  2. Remove or Secure Loose Parts: It can be easy to forget about moving parts in your small appliances. Does your microwave have a turntable? Should you take the blender apart to move it? If there are loose parts, make sure they are secured.
  3. Wrap Them Up: Smaller appliances are likely to be transported in a box, which means there is less worry about the door coming open if the moving van hits a bump in the road. Making sure they are well cushioned in their boxes, however, can mitigate any internal damage a bumpy road might make.

When you are moving household appliances, knowing how to pack them is important. Whether you are transporting large or small appliances, packing them properly can prevent damage, not only to your appliance but the items around it as well. Packing your appliance properly is the best way to ensure that it is functional when you receive it.

How to Deep Clean an Apartment Before Moving In

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If you’re moving into an apartment soon, you’ll want to clean it thoroughly before you move in. It’s easier to clean if you do so while the place is empty. Don’t transport your belongings to the apartment until after you’ve given it a deep clean. You’ll want to follow these instructions from our friends a Cheap Movers Dallas (www.cheapdallasmovers.net):

1. Purchase the Right Supplies

Some supplies that you’ll need to clean your apartment include:

  •  Rubber gloves
  • Dusting Cloths
  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Borax
  • Kosher salt
  • Glass cleaner
  • Cleaning Cloths
  • Furniture polish
  • A broom and dustpan
  • A mop or steam mop
  • Vacuum
  • A toilet bowl brush
  • A soft bathroom scrubber with plastic or nylon bristles
  • Disinfecting cleaners

Cleaners that contain bleach work well, but you may want to consider plant-based alternatives if you prefer your home chemical-free.

2. Start at the Top and Work Your Way Down

You’ll want to start by dusting your ceilings, ceiling fans, ceiling corners, cabinet tops and light fixtures. Afterward, you’ll want to start working your way down to the walls, window frames, window casings and sills, cabinet fronts, baseboards and floors.

3. Thoroughly Clean Closets

Once your closets are full, you’ll probably never take your belongings out so that you can clean it. Take the time now to dust the corners. Consider lining shelves with paper, but make sure that the contact film doesn’t adhere to the shelves permanently. You’ll cover up stains and marks that the previous tenants may have left on the shelves, and it’s easy to clean shelves that have lining paper.

4. Clean Appliances

You’ll want to clean all the appliances in the apartment. If the apartment has a dishwasher, you can start by running a cycle with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack. If the dishwasher has a hot water setting, you’ll want to use it. After the cycle is complete, sprinkle a cup of baking soda on the bottom rack. Run another cycle.

If the apartment has a microwave, you’ll want to disinfect the inside and outside. After you finish the microwave, you should clean the refrigerator. Remove all of the shelves in the fridge and clean them. You may want to consider letting them soak in the sink or bathtub. You can use vinegar and water to clean them.

Lastly, clean the oven. Be sure to wash racks and drip pans. You can clean them in your dishwasher if they fit.

5. Replace the Toilet Seat

You’ll be spending a lot of time sitting on the toilet seat. You’ll want to replace the current toilet seat with a new one.

6. Disinfect the Bathtub

Before you soak in the bathtub for the first time, you’ll want to disinfect it. You can use dish soap and a sponge to clean it. If you’re looking for a natural method, you can mix equal amounts of baking soda, borax, and kosher salt to scrub the bathtub.

7. Kill Germs

You’ll want to take some time to kill all of the germs in the apartment. Knobs, dials, buttons, locks and other items have been touched thousands of times by the previous tenants. Disinfect the entire apartment.

Thoroughly cleaning your apartment before you move in may seem like a tiring and daunting task, but it’s something you need to do. Once the apartment is clean, you’ll feel better about living there.