my apologies if this is slightly off-topic but there is a potential
for organization here :)
We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having
any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given the
comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian
market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
> For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given the
> comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian
> market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
Depends on the stability of power. When the power goes out, cell
towers get hit, too. Some have back-up power, I think, but unless you
know, it can be risky. Also, if you don't have cable as an option for
Internet but want broadband access, you may get a discount by having
DSL and land-line service with the same provider.
If you have to have people come in to install something (phone, cable,
satellite, DSL, whatever), try to get appointments for the same day --
but make sure you have enough clear space for them to work.
Make sure you have the basics for the first day or two -- clothes,
bathroom supplies, coffee maker, whatever -- readily accessible.
On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given the
> comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian
> market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
When we moved into our house in May, we secured a landline (against my better judgement). It cost about $35/mo and there was a $100-ish installation fee. We NEVER used it. We each had a cell phone, so there was absolutely no use for it. We cut it off in July. If we had children or cellphone-less members of the household, I would have kept it on. It's been off for a month now and nobody has missed it.
I'm moving into the new condo on Saturday. It's an early 1920's condo
in Metro Atlanta and my current apartment is 2 miles away. The condo
has been empty all summer. It was bought in June. We didnt start work
on it until the second to last weekend in July.
We're not allowed to use dish to get TV there, so if we wanted premium
TV, we needed cable.
We already have cells, so a home phone would be redundant, cell
coverage is perfect here.
Speakeasy.net offers a DSL with no phone option, however it was more
expensive than cable internet in our market, so we went with our cable
company's offering. YMMV, it may be cheaper than cable for you. Also,
they can bill other people you share an internet connection with, so
if you want to go that route, you may be able to share a connection
with one or more of your neighbors (something I'm going to be looking
into, I'm sure, after I get to know them better).
We're throwing a party in early September to force us to get the
household unpacked and settled. We've already started to tell people
about it....looks like we're locked in.
We've printed out a to-scale drawing of each of the rooms, and created
to-scale bits of paper for all the furnature we have, and used
furnature catalogs to get the sizes of things we may get, and try them
out in the spaces. We're trying to get all of that figured out before
we move. We've already purchased many of the furnature items that we
will, and only have about 8 pieces left to get.
I tried to do this in a floorplanning program, but it takes SOOO much longer....
While the new location is empty, we repainted the major rooms of the
home, including the kitchen where the paint was pulling off and
cracking, so we ripped it off. This left the wall a little uneven so
we used a tinted plaster called "Venetian Plaster" to color that room.
The walls are still uneven, but that's the idea of that particular
product.
After painting, leave the drop-cloths down in a room and stain any
furnature you need to stain (her parents gave us a new pine bedframe
from IKEA that I stained this morning on the way to work).
In the last couple years I bought a desk that will last so long my
grandson will be able to use it and a nice mattress/box spring set.
They say "three moves is as good as a fire", so I'm using movers to
move these big items and all my packed boxes. They'll cost us $95 an
hour (including the price of the truck), and as we're so close, this
won't take more than 4 hours. (We're not having them PACK anything,
just move things we've already packed.)
Rekey all the locks (unless this is a brand new house). If you take
them all off, and take them down to a Ace hardware or home depot, the
key cutter can key all of them to 1 key. If there is a window within
arms length of any internal door lock, make sure it has a keyed lock
on both the exterior and interior side of the lock.
craigslist.org is great for selling stuff quickly before you move.
Good luck with the move.
--Michael
PS: The color of plaster we used was called "Troy". When wet, it looks
exactly like creamy peanut butter, both in consistancy and color. I
have never been so hungry as when plastering that room before dinner.
On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> my apologies if this is slightly off-topic but there is a potential
> for organization here :)
> We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
> potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having
> any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
> overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
> For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given the
> comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian
> market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
-- Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The demon that you can swallow gives you its power, and the greater life's pain, the greater life's reply --Joeseph Campbe
I moved into a new condo (first time) last month and did not want to get a landline. However, my new home is preset with an ADT security system and my cell reception is spotty inside, so I do need a landline. I learned you can get extremely basic landline service at a very reasonable rate. It's basically a dialtone with absolutely no frills. Here's the phone number for SBC and details of the package I got here in Chicago:
SBC (800-244-4444): Service includes 60 min of long distance within the US (7 cents/min over). All local calls are 5 cents each, not per minute, 5 cents total.. Average bill with this plan is about $15/mon. There is a $39.40 connection fee billed to first bill and 1 month prorated.
I am in no way affiliated with SBC. Phone service is alway advertised to include many extras and minute plans some of us just don't need for the occasional call we may need to make from a landline. I think this plan is reasonable in that it will allow my security system to work and gives me a reliable phone if I ever have cell phone difficulties while indoors.
On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> my apologies if this is slightly off-topic but there is a potential
> for organization here :)
> We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
> potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having
> any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
> overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
> For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given the
> comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian
> market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
If you get spotty service indoors, but you can get good service in one
corner area or right outside your home in one area, you can get a
cellular repeater for your home. The metro pcs store near my work
sells one for 180 dollars and only works for pcs:
http://www.solidsignal.com/tech_help_YX500-PCS.asp or this website
sells one that works for both cellular and PCS phones:
http://www.cellantenna.com/Boosters/da4000.htm
> I moved into a new condo (first time) last month and did not want to get a
> landline. However, my new home is preset with an ADT security system and my
> cell reception is spotty inside, so I do need a landline. I learned you can
> get extremely basic landline service at a very reasonable rate. It's
> basically a dialtone with absolutely no frills. Here's the phone number for
> SBC and details of the package I got here in Chicago:
> SBC (800-244-4444): Service includes 60 min of long distance within the US
> (7 cents/min over). All local calls are 5 cents each, not per minute, 5
> cents total.. Average bill with this plan is about $15/mon. There is a
> $39.40 connection fee billed to first bill and 1 month prorated.
> I am in no way affiliated with SBC. Phone service is alway advertised to
> include many extras and minute plans some of us just don't need for the
> occasional call we may need to make from a landline. I think this plan is
> reasonable in that it will allow my security system to work and gives me a
> reliable phone if I ever have cell phone difficulties while indoors.
> On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello all,
> > my apologies if this is slightly off-topic but there is a potential
> > for organization here :)
> > We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
> > potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having > > any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
> > overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
> > For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given the
> > comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian > > market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
-- Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The demon that you can swallow gives you its power, and the greater life's pain, the greater life's reply --Joeseph Campbe
My wife and I just moved to an apartment in Pasadena.
Being a tech geek, I totally geeked out on the whole situation, so
here's what I did :)
We use Vonage for our home phone and I use Speakeasy's "naked" DSL
(6.0 down, 768 up) for our Internet access.
The internet goes directly into an Airport Extreme base station in
the office, which is plugged into a gigabit switch to drive the
office components.
In the living room, in the Media Stand (IKEA) that holds the plasma,
I have hidden an Airport Express that extends the wireless range,
while ALSO acting as a bridge. So the Vonage is plugged into that.
The Airport Express has an optical out to our receiver.
I got a Panasonic 5.4 ghz dual base station phone, one for the office
and one for the living room/bedroom. Our bedroom is an electronics
free zone.
For the TV, we use digital HD cable, so I have the HDMI output from
there going to a switcher, to switch between DVD and HD.
As for unpacking, we found it best to stack the boxes in their
places, and then go from there. Since we're renting we didn't paint.
Ethan Kaplan
Director of Technology / New Media
Warner Bros. Records
email: et...@warnerbrosrecords.com
im: EthanKap
phone: 818.953.3536
On Aug 16, 2005, at 10:40 AM, Ivan Vinogradov wrote:
> my apologies if this is slightly off-topic but there is a potential
> for organization here :)
> We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate
> any potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not
> having any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that
> are often overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best
> avoided.
> For example, is it even worth nowadays to get a land line, given
> the comparative cost of cell phones (with corrections for canadian
> market, which imho is much less competitive than healthy)?
I would love to ditch my land line service if I could, but I have no cable company and there is only one phone company (double rats) My basic phone line is only 9.50 But after all the junk fees it comes out to $21.13. Next to health costs it my biggest gripe is phone cost. Two words RIP OFF Ok I am done with my rant. Back to GTD matters
On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
> potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having
> any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
> overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
If you're planning on doing any room painting, do it before you move
in, if possible.
If you're moving in September, I'd plan to host a big party no later
than November. People will enjoy seeing your new digs, and it will
give you strong motivation to get them into a viewable state.
Finally, do yourself a favor and have your stuff shifted by
professional movers. If you want to trim the bill a bit, you can pack
things yourself, but having somebody else deal with the lifting and
the loading and the driving is well, well worth it.
On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
> potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having
> any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
> overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
I've moved one time too many so my wife and I have it down to a
routine. Some of these tips can be ignored if you aren't moving a
long distance.
Have a yard sale a week or two before the move!!! Repeat, have a yard
sale a week or two before the move. This can reduce your pain
immeasurably.
Pack all your financial information - checkbooks, bank account
records, insurance policies, and the like should be put in a
briefcase and never leave your person.
Take photographs of your household before you move. Be sure to
document by photograph and receipt, if possible, of anything
particularly valuable. This will help deal with the moving company if
something is damaged. And find out what their indemnity is. You may
need to specially insure some items like paintings or other art objects.
Pack a set of 24 hr boxes, mark them well, pack them into the moving
truck last. Even better, pack them in your car. These boxes contain
things that you will need access to in the first 24 hours after you
move in. Some dishes and silverware, cooking staples, toiletries,
medicines etc. We've moved and unpacked everything within 36 hours,
we've moved and taken months to unpack. One of our first moves was a
disaster because we couldn't find two important things right away: a
can opener and my meds
Don't just put things in boxes. Mark the boxes by content or room.
Last move we rented tupperware like containers rather than boxes.
They cost a little more than buying cardboard boxes and were worth
it! They didn't pop open or crush and they didn't have to be
destroyed afterwDavid
Hire professionals for the move. My wife and I prefer to do the
packing ourselves. Go ahead and leave most stuff in the furniture
drawers but do remove valuables.
If you are buying new furniture or appliances, painting, or having
carpet put in make sure those things are done before the move. Except
maybe the carpet! My wife and I disagree on this one. Balance the
hassles of installing new carpeting after you have just moved
everything in against the soul destroying pain of watching the new
carpeting getting dirty and muddy as you move in on a rainy day :-)
Pack an overnight bag in case your stuff doesn't arrive when it was
promised. Be prepared to sleep at a motel or in the house without all
your goods and furniture. The 24 hr boxes were in your car right? Are
there towels inside?
cheers
david
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Now, I go to spread happiness to the rest of the station. It is a
terrible responsibility but I have learned to live with it. ~~ Londo
> On 8/16/05, Ivan Vinogradov <ivan.vinogra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > We're moving in our first house in September and would appreciate any
> > potential advice on the best way to settle in a new home. Not having
> > any hindsight ourselves, perhaps there are some things that are often
> > overlooked in the excitement, or some experiences best avoided.
> I've moved one time too many so my wife and I have it down to a
> routine. Some of these tips can be ignored if you aren't moving a
> long distance.
> Have a yard sale a week or two before the move!!! Repeat, have a yard
> sale a week or two before the move. This can reduce your pain
> immeasurably.
> Pack all your financial information - checkbooks, bank account
> records, insurance policies, and the like should be put in a
> briefcase and never leave your person.
> Take photographs of your household before you move. Be sure to
> document by photograph and receipt, if possible, of anything
> particularly valuable. This will help deal with the moving company if
> something is damaged. And find out what their indemnity is. You may
> need to specially insure some items like paintings or other art objects.
> Pack a set of 24 hr boxes, mark them well, pack them into the moving
> truck last. Even better, pack them in your car. These boxes contain
> things that you will need access to in the first 24 hours after you
> move in. Some dishes and silverware, cooking staples, toiletries,
> medicines etc. We've moved and unpacked everything within 36 hours,
> we've moved and taken months to unpack. One of our first moves was a
> disaster because we couldn't find two important things right away: a
> can opener and my meds
> Don't just put things in boxes. Mark the boxes by content or room.
> Last move we rented tupperware like containers rather than boxes.
> They cost a little more than buying cardboard boxes and were worth
> it! They didn't pop open or crush and they didn't have to be
> destroyed afterwDavid
> Hire professionals for the move. My wife and I prefer to do the
> packing ourselves. Go ahead and leave most stuff in the furniture
> drawers but do remove valuables.
> If you are buying new furniture or appliances, painting, or having
> carpet put in make sure those things are done before the move. Except
> maybe the carpet! My wife and I disagree on this one. Balance the
> hassles of installing new carpeting after you have just moved
> everything in against the soul destroying pain of watching the new
> carpeting getting dirty and muddy as you move in on a rainy day :-)
> Pack an overnight bag in case your stuff doesn't arrive when it was
> promised. Be prepared to sleep at a motel or in the house without all
> your goods and furniture. The 24 hr boxes were in your car right? Are
> there towels inside?
> cheers
> david
> =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
> Now, I go to spread happiness to the rest of the station. It is a
> terrible responsibility but I have learned to live with it. ~~ Londo
Ahh - moving... We just moved from Florida to Colorado and into a rental home for 4 or 5 months while we wait for our "real" home to be built. Since we were moving far from family, I opted for AT&T's Callvantage service -- it's the same idea as Vonage, but Vonage didn't offer any numbers in my area code. For $29.99 we get unlimited long distance which allows my wife to stay in touch with her mom as many times as she wants. For another $5 we also got a "virtual number" in our old area codes which allows our friends and family in Florida to dial a local number for them that rings on our home phone in CO. So far, no complaints! The power thing is a concern, however I have the cable modem and telephone adapter hooked up to a UPS -- they don't draw much power so that might keep the service up long enough to finish a conversation.
RE: cell towers going out when the power goes down, I believe most have emergency power since when we lost power for a week after all the hurricanes last year, we still had cell service (but no A/C!! HOT!!).
Good luck on your move! I am NOT looking forward to moving again in a few months...
Just a hint to all those talking about Vonage or other VOIP phone systems: make sure that the local branch includes 911 locator service. If you call 911 from your landline and say NOTHING, the 911 operator can still find you. For many cell phones and VOIP systems, this isn't true. There has already been one court case because, IIRC, a girl having a seizure called 911 over Vonage and could not talk -- or at least not enough to give her address. By the time 911 could figure out where the call was coming from, the girl had died. Vonage is addressing the problem, but it is not fixed in all areas.
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