Packing Tips Archives - Mighty Movers

September 2, 2018September 2, 2018

The 5 Best Dallas Neighborhoods In 7 Categories

There are many factors you can use to determine which Dallas neighborhoods are the best, but the real test comes down to the features that work best with your lifestyle. With the criteria for best neighborhood being so diverse and unique to the individual, crowning the number one Dallas neighborhood requires a breakdown of different factors. Here are the best neighborhoods in Dallas based on several categories and the best Dallas neighborhood to live in overall.

1. Safest Dallas Neighborhoods

The best way to measure safety is to look at the statistics for crime in an area. The standard measure for criminal activity divides criminal activity into violent crimes and property crimes. Violent crime statistics include murder, assault, rape, and robbery while property crimes include theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. Based on these statistics, the five neighborhoods in Dallas that top the list for safest areas in the city include:

Lakeview Heights
Campbell Green
Greenway Parks
Preston Trail
Hunters Bend

2. Best Dallas Neighborhoods for Families

There are several factors that must be considered for a Dallas neighborhood to be deemed family friendly. A combination of crime statistics, public school ratings, the cost of living, and family amenities is necessary to determine areas that are most suitable for families with children. The five best neighborhoods in Dallas for raising a family are:

Preston Highlands
Campbell Green
Moss Farm/Forest Meadow
Lakeview Heights
Prestonwood

3. Best Neighborhoods in Dallas to Purchase a Home

Affordability is an important topic when deciding on the best neighborhoods in Dallas. Affordability is generally measured against the real estate market using factors such as home and property values, property taxes, housing costs, home ownership rates, and real estate trends. The five best Dallas neighborhoods to buy a house include:

Fate
Frisco
Allen
Coppell
Highland Village

4. Most Affluent Neighborhoods in Dallas

For families that top the income scale, the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city promise increased security, elaborate landscaping, and higher property values. These are the neighborhoods where you’ll find Dallas’ top earners:

Highland Park
University Park
North Dallas
Bluffview
Preston Hollow

5. Most Historical Dallas Neighborhoods

If you like to immerse yourself in the culture and history of your city, there are several neighborhoods in Dallas that will make you feel right at home. Whether you’re looking for historical architecture or just like a neighborhood with an interesting and documented history, the Dallas neighborhoods that offer the greatest historical significance are:

Lakewood: Dates back to the early 1900s with many of the original shops and cafes still standing. Home to the historic Lakewood Country Club, built in 1912.
Hollywood Heights/Santa Monica: This area was established in the 1920s by developer B. Salmon who gave residents the freedom to build homes in whatever style they chose as long as they followed deed restrictions. The result is a neighborhood filled with unique historical architecture.
Swiss Avenue: Dallas’ first historic district, this neighborhood showcases homes from every popular design style since the early 20th century.
Greenway Parks: This planned development was started in the 1920s and has the unique distinction of being one of the few developments that incorporated parks and greenways throughout the neighborhood. The result is a striking green space within the city.
South Boulevard: This neighborhood was established in the early 1900s and was primarily home to Jewish merchants. Today, the homes that were built between 1910 and 1935 only span about nine blocks, which are now protected by the current neighborhood association.

6. Most Accessible Dallas Neighborhoods

Another factor to consider when determining the best neighborhoods in Dallas is the ease of getting around in the area. Sidewalks, bike paths, and public transportation can all affect how reliant you must be on a personal vehicle to get where you need to go. Based on these factors, the five most accessible Dallas neighborhoods are:

Downtown Dallas: walk score 90, transit score 85, bike score 65
Oak Lawn: walk score 86, transit score 60, bike score 73
Deep Ellum: walk score 76, transit score 77, bike score 68
Glencoe Park: walk score 79, transit score 63, bike score 64
Lower Greenville: walk score 71, transit score 44, bike score 59

7. The Best Dallas Neighborhoods to Live In

When determining the best Dallas neighborhoods to live in, there are several criteria that affect residents’ quality of life. To get the whole picture, factors must include crime rates, public school ratings, the cost of living, job opportunities, and the amenities in the area. Based on these elements, the best Dallas neighborhoods to live in are:

Preston Highlands
Moss Farm/Forest Meadow
Campbell Green
Lakeview Heights
Prestonwood

When trying to figure out the best neighborhoods in Dallas, it’s important for you to decide what factors will have the biggest impact on your life and work best with your situation. If you don’t find value in local history, historical neighborhoods may not appeal to you. If you lack your own transportation, accessibility might be your number-one priority. In reality, opinions on the best neighborhoods in Dallas will vary between individuals because everyone has their own idea of which factors are the most important. In the end, whatever area fits your lifestyle and gives you the most value is the best neighborhood in Dallas.

So, you’re moving to Dallas? Welcome! As a top-rated Dallas moving company, we know how exciting this time can be. And as the most referred Dallas long distance movers, we know that moving to Dallas can feel overwhelming to newcomers. There is so much to do and see living in Dallas that you might not know where to begin.

Erik Guinaugh

August 10, 2018November 19, 2018

10 Things You Should Know About Moving to Dallas, Texas

Things You Should Know About Moving to Dallas, Texas

Whether you are about to embark on your journey to Dallas or have already moved into your new home, these are the top 10 things you should know about moving to Dallas.

1. The DFW Metroplex

“DFW Metroplex” is a term you will often hear from the locals. As a new Dallas resident, you are not only a resident of our beautiful city, you are also a part of the Dallas Fort Worth area. DFW Metroplex refers to Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth, and all the suburbs that lie inside the area.

2. The Best Places to Live in Dallas

Dallas neighborhoods are as varied and diverse as Dallas residents. Whether you are moving to Dallas alone or moving to Dallas with a family, you’ll find what you need here.

Uptown

Uptown Dallas is just north of Downtown Dallas and to the west of the North Central Expressway. Uptown’s abundance of restaurants, bars, and shops, plus its walkability, make it popular with young professionals. Empty nesters who are looking for an urban lifestyle also flock to the area.

Preston Hollow

One of the most elite Dallas neighborhoods, Preston Hollow is known for its large estates and majestic oak trees. This neighborhood is also home to Dallas civic and business leaders who are the who’s who of the DFW Metroplex.

M Streets

M Streets is a popular choice for young families and couples. With homes dating back to the 1920’s and easy access to downtown, it offers residents the ability to enjoy Dallas and avoid parking congestion.

3. Eating in Dallas

We take our food seriously in Dallas. If you ask us, Dallas barbecue is the best barbecue out there and our Tex Mex is beyond compare. That’s not all we eat, though.The Dallas food scene has something amazing for every palate.

4. Cost of Living in Dallas

The cost of living in Dallas is below the national average. Because of higher sales taxes, a grocery trip may you cost more than average. Utility prices are also slightly higher than the average US city, thanks to the extreme Texas heat. Our home prices, though, are more competitive than other areas with a median price of $188,000.

5. Finding a Job in Dallas

The job market in Dallas is thriving thanks to so many corporate headquarters that call Dallas home. Some of our biggest employers include Bank of America, Bayor Health Care System, and AT&T. Plus, there are even more corporations throughout the DFW Metroplex. If you haven’t already found a position, you should have no trouble finding one in the DFW area.

6. No State Income Tax

That’s right. Texas is one of the few states that chooses to forgo state income taxes. That means you will see more on your paycheck than if you lived somewhere else like Georgia. But, the state still needs taxes to run. While your paycheck will be higher, you will also notice an above-average sales tax as well as higher property taxes.

7. Moving to Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas. Both native and new Texans are proud of their home state. We are loyal to our home teams, local businesses, and made-in-Texas products. As Dallas movers, we are particularly proud to be a part of the Lone Star State. Be prepared to be loud and proud about your new home. You’ll blend right in.

8. Dallas Weather

Most people describe Dallas weather with one word. Hot. It’s not uncommon to see temperature readings well above 100℉ on your car’s thermostat. Our winters can be a bit dicey, as well. While it does occasionally snow, Dallas drivers are not accustomed to driving snowy or icy roadways. Don’t be surprised the first time you see the city practically shut down when the meteorologist predicts precipitation with just above freezing temperatures.

9. Dallas Traffic

Dallas traffic is serious business, especially during rush hour. You’ll soon find that residents are accustomed to adding in time for delays before hitting the road. Luckily, the city of Dallas roadways are laid out on a grid system, making it easy to find your way around.

10. Dallas Culture

In Dallas, we like to do things our own way. We are a city that celebrates southern hospitality, art, music, theater, food, and progress. And we aren’t afraid to try something new. Whether that means building an urban park on top of a highway or taking in films created by emerging artists at the Dallas International Film Festival.

Erik Guinaugh

July 28, 2018August 10, 2018

How to Find the Best Plano, Texas, Moving Company

As you prepare to move into a new home, you’ve likely developed a list that includes many must-do items like securing new utility providers, gathering moving boxes, and determining your moving timeline. Have you also given thought to the item that should be at the top of your list: how to find the best Plano, Texas moving company? As a part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, new and current Plano residents have access to a wide variety of service professionals in the moving industry. That doesn’t mean that all movers are created equally, however. So as you are preparing for your upcoming move, use this guide to know what to look for in a Plano, TX moving company.

Reliability

The number one factor you’ll want to consider when choosing which movers to hire is their reliability. But how to gauge this reliability can be difficult to figure out. After all, every mover you talk to will tell you that they are the most reliable in their field. So to determine how reliable a mover might be, you need to combine your observation skills with some research. Follow these steps:

When you make an appointment to discuss the scope of your upcoming move with a moving company, pay attention to what time they arrive in relation to your appointment time and how long they spend evaluating the totality of the items they’ll need to move. Are they running very late without a good reason or rushing to leave just as soon as they’ve arrived? They may be in the habit of overbooking or double booking, and that will cut down on their reliability with your specific move.
Ask your potential mover for at least three references, but don’t be shy about asking for more if you have the time to follow up with additional people. Speak with those references and ask questions about all aspects of their move, until you feel comfortable with what you are hearing about the moving company’s professionalism and reliability.
Perform an internet search about the services you’re considering when working out how to find the best Plano, Texas moving company. Specifically read the accolades and complaints various companies have received. Be realistic about the postings you read; some may be outliers where situations have gone wrong through circumstances outside of the moving company’s control, or may have been posted by people with an agenda or an outlandish gripe. Pay careful attention to oversight organizations like the North Central Texas Better Business Bureau.

Availability

When you’re researching how to find the best Plano, Texas moving company, look carefully into their availability and how that meshes with your needs. Some companies, particularly small organizations that have limited trucks and staffing, may only operate certain days of the week or hours of the day. That may not give you the flexibility you need to complete your move. Other companies may book many weeks or months in advance, especially for more complicated or long distance moves.

Before you speak with potential moving companies, write up your exact needs and expectations for the timing of your move. Do you need to be out of your current home by a very specific date, or do you have a window of time you can move within? Will you need the moving company to hold over your belongings for a period of time between when you need to be out of your old home and when your new home is available? What days and times are you or another adult in your household available to be onsite with the movers, supervising their work and responding to questions and needs as they arise?

Remember, also, to be realistic with your move timing expectations. For moves that come about and must be completed quickly, you may simply not have as many options as moves that can be planned out and scheduled a long time in advance. And movers do have other customers besides. So while they should absolutely schedule and devote adequate time to your move, certain scheduling issues or glitches may be out of their control. Any flexibility you can provide will only make your move a smoother process.

Affordability

According to Census research, around 12 percent of the population moves annually. That’s a lot of people and that means that moving is a big business by volume. That volume can play a role in the affordability of your move – how busy a certain company is can raise or lower their rates based on the principles of supply and demand. But when determining how to find the best Plano, Texas moving company, you can also evaluate affordability based on these additional factors:

Time of year of your move
Distance of your move
Size of your residence
Ease of accessing your current and new residence

Obtaining multiple quotes before choosing your mover can help to ensure that you find the most affordable option. Do remember this, however: the least expensive is not always the best. Affordability has to be balanced against reliability and availability.

After all of your preparation and research into how to find the best Plano, Texas moving company, you’ll be ready to move on to your next two important steps: putting expert moving tips to good use so you and your home are both well-prepared, and choosing which mover to hire. By beginning your process as soon as possible and employing diligent research, your next move can be your best move.

Erik Guinaugh

July 7, 2018July 26, 2018

10 Moving Hacks That Make Packing Easy

One of the most challenging parts of a move is also one of its most fundamental tasks: packing. Corralling your life into movable parts that can be relied upon to reach your new home in one piece can seem daunting, but, luckily, some simple tricks can take the stress out of the process and give you peace of mind. Here are 10 moving hacks that make packing easy.

1. Plastic Wrap and Plastic Bags

You don’t actually have to empty out the drawers on that dresser or take those clothes off their racks. Cover the drawers with taped-down plastic wrap and put plastic bags over hanging clothes to make moving and unpacking these items hassle-free. This tip can also be used on drawers full of toiletries to prevent them from spilling during the move.

2. Protect Your Breakables With Socks and Linens

Use socks to protect breakable glassware and shirts and linens as a packing material for other fragile dishes. They provide better protection than paper and a more economical option than Bubble Wrap. Make sure you pack plates vertically inside the packing material, which makes them less prone to breaking.

3. Use Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Tubes as Organizers

Spare wires and cables can easily become a tangled mess, making it a challenge to find the one you need, and this can be even truer after they’ve gone through a move. Fortunately, someone had the ingenious idea of using empty cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls as individual organizers.

4. Use Bags and Suitcases to Cut Down on Moving Boxes

Suitcases are specifically designed to be moved from place to place, so there’s no reason not to let them shine in that role during your move. It cuts down on time spent acquiring, assembling and securing moving boxes. Suitcases with wheels are especially useful for packing books to make moving these notoriously heavy items easier on the back.

5. Invest in Large Plastic Storage Totes

Storage totes are more expensive than cardboard moving boxes, but they’re also more spacious, easier to carry, more durable and, above all, reusable. Search your favorite retailer’s site for “storage totes.” These totes are typically designed to stack on top of one another and to be easily tied down with bungee cord. They are particularly useful if you have items that you expect to stay packed for most of the year, such as Christmas lights and decorations.

6. Color-Code and Label Your Moving Boxes

Whatever mixture of boxes, totes and suitcases you end up using, ensure you can see at a glance which box is destined for which room of the house by assigning each room’s boxes a specific color. Put together a color key and mark the boxes using the appropriate color of painter’s tape. Label each box with its contents. This makes it easier to find much-needed items after a busy moving day.

7. Cut Handles on Cardboard Boxes

The last thing you want on moving day is to find yourself struggling to get your hands under a cardboard carton. You can make your cardboard moving boxes easier to carry by using a box cutter to cut a simple triangular handle in the sides.

8. Take Pictures of Cable Setups

Snap a picture of the back of your television or entertainment system, showing clearly which cables and wires go where. When you arrive at your new home, duplicating the setup will prove to be much quicker and easier and will spare you having to figure the setup out from scratch.

9. Purge as You Pack

Use packing as an occasion to rid your life of needless clutter. Set aside items you no longer use and either donate them to charity or have a yard sale. Note that different cities have different regulations regarding yard and garage sales: if moving in Dallas, TX, for example, consult the City of Dallas guidelines on garage sale permits.

If you don’t have time for either of those solutions, pack the unneeded items in storage totes and set them aside at the new home for later disposal.

10. Keep Moving Day Necessities Accessible

While moving into your new home, you will want easy access to a supply of snacks and coffee to keep everyone going and some easy-to-prepare foods to cover mealtimes. Put these in a laundry basket and set it in the kitchen as early in the move as you can.

Seek Out More Moving Hacks That Make Packing Easy

The above list of moving hacks that make packing easy isn’t exhaustive. Plenty of other small tricks and tips can help to secure and organize your items and make moving faster, safer and less frustrating.

Using the above list of moving hacks and packing hacks for moving that make packing easy is a great way to ease the challenges of moving day. Whether you are moving yourself or hiring professional movers, you’ll find these hacks invaluable in cutting down on the stress of packing and moving.

Erik Guinaugh