My wife and I are getting ready to move. When we try to formulate a strategy or even think about where to start, we feel overwhelmed. We have reached out to many friends and family to get their advice on the best way to approach the process. We received really good and practical advice that we are excited to implement. Because moving into a custom home in St. George home can sometimes be the hardest step in the entire process, I thought it would be a good idea to share the things we have learned.
The first piece of advice we received was to stick to small and medium-sized boxes. Intuitively, it would make sense to fit as many things in large-sized boxes to be efficient in the number of boxes used and the number of trips from the trailer into the house. However, for those doing the hauling, it’s much easier to move more small boxes with fewer things in them than fewer heavy boxes, even if it means more trips. Plus, when you organize the trailer, it’s much more convenient to have smaller boxes that you can twist and turn more than large boxes that take up a bunch of space.
This leads to our next point.
For the sake of organization, it is wise to keep your brand of boxes uniform. Whether you get boxes from Home Depot, Lowe’s, or somewhere else, do your best to have them all be from the same place. The different brands have slightly different sizing, making staking and organizing tricky. Keeping the boxes uniform will make stacking much more simple and sturdy.
It’s easy to underestimate the amount of items that you have stuffed in the nooks and crannies of your home. When you go to move into your new custom home, you’ll be amazed how quickly the trailer or moving truck will fill up. Whether you rent a moving vehicle, borrow from a friend, or use your own, make sure you play it safe and overestimate the capacity you’ll need to get all of your belongings from one destination to the other.
One of the hardest parts about moving is keeping all of your boxes straight and making sure they are put in the right rooms at your custom home. In the chaos of moving, and with many people asking, “Where does this one go?” it is easy to get flustered. Having a labeling strategy makes all of the difference
We recommend writing on the top of the boxes for your own personal reference. For example, “Sally’s Shoes” or “Billy’s Books”. However, don’t stop the labeling there. Those labels alone will surely have people asking you the question we mentioned above. Instead, we recommend getting colored tape that you slap on the sides of your boxes that are coordinated with each room in the house. Red goes in the kitchen, green goes in the master bedroom, and so forth. That way, you tell people the color code once, and everyone can help each other remember what color goes where.
Furthermore, putting the tape on the sides of the boxes will make it more visible for individuals taking the stacked boxes from the moving trailers.
In the moving process, it is easy for fragile items to be damaged or even destroyed. No one wants that to happen. Protective moving materials become essential. Plan a few weeks ahead by getting free newspapers from grocery stores every time you go. Newspaper is great for protecting dishes and stuffing in glasses. Price shop for bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is great for wrapping family portraits and timeless keepsakes. Also, make sure you have plenty of moving blankets to protect furniture from getting scuffs and scratches.
By Far, the best advice we received was to warm up by playing the classic game of Tetris. After all, getting all of those odd shapes to fit snugly into a moving truck is a talent in and of itself. What better way to practice packing than playing Tetris with family and friends?
As always, it’s important to remember to have fun. As stressful as moving can be, remember that the moving process is the culmination of your dreams of having a custom home coming to reality. Order some pizza, make up different contests for the movers, and create a memory. There is no better time to start making memories in your new home than move-in day.
Owning a home is a goal that the majority of American’s share. Making the transition to home ownership is an exciting opportunity, and, for most, a landmark point in one’s life. There are a variety of barriers that keep this transition from happening. Qualifying for a loan, affording a down payment, or timing in one’s life all prevent renters from becoming owners. However, at Dennis Miller Homes we have discovered another obstacle for prospective homeowners: the fear of maintenance.
Much like death and taxes, having to maintain a house is an unavoidable fact of life. As a renter, a tenant can simply call the landlord or property manager when aspects of the home need to be repaired, changed, or updated. However, when people their own home, that responsibility falls on their own shoulders. Many people are hesitant about owning a home because they fear that responsibility. The fear doesn’t come from having to do the work, but rather knowing how to do the work.
For this blog post we decided to help eliminate that fear and enable you to take steps to owning, or better yet building, a new home. We’ve come up with 6 common home repairs and tips on how to conquer them.
Not only does the constant running of the toilet water get annoying, but it can also be costly. With the water continually running, your water bill is sure to skyrocket; and plumbers these days are not exactly cheap. Follow this link for a step by step guide on how to fix the problem so that you can save time and money.
Energy efficiency in homes is a dominating trend in the housing industry. A top “energy sucker” is the refrigerator. Keeping the coils clean will help your appliance run efficiently and extend the life of the product. Refrigerator coils are usually on the back or underneath the fridge. Use your vacuum or a coil brush to get your coils to a cleanly state.
Most people try attacking a clogged drain with Draino or Liquid Plumber. However, we recommend having a plunger and/or drain snake on hand. Once you have used those tools, combine baking soda and vinegar to pour down the drain. Most people typically have those ingredients on hand and it will help you avoid the harsh chemicals of the typical de-clogging products.
Breaker panels are typically located in one of three places: the garage, a utility closet, or in the basement. For larger homes, more than likely there are different panels for either side of the house. We recommend labeling the different breakers as soon as you move in.
This topic goes back to the energy efficiency of your home mentioned earlier. The more consistent you are with changing your HVAC filters, the more efficient your system will be. This is pretty easy to do. Simply remove the grate holding the filters in place, pop the old one out, and then insert the new one.
There is nothing worse than running out of hot water in the middle of a shower. For one reason or another, the pilot light in water heaters will go out. Knowing how to ignite the pilot light without having to call a handyman is critical. Every water heater model is different. Older model usual require you to manually ignite the pilot light whereas newer models have built in igniters. Read the instructions located on the water heater to know how yours works.
Being a homeowner is a wonderful adventure. Coming home every day to a place you get to call your own is a very satisfying feeling. Don’t let the fear of maintenance keep you from experiencing the pride of ownership. At Dennis Miller Homes we are more than willing to come back to your house long after closing and make sure your home is running smoothly and efficiently. Don’t let the fear of maintenance keep you out of the game. Experience for yourself the pride that comes from owning your own home.
When people set out to build a custom dream home, one area of the home that gets a lot of thought and attention is the master suite. Most, if not all, want to ensure that their master suite looks luxurious, feels elegant, and is completely functional. Unfortunately, one of the many flaws that we see with new home builders and their contractors is that they either give up functionality for aesthetics or visa versa. Eventually, what is left is a homeowner who is overall displeased with what was supposed to be the nicest part of their home.
With over 30 years of experience, we’ve found that one of the main drivers of this displeasure is the master shower. People envision a master shower with all of the bells and whistles: spacious, multiple shower heads, a seat, visual appeal. However, going back to the problem described above, they tend to overemphasize either aesthetics or functionality.
In an attempt to make the master bathroom look luxurious some interior designers will tell their clients to create their master shower out of glass so that the bathroom feels more open. However, who really wants to clean all that glass every time they shower? Others will try and make a big open shower that has plenty of space only to find that the dreaded cold breeze that everyone hates to feel in the middle of the shower becomes a constant. Others will build their new shower emphasizing functionality only to be left wanting when it comes to feeling like they have something elegant and unique.
So is it possible to have it all? Here at Dennis Miller Homes, we want to make sure we build something for you that is both functional and eye-popping. Jared, one of our team members, thought about this conundrum when designing the master suite for one of our clients in Sand Hollow. He wanted to give our client something unique, and also make sure they were happy with the product for years to come.
Masterfully utilizing space, this featured master shower was thoughtfully placed behind the jacuzzi tub to make sure the entire bathroom had an open feel. To give the owners something they felt was unique, we designed the shower with two entrances, one near the bathroom entrance, and one near the master closet. With the two entrances, we worried about the dreaded cool breeze plaguing anyone who used the shower.
To combat this problem, we staggered the walls of either entrance in a way that would block any type of airflow. As an added measure of precaution, we also placed heat lamps above either entrance ensuring that anyone taking a shower would stay nice and warm. Finished off with beautiful modern finishes we were more than pleased with how it turned out; and the owners were too.
When building a new house, it’s easy to design a floor plan that has all the necessary components and call it good. At Dennis Miller Homes we make sure that not only do you have all the necessary components, but that those components are built in a way that is visually appealing and practical to use. When you choose us as your home builder, we won’t be satisfied with the finished product unless you love every component of your home long into the future.
What are you waiting for? Let’s start building!
