Tag Archives: Moving Advice
Guest Blog from Gentle Giant Moving Company
Being a real estate agent is not just about showing homes, doing open houses and writing up offers. It’s about creating a team around you to provide your client with a group of providers that can facilitate all aspects of the home buying, selling and rental process. One of the questions i get repeatedly is “who do i use for a moving company” and “how do I move my stuff all the way up there?” Those questions promoted me to write this blog, so I contacted my friends over at Gentle Giant Moving company to see if they would write an entry for me. This is what they put together:
Photo Courtesy of Gentle Giant, taken by Liz Diamond
By: Gentle Giant
“So you’ve worked with your real estate agent to find the home of your dreams, now comes the fun part: moving. For some people, moving can be even more stressful than selling or buying a home. This is why it is so important to hire a professional moving company. Think about it, when you need to sell your house, do you call a bunch of friends and entice them with pizza and beer in exchange for their services?
By hiring a professional moving company such as Gentle Giant, you can be reassured that all of your treasured belongings are insured, being moved by a team of movers that know exactly what they are doing, and are prepared with all of the training and equipment needed to get the job done safely and correctly.
Real estate in Boston is famous for its rich history, breathtaking views, charming neighborhoods, unique architecture, tight staircases, no parking, five or more flights of stairs with no elevator, hallways with extremely fragile floors and walls, and no tolerance for damage. This is why it needs to be stressed that hiring a professional moving company with the proper equipment is a necessity. Landlords and condo associations throughout the city breathe a sigh of relief when they see the Gentle Giant crane park in front of their building, for they know any large, heavy, tricky pieces with potential to damage the inside of the building will be plucked out of the window with surgeon-like precision by a highly trained crane operator.
In many cases, an entire condo or apartment will be emptied without bringing one piece of furniture down the stairs by using the “Swift Lift” Furniture Elevator, a unique piece of equipment that Gentle Giant often uses for condos or apartments on the 5th floor above in elevator-less buildings with poor stairwell access. It may at first look like an added expense to the move, but in reality, the amount of time for the entire move will be drastically shorter, evening out the price while drastically decreasing the chance for damage to the building.
So remember, hiring a professional moving company may cost more, but it is the safer, more efficient way to move. And your friends will be so relieved, they’ll probably bring you pizza and beer as a token of a appreciation.”
Gentle Giant Lift
Below is their promo video.
Street Permit Parking in Downtown Boston. What is needed?
Many people who move into the city choose street parking. Lets face it, not every condo or apartment is going to come with parking. Many people also don’t want to rent out a 200-300 parking spot in an alley or walk 5 blocks to the nearest garage for $350 a month for 24 hr parking. Hence, its time to chose the option of a free parking parking permit issued by the city. Buyers and renters always ask me how to obtain a parking permit. Below are the items required by the city of Boston. This was the cityofboston.com’s list of what is needed as of April 1, 2011
“In order to obtain a new Resident Parking Permit, residents must not have any outstanding parking tickets.
Changing your license plates
The registration number noted on the Resident Parking Permit must correspond with the registration number of the car to which the permit is affixed. If for any reason you receive new license plates for your vehicle, you should immediately obtain a new permit as well.
Where to Go:
Resident Parking Division at Office of the Parking Clerk, Room 224, City Hall.
When to Go:
Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
What to Bring:
* The Massachusetts vehicle registration for your new license plates.
* Proof of residency acceptable by the BTD.*
* The Resident Parking Permit for your previous registration number, regardless of the condition when it was removed. If you do not have the old sticker, please contact the Office of the Parking Clerk for further instructions.
Changing your vehicle
The Resident Parking Permit is designed to invalidate itself if removed from the surface to which it was originally applied. Therefore, if you change vehicles you should remove the permit from your old vehicle and immediately obtain a new permit for your new vehicle.
Where to Go:
Resident Parking Division at Office of the Parking Clerk, Room 224, City Hall.
When to Go:
Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
What to Bring:
* The valid Massachusetts automobile registration for your new vehicle.
* Proof of residency acceptable by the BTD.*
* The Resident Parking Permit from your previous vehicle, regardless of the condition when it was removed. If you do not have the old sticker, please contact the Office of the Parking Clerk for further instructions.
Changing your neighborhood
The name of the neighborhood on a Permit must correspond to the neighborhood on the Resident Parking sign for the permit to be valid at that location. Therefore, if moving from one neighborhood to another, a new permit must be obtained to park your vehicle in resident designated spaces in your new neighborhood.
Where to Go:
Resident Parking Division at Office of the Parking Clerk, Room 224, City Hall.
When to Go:
Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
What to Bring:
* The valid Massachusetts automobile registration for your NEW BOSTON ADDRESS.
* Proof of residency acceptable by the BTD.*
* The Resident Parking Permit from your previous address, regardless of the condition when it was removed. If you do not have the old sticker, please contact the Office of the Parking Clerk for further instructions.
* Acceptable Proof of Residency:
BTD accepts the following proofs of residency bearing your name and Boston address. Must be current (for mail, postmarked within the past 30 days). Bills must have the same name as the vehicle registration.
* Gas, Electric or Telephone Bill
* Cable Television Bill
* Monthly Bank Statement (excluding mortgage)
* Credit Card Bill
* Water and Sewer Bill
* Signed Lease
* Notarized Rental Agreement”
For the most recent Parking Permit regulations, please visit :http://www.cityofboston.gov/parking/residentparking
