Ah, home sweet home... roses around the door, a fire crackling brightly in a fireplace, a large, calico cat purring contentedly on a rug by the hearth, and the tantalizingly mouth-watering smell of freshly-baked cakes and cookies wafting in from the kitchen.

The original source of “Home, Sweet Home” was an opera known called ‘Clari, The Maid of Milan’. In the story, Clari, an innocent country girl, is persuaded by a duke to elope with him to his chateau with the promise of marriage. Once there, he repeatedly delays the ceremony, and Clari, overcome with remorse, sings the song “Home Sweet Home” and then runs back to her father’s house. In the third act, the repentant duke follows her and offers his hand in marriage; the opera ends happily with the local villagers singing "Home, Sweet Home".

"My house is my castle"… 

A well-known phrase, which means that you can do whatever you want in your own home. But with home ownership – whether it is a small apartment, a ranch-style home, or a log cabin – comes the responsibility for an almost infinite number of things! And it all starts from the day you move in…

Moving Day, in days gone by 

Did you know that prior to World War II, almost all leases in the city of New York would expire simultaneously on May 1st? With everyone across the city trying to move house on the same day, it was, unsurprisingly, complete chaos!

New York lawyer, George Templeton Strong, wrote in his diary, “Every other house seems to be disgorging itself into the street; all the sidewalks are lumbered with bureaus and bedsteads."

When the well-known frontiersman, Davey Crockett, stumbled upon the annual event in 1834, he wrote, “By the time we returned down Broadway it seemed to me that the city was flying before some awful calamity.” You can read more about the ‘Moving Day' here.

How to stay calm, cool, and collected on you moving day 

While New Yorkers no longer have to move on the same day of the year, May is still known as National Moving Month. 80% of all moves in the United States take place between April and September, with the busiest moving days typically between May 30th and June 1st.

National Moving Day is the day after Memorial Day, kicking off the moving season (sometimes known as Crazy Tuesday.) As most of us know, moving house can be a very stressful process. We have some tips for planning your move and settling into your new home - to make the process go a little smoother and leave you feeling a little less crazy!

🏠 a couple of weeks before your move, ask friends and family for some assistance on the day
🏠 a week before you rmove, confirm all details with your moving company
🏠 2 or 3 days before your move, start gathering up your essentials, because not everything should go on the movers' truck. These may include your first-ad kit, your essential documents such as passports, toiletries, towels, trash bags, medications, phones, laptops, chargers, tea and coffee maker, bed linen, sleepwear, pen and paper, spare batteries, change of clothes, basic cleaning supplies, keys and wallet with cash to tip the movers.
🏠 If you have children, remember a few changes of clothes, basic toiletries, and items to keep them occupied such as games, coloring book, crayons, or iPad.
🏠 If you have pets, remember to bring enough food for the next few days with you, and also their water bowl, treats, their favourite toys, poop bags, leash, litter box, blanket or bed, and any medications they need.
🏠 Bring a small tool kit containing bare necessities, like scissors, a flashlight, a screwdriver, wrench, and measuring tape
🏠 Telephone numbers of local take-outs
🏠 Contact details of people you may need to reach out on the days you move or immediately after.
🏠 Contact details of Fixlers.com: support@fixlers.com and our mobile number 888-683-8483

Keep all of the above in your car so you can be sure they won’t end up getting loaded onto the moving truck!

Our top tips for a smooth moving day 

According to research, 41% of us choose to move on Fridays, 17 % on Mondays, while Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday are the preferred choice for only 13% of the population, and only very few moves at the weekend.

This is reasonable. A Friday move gives you the weekend to unpack and settle in without eating into your vacation time. But it can also mean that if you uncover a problem such as a sticking lock, faulty wiring, or issues with the plumbing, finding a reliable local handyman on the weekend might be tricky. 

So here are our top tips to make sure your moving day goes smoothly:

1) A week before moving day, confirm with electricity, water and gas suppliers that the services will be turned on.
2) Make sure you have the phone number of fixlers.com on hand, and we will be able to send out a member of our Moving Day Handywork Team to you, or a trusted locksmith, electrician, plumber if needed.
3) On moving day, get up early and eat a good breakfast
4) Dress in long pants and a comfortable shirt that’ll protect your arms from bumps and scrapes
5) Keep a running ‘To Do” list
6) Arrange care for your small children or pets
7) Take a photo of the back of your TV and monitors so you have a visual reminder to set up the nest of plugs and wires for the cable box, game consoles, surround sound speakers, HDMI cables, Amazon Fire Stick, etc.
8) Before you leave your old home - and upon arrival at your new home - take pictures of all the utility meters
9) Go back into each room of your home for a last look around before you leave. Open all of the cabinets and closets, and check the outdoor spaces as well. 
10) If you are moving to a rental property, walk through it with your new landlord, noting – and if necessary photographing - any existing damage in order to avoid problems of blame later on.
11) Familiarise yourself with the location of the stop cocks, electricity fuse board, and telecoms box in your new home.
12) Make the beds!

I would not exchange my home on the range…. 

"My Western Home", by Dr. Brewster M. Higley, penned in 1872, was said to have been the inspiration for the Cowboy ballad, “Home on the Range”, which is commonly regarded as the unofficial anthem of the American West. The song paints a picture of an idyllic life, far away from the bright lights of the city “where the deer and the antelope play.”

But no matter how meticulously we plan, inevitably there will be things that we hadn’t anticipated on moving day – some of them, well, not so idyllic! How would you manage if you found that the toilet is clogged? Or worse, that you need a sewage drain repair?

Fixlers can provide all manner of emergency services to the new homeowner, including boiler repair, electrical outlet repair and installation, and garage door repair.

We also have a small removals service to help you move, and a general Moving Day Handiwork service. We can also help carry furniture upstairs, provide professional furniture assembly, and even arrange for your home to be inspected by a professional licensed home inspector.

Our Services
We offer many different types of services! If you are seeking an affordable professional, contact us at Fixlers and tell us what you need help with. Whether you need an electrician, plumber or someone to assemble your ikea furniture, we will find the best local electrician in your area to complete the job!

Download the Fixlers app, create your account, and complete your profile to order your first service today! Visit our home page at www.fixlers.com for more info, or go to our FAQ page here.