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General Moving Tips

The Honest Pros and Cons of Living in NJ

The Honest Pros and Cons of Living in NJ

New Jersey is more than just the state between NYC and Philadelphia. Sure, that is the major draw of the area, but there’s so much more to the Garden State than its proximity to other cities. For locals, New Jersey offers the perfect blend of city life, accessible shorelines, and beautiful countryside. Despite its small size, New Jersey has a lot to offer its residents. Of course, it does have some faults, but what location doesn’t? If you’re considering a move to New Jersey, read the points below to help you with your decision.

Close to Major Cities

No matter where in New Jersey you move to, you’ll have easy access to either NYC or Philadelphia. New Jersey is a relatively small state, so even if you do end up in southern NJ, you can get to NYC in around two hours. Commuting to NYC or Philadelphia is common for many NJ residents. So you don’t have to give up access to all the amazing amenities these cities have to offer if you want to live in the suburbs. Depending on where you move to, you can even take a quick 15-30 minute train ride to get into Manhattan!

You don’t even need to go into NYC or Philadelphia to get access to city amenities. Jersey City and Newark both offer plenty of things to do including some amazing restaurants, great bars and nightclubs, international airport (Newark Airport), and more! Many long time residents don’t even go into NYC unless necessary because New Jersey has pretty much everything they need.

Excellent Quality of Life

Sure NYC might be exciting, but with so many people packed into a small place, it’s not always going to be the cleanest or safest place. While there are certainly unsafe parts of New Jersey, overall New Jersey is one of the safest states in the United States. If you want to avoid high crime rates, avoid moving to Camden, Trenton, Paterson, and Atlantic City as crime rates are quite high at these locations.

Besides being safe, New Jersey also has a booming job market (the state is home to 17 Fortune 500 companies), great access to healthcare, and has the best public schools in the nation. On top of that, you have access to plenty of entertainment and access to nature thanks to the many county and state parks. It’s no surprise that New Jersey consistently ranks in the top ten happiest states in the country. 

Beautiful Scenery

Despite its small size, New Jersey offers a wide range of scenery to enjoy. Traverse the 130 miles of shoreline and more than 60 designated beaches where you can swim, sail, surf, scuba dive, and fish. If you’re not into the beach then there are plenty of parks for you to enjoy. Go to Liberty State Park for stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. During the spring, go to Branch Brook Park in Newark as it is home to one of the largest collections of cherry blossoms in the country! 

If you want a bit more exercise, visit Wharton State Forest, the largest state forest in New Jersey. There are plenty of trails for you to explore on foot, bike, or horseback. You can also bring a canoe or kayak and paddle on the lakes. There are plenty of other small parks dotted around New Jersey so even if you get tired of Wharton, you can simply head to another place.

Great Educational Institutions

New Jersey has consistently ranked as the number one state in public education. Of course, not all public schools in the state are the same, but the majority of schools offer a great student to teacher ratio, extracurricular activities, advanced placement classes, and more. Besides public schools, there are also plenty of private schools to choose from if you want to go that route. Neither option is a bad choice and you can rest easy knowing your child will be getting some of the best education in the nation.

Besides primary schools, New Jersey is also home to some of the best universities. There is, of course, Princeton University, the fourth oldest institution of higher education in the United States as it was chartered before the American Revolution. It is also one of the world’s most prominent research universities with people traveling across the globe to attend. Besides Princeton, New Jersey is also home to Rutgers University, the largest university in New Jersey as well as the second oldest behind Princeton. 

Rich in History

New Jersey is steeped in American history with plenty of historical sites and landmarks. The most notable historical site is, of course, Ellis Island, which is partially owned by New York. There’s also the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, which includes the lab and house of Thomas Edison and the battlegrounds of the Revolutionary War in Princeton. But there are plenty more smaller sites like the plaque in Hoboken to commemorate the first ever recorded baseball game in history or the various houses dotted across New Jersey with historical significance due to its architectural style. Wherever you go, there’s history!

It’s Expensive

With all the amazing amenities New Jersey has to offer, it should come as no surprise that you end up paying for it. Cost of living in New Jersey is quite high. The median home price is around $550,000 compared to the national median of $440,000. The prices only go up the closer you get to a major city like Newark or Jersey City. And speaking of housing, property taxes are some of the highest in the nation, even higher than New York! You’ll also be paying a lot more for the basics like utilities, groceries, and more. Still, there are affordable places outside the more popular cities and towns in New Jersey, but it might mean a longer commute. 

Extreme Weather Conditions

Being on the coast makes New Jersey vulnerable to coastal storms and flooding. It is also at heightened risk of hurricanes and tropical storms which, when they land, leads to devastating results as seen by Hurricane Sandy. With rising sea levels and warmer temperatures, New Jersey will likely see more tropical storms and hurricanes in the upcoming decades. On top of that, the aging infrastructure makes the state even more susceptible to natural disasters. On the other hand, New Jersey is prone to nor’easters, which can lead to below zero temperatures and blizzards, making for a difficult winter.

Horrible Traffic

You might think NYC has bad traffic, but New Jersey has some of the worst in the country. In fact, it is the 9th worst state for driving! Much of the traffic is concentrated around the major roads, bridges, and tunnels that lead to NYC or Philadelphia due to all the commuters. If this is your plan, know that New Jersey residents spend an average of 86 hours per year stuck in traffic! What should be a 25 minute car ride anywhere else can end up lasting an hour or longer depending on when you’re driving in and if there’s any construction or an accident. 

Make Your Move to New Jersey

If the pros outweigh the cons for you, then make sure to give NJ Great Movers a call to help with your relocation to New Jersey. We’ve helped hundreds of customers make a smooth transition to their new home. And with New Jersey being so expensive, you’ll be happy to know that we do our best to offer services that match your needs and budget.

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Community Guides General Moving Tips

Best Places to Retire in New Jersey

Best Places to Retire in New Jersey

When people think of retirement, most people think of Florida, but there are plenty of reasons not to move there including the threat of hurricanes, humid weather, and more. While New Jersey might not be the most popular for retirees due to its relatively high cost of living. However, if you have a nice nest egg, retiring in New Jersey might be the perfect idea as the state provides a wide variety of amenities that you can really take advantage of once you don’t have to work anymore! Of course, some locations are better than others so below is a list of some great places to retire to in NJ.

Pompton Lakes

Located in Passaic County, Pompton Lakes offers a scenic respite from city living. As you might expect, the borough is named after an actual lake, which means you get to have a beautiful 175-acre man-made lake in your backyard. If you prefer something a bit more strenuous than strolling by a lake, you can access the southern portion of Ramapo Mountains via the Cannonball Trail in the northernmost area of the borough. 

When it comes to community, Pompton Lakes provides plenty of activities that you can enjoy including a weekly flea market, dance classes, and more. There’s also a quaint downtown area that runs along Wanaqua Avenue where you can check out various restaurants Las Jocoteñas for some delicious Mexican or Mack’s American Bar & Grill for some great burgers. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to head over to Randy’s for some homemade ice cream! 

Vineland

Named Vineland after Charles K. Landis, a property developer, discovered the area had soil appropriate for growing grapes, Vineland is the most populous municipality in Cumberland County due to its proximity to Philadelphia as well as its charming atmosphere. While most people probably haven’t heard of Vineland, NJ before, it is actually a historic place as Welch’s Grape Juice was founded here, it was home to the Progresso soup company, it was the site of Vineland Poultry Labs that developed the fowl pox chicken vaccine, and it was also home to the first school for the intellectually disabled. 

With a population of over 60,000, there’s a lot to do and see in and around Vineland. For nature lovers, you can head over to South Vineland Park for a stroll and fishing. If you want a proper hike, head outside the city borders and you’ll have the options of Wharton State Forest, Belleplain State Forest, and more! If nature isn’t your thing, head over to Downtown Vineland to enjoy the many shops and restaurants as well as some community events like the annual Christmas parade and the dandelion festival where you can try all sorts of dandelion food and drinks.

There’s also a large 65+ community in Vineland, so you can definitely find some friends who share common interests.

Millville

If you still want to be close to a major city like Philadelphia, but want to live somewhere quiet, then Millville is a great option! Located in Cumberland County, you have easy access to Philadelphia if you need it via NJ Transit buses, but you can pretty much get everything you need in town. Simply walk down N High street and you’ll be able to choose from a wide variety of restaurants, boutique shops, and more! The downtown area is very walkable and there are plenty of stores to check out in a two block radius.

What attracts people to Millville is its access to nature. Millville is home to Union Lake, a 5,000 acre man-made lake built from the Maurice River. Start at the Millville waterfalls and work your way around the eastern side of the lake to get to Union Lake Beach for some swimming and tanning. If you go a bit further north, there’s a boat launch where you can bring a canoe or kayak.. Not much of a swimmer? Then grab a fishing pole and some buddies and enjoy catching some fish. If you prefer something more natural, head south to Natural Lands’ Peek Preserve to enjoy stunning trails along the Maurice River, migratory birds, and more.

When it comes to indoor activities, there’s still plenty of things to do. Head over to the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center and explore the Museum of American Glass, which includes the world’s largest hand-blown glass bottle. Every day you can watch demonstrations in glass, pottery, and more and even take some classes and workshops on glassblowing, pottery, weaving, and more!

Highland Park, NJ

A small borough located in Middlesex County, its views of the Raritan River and close proximity to NYC make it a great place for those who want a slightly quieter neighborhood without giving up big city living. There’s plenty to do here as well as a bustling downtown due thanks to being next door to the Rutgers Livingston Campus. While that might mean dealing with a lot of college-aged kids, it also means more restaurants, stores, and activities.

Getting around Highland Park is easy as NJ transit provides two local buses and you can hop on a train to get to NYC in about 45 minutes. Want to try your luck? Then hop on the Suburban Transit bus on the weekends to head to Atlantic City. Otherwise, hang around the neighborhood and enjoy the many historic buildings, including those located in Livingston Manor, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places back in 2004.

You don’t need to leave Highland Park at all if you don’t want to. Enjoy a beautiful walk along the Raritan at Donaldson Park, a 90-acre park that offers amenities like sports fields & courts, picnic areas, and more. Or check out the Meadows across the street for a more ‘untamed’ nature walk. If you’re looking for places to eat, walk along Raritan Avenue for a wide variety of eating and shopping options. 

Haddonfield

Named after Elizabeth Haddon, an early settler of the area, Haddonfield is a borough located within driving distance of Philadelphia and Atlantic City. However, it’s not just a bedroom community of these major cities, there are plenty of reasons to move to Haddonfield, especially if you’re a history buff. Haddonfield is home to the Indian King Tavern, a colonial tavern where, in 1777, New Jersey was officially declared an independent state. While it’s no longer a tavern, you can still walk through the building as it was renovated into a museum. It is also home to the second oldest volunteer fire company in the contiguous United States!

If you’re an outdoors person, there are plenty of places to enjoy. There’s Pennypacker park, which includes Evans Pod and Wallworth Pond, both dammed sections of the Cooper River. The park is also the historic site of the first near-complete dinosaur skeleton discovery, Hadrosaurus Foulii Leidy. If you walk down Kings Highway, the main street of Haddonfield, you’ll see a statue of a Hadrosaurus! The site of discovery itself is marked by a commemorative stone in the park itself. 

Haddonfield prides itself on being walkable and most streets do have sidewalks so you can easily walk to any part of the community. If you want to travel outside the area, you can hop onto the PATCO speedline to get to Philadelphia or take it to Linwood where you can hop on a NJ transit bus or train to get to NYC.

Retiring to NJ

There are plenty of other amazing locations in New Jersey to retire to, but these places have some of the best amenities and are very senior citizen friendly. If you find your dream house or condo, call NJ Great Movers and we can help you with every part of your move including packing, unpacking, and storage. Just reach out to us and we’ll create a plan that matches your needs and budget.

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How To Moving Tips

How to Make a Small NJ Move

How to Make a Small NJ Move

Not all moves are the same. Regardless of the size of your move, you still need to put in the time and effort if you want to reduce your stress. Of course, hiring a professional NJ moving company can make the process that much easier. But before you put down a deposit, make sure you know exactly what a small move entails.

What is a Small Move?

As the name suggests a small move means you are relocating fewer boxes and other household items than your typical move. Usually, it’s associated with one or two-room apartments or smaller homes and the items, but it can also include moving one large item like a piano or dining room set. 

In general, small moves do not require the use of a full-size moving truck and can usually be completed by two professional movers. A move can also be labeled small even if it’s long-distance or cross country. The word small describes the amount of stuff you’re moving, not the distance.

Just because you’re not moving as much stuff doesn’t mean a small move is a simple process. You still need to take into consideration things like decluttering your belongings, packing, finding a mover, and more. Even moving a single large item can be a hassle if you don’t do the appropriate legwork like making sure the item not only fits in the house but through the doorways and halls. 

Benefits and Drawbacks of a Small Move

It doesn’t matter how much stuff you’re moving, it’s going to be a process. Still, there are a lot of benefits to a small move versus a large one:

  • Affordable – smaller moves means less boxes and furniture. Regardless of whether you’re paying a flat or hourly rate, fewer stuff means lower prices. Heck, with the money you save you might even be able to afford other services like packing and unpacking.
  • Flexible – Depending on the distance of your move, a small move means more flexibility on the date and time of your move. It’s even easy to find last minute movers since you likely need one truck or even a small van.
  • Simple – organizing and packing for a small move is a lot easier if you have fewer belongings. Even if you live in a larger house, you should do your best to reduce the amount of items you’re bringing with you to your new home. The goal should be to declutter as much as possible. Not only does it make packing easier, it also makes the unpacking process go that much faster.

Of course, there are some downsides to a small move. Not all moving companies are willing to cater to small moves as it often won’t be worth their time. For those that do provide the service, they may charge a minimum fee so you may end up paying the same amount of money for a few boxes as you would for a larger move. In that case, it might be worth your time to add on the additional packing and unpacking service or plan a DIY move if you’re truly only moving a handful of boxes. 

Planning a Small Move

Whether you already don’t own a lot of things or plan on reducing how much you bring to your new home, you need a plan and time to get everything done. Your first order of business is to declutter. Yes, even if you’re already living in a small home, chances are you still have plenty of things that are unnecessary. Separate your belongings into two to three separate piles: keep, sell/donate, trash and sort accordingly. If you’re not sure whether you should keep or sell something, think about the last time you used said item. If you haven’t used it in the past year, chances are you don’t really need it. Trash anything that’s broken or in very bad condition.

Once you’ve sorted everything, get packing! Hopefully, you only have a handful of boxes to pack which should only take you less than a day to put everything away. Remember, you don’t need to pack everything into boxes. Leave your clothes in their dresser and just wrap the drawers tightly with plastic wrap. Instead of buying bubble wrap or packing paper, use towels and scrap paper to protect your fragile items. Make sure to keep a detailed inventory of all your items and include photos of everything so if something gets damaged, you have proof.

After decluttering, make sure to spend some time researching and reaching out to multiple moving companies. Again, not all movers will handle a small move so be upfront about your needs. That includes if you need additional services like storage and full or partial packing. And don’t forget to include important details like whether the movers will need to go up and down any flights of stairs. All of these will increase the cost of your move. When talking to movers, pay attention to how they answer or don’t answer your questions. If they seem to dodge your questions or get annoyed, it could be a red flag that they’re scamming your or just not professionals.

Small Moves Don’t Need to be Stressful

At NJ Great Movers, we can help with your move regardless of the size. And if you need any other help, we offer plenty of useful services. We can even provide moving materials in case you don’t want to make multiple trips to pick up all the necessities. So whether you just need to move a few boxes or you’re moving a jacuzzi, we’re here to help.

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General Moving Tips

What to Expect from Full Service NJ Movers

What to Expect from Full Service NJ Movers

Moving to a new home is both an exciting and stressful experience. There are so many steps involved in the moving process that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Whether you’re planning a long-distance or local NJ move, professional moving companies can help you with almost every step of the process. If you want to save yourself some time and potential heartache, consider a full-service move.

What Does a Full-Service Move Entail?

As the name suggests, full service NJ movers will do everything associated with a move. That includes:

    • Providing all packing materials and supplies – no need to save up boxes or purchase packing tape, bubble wrap, or anything else. The movers will provide everything your move needs, that includes things like furniture blankets and additional padding to keep your belongings and walls safe!
    • Packing everything – no one enjoys packing and it is generally the most time consuming part of a move. With a full service move, the packers will pack everything for you in a fraction of the time it would take you. The highly trained crew knows exactly how to pack boxes in an efficient and safe manner for transport and, of course, know how to handle fragile and valuable items. Plus, if the movers pack items themselves, your belongings are protected should anything get damaged.
  • Furniture disassembly – while many movers provide basic disassembly service of your furniture, full service movers will provide more thorough disassembly and, in many cases, reassembly upon reaching the destination.
  • Truck loading and unloading  +- there’s no need for you to carry anything except your essentials bag and whatever items the movers cannot put inside their truck. Otherwise, leave the rest to the professionals.
  • Transport – This should go without saying, but included in all moving packages (even the basic one), the movers will use their own truck to transport your belongings from one location to another. They’ll even manage things like parking.
  • Unpacking – Full service NJ movers don’t just pack your house, they also unpack. While they movers will have labeled the boxes according to the room they were in, make sure to provide some direction on where items should go so you don’t have to do too much redecorating.
  • Disposal of packing materials – say goodbye to cardboard boxes, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap. Full service movers will remove all packing materials and supplies once they have unpacked and unloaded everything. That means you don’t have to spend time breaking down boxes and separating recycling.

Of course, you shouldn’t assume all of these are included in a full service move. Always ask beforehand to make sure they are offering you what you need.

How Much Does it Cost?

As you might expect, a full service move will cost you significantly more than a basic move where you do the packing and disassembling yourself. Costs vary based on the size of your move, the distance they need to travel, time of year, and more. Always get an estimate from several full service moving companies so you can compare prices and make an informed decision. Don’t forget to ask if they have any promotional sales going on at the moment or if discounts if you belong to a certain group like a student, senior citizen, or veteran.

How Long Will it Take?

Packing and moving yourself can take days or sometimes even weeks. When you hire a full-service mover, they can finish in a few hours depending on the size of your move. In order to provide you with an accurate time frame, the movers will need to do an in-person or virtual tour of your home to take stock of your belongings. Unless you have a lot to move, most full service movers can pack everything up in a three bedroom home in under 4 hours. 

After that, the rest of the time will be spent loading and unloading the truck and unpacking. And, of course, don’t forget the time it will take to get to your new home. For local moves, a full service move might take 8-10 hours. The less you move, the quicker the move will be so make sure to declutter beforehand. Even if you’re not doing the hard work, there’s always something nice about having a few hours to relax after a move.

If you’re not able to move into your new house immediately, you might need to request short-term storage solutions. Many NJ movers have their own secure storage units, but renting one is an additional cost on top of the full service move. Make sure you know how long you will need to rent out the unit and incorporate the cost into your moving budget. While you can find self-storage solutions, the benefit of using storage directly from the movers is that they will handle all the loading and unloading and travel to and from your homes.

How to Find a Reputable Full Service NJ Mover?

There are plenty of NJ movers to choose from and while most of them are legitimate, not all of them have your best interests in mind. When looking for a NJ mover, make sure to check that they are licensed and insured by looking for the Department of Transportation (DOT) number on their website. You can then go to the DOT website and enter the number to make sure they are up to date on their licenses and check for any complaints or accidents. 

You should also ask friends and families for suggestions or feedback if you know they have moved recently. Otherwise look up online reviews on Yelp, Google, and the Better Business Bureau (if they are listed). You want to look for any negative reviews that have the same or similar complaints.

After that, listen to how the movers talk on the phone. Are they professional? Do they answer your questions in a straightforward manner? If you notice that the movers are evading questions and/or trying to pressure you into signing a contract with them, thank them for their time and move on to another company. You should also avoid movers who have estimates that are wildly cheaper than others or who ask for a large upfront deposit. These are all signs of a scam.

Ready to Move?

If you want to make your next NJ move easy, make sure to reach out to NJ Great Movers. We have years of experience and can provide you with a comprehensive full service move tailored to your budget and needs. Of course, we also provide other services like storage, last-minute moves, and more!