Tag: New Jersey moving

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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.

Categories
General Moving Tips

How to Make a Senior Citizen’s Move Comfortable

How to Help Senior Citizens Move

Relocating a senior family member can be difficult whether they are moving to your home, downsizing to a senior apartment, or transitioning to an assisted living facility. Many senior citizens may have lived in the same home for decades, so the thought of downsizing can be daunting. They’ll be leaving behind many treasured memories and belongings!

While every move is emotional, it’s important to keep this in mind especially when moving  senior citizens. That’s why it’s so important to hire trusted and reliable NJ movers (like us!) as they will treat every item with care. While professional movers can help you and your loved ones get their belongings from one place to another, it’s up to you to make the rest of the move as easy as possible. Below is a guide on how to move senior citizens.

Involve Senior Citizens When Making a Moving Plan

Every person should have a say in where they move, and senior citizens are no exception. In fact, it’s even more important for them as they have lived decades independently. While it might be more time-consuming, make sure to get them involved from start to finish. This might mean presenting several options for them, especially when it comes to senior apartments or assisted living centers. Give them time to ask questions and voice their concerns before making any final decisions. If you plan on having them move in with you, make sure your whole family agrees to the proposal.

In addition to finding the perfect place, you should also plan moving transportation based on their needs. Many older adults cannot withstand long road trips without assistance or stops. Others might require full-service medical transport. To make the move as comfortable as possible for everyone involved, do the following:

  • If you are going to drive them yourself, make sure to add extra time to your trip. A drive that should take six hours could be extended due to multiple stops. Make sure to ask your loved one often if they need to stop and stretch their legs or use the restroom.
  • Many senior citizens often have mobility issues. If your loved one has these issues, make sure to rent a van with enough space for their mobility equipment and get a ramp so that they can easily go in and out of the vehicle. If they are flying, book non-stop flights and contact the airline in advance for boarding assistance.
  • If your aging relative needs extra help, you can hire senior-focused transportation companies that offer non-emergency medical transit for people in wheelchairs and/or require oxygen tanks. Some companies even provide transport with beds and registered nurses.

How to Help Senior Citizens Move

Help Them How to Organize And Declutter

If your aging relative has lived in one place for decades, chances are they have accumulated a lot of stuff. Unfortunately, wherever they move they will have to downsize as their living area will decrease significantly. For many, this is an emotional process as many items will have sentimental value. It’s important to be patient and allow them to mourn. You might also need to help them go through their belongings and figure out what they no longer use and how to get rid of the items. Maybe that means selling them or donating them to goodwill. If it’s a keepsake you can suggest giving it to family members since that way they might be able to see it when they visit. Start small. Instead of jumping into the living room or bedroom, start with a room with low sentimental value like a bathroom or guest room suite. This will help ease them into the moving process and give them a sense of accomplishment.

As emotionally charged as downsizing can be for senior citizens, it can also be very rewarding. It gives them the opportunity to pass on their possessions and remove physical and emotional baggage. It’s an exciting new step on their next journey in life! Depending on how much they have, this step can take months so make sure you allot enough time. Otherwise, you’ll end up rushing and potentially throwing away some truly cherished items.

If your elderly relative cannot part with certain items that won’t fit in their new living situation, you can store it. Many NJ moving companies offer affordable and secure storage options. You should research storage companies near you and find the one that best suits your needs.

The Best Way to Prepare for Moving Day

The best way to prevent a stressful moving experience is to prepare, that goes for senior citizens and non-senior citizens alike. If you are helping your relative move, you should ask them and yourself the following questions:

  • Are there professional movers nearby that specialize in moving senior citizens?
  • Will you need help packing and unpacking boxes?
  • Can you drive your relative to their new home or will you need transportation?
  • Do you have a bag full of essentials packed away so that your relative does not have to dig through boxes the day of the move?
  • Is your relative feeling overwhelmed?

It can be easy to forget steps when packing as there’s a lot to do! To make sure the move goes as smoothly as possible, you should create a checklist of everything you need to do before, during, and after the move. Chat with your relative and/or their aide to make sure you don’t miss anything important such as packing their medicine in their essentials bag.

During the packing phase, you should encourage your relative or maybe another family member to keep an inventory of all the belongings. This provides peace of mind for the senior citizen and also allows you to double check that everything gets delivered. When packing, make sure that you organize the belongings into boxes labeled by room. This way when you unpack, you know exactly where the items should go.

Hire the Best Professional NJ Movers

If you can’t be with your loved one during the move, find expert help. If you live in New Jersey, there are several New Jersey movers who can help in relocating, downsizing, and organizing senior citizens. While it might cost you more money, it can save you a lot of time and can even make it less emotional for your relatives as a third party can make the tough decisions, which can reduce tension and fighting among family. Just make sure to hire a reputable company as there are plenty of scammers who are more than willing to fleece you out of money. It’s important to do your research, ask questions, and make sure the company you hire has the appropriate licenses and insurance.

Once you’ve found a good moving company, determine whether you need full-service or or the standard moving service. The latter means that you will have to pack and organize everything yourself so really ask yourself if you have enough time to dedicate to this task.

Welcome Senior Citizens to Their New Home

Come moving day, it’s time to finally welcome your loved one to their new home. Don’t be worried if they seem nervous or anxious as it takes everyone a few days to get used to their surroundings. If they are moving in with you or living in a senior apartment, establish a daily routine in their new space and make sure they know where everything is. Feel free to introduce them to your neighbors and maybe hit up a couple community centers as many have activities for seniors. You can also take them around to places that they will need to visit such as the grocery store, pharmacy, doctor’s office, etc.

For those moving into an assisted care living center, the aides will handle all of the legwork. With that said, you should set up a consistent schedule for when you visit. This way they have something to look forward to every week or month.

Conclusion

In order to have a successful move, it’s important to involve your loved one in every aspect of the move. As with everyone, senior citizens want to have a measure of control over their life, especially when it comes to their living situation. By bringing them into the fold, you are showing them that you respect their opinions and concerns.

Of course, it’s also important to hire a good moving company that can handle the added requirements of moving senior citizens. Whether you live in New Jersey or anywhere else in the tri-state region, we can help guide you through the process and make it easy and stress-free. As a premiere New Jersey moving company, we offer full-service moving including packing, moving, and unpacking and we do so with care and attention.