#moved a full three-floor house (including so. many. boxes.) into a two bedroom apartment today

[piedoesnotequalpi]

If the residents of Vermont could stop needing large amounts of stuff moved for the next week or so that would be great 🫠

[seokmingiggles]

what kind of future.

Anon requested on 201221: "Would you do a Hoseok one shot of his significant other's 4 year old nephew crashing their bed during the night he sleeps over because of a nightmare and Hoseok is super soft with the reader about this being their future?"

Pairing: Jung Hoseok x gender neutral reader

Genre: very fluffy, established relationship.

2.84k words

Warnings: mentions of a (toddler's) nightmare (aka no warnings).

You and your boyfriend are in charge of looking after your brother's son overnight, and the act makes him consider how he'd like to spend the rest of his life with you. Alternatively, there are many things you admire about Hoseok—one being the tender way he does so well with kids, and one not being the way he seems to possess zero Mario Kart skills.

A/N: Here is the second babysitting-themed request I got. Thank you, anon, for requesting Hobi! I have so much adoration for this beautiful boy ;-; Additionally, this fic is not to be confused with Lee Jihoon's heartbreakingly beautiful ballad of the same title. I definitely recommend listening to it if you haven’t already; it’s full of incredible emotion that blows me away and brings me to tears every time I listen.

•• You were surprised when Hoseok, your boyfriend of five years, hadn't hesitated to agree when earlier today you mentioned how you're scheduled to babysit your older brother's son tonight.

You know he's good with kids. Hobi has the perfect amount of energy and positivity to get along with them; it's one of the many traits you admire about him. Even though the two of you have been dating since the beginning of your college years, you and Hoseok have never really discussed your future, including marriage and having children. Although you don't doubt he would be a good father one day.

Your brother, Seokjin, was in desperate need of a date night out with his partner and had asked if you wouldn't mind looking after Jisung for the evening until tomorrow morning. You agreed instantly. You aren't ready to have kids of your own anytime soon, but you thoroughly enjoy spending time with your nephew.

"Thanks again for this, (Y/N). I owe you one."

Your brother arrived at your apartment at precisely 5 pm like he said he would, with Jisung already running to your living room and flopping on the couch upon opening the door.

"It's no problem. Jisung's fun to hang out with, and Hoseok likes him too," you could feel your heart soar at mentioning your boyfriend. "He should be here in about an hour once he gets off work. Hopefully, I'll be able to entertain Jwi until then."

"You're better with kids than you think, don't worry too much," Jin playfully ruffles your hair before saying his farewells to his son (who is already preoccupied with your couch cushions).

You wave goodbye to your brother and encourage your nephew to do the same (although the boy is adamant about creating a pillow fort in your living room; Seokjin apparently doesn't often let him in his house).

"Do you have more pillows, Auntie? And maybe blankets too!" Your couch is already naked of cushions, with Jisung sitting on the floor surrounded by the pile he’s accumulated.

You comply with his request and manage to find some spare blankets in the linen closet, along with a couple more pillows.

You follow your nephew's orders of where to place the soft additions on the floor. "What are you planning on doing once we finish this fort, Jwi?"

The boy murmurs, "I was hoping we could play Mario Kart."

You should have expected that answer; it’s one of his favourite things to do on the few occasions he's come over.

Soon enough, your small living room houses a busy arrangement of scattered couch cushions and duvets to make a comfy fort. The four-year-old is nothing less than thrilled about the finished product.

"Auntie, I'm hungry."

You almost forget that you are babysitting, and therefore responsible for feeding the boy.

"Let's go see what food we have in the kitchen," you stand and hold out your hand, which Jisung eagerly takes as the two of you wander into the kitchen. "Has your favourite food changed? Or do you still like pancakes?"

The boy squeezes your hand as he thinks. "I still like pancakes. I also like pizza." He hums in deep consideration, "Maybe I like circle-shaped foods."

You think he's adorable.

"There are a lot of tasty circle-shaped foods, that's a good answer," your eyes scan the interior of your fridge, moving to your cupboards shortly after when you can't find what you are looking for. "I'm sorry, buddy, but it doesn't look like I have the right ingredients for pancakes tonight, though."

Jisung audibly expresses his disappointment.

"Here, let me see if I can call Hobi. Maybe he hasn't left work yet and could kindly pick up some mix on his way." You trek back to the living room to retrieve your phone and find Hoseok's contact.

The line rings once, twice, and a few more times until it goes to voicemail.

It’s unlike Hoseok to not answer his phone, so you try once more.

"Auntie! There's someone at the door."

You must have missed the knocking as you focussed on the dial tone.

Hoseok finally picks up on the line as you make your way to answer the door.

"Special delivery," you hear through the phone and in front of you as you open the door.

You break out into a smile, which only becomes wider as you spot a couple of pizza boxes Hoseok carefully holds with one hand, his other one keeping his phone to his ear.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" You help him with the boxes as you usher him inside your apartment. "Because you always seem to know what I'm going to ask you before I even say anything."

"It's just one of my superpowers, don't you know I can read your mind, (Y/N)-ie?" He makes some silly sound effects as he displays how he can 'read your mind.'

"Pizza!" Jisung calls out upon seeing the cardboard boxes on the counter. "Oh, hi, Hobi!"

"Yeah, you better say hi to me," your boyfriend sweeps your nephew up in a hug and lightly spins around with him. "I'm not just your pizza boy; I'm your favourite uncle too, right?"

Jisung laughs as they spin. "I think you're my only uncle, Hobi."

"Exactly. So I must be your favourite by default then, hm?"

"Ah, stop teasing and go wash your hands. Both of you!"

"Yes, Auntie," both Jisung and Hoseok say, the latter mostly to keep teasing you despite your request.

Dinner is louder than what you are used to. The times where you would eat alone when Hoseok would be working late or simply not over seem like a distant memory as you’re sat between the two boys at the small table, seemingly alternating between bites of pizza and bubbly laughter. Jisung had asked if you all could eat in the living room fort, but you could already picture the tomato sauce stains and spilled crumbs decorating your furniture, so you denied his request and were met with a pout in return. But his pout didn't last for very long once he took a bite of the cheese-adorned food.

Seeing how Hoseok gets along so well with your nephew does something to your heartstrings; how he would listen to Jisung with the utmost attention and not hesitate to give the most perfect response in return. Your boyfriend is clearly gifted with children; you can't contain the smile on your face as you listen to him discuss something about dinosaurs with the toddler.

"I want to be Bowser when we play Mario Kart, Auntie," the boy tugs on your sleeve to pull you from your thoughts. "He's a dinosaur, right, Uncle?"

"Actually, I think he's a turtle," Hoseok considers, "but he does look kind of like a dinosaur, doesn't he?"

Jisung agrees without a second thought, now practically vibrating in his seat from the excitement and anticipation of playing the game. It helps that his tummy is now full of pizza, courtesy of your amazing boyfriend.

It isn't yet 7 o'clock, so you figure the three of you could play for a bit before your nephew has to go to bed. With fingers free from pizza grease, you all pick up the small switch controllers and choose your characters for the Kart racing game. Jisung chooses Bowser like he said he would, while Hoseok opts for Yoshi, and you with a Shy Guy in your favourite colour.

You are aware that Seokjin also has this game at his house—your brother was ecstatic when he learned his son also likes to play video games—but you couldn't have expected Jisung to be that well-practiced for a four-year-old. You knew you could beat Hobi at the game, you have many times before, and this evening was no different, but your nephew is unexpectedly your biggest competition.

An hour and a half quickly passes by with the sounds of competitive shouts and the in-game noises of Hoseok's character falling off the map too many times to count. You love Hobi, but certainly not for his Mario Kart skills. Sure enough, it is time to get Jisung ready for bed. You collect the overnight bag your brother left at the door, moving to the bathroom to help the boy get changed into his pyjamas and brush his teeth (in the other room, you hear Hoseok start another race so he could practice by himself).

After only minimal fussing, you manage to get Jisung tucked in the bed residing in the small room doubling as your office and a guest bedroom. Even though it’s only a twin-sized bed, the boy has plenty of room to be comfortable during the night.

"You know where to find us if you need anything, okay, Jwi?" You are now by the door saying your final goodnights to your nephew with Hoseok beside you after shutting the game off. "I'll also leave a nightlight in the hallway so it won't be completely dark."

"Thank you, Auntie (Y/N), goodnight. Goodnight, Hobi." Jisung waves at the two of you after yawning with a wide mouth.

You and your boyfriend wish a final goodnight before you close the door until it is only slightly propped open.

Hoseok takes your hand as you leave the short hallway and find yourselves back in the living room. You are finally pulled into a warm hug.

"Should we clean this up tonight?" Hobi whispers into your hair as he embraces you.

You relax in his hold, also keeping your voice low when you say, "No, Jwi will probably want to sit in his fort again tomorrow morning before Jin picks him up."

You feel a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

"Okay," Hoseok begins playing with the ends of your hair. "Why am I so tired too? It's only 8:30."

"There's nothing wrong with going to bed early." You turn your head so you can see Hobi's pretty face, "Who knows what time that kid will wake us up in the morning. Jin said he's still an early riser."

That is all the motivation Hoseok needs to take your hand once more and lead you to the bathroom so you could also get ready to go to sleep.

"Hey, Hoseok?" you whisper in the darkened room, feeling for his hand beneath the covers.

"Yeah?" he hums back.

"How did you get to be so good with children?"

There is silence as your boyfriend thinks, then claims, "It's funny that you say that because I don't think I'm particularly good with kids." He stops once more, thumbing the back of your hand. "All I do is make sure I listen to them properly and treat them well. I don't think it's anything special."

You move closer to Hoseok, finding a safe place in his side. "I think it's special. I've seen you before with other kids too, not just with Jisung, and it's the same thing. They just seem to like you." You run your fingers upwards on his arm until you reach the side of his face. "You're very likeable, Hobi."

With your thumb grazing over Hoseok's cheek, you lean in to give him a kiss against his soft lips. He tastes of peppermint from your toothpaste but smells familiar, like home.

"You're very lovable, (Y/N)," he replies, mirroring a hand on the back of your head. Although you can't see his face in the darkness, you can hear the smile in his voice. "I love you."

"I love you too."

You and Hoseok unexpectedly succeed at falling asleep at around 9 pm. Yet, you aren't sure for how long you manage to sleep as you are awoken by Jisung, who has appeared on your side of the bed.

"Auntie?"

Jisung's voice is quiet. He feels bad for waking you up, but he keeps your sentiment in his mind about coming to you if he needs anything during the night.

Hoseok is the first to wake at the sound of sniffles. He reaches over to turn on the dim table lamp, only to find the toddler with tear-stained cheeks and tightly clutching his favourite stuffed whale plushie.

You stir from the sudden introduction of light and sit up, becoming immediately concerned at Jisung next to you.

"Hey, come here," you coo, helping the boy get situated between you and your boyfriend in your bed. "What's wrong, Jwi?"

The boy sniffles a few more times before saying, "I h-had a bad dream."

Hoseok had already moved around him, now taking a tissue to help dry his face before rubbing soothing circles on his back. Jisung moves to sit slightly closer to Hobi, leaning into his touch.

"Do you want to talk about it?" your boyfriend asks, his voice is nothing but gentle.

Jisung nods, "There were monsters. Big monsters with spikes. They looked scary." He squeezes the plush whale, "They were chasing me, but I wasn't fast enough."

Hoseok nods as he listens carefully, gently swaying as he rocks the boy to calm him down.

"Would you feel safer if you stayed here?" you offer. "I promise you no monsters can get in this room."

Jisung accepts with a quiet "Please," and begins to settle beneath the covers.

It doesn't take much for the toddler to relax; Hoseok is humming some tune barely audible to you as you stroke the top of his head softly.

Hobi becomes silent when the sound of Jisung's breathing steadies out, and his grip on the whale loosens.

Despite your tiredness from your interrupted sleep, you remain in that position watching your nephew as his chest rises and falls. His small nostrils on his round nose flaring every once in a while.

And as you watch the boy, Hoseok watches you.

He admires your beauty—an obvious quality, but something to admire nonetheless—and the way your touches are so delicate. You have expressed your doubts about being good with children in the past, but all Hoseok can see now is how caring you are as you make sure Jisung is properly asleep and feeling better.

"Hey, (Y/N)?" Hoseok whispers, "What kind of future do you think we'll have?"

You direct your gaze to your boyfriend and nearly melt at the way he is looking at you so fondly.

"What kind of future do you think we'll have?" you smile and repeat the question to him, suspecting that he already has an answer.

Hobi beams. "I can picture us in a similar situation down the road, except maybe it's our own child between us." He carefully fixes the blanket ever-so-slightly so that Jisung is fully covered. "I can picture us in our own house one day after we're married. It'll have a nice kitchen with plenty of room for slow dances at midnight and a big bathtub in the ensuite that I know you'll use plenty." He gently tucks some hair behind the toddler's ear. "I can picture us growing old together." His gaze once again meets yours. "That's the kind of future I want to have. Anything is optional, except for you. You're the only requirement I ask for, my love."

You want to squish into Hoseok's embrace once more, but you refrain yourself from moving at the dispense of Jisung's newfound peace.

Instead, you whisper back with glassy eyes, "The only kind of future I want is with you, Hobi."

Your boyfriend glows at your words and warms your heart with his dimple-clad smile.

Down the road, you would, in fact, end up engaged to Hoseok one day, and soon after to be married as well. Your house wouldn't have a bathtub in the ensuite, but the kitchen would have plenty of room, and your husband would ensure that he twirls you around like the royalty he sees you as.

One day, you would find yourself with a daughter of your own and catching Hoseok brushing her hair as she gets ready for her first day of kindergarten. She would be so happy with the little ribbon he tied in her hair and would run to your arms to show you.

One day, you would find yourself going grey with Hoseok still next to you; the same Hoseok who would kiss you silly to wake you up on the morning of your birthday, the same Hoseok who would insist on paying for your dinner every time he'd request a date night.

The same Hoseok who would tell you "I love you" in the most gentle tone of voice, never failing to make your heart soar at his words.

One day.

But now, you remain here, in your small apartment with no ensuite nor a large kitchen. You're here, laying next to your beautiful boyfriend with your nephew between your bodies. Both boys are fast asleep, yet you remain awake and thinking about what kind of future you'll have.

What kind of future will you have?

You're open to anything as long as it contains Hoseok.

Yes, one day. ••

[plutoisaplanet16]

21 Reasons to Love Someone

(Damien Haas x reader)

#1. Their Smile 

Word count: 1,644

Warnings: none (SFW)

Buy me a coffee

Two words: Defy Media.

     At first excitement coursed Damien’s being as he thought about the prospect of having a job where he could sit around and play games all day. However, it did not take him long to feel the same way everybody else in the office did. You knew the pressure took a toll on him when the first thing he did after work was sleep. Damien’s personality shined through on camera, but being the entertaining ball of sunshine for so many videos each day overwhelmed him. When he came home he would say a mindless “hello y/n” and perhaps jokingly say “hello my baby geese” to Freyja and Zelda, but after that he would close the door to the bedroom and plop down on the bed. Sometimes he wouldn’t even bother to take his shoes off. Usually you would just leave him alone for a couple hours until you finished making dinner or the postmate had arrived.

“How was work?” you would ask as you handed him his meal.

He would always tell you, “It was good, but I won’t go into detail. Too much happened today; I’ll probably miss something if I try to tell you.”

     Damien would always laugh it off and pretend like it was nothing, but you knew better than to buy into his nightly act. After nearly a year and half of dating, you knew what Damien did when something bothered him. Comedy was his coping mechanism, but after the bright laughter ceased, his face fell into a blank expression: the sparkle in his eyes dulled, his normally rosy complexion seemingly drained in an instant, and lastly, silence filled the room. It was quite frankly the most bizarre phenomenon to behold. All you wanted to do was grab his soft face and kiss his forehead to try and convince him that everything would work out, but this wasn’t a fanfiction or a cheesy romantic comedy. People are more complicated than that.

     So that’s how you ended up awake at 3:17 a.m. scouring the internet for Harry Potter house robe cat costumes. Your dry eyes and blurry vision did not deter you from finding that one Esty shop that would grant you wish. Was each costume going to be $45 plus shipping? Yes. But did that stop you? No. This was a mission of love, and for Damien, you would go any distance to see that adorable goober genuinely smile.You were just about to place the order when Damien’s arm pulled you closer into his chest as he looked over your shoulder. Without thinking, you stupidly threw your phone across the room. Luckily it landed in a soft, plushy chair in the corner of the room. 

“Y/n, what was that about?” Damien shook his head. 

You struggled to find an answer, “Um...uh...”

“Do I even want to know?” he chuckled, “As long as it’s not Tinder I don’t care enough to lose any more sleep.”

“I would never cheat on you!” you exclaimed.

He sleepily mumbled, “I know. I’m too sexy.”

     You laughed to yourself as you left the bed to go retrieve your hopefully-not-cracked-phone. You quickly placed the order and crawled back into bed. It was rare that Damien ever complimented himself like that. It reminded you of the Damien you knew before Defy... the Damien who ruffled his hair and smoldered at the camera for a selfie. It was so nice to hear Damien still have his moments of confidence. It gave you hope that your plan would actually work.

5:15 pm. It was almost time.

     You had just finished making dinner, and you rushed to set the table neatly. To be honest, what you made shouldn’t even really be considered dinner because it was more or less a buffet of different movie food such as: M&Ms, twizzlers, chips and homemade dip, tiny sandwiches, and of course popcorn. You arranged them into a deliciously looking spread in the finest plastic bowls the dollar store had to offer. (Neither one of you would really want to do dishes anyway.) Once it looked perfect you turned towards the living room to hunt down Freyja and Zelda. You had the costumes neatly folded on the top of the  grey, cloth couch. Luckily Freyja was napping on the cushion below them; you petted her gently and unfolded her Ravenclaw house robes. She yawned and stretched right as you were about to wake her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she sniffed the robe. Freyja backed away and her big, glossy eyes moved back and forth between you and the costume.

“It’s for Daddy, okay? Work with me here, please Freyja.”

     She meowed back like she understood, and from then on she was compliant. Next, you had to hunt down Zelda. It honestly amazed you how well that chonky cat could hide. You called out her name for what felt like forever until you yelled that Damien would be home soon. A small meow came from underneath the couch.

“Just what am I to you guys?”

Zelda came out and before she even knew what was happening, you squeezed her into her Hufflepuff robes, “Finally.” 

      Everything was almost perfect; the last thing you had to do was put on your own house robes and get all eight Harry Potter movies out of storage. Sure you would never be able to finish them all in one night, but both of you would give it a valiant attempt. Digging the movies out of the bin would prove to be a challenge because both of you were giant nerds that for some reason decided to just throw all your nerdiness into several boxes and NOT label them. In the fourth of six boxes is where you found the first three movies, and the rest were at the bottom of the fifth box. You decided that after all this was over you and Damien were sure to be doing some serious decluttering for the next week or so. Meanwhile, you had to go light some spooky looking candles, somehow avoid going ahead and digging into the scrumptious food, and put the first DVD in the console. 

     As the first movie finally loaded, Damien unlocked the door and walked in, “It smells like a theatre in here. What happ-”

     He stopped dead in his tracks when saw you with the Sorting Hat on your head and your Harry Potter robes. His face was full of wonder and confusion as he took a couple seconds to slowly look around and examine his surroundings. He giggled at the spooky yet romantic lighting as well as Hedwig’s Theme rattling the walls of the apartment. You hoped you two wouldn’t get noise complaints...again. Damien walked closer towards you, but soon Freyja and Zelda ambushed him by rubbing themselves up against his legs.

He looked down in disbelief, “Freyja...Zelda? Y/n?”

“I’m glad you know all our names,” you teased.

“What is all this? Their costumes? The candles? The food? Harry Potter?” he sat down on the floor next to you.

“Listen Damien, I know something has been up with you these past couple of weeks. I know you love Smosh and your job, and it doesn’t make sense to me why you would be hiding how you really feel from me,” you said.

“Y/n,” he sighed, “It’s complicated, okay? Half the time I don’t even know what’s going through my head when it comes to talking about my day. You are right. I love my job, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, I’m having a tough time right now. There are a lot of videos we film in one day, and for someone like me it can easily become too much. The biggest issue is our parent company itself never listening to us; it is so frustrating. I don’t like spreading that kind of negativity so I shove it away, but it seems it has still affected you. It’s hard for me to talk about, and honestly, I just want to figure it out on my own. I don't want to bring you down with me.”

You were kind of hurt that he didn’t feel comfortable telling you everything but you had to respect him, “It’s okay Damien. I won’t push you, but please let me in on some things. I hate sitting here watching you be miserable not being able do a single thing about it. I want to help you, and that’s why I did all this. Sometimes you walk in here, and it’s like I don’t even know who I am looking at. I believe you will find your footing at Smosh, and everyone will soon adore you. I know it didn’t take me long to fall in love with you.”

Damien blushed, “Oh really?”

     He smiled. He actually smiled. It was a complete 100% authentic goofy Damien smile that spread from ear to ear. He felt happiness deep down inside because of you, and that is all you could ever ask for. Being the ooey-gooey romantic person you are, you threw yourself onto him and gave him a big kiss on the forehead. No, that kiss wouldn’t really fix much, but it made both of your hearts melt. When you pulled away you looked at his face again; he was still smiling, but it wasn’t the same as it was a moment ago. Instead of bright and bubbly, it was a small adoring grin. His eyes bore into yours, and it was like everything else around you two disappeared. 

“Y/n?” he asked.

You answered, “Yes?”

He pulled you into his chest and tightly wrapped his arms around you. His soft heartbeat became like white nose to you, “How come you fell in love with me so fast?”

You pulled away from him and kissed his lips, “How could I not with that smile of yours?”

---------------

Hello! This is my first Smosh fanfiction I have ever wrote. I’m not new to the fanfiction writing world. I’ve had two wattpad accounts and even wrote on a BTS fan app for a while. I dropped this hobby of mine to focus on my senior year of high school. Recently though I have come back to writing due to being stuck in the house and my school year being pretty much over. I decided to start this prompt series because I was bored and itching to write something again. I hope you all have enjoyed this short imagine. It is part one of a twenty-one part prompt list that I have made up myself.

This specific list will, for now, only include past and present Smosh members, but if you would like to see any of these prompts for other fictional characters or  real people please let me know in my inbox! I have no requests, and I would certainly love some. Thank you all for reading this! 

[thisguyatthemovies]

Four for the price of one

“The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (on disc/streaming Aug. 13, 2019; rated R; directed by Joe Talbot; run time 2 hours) is a cinematic love letter to San Francisco, one full of postcard-worthy imagery and tender moments but also one that questions what the City by the Bay has become. The story follows friends Jimmie Fails (as a version of himself) and Jonathan Majors (as Mont). They are adult black males, underemployed but clinging to big dreams. Mont is a sweet, odd man who is an artist and wants to be a playwright. Jimmie is pensive and sensitive. And he is homeless, sleeping on the floor next to Mont’s bed in the home of Mont’s grandfather (Danny Glover). Jimmie and Mont often wheel around town on Jimmie’s skateboard. Jimmie has a fascination for an old Victorian home in the Filmore part of the city, a neighborhood once predominantly black but one now that has been revamped through gentrification. Without the owners’ permission, Jimmie starts fixing up the house. When it becomes vacant, he and Mont move in and plan to get the property through squatting. Their plan is foiled, though, by an aggressive real-estate agent who wants to sell the $4 million home – a price Jimmie can’t possibly afford. While “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” is a story about gentrification (the black population in the city has fallen from about 15 percent in the 1970s to 5 percent today, and a one-bedroom apartment can cost more than $4,000 a month in previously blighted areas of the city), but it makes its social commentary subtly and uniquely (but offers no answers), and through the friendship between Jimmie and Mort. A sort of Greek chorus of young men who hang out on the street ruthlessly insult each other and Jimmie and Mort, and they and others sometimes let the two know they aren’t as “black” or “masculine” as young black men are traditionally expected to be. Fails and Majors are excellent even when they aren’t saying much with words. First-time feature director Joe Talbot (a childhood friend of Fails) fills the movie with warm but decidedly urban imagery. The entire movie seems to have been filmed just before dusk on a warm autumn day. “The Last Man in San Francisco” was released to talk of being a Best Picture contender. And it is worthy of the academy’s consideration. Rating: 95 out of 100.

“Ready or Not” (in theaters Aug. 21, 2019; rated R; directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett; run time 1 hour, 35 minutes) is a horror story (and a gruesome one at that) that also is a thinly disguised condemnation of old wealth. It stars Samara Weaving as Grace, a young woman who is about to marry into money. That money belongs to the Le Domas family, who inherited their riches from a relative who made his fortune through board games – and apparently made a deal with the devil in the process. After she marries black sheep Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), the family informs Grace she must participate in a Le Domas wedding night tradition. Grace and her new in-laws will play a game randomly chosen from a stack of cards. When Grace draws a hide-and-seek card, she laughs it off. But soon she realizes the game is deadly. Grace must stay hidden from her armed pursuers in the darkly lit family mansion (candles everywhere despite the film being set in the present day) until dawn the next day. If she survives, terrible things will happen to the Le Domas family. “Ready or Not” is brutal in its violence but also aspires to be a dark comedy, and in the end it does both better than average, but not a lot better than average. It seems to work best as an action/suspense film when the family is chasing Grace. The black comedy has its moments, but the laughs are sporadic and the dialogue annoying (and full of F-bombs). Also grating are some of the characters, particularly Alex’s Aunt Helene (Nicky Guardagni), who glares at Grace throughout and looks ridiculous in swept-back hair and too much eyeliner (there are many smoky eyes throughout). Weaving is the film’s strong suit, but she delivers a ridiculous one-word last line, one that simultaneously goes for a cheap laugh and groans. “Ready or Not” is bloodier and more contemporary but mines much of the same territory as last year’s “The Favourite.” Both want us to know that the wealthy are weird at best and dangerous at worst. Rating: 74 out of 100.

“Overcomer” (in theaters Aug. 23, 2019; rated PG; directed by Alex Kendrick; run time 1 hour, 55 minutes) is a movie with a message, one it doesn’t reveal (though a few hints are apparent) until about a third of the way through. And then it hammers home that message time and time again. “Overcomer” is a faith-based film directed by Alex Kendrick and co-written by him and his brother, Stephen Kendrick, who have made a series of Christian dramas that are produced inexpensively but do moderately well at the box office. Alex Kendrick also stars as John Harrison, a basketball coach at a Christian high school. The city where it is located is experiencing hard times. When the largest employer shuts down, Harrison’s best players start moving away and the school starts cutting jobs. The principal (Priscilla Shirer) assigns Harrison the school’s cross-country team. But just one runner, Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright-Thompson), a sophomore move-in with asthma and a penchant for small-time theft, tries out. Harrison is trying to come to grips with his situation when he, by chance, meets a hospitalized middle-aged man (Cameron Arnett) who just happens to be a former cross-country runner and expert on the sport. When Harrison seeks his help, he gets more than he bargained for. At this point in the story, “Overcomer” shifts from a potential teen sports drama to an all-out story of faith. Much of the dialogue in the second two-thirds is praying or talking about praying (and much crying), and Hannah finds the Lord with the help of her principal. The climactic scene takes place at the state cross-country finals. And since we only get to know one of the many runners, and since she is the only one who we are certain has found Christ, guess who wins the state championship? “Overcomer” is predictable and full of many plot conveniences, and the acting, to put it kindly, is not major motion picture caliber. But it is a nice enough film. And if you are in the choir it preaches to, the message will mean much more than the way it is delivered. Rating: 35 out 100.

“Suspiria” (2018; rated R; directed by Luca Guadagnino; run time 2 hours, 32 minutes) is a film that is not for everyone. And when I say not for everyone, I mean it’s a film not for many people at all. But if you are into artsy, pretentious (to say the least), macabre stories about witchcraft and the ritualistic mutilation of human bodies set against a backdrop of a 1970s German dance troupe, this is the movie you’ve been waiting for. “Suspiria” is a reboot (not really a remake) of director Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic of the same name. In this version, Susan (Dakota Johnson) is a young American dancer who comes to Berlin in the 1970s to study at a prestigious dance academy, Markos Tanzgruppen. Something is amiss from the get-go, as Susan is replacing a dancer who left the academy under mysterious circumstances. A power struggle is taking place among the academy’s leadership, but for now it is being run by Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). She becomes enamored with Susan, whose talent is immediately apparent. But Madame Blanc has more in mind for Susan than her becoming the academy’s star dancer. In the meantime, an elderly, grieving psychotherapist, Dr. Josef Klemperer (played by “Lutz Ebersdorf”), is treating the displaced dancer, Patricia Hingle (Chloe Grace Moretz), who is convinced the academy is being run by a cloven of witches. Soon, other dancers are meeting Patricia’s fate. What lies ahead for Susan? “Suspiria” might be the darkest movie you see, literally. The lighting budget could not have been more than a few dollars; some of the scenes are so dark as to make it difficult or impossible to tell what is going on. The Berlin setting is bleak; apparently it was never not raining in 1970s Berlin. Swinton is fantastic, of course, playing three roles, including a man. But much of “Suspiria” will be lost (or worse) on your average movie-goer. The audio alone is disturbing, with the crystal-clear sounds of breaking bones, much heavy breathing and grunting, and a wonderfully and fittingly strange-but-beautiful score by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. And there will be blood. And guts. And lots of them. If you can stomach it, and if you don’t mind a film that seems to jump the rails but keep plowing ahead (sometimes into unintentionally funny territory) about the two-hour mark, “Supspiria” can be rewarding and mesmerizing. Everyone else should take a pass, though. Rating: 78 out of 100.

[ravenmorganleigh]

Saturday 2 December 2017 10.42 ESTLast modified on Saturday 2 December 2017 11.02 EST

Millions of Americans are wrestling with the impossibility of a traditional middle-class existence. In homes across the country, kitchen tables are strewn with unpaid bills. Lights burn late into the night. The same calculations get performed again and again, through exhaustion and sometimes tears.

Wages minus grocery receipts. Minus medical bills. Minus credit card debt. Minus utility fees. Minus student loan and car payments. Minus the biggest expense of all: rent.

In the widening gap between credits and debits hangs a question: which bits of this life are you willing to give up, so you can keep on living?

During three years of research for my book, Nomadland: Surviving America in The Twenty-First Century, I spent time with hundreds of people who had arrived at the same answer. They gave up traditional housing and moved into “wheel estate”: RVs, travel trailers, vans, pickup campers, even a salvaged Prius and other sedans. For many, sacrificing some material comforts had allowed them to survive, while reclaiming a small measure of freedom and autonomy. But that didn’t mean life on the road was easy.

My first encounter with one group of the new nomads came in 2013, at the Desert Rose RV park in Fernley, Nevada. It was populated by members of the “precariat”: temporary laborers doing short-term jobs in exchange for low wages. Its citizens were full-time wanderers who dwelled in RVs and other vehicles, though at least one guy had only a tent to live in. Many were in their 60s and 70s, approaching or well into traditional retirement age. Most could not afford to stop working – or pay the rent.

Since 2009, the year after the housing crash, groups of such workers had migrated each fall to the mobile home parks surrounding Fernley. Most had traveled hundreds of miles – and undergone the routine indignities of criminal background checks and pee-in-a-cup drug tests – for the chance to earn $11.50 an hour plus overtime at temporary warehouse jobs. They planned to stay through early winter, despite the fact that most of their homes on wheels weren’t designed to support life in subzero temperatures.

Their employer was Amazon.

Amazon recruited these workers as part of a program it calls CamperForce: a labor unit made up of nomads who work as seasonal employees at several of its warehouses, which the company calls “fulfillment centers”.

Along with thousands of traditional temps, they’re hired to meet the heavy shipping demands of “peak season” – the consumer bonanza that spans the three to four months before Christmas.

While other employers also seek out this nomadic workforce – the available jobs range from campground maintenance to selling Christmas trees and running amusement park rides – Amazon has been the most aggressive recruiter. “

Jeff Bezos has predicted that, by the year 2020, one out of every four work-campers – the RV- and vehicle-dwellers who travel the country for temporary work – in the United States will have worked for Amazon,” read one slide in a presentation for new hires.

The ranks of American itinerants started to boom after the housing collapse and have kept growing--

Amazon doesn’t disclose precise staffing numbers to the press, but when I casually asked a CamperForce manager at an Amazon recruiting booth in Arizona about the size of the program, her estimate was some 1,400 workers.

The workers’ shifts last 10 hours or longer, during which some walk more than 15 miles on concrete floors, stooping, squatting, reaching, and climbing stairs as they scan, sort, and box merchandise. When the holiday rush ends, Amazon no longer needs CamperForce and terminates the program’s workers. They drive away in what managers cheerfully call a “taillight parade”.

The first member of CamperForce I corresponded with at great length, over a period of months, was a man I’ll call Don Wheeler. Don had spent the last two years of his main career as a software executive, traveling to Hong Kong, Paris, Sydney and Tel Aviv.

Retiring in 2002 meant he could finally stay in one place: the 1930s’ Spanish colonial revival house he shared with his wife in Berkeley, California. It also gave him time to indulge a lifelong obsession with fast cars. He bought a red-and-white Mini Cooper S and souped it up to 210 horsepower, practicing until he was named third overall in the US Touring Car Championship pro series.

The fast times didn’t last.

When I started exchanging emails with Don, he was 69, divorced, and staying at the Desert Rose RV park near the warehouse in Fernley. His wife had gotten to keep the house. The 2008 market crash had vaporized his savings. He had been forced to sell the Mini Cooper. In his old life, he’d spent about $100,000 a year. In his new one, he learned to get by on as little as $75 a week.

By the end of the 2013 holiday season, Don anticipated he’d be working at the Amazon warehouse five nights a week until just before dawn, on overtime shifts lasting 12 hours, with 30 minutes off for lunch and two 15-minute breaks. He’d spend most of the time on his feet, receiving and scanning inbound freight. “It’s hard work, but the money’s good,” he explained.

Don told me that he was part of a growing phenomenon. He and most of the CamperForce – along with a broader spectrum of itinerant laborers – called themselves “workampers”. Though I’d already stumbled across that word, I’d never heard anyone define it with as much flair as Don. He wrote in a Facebook direct message to me:

Workampers are modern mobile travelers who take temporary jobs around the US in exchange for a free campsite – usually including power, water and sewer connections – and perhaps a stipend. You may think that workamping is a modern phenomenon, but we come from a long, long tradition.

We followed the Roman legions, sharpening swords and repairing armor. We roamed the new cities of America, fixing clocks and machines, repairing cookware, building stone walls for a penny a foot and all the hard cider we could drink.

We followed the emigration west in our wagons with our tools and skills, sharpening knives, fixing anything that was broken, helping clear the land, roof the cabin, plow the fields and bring in the harvest for a meal and pocket money, then moving on to the next job.

Our forebears are the tinkers. We have upgraded the tinker’s wagon to a comfortable motor coach or fifth-wheel trailer.

Mostly retired now, we have added to our repertoire the skills of a lifetime in business. We can help run your shop, handle the front or back of the house, drive your trucks and forklifts, pick and pack your goods for shipment, fix your machines, coddle your computers and networks, work your beet harvest, landscape your grounds or clean your bathrooms.

We are the techno-tinkers.

Other workampers I spoke with had their own ways of describing themselves. Many said they were “retired”, even if they anticipated working well into their 70s or 80s. Others called themselves “travelers”, “nomads”, “rubber tramps”, or, wryly, “gypsies”.

Outside observers gave them other nicknames, from “the Okies of the Great Recession” to “American refugees”, “the affluent homeless”, even “modern-day fruit tramps”.

There’s no clear count of how many people live nomadically in America. Full-time travelers are a demographer’s nightmare. Statistically they blend in with the rest of the population, since the law requires them to maintain fixed – in other words, fake – addresses.

Despite a lack of hard numbers, anecdotal evidence suggests the ranks of American itinerants started to boom after the housing collapse and have kept growing.

The cause of the unmanageable household math that drives some people to become nomads is no secret.

Federal minimum wage is stalled at $7.25 an hour. The cost of shelter continues to climb. There are now only a dozen counties and one metro area where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a one-bedroom apartment at fair market rent.

At the same time, the top 1% now makes 81 times more than those in the bottom half do, when you compare average earnings. For American adults on the lower half of the income ladder – some 117 million of them – earnings haven’t changed since the 1970s.

This is not a wage gap – it’s a chasm.

The most widely accepted measure for calculating income inequality is a century-old formula called the Gini coefficient. What it reveals is startling. Today the United States has the most unequal society of all developed nations. America’s level of inequality is comparable to that of Russia, China, Argentina and the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo.

And a bad as that economic situation is now, it’s likely to get worse. That makes me wonder: what further contortions of the social order will appear in years to come? How many people will get crushed by the system? How many will find a way to escape it?

Despite mounting pressures – including a nationwide crackdown on vehicle-dwelling – America’s modern-day nomads show great resilience. But how much of that toughness should our culture require for basic membership? And when do all the impossible choices start to tear people – a society – apart? The growing ranks of folks living on the road suggest the answer might be: much sooner than we think.

Excerpted from Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder. © 2017 by Jessica Bruder. Used with permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

[abqhouseholdservices]

Moving Company Albuquerque Rio Rancho Movers Moving Labor Services in Albuquerque Rio Rancho NM | ABQ Household Services

More information is at: http://www.serviceabq.com/moving.html

Movers Albuquerque Rio Rancho: Looking for a moving company near me Albuquerque Rio Rancho? Welcome to ABQ Household Services - your source for affordable home moving, moving labor, house moving, apartment movers, furniture assembly & packing & unpacking furniture arrangement. Call today! An experienced and fully-insured Albuquerque Rio Rancho moving company, we move residential and commercial, local or long-distance

 MOVING COMPANY ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

ABQ Household Services in Albuquerque Rio Rancho New Mexico

Welcome to the ABQ Household Services website. We’re an Albuquerque Rio Rancho moving company that’s committed to honest work and being involved in our community. We know that moving is stressful, so our company has spent more than 20 years learning how to make relocating easier for you. Our services range from residential to commercial, local to long-distance. We’re experts at moving specialty items and we offer moving supplies for sale at our office. If it’s moving-related, chances are we do it. Call, email, or fill out a short form to speak to one of our moving experts right away. Or, if you’d like to get to know a little more about your local Albuquerque Rio Rancho movers, check out our store’s blog or connect with ABQ Household Services on Facebook.

 COMMERCIAL MOVING ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

Our business? Moving your business. We’ll help you relocate with as few interruptions to your operations as possible.

COMMERCIAL MOVING SERVICES ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

We’re in the Business of Moving Businesses

Not only do we know a lot about moving, we know what it means to run a business. Combine those two passions, and you’ve got a professional moving company that has the experience and attention to detail that’s necessary for a successful commercial move.

COMMERCIAL MOVING IS AN ART

There are many logistics to consider when moving a business or an office, but the bottom line is always the same: how do you pack up office records, books, desks, computers, and office equipment, transport them all safely to another location, and unpack everything with as little interruption to the day-to-day business operations as possible? The answer is effective communication, planning, and organization.

When you contact your nearest ABQ Household Services location for a commercial moving estimate, we’ll set up a time to meet you at your place of business to do a walk-through with you. We’ll sit down and discuss what needs to happen and in what order, doing our best to accommodate your business’s needs. Talking the entire process through with you or the office manager ensures a detailed plan of action and an organized and efficient office move.

 WE’VE MOVED ALL KINDS OF BUSINESSES:

·        Professional office moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Government organization moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Universities/educational organization moving services Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Medical clinics/health provider office moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Art galleries

·        Restaurant moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Nonprofit organizations

BUT WE DON’T JUST RELOCATE BUSINESSES — OUR COMMERCIAL MOVING SERVICES CAN HELP YOUR COMPANY THROUGH ANY KIND OF TRANSITIONAL PERIOD:

·        Local or Long Distance

·        “In-House” Shuffle

·        Office Pack / Unpack

·        Warehouse Services

·        Commercial Storage Services

·        Boxes & Supplies

Ready to get your business moving? Find your nearest ABQ Household Services location and start the free quote process for your next office move.

LOCAL MOVING COMPANY ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

Our full-service local moves include packing, loading, furniture assembly, and everything in between.

LOCAL MOVING SERVICES ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

Whether you’re moving two towns away or two houses away, moving locally still takes a ton of work. Luckily, the ABQ Household Services are here to help. We offer full-service moving, which means that we can work with you every step of the way. Maybe you just need us to load and unload, or maybe you want the whole ABQ Household Services package — supplies, packing, furniture assembly, in-home setup…we can take care of every detail! Contact us and we’ll create the perfect moving plan for you and your needs.

Our local moving services include:

·        Storage

·        Packing and unpacking services

·        High-quality packing supplies for sale

·        Piano moving and other specialty items (e.g. hot tubs, gun safes)

·        Loading and unloading (using high-quality furniture moving quilts and materials)

·        Load or unload your rental truck

·        Furniture disassembly and reassembly

·        Moving and setting up items in your new location

·        Full Value Protection (FVP)

·        Free, no-obligation estimates

·        On-time pickup and delivery

Plus… we’re fully insured

Ready to get moving? Find your nearest ABQ Household Services location and start the free quote process.

 LONG DISTANCE MOVING ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

There’s no journey too far for a ABQ Household Services. Our expert long-distance movers are seasoned travelers you can count on.

LONG DISTANCE MOVING SERVICES ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

Moving long distance comes with its own unique set of challenges. Thankfully, we’re total long distance moving experts. Our movers are seasoned travelers that you can count on to move your belongings with care. From coast to coast, we can get you packed, moved, and set up in your new home — there’s no journey too far for a ABQ Household Services! We can even help you find storage solutions or move large specialty items across the country. Whatever you need, the ABQ Household Services are here for you. Contact us and we’ll create a long distance moving plan that’s perfect for you. Get your road trip playlist ready — let’s do this.

Our long distance moving services include:

·        Long-term storage, temporary storage (a.k.a. “holdover”)

·        Packing and unpacking services

·        High-quality packing supplies for sale

·        Piano moving and other specialty items (e.g. hot tubs, gun safes)

·        Loading and unloading (using high-quality furniture moving quilts and materials)

·        Furniture disassembly and reassembly

·        Moving and setting up items in your new location

·        Full Value Protection (FVP)

·        Professional, friendly staff

Ready to get moving? Find your nearest ABQ Household Services location and start the free quote process.

RESIDENTIAL MOVING SERVICES ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

From houses to high-rises, we’ll safely and reliably move your belongings to wherever you call “home.”

RESIDENTIAL MOVING SERVICES ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

“Home” can mean many different things: an efficiency apartment, a 2 bedroom house, a condo on floor 10 of a highrise. But one thing all homes have in common is the way we use them — as a refuge, a sanctuary, and a place we keep the things that are most valuable to us.

 After almost three decades in the business, ABQ Household Services has honed the craft of handling the belongings that make your home more than just a house. Our expert residential movers are safe, reliable, and fully-insured. Not to mention, we’re really good at the fun stuff: carrying couches up several flights of stairs, carefully disassembling and reassembling your vintage baby grand piano, rearranging heavy furniture in your home so as to accommodate the beautiful, 500 lb safe you recently acquired…

Whether your move is local or long distance, let us handle all the details of getting you into your new home. Call today to talk to a trained ABQ Household Services that can walk you through a quote based on our unique pricing system: instead of charging by the hour, we give a detailed quote based on the items you tell us you want moved. At ABQ Household Services, our commitment to you is that all foreseeable costs and fees are transparent and up-front so that you know exactly what you’re paying for before we even get started — quality service with no hidden charges.

ABQ Household Services was established in 2014. Our residential moving expertise includes:

·        Local

·        Long Distance

·        Senior Moving

·        Piano Moving

·        Load / Unload

·        Pack / Unpack

·        In-House Shuffle

·        Storage

·        Boxes & Supplies

·        Junk Removal Services

·        Hauling Services

·        Appliance Removal Services

·        House Cleanout Services

Ready to get moving? Find your nearest ABQ Household Services location and start the free quote process.

Our Moving Services in Albuquerque Rio Rancho

ABQ Household Services is a full-service moving company that provides a broad range of moving services to suit whatever needs you have – commercial or residential, both local and long-distance. One feature that separates us from the rest is the way we price our services: we provide a detailed quote based on what items we move for you. Contact us today and one of our seasoned ABQ Household Services will talk to you – on-site or over the phone – as you walk them through every room of your home or business, listing each of the items that are to be moved. This process ensures that you get the most accurate quote possible and that all foreseeable costs and fees are transparent and up-front so you know exactly what you’re paying for before we even get started. Start your consultation now to get a free moving quote today.

Aside from traditional home and office moves, our 5 years in the business has given us the experience to master the finer details of being full-service movers: taking apart and moving pianos requires not just brute strength, but also the finesse of a skilled craftsman; attending to a neglected storage unit on a sweltering day is not for the faint of heart; moving into an apartment usually means a lot of stairs – we eat stairs for breakfast. When you’re feeling inspired by a certain DIY marathon on TV and need a few professional hands to shuffle heavy furniture due to renovations, we’re your Guys. We can even show up to help load and unload your own moving truck if that’s all you require. Warehouse services, moving boxes and supplies … when we say full-service moving, we mean it. Talk to us about your upcoming move today.

PACKING SERVICES ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO

Leave the Packing to Us

ABQ Household Services’s packing services are simply amazing. Our typical client that packs themselves start the process weeks in advance and spend the last few days living off of paper plates and Chinese take out. Sound like fun? No! Packing yourself is a major drain. You analyze each item as you try to place who gave it to you, the last time you used it, and then…squirrel! You inevitably get distracted and the process gets further dragged out. What if you left your house as it sits right now only to have a pack team show up the day before the move when every single item gets packed, stacked, labeled and ready for transport? Your life just got better.

Home Movers Albuquerque Rio Rancho

Dissassemble, Protect, Pack, Unload, Reassemble, Smile. We make it as easy as that. All at a low cost to you.

Apartments/Condos Movers Albuquerque Rio Rancho

Moving from a 3rd floor to another 3rd floor? Let the hardest working professionals in the business do it for you! Be it the 1st, 3rd, or 35th floor, stairs are no match for our movers. No one is better.

Office Movers

Law offices. Engineering labs. Entire hospital wings. No office is too big, too small, or too complicated. Our efficiency and expertise will get you back to work at your new place in no time.

Smart Albuquerque Rio Rancho Moving Services

Moving is no small undertaking. It is a huge financial and emotional responsibility. Like all things, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. ABQ Household Services has spent a long time learning how to move things the right way. With our vigilant preparation, thorough training, and a compassionate, hardworking attitude, customers can be confident that their valuables are in safe hands. Here is our basic formula for success:

Great Service

At ABQ Household Services, we recognize the wisdom in genuine customer service. People need to know that they can trust the team safeguarding their personal belongings and assets while they’re moved from one place to another. With ABQ Household Services, people have the unique opportunity to get to know their movers prior to the big day. All our movers also have a personal profile available to the public on our website. Options like these afford customers some much needed peace of mind during a big life event like a move.

 Another way we provide exceptional service is by maintaining a reliable and trustworthy reputation. We achieve this is by remaining consistent, punctual, and dependable. We do not waste time – we get the job done.

Top Quality

ABQ Household Services’s employees are not ordinary movers. They are required to have a college degree and undergo extensive training before making the team. Our employees excel in customer service and efficient moving. By the time they finish their training, they are not only educated, they are timely, coordinated, and experienced. ABQ Household Services understands that quality service begins with quality employees.

Flexibility

ABQ Household Services prides itself on meeting the needs of every customer as a part of our commitment to genuine customer service. Here are a few of the ways we like to work with our customers:

Price

ABQ Household Services wants to make moving as swift and hassle-free as possible. One fixed rate saves a lot of time and money for our customers. With no hidden fees, customers are never surprised with additional charges and can plan their expenses accordingly. Movers are only paid for the time they are moving, and only for as long as the customer needs and delegates. A set price on the customer’s timetable keeps things fair and square.

Residential to commercial

ABQ Household Services offers home services as well as commercial and business moves. Part of the reason we spend so much time investing in our workers is to make sure they can handle the stress and expectations of moving on a large-scale.

With so much at stake during a move, ABQ Household Services exceeds traditional moving expectations, putting us at the top of the moving service industry. We are dedicated to making every move a positive experience for our customers. Why? We want you to tell your friends about us and to bring your business back to us in the future.

PROFESSIONAL ALBUQUERQUE RIO RANCHO RESIDENTIAL MOVING

Residential Movers

At ABQ Household Services, we understand how important your move is to you, and we promise to treat your property with as much respect and care as we would our own. Our experienced Albuquerque Rio Rancho residential movers will formulate a moving plan and review every aspect of your move, ensuring your satisfaction and trust. Our goal is to surpass your expectations.

We offer one-day moving service in Albuquerque Rio Rancho, and many other Albuquerque Rio Rancho destinations. To discuss your moving needs in detail with our Albuquerque Rio Rancho, New Mexico movers, please contact us today by calling or click here for a free quote!

 Top-Rated Residential Moving Services in Albuquerque Rio Rancho

Because our Albuquerque Rio Rancho residential movers have an average of nine years of moving experience, we can help you with virtually all of your relocation needs. We have particular experience with:

·        Home Moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Apartment Moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Condo Moving Albuquerque Rio Rancho

·        Retirement Community Moving

·        Student Moving

·        Storage Moving

·        Packing Services

 At ABQ Household Services, we are dedicated to providing quality service at an affordable price. Our conscientious team will work hard to build a comprehensive moving plan and deliver on the date we promise.

Whether you need a truck, a van, or a trailer, we have the equipment and the know-how you need. Our trucks come fully equipped with up to 100 moving blankets, appliance and box dollies, furniture dollies, and all of the necessary straps and tie-down equipment. When necessary, we can shrink-wrap upholstered furniture and we can have marble or glass items crated prior to the move.

Residential Movers Albuquerque Rio Rancho: Unlike other Albuquerque Rio Rancho, New Mexico moving companies, we don’t move multiple clients in one truck. We move one client at a time, and the professionals who load your property are the ones who unload it. We respect your possessions as much as you do – and we are dedicated to showing you how much we care.

Contact Us for Free Quote

If you would like to have an accurate, no-cost estimate from one of our Albuquerque Rio Rancho New Mexico movers, we would like to hear from you. To discuss your particular needs in detail with the specialists of ABQ Household Services, contact us today by calling us.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MOVING SERVICES:

How much does a full service move cost?

Full-service movers cost $25-$50 an hour per mover which includes packing, moving, and unpacking. A typical 4 bedroom house usually takes 2 movers 8-12 hours to pack and at least 10 hours to move, which means you're looking at a minimum cost of $900 for full-service movers (18 hours of labor at $25/hour per mover).

How much does it cost to have movers move you?

Local movers charge around $25 per hour per mover. It should take 3 movers roughly 4 hours to move a 1 bedroom apartment locally, so about $300 for labor only. When moving long distance, the price can jump to around $2000 for an average weight of 3000 lbs.

What is the average cost to move a 3 bedroom house?

If you're moving out-of-state or more than 100 miles away, the average cost to move a 3 bedroom house is $1000/room and $.50 a pound. If you want to move the entire 3 bedroom house, the average cost ranges between $12 and $16 per square foot or $150,000-$200,000.

Is it cheaper to move furniture or buy new?

If you're moving locally, it will be probably better to keep your existing furniture. Local moves are considerably less expensive than long distance moves, so moving your old items to your new home will almost certainly be cheaper than buying new ones.

How much does it cost to have someone pack and move you?

At $25-$50 an hour per mover, you can expect to pay at least $400 additional in hourly costs to pack and unpack your home. The average estimate can differ considerably depending on the size of your home, amount of stuff you need packed, and any special packing material you may need.

Is it worth it to hire movers?

Costs associated with hiring movers

Using a moving company may not be as expensive as you think, and it's worth your time to get an estimate for large or long distance moves. ... Most reputable companies base the cost on the weight of your cargo. Local moves are often charged per hour.

 HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIRE MOVERS?

Let’s face it: the estimated cost to hire movers will help you make all the right decisions during your residential move.

How much do movers charge?

Knowing how much movers charge on average will help you plan your move in the best possible way.

Yes, there are many important things to consider, remember, and keep in mind when moving house but nothing can possibly compare to knowing (in advance!) how much moving companies charge in various move related scenarios.

As it turns out, the cost to hire professional movers will effectively solve the ever-present dilemma of whether you should hire a moving company or do it yourself. The cost of moving depends on a number of important factors, including the type of the move itself – is it a local move or a long distance move?

 As you might suspect, there are specific moving company fees that apply to each one of these types of moves and determine the final cost of movers. And of course, knowing what to expect in advance is definitely a bonus a good start to your moving adventure.

After reading this article, you will have a very good idea about the average moving costs because you will already know the answer to the question, “What is the average cost to hire a mover?”

Don’t have much time? We understand. Feel free to JUMP straight to the topic you’re most interested in:

·        What does it cost to hire movers locally?

·        What are the average costs to hire movers across country?

·        How much does it cost to hire movers for a 1 bedroom apartment?

·        How much does it cost to hire movers for a 2 bedroom apartment?

·        How much does it cost to hire movers for a 3 bedroom house?

·        What’s the price to hire movers to pack for you?

What should you save initially – your money or your health?

What an excellent question!

In most relocation cases, especially when it comes to moving across the country, you will need a moving company to take care of the toughest aspects of your house move.

Specialty items. The necessity for professional moving services will also be dependent on the size of your rooms and the quantity and nature of your household items. For example, if you own too many specialty items – things that are usually very difficult to pack and move (antique furniture, a pool table, a piano, etc.), then it becomes clear that you can’t possibly do it all without the timely assistance of the pros. How are you supposed to move your valuable piano without damaging it or hurting yourself? The self-move risks can be too many to just ignore them.

What does it cost to hire movers?

Experience. Previous experience does matter when moving house! If you haven’t moved before, and you have a 4 bedroom house for instance, you should definitely hire a professional moving company regardless of the distance. Thus, you will save yourself the stress of having to organize all stages of your move, including packing your belongings from each room in labeled boxes, and then – the grueling job of carrying, loading and unloading all the heavyweight boxes and large and heavy furniture. Keep in mind that the overall cost of movers includes handling of all the tough tasks and services that you can’t do on your own under the specific set of circumstances.

Time. Time is a factor that can easily decide things for you. Organizing and executing a local move by yourself is a good option if you can spare the time. Packing up your entire home is the winner when it comes to pre-move preparation but inexperience usually doubles or triples the time needed for other less time-consuming tasks too.

Price. It’s all about the general cost to hire movers, isn’t it? You want to make sure your hard-earned money is well-spent on a top rated moving company. You expect to see professionalism, experience, excellent service, and affordability – exactly what a high quality mover should offer their customers.

SEE ALSO: Hire a moving company or do it yourself?

Affordability! How much does it cost to hire movers for a local move? How much does it cost to hire movers cross for a cross country move? Read on to see example prices!

What’s the cost to hire movers in town?

Local movers charge by the hour, so based on average local moving costs, hiring 2 men and a truck will cost you between $90 and $120 per hour. When moving in town, moving labor only (without the moving truck) will cost about $60 to $80 per hour.

 COST TO HIRE MOVERS IN TOWN

Every single dollar counts regardless of whether you’re organizing a local or cross country move.

Depending on where you live, state and metro area, the rates and the overall local moving cost will vary. You will be charged an hourly rate for the time movers spent working on your move. This hourly rate applies whether the movers are wrapping, loading or driving from point A to point B.

Travel fees may also apply depending on the pickup location. In many cases, this fee could be negotiated between the moving company and the client depending on the travel distance to the customer moving location. You may also be charged for packing materials. Make sure you keep this in mind when you ask them to estimate your moving costs. You can use our local moving cost calculator form on the top of the page as a cost estimator about the entire move.

Of course, the size of your home does matter when calculating the cost of local moving. Taking into account the average charge of around $25 per hour per mover, here are the approximate costs you can expect for your local move:

Moving out of a studio apartment with the help of 2 local movers will cost you around $150-$200 if the entire loading, transportation and unloading operations are complete within 3-4 hours.

Moving out of a 2-bedroom apartment or house (approximately 1000 square feet) will probably cost you between $375 and $450 if 3 local movers complete the local relocation job in 5-6 hours.

If you’re moving out of a 3-bedroom apartment or house (roughly 2000 square feet), expect to pay $800-$900 for a local moving crew of 4 members who manage to finish the local move in about 8-9 hours.

If your home is larger than the above examples, then the moving price can go up significantly. Still, your best option to have a better idea of how much local movers cost is to use the local cost calculation tool we offer so that you can set your moving budget the right way.

Speaking of your moving budget, let’s not forget the additional local moving costs which you should be prepared to pay.

In most cases, be ready to pay an extra $25 for each additional professional helper you hire.

Most local moving companies will gladly offer you the extra service of packing and unpacking your household items. If you decide to take advantage of that offer, expect to be charged between $25 and $35 per hour for the additional service. You won’t need to pay extra for the packing materials as they are usually pre-included in the price.

If you’re happy with the way your local movers handled your relocation, you may as well reward their efforts by offering them an appropriate tip. Tipping is always appreciated and is a good way of saying, “Great job, guys!”. As a rule of thumb, tipping for local moving goes around $5 per mover per hour, or approximately 10-15% of the total moving cost. Of course, you can always tip your local movers more if you’re really satisfied with their job. Just don’t ever commit the rookie mistake of giving the lump sum to one person – instead, hand each crew member their share.

What’s the average cost to hire movers long distance?

The shipment weight, distance to your home and any extra services will form the long distance cost. Expect to pay an average of $0.70 to have 1 pound of household goods moved to a place located 1000 miles away. This approximate price does not include additional services.

How much do movers charge

In order to provide accurate price estimation, top rated movers will do an in-house inspection to calculate the costs and assess the risks.

Yes, long distance costs are calculated by weight or in some rare relocation cases – by cubic foot of the items for transportation. Most cross country moving companies will charge you based on the weight of your shipment and the distance to your new home but will probably charge you for a number of additional services and various fees as well /see below for more information/.

It’s important to know that long distance moves are calculated on a case by case basis because the moving price depends on too many factors. To learn your moving cost beforehand, you need to request an in-house estimate. Then, a company representative will visit your home, assess the move related situation carefully, and then give you a moving estimate. Click here to learn more about moving estimates and namely – which price estimate /binding or non-binding/ you should select in your particular case.

There’s no better way to have your long distance moving costs estimated than to contact a few top rated cross country movers and ask them for on-site estimates. Having a binding estimate will guarantee to some extent that the final long distance moving cost will not exceed the estimated amount. Rule out any moving company that will not give you a visual estimate, and insist on a binding or not to exceed estimate.

CAUTION: Should you happen to receive a price estimate that is way lower than the rest, proceed with caution as that could be a sign of moving fraud. Read how to protect yourself from moving fraud (U.S. Department of Transportation).

Still, take a look at these examples to get an idea about the cost of a cross country move – an approximated value, of course.

 Moving out of a studio apartment (approximate weight of goods: 1800 lbs., distance to new home: 1000 miles) should cost around $1200.

Moving out of a 1 bedroom apartment (approximate weight of goods: 2200-3200 lbs., distance to new home: 1000 miles) should cost around $1500-$2200.

Moving out of 2 bedroom home (approximate weight of goods: 5000-6000 lbs., distance to new home: 1000 miles) should cost around $3500-$4200.

Moving out of a 3 bedroom home (approximate weight of goods: 9000 lbs., distance to new home: 1000 miles) should cost around $6300.

Remember that all these example prices are only approximate. To learn how much you will have to pay for the professional moving services you hire, your best bet is to request on-site surveys from reputable movers that end with the issuance of accurate price estimates.

In summary: How much does it cost to hire professional movers?

Let’s summarize the above-mentioned average moving costs according to the size of your house or apartment so that you get a clearer picture of how much movers cost in your case:

How much does it cost to hire movers for a one bedroom apartment?

Local movers charge around $25 per hour per mover. It should take 3 movers roughly 4 hours to move a 1 bedroom apartment locally, so about $300 for labor only. When moving long distance, the price can jump to around $2000 for an average weight of 3000 lbs.

The price to hire movers

How much will your move cost?

1 bedroom apartments weigh approximately 2200 lbs. to 3200 lbs., but the household items you decide to move out from your 1 bedroom apartment may weigh much less or much more than the specified average weight. To save big from the upcoming transportation costs, you must inventory your entire home and reduce the number of your possessions only to the absolute minimum.

Downsize! Every additional item you choose to take with you will cost you extra money.

What’s the price to hire movers for a two bedroom apartment?

Local moving companies charge around $25 per hour per mover. It should take 3 movers roughly 6 hours to move a 2 bedroom apartment locally, so about $450 for labor alone. When moving long distance, the price can reach around $3500 for an average weight of 5000 lbs.

2 bedroom apartments weigh somewhere between 5000 lbs. to 6000 lbs., but a single specialty items may tilt the scales one way or another (for example, having to move a home spa). To avoid finding yourself with too little time to react accordingly, you must start packing up your home as early in the preparation stage as possible. Start preparing the rooms which are the hardest to sort out and pack (storage areas, kitchen), and then work your way towards the easiest rooms to pack (bathroom, bedroom).

 How much does it cost to hire movers for a 3 bedroom house?

Short distance movers charge around $25 per hour per mover. It should take 4 movers roughly 9 hours to move a 3 bedroom house locally, which is about $900 for labor alone. When moving cross country, the cost can go around $6300 for an average weight of 9000 lbs.

Please note that your belongings may weigh more or less than the above estimates. It’s a good idea to ask the moving company to be present when the moving truck is being weighed on a certified scale. Household goods in 3 bedroom houses can easily amount up to 9000 pounds in weight. As mentioned above, save money by purging your home of any items which you no longer want and will not need in the foreseeable future. If you haven’t used an item in more than a year, then get rid of it right then and there.

If you still can’t find the answer to your “How much does a moving company cost?” question, get your free moving quote now.

You can get your move calculated fast and easy here – use this free moving cost calculator.

Additional Costs When Hiring Local Or Cross Country Movers

It’s really hard to calculate in advance the total relocation cost when you hire a professional moving company for your local or interstate move. And yet, it’s very useful to have a better idea of how your moving budget will be affected by this life-changing event.

Here are the most important additional costs you’re like to incur when you hire a professional mover:

Packing: how much does it cost to hire movers to pack for you?

Local movers charge about $25-$35 per hour for the extra service of packing up your home. For long distance moves, full service movers and packers will quote you a price depending on the size of your home, and the number and nature of the items.

How much does it cost to hire movers to pack for you?

Packing on your own can save you a good amount of money. However, specialty items can easily prove too much for you.

To save money, you are advised to pack whatever you can by yourself or by asking a bunch of good friends to help you out. To save even more money, you should seriously consider finding packing boxes for free and, whenever possible, using alternative materials to packing paper and bubble wrap.

Yes, packing on your own will let you lower the moving costs but make sure you assess the situation properly as specialty items or extra fragile or expensive possessions should be left for experienced professional packers.

Extra fees

Movers are known to charge their customers for a variety of special circumstances that may be presented in a move. For example, if you have many heavy or bulky items for moving, your moving company can charge you extra for their laborious handling.

Also, you are expected to pay a long carry fee if the distance between your front door and the moving truck is greater, or even an elevator fee if your hired laborers are forced to go up and down many flights of stairs due to the lack of an elevator (or a non-operational one). Want to have an extra pick-up along the route to your new home? It’s called an extra stop charge. Need to have your items placed in storage before they are delivered to your new place? Here’s a storage fee for your delayed delivery. Depending on your specific requirements and needs, be mentally and financially ready to pay extra for each additional service you request from your movers.

Moving insurance

Research well your insurance options when getting ready to move out of your home. You will receive basic protection for your household goods the minute you sign your moving contract. The good news is that you don’t have to pay for the so called Basic Limited Liability Protection. The bad news is that its coverage of 60 cents per pound per article is, in most moving instances, simply unacceptable.

Discuss with your mover other reasonable options of protection, including purchasing a genuine moving insurance with their help. Alternatively, you can contact a third party insurance company and arrange a proper insurance for your valuable possessions.

Move-out date

Average cost to hire a moving company

Fancy cutting down your moving costs the way you like it?

Another factor that can great affect your moving budget is the selection of the moving date. How early you book your local or long distance move is important for lowering your moving costs, but timing your reservation right can be hugely beneficial to your relocation budget. During the height of the moving season (May – September, weekends, holidays, first and last days of a month), your moving company can charge you up to 20% more than their standard rates.

Therefore, if you can afford to be choosy about your moving date, avoid the busiest relocation periods mentioned above so that you keep your moving budget from going over the set limit.

Moving is not that fun, but it can be done professionally and without hassle when you hire a moving company. Think about the size of your move and all the other details in order to decide whether you will hire a professional moving company. Budget and time constraints are major factors, however, if you haven’t moved before, think about what’s more valuable for you – your money or your health.

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[litupness]

penny sit-up, two penny hangover & the four penny coffin 

The penny sit-up, rope hang-overs and the four penny coffin were some of the cheapest Victorian era homeless shelters at that time. In these public refuges clients would be allowed to avoid the “moving on” laws of the time, which made it illegal for people to remain vagrantly upon the streets.

For one penny you could just sit on a bench (they were not allowed to lie down and sleep on the bench) in a reasonably warm room all night long.

Those who managed to pay the price of two pennies were able to afford the so-called “two penny hangover”: they couldn’t enter the sleeping quarters but could be allowed to join others to sleep on the shelter’s benches in a room with a rope across it to literally ‘hang-over’ (to achieve a more comfortable position). The pieces of rope were cut early in the morning so that the shelter’s clients would wake up early and leave the premises. 

Best of all and for four pennies you could actually lie in your own wooden coffin crate communally. This practice continued in the first half of the 19th century but died out when government programs started providing beds for the homeless free of charge.

The wooden boxes were close together had a mattress of straw and an oil-skin blanked, possibly as they were easy to hose down with water in the morning. This is one of the first homeless shelters to be created for the people of Blackfriars, in central London. It was operated by the Salvation Army during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century in order to provide comfort and support to its destitute clients. There were more expensive homeless shelters available in London, such as a “four penny coffin“.

At the time this was considered a well-meaning, inexpensive, and compassionate attempt to deal with the relatively new phenomenon of homelessness. By today’s standards, this shelter at Blackfriars would be considered inadequate and callous toward these individuals. However, The Salvation Army believed these shelters provided relief from the harsh London winters

A value on sleep?

Those who could only come up with a single penny were allowed to sit on the shelter’s benches and rest, but they weren’t allowed to sleep and the shelter’s officials monitored the rooms at night to shake any poor folks who closed their eyes and drifted into a troubled slumber.

At the Twopenny Hangover, the lodgers sit in a row on a bench; there is a rope in front of them, and they lean on this as though leaning over a fence. A man, humorously called the valet, cuts the rope at five in the morning. This has been written about by George Orwell in “Down and Out in London and Paris”

‘And pray, Sam, what is the twopenny rope?’ inquired Mr Pickwick. ‘The twopenny rope, sir,’ replied Mr Weller, ‘is just a cheap lodgin’ house, where the beds is twopence a night.’ ‘What do they call a bed a rope for?’ said Mr Pickwick. ‘Bless your innocence, sir, that ain’t it,’ replied Sam. ‘Ven the lady and gen’l’m’n as keeps the hotel first begun business, they used to make the beds on the floor; but this wouldn’t do at no price, ‘cos instead o’ taking a moderate twopenn’orth o’ sleep, the lodgers used to lie there half the day. So now they has two ropes, ’bout six foot apart, and three from the floor, which goes right down the room; and the beds are made of slips of coarse sacking, stretched across ’em.’ ‘Well,’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘Well,’ said Mr. Weller, ‘the adwantage o’ the plan’s hobvious. At six o’clock every mornin’ they let’s go the ropes at one end, and down falls the lodgers. Consequence is, that being thoroughly waked, they get up wery quietly, and walk away!

-Dickens “The Pickwick Papers”

 An innovative system of indoor sleeping pods for homeless people was launched in 2019 at the 999 Club’s night shelter in Deptford.

The interlinking structures provide privacy and added security to those using them as temporary bedrooms in the charity’s emergency shelter.

The pods were designed by architects Reed Watts, who were selected in an open design competition held by the charity Commonweal Housing in 2017.

Prompted by research into the lives of migrant workers living in tent encampments in London, the competition sought to find a deliverable model for reusable, short-term accommodation that could be installed in halls and empty and underused buildings.

The pods stand 2.1 metres high, 2.1m in length and 1.9m wide, are made of 18mm thick, fireproof birch plywood and have privacy partitions with a raised platform for a mattress that acts as both a bed and a seat as well as storage space for personal belongings. Two of the side panels are shared with the adjacent pod, and a curtain on a rail can further close off the personal space at night-time.

The pods have been designed to be practical and affordable to make and easy to assemble with no tools. Reed Watts and Commonweal Housing will release the design on a Creative Commons basis so they can be replicated more widely.

Staying in the pods provided Mark with the freedom to interact with the other hostel guests whilst providing him with his own space. The pods provided him with a sense of security, safely surrounded by his own belongings. Mark further noted that the feeling of having somewhere to return to at the end of the day additionally brought a sense of normality to his life. Mark told Commonweal that this reminder, coupled with the privacy of the pod, had an aspirational impact on him, reinvigorating his sense of worth, whilst providing him with an additional drive to work towards finding more permanent accommodation.

Matt Watts of Reed Watts said: “Having worked with 999 Club, Housing Justice and Commonweal over the past months, we’ve been profoundly inspired by the work they do and the impact that the night shelters can have on the lives of homeless people. By releasing the design as a royalty-free Creative Commons licence we hope to give as many organisations as possible an opportunity to use the pods where there is a need for short-term shelter.”

Ashley Horsey, Chief Executive of Commonweal Housing said: “We are really excited that the 999 Club is going to be using more pods and we’re looking forward to further assessing the impact they have on people using the shelter.

“Without collaboration with shelters like the 999 Club we would not be able to test the pods as a temporary form of accommodation, so we’re grateful to be working with them, and looking forward to seeing the results.” 

Sleep pods in St Leonards 2020 style – £30 per night

Like other towns, Hastings and St.Leonards must adapt to a constantly changing market. We keep hearing how town centres are dying and it is true, the way we buy new shoes, a coat or the latest DVD has changed for the foreseeable future and probably forever. High business rates and contemporary purchasing behaviours make running the type of shopping experience we are used to practically impossible, large department stores are a relic of the past. 

For many years researchers have told us that people no longer visit town centres to shop, most preferring to meet friends there instead for coffee and a cake. We have such a creative community and an important history to make the most of.  If we enrich our past it can become our future We must encourage Hastings Borough Council to recognise this opportunity. With their active support perhaps we can attract the tourist £ back to an area that once enjoyed significantly more activity. 

Art :

‘Coffin Beds and Penny Sleeps ‘: An Exhibition on Victorian Homelessness, 2015 at the Geffrye Museum of the Home in London, draws on paintings, photographs, newspaper reports, diaries, and the scarce personal objects left behind to recover their perspectives.

Four Penny Coffin facts :

“At five-feet-seven long, it isn’t long enough for some people to stretch out full-length in, and the oilcloth sheet and mattress stuffed with straw provide little warmth, so I think to modern eyes it does look and feel rather horribly grim,” Fleming explained. “But some people at the time recorded that it did provide a sense of safety, and did at least allow for a personal sleeping space. Not everyone visiting [the museum] seems that keen to try it out though.”

999 Club Sleeping pod facts : guests said – “It was much better for me to sleep in the pod, rather than the main hall. It’s tidy, private, warm and it was my own space.”

Tim Fallon, Chief Executive of the 999 Club, said: “We are excited about launching these sleeping pods, which are the first of their kind in the capital. They will provide very welcome privacy and a quiet space for people who come to our night shelter at their most vulnerable time.”

Slum Tourism‘ can be found, not just in Brazil, but also India and South Africa, where you can take guided tours to peak into the world of those who call these slums home. In Rio and Sao Paulo these tours are a lucrative commercial business. Trained tour guides, usually led by residents, take you around a pre-planned circuit including stopping off at community centres or schools that have been funded for with the tour profits. You can find Wi-Fi, banks, cafes, shops and places of worship tucked away in the myriad of winding alleyways.

But going on one of these slum tours brings up the question of ethics. Are they just voyeuristic excursions or simply showing a rounded view of the city as a whole? Warts and all?

The Brazilian government keen to clean up their most visited cities before the influx of tourists, according to some, created favela rehabilitation programmes, moving thousands of residents out to rural areas, getting tougher with crimes and placing police units inside to track down gang leaders and drug traffickers. In the last few years, and thanks in part to the cash spent on the 2014 World Cup and the planned 2016 Summer Games, favelas have had a makeover especially in Rio. Many have been upgraded to fuse them back into the inner city, attracting middle classes to move in and live there meaning more tourist friendly bars, restaurants, cafes and guesthouses have opened for business.

Modern slum in India – the only slum adversities independently associated with GHQ score ≥5 are: paying a high price for water (Indian rupees ≥200 per 1000 L), having to sleep sitting up or outside the home due to lack of home space

Rough sleeping 1p, 2p, 4p penny sit-up, two penny hangover & the four penny coffin  The penny sit-up, rope hang-overs and the four penny coffin were some of the cheapest…

[biofunmy]

The Richmond District, San Francisco: An Old Favorite Still Beckons

Andrew and Natasha Sinyaver probably should have hired a real estate agent when they were buying a new home in San Francisco’s Richmond District, but their 12-year-old daughter beat them to it.

The couple, who are originally from Russia, were living in a three-bedroom condo in the Richmond with their three children and 140-pound St. Bernard when their middle daughter declared that she was done sharing a room with her younger sister.

The Sinyavers, who are Jewish, walk to the Richmond Torah Center-Chabad on 10th Avenue every Sabbath morning. One Saturday last summer, as they were walking home, their daughter announced that they would be making a stop at an open house.

“There was no search,” said Ms. Sinyaver, 43, who works as the planning supply manager for a vitamin company. “I really loved our old house and I always told her we’re not moving anywhere.”

But their daughter had been scoping out real estate on the internet and found a four-story, gut-renovated house for sale in the neighborhood. It was modern and light-filled, with a roof deck, ocean views and a wide, fenced backyard. Best of all, it had five bedrooms and six bathrooms, meaning none of the children would have to share.

“We were not looking,” said Mr. Sinyaver, also 43 and the founder and chief executive of iConnect Consulting. “But we walked in and realized we really liked it.” Two weeks later, they were in contract.

The home was listed for $2.995 million. The Sinyavers qualified for a bridge loan, offered $3 million for the house and arrived in August. They sold the condo for $1.9 million a few months later. Their St. Bernard loves the big backyard and the children love having their own spaces, as well as a dedicated first-floor playroom. But the best part, the couple said, is that they were able to stay in their neighborhood in the Outer Richmond, close to the coast.

“We decided a long time ago that the suburbs are not our thing,” Ms. Sinyaver said. “There are quieter parts of San Francisco, but here in the Richmond you see people out at all hours of the day. We prefer it that way.”

For Madhavi Maheshwari, 37, the hunt for a house in the Richmond took a lot longer. She and her husband, Lee, 41, spent six years searching for the perfect home before closing on a five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath house in the neighborhood six months ago.

In those six years they had two children, and their budget increased as they moved up in their careers (she is a strategy director at Salesforce; he helps lead business development at LinkedIn). They wanted several bedrooms; to be within walking distance of restaurants, bars and open space; and they didn’t want to have to do any remodeling. By the end of their search they were renting in nearby Buena Vista Park, which they appreciated for its green spaces and proximity to Golden Gate Park. But they couldn’t find a home within their budget that they loved there.

“We really did not want to compromise on having a yard and having four bedrooms,” said Ms. Maheshwari. “So when you don’t want to compromise on those things, you have to compromise on where you are.”

They focused on the Inner Richmond, which sits east of Park Presidio Boulevard and is packed with more restaurants and shops, offering $3.186 million for an Edwardian rowhouse with a remodeled interior. It ticked all the boxes in terms of budget and size, it was three blocks from the bustling main drag of Clement Street, and best of all, it sat less than a block from Golden Gate Park.

“I had given up hope of ever finding a place in the city,” she said. “So when we found this house, it was like the clouds parted.”

What You’ll Find

The Richmond District is large in terms of San Francisco neighborhoods, sandwiched for 50 blocks between Golden Gate Park and the Presidio national park site, and stretching west from the University of San Francisco to the rugged coastline of the city’s northeast corner.

The Inner Richmond, at its eastern edge, is historically Asian-American, and so rich with Chinese restaurants, shops and businesses that it is often referred to as New Chinatown. To its west, the Outer Richmond offers quieter streets and a more residential feel, although both Geary Boulevard and Balboa Street hum with diverse shops and businesses that pay tribute to the area’s multicultural heritage.

696 FIFTH AVENUE | A two-unit house with two bedrooms, one bath on the first floor, and three bedrooms, one bath on the second floor, built in 1914 on 0.05 aces. is listed at $1.995 million. 415-682-2614Credit…Peter Prato for The New York Times

What You’ll Pay

After a period of increases, home sale prices are relatively flat. Prices are generally higher in the Inner Richmond than the Outer Richmond, sometimes significantly so, and highest along Lake Street, the area that borders the Presidio.

In 2017, 114 homes were sold in the Richmond, at a median home price of $1.65 million, according to the San Francisco Association of Realtors. In 2018, 134 homes were sold in the neighborhood at a median price of $1.8 million. So far in 2019, there have been 122 home sales, at a median price of $2 million.

For renters, studios and one-bedroom apartments run in the $2,000 to $3,000 range; larger units will cost around $4,000 or even $5,000 a month.

The Vibe

Edward Young was born in China before coming to the Richmond from Hong Kong with his parents in 1962. The Fair Housing Act was several years off. At the time, he said, his parents were regularly told by real estate agents that Asian families were not welcome in the Richmond District.

795 EIGHTH AVENUE, No. 201 | A two-bedroom, one-bath condo, built in 1996 on 0.3 acres, is listed at $975,000. 408-483-1391Credit…Peter Prato for The New York Times

“There have been so many changes,” said Mr. Young, 73, a real estate investor and retired electrical engineer who still owns several apartment buildings in the neighborhood. In the early 1960s, the Richmond was populated mainly by Russian, Jewish and Irish-American immigrants; today Asians make up close to half of its residents, according to figures compiled by city-data.com.

The area’s vibrant Asian heritage is on full display along Clement Street, which cuts through the district and in Inner Richmond becomes crowded with shops and restaurants. What it’s not crowded with, though, are tourists.

“Everybody knows about Chinatown in San Francisco, right?” said Heather Stoltz, a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway whose Irish and Norwegian family has had roots in the district since the 1800s. “When you think about where to go for authentic Chinese food or products, it’s either Chinatown or right here.”

678 39th AVENUE | A three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath house, built in 1924 on 0.07 acres, is listed at $1.695 million. 415-656-6779Credit…Peter Prato for The New York Times

Sarah Bacon, 47, who owns a vegan cafe in the neighborhood and manages a local blog, richmondsfblog.com, says the mix of cultures in the Richmond is one of her favorite things about life there. “From both a resident perspective and a restaurant perspective, the Richmond District is very ethnically diverse,” she said. “You can always find something interesting in the Richmond District, but it’s definitely not pretentious. Some areas have really nice real estate, but it has working-class roots and the overall vibe is very down to earth.”

Like all of San Francisco, the Richmond faces a housing shortage, Ms. Stoltz said. Over the past decade, prices have risen and new residents — many of whom work in San Francisco’s tech industry — have begun moving in.

When asked if he was worried about the neighborhood losing its historically Chinese character, Mr. Young pointed out that most Chinese residents own their homes rather than rent.

588 41ST AVENUE| A two-bedroom, two-bath unit, built in 1941, is listed at $929,000. 415-321-7011Credit…Peter Prato for The New York Times

“Once Chinese families buy a home, they will never leave,” he said with a laugh. “They will stay there and when they die they will pass it on to their children.”

The Schools

The San Francisco Unified School District operates six elementary schools, one middle school and one high school in the Richmond District.

At every level, students at schools in the Richmond District outperform their peers in both the school district and in state standardized testing.

At Presidio Middle School, 72 percent of eighth graders taking the California Smarter Balanced Assessment Exam during the 2018-19 school year met benchmarks for English language arts, compared to 57 percent in the school district and 49 percent across California. In mathematics, 74 percent met benchmarks, compared with 50 percent across the school district and 36 percent statewide. (According to the California Department of Education, students with scores at or above benchmark levels on these tests are ready for higher-level coursework.)

At George Washington High School during the 2017-18 school year, 80 percent of students taking the SAT exam met benchmarks for English, compared with 76 percent across the school district and 71 percent across California, and 69 percent met benchmarks in math, compared with 66 percent of students across the school district and 51 percent across the state. (For the SATs, the College Board defines students as “college ready” when their test scores meet a benchmark of 480 in English and in 530 in math.)

The Commute

The Richmond is a 20-minute drive from downtown San Francisco and a one-hour drive from Silicon Valley. A number of public buses serve the area; a ride to Union Square takes 40 minutes and costs $3 each way. The area is served by dozens of bus lines, including the No. 1-California, which runs on an express route that cuts the ride time to downtown by half, as well as the Nos. 28 and 39, which connect riders to the Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

The History

Long before the Richmond District was populated by young families, it was filled with spirits. The area was referred to as “Outside Lands” because it was beyond the boundaries of San Francisco when California became a state in 1850; instead, its land was used for cemeteries, a practice that lasted decades beyond its incorporation into greater San Francisco in 1866.

George Turner Marsh was one of the Richmond District’s first developers; he named his home after his birthplace of Richmond, Australia. The name Richmond District was formally adopted by the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1890.

Sahred From Source link Real Estate

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[goodbutnotgreathouse]

Paint! Round 2.

Last time, we left off with an unpainted upstairs and stairwell. I’m here to say, it’s officially done!

First up, ceilings!

A had used joint compound and a sander to smooth out some of the ceiling patches that were left after we scraped the popcorn. I then went through and painted the ceilings. Started with our office as that has been our test room for everything we have done so far. I didn’t bother cutting in since we needed to paint the walls still, so I just rolled everything in little squares til it was done. Honestly, neither of us remember how the guest bedroom went down, many things got out of order because of problems we had in that room. The master bedroom was done just like the office, but looks way better since I had finally figured the whole painting ceiling thing. But it’s no Sistine Chapel.

We had decided on wall paint colors about the second day we were in the house. We ran to our closest Ace and grabbed samples: Grey Owl for the office, guest bedroom, and stair/hall thing. Then a rather daring (hopefully awesome) color for our own master, Marine Aqua. It’s a gorgeous blue green that plays with the light.

We had taped off the ceiling in the office and painted the walls and we were so excited to take the tape off and have a room finished! Except as A went to take the tape off, part of the ceiling came with it. Sigh. When we scraped the ceilings, there was still some paper/dust that we just couldn’t get off, so the tape had enough stickiness that it took the new paint with it. I quickly went over any patches with paint and declared the room DONE; with paint…

With this new found knowledge that we couldn’t tape the ceilings, I needed to cut in the walls around the ceilings on the rest of the rooms. So I started with the guest room. Going very slowly, I eventually got the hang of it, and the guest room was finished as well! It took me one more day to to cut in the master and do the first coat of Marine Aqua, then the second coat, and that one too was done!

A went down to Iowa for Friday and Saturday, so I took it upon myself to paint the bathroom. We had decided on painting everything in Simply White, so I started cutting in everywhere. I got the first full coat done Friday night, and then finished Saturday. If anyone ever asks you what color they should paint their bathroom, never suggest blue. The bathroom had previously been the color of painters’ tape, so going to all white took two coats. It seems HUGE now, walking in you don’t feel like you’re cramped in this space, you now have some elbow room!

Sunday morning we decided it was time to start packing. And by that I mean, we decided to start tearing our lives apart in both the house and our apartment. The house (while sooo close to being done) looks more like a work site than a home, and now, our apartment has empty bookshelves and a big pillar of boxes. Soon. Two more weeks of this and we will have things in the house!

Now that painting was done, we could move on to our next easy feat: the floors! There is carpet in the three rooms upstairs, but it was cheap and we just don’t like carpet, so away it goes. On the day we closed, we had torn back the carpet in the master closet and found hardwood. Over the past two weeks we were hoping that when we pulled up the carpet in all three rooms, there would be gorgeous hardwood without fire damage.

Fortunately, dreams do come true! A took it upon himself (he came home early from a weekend trip) to peel back the carpet and lo and behold, pristine hardwood floors! We found original ~100 year old red maple floors in the master and guest bedrooms! In the office, we found a really beautiful parquet floor; so we think the fire in the 80s did most of its damage just in the office.

We then spent 2 days lovingly spraying, scraping, and cursing our gorgeous floors. A little bit of Goof Off, a little bit of Goo Gone, a lot of wrist and shoulder work, and a LOT of pulling random staples, nails, half nails-half screws out. I swept, vacuumed, and cleaned them today and we called them done. They are absolutely perfect; they creak, they have scratches and dents, they are not level, but, they are 100 years old. When I get to be 100, I’m sure I too will creak and have some scratches and dents.

For about 4 hours, while I was at work, came home, cleaned the floors, and went to go get dinner, A stayed at the house putting the first coat of white paint on our stairway trim! This included all the baseboards, two windows, the stair risers, and part of the old railing. Oh my goodness, it’s gorgeous. I can barely believe it’s the same house as two weeks ago, let alone OUR home. It needs one more coat to even out the color, but otherwise it will be done!

I really can’t believe the amount of work we have done to this house. We’ve put blood, sweat, and money into it, and it’s feeling like our home finally!

—T

ANDREW ADDENDUM

Here's the thing about carpet over hardwood. On the one hand, it preserves floors really well. These things look like they were refinished and then carpeted in the same day! The problem is that now you have to scrape off all the foam adhesive and pull all the tack strips. And because our house is our house... It's a nightmare.

They clearly ran out of fasteners as they went through the rooms, since I have found four differnet types of fasteners (three types of nails and a screw for some unknowable reason), and at some point the adhesive must have run out because it's on half of one wall in the bedroom. But whoever did this did not understand how carpet works, because they used these horrible, awful, worst-invention-ever nail-screw combo things:

All the ease of the nail with all the difficulty of removal of a screw! I get the prybar under one and then put my entire 1/10th-of-a-ton bodyweight on it and it doesn't budge. It takes every muscle in my body to pull these horrible things out — at least 200 pounds of force. On the tack strips. And they're placed about six inches apart! No one has ever, in their entire lives of using carpet, ever applied that much force to a tack strip.

I hate this.

—A

P.S. T was smart enough to suggest just getting a wider lightswitch for the dining room (???). It totally worked and saved me having to bust out the joint compound again. I have dreams where I spend hours cleaning it off my hands only to discover a new place to joint, only to realize that oh god, this isn't a dream, this is real life, how have we already used a gallon of joint compound in this house, good god, help, save us