(NAPSA)—Thenext time you plan to move, you won’t be alone. Nearly 20 percent of Americans move each year, with most moves occurring during the summer months. With an average of 60 tasks to do to prepare, important decisions can slip through the cracks in the movingcrate. To help, HGTV designer Lisa LaPorta and new-product journalist David Gregg, senior editor, Behindthebuy.com, recommend a few tips. These experts say that moving doesn’t have to be stressful—as long as you incorporate the right technology with the right design elements. Both Gregg and LaPorta recommend getting the appointment to have cable television, phone and high-speed Internet services connected before the move. Having them installed on yourarrival day means you can go online to determine room layouts and shop for furniture, call out for pizza, and entertain the kids while unpacking. There’s a website, www.cablemover.com, that makes the process easy. And while you’re there, you'll discover additional tech and design tips. Gregg suggests that movingis a great time for introducing new technologies to organize and destress your living environment. “The average person hasfive to six remotes sitting around on the coffee table,” he said. “Movingis a perfect time to clear out the clutter and get down to one. Upgrading to a universal remoteis affordable and newer models are simple to both program and use.” Also, Gregg recommends hiding all your tech equipment behind closed doorsor in other, less- traveled rooms. Using a radio frequency extender, you can keep your DVD player and other electronics from view andstill operate them from up to 100 feet away. As a designer, LaPorta agrees. “Because technology has become woven into so many different facets of our lives, there’s a lot to think about from both a design and technology standpoint when setting up your new home,” she says. “In fact, designers have coined a term for this phenomenon: techorating.” LaPorta urges movers to think about the electronics they own and what they will do with them in their new homes. “For instance, it’s both costly and a hassle to move a 15-yearold, heavy, space-and-energy-hog TV set,” she says. “Consider purchasing a space-saving and design-friendly, slim new ENERGY STAr-rated TV. It can put as much as $58 per year back in your wallet while cutting your carbon footprint.”
