I’m giving myself a little pat on the back right now, because I usually remember to ask you for advice at the eleventh hour when my chances of implementing it are slim to none. Not helpful! So even though something could still go wrong and all the fine print of moving hasn’t been worked out yet, every day it looks more and more likely that this is going to happen in the near future. *fist pump then knocks on wood*
http://youtu.be/L09qnRfZY-k
So today, instead of running my blabber mouth and giving advice, I’m asking you for your best tips, hints, suggestions and must-dos for moving. I’ve been shaving away at this process a little bit at a time for months now, but hell–I’m a disorganized procrastinator LOL! Please–I’m begging you! Share your wisdom and experience with me!!!!
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So glad to hear your move is about to happen in the near future! I wish you and your family the best of luck, Kim! I’ve moved way too many times to count, and it doesn’t seem to get any easier. But I can suggest some things: Packing as much of everything that you don’t need or use daily as soon as possible – the U-Haul center has lots of sturdy boxes of all sizes – and mark them with room names in BIG Sharpie marker. Also, clear out usable stuff that you no longer want or need in a big Goodwill run and anything that’s “garbage” in your town recycling center as soon as you can. You’ve probably done a lot of this already, though. Give yourself lots of time and lots of patience, and lots of humor too! I know you’re creative and will do what you can to give a sense of fun and adventure for your boys! And on move-in day, just unpack your bedding, bedclothes and personal items so you can get a good night’s sleep – you will need it! Order in pizza and have a fun pizza party on your kitchen floor and celebrate a job well done!! So happy and excited for you all! 🙂
Great advice–I’ve done some of this, but not nearly enough. Blurgh!
Start packing now! All the stuff you don’t need right now; toys, summer clothes, SOME of your books, specialty dishes, pictures. I can help 🙂 if you do a box a day it won’t be so overwhelming. XO
But–but–I’m behind on Christmas. *laughs and blubbers simultaneously*
Take photos! Seriously. It’ll help you figure out how to put things back together that have to come apart to move (like electronics). I’m one of those people who are clueless when it comes to hooking up a tv/dvd player, etc. If you take close-up pics of how they connect in the back, it saves a lot of hassle when you’re in your new home.
Don’t forget to leave the spare keys and garage door openers for the new owners.
And please don’t worry about Christmas. It’ll happen whether you’re ready or not. Your family wants to spend time with you more than they want gifts from you. (Well, I guess it depends on how old your kids are… Maybe ask other relatives to help?)
Awesome advice–thank you!!!!
Wardrobe boxes — also from Uhaul. They have a bar across them so you can hang up your most wrinkle-able clothes. (No one wants to need to iron, press, etc after a move!!) you can also throw shoes and bags and stuff in the bottom.
Also, you might want to consider color coded dots for each room, or each major room so you can easily check off that all the boxes made it. Like if on your master list, it says “9 orange dots, kitchen” then you can easily count them in the new house and know if something is missing or misplaced (and needs to be found/moved to another room) before the movers leave.
Very exciting!!!!
What’s an iron?
LOL! I’m with you. I’ve heard of these things, but I’m still not completely clear on the concept. 😉
Must be a Wolf Pack thing!
Ugh!Moving!
Give up a room in your house and devote it to boxes. Push the furniture aside, create as much room as possible, and start stacking.
Make sure you have boxes in easy to handle sizes. Buy boxes of white paper from U-Haul. It makes packing up breakables much easier. Have a tape gun handy. Pack a few boxes every day.
And since it’s Christmas, drape lights over your stacks of boxes.
Ho, ho, ho!
Love it!!!!
upack.com. Unless someone other than you is paying for your move. Then by all means take the fancy movers! But these guys? If you move 500+ miles, you can use them. They charge by linear foot, and the cost includes gas mileage. Depending on how much gas costs at the moment, we’ve done it for less than Uhaul–and *you don’t have to drive.*
I agree with Judy above about devoting one room to put all your boxes in. Then you’re not climbing all over them while trying to live.
Consider holding on to a week’s worth of clothes that you might otherwise get rid of in the move–when your washer and dryer are packed (or your clothes are packed and you are facing an indeterminate period of time without a washer and want to preserve your clean clothes), you can wear your “disposable” clothes that week and then just throw them away every night when you’re done.
If you are doing the packing and not some fancy movers, packing boxes of dishes inside dresser drawers in the van is a good idea–we’ve never had a broken dish, actually. Er, we pack pretty tightly, though. Other good things to cushion things in are cheapo Walmart shelves (if you have them–don’t go out and buy them. But when you get to the other end, don’t expect any Walmart shelves to have survived.)
Good luck on the move!
Hey, m o v e is a 4-letter word! No matter how you slice it, it can still be a daunting task. I like to color code boxes. All the stuff for bathroom #1 goes in a box with a blue mark; the 2nd bath gets green. Kitchen – your choice, but I like to use yellow. And so on. I pack the boxes that I need ‘immediately’ and place them…in my car or keep them in one spot. You know the things you want right away – 1 frying pan, 1 or 2 pots, the knives, basics. I would pack my kids suitcases with whatever they want for a vacation lasting 2 weeks. You’ve probably ‘got’ all this already! Knowing it’s a stressful time, be good to yourself. It’s ok to use (!) paper plates for a while and get ‘healthy’ take out (Read: Trader Joe’s). Best of luck to ya’! It’s an adventure!
I won’t even pretend to give you moving advice. We’ve lived in the same house for the last 22 years, so I’ve forgotten how to pack. *grin*
I’m totally shooting for that! Never want to move again!!!!!