Moving...New Question...

[Tikitoi]

I need to know how to make this as painless as possible. Especially because I have limited time and resources to do it in. It won't be until the 2nd week of August so this is at least giving me time to clean things up and clear things out where I am now. But I will still have 13 years worth of accumulated stuff to move! Yes, I haven't moved in 13 years. And this was part of the reason, just not wanting to move so much stuff. So how is it best to be done? I may not have to rent a truck as my bil has one, though not so big. Not sure yet, though. But big stuff first then little stuff? Please any tips.

 

[mickeyboat]

Purge purge purge. That's my advice. We moved out of our house for a renovation almost 5 years ago, and we rented a dumpster. It was absolutely liberating and refreshing to throw away stuff we had accumulated over time that we really did not need anymore.

I would love to be forced to do it again.

Good luck.

Denae

 

[RadioNate]

I've moved a lot. A lot!

My advice is start cleaning out your stuff now. Garage sale, donate, trash anything you haven't used in a while or simply don't want.

Then get packing!

For the actual move I'd hire local movers to load the truck and then unload at the new place. I know it is an added expense but in the end you'll be glad to have spent the money. We've gotten people for around $500. I'm talking "2 Guys and a Truck" type places.

Personally, I'd rather make one big trip with everything than a zillion small trips.

How many days do you have to move?

 

[kelleigh1]

Moving is a great time to purge! Toss anything you haven't used or worn in recent years. Get rid of anything you don't need. Donate stuff to the salvation army, Big Brothers, etc. if you can. Have a yard sale.

Use your own stuff to pack. Pack stuff in your suitcases. Wrap fragile items in sheets and towels. If you find you really need boxes, liquor stores are good places to get those. They are strong and usually good sized.

Use your resources. Find people who are willing to help. Offer to provide pizza and beer if you think that will work.

As for moving day, if you have enough people helping who have cars, smaller items and smaller boxes can go in cars. Use the truck for the big items. Try to think about the layout of the new place and what you'll need to move in first. For example, if you have to go through the kitchen to get to the bedroom, you don't want to unload kitchen stuff first. So what you'd want to do is work backwards. The stuff going in last, should go in the truck first and the stuff you need to get into the new place first, should be the last thing to go in the truck so it can be the first thing out.

Good luck!

 

[Inigo]

How far are you moving? We always move ourselves, using either U-Haul (for moves over 150 miles) or our pick-up truck (for short moves under 30 miles.) My friend from Hawaii said she never felt like a Hoosier until she and I moved her using the pick-up.

The last time we moved, we were able to do it over the period of 2 weeks, so we were able to take our time and get things situated as they arrived at the new house. This also allowed us to take time to get rid of things that we realized we didn't need. Purge, Purge, Purge.

If you're going a long distance, sometimes it can make sense not to take some of the big items. For example, if I were moving more across country, I'd probably get rid of a lot of my furniture. I could probably buy a new kitchen table and chairs, as well as other pieces of furniture, for cheaper at my new location than it would cost to transport those pieces across country. For those items, it would make more sense to sell them at a yard sale. Now, if I had expensive furniture or heirlooms, yeah, I'd transport them. My kitchen table and chairs aren't expensive. Neither is my computer desk, and a few other pieces of furniture.

I told DH the other day that I'm ready to move just so I can get rid of a lot of stuff. Unfortunately, our next move will be 12 miles away (in about a year or so), therefore I probably won't be allowed, by DH, to get rid of as much as I'd like. We have to move to another house we own and live there for two years so we can get a tax break when we sell it.

 

[wall*e2008]

Purge purge purge. That's my advice. We moved out of our house for a renovation almost 5 years ago, and we rented a dumpster. It was absolutely liberating and refreshing to throw away stuff we had accumulated over time that we really did not need anymore.

I would love to be forced to do it again.

Good luck.

Denae

That is what I was going to type.

 

[Tikitoi]

I've moved a lot. A lot!

My advice is start cleaning out your stuff now. Garage sale, donate, trash anything you haven't used in a while or simply don't want.

Then get packing!

For the actual move I'd hire local movers to load the truck and then unload at the new place. I know it is an added expense but in the end you'll be glad to have spent the money. We've gotten people for around $500. I'm talking "2 Guys and a Truck" type places.

Personally, I'd rather make one big trip with everything than a zillion small trips.

How many days do you have to move?

That is something to really think about; 1 big move verses a zillion little ones. Will definitely keep that in mind. Thanks. I think we will have about 2 days to move. So will have to get my older son, 2 nephews and bil...they should be able to do it. Also have at least 3 friends/non family that will be willing to help. Everyone else is on vacation or just away.

 

[jen0610]

Moving is a great time to purge! Toss anything you haven't used or worn in recent years. Get rid of anything you don't need. Donate stuff to the salvation army, Big Brothers, etc. if you can. Have a yard sale.

Use your own stuff to pack. Pack stuff in your suitcases. Wrap fragile items in sheets and towels. If you find you really need boxes, liquor stores are good places to get those. They are strong and usually good sized.

We also just pulled dresser drawers out with the clothes still in them, when we did or helped with short in town moves. We bought really cheap garbage bags and tucked them over the clothes, just to help keep items in there as well as keep dirt out and so not everybody had to see what your underwear looks like. Then once the dressers were in the truck, we put the drawers back in the dresser for the actual drive to the new place.

Use your resources. Find people who are willing to help. Offer to provide pizza and beer if you think that will work.

For our group of friends, we all paid for a quick lunch for the crew on the day of the move. We did the pizza and beer party at our house the Saturday after we moved. Our one set of friends, had all of us over the next weekend to help break in the new pool and bbq at their new house.

As for moving day, if you have enough people helping who have cars, smaller items and smaller boxes can go in cars. Use the truck for the big items. Try to think about the layout of the new place and what you'll need to move in first. For example, if you have to go through the kitchen to get to the bedroom, you don't want to unload kitchen stuff first. So what you'd want to do is work backwards. The stuff going in last, should go in the truck first and the stuff you need to get into the new place first, should be the last thing to go in the truck so it can be the first thing out.

We have moved ourselves twice and help 4 friends do in town or within 100 mile moves. The ones that went the smoothest did exactly this. It was so nice to not have to wade thru the living room stacked with boxes and stuff to get beds and dressers to the bedrooms. The other thing we did and 2 of the other couples did, was we knew where we wanted the large items placed. For our bedroom, one of the night stands went in first, because it had to go into a corner that would have made us lift and get around the bed, if the bed had went in first. Once every thing that was on the far side of the bed was in place the bed frame was brought in and was set right were I wanted it
Good luck!

The purging is one of the best suggestions you are getting. Have a yard/garage sale - you can make your pizza and beer money for the moving help - and anything that doesn't go at the sale, donate.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I agree with purging, purging, purging. Plan to make a dump run every Saturday!

I'm going to suggest a Pack Rat or POD storage container. It's about $200 for a month and that includes the drop off, move to the new location, pickup. You can have it dropped off 3 weeks before your move and start packing it with boxes, etc. every day. The day of the move they will bring it to your new location (I'm assuming a local move) and then you can have it there for another week to unpack. And almost all the companies have coupons if you look for them.

 

[Tikitoi]

Use your own stuff to pack. Pack stuff in your suitcases. Wrap fragile items in sheets and towels. If you find you really need boxes, liquor stores are good places to get those. They are strong and usually good sized.

Use your resources. Find people who are willing to help. Offer to provide pizza and beer if you think that will work.

As for moving day, if you have enough people helping who have cars, smaller items and smaller boxes can go in cars. Use the truck for the big items. Try to think about the layout of the new place and what you'll need to move in first. For example, if you have to go through the kitchen to get to the bedroom, you don't want to unload kitchen stuff first. So what you'd want to do is work backwards. The stuff going in last, should go in the truck first and the stuff you need to get into the new place first, should be the last thing to go in the truck so it can be the first thing out.

Good luck!

Yep, already got the suitcases out, ready to be filled. But also ashamed to say I have so many bins with so much stuff in them already filled as well. The good thing about this place is that there is a good size clean basement so that will be the first place we unload a lot of stuff. I think I got your "riddle" figured out.

 

[dizluvah]

My suggestion is to label the contents in each box. It takes a little extra time but when you only need 1 pan to make dinner and have to open 5 kitchen boxes before you find it - that is frustrating!

So when you pack just tape a list on the outside of the box with the contents in each one. When you are in your new home and haven't had time to unpack everything - you will be glad you did.

 

[RadioNate]

I agree with purging, purging, purging. Plan to make a dump run every Saturday!

I'm going to suggest a Pack Rat or POD storage container. It's about $200 for a month and that includes the drop off, move to the new location, pickup. You can have it dropped off 3 weeks before your move and start packing it with boxes, etc. every day. The day of the move they will bring it to your new location (I'm assuming a local move) and then you can have it there for another week to unpack. And almost all the companies have coupons if you look for them.

this is actually a good idea. My mom did this when she sold her house and moved into a townhouse at retirement. The OP has lots of 'movers' to help with the unload.

Is there a garage at the new place? Use that as your staging area. If things come off the truck in an odd order "hold" them in the garage area until you need them. Also have someone doing 'set up' as you go.

You have a lot of people to help so if they move a dismantled bed frame in have someone set it up while others are still unloading. Don't leave the unassembled parts and pack the room with stuff and then try to set up. You'll be cursing the lack of room!

I totally agree with not packing any clothes etc if you are doing a short haul move. In fact, I've moved 1/2 across the country w/out packing clothes in boxes etc. For hanging clothes, if you have a lot, I'd suggest a garment box but if you don't have tons just move them by hand in the car.

I'd do all the big stuff in one big truck. You can't fit more than 1 room's worth of stuff in a pickup so that would mean a lot of trips. If you have a lot of cars available, I'd use those for smaller breakable stuff.

We did an in town move once where we hired movers for the furniture etc but I just set the dishes and other breakable items in boxes and drove them over to the new place myself. Took a few trips but less time than packing and wrapping all the dishes to go on the truck.

With 2 days, I'd try to do everything the first day and reserve the second day for odds and ends and clean up of the old place. If you have to clean the 1st place, I'd consider hiring a company to do a 'move out' clean. (Obviously, I'm big on hiring people today!) You don't want to still have to move things and then ready the place to leave.

 

[Tikitoi]

How far are you moving? We always move ourselves, using either U-Haul (for moves over 150 miles) or our pick-up truck (for short moves under 30 miles.) My friend from Hawaii said she never felt like a Hoosier until she and I moved her using the pick-up.

The last time we moved, we were able to do it over the period of 2 weeks, so we were able to take our time and get things situated as they arrived at the new house. This also allowed us to take time to get rid of things that we realized we didn't need. Purge, Purge, Purge.

If you're going a long distance, sometimes it can make sense not to take some of the big items. For example, if I were moving more across country, I'd probably get rid of a lot of my furniture. I could probably buy a new kitchen table and chairs, as well as other pieces of furniture, for cheaper at my new location than it would cost to transport those pieces across country. For those items, it would make more sense to sell them at a yard sale. Now, if I had expensive furniture or heirlooms, yeah, I'd transport them. My kitchen table and chairs aren't expensive. Neither is my computer desk, and a few other pieces of furniture.

I told DH the other day that I'm ready to move just so I can get rid of a lot of stuff. Unfortunately, our next move will be 12 miles away (in about a year or so), therefore I probably won't be allowed, by DH, to get rid of as much as I'd like. We have to move to another house we own and live there for two years so we can get a tax break when we sell it.

Thank goodness for us, this move is only across the city. About 10 miles or so. But I also see your point, if this were to be a cross country move, then I would sell EVERYTHING.

 

[Tikitoi]

My suggestion is to label the contents in each box. It takes a little extra time but when you only need 1 pan to make dinner and have to open 5 kitchen boxes before you find it - that is frustrating!

So when you pack just tape a list on the outside of the box with the contents in each one. When you are in your new home and haven't had time to unpack everything - you will be glad you did.

Yes, I agree this will be worth the extra effort. Got the sharpies ready. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Tikitoi]

When I have to move my desktop computer, once I unplug it, will I lose anything? I don't have too much important stuff on here, not a bill payer, just shop and have my pictures but those are also on separate CD's, kept safely. But I am concercned about the music on my windows media player, even though I have all those cd's as well, I'd hate to have to put them back on again. Ideas.Also, since I just spent my weekend doing 13 years of shredding papers, I came across a check from Dell for over a hundred bucks. But it's over a year old, what are my chances of getting a replacement from them.

 

[robinb]

You might be able to get some real packing boxes for free or cheap if you have a freecycle or craigslist in your town. I know that I gave away some on freecycle a few weeks ago. You can also use CL and FC to get rid of stuff.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

a general moving tip- pack one box with paper plates, cups, plastic silverware, cleaning supplies (for people, dishes and house , tylenol, a couple towels, paper towels, rags, eg. Put this in one box/bin. Put this one right in your car with you first thing, so when you get to the new house, you aren't digging for stuff to eat supper, take a shower, clean out the cupboards, etc.

 

[MineMail]

Check craigslist or freecycle - people give away their moving boxes and packing materials after they're done with them. Great way to save money.

I agree about purging first. Start with the most challenging area. We didn't empty our basement office half as much as we should have. Ended up moving a ton of crap we don't need/want.

An elementary school would appreciate donations of office, school and craft supplies.

If you have things you want to sell, you can use Craigslist or eBay. There are some consignment places that will handle the sales for you in exchange for a percentage of the profit.

 

[Tikitoi]

a general moving tip- pack one box with paper plates, cups, plastic silverware, cleaning supplies (for people, dishes and house , tylenol, a couple towels, paper towels, rags, eg. Put this in one box/bin. Put this one right in your car with you first thing, so when you get to the new house, you aren't digging for stuff to eat supper, take a shower, clean out the cupboards, etc.

Thats a good idea, kind of like an overnight bag.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I would also check with moving companies. They cannot reuse boxes that they unpack at clients homes. They are happy to give them away.