Dulce Domem Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 So we are definitely moving to the Memphis area (thanks to everyone who gave me info a couple weeks ago when I joined the boards looking for help!). We are now faced with a move from Florida to Tennessee/Mississippi. We have to sell our home here and buy one there. So - I want to know - what is your best tip or advice or just an experience to share? What have you learned moving in the past? This isn't our first big move, but it's our first move while homeschooling, and it's definitely a harder move to negotiate. What do you wish you knew then that you knew now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeside Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Off the top of my head, one thing I did on this last move was pull out the school stuff we'd need ASAP, pack it together, and label those boxes clearly "FIRST OPEN SCHOOL" or something along those lines. It made sorting the book boxes easier when we were unpacking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dulce Domem Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Off the top of my head, one thing I did on this last move was pull out the school stuff we'd need ASAP, pack it together, and label those boxes clearly "FIRST OPEN SCHOOL" or something along those lines. It made sorting the book boxes easier when we were unpacking. Good idea. We will have LOTS of book boxes when we arrive. Thankfully, my husband will have a much larger office & a majority of the books can go straight there! I definitely need to focus on having one or two specified homeschooling boxes for what is current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Make each room a different colored tape. That way when you unload you can take the boxes to the correct room by looking at the tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 My best tip would have to be: sort and declutter as much as you can before you move. I know this is a great tip, because we didn't do it and it made everything so much harder. We moved a ton of stuff that we later ended up rehoming or discarding, and we moved a lot of miscellaneous stuff that then took ages to sort out and find homes for in our new house. We moved seven years ago and there are still a few things that haven't been fully unpacked and sorted :blushing: (undoubtedly I should chuck these out, because how crucial can something be if I nobody's needed it in seven years). Every item that you get rid of before moving will save you energy, time and/or money in the move. My best tip on moving with kids is: don't expect too much of the kids. Some kids think moving is a huge adventure, and are delighted to 'rough it' for a couple of days. But some kids find the whole event anxiety-inducing, so it's safest to assume that your kids will need to keep their normal routines, and get upset if their favorite toy, book, bedding or item of clothing can't be found instantly you arrive at the new house. So when you pack your comfort box or whatever it's called (the one where you put things you might want before unpacking anything else), pack one for each child as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 A lot of our current school books can go in just one bag/box so we ended up just taking it in the car with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Well, we move a lot. So here are my thoughts, take 'em or leave 'em. Declutter every room in your house. Start using up everything in yr pantry and freezer. Pack things your don't need early. Let your kids pick out a few last minute items that won't get packed until the last minute. Find ways your kids can help, especially if they want to. Pack books, or being you books, throw stuffed animals in a box, that kind of thing. Make a kitchen kit - just enough plates, fork, knives, etc. for your family, a pot, a pan, can opener, you get the idea - pick a cabinet, put only the kitchen kit in the cabinet, pack it last, open it first. Do a unit study on your new location/new state. Use towels and blankets for padding. Accept that something will go wrong. Be prepared for it mentally and emotionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 For selling, pack up every non-essential item you have (most personal decor included) and put it in storage if you can. Your Realtor will try to talk you into doing this anyway, and a minimally decorated, clutter free home will sell faster. The added bonus is that you are ahead of the game with packing. Label boxes very clearly. Mark the ones you want opened immediately. Just plan on taking a break from school for about 2-3 weeks. It will make life easier on everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 One blog I read said to take a picture of the contents of the box before loading it, and then tape it to the box. I didn't do that, but it was a great idea. We are moving within the next few months, but since I have extra time I made some goals for myself and am decluttering one room per week (sometimes it takes two weeks.) As in the other decluttering thread, the idea of looking at things and saying, "Does this bring me joy?" and getting rid of it if it doesn't, is helpful. I am still working on it as I am very bad at getting rid of things, but I am trying to be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We're in the middle of that process right now. We're moving from New Orleans back to Houston early this week. My movers come today to begin packing up my house. :w00t: I gathered up all of the "we use it every day without fail" school stuff late last week and put it all in one BIG tote bag. It will travel in the car with us. The rest of my school stuff will be packed by movers and might be buried for several weeks, but with what I have in my bag, we can do "good enough" school for weeks, should I feel organized and ready to start school before I unearth all of the school boxes. I think that's unlikely, but I wanted to have it available just in case. We have the luxury of DH's company contracting movers for us, which includes packing us, so I have not had to pack. I spent all day yesterday gathering the things I want keep in the car with us to have when we first arrive since we'll close on the new house and have keys and access for almost 24 hours before movers bring our furniture and boxes. My kids made signs that say "DO NOT PACK" and we put those on my daughter's closet and one kitchen cabinet, both of which I had cleaned out for this purpose. I stashed my cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, sheets for all the beds, towels for everyone, suitcases with our clothes and toiletries for the week, the kids' scooters (so they can go outside and burn some energy!), a cooler that we'll put anything remaining in the fridge in tomorrow, etc. in my daughter's closet. In the kitchen cabinet I put our paper plates, plasticware, a water bottle for everyone, meds (me and one of my kids are on a course of antibiotics right now), etc. After movers finish packing and loading my house, We'll load those two areas to the cars, and head out. One thing I'm really glad we're doing is a goodbye playdate for the kids this afternoon. We invited all of our good family friends to join us at the park for a couple of hours. We got lucky with GORGEOUS weather, we're taking king cakes and water bottles, and it'll be a good chance for the kids to see their friends one last time before we go. I can't think of anything else, but if you have questions, please shout! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 For selling, pack up every non-essential item you have (most personal decor included) and put it in storage if you can. Your Realtor will try to talk you into doing this anyway, and a minimally decorated, clutter free home will sell faster. The added bonus is that you are ahead of the game with packing. oh, yes to this! We sold our home in two days, with three showings and two offers. I purged like crazy and my house looked GOOD. It was totally worth the considerable time and energy I put into staging my house so that I did not have to go weeks of keeping it spotless and juggling homeschool and showings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dulce Domem Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Craftyerin - I am JEALOUS!!!! I really, really, really wish we could just hire someone to come in and pack the boxes! I don't think that our moving stipend is going to cover it, though. :( Last time we moved, the men from the church we were moving to came & brought trucks & moved us, so there were no moving fees hardly at all. The time before that, we used ABF Moving - they bring you a truck, you pack it, they drive it to your location and drop it off for a few days while you unload. It worked great, and we will probably do that again. Does anyone have any other suggested ways to do the actual moving? Or alternative companies that do something similar to ABF? Thanks so much for all the suggestions, everyone. I am not a hoarder by any stretch of the imagination, but we've been here almost 4 years and have 4 kids and started homeschooling here, so I have squirreled away a bit of clutter. I need to get right on that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Declutter and downsize and downsize and declutter.................and then do it again. Seriously, do not pay to move anything you do not love and use. Pack a box with some linens for each bed, basic toiletries, some towels, etc. and keep that in the car with you if you can or somewhere you can find it the first day. Keep TP, kleenex, medications, etc. very accessible as well. We only moved 3 miles down the road and I got rid of TONS of stuff but if we had to do it all over again, I would have gotten rid of much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Label boxes according to the layout of the house you are going to if you are packing yourself. If you have packers, make sure they are aware of where things are going vs. where they are in your existing house. This comes into play IME when you move from a house with one type of floor plan to something quite different. For ex, if you didn't have a playroom or school room in your old house, but will have one in the new house, make sure you label so that everyone knows where items will go in the *new* house. I know how we split up tools and other long term storage changed from house to house. Think about what you'll want to store in the attic, basement, shed, whatever you'll be using at the new house. You can move it later, but if you have a decent idea of where you might want it, label boxes with where things will GO vs. where they are coming from. It sounds obvious, but I think when each house has a different floorplan, it helps to think about it and label accordingly in advance. When you get to the new house, label all rooms clearly so everyone knows which bedroom is which and so forth. If you are using the dining room as a school room, make sure any helpers know that, so label accordingly. Measure, take notes, etc. about the new house . Don't move things that won't work in the new house's floorplan. Don't move curtains that won't work in the new house, for example. Moving is one of the few times in your life you will touch most of what you own, so be brutal in purging. We also used a priority system for unpacking. I put green labels on open first boxes, yellow on things that could wait a few weeks if necessary, and red on things that were seasonal/more long term or less urgent in general. We always moved our own photos, important documents (financials, passports, etc.), computers, jewelry, that type of thing. We kept them in our personal vehicle. We packed open first boxes: Pillows, bed linens, loveys for any kids that need them. Extra diapers, etc. if needed. Eyeglasses, medication, basic toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, cosmetics, hair ties, blow drier) some bath towels paper towels, paper plates, plastic flatware or some of your real stuff, napkins a pot, a pan, a spatula, a serving spoon, a strainer coffee/coffee maker/coffee mugs cleaning supplies (gloves, sprays, bleach, whatever you'll want) vacuum and mop drawer liners if you'll want to line anything after wiping down before unpacking your stuff basic food: boxed pasta, cereal, whatever you want to get you through. Creamer for coffee, milk for cereal, a few other things in a cooler. garbage bags dish soap handsoap for bathrooms dishtowels nightlights flashlight basic tools (hammer, screwdrivers, allen wrenches, nails, screws, cordless drill, etc. all handy and accessible for assembling and disassembling furniture) shower curtain(s) if you'll need one to take a shower (like if you don't have glass doors) phone number for realtor(s), utility companies, closing agency, bank tip money for movers pet food, pet dishes, pet crates if needed 2-3 outfits, underwear, pajamas for everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Lots of great suggestions here. I would emphasize the decluttering. Declutter, purge, organize. Maybe start with three boxes. 1st box is stuff you KNOW you want to get rid of. If you have a place that takes donations daily, as soon as the box is full put it aside to haul to the donation place. Or put the box in a pile to sell. Label it clearly. 2nd box is stuff you KNOW you want to keep but you KNOW you don't need right away. 3rd box is stuff you are on the fence about. Sleep on it for a night. Then review the items again. Do they bring you joy? Could someone else get better use out of them? Why are you hanging onto them? Is there a valid reason? Anything you are all still currently using just wait on until closer to time to move. When it gets closer to time then if you can go ahead and put boxes of things you don't need right away, along with excess furniture, in storage. Once you have done this fairly thoroughly it should be easier to go back through and pack up the remainder of your stuff. Get the kids involved. Break rooms into quadrants and focus not on the whole house, which can be overwhelming, but just one quadrant of one room. Set a timer. Work until the timer runs out then take a break. Set the timer for your break. Start again when the timer goes off. Etc. Make a goal for what you want to accomplish each day and keep it realistic. Don't pile on too much on each day or it won't get done and you will get discouraged. Also, when labeling a box that contains important items, please don't write "Living Room" or "Kitchen" or whatever. Write the room it goes into plus a description of what is inside. And assume that your boxes are going to get knocked around. If you have fragile pieces that really matter to you, pack them VERY, VERY well. Overpad them. Label them as fragile on every side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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