5 Tips for Moving Bliss

"5 Tips for Moving Bliss"
by Jamie Allen Bishop

This article - focused mostly on DIY packing of your stuff - is totally off subject from what I typically write about, but having moved my family's residence a ridiculous number of times in my life (we've lived in 8 states, and we've DIY'd mored than 40 moves), I have incredible insight on what works and what doesn't work. (And for those who have put down their valuable money on an apartment deposit, I always get 100% of our deposit back.)

Naturally, you'll need to make truck reservations, arrival reservations, and trip reservations (especially if you're driving somewhere across the country) for your move prior to doing any packing necessary. You can always adjust those reservations according to changes to your needs or schedule, but get them made so you have an idea of the timeline you're looking at to accomplish your move.

Here are 5 Tips for Moving Bliss:

Tip 1: Get Organized 

Whenever possible, start about three months in advance with a To-Do-List. Why three months in advance, you may ask? Because if you work full-time and have children, you'll need at least this much time to complete all the tasks that need doing and continue to participate in the lives of your family members. Life can get in the way of accomplishments (see Tip 3), and if you don't have a plan, you'll be throwing stuff into a bag or box at the last minute, which may be fine for you single folks out there, but for families, this is a recipe for serious disaster when you arrive at your destination and you don't know in which bag/box your child's favorite PJs/toys are located.

There are a plethora of free lists out there in cyberspace. Choose one that speaks to you and use it! My list looks fairly organized and covers each room individually: Entry, Powder Room, Dining Room, Living Room, Laundry Room, Kitchen, Breakfast Nook, Pantry, Bedroom 1, Bathroom 1, Bedroom 2, Bathroom 2, etc. Even if you think to yourself, "There isn't anything in my Entry. Why do I need to make a list for it?" Trust me when I tell you, it needs to be on the list.

Once you have a room list, you'll need to break that room down into "chunks":

• Items to Pack, 
• Items to Donate, 
• Items to Trash, and 
• Items to Repair/Refurbish. 

For example, let's take the Dining Room. Your Dining Room might look like an easy room to you. It might have just your table and chairs, but there's a great deal more to do in a dining room than you may realize. It may have art on the walls; or a filled china cabinet, or a buffet filled with serving items; or window fixtures/drapery you'll be taking with you; etc.

As you break down each room into one of the four chunks above, the "Repair/Refurbish" section is to write down the items that need to be done in that space to get it "move-in ready." Things like: filling nail holes; painting; wiping down door/window frames and/or baseboards; window cleaning (inside and outside); floors - Do they need refinishing? Are there floorboards or trim work or outlet covers that need replacing? etc.; and, anything else you can think of that needs doing.

Determine how many boxes you'll need to pack the items in the room. I HIGHLY recommend gathering all your boxes from the same source so they stack easily in the truck.


Tip 2: Pack Your Own Crap!

Helpers are FINE, but it is super important that you have "house rules" for these helpers (i.e., everything gets wrapped in tissue whether you think it needs it or not; write what's inside the box on at least three surfaces of the box - the top, the front, and the back; like things go with like things; etc.). Why pack yourself?

1. Nobody treats your stuff quite the way you do, and what's important to you may not be important at all to your helper. If you want your stuff to show up at your new place undamaged, you MUST plan ahead.
2. If you want to be able to find what you need when you need it, do yourself a favor and have a plan... 'cause you know you won't have it all unpacked within hours/days of arriving at your new location... so...
3. Packing your own stuff also allows you to PURGE, thus saving you extreme amounts of money, both in transportation space/cost and storage space. Plus, let's be honest, you want to move as little as possible, so make sure you get the purging done BEFORE the move.

If you're like me, you're perhaps a bit OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) about how to label the box and what words to include in said labeling. It's not his/her fault if the label is "wrong" from your perspective. If you've allowed someone else to pack your stuff, especially if you've done so without setting expectations, you've allowed them to do it their way... so quit yer bitchin' and wo/man up! Different color DUCT TAPE is a God-send when it comes to making it clear which section of the house the stuff belongs in - just remember to make yourself a "key" as to which color goes to which room!


Tip 3: Focus is EVERYTHING!

Stick to your plan! If you focus on what's not done, believe me when I tell you, you'll get MORE of what's not done, yet. It will feel like your family's stuff is a wet Gizmo that multiplies over and over until it's out of control. (Seriously! It may feel like that even when you follow your plan!) And, if it's not the stuff that keeps you from accomplishing your plan, it will be pop-up life events that get in the way of accomplishing your plan on time.

It's best to handle the obstacles and get back on track ASAP. Here's the order I feel it's best to do my packing:

1. Make a Plan (see Tip 1) - I count up how many rooms I have - and the entry or Pantry, even though it may seem fairly simple/empty, counts as its own room. When I add them up, multiplying larger spaces with more stuff by two or three, that's how many weeks I need to prepare for our move. 
2. Pack Room-by-Room - Using the preparation timeline from above, begin purging and packing your STUFF doing one room per week (larger rooms over two or three weeks). Leave the artwork and everything you'll need to be using in the coming weeks in place until the week of the move. I typically have a "staging area" of the house where I start to separate "donate" from "keep" items. I always do the kitchen and the bathrooms last.
1. Never use TAPE to close drawers or bind things together. Tape is sticky (I know, breaking news, right?!). The thing is tape WILL pull off whatever surface it is stuck to, and it adheres deeper and more firmly when you're en route as it heats and cools each day it's in the back of the truck.
2. Always use buffers (e.g., blankets, towels, tissue paper, etc.) between surfaces. You WILL end up with scratched up, dinged up, and flat-out-broken surfaces (specifically furniture and art) when it's not properly packaged. A truck bounces and sways and every time you go over a pothole or make a turn, all your stuff is bumping and rubbing against whatever surface it is against. If you want it to arrive unblemished, make sure it's packed accordingly.
3. Finalize - Use the last two weeks before your truck pick-up date to make your home repairs and prepare for receiving your truck: 
1. Set your staging location up for loading into the truck - meaning, set the stuff you want in the "back" of the truck will be in the front of your staging area, as that's what will go on the truck first. 
2. When packing the truck: 
1. Set your heaviest stuff on the bottom.
2. Set furniture on moving pads and do not place heavy stuff on/in the furniture. Dressers should be moved with EMPTY drawers, or you are likely to irrevocably damage the drawers.

Tip 4: Pick Your Battles!

We don't all see our "stuff" the same way. I've heard it said MANY TIMES, "One (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure!" A-La-Horder style, many people have challenges letting go of their stuff. When moving, it's easy to point the finger at your partner for having too much stuff, but the truth is, you're just pissed you haven't learned to let go of your own crap, yet. The keyword in that sentence is YET. So, acknowledge the successes you've made in letting go of YOUR stuff. Allow your partner to do the same in his/her own time. This is a prime time to "be the example you wish to see in the world."


Tip 5: Location, Location, Location

In real estate, the most expensive homes are determined because of their location. Have you ever fully thought this concept through?

I have learned that my happiest homes and life experiences are when I have almost no commute. I feel strongly that if you don't pay now, you will pay later - meaning, in the long run, you're paying the same. You might be tempted to spend less on rent/mortgage and move further away from the location where you are expected to spend most of your daytime - work/school. Do not give in to this temptation! You may pay cheaper rent/mortgage, but you'll add exponentially to your daily life tax by more insurance costs, more gasoline to get there/home, more time away from your family, more of a stressful commute (with a higher chance of getting into a car accident), and the madness that missed time with your family that can wreak havoc on your relationships.

If budget is a huge concern, keep this in mind: when you choose a smaller home closer to the "action" in your life, you're far more likely to be happy. You will definitely have less time-related stress, more time with those you love, and being a hop, a skip and a jump away from your work/home will make for at least one happy camper - but will likely make your whole family happier. After all, that booty you are working for prefers YOU to what it can buy.

And, what's interesting about that choice - to pay more rent/mortgage and live closer to work/school - is that you've given your soul permission to increase your perceived value. Chances are extremely likely that you'll earn as much (if not more) as you would have if you had chosen to move further away for financial reasons. So embrace that value within yourself and choose the more expensive place to live closer to where your life happens. You'll be so grateful you did!


Let me know your moving successes. And, if you have no idea where to start, naturally... I have a life coaching program for that!

Warmly,
Jamie