Need advice on moving...

[allie]

Well the time has come (a bit sooner than we expected) to move into a new place. We are going to start looking for a house (to rent, we don't want to buy yet) and hope to move in the next 2-3 months or less.

Any advice on moving? Other than labeling boxes well, donating as much as we can to Goodwill or the like, etc... what else?

I am just really nervous about this moving thing. I've done it once but that was moving in with DH from my parents, I didn't have TONS of stuff like we do now (entertainment center, waterbed frame, computer desks, etc). That and being pregnant and having two one year olds is a bit freaky for me. I am sure either my Mom or MIL will take our kids while we move and such and I'll do the little things but not lifting (like the HUGE entertainment center) of course..

Any words of wisdom are APPRECIATED! I would hold a garage sale but we live out in the boonies and it's not garage sale weather in Oregon until about June/July, lol. So I think we'll just be going through things on and off for the next month or so and donating TONS of stuff to Goodwill and other local facilities.

[Hope]

You know---you could always sell the stuff that you don't want or need on eBay.
Good luck with the move, Allie. :)

[silvawin]

I'm a moving expert. Have moved entire household several times across country. Start early. Start giving away, throwing away and selling everything you don't want and know you won't need. If the kids have grown out of it or don't play with it don't move it. Next start packing. Get lots of moving boxes and packing tape. Start with the room you don't use very often. Start packing as early as three weeks before move. Pack anything that you won't need for the next few weeks. The sooner you start the less stress when moving day comes. like dishes that you don't use very often, books, videos, sporting goods summer clothes if it is winter or winter clothes if it is summer, extra bedding, holiday decorations and all trinkets, pictures, or other household accessories. Pack every room with every thing ex absolute necessities. Couple of days before move every thing should be packed except those thing you need last couple of days. Get boxes set up and ready for packing these last minute items. Couple of days before, pack all dishes except a couple of plates and utensils. Use paper products and cold cuts so that all dishes will be packed. Last day. Pack whatever you have left in already prepared boxes. Remember to label all boxes.

[doctorstrangelove]

I was a professional mover for five years. That was a while back but here's some tips.

When you donate to Goodwill or other nonprofits be sure to get a receipt. It will come in handy at tax time.

U-Haul, Ryder and other companies have guides for estimating the size of your load and packing tips.

You can waste lots of money buying standardized moving boxes from shipping companies. Try buying direct from box manufacturers or, better yet, find work with a local store to collect what you need.

Check on the limits of your renters or homeowners insurance coverage. They'll try to sell you additional insurance at U Haul and Ryder. You may not need it.

Maximum box size for books and heavy items-- 1.5 cu. ft.

Establish a good staging area in your living room or garage. It doesn't hurt to get the boxes stacked there well before you start loading the truck.

Load your heavier square items near the front of the truck.

Rent the blankets and appliance dolly if you have to but go to Sears or Home Depot and buy a dolly for boxes. It's a good investment.

Dishes-- paper plates make excellent dividers for plates and saucers.

Buy a good lock for the truck.

Drain oil and gas from mowers, lawn equipment. Try to load items like that last.

Waterbeds are a pain in the butt. They take a long time to drain and disassemble.

Use brown crayons to hide scratches on wood furniture.

Buy good packing tape. Don't try to get away with scotch tape or masking tape.

Get the truck with a built in ramp.

If you hire help loading and unloading be sure and check their references. Sometimes valuable things end up missing and it may take you weeks to discover the loss.

Liquids-- if something can leak it will, expecially on long trips.

Avoid towing a trailer or car if you can help it. Most people don't have the experience to manage things if a problem happens.

Pack the truck tight. A tape measure comes in really handy when you are trying to decide what goes where.

Take your time. Check your route well before you travel.

Good luck--

:cool2: :cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

[oldroses]

Allie, I'm not sure how far you are moving, but a few years ago Dh and I made 4 long distance moves in a 3 year period! So I think I learned a few things and while I agree with the other posters on their recommendations, I wanted to add a couple of my own.

First, call around to get the best quote on a moving truck, Penske is the best, better than U Haul by far, mainly because they replace their vehicles far more often, which is great because they are usually cleaner and they don't break down enroute. But most importantly Penskes one way rates are very good; one price with no extra fees per mile.

Second, packing blankets are the key to keep your furniture and appliance from getting scratched. But instead of renting blankets, you can easily get new but cheaply made blankets at K Mart for like $5 a piece or you can also find blankets for a little less at thrift stores, though they will need to be washed. We ended up using these blankets for many projects afterward, like painting, moving other stuff etc., and got alot of use from them before they just had to be tossed or donated to the Goodwill.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your move!
:gvibes:

[allie]

I'll read up and reply more later (going to bed in a minute) but I had to laugh at the brown crayon comment - I had to do that on our coffee table (like new, was my Gma's) already. I did it on my parents coffee table a few years ago and my Dad thought I "fixed" the nick in it, lol.

And we only have the waterbed frame.. we're thinking of offing it and using a regular frame. We got of our waterbed a year ago as it killed both of our backs with no support (or the wrong type of support). :)

[jcns]

One thing that helped me when we recently moved was color! We packed and packed for months, then when we sold our house, everything went into storage for a few months. Everything that went into the living room was labeled with a bright/dark blue marker. Everything that was going into my daughter's room was labeled with a bright magenta. Everything in my son's room was bright green - anyway, it made it very easy at a glance to know exactly where to bring each box as it was being un-loaded - without having to read the actual contents, just see what color it is. It was a great packing tool as I had half the house packed before we even had it on the market to sell!
Another quick tip - make sure you label every box on ALL sides - not just the top, or one side. That way, it doesn't matter how it's stacked for you to know what's in it. Very helpful when you've got a room full of boxes and all you want is that darn coffee pot! lol
Another thing that was helpful - and a $$$ saver - was our shredder. I know, it sounds weird, but instead of tossing or recycling the paper stuff that we were going to get rid of anyway, we shredded it, and used the shredded stuff instead of packing peanuts or other packing materials.
I'm sure I'll come up with some others now that it's on my mind, but the different color markers were such a time saver for us.

[Nelene]

The best advice I have is to hire a moving company. Pricey, I know, but well worth the money!!! You might even try to get a local team, thro word of mouth. There's one here called Father and Son.....and they come highly recommended......just thought your city might have something similiar.......good luck to you and yours!.............................................................................................. .................................................................................................... ................................................................................................I HATE moving!!!! If it ever happens again I'll just bonfire it all and start over!!!!:)

[skpaw]

I kept going to the grocery store and asking for the boxes the eggs come in. They are a good size, sturdy and have hand holds in them. They gave them to me free. I had to keep going in to pick them up and also ask them not to slice off the lid flaps, but I got lots of them for free. Computer paper boxes are great if a school, office, or office supply store is willing to give them out--it is worth asking.

I agree about labeling the boxes with different colors and on all sides. I packed my dishes with a washcloth between each plate, bowl till I used them all, then I went to paper plates. Small towels are also good. (Or baby t shirts?) You will have to toss them in the wash after you unpack, but it is worth it not to bust up the dishes. Carry a pocket knife for opening all the taped up boxes.

Don't make the boxes too heavy. You will be moving them around inside new house when husband is working. You don't want to hurt yourself or baby. Start as early as you can with the things you can live without.

Don't get rid of the baby toys--you are going to need them soon. It would cost more to replace them than you would get for selling or donating them. Get as much help from anyone who is willing to come pack with you as you can! Pay friends with pizza. They have probably asked you to help them in the past.

[Ravzie]

You have a lot of good advice!! Good luck with the move!!

[melonhed]

Use your linens as packing between breakables. T shirts work well also, why put in paper or peanuts when you have clothes and towels you need to pack any way.

[ignoramoose]

Everyone has given you such great advice! I have to second silvawin here, box everything. Put absolutely everything you can in a box, even if you think "oh I can just carry this by itself, it'll be easier, it'll break, it won't fit etc.". Come moving day you will be so thankful you did!

Good luck!

[wildbirds]

My best advice is to take one room at a time well in advance before your move. When I see something and have to ask myself should I keep it or should I throw it away or put it in a yard sale, I always either put it in a sale or I throw it away. I figure if I have to ask myself I probably don't need it.

Pack everything you know your not going to need and find a corner or a room your not using to stack boxes. If your moving to the same town or city, your in luck because you can take all the kitchen items to the new house one day and then do another room the next. Remember to set things like plants and breakable items aside so you can put them in a car.

We decided to sell our house in Jan. of last year and I started packing right away. I set everything aside that went into the yard sale and placed an ad in the paper for large things I wanted to sell. Worked out great.

Hope all goes well for you and DON'T lift anything heavy yourself. That's what nice strong hubbies are for.

[cpnqn]

I bought my new home a few years back a couple of days before thanksgiving- so I had to load and unpack FAST! first of all- LABEL, LABEL, LABEL- duh! but you want to know if junk- is kitchen, bathroom or other.
unload the drawers from the dresser, as this makes it easier- dont bother pulling them out- instead invest about 5-10 dollars in plastic wrap- most 'mom and pop movers sell it' it serves 2 purposes it keeps the drawers in place and provides some protection (though minimal so don't just toss things on top!) wrapping bulky items with doors and drawers will be last on the list- for closets I swear by hanging boxes- they were about 5.00 each- but saved me hours of re-washing, hanging etc- it has a bar installed and held everything nice and in place- plus CLEAN! lol- I would pay 20 knowing what I know now- I have moved before but never so quickly used to spend hours just re-doing my new closets when I moved...
stop buying perishable food for now- if it isn't in a sealed container and easy to pack- don't buy- I like what an earlier post said about it leaking- it will! lol.
I put all my perishables in my truck (suv) since I was just moving in town and let dh drive the truck.
Dollies, ramps--yes! there is also a thing called a 4-way- I swear by it too- it is square shaped with heavy duty wheels on each of the 4 corners- though flat on top- this will move the refridgerator with little or no effort on your part- we moved many bulky antique, and fine pieces using this puppy.
I don't recommend letting anyone else pack for you- unless related and care as much as you do- this is a good way to loose valuable items- either by theft, or carelessness. I have handled many people in this area- and it is a very sad situation when an irreplaceable memory is damaged forever- if it is that valuable- don't leave the care of it up to strangers.
utmost- label every box- even though you might remember- don't take chances!
When loading- Heavy items such as furniture go on last- boxes first- there is a reason-
When you go to unload- you will want to place your furniture before you add a bunch of boxes to any area- though furniture may still need to be unwrapped, covered, etc- it will be in place and prevent having to make difficult maneuvers to manage around boxes. And in the end unpacking will be a snap if done properly.
Save a few kitchen rugs for last on and first off- the purpose being- if it is dirty coming in or out you will have less work both ways to clean up behind. Also wherever you are moving too- is simpler to scrub down walls and floors before moving in- don't risk getting someone elses illness- because you wanted to unpack before you cleaned- put the cleaning supplies in your vehicle and get there before whoever is driving the truck does- you will feel more relaxed placing your stuff on already cleaned counters and freshly lined shelves, and clean floors.
I save my bags for my comforters that zip- life is better this way- but they can be purchased as well as matress bags and other items that come in really handy.
I don't put much care into leaky stuff- I sit it upright in the biggest box I can carry and haul it separately because it will leak- shampoo, syrup, even window cleaner- ya never know which one has your bad day all in it...
when dismanteling larger pieces keep ziploc bags on hand- with a permanent marker for screws and label each one, put them all in a larger bag that you will keep track of- most people like to put the screws back- tried it- lost them- life is just easier if I have them on my person. No one will be blamed if I lost the all important piece- other than me...
if you can get in ahead of time hauling small stuff on your own like dishes and glassware can be done in open boxes, driven carefully across town, if not- wrap it- newspaper is what I use, and tons of it- sorry free paper printing people but I go to the advertiser papers that are on every corner in the city and rob them blind- I know I will get 1000 lashes for saying that out loud- but I do it. I can't afford to spend 30.00 on paper for wrapping all my dishes.
Also, I ordered in on the way to the new house- so I don't have to rush anything- why bother cooking your first nite, or going out- I don't eat pizza, but they deliver everything here, so I ordered in.
2 days later- I cooked Thanksgiving dinner- and my home was showcase ready! lol. :)

[Nickyle]

sorry free paper printing people but I go to the advertiser papers that are on every corner in the city and rob them blind- I know I will get 1000 lashes for saying that out loud- but I do it. I can't afford to spend 30.00 on paper for wrapping all my dishes.


:laugh: :laugh: kara3489...you got me giggle on that. (Does that mean I am guilty of the same thing??? heehee)

My only advise is to take care of all personal things at your old address before making the move to the new, makes life less stressful and you don't need stress right now. :)

[sallykay]

:gvibes: Lots of good advice, Allie! We have moved many times. Moving permanently back home after finishing school, I used those plastic grocery bags doubled up to wrap books. Books can get heavy, and the bags worked great. I just tied the handles.

Make a list of what to do. When we left for school to start with, the computer keyboard was left on our living room floor. Luckily, DH was back there right away & brought it to us.

[Mary Beth]

Buy a handtruck. You'll use it in the future many more times than you think you will. I bought my last one for $30 at Home Depot. It's not the kind that will move the refrigerator, but it will move a stack of boxes.

Pack the essentials (coffee pot, coffee, a set of towels, shampoo, soap, stuff like that that you will have to have when you get to the new house) in a last-minute box that is marked in some way so that you can spot it easily. Maybe orange electrical tape around it or something like that.