We are moving. Packing the house totally ranks up there with root canals and passing gall stones, but moving to where you want to live should have priceless results. If you don't want to move then I can't imagine how awful the packing would be.
My reminders for a better packing / moving experience:
1-
Start early. Like the second you put your house on the market. Don't keep things in the pantry thinking you will use it. That cheese tray you love to entertain with? Pack it! Now. You will not have a party before you move. You won't have time. That dusty slow-cooker? Pack it. My hiusband told me to pack it long ago, but I insisted that I would use it. Moving day came and he looked at me as I packed it - unused since Packing Round 1. Sheepish grin, I wrapped it in newspaper and tucked it in the box.
Leave enough decor out to appropriately "stage" the house for showing, but you could get a jump on the crystal vase collection on top of the cabinets - pack half and spread the others out.
(PS Like Murphy's Law: The longer you wait to start packing, the faster your house will sell!)
2-
Stop grocery shopping 2 months before moving day. Force yourself to use up all the frozen veggies you stocked up on or else you will need a Penske truck to cart all your extra food to the food bank. Do a recipe search by what stuff you have left and eat it up. Face it - you will not use the fifth of Creme de Menthe before you move. Get rid of it - or make 100 parfaits and invite over the entire neighborhood. Oh wait you are packing - so you don't have time!
3-
Drop one bag at Goodwill every day on your way to work.
4-Invest in bubblewrap.
5- Admit it, you haven't worn some items in 10 years so just give them away. You might be that thin again, but the clothes won't be fashionable anymore.
6-
Watch clean house for inspiration.
7-
An offer $5,000 below list is awesome. Do not just turn it down.
8-
Do not let pre-schoolers help pack. This turns into a trip down memory lane and then they want to play with all this crap they haven't touched in 3 years and now cannot part with. Hide stuff and discard. Get rid of all photos with tossed out items in them. they are smart - they will remember the toy and look for it later.
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1 comment:
Good luck with your move!! I can't believe it's just around the corner. And that's a great tip about preschoolers and pictures of toys. I'd never think to hide that.
Here's to a safe, relatively uneventful move for you and the family.
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