Moving Tips?

[Nikolaj]

In a month, it's very likely that I will be moving for the first time in 14 years. So I have lots of stuff. It will be the first time since my childhood that I'll be living in a house, but still there's lots to move from this large apartment. Other than the obvious- hire someone to take care of it!-- are there any good tips for moving that any of you have stumbled across and wished you known about before you moved?
I think I may throw a lot of things away to make it easier, yet with all the extra space I'll have, I don't need to throw things away. Decided ( I think) to keep the vinyl collection I hardly ever play (of course all things Fleetwood Mac related never were in dumpster danger). I know there must be some brilliant tips that I've never considered. Anyone?

[wheart]

In a month, it's very likely that I will be moving for the first time in 14 years. So I have lots of stuff. It will be the first time since my childhood that I'll be living in a house, but still there's lots to move from this large apartment. Other than the obvious- hire someone to take care of it!-- are there any good tips for moving that any of you have stumbled across and wished you known about before you moved?
I think I may throw a lot of things away to make it easier, yet with all the extra space I'll have, I don't need to throw things away. Decided ( I think) to keep the vinyl collection I hardly ever play (of course all things Fleetwood Mac related never were in dumpster danger). I know there must be some brilliant tips that I've never considered. Anyone?

Are you hiring a moving company or do it yourself? If you're doing your own packing and moving, start packing now. I've moved twice in the past two years and being organized and diligent have been the biggest helps. Don't wait until the last minute to pack because then it just become chaotic. Also, if your enlisting the help of friends, remember that most people will not show up, even if they say they will. Moving sucks and nobody wants to help anyone do it. If you get way more people confirming they will help you than you actually need, you'll probably end up with just the amount you do need (if you're lucky). If you're packing your own truck, make use of every inch of space, including vertical space. It's amazing how much you can fit if you really pack smart and take your time. Also remember things will shift during the move so keep that in mind when loading breakable items. And obviously, the things you want to unload first are the things you load last. It's simple stuff but it's easy to forget once the "big day" comes and you're mind is going in a million different directions. Good Luck!

[jannieC]

Label your boxes well so that you know what to unpack first. Smaller boxes are better. It's tempting to throw all of your stuff into gigantic boxes, but then they're a bitch to lift. And take plenty of advil ahead of time; moving is back breaking work.

[chiliD]

Move your small/medium sized electronics yourself (read: take them in the car, not pack them in the moving van). And, if you have breakable items that are "keepsakes", move THEM yourself as well.

My wife & I lost a couple of precious irreplaceable items by letting the moving company pack them & take them in the van instead of just packing them in our car. The monetary reimbursement by the moving compnay wasn't compensary with the loss.

Ditto on Jannie's advice about using smaller boxes...it may turn out to be MORE boxes, but they'll be easier on the body to lift. Your body will thank you later.

Easy on the Advil, though (sorry, Jannie), Ibuprofen in large doses (over 1000 mg per day) is poison to your kidneys.

[Nikolaj]

Thanks for the tips, everyone!
I will not ask any relative or friend for help. I think it's just bad form, it's one of those things I wouldn't ask somebody for as a 'favor'.
I have the unusual perk of being able to move my items into the house starting 3 weeks before I actually move in, so I'm fortunate, and can do it gradually. No landlord ever did this for me, before. Perhaps it's because (against advice) I agreed to sign a three-year lease. "Nobody ever does that, how can you know what will happen in the next 3 years?"-- I know how fast 3 years goes, how I hate moving, and I love the house, and maybe eventually can convince him to sell it to me. The owner is a doctor, so I thought the 3 year thing wasn't a big deal, he's a reputable, professional man and it was 'trust at first sight'.
I've already engaged one guy who is a maintenance worker at my soon to be former residence to help get the large items like sofas and beds and the tv downstairs from the top floor I live on. At the 'new' house, I think I can get things in by myself, if not, this paid guy will help me.
I like the ideas like smaller boxes, labeling them and all of the tips you've been kind enough to offer. That's all the help I'm asking for, it's all do-able. The Advil tip was good, too.
Thanks!

[Zombie]

I move a lot, so I have learned some stuff the hard way over the years. Taking preciouses with you in the car instead of the van or whatever is definitely a smart tactic, but here's another one for those things:

Get Rubbermaid totes - those plastic storage tubs? any brand works, as long as they have the lids that lock - for your preciouses. I pack all of my Mac/Stevie memorabilia and other important items in these, especially when I know my stuff will have to be in storage for a while or something. They seal better than cardboard boxes, they are sturdier, and you won't be nervous about moving anything in the rain or whatnot. Plus, they are handy to have around for storage for other stuff later. This is one I am incredibly glad I started doing a couple of moves back, because I placed my unpacked Mac/Stevie stuff in the closet here at the new house, and when it rained a few days later and I discovered there was a leak in the roof where the closet is, nothing got ruined. Rain on my clothes was annoying, but they can be laundered. Rain on my copy of the 12" promo for If Anyone Falls with the Morabita skech cover in near mint condition would be catastrophic and grounds for justifiable landlord-homicide.

Also, if, like me, you have a f*ck-ton of books (apologies for the swearin', but there is no adequate unit of measure for the number of books I possess), then pack them on the bottoms of many different boxes, rather than all in just a few "book" boxes. I line the bottoms of nearly all my moving boxes with books, and then place lighter items on top. It helps disperse the weight, and also helps make the boxes sturdier.

And I use my drapery to wrap fragile knick-knacks up before putting them in boxes. More cushion than newspaper or other paper packing materials, less messy than foam peanuts, and cheaper than bubble wrap (though not as cathartic).

[Nikolaj]

^
Brilliant stuff in there, Zombie, thank you. I think I need to print that out! How ever do you manage dealing so frequently with the emotional upheaval of moving a lot?
I think it sounds very healthy you just do it, I've been making myself miserable over it, even thinking of ditching the Stevie MGM Show in CT here on the 28th. Have fun amidst this wallowing? Play the ticket-game in this relentless heat wave?
Yet, as I was reading about your tupperware with lids tips, and others you mentioned (the draperies!) I felt better. I haven't gotten around to the memorabilia part of packing yet, so great timing.
Thank you, again.

[Zombie]

^^^^

Haha, no problem. As for moving a lot, I'm a nomad, can't feel bad for the way I am, been rolling around my whole life, etc. I like new places, so while moving is always stressful by nature, I still get excited about the possibilities of somewhere new. We moved a lot growing up, all across the country, and I didn't stay in one place for more than a year or two until I hit high school. So that might have something to do with it.

I will say, however, that this most recent move just about broke me, financially & mentally. But it was an unexpected move caused by events I got blindsided by, not at all something I had planned on doing, so it was much harder to get excited about it. I mostly just worried. And I'm still worrying. But it will get better, I'm sure, and despite all the crap, I do like being in a new city with new people to meet and new stuff to see, and a new house to make pretty. I got my black & white Stevie/Mac photo collage wall done over the weekend and this cheered me up considerably. :woohoo:

So don't make yourself miserable. And go to the show! You deserve a break, and you'll feel refreshed.

[KarmaContestant]

I moved to Denver in 1992. June. Since then I have moved 12 times in all seasons.

*Start packing early - like a month before you need to be out. Books, records, infrequently used dishes, and all of the miscellaneous stuff like wall decor and knick-knacks can be packed away and stored in part of your apartment designated for boxes; I usually use the living room. It's a constant reminder of how much work I've done, and what is left to do.

*Banker boxes are great. Office Max or Office Depot always has them, they can be had cheaply, and are reusable for many, many years. And they have built in handles! Of course, big things like down comforters and large pots and pans don't fit, but that's what storage tubs are for.

*Clean the old place as you pack. By the time you move out, practically all that's left to do is sweep and mop the floors.

*By all means, don't hesitate to ask friends to help you on moving day. Reward them with pizza and beer (or Coke or whine) after the moving is done, and most people will be more than happy to help you move. Play some music, and start with coffee and doughnuts for everyene who shows up on time. I recruit anywhere from 8-13 friends when I move, and we knock it out in a couple of hours. No one has ever said no unless they truly were not available. Always be willing to help them move if they've helped you.

*Never leave stuff for your moving friends to pack on moving day. This is unbelievably rude.

*One person should coordinate what order stuff goes out of the apartment, and another should coordinate how things go in the truck. Everyone else can carry stuff.

*Stack some boxes in the back of the truck first, then big furniture, then fill in the small empty spaces with more boxes and small oddly shaped stuff. Pack densely so things don't have room to move around while the truck is moving.

*Lastly, accept that things may get misplaced or broken during the move. Life goes on, and material things are replaceable.

All of Zombie's tips were great!

[Sahara]

I'll be moving back to college next month, so these have been useful for me too! Zombie, thanks for the advice about books dispersed among different boxes. My textbook boxes are always the nightmare items.

You're probably doing this already, but I highly recommend vacuum storage bags for clothes, duvets etc. They really reduce the volume of your stuff. Also, I found it entertaining to make a pillow go rock-hard. :o

[Zombie]

^^^^

Yar, books is heavy. If I didn't disperse the weight, I'd be in huge trouble. :laugh:

[Nikolaj]

I just came upon something kewl by accident and it's so bizarre I want to share it. Thanks again to everyone who has responded, first.
So, I have moved about a room of furniture from this apartment into the house I move into in September.
First, I started with the art, wall mirrors, sconces, and still have some to go. But the framed, behind glass art is a good 70% moved.
So, I have these nail holes in the wall , and sometimes I used screws for heavy stuff I didn't want to come crashing down- Do you know what works brilliantly in filling in the holes? Unscented plain cat litter, white clay-color!
Don't use any that has green 'crystal odor neutrilizers', of course! Here in the East, there's a chain of supermarkets called 'Stop And Shop' and that's been my little girl cats favorite litter, and the shapes of the litter vary, mostly they're little and square-ish, I guess, but some pieces of the white litter are pointy and those work great. Really, I can hardly tell a nail had ever been in the wall! So, I get to leave this place looking nicer than with the walls all hole-y. If I get through these next 3 weeks!
So, depending on the size hole in the wall, one piece, or several for larger holes fits right in and matches the white or off white paint, should you have white-ish walls. It's so silly, but worked so well, I kept walking over to the bag and picking out a handful more- filling more than 20 holes in the walls!
So even if you aren't moving, but you've moved some art and the little holes in the wall bug you, try it! And no, your cat won't try to p*ss on the walls if you do!
M'yow, y'all.

[Zombie]

^^^

Haha, that's awesome. Never thought of that before. Of course, I don't have a cat. But I always just use toothpaste (white toothpaste, the blue or green gel stuff sort of defeats the purpose...)

[Nikolaj]

Ooh, toothpaste sounds better. There's a couple big holes I'm having trouble with!
It's funny to me to think the workers will be painting over the walls with pieces of kitty litter and toothpaste stuck in! But, I do want to leave it looking as good as possible.
After living here for almost 15 years here, they're redoing it all, anyway, so it's a little less pressure. No, I will not need to have professionally steam cleaned carpets, they're shocked I've kept it looking this good so long.

[Princess07]

Good luck with your move. I also use draperies,extra towels,bedsheets for wrapping stuff in. I also number the boxes and write down what is is the box so I know what room to put them in in the new place