posted on September 20, 2001 07:38:21 PM new
We have very suddenly bought a home in So. California and now have to sell our home in Northern Utah (getting out just in time for the Olympics!).
A while back there were some great suggestions here as to what to do first, second, etc., how to clear out, how to keep track of what's in boxes, and what to bring in the car with us (like the coffeemaker for the next morning!). We'll have a moving company move us.
I am tearing my hair over starting (we're still in CA, leaving this weekend, facing all that stuff accumulated over 21 years). Any good suggestions for me? We'll want the house to be fairly presentable, to sell, which means packing up all my ebay treasures to sell later on, but leaving enough that the furnishings look good. ~Adele
posted on September 20, 2001 08:45:23 PM new
When are you moving ... it's confusing from your message.
My two most necessary things, make that three.. My absolutely favorite set of bedding (nothing quite so nice as falling into a nicely made bed after being awake for a day or so) coffee maker (don't forget the coffee ) and the pets. We didn't move states so the pets could be moved ahead of time, but the other two items were the only things that I really wanted when we finally got the movers out of the new house.
I kept my checklists and addressed/stamped change of address cards along with a pack of pens and a good marker for labelling boxes all together in a large ziploc bag. I also kept a notepad in there where I listed as much as possible (or necessary) of every box of each room. This made my unpacking much easier and quicker. When it came down to the wire though (this was in may) it seemed to all fly by in a blink of an eye.
Good luck, and have fun. I grumped at the time, but looking back I did have fun
posted on September 20, 2001 09:08:11 PM new
I like modular packing i.e. packing small boxes and then placing inside larger boxes. It makes it a lot easier to put stuff away in some order at the other end.
I created an inventory list and labelled each larger box with a number and also with the room where the box was to be placed in the new house. Anything which could wait to be unpacked was marked "garage" or "basement".
I created one "priority" box, containing essentials, which was the first box I wanted to unpack at the other end. In this box I also had a screwdriver and loose screws from possessions which had been disassembled while packing.
posted on September 20, 2001 09:15:23 PM new
I had a friend who used to move a lot - always using sheets - placing the sheet in them middle of the bed - piling everything that would fit in the sheet and grabbing the four corners and tying them into a knot. Usually took about four sheets to move a small one bedroom apartment.
Actually, I think you can get some good advice from some of the moving company websites.
Do a search on google.com for 'moving tips'.
Good luck.
My thoughts on this issue have gone 'Un-Surveyed' and may not be of importance to the P.T.B.
posted on September 20, 2001 11:21:26 PM new
Julie--Sorry to be confusing. We're at our cabin in CA, going back home to sell our houses and move, and we'll move sometime later this fall.
THANKS, EVERYONE, for all your good suggestions. I feel better already! Adele
posted on September 21, 2001 04:20:07 AM new
If I were you and the house is close to the Olympics I would wait to sell until after. If you contact a real estate or commercial property manager I am sure they can get you a price for a short term lease to span the Olympics that will blow your socks off. You could even sell the lease on eBay and get a good international audience. Lots of rich people follow the Olympics and want quarters where they can entertain and show they have enough momey they don't have to stay in a hotel. Just be sure to get a bond or deposit and terms to cover any "party" damage. Please post your address so I can send my contact info as I know you will be making so much you will want to reward me for the suggestion.
Thanks -
posted on September 21, 2001 04:57:02 AM new
Congrats on buyin' a new home!!!
My moves have been local, but I offer the following advice. Why not pack like you are going on a trip. Favorite clothing, toiletries, some household cleaners and bedding in suitcases that go with you. Then when you arrive you will have your essentials until the time you pile thru the moving boxes. In addition, the past several times I've moved, instead of using newspapers for wrapping, I used paper towels. Kept my hands clean, reduced the need to wash everything when I got to the new place, and with a new home there is lots of cleanin', so when unpacking I put all the paper towels in a large garbage bag & used them for clean up jobs. Worked great!
posted on September 21, 2001 08:07:16 AM new
I do a lot of writing on the boxes! You think you'll remember what you put where but you won't. So, I wrote on each box which room it should be placed in as well as, especially for important stuff that you really need to have back right away, writing on the box what's in it.
posted on September 21, 2001 08:21:12 AM new
Triggerfish...I did the same thing & then let the movers know which room was which (ie. Bed 2, Bath 2, etc) It worked great, 'cept those boxes I labeled "MISC", 12 years later I still have a bunch of those unopened in my attic!
posted on September 21, 2001 08:29:37 AM new
If you find that you've packed up everything except one remote control, take the batteries out before you toss it in your backpack. If the 'on' button is pressed for any length of time while in your backpack, it will set said backpack on fire at about 930pm in the middle of nowhere - like South Dakota.
That's my tip of the day from Real Fun Things That Happen When Moving 3000 Miles.
posted on September 21, 2001 08:42:37 AM new
Ex-military here, with a lot of moves, the last one was horrific. These are notes about the moving company.
Keep in mind that, in the event of damage or loss, your movers insurance and your home owners insurance are each going to try to make the other pay first, and put you in the middle.
You have to have a complete inventory of anything valuable that you are allowing them to move. Do not let them move anything valuable & small, they will steal it. Take your jewelry, guns, money, stamps & coins etc. Take all important family papers, birth certificates, marriage license etc. Take receipts for all expensive items that they are moving.
Write down serial & model of all appliances & electronics.
Never leave the packers unwatched, they will throw your glassware and other items in mixed boxes (in with metal & wood), doing as little actual wrapping as possible to get it over with quicker. They are paid by the job, not the hour, and they could care less how damaged your items get, they won't be there when you unpack. Packers will also steal, so stay there with them.
Make sure you have them label the boxes correctly. They will make everything "kitchen" if it has 1 drinking glass in it, or "books" if it has 1 book in it.
Videotape all of your furniture the day before, especially any existing damage. The movers will write up all the damage (scratches, veneer chips etc.) the day of the move, while you are really frazzled. The way they write up the inspection, it sounds like everything you own is already garbage before they even got there. Quibble with the guy, make hime write up exact locations & exact dimensions of the damage. If he writes down gouges, and they are really scrathes, get on his case. When they make things worse during the move, and they will, between your videotape pictures and your overview of his write-up, you have something to support your damage claim. The inspector will be a jerk about it, it's his job to make your possessions sound as bad as possible so they won't pay your claim later. You need to watch this guy as he inspects your good stuff. Remember, they will have 4 guys all running around at the same time, you have to watch them all. If they give you a hard time, call the supervisor, don't just let them get away with it. Lots of times the guy who comes to your house is actually an idependant contractor hired by your moving company, adding another layer of trouble to any claim you may make later.
Never leave them unguarded. They will leave your items off of the inventory list and steal them when they leave your property. They will put them in the truck with no tracking number, that's how you can tell they planned to steal it.
Watch to see that they don't damage the furniture just getting it out of the house. The inspection usually take place on the front lawn, after they've already added the new scrathes. Watch for damage to the house as they move things. They may scrape walls, rip linoleum from moving the fridge, stain the carpet, splinter your doorways.
Do not let them move dressers full of clothes, the legs will break.
When they arrive to unpack, videotape the opening of the truck. If you can already see or hear damage, make them stop and get someone from the company there to verify the damege and see exactly how bad it is as it come off the truck. I could hear the broken glass of my curio cabinets when the unpacking started from my last move.
Make sure that the loose items (like yard tool etc.) are acurately inventoried. Descriptions like "8 yard tools" "box books" aren't much help when they don't re-appear after unpacking and you have to make a claim. For books, make sure that they are labelled as to content, (Encyclopedia Britannica, Collectable Cookbooks, professional engineering books" etc.) Remember, you have to be able to prove what was actually in the boxes, and they will try to prove that nothing worth having was in the boxes.
I had a friend whose enire household shipment was burned when the company set the truck on fire while welding on it WHILE HIS STUFF WAS STILL PACKED on it. And more horror stories. The military is a dependable source of income for these guys, it's almost impossible to get one blacklisted no matter how horrible they are, all are allowed to submit contracts for military moves.
posted on September 21, 2001 08:59:22 AM new
Never allow a child to pack his things. The items they think nothing of throwing in a box are amazing. The ideas of things they may want to take as sentimental keepsakes are not logically predictable to the adult mind. It may include anything as strange as the neighbor's cat.
posted on September 21, 2001 09:13:49 AM new
Just something to consider:
Some friends of mine had a well known moving company move them from NY to North Carolina.
The company hired some locals off the street to help when they got down there. The first day there, my friend's mother in NY died and they had to come back up for a week. Apparently, they mentioned it in front of the moving crew and when they got back to North Carolina, their house was almost completely cleaned out and their truck was stolen. The neighbors later reported that some people had been living there all week, swimming in the pool and partying. They thought they were the new owners.
Luckily, they had replacement cost insurance and video footage of everything they owned. The police eventually caught the perps and they were the locals the moving company had hired. The guys only did about a year in jail, though and for the few years they lived there, my friends were always afraid they'd be back.
) and the pets. We didn't move states so the pets could be moved ahead of time, but the other two items were the only things that I really wanted when we finally got the movers out of the new house.