Rumor has it that you began the arduous undertaking of an overwhelming task called moving- and without the help of professionals. Unless you are like me, I’ve moved so much in my life I can pack up an entire house in one week. Sometimes less. It’s not something I’m proud of, as it seems a tad crazy. I am proud of the fact, however, that I only broke one lampshade during the last excursion but it still works so does that really count?
Good news! There are foolproof methods out there to restore sanity to the madness during the newspaper crumbling, bubble wrapping, and encounter overloaded boxes The madness doesn’t have to continue. Here’s how,
1. Use recycled boxes. Check out your local grocery stores and department stores for their product boxes. They are often very happy to allow you to pick them up. Banana boxes are the best as they are sturdy- a great description for us book hoarders! I’ve found that going in the early morning works best as they are unloading fresh produce.
2. Stickers! In many colors and in large quantities. Use round neon stickers and create a color-coded system by designating certain colors for each individual room. If pink is for the bathroom, slap a sticker on and your good to go. Because seriously how often does our hurriedly written labels in a dying sharpie really work? As you progress from room to room take a blank sheet of paper and place a sticker on diligently writing its coordinating room. Keep this handy in your purse or wallet so on U-Haul day things go that much smoother.
3. Flying 101. Take a page from your flying handbook. We have all heard horror stories of how luggage gets lost, misplaced or never made it on the plane to begin with. While we ourselves have thankfully not had the joy of experiencing that firsthand we still pack an extra everything security allows us on our carry on. Being stranded in a foreign country with no extra undergarments? No thank you. It’s more common for this to happen during moving, especially if you are putting a lot of miles between the old shack and the new one. Our last minute packing got put on the truck first, or in our haste we packed it in a black garbage bag and come to think of it we did have an abnormally large amount sitting by the curbside. So set aside a suitcase or duffel bag and tie a bright ribbon around the handle. As the days wind down put the absolute necessary items in it and keep a very diligent eye on it!
4. Tortoise style. Slow and steady wins the race. I maybe did it in a week, but I was steady. I didn’t skimp on stabilizing glass with bubble wrap or mix living room with bathroom. Take deep breaths. Take nice breaks. And then continue. Things can get emotional as you uncover sometimes a lifetimes worth of accumulated paraphernalia. Remember to follow rule number 2 as well!
5. Tape. More sticky stuff, I know, but please don’t be one of the friends I’ve helped moved who used severely generic tape that didn’t even have the fortitude to stick to the prepackaged roll. Be like Gary Sadelstein in Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill. Love the tape. Use plenty and don’t be afraid to re-tape. Your life is practically in those boxes, so yes you might want to handle with care.
6. Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask for the assistance of your friends and family’s help. (Unless of course you don’t want them to know you are moving much less to where!) When it comes to muscles heaving and hoing on moving day the more the merrier, right?
Bon Voyage! May your new home be filled with love, laughter, many good memories, and our fingers crossed, hope that you won’t need another U-Haul for at least another ten years!
Image courtesy of juniorvelo
