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fleaWe have the mortgage and are going down to close a week from Monday. It turns out we are literally around the block from where the mother of Casper's twin friends grew up, and where the grandparents still live. Twins' mother can't say enough good things about the neighborhood.
The contract movers seem very competent, but they are also full of rules. They can't move anything liquid, anything flammable, or open food. So we'll have to ditch or transport ourselves everything from nail polish remover to candles to batteries to spices to bleach to bins of flour. Ugh. Plants. So many things.
Also, they can't promise how long it will be after they pack us up that our stuff will actually arrive in GA, and they won't be able to tell us until the day they pack. They said 2-6 days. Two would be fine, but SIX is a lot. Six would mean 5 nights camping out in our house, and then only 4 days to unpack before mr. flea starts work.
Given these two situations, we'll probably be packing the car full when we go down to close - complete set of towels, shower curtain, dishes and silver, anything on the no-ship list we can live without for 3-4 weeks and can fit.
I lie awake worrying about this move every night now.
The contract movers seem very competent, but they are also full of rules. They can't move anything liquid, anything flammable, or open food. So we'll have to ditch or transport ourselves everything from nail polish remover to candles to batteries to spices to bleach to bins of flour. Ugh. Plants. So many things.
Also, they can't promise how long it will be after they pack us up that our stuff will actually arrive in GA, and they won't be able to tell us until the day they pack. They said 2-6 days. Two would be fine, but SIX is a lot. Six would mean 5 nights camping out in our house, and then only 4 days to unpack before mr. flea starts work.
Given these two situations, we'll probably be packing the car full when we go down to close - complete set of towels, shower curtain, dishes and silver, anything on the no-ship list we can live without for 3-4 weeks and can fit.
I lie awake worrying about this move every night now.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-23 11:56 pm (UTC)light bulbs (you'd be surprised how many people TAKE their bulbs with them when they move!)
some kind of spray cleaner and beaucoup paper towels
wet wipes
toilet paper (at least one roll per bathroom in new place)
can opener
paper plates/cups/plastic forks/spoons/knives (although now I'd pack our Ikea/Target plastic & melamine stuff)
bedding & towels
a new book/toy for each of us as a bribe to be good
If I were going to be in a new house for six days I'd take one pot, one frying pan, one knife, one big bowl, one cooking spoon, and one spatula/turner. Six days of KFC gets old FAST.
My mom would also toss any food/spices/condiments that had made the last move (usually no more than three years previous). She would duct tape containers closed -- things ALWAYS spill.
Good luck! This is going to be exciting!
moving tales
Date: 2008-06-24 05:38 am (UTC)* make sure up front that you get FULL REPLACEMENT VALUE insurance - the normal contract is for a few cents per pound, which is very, very low. Don't wait until you're signing papers, after all your boxes are already on the truck, to find out what kind of insurance you have. You'll have to dicker to get them to agree to full replacement value, and then verify that your paperwork actually reflects it.
* make sure, first thing when they arrive, that they have room for ALL your stuff on one truck. The truck that showed up at my house was already half full with some else's stuff. They had to get a second truck to take the rest of mine after the first truck was full. While the first truck arrived within the promised time, I had to threaten the moving company with dire consequences to get the second truck to show up within 2 weeks.
* in addition to all the stuff they already said they wouldn't pack, I advise you to not send your most precious, fragile belongings with them. I don't know if you've watched movers pack a truck lately, but they literally stack boxes 10 feet tall with no regard for what's on the bottom.
* if the movers are packing for you - the old adage is true. They literally WILL pack the trash in your waste baskets.
* you should stand by as the movers are working, watching and participating in the inventory of stuff going on the truck. Don't count on having time to finish your own work during that day. Once the truck is loaded, you'll be asked to sign papers that say their inventory is complete; they'll also take notes about every scratch and dent on your stuff so you can't later claim it was damaged in transit. Verify all they write down and carry out, and intercede if your glassware is being stacked underneath 10 boxes of books. Don't be afraid to stand up for your belongings. Some of the packers I've worked with have been pretty dim.
* if you pack anything in advance of the movers showing up, pack smallish boxes and pack them as solidly as time and your sense of geometry will allow. Large, partially empty boxes will crush in those big stacks.
* if any of your furniture disassembles, take it apart yourself in advance. I've had more than one thing broken by movers in a hurry (especially Ikea quality, RTA furniture), and lost many a bracket and screw. Put all the miscellaneous parts in plastic bags and tape them to the furniture, or you won't be able to find them later. Tape together shelves, legs, etc., into bundles.
* clearly label boxes with the room they belong in at the new house, and ask movers to carry boxes all the way into their intended room when delivered. Saves you a gazillion trips in and out of the garage when you unpack.
* thoroughly checking your inventory as they unload. Don't allow yourself to get confused. Stop everyone to verify what's come off the truck if you need to. Every single time I move, something gets lost, not matter how careful I am. A shovel here. A fire extinguisher there. Loose, unbundled stuff is especially problematic.
* finally, my last load went like this: after the movers left, I drove down to my new town, left my car at the airport, flew home on a one-way ticket, picked up one of the small rental trucks, and packed it full of my grandmother's china, all the special knick-knacks one collects over time, plants, and the supplies I wanted at hand for the first week. A small truck, reserved in advance on the internet, was pretty cheap and plenty easy to drive. I filled it just 3 feet deep (way more than would have fit in my car), about as deep as I wanted that stuff to travel. Drove the truck down, unpacked it, took it back to the rental place, grabbed a cab to the airport, and Viola! Done!
Sorry for rambling so long, but I have vivid memories of exactly the moment and space you find yourself in, and the frustrations that went along with the transition. It's an exciting time, but just plain hard work. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. But to make it that way, you'll have to pay close attention ...
Cygnet
Re: moving tales
Date: 2008-06-24 06:01 am (UTC)* no matter how many boxes you gather in advance, you will need more before you're done. The last 10% of your house will, I swear, take as many boxes as the first 90%.
* While the sales people who gave you estimates and sealed the deal may seem pretty competent, I can promise you that the folks who show up on moving day will be fairly harried and distracted, and not terribly sensitive about how important your stuff is to you. Sad but true. Be prepared for the difference, and stay involved.
Cygnet