Moving is something every person swears they'll never do again. Just the thought of all those boxes, all those cupboards that need to be sorted out and all that packing. Not to speak of all those books and letters and all those clothes you haven't worn in ages. And the children's old toys that are cluttering up a whole cupboard. And your husband's workshop. The nightmare continues.
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But then you find the home of your dreams or the job of your dreams and before you know it, there you go again. By day one of your packing you are cooing over your child's Grade 1 reports and by day five you are throwing out the only photograph you have of your great-grandmother.
And not everyone can afford to get people in to do all the packing for them while they lounge next to the pool.
So what can you do to make this experience less traumatic?
A cupboard a day keeps insanity at bay. Don't try and sort out you whole house in a weekend. Usually you have at least a month's notice of the impending move. Spend one hour a day starting to sort out your cupboards one by one. Make a timetable for doing this. In this way you will feel you have achieved your daily goals rather than being overwhelmed by the enormity of the task and then not doing anything at all. By doing this, you will also spread what you are throwing out over a couple of weeks instead of having to bribe the refuse removers to take it all in one fell swoop.
Get help to pack. When it comes to kitchen stuff and crockery and things like CDs and books that don't need to be sorted, get help. Get a domestic worker for an extra day or two to wrap glasses, pack books in boxes, wash out empty cupboards and scrub floors.
Get lots of medium-sized boxes. Boxes can often be obtained from supermarkets – it is a good idea to go to the supermarkets around the middle of the month as they are inundated with requests for these at the end of the month when lots of people move. If boxes are too big, they can burst open at the bottom when picked up. Medium-sized boxes are better.
Contact charities. Make a list of all the clothes, crockery, furniture etc. you no longer want. Decide which of these you can sell and try to do so. The classified section of the local paper will usually help you to sell whatever you no longer want. If you don't want to sell your things, or it's simply too much trouble, phone a local charity and offer it to them. Often they will collect these items. If they are not interested, they should be able to tell you who would be.
Get a trustworthy mover. This is essential. And this does not necessarily mean the most expensive. Get someone who comes recommended by someone whose judgement you trust. The last thing you want is someone who drops your grandmother's piano you inherited or arrives at your new home minus your TV set. Find out if the company is insured in case any of your possessions go missing or are damaged. There is nothing worse than waiting for hours and hours for an elusive mover who does not arrive on time. Also stipulate if there are any special things that need to be done, like hoisting furniture up a couple of floors into a loft. Get a written quote from the movers – before they touch anything.
Get someone to clean up as you evacuate. Once you have packed your things and labeled everything in boxes and dismantled the10-seater table and moved the washing machine, cleaning up is not going to be at the top of your list of priorities. Get someone to scrub surfaces as you move out. Especially if you've been renting, because a chunk of your deposit might be used by your landlord to clean up after you. And he/she might get the most expensive cleaning company in town.
Label boxes clearly. Once you get to the other side, all the boxes are going to look the same – label them according to a code. All kitchen stuff #1, all files in the study #2 etc. In this way you can get the movers to put all the boxes in the right rooms on the other side, so you won't have to lug them around yourself.
Mid-month move. If possible, it is also a good idea to try and move in the middle of the month – you are more likely to get people who are able to fit in your move then. Movers are generally booked out the first and the last weeks of the month. Try and see if you can take transfer of your new property in the middle of the month. You are more likely to be accommodated by the mover of your choice.
Don't hoard. If you have not used something for a year or two, chances are slight that you will ever again. Declutter your life. Throw out as you go along, then moving will not be such a traumatic experience, if you have to do it again in a few years' time.
Remember the toilet paper. This is a big one. Put an extra roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. When you are moving, this is often the last thing you think of, but when you've got to go, you've got to go. And finding an empty toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom can be the straw that breaks the camel's back on the day you move. Also take a roll to your new house. When nature calls, you are not going to know in which of the 117 boxes to find the toilet paper.
Call in favours from friends. If people have offered to help, take them up on it. Have a packing party. Buy a bottle of wine and get a few takeaway pizzas and put them to work. Thing is, they can then expect you to do the same when they move. And you should.
Pack an overnight bag. Make sure you have a bag with basic essentials, such as a change of underwear, pyjamas, a toothbrush, cellphone, wallet, a hairbrush, any medication you may be taking and clean clothes for one day. You will need these things when you get to the other side and will not be able to find them in the myriad of boxes strewn across your new house.
Put pets in kennels. Dogs and cats become traumatised by an imminent move – they know something is afoot and they also keep on getting underfoot. And you don't want that when you're moving the grand piano. Put them in kennels for a few days until you are settled in on the other side. In this way, if they come to a new house that is sorted out, you are also far less likely to lose them – pets often go missing when people move.
Farm out small children. A toddler can also get underfoot when a big move is happening. Call in a favour from your mother-in-law or a friend, or even pay a babysitter to look after your offspring in a different place from where the chaos is taking place.
Bubblewrap valuables. Ornaments, expensive electrical goods or other breakables you may want to transport yourself . Bubblewrap everything to ensure that even if things are dropped, the chances of damage are reduced.
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