I Hate Packing - House-Moving Nightmares

This is actually a fairly laid back move compared to the others I've been through in the past year. I actually know where I'm going. I actually have a friend with a large car who has agreed to help! The landlord has not let a bunch of builders in to wreck my stuff while I was away! There is no psychotic boyfriend holding my belongings to ransom! This is a piece of cake compared to some of the other times...

my boy is too little yet to be distracted with packing things, but i am hoping to just do it quickly on the day, and get him in his new room before he cottons on to what is happening hahaha. doubt it will work.

Books and CDs are the bain of my life. I have less clothes than I used to, which is good. I think I threw a load out the last time I moved cause I couldn't be bothered to move. Let's hope I never put all that weight back on again... but then again, it's stayed off for a year, so I might be OK. I hope.

no, i'm not bitter about this, not at all

Heh. I just moved 10 blocks on a week's notice, just this weekend. One of my two roommates was out of town, my bf was out of town, and most of my friends were either out of town or moving themselves. So. That was TONS O' FUN let me tell you.

Meanwhile I've been popping Advil like so many M&Ms.

Moving here, the movers broke my television, but it was nearly nine years old so I was surprised it still worked to begin with. I replaced it with an identical television -- except it's from Panasonic instead of Sanyo -- for the same price I paid nine years ago, which seems a bit nutty. The movers paid for none of that, as we were insured for 60 cents per pound and it didn't seem worth the paperwork for a few bucks.

I will never be entirely unpacked unless I line every room with bookshelves -- the closets are filled floor to ceiling, and one of them is acting as a partial pantry since I have about as much cabinet space as a Denny's men's room. The place is just slightly too small for us, but liveable.

The worst friggin' headache, though, was getting No Parking signs posted early so that the curbside could be cleared for when the moving truck came. The city required that we put up signs on poles in front of our apartments saying when the truck was there, keep the area clear, etc. So, fine: We put up the signs in the evening (we lived on the same block then), and the next morning the signs were down.

We get more signs. Put them up.

The next morning, the signs are torn down. Little tatters of paper and tape and string in the gutter.

Another night. More signs. SFPD is losing their patience with us.

Signs go up.

Overnight, signs go down.

The night before the moving truck came I was seriously thinking of sitting on my curb overnight, guarding the friggin' signs with, I dunno, a gun or a machete or something.

Moving day. Signs are down. Luckily, my girlfriend has discovered the culprit: A little old French lady who lived in the same building as my girlfriend, and who the police knew was notorious for this sort of thing. When we find this out, my girlfriend confronts her about this, to which the woman replies:

"I do not like zee signs. I think they are ugly. I tear them down."

Grrrrrrrr.

Somehow, in the end, the moving truck was able to negotiate around the parked cars, and everything got loaded in and sent across the country safely. And the SFPD were extremely helpful in asking people to move cars, etc. But it's exasperating to think about how all the advance planning in the world means nothing the face of an elderly woman with a rigid sense of aesthetics.

It used to be that when I'd move, I'd make two piles -

1. Throw this stuff out pile
2. Keep this stuff pile

Now the piles are organized like this:

1. Throw this stuff out pile
2. Check on eBay to see if this stuff is worth anything, if not, proceed to number 3 pile
3. garage sale pile - whatever doesn't sell proceed to number 1 pile
4. Put this sentimental crap in boxes to place in the garage of the new place pile - I need it, but I never, ever want to see it / step over it again
5. Records, tapes, CDs pile - how to pack, pile, transport?
6. Clothes to throw out pile
7. Clothes to give away pile
8. Winter clothes I won't need for awhile pile (i'm moving to Tennesse - they'll go in the garage (see #4)
9. Clothes I'll keep pile
10. God help me, books, DVDs and videos pile

this is just MY stuff. Wifey has about 100x this stuff (a bit of a pack rat, that one) and guess who'll be doing the lion's share of THAT packing.

I wish I was dead.

Well, not ANYthing, cuz if I gave, like, all my stuff, fr'instance, then, THEN...

well whatever. i wish i never started collecting records

Just make sure that you've got the absolute minimum on hand unpacked, to survive up to the last day. You don't need to keep all the glasses out, keep 3 or 4 and pack the rest. Same with pans, towels, crockery etc.etc.

Unless you are paying someone to carry them!

Did they apologise? Did they bollox. "Big Brother? You're not watching that shite, are you?" they said.
"Well, if you'd been here at six, you wouldn't have to see it," I said.
"Oooh, did you hear that, Derek? If we'd been here at six, we wouldn't have to see Big Brother!"
And we had to help them out to the van with the boxes. And I'm paying these wankers €1200. Grrrrrr.
And the worst part about it is that I know they drove off saying "Jaysus, what's wrong with your woman? She must be on the rag or something".
Double grrrrr.

As I write this I am literally knee-deep in junk. We're moving 1/3 of the way across the United States on the 15th, and today is the 6th. I bought a bunch of those plastic bins at KMart and I'm thinking of breaking my obsessive-compulsive, college-and-time-tested packing rule of strict organization (first in / last out, labeling boxes, etc) and just saying to hell with it and just filling the boxes at random, because I literally cannot take it anymore. I can't have this kind of disorder in my life. I've found myself subconsciously wishing for a terrible fire that would wipe out all of our stuff.

Moving sucks.

But last time I moved, I had to pack with my back still not entirely healed. But I had some helpful friends who came round and helped. So I sat and dealt with the light stuff and didn't have to tackle the heavy stuff by myself.

The move itself was actually stress-free (removals firm from Peckham, about £400; Ava shunted from one willing neighbourhood babysitter to another throughout the day). But we've lived there three months now and 140+ boxes remain packed; this is because we've installed central heating & patio doors, stripped wallpaper and dismantled fireplaces...and then discovered that we had to fully rewire (didn't budget for that...perhaps another thread again - one concerned with lifelong debt).

We've had to move out again to facilitate this (the amount of shifting boxes we've done over the last three months is probably equivalent to moving house two or three times over) - leaving most of our stuff there, putting some other valuables in storage.

My CDs have been packed up since November and probably won't see the light of day until June/July...

1) Pack rat
2) Procrastinator

If the super tells you to LEAVE the rest of yr garbage IN the apartment (nothing biodegradable) -- old newspapers, a broken turntable/speakers etc, and bags of homemade VHS tapes -- because you've filled up the trash area already, you should still get yr deposit back, right? Especially since you actually got the stovetop and bathroom CLEAN before you left?

i have packed roughly 1/8 of my stuff for saturday move but i am out of boxes already u_u

Liquor store? Grocery store? Good luck.

Last winter I moved for the first time in twelve and a half years. I hired movers and, amidst much stress and angst, BROKE MY FUCKING NECK to have everything packed and ready to go by 1 p.m., the appointed time. At 1:30 they hadn't showed; when I called the office I was informed that the client they'd had that morning was taking a bit longer than expected but that they would be at my place soon. In the end they were SIX FUCKING HOURS LATE. I did get moved that night, but JESUS. Not going through THAT again any time soon.

I am moving two weeks on Monday. That's plenty time to pack up the contents of a two-bedroom flat, right? Right? Lidl and Aldi used to be excellent sources of big cardboard boxes, but they appear to have stopped this practice since I started going looking for them. I should go befriend Tesco across the road. And my friendly pub landlord - they must get stuff delivered in boxes, right?

I've moved twice in the last year which is two times too many.

Last year we move 2,000 miles after living in the same house for close to four years. A big house, with enough room that there was no pressing need to ever get rid of anything. We spent three weeks or so packing and cleaning before the movers (paid for by wife's new job) showed up.

Those movers had like ten days to get our stuff to us. This didn't happen. We had an air mattress, one lamp, one pot, one pan, enough dishes to barely eat off of, and some clothing. No furniture. After the movers passed their drop-dead date for getting us stuff, the company offered to pay for 50% of meals out and 100% of lodging. We were tired of eating out, and lodging was useless due to being in a small town with a big university when all the students were moving in.

They said we'd get our stuff on a Friday, for sure this time. It had been like two weeks by now. Then the driver called gave us some bullshit about his son being sick (which may have been true but I seriously didn't give a fuck by that point), and that he'd be coming on Monday instead.

We called the company and bitched them out and they agreed to pay 100% of food retroactively since the original date and for all food and groceries up to $150 a day until the driver showed up. For the next three days we went to the grocery store and co-op with a calculator and spent $450 total on food - tons of canned goods, a five-gallon can of olive oil, cheese, shrimp, fish, all the condiments you have to throw away when you move, and so on. This almost, almost made it worth it. Plus we got them to buy us all new bedding, meaning we bought super-expensive high thread count sheets.

Fuck Wheaton van lines. At least we didn't have to pay for it.

This year we just moved across town, which was fine other than being 95 degrees outside.

my throw-out pile is way to small. why must i have sentimental attachments to useless possessions?

not getting thrown out, but should

books i wont read again
records my cat only uses as a scratching post
crap i have held onto with hope of using it to some kind of artistic purpose (so not gonna happen)
clothing that is torn and stained but reminds me of a time of my life and has an aura of sacredness
broken electronics i might "fix" or "use for parts" (so not gonna happen part 2)
boxes and boxes of cables
piles and piles of mail that i should shred to avoid identity theft but i have no shredder

ETC

have already tossed

collection of blinking lanyards and other corporate miscellany

some expired medicines and cosmetics including blue eye shadow i wore to my junior highschool prom

Moving in 3-4 weeks. Thinking about getting rid of boxes of comics, cds, old clothes. Dreading disassembling and then reassembling bed.

I just did this. We've been here almost two weeks and we're still not unpacked! After all this, I intend to stay here until I can pay someone to move my shit next time.

It's been two weeks and I'm nowhere near unpacked. Moving twice in a year also makes it easier to get rid of stuff too - if you never unpacked it the first time you're probably not ever going to miss it if you just get rid of it.

After spending all day moving and having neither the old place or the new place in shape and dreading assembling the bed, we just stayed in a motel. Air conditioning, big TV, wireless internet, a couple of beers and ten hours of sleep. We could see our house from the room which was either really sad or super great.

i've been shuttling between the old apartment and the new apartment, since i'm not finished moving all my crap yet* and my friend who sublet me the old apartment doesn't get back into town for another ten days. all that's left now is little things -- some artwork, some papers, some shoes, some toiletries. and i want to do a copious cleaning job in time for my friend's return.

*i've just been bringing things over slowly over the past week, and i shipped some stuff to myself via ups. still waiting for my new tv that was supposed to come yesterday (there's been no update on the tracking info in a week). i think someone might have stolen it in transit.

We don't have a new place yet, but started packing books yesterday. 20 boxes done and we know we had over 100 boxes when we moved in a year ago. Since we thought we'd be here 2 years at least, we ditched all the special LP boxes and had to order more, which have to be shipped to us. I had this great idea 6 months ago (we knew we wouldn't be staying here at that point; I've been addicted to craigslist ever since) of digitizing all the CDs so we wouldn't have 15 boxes of those to haul. We have processed exactly 37 of the hundreds in this house. Our furniture is nothing but IKEA shelving and some chairs. And cat toys.

I was all organized for the first few trips of stuff and at this point wrapping up the last of it I'm like packing bags of frozen kale, mahi mahi, power cords, and my computer keyboard

and I dropped a vintage silk Yves Saint Laurent blouse in the gutter :(

I just had an email from my sister who is also moving - this time she splurged and hired movers to not only move but pack. They were so efficient though, they packed EVERYTHING including the dog's food and dishes, the snacks and water she had left in the fridge for when she was cleaning, the cleaning supplies. And she has no idea what box any of it's in.

That sounds GREAT. Next time I move, I'm getting them in. I don't care, I'll just go shopping and buy more snacks. And maybe a new dog.

I have hired, erm, my dad, who is super-organised and efficient and is coming down for four days to pack everything and co-ordinate in return for a few bacardi'n'cokes and a ticket to Celtic v Hearts. He actually ENJOYS all this stuff, God bless him.

Ailsa, would he like to visit Seattle for a week sometime in September?

I bet he would as well. Seriously when we used to go on holiday, he always unpacks then repacks the bags so they are done his way. I saw "when we used to" - he still does it when I go to visit him, then he's the one packing things into the car, he can't even let anyone pack the bags at the supermarket because things have a place and he just knows them. He has actually forbidden my mum to buy a dishwasher because he ENJOYS cleaning and tidying so much. I wish I'd got that gene off him :-/

hey, guys-with-van who did my last Brooklyn move 2 years ago have upped price from $250ish to $700!!!

(halp)

Eeeek, got my reservation email through. Moving into my own flat* for the first time on 1st April! Woo hoo!

Last time I moved I managed to forget to change my utilities over so ended up paying all kinds of disconnection fee nonsense. MUST. NOT. FORGET. UTILITIES.

Anyone got any pro tips for moving? Every time I've moved in the past there has been some kind of crisis, so I wish to learn from the ilx hive mind.

* own = by myself. own != I own it.

Moving on Friday. It's the fucking worst. I keep thinking I'm forgetting to do something which reminds me I need to call the gas people right now. gah.

I am a master packer but the other parts of moving? Sheeeeit as if. Turning off and on utilities and services is such a crock, they ALL have some kind of charge for the privilege of continuing to buy your electricity from the only possible provider.

I think I just got the utilities sorted without much hassle? Asking me again Friday night when I've shivering in the new place.

I am in the midst of this as well--leaving on Thursday for 6-12 months out of the country. So there is packing for that, as well as leaving the house (rented out furnished) in good shape for the tenants.

So. Much. Stuff.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Couldn't fall asleep and up at five worrying. :/

This tenant in the apt I'm moving into is still in there and might very well be until the morning I move. Thing is the movers are coming at 8 so this kid better be out by like 10. I don't know what we'll do if he's not. Also, he had built some weird hideous loft/desk thing in the bedroom that looks like it would be a real pain in the ass to remove. That thing better be gone too. If I'm gonna be moving in while he's moving out and there are cleaners in there too it's going to be a nightmare.

Just talked to landlord who is going to call him one more time.

Oh I hate this so much.

is he still entitled to be there? that tenancy should end at least one day prior to your arrival surely, and if he is still there then you ought to prevail on the landlord as strongly as possible to hold him to his terms

Technically yes he's allowed to be there. This whole one person moving out while the other person moves in thing happens all the time in Boston especially on September 1st when all the students move. The thing is that when I signed the lease I thought this guy would be out by the 15th or 22nd but I guess his plans feel through and technically, yeah, he's allowed to be there until midnight on the 1st but nobody moves at midnight so sometimes there is overlap.

I asked the landlord about the structure in the bedroom and he said that if Homer (current tenant) doesn't remove it he will and that if we do end up moving simultaneously he'll get the cleaners in then too. It'll all get done somehow but if that's how it's going to pan out I may need a fistful of Ativan to get through the day.

Who know though maybe he'll get a hold of this yahoo an it'll turn out he's moving today or tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

I went to the corner store on the first floor of the building last night and the lights were on so he was definitely still in there then. Was tempted to throw rocks at his window and be like YO WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?!

is he still entitled to be there? that tenancy should end at least one day prior to your arrival surely, and if he is still there then you ought to prevail on the landlord as strongly as possible to hold him to his terms

― Nilmar Honorato da Silva, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 2:13 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The best* is when you have to be out of your place at 3 pm on the 31st, but the tenant in the place where you are moving doesn't have to be out of her place until 10 am on the 1st, and then you get to keep all of your stuff in a moving truck overnight and sleep on someone's couch.

*worst

That would suck but at least the landlord would have time to get in the new place and clean and do any repairs, I guess?

how old is homer? the simpsons began in 1989 iirc

I have no idea. I would guess late 20s from the pictures I saw when I was viewing the place. He has four guitars, a piano, and a bust of Beethoven in this place so I thought he was a musician but apparently he's some crazy math whizz engineer. His housekeeping skills leave something to be desired.

As do his calling the landlord back and letting them know your plans so as not to be entirely rude and inconvenience and stress other people out needlessly skills tbh.

it's a nuisance but at least you can be sure you will be sorted in a couple of days despite any inconveniences in the meantime

I know. I think that part of the reason I'm so worried about everything is that I already have a couple reservations about this place and not feeling 100% great about it to begin with is just feeding my anxiety but I do know that you're right and that it will all be OK and over with soon. It's just very very stressful right now.

if once you get in there, any weird pieces of furniture remain that need to be "treated" with a 20-lb sledge you know where to find me

<3 <3 <3

cds and records become incredibly fascinating and all need examining while sitting cross-legged on the floor. will probably try and chuck a load of clothes out. mixture of boxes and diy bags. I really hate packing. 'You haven't done much have you?' comments helpful friend. I've been at it for two hours. Found my dvds of The Nightmare Man and The Stone Tape, which is a plus.

Tho when the fuck I acquired this sub-pop compilation and i have no idea what this Spinning Mule Records sampler even is.

Think I'm going to chuck all cds that aren't impossible to otherwise stream or acquire digitally (+ classical).

Must avoid having a drink.

probably should chuck out this will oldham/hanayo in panacea c90 i've just found.