Moving

Lots of people are moving lately so I thought some things I've learned from experience might be helpful to others.

Moving is one of the hardest jobs in the world because you can't go home from it and rest. It's a good idea to pack a special box of things needed to set up an area where you can turn your back on the mess in the new home and relax. Comfortable chairs, a small table, snacks, music and something to read can provide breaks from the constant unpacking. That box needs to be one of the first things to unload.

Last time we moved we packed things ourselves and labeled each box with a code showing the priority of how soon it needed to be unpacked. For example, boxes containing basic necessities for survival like bedding, towels, and frequently used dishes and cooking equipment might have been labeled as top priority with a star. Seasonal things like Christmas decorations, and sentimental items like children's drawings were labeled as lowest priority, perhaps with a zero. And other symbols were used for medium levels of priority.

Each box was also labeled with the initials or name of the room where the contents would belong. The labels were written on all sides and the tops of the boxes so they were easy to see.

Last time we moved we were able to enter our new home before the movers arrived and put removable tape on the floors showing where major pieces of furniture should go and areas where the boxes of each priority should be placed. That made the movers' job so much easier they charged us quite a bit less than the estimate.

The worst move we ever made was to a new home only a few blocks from the previous one. We were able to drive everything from one location to the other ourselves, but failed to pack things as carefully as we'd done for longer distance moves and several items were lost or damaged. That certainly taught us a lesson.