The Big Move

Just in case anyone was wondering what happened to last weeks blog – – well it got taken over by the move process. Our house in AZ is set to close on September 18th and we decided after 26 years of corporate movers, we could do this ourselves. (Seriously what was I thinking). Well with a lot of help from Olivia and with Andy on Box Manufacturing and in charge of meals and hydration we are getting thru the packing process.

I’ll be the first to admit moving can be both physically and mentally exhausting in the best of times. Moving during a pandemic presents its challenges but we are all being super careful. This will be our last shipment from AZ to TX so we are enlisting a company to help load and unload our truck. Andy will be our truck driver (26 ft Penske with tow vehicle). He loves to drive our RV so we thought why not? We will mask up and have 4 “guys” who will load our truck on this end and then we have a similar team when we reach our destination.

We’ve always been fortunate enough to have door to door moves so this one seems a bit daunting in that we have to move into storage until our house is ready. The good news is that we have had time to label and pack our boxes ourselves, getting organized on this end will help when unpacking on the other end.

A recent article on Houzz about moving made me think about the steps we’ve taken to get organized and ready for the big day. I thought you might find these tips helpful if you are planning an upcoming move.

Create a Schedule – I live by my Day Planner – add the design work in with packing and moving and my schedule is pretty full
Declutter – many charities today are in need of donations. Make decisions early to “let it go”. Don’t get “Frozen”.
Set up a staging area – clutter often creates an issue for people (I am one of those people). Try using an empty room to place all of your packed boxes. This will help come move day.
Rent a dumpster – We did not do this for this move, but I have done this in the past. It makes the declutter and cleaning process much easier. Just no dumpster diving!
Sell items of value – well I am not good at this – you can try it on local garage sale sites, NextDoor, FaceBook Marketplace – Good Luck.
Boxes, Boxes, Boxes – make sure you have the right tools. Buying the right boxes, tape dispenser, paper, bubble wrap, etc really helps with the packing process. Both Uhaul and U-line have a great selection of boxes.
Keep Track of your Packed Boxes and their Contents – My bestie Olivia is REALLY good at this – me not so much. She has #’d her boxes and recorded their contents. I have always been lucky if I could get the contents on the front of the boxes.
Room Destination – Label each box with the room where you would like the boxes to go on the other end. Make sure to write it in the same place on the box so that on move day things go smoothly and efficiently.
Art – if you happen to have art I highly recommend ordering art boxes from U-Line. Take photos of the art and record their sizes. This makes art installation on the other end that much easier.
Pack a Parts Box – one of the things Budd Van Lines taught me early in my career was that we need to have a parts box. This box holds all of your electronics cords, remotes, etc. Small things that could get lost. If you are traveling by car I highly recommend carrying this with you.
Create a Day 1 Box – I love to have a box with TP, Paper Plates, Dish Soap, Flashlight, Hammer, Screwdriver, Box Cutters, trash bags and an extra box when you unpack all that paper. Make sure to include items needed to take care of you and your family Day 1. Label Pack Last and the movers will load last but it will come off the truck First.
If you have pets make sure you have a pet box. Moves for our furry friends can be very stressful – remember they feel our stress. Pack their favorite toy, blanket, food, treats and vaccination records. You may want to have them in day care during load or unload so the vaccination records will be handy.
Keep Valuables with you – Always keep your important documents with you like your passport, birth certificates and social security card to name a few – – even if you are transporting a safe. You could be separated from your shipment or it may go to storage and you want access to these valuable papers.

Rufus and Pistol settled in for a nap (and out of the way:)

Remember to eat healthy, stay hydrated and get the proper rest. Move day is right around the corner.

P.S. In our recent blog on the outdoor kitchen we asked which design would you select? We have decided on Design B with a modification. We will build a concrete pad vs the crushed granite . Also, the interior of our Cookhouse is taking shape. See photos below.