Moving Update: This Isn’t for Sissies
I’m laying with a heating pad on my back and wondering if 3:30 is too early for a glass of wine šĀ Every muscle in my body hurts and I haven’t lifted anything heavier than an empty box for days. We’ve been packing nonstop for weeks and I’ve been getting more stressed by the day.
There have been moments of levity which always keep things fun. I howled when my husbandĀ covered our couch cushions to keep them clean during the move. For a week we sat on black plastic bags which kept sliding off the couch and making the rudest noises when we sat down.
Our storage container arrived last Friday and was shoehorned onto our driveway. We thought it looked huge but managed to fill it and still have a lot of stuff left in our garage. One of us has a hard time tossing things out.Ā 
The name on the side of the container might give you a small indication of who. Iāve been calling my husband a packrat for the last few weeks. He packed everything and decided he’d declutter when we unpack.Ā I’d rather toss out now and move less junk but each to his own.
I number each box and keep a detailed list of what’s inside. That way we can reuse the boxes without crossing outĀ tons of words…been there,Ā done that before.
Sunday we hired 2 young professional packers to load the container. The more things that left the house the lighter and freer I felt. At this point, I don’tĀ care if I ever see 3/4 of that stuff again. I’ve collected many things throughout my life but what’s most important for me to collect now are memories. People and memories are priceless, things are just stuff.
We’veĀ still gotĀ lots to do before our house hits the market and things are getting pretty crazy around here. We’ll decide later ifĀ we unpackĀ that container orĀ live sparsely while we rent and explore where we want to buy.
Is your husband a pack rat? Are you?
Thanks for reading ladies and have a great day!
I missed the move somehow. Iām guessing after much research you have found a location that feels like it might be home. How exciting!
We still arenāt sure where we want to live so plan to rent in an active retirement community close to my grandson and see if we like it. The market is hot so now is the best time to sell.
My husband and I were both pack rats with many hobbies. Our basement looked like a huge train museum. When he passed away last June, it was time to move from the huge family home. What an undertaking (there were still Barbies and HeMan toys in the attic). Although my husband arranged for his friends to help me, I was never so sore in my life! My hands were even sore. It is all worth it though! I am in a beautiful town home not far from my daughter with plenty of room for my grandsons to visit. Best of all no more weeding, mulching, cutting grass or snow removal. So, look towards the future because it will be a good one! Oh, and you don’t stay sore forever.
It sounds like a perfect place for you!! I’m back on the heating pad now but I know it will soon be over:)
Hey Jennifer,
I empathize with you! I have moved across the country and back since 2010 & let me say that each time we moved (3) we got smarter & lighter! My husband is the pack rat…at this point I am almost a minimalist! We have really cut down & feel freer without all the āstuff,ā which at one point seemed so necessary. I am with you; get rid of what you donāt want at the onset! Who want to move stuff you are going to have to sell off at the other end. We did that the first move, but learned by the second and by the third we were proās. I remember aching all over too! Good luck with your move. For what itās worth…I would not unpack everything if you are only renting for a year or so unless you are doing it to sell off things. It becomes really easy to live with less once you adjust. I have been doing it for 3 years.
I sold real estate for 19 years, so I’m familiar with moving and putting up a house for sale. What are you doing with the packing container? Are you moving completely out of your house in order to put it up for sale? Or are you only packing the storage area and clutter so the house appears bigger? Wow! What a job!
I feel your pain! I am in the process of retiring and moving from New York to Palm Desert California. So not only do my work clothes need to be tossed but my very traditional furniture is just not up to California mid century style! Oh well, I do feel I could purge everything and not cry. I’m with you; I want to make memories and enjoy the rest of my life. I have worked for over 40 years, raised 2 great children and have been able to stay married for almost 46 years. Material possessions are temporary; memories last a lifetime!
It’s just stuff until it’s gone. My family and I lost 70% of our belongings in our January move from FL to MD when our moving truck had a catastrophic accident after the driver fell asleep, drove off the road and crashed. The whole experience has been surreal. We were meticulous in packing, marking the boxes, and staying organized, only to have our move turn into an absolute nightmare. We thought we hired a reputable company, but Eko Movers out of Cincinnati has treated us as if we were at fault. They’ve done nothing but create an adversarial relationship with us, and have done nothing to rectify the situation. Their insurance has been of no help, and it’s in am attorney’s hands now. What was an exciting move for us has turned into a total nightmare.
Iām so sorry Mike!! Thatās a nightmare. Precious things canāt be replaced but I sure hope your attorney prevails.
So strange…I first started reading your blog when you were packing your Island Home. Time does fly.
Good luck!
Ali
Does it ever. This home has so much more in it!!
I read your blog at 5:00 am so I thought you meant wine at 3:30 am. Either way, no judgement here! I last moved 15 years ago and hired movers. I still managed to lock my neck for 3 days. We are editing and renovating our home in the hopes of selling and I am going out of my mind doing this while working long hours. I am cringing at another move since I managed to gather far more things in this house than I intended. My husband is a packrat and I’m not altogether innocent of holding on to things myself. This makes for some lively ‘discussions’ from time to time! Not looking forward to the next move!
Our conversations are “lively” too š Hang in there
We moved back to California last Fall and it was such a hard move for us even though my husband and I have moved three times together. Each time, we have gotten rid of so much āstuff.ā This last move, we did not bring most of our furniture and we still had two PODs full. I guess we are pack rats in denial! We are in a 5th Wheel, while we wait for our home to be built. I have vowed that I am only putting things that work into the new house and getting rid of the rest. Once it is gone, I am sure that I wonāt even miss it! (I hope!) Best of luck on your move and new adventure!
Best of luck Arell! Living in a 5th wheel isn’t easy but reminds us of how little we need to live well.
No packrats in my house,thank God!I am sentimental about knickknacks though,as they bring back fond memories and I find it hard to get rid of them.My Mum was a hoarder and I never want to be like that.You are right that people and memories are more important than things.
Keep packing well and remain patient or have a glass of wine!
My Mom collected everything which brought her joy but was a pain to deal with after she passed.
Hang in there…moving stinks no matter how you look at it. I am more ready to clean things out than ever before…I guess I need to seize the moment…and purge!
I encourage you to purge purge purge:)
Good luck with your move. I am in the process of moving my parents into a senior community with a lot less square footage than they are used to. I have been slowly downsizing them since August, and they are doing a great job getting rid of clutter. They are practically minimalist now!
I love the sound of minimalist!! Good luck
Oh, WHAT A TIMELY POST. We are in the middle of downsizing again. In the past 5 years we have sold a 6,000 sq. ft. house, an 1200 sq ft. condo and now our 4,000 ft. family vacation home! We are young 75 years olds and have been married 53 years. We have owned 13 homes and you would think I was a pro at this. This lake home has been home to our kids and grand kids for 20 years. The kids no longer are able to spend much time here. They are so sad but it is too hard to take care of the property and the toys. We started with a major donating, giving away and selling program. We thought we were doing well but we when we had the move estimated we decided we could do better. Now we have eliminated half of what we thought we needed with a savings of half the total amount of the move. We have sold a lot but given away much more. The people who sponsor homeless shelters, abused women shelters and volunteer with young people in schools and churches have shown up in trucks with many helping hands. We are joyful! We will furnish our new lakeside cabins with the money we made plus the memories of how we helped others. It has been somewhat frustrating but we have had fun revisiting the past years by going through photos and cards and letters and all of the memorabilia of the years here. Tell hubby the money you save by giving up junk now will pay off in buying new junk…
Wow, Gayle, you’ve been busy! I am so looking forward to a smaller more manageable place with less stuff. If we could find one on a lake, it would be even better:) Good luck as you continue. It does feel good to donate and help less privileged.
What a timely post! My husband and I are in the midst of a self move and this is *the last time*. We moved many times in our adult years and after spending 2 years in a temporary home in our new area, we just bought a house just next to downtown Santa Rosa, where we can walk to everything. I’d use a heating pad except I might blow a fuse! Our electrician starts the upgrade as soon as the permit gets approved!
While my husband and I are not packrats, we have a beautiful restored antique player piano – which weighs double what a normal piano weighs. It doesn’t fit through most doorways so we din’t really get a choice where to put it in the new house. You can hardly give it away, let alone sell it. It has to be in a temperature controlled place or else it will get ruined. See, everyone has something to deal with!
Starting the next chapter of your life is exciting. It’s all worth it.
Love your topics – they are all relevant. I would have never guessed you have fine thinning hair – so do I. Natural henna is a good solution for us brunettes. Anything white gets a red tint and my hair is thicker for a few weeks. I loved the belt post – I hate seeing the button under a shirt!
Thanks for all your ideas and inspiration. You are the first and sometimes only email I read!
Thanks for being here Marion. We have been intrigued with the Santa Rosa area but got scared off after the fires. Will it be hard to get contractors to help with your new home?
My agent has referred us to great contractors. Until customers pay a deposit, the job is uncommitted and there are many cancellations. Itās been fine so far.
Just like Scottie mentioned, I “pretend” move…all the time! I’ll be doing a Goodwill run this week. My biggest motivator’s are my eighty + year old parents! They have the hardest time eliminating useless (junk?) stuff, especially my dad….think a garage and side yards full of tools, lumber, etc. etc.. The siblings and I know we have a long, arduous, expensive ( time, energy, dumpster fees) unpaid job in our future. Funny thing, none of us are pack rats. Good luck with the move….and yes, wine is a great thing :)!!!
I don’t want to leave a big mess for our kids to deal with so I will continue to purge every opportunity I get. We are looking forward to being renters for a while and seeing how that feels.
We’re not moving but I’m packing up stuff. Yeah. Don’t want to deal with it when I’m 80 = 11 years from now.
Found a charity that takes furniture – they came this morning. Didn’t need the oak dining room set anymore and some other chairs etc. Now I’m going thru China/crystal that was mostly my mother’s sitting in the basement in boxes. A senior’s centre will take it for their gift shop – stuff there really sells and money goes back into programming.
The old saying less is best holds true at times.
It is totally true!!
We’ve always lived a fairly minimalist lifestyle, but after over 35 years in the same house we have certainly accumulated more than we need. It’s definitely time to do a major clean out! If and when we move, I’d like to have some of that done in advance. Thank you for inspiring me to get started!
PS. Have that glass of wine!