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Being all packed and finding out that the house isn't ready (the builders were slow with the finishing work).
We had beautiful weather (in March 2013) for two weeks (snow was melting nicely) and wouldn't you know it: the day we moved it was a combination of thick wet snow and freezing rain. Our truck got stuck in the driveway we were moving from and stuck in the driveway we were moving to.
The big heavy moving truck got stuck too. Good thing there were 5 men to help push it.
I have never had a positive experience with hiring a mover or moving company.* It's as if these firms are a magnet for dysfunctional, downright shady people. Getting reliable, customer service-oriented movers who treat you right is quite rare. The online reviews are enough to make you wonder how so many of them stay in business.
*I'll spare you all the horror stories...I'm sure you've heard them all by now.
My biggest problem during this last move, was thinking that I could do the things I could do at age 25, when I was really age 67. I should have had the movers pack for me but didn't, because I never had in the past. I ended up WAY overdoing, and as a result I had many, many injuries, large and small, and some really bad falls due to tripping over things while packing and unpacking. Big, awful, bruises, bee stings, majorly threw out my back, twisted my ankle, and the worst was a scary head injury when I fell and hit my head on the concrete driveway HARD and mangled my glasses at the same time. Blood all over everywhere, you know how head injuries are. I could list two dozen other injuries or falls. I'm not a kid any more! Or so I discovered.
I would suggest to anyone over 65 out there, that it's worth getting someone else to do the packing. If I had it to do over again, I'd go to a motel with one suitcase and let the movers do the rest of the packing and moving. Then I'd go to the new place and unpack at my leisure (since for me, that seemed less urgent and less of a problem).
Another problem was that the sellers for my new home delayed the closing date 5 times. As a result, I was mostly packed by May 17th but didn't move until July 1st. I was living in a jungle of boxes. That's so demoralizing!
Oh well, at least it didn't snow on moving day like it did for gouligann (see post above). When the rain started, everything was in the new house except my dining room table which the movers had left until last. They waited for the rain to let up and then brought it in quickly, so no problems there.
Like others, I had an "open me first" box that turned into two boxes once I put the bedding in there. I used a bright red market on all six sides of each of them, that I didn't use on any other boxes, saying in big letters "OPEN ME FIRST!" So, they weren't hard to find.
Despite all the exhaustion, injuries, and frustrations of moving, it was worth it a hundred times over. I love this house so much and every day I am glad that I live here now. My plan is to stay here forever and never move again.
Logistics is #1. Too many little details floating around in my head at all times.
Right now it's finding movers. I've had 4 in for estimates and they're all over the map in terms of cost, vibe, ratings, attitude. I'm about to seriously consider how much a U-Haul van twice a week for the next 6 weeks would cost and how much I could fit in it and move, leaving only a few large furniture pieces for the so-called professionals.
Actually, I am hoping some of the lessons learned from Phase I won't make it so hectic. Nevertheless, I spent about 8 hours today boxing up all the stuff left over from 2 months of pick up hauling across town for the movers to pick up in about 7 hours with my big furniture. ALTHOUGH, as things go, compared to where Operation WHIRLWIND was on that fateful day in April 2015, I'm light years ahead (crossed fingers).
What's a frustration? That no matter how you do it, in the end, it's a rush to the dead line with enormous stress. Add to it that when it comes to "Just box it all!", it will be six months till you find everything again.
What's a frustration? That after the movers leave, there is all that stuff that is left over. I have, say, 40% of a 2 car garage filled with stuff for the movers not to touch. Clothes, posters, sports equipment, planters, stuff to be donated/recycled, etc.. It's probably only 2-3 more pickup loads to the ranch house (plus a donation run) but I'm ready for this move to be OVER! ...... but after this big expensive step, there is still more to be done. (to say nothing of the expensive step of the house cleaning, but c'est la vie!)
What's a frustration? We should be able to get our furniture in place first and then have our boxes fill up the space, but it doesn't always work that way. I have one room in the new house that is filled with boxes. The den has the closet filled with the other boxes pushed to a corner so they can get the desk and file cabinet in. I lost the garage two days ago because I just needed someplace to put the boxes so I could keep the great room clear so most of the furniture can find its way in.
Using drive and determination, if not desperation, to get through this phase.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF
.............Despite all the exhaustion, injuries, and frustrations of moving, it was worth it a hundred times over. I love this house so much and every day I am glad that I live here now. My plan is to stay here forever and never move again.
That's me! I positively hate moving and I am think that this is my last one (I certainly hope so!). For the past two weeks (since I moved the cats), I've been thinking that I had enough in the house to make a go at it.....but I do need to get the rest of the stuff moved over.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 02-13-2017 at 01:34 AM..
I think my biggest frustration is with myself and how much stuff I acquire between moves. I end up having to go through everything again and it takes so much time to sort through what I need and what I do not.
My biggest problem during this last move, was thinking that I could do the things I could do at age 25, when I was really age 67. I should have had the movers pack for me but didn't, because I never had in the past. I ended up WAY overdoing, and as a result I had many, many injuries, large and small, and some really bad falls due to tripping over things while packing and unpacking. Big, awful, bruises, bee stings, majorly threw out my back, twisted my ankle, and the worst was a scary head injury when I fell and hit my head on the concrete driveway HARD and mangled my glasses at the same time. Blood all over everywhere, you know how head injuries are. I could list two dozen other injuries or falls. I'm not a kid any more! Or so I discovered.
I would suggest to anyone over 65 out there, that it's worth getting someone else to do the packing. If I had it to do over again, I'd go to a motel with one suitcase and let the movers do the rest of the packing and moving. Then I'd go to the new place and unpack at my leisure (since for me, that seemed less urgent and less of a problem).
..........
This was sort of me today. What I told them was to be moved was one thing and one estimate, but on the ultimatum day, it ended up being twice the load, twice the cost. What caused the difference? The belief that I could get all the "small stuff" done in the weeks before with the F-250, but in the end, it was about a hundred extra boxes, lots of pictures to move, extra furniture to add to the load, and boxes and stuff they won't move (which means a few more pick up trips).
It comes down to a massive DIY belief that in the end falls short. Three weeks of DIY which required over twice that and didn't account for sickness, "take care of your self" time, or even that absolute drive could not be maintained that long, day after day.
One thing of this day was that when they told me it would be about twice the estimate, I just said, "Yes". I was ready today, I am now, for this move to be OVER. DIY takes lots of time, involves lots of despair when one sees just how much stuff there is to be processed, and I am really, really looking forward to getting my life back. When I drove through town with a truck load and I saw people out there just having fun and I yearned to get back to that. That is one thing about the cowgirl overlay. So much stuff and it tells me, "Don't despair, just DO it!".
Unpacking at leisure? Something like that. The dance room, the den, and the garage are box full, unavailable for their intended purpose. A frustration issue is that immediate desires will probably go unsatisfied because the answer ended up buried somewhere in an act of desperation. I have 4 Japanese or Indian tall wall screens and only the Japanese one is up giving me privacy (even though I do have a surrounding external forest, I am still not use to that protecting me from prying eyes through shadeless windows) in the great room. The 3 Indian ones are buried behind boxes in a far corner of the den.
Desires should be addressed as soon as possible. I need to call the movers tomorrow to see in they know where they put the glass shelves for the curio cabinets. I don't see them around and best to ask while memories are fresh. That may be another frustration, sudden memories of things,whether seen just this morning or two years ago (that is really how long this move has been active), and wondering where they ended up, if they made it.
ONE THING LET ME SAY FOR OTHERS. Whether it is for movers or people building my house or the people doing the deep clean for the place I leave behind or even yard workers, it goes a long way to be a good hostess for them. I make sure that there is water and/or sodas for them in the refrigerator or a cooler at least. Today, I also added a bag of bite size candy (really don't have any munchies in the house). Sometimes, their dedication to work upsets the message. I remember seeing a worker come out of one deep clean with a box of sodas I left for them and dumping it straight into the trash (cleaning procedure of everything in the fridge is trash, dump it!).
Provide for them that way at least. Don't treat them like faceless Myrmidons but prize them.
My biggest moving issue I've encountered is my parents. Their IQs drop about 75 points when it comes to moving. The ask the dumbest questions and give the dumbest advice. I won't post it all on here but it's pretty ridiculous.
When I had less disposable income than I do now, the biggest moving issue / frustration was coming up with a security deposit. In the desirable areas of coastal California, a security deposit often entails first and last month's rent plus a credit and background check fee and / or application fee. Ugh.
I could write your research paper for you after the movers from H**LL did a number on a lot of our home furnishings. In order to get a reduced final price from them for all the damage and lost items I signed a release form forbidding me from mentioning their name. That's why this company maintains their A+ rating on Angie's List. In hindsight I made a huge mistake by agreeing to this. Now,every person who uses this company is in jeopardy of living this nightmare.
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