Hi everyone,
Just wanted to make aquick post to say hello and apologse for the lack of posts of late - I have so many things to write about, but a total lack of time in which to do it! It's hard being a grown up innit! At the moment, I have not only the full time job/shift work to deal with, but also the BIG MOVE is looming next week.
Seriously guys, the prospect of moving house is making me want to cry! I hate doing it so much. I know that this time next week I am going to feel like I have a broken back and be surrounded by unpacked boxes and things, but at least it will be done, and it will finally be OUR house, not some landlords...
Also, just wanted to say that meeting Lisa Eldridge more than lived up to my expectations - she was lovely, and approachable, and was wearing the most fab little black and white dress ever... When I grow up, I'd like to be sophisticated too please! The Autumn LE products from Number 7 are fab - there is a new liner coming out which I am very excited about, and the packaging is very nice too, featuting black and white faux snakeskin...
Leave any packing tips below!
6 comments:
Oh, moving. I despise moving. After the fifth time, I was sick of moving. After the ninth one, I had to be thrown in the car to move. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to Move #11 when that happens (i.e. when I have to move out of my parent's house).
Moving tips:
1. Label every single box on each of the four sides plus the top with the following: what's in it and what room it's going in the new home. Make sure to write "fragile" on each side if what's contained is fragile like dishes, porcelain tchotchkes. Make sure you use a black permanent marker. Pens, pencils and other colors are hard to read on cardboard. Regular markers can bleed, especially if it rains.
2. DO NOT PACK YOUR UNDERGARMENTS IN A BOX. Ever!!!! Bring them with you in a suitcase along with a few outfits, the medicine you take on a regular basis (as well as ibuprofen, you'll need it) and all necessary toiletries. Believe me, you do not want to have to dig through boxes to find clean knickers and bras. Also pack your bedsheets so when they set up your bed and mattress, you don't have to find the box labeled "bed linens."
3. If an item has a lot of value or is incredibly precious to you, do not pack it for the moving van. Bring it with you. Why? Things get lost. I lost 95% of my books when we had horrible movers once. Many of those were incredibly valuable (ex. my picture book of the Nutcracker had 24 carat gold leaf on it and it's gone). If you can't bear the thought of losing it, take it with you so you know you have it. Also take your fire extinguishers with you in the car; there's nothing wrong with renting a U-Haul for the back of your car to put the important stuff in. We've done it for every single move. It's worth it.
4. Use mover's tape. Not masking tape, not duct tape, not electrical or paper tape, mover's tape (it's normally clear and very sticky). You will thank yourself as your boxes will stay in one piece.
5. Get to your new home before the new movers. Why? A) You'll be more acquainted with the house and B) it makes tip 6 a lot easier.
6. Take computer paper and craft supplies like markers to make signs to tape on the door and/or wall of each room. This makes sure the right boxes are in the right rooms because not only will it be on the box and coming from your mouth, it will be visually written where the movers can see it. Take the time to make each sign a different color and unique so they don't look exactly the same.
7. When you pack, if the food is perishable, the jar/box is opened or expired, throw it away. It DOES NOT go into a box. This also applies to skin products, hair products, toilet paper/paper towels, medication and cleaning products. You may choose to bring your hair and skin products with you in your car; however, you cannot put them in a box for the movers to move. It tends to be a sticky, goopy, icky and expensive mess and it's in their rights to charge you a fee (which is normally huge) if one of your products explodes and dirties the van up.
8. Whatever you do, don't get frustrated/exasperated with your movers. Yes, it's annoying to tell them where each box goes even though it's clearly written on the box. It's incredibly exhausting to move on both ends.
9. When it comes to unpacking, the things you need to unpack first are necessary kitchen stuff (forks, knives, plates, cups, yadda yadda yadda), bathroom stuff and your bedroom. The living room can wait. The guest bedrooms can wait. The yard junk can wait. You will go insane if you don't have those three rooms unpacked first.
I think that's it. Oh yea, I suggest packing food in the car unless you plan on going hungry for a few days as your life and all your time will be absorbed by moving. Can't you tell I grew up military? We know how to pack for moves (vacations are another story). Hope that helps!
Good luck with the move hun! It's so stressful but worth it in the end. We love owning our own place but the move to this house was the worst ever. Much more stressful than moving all the time when we were renting. But we shouldn't have to do it again for a very, very, very long time!
My packing tip.... get the removals firm to do it for you!!
xxx
Good luck with your house move. It's so lovely knowing you own those bricks and mortar... untill you get a leak or something breaks and suddenly there is no magic landlord to come and fix stuff for you :(
xx
I wish you massive amounts of good luck, good weather and good, strong boxes! We did the Big Move a month and a half back and only now is it started to feel like home.
Things we picked up to pass on:
Sell the stuff you probably don't use or need NOW. You won't get around to taking it to the charity shop for a looooong time once you're in, and the last thing you want is an accumulating pile of "we should get rid of that" when you're unpacking.
Get more boxes than you think you'll need and never fill them more than you can comfortably lift yourself - even if you've got big strong muscle men helping you with the initial move. When you get in to the new abode, boxes may need to be stacked for a while, so ensuring they aren't overloaded will make shuffing them about yourself a lot easier.
Books, DVDs, CDs and records pack easily so start with those first! You'll get them done quickly and really feel like you're totally on top of the moving thing.
A tip from my Mum - Roll (don't fold) your clothes and you'll have fewer creases as they get packed in. Rolled clothes (socks, pants) also act as good buffers for things that you don't want rolling around in their boxes, which is ace if they aren't immediately required (who need's a months worth of socks at one go?) - just ensure you pack an accessible box of more immediate supplies!
If you're moving to a house with on-street parking on a busy or narrow street, go the night before the big push and cone off a parking space big enough for your car or van.
Invest in one big van rather than a small one. It'll probably end up saving you in fuel costs (one shift rather than many) and it will certainly save you in time and vital unpacking energy!
Assign each room a colour and mark each box with the corresponding colour, shape or letter - it's a quicker visual reference than writing the contents of each box or finding somewhere readable to write "bathroom".
Put a piece of paper with a list of the box contents in the top of each box so you can see what you've got in the depths when you pop the lid. You might also want to write it on the box... your call.
Unpack the bed the first night. No matter how much you get done in addition - pretty much everything else can wait until the second day.
If you notify your utility companies/council tax/DVLA/Dr. etc online, chase them up on the phone once you've moved. Despite receiving the "thank you for updating your information" emails, we had troubles that could only be sorted with speaking to real life human beings. Hurrah!
Plus; tea, tea, kitkats and tea!
xo xoe
Good luck with the move. Looking forward to reading your posts once you are settled x
I loooove your new layout! I HATE moving too =( I will be moving into a bigger apartment at the end of summer and I am absolutely dreading it!
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