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Moving Time? Try These Helpful Tips
Changing residences can be an intensely
stressful activity for many people. And often enough,
people do this when other things are stressing them
out, too. A new job, marriage, divorce, an ill parent
- all kinds of things can cause a move to be even more
stressful.
While you may not be able to eliminate
it, here are some ways to reduce this stress.
* Get a good dolly and a little red
wagon (or wheel barrow). The wheel is considered
one of the most important inventions of all time for
a reason. It's a good tool! Wheels make hauling easier.
It'll save your back and your weight bearing joints.
If you're no longer 18 and you feel things in your joints
that you never did before, wheels are essential!
* Lighten the Load - or - Fall in
love with your trash can.
There is nothing like a fresh start.
And you can more easily get that fresh start by getting
rid of things you don't need and/or that you'll never
use.
If you are living in a house and have
the space for it, I recommend getting a big ol' dumpster
and arrange for it to be hauled away when full. Get
a good size one. We got one big enough to throw out
a couch and an old, useless, desk. And we didn't have
to break them up into pieces either. Just lift over
the edge and throw it in. Ahhhh.... :)
* Go through your stuff and ruthlessly toss anything
that you don't think you'll ever use. Sure, the packrat
in you worries that just after you toss it, you'll need
it. I understand. Really. But if you're honest with
yourself, you know that there's stuff that you'd call
a four letter word (that I could use were this not aimed
at being family friendly).
And don't sweat it - that dumpster is
begging for more stuff.
* Standardize your boxes to make
them stackable. Go to a box store (e.g., U-Haul)
and buy a bunch of their 16" x 12" x 12"
boxes. If you're old enough to have a vinyl record collection,
this box size is just about perfect. Consider some of
their larger boxes, too, for things like dishes, toys
and other things you have. Just remember, if it's a
big box and you fully stuff it, it's going to weigh
a lot more than a smaller box similarly stuffed. Where's
that dolly?
* Get wardrobe boxes, too. Makes storing your
clothes a lot easier.
* Plan for a packing day. Especially
for your dishes and stemware. If you have friends who
can help you pack - invite them in for a pizza party
to help you do this tedious and sometimes back hurting
work. And, need I say it? Keep that dolly handy.
Be sure to wrap your dishes in something
soft (we use big bath towels).
* Mark your closed boxes with the
following information.
1 - The room it goes in
2 - Write the number of the box, followed by the word
"of" as in "1 of ", "2 of "
etc. Once you know the number of boxes for a given room,
you can write that number after the "of."
As in "1 of 9", "2 of 9", etc.
3 - Indicate if the contents are fragile.
* If you've hired movers, DO NOT let them move
things like your computer or things that are irreplaceable
if damaged. Move these yourself. You'll take much better
care of them than the movers will - even if you mark
a box fragile for them.
* If it's a big move, offer to
buy the movers lunch. Fast food or pizza will do. They'll
love you for it, and will generally take much better
care of you. If you have three people, that's about
$30 - well spent.
* Finally, be sure to give a good
tip ($20 a person is a good minimum) -- if they
deserve it. If they were courteous and made a reasonable
effort to be good with your stuff, they deserve a tip.
Follow these tips and you should have
a much more pleasant move.
1howto.com
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