Here are my Moving TIPS:
- Showing the house - Can't stand it! Worst part of moving. Especially with little ones and pets. Keeping the house decent is impossible as it is, but showroom clean? Ha!
- Unless you are desperate, make showing times known, if they are seriously interested, they will work with you.
- Have places to go - a neighbor, a park, a store, etc.
- Get into a routine of making beds & keeping bedrooms neat in the morning (uh, no, I don't do that on a regular basis)
- Keep some rooms off limits for playing in during this hectic time
- For spur of the moment showings, have bins for toys, clear surfaces & floors of debris, flush the toilets, and screw the rest - what do they expect, they called at the last minute!
- the ideal situation: move out before selling - then it's clean and empty... but it's not very feasible
- Making friends - I had more difficulty with this than the kids did - if we moved now, they would have a tough time because they've been here most of their lives. But I moved so much, as soon as I found a good friend, I had to go. Now it's the opposite - I make a good friend and THEY move!
- Regardless, we need friends. Great places to make friends: church, activities, moms with kids in activities or on teams with yours, mom parties - worth going!
- Decor - moving so much, I never got into decorating. Many of my walls and windows are still bare. What's the point when I'll just have to take it all down. And what if it doesn't fit in the new house? So here are standard decorating ideas that will move with you.
- frame your kids' art work (idea stolen from my Sis)
- photos are timeless
- moving gives you a reason to go shopping for new decor, enjoy it!
- Target!
- my window treatment cheat - sheets! they are awesome!
- Before you move in - these days you have to register for school and sports well in advance. Do your research! And look into the activities you like to do, too!
- Take heart! Don't lament your move. There are good people out there, waiting for a friend like you!
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31 comments:
Ugh, the thought of moving house again fills me with despair! It's the packing and moving and stairs and humphing and exhaustion that I hate most about moving! I like your tips, though :)
We have lived in four different houses in the past six months! We sold a house that we built and loved and couldn't get back into another one until we got rid of the (evil) tenants, so we stayed in two other places in the meantime. I have lived in 44 houses - see this link - http://livingtheso-calledsimplelife.blogspot.ca/2012/08/moving-again.html where I lay them all out (except the extra one in Prospect Village! I grew up in an airforce family so am so used to moving. I love all your very good points. The other thing is to keep the junk down - just keep tossing clothes you don't wear (Sally Ann) and books you won't re-read. Jan Morrison
When my family moved when I was a kid, it often involved moving countries.
Like you, Tara, we've lived in this house for over ten years, but need to move soon. It's too small for three growing kids, especially since one is a teen. We're just not ready to give up some of the conveniences that we'll lose by moving (like the grocery store across the street).
I moved a lot as a kid, living in several different states and countries. We've lived here a while now, which has been nice.
If you moved every time you got pregnant, then you know the secret now - just don't get pregnant!
UGH. Moving is so stressful. Great tips, Tara!!!
I've moved so many times and hated them all. Ugh. These are really good tips. I wish I'd known them then!
I have moved several times due to college and jobs, but never had to sell a house. I can imagine it's quite stressful!
Gosh you have moved a lot! I haven't moved very many times at all, so these tips will definitely come in handy in future! Thank you :)
Between the both of us, we've moved a lot. Wish we would've had these tips then! :)
My husband and I moved a bunch of times before we had the kids - and that was always a back breaking, time consuming, frustrating undertaking - now we've been in our home for 10 years, have had 3 kids and most importantly have collected 10 years & 3 kids worth of stuff... The idea of moving now just makes me want to search out a dark room to hide in! :-)
I have to give kudoos to all the moms out there who make moves with kids! It is NOT an undertaking I'd want to take on.
I didn't move much as a child and we never had to show the house because before my parents started paying a mortgage (at the house we still live in today), we rented.
I love moving. Not so much the household take-down and set-up, but love being in new places, making new friends and discovering new places to visit. I like being unknown too, at least initially. It's like a fresh start.
Moving is hard. I've managed a couple of big cross country moves, but not with kids. It might be in my future if things work out though.
(and I totally use cheat sheets)
I've only moved twice in my entire life. Yet, I still don't do much decorating!
I have a really depressing moving story, from August of '96. It's not fun to move out of state when you're halfway done with high school, lose most of the writing, drawing, and schoolwork you did for over 10 years, because your mother insisted there wasn't enough space in the moving van or car, and then have 99% of all your possessions sitting in boxes in your maternal grandparents' house for almost a year, while your family lived with your paternal grandparents in a very stressful situation. Not fun.
My father was career Navy, so I know all about moving. The hardest was the one just before my mother died. We'd been living in Sacramento so my brother could graduate from a school where he knew some people (we'd lived in the Philippines in between) though my father was stationed on Treasure Island in San Francisco. When he had to put my mom in the hospital in Oakland, he came home an announced, "Pack up. We're moving." Like the next day. We'd planned to do an official move in a few weeks but hadn't done much to prepare yet. At 14, I was suddenly in charge of the packing while my father and brother moved the big stuff.
Great tips! I don't think we'll be moving any time soon, but I don't look forward to those house showings. I didn't move at all growing up and I hated it. My husband was moved around a lot and he hated that!
moving is such an exhausting task! I hope I never move again :)
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier. I have lived in the same house for over 40 years and I can't imagine trying to move now. I love Curiosity Quills.
I hate moving. We've moved around a ton too!! Like once every couple years or or more, for most of our married life. Been in the same house now for seven years. It's the longest I've ever been anywhere in my whole life, and the first house I've ever owned. And I LOVE my house. BUT I kinda hate the area we are in. Ironic that I'd end up in the one place I don't really want to be. But we make the best of it. And the family is here, so that's all that really matters!
Moving! I find it so stressful. A year after buying and our list of stuff to do to the house just seems to grow!
One of our moves was in the winter when our boys were three and five. Every Sunday the realtor did the open house and we went to the movies. There were two age appropriate films showing - Star Wars (the original) and Pete's Dragon. So we alternates weeks, seeing one then the other. I can still quote much of the dialogue of both films by heart.
Right there with you sister! Getting ready to move again in about 2 months. This will be my first move within the same location. Hoping to do all of it but the furniture myself - one vanload at a time. Thanks for stopping by my place this morning.
Moved a lot when younger, easier with a few suitcases, then a pick up truck load, but when a moving van is involved -- don't want to do that anymore!
Hi Tara! First time on the site- found you via the Celebrate the Small Things blog hop but now that I see you're doing A to Z as well i'll check back through the rest of your posts.
These tips were awesome. I'm currently in my starter home so i've never experienced the joy of moving an entire house yet (I Fell like apartments don't count as much on account of keeping so many long-term things at my parents house- until now!) I will definitely keep them in mind for when that dreaded day comes!
Anyways, lovely to meet you!
Bev
http://bev-thebevelededge.blogspot.com/
My dad was in the Navy, so we moved almost every two years until I was 12....ugh.
To this day, I hate moving.
Though, I didn't mind moving down to Florida! :)
Left and Write
As military, we moved often. Once time we moved in six months. The longest we were ever anyplace was about 30 months. The best part: cuts WAY down on clutter :)
I hope to never move again...but I'm sure I will have to eventually.
Some place warm I hope.
Heather
I've moved SO many times! Went to 8 schools in K-12.. Yeah. Good tips! I'd add that if possible - get movers. We had that for our last move and I tell ya it was amazing.. Sooo much easier!
We have moved a lot. And I have become accustomed to selling our houses. No, it is not fun, but yes, I am good at it. But I really don't want to become a realtor. What I do and what I want to do are two different things. Sometimes.
Our last move was into an apartment building, about two years ago. We had to get rid of a lot of stuff. Now, I realize I can get rid of a lot more.
Interesting post.
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
wow! so many military families! and movers!
my people!
muchas gracias!
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