The more I pack, the more there seems that needs to be packed. The professional (and I use that term loosely) packers will be here week after next. I’m letting them pack most of the breakables and things I don’t want to pack but there are things I don’t want them packing so I’m getting as much of that done as I can. I think it’s safe to say that my house is not going to sell now til after we’re gone since most every room is now full of boxes.
This is the sewing room. There are at least this many boxes in another spot but I forgot to take pictures of those. All this packing and this is all the progress I’ve made with the fabric.
There’s a lot of fabric there to pack. I’m never buying fabric again! 🙂
The foyer – we can still get in and out the front door but by tomorrow, it may be blocked by boxes. Not really – that wouldn’t be safe and in the unlikely event the realtor wants to show the house, they will use this door.
The breakfast room isn’t too bad!
The dining room is a disaster. Boxes along every wall.
From the foyer looking into the dining room. What you probably cannot see is that the last two big puzzles Chad and Nicole have completed are now residing on the dining room table.
The master bedroom. Furniture from here is gone so this room will probably fill up completely with boxes.
I could show more pictures but I think you get the picture — life as we knew it is being dismantled . . box by box. Soon I will live in a house full of boxes. Nothing will be as it once was. Soon all this will be a distant memory. That day can’t get here quickly enough!
Nancy in NC says
Oh Judy,
You just take me back. I admire how much you have done. I was not as good of a packer before the the movers came. I pretty much had a disaster when they got there.
to me the hardest part was doing the walkthrough of each room after the movers emptied it. Inspecting that everything was empty. Vacuuming and dusting and wiping down anything I missed. The feeling when your home is no longer your home, but an empty shell.
Just keep working at it, one day soon you’ll wake up in your new home.
Judy Laquidara says
By that point, I am so ready to get out that I mindlessly vacuum and dust. I always figure I’m going to cry as we leave but I’m so tired that I don’t even usually remember locking the door behind myself as I leave.
Chris in South Jersey says
My mother has reached the state where she cannot live by herself, so the house is on the market. We have a different situation because she’ll be moving in with my brother and the kids and grandkids will take want they want. After that its a call to the auction company to dispose of everything else.
Judy Laquidara says
As sad as that sounds, it’s something we all face with our parents and then our own selves . . much too quickly. Makes me re-think (again) of all the stuff I keep. Good luck to you and your family.
Karen says
oh my – and you say there is a lot left for the “professionals” you have done so much packing. This will be the year in your life that you will always remember as having been one of the hardest in your life I bet.
So much fabric left to pack!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Linda says
I am offering to store some of your fabric boxes! LOL I’m pretty sure you won’t miss them too much! So unselfish of me I know but it’s the way I am (tongue in cheek of course!)
You are doing such a great job, I can’t even imagine trying to pack up my house…especially on my own!
Annie says
Looks like somebody is moving !
: )
Mrs. Goodneedle says
Just seeing these boxes makes me break out in a cold sweat, I’ve moved too many times. Best wishes to you and your family as you begin the next chapter of your lives!
Stephanie says
You have done so much! When we moved from Missouri to Iowa the pro movers told us we shouldn’t pack anything because anything I packed wouldn’t in insured by the company. So I only packed very personal items, i.e., underwear and the like. When we got to our new home I found that they had taken all of my fabric that had been neatly folded and stacked, pressed and cleaned, and dumped it into boxes and not even the same boxes. They just shoved it into every nook they could find. Almost every bit of my fabric had to be rewashed and reironed and refolded. It made me sick.
Judy Laquidara says
It’s kinda hard for them to break fabric and quilts so I pack them myself. If they lose a box, it’s insured. If the contents break on something I’ve packed, it’s not insured so I pack clothes, shoes, fabric, knitting yarn — the things I don’t want them messing with but can’t be broken. They will pack all the glass, really heavy stuff, breakables, etc. They allowed three days for packing and I’d like to have them out of here in two so I’m getting as much done as I can before they get here.
Stephanie says
Sorry I just realized the last thing you need is a moving sad story. My intent was to tell you I was glad to see you were packing your fabric yourself. You’re doing great! Hang in there! 🙂
Judy Laquidara says
Oh, your story wasn’t sad . . it was exactly what happens when the movers pack anything. They stuff a box with whatever they can reach and don’t worry about keeping the reds together or the blues together. You story was realistic!
Judy C in NC says
This sure is looking real about now – make sure someone else will lift thoses boxes of fabric as they are really heavy. I have packed my sewing room into big tubs stored in the garage and cannot tell you how many times I have had to go looking for something while we wait for the house to sell. The house seems hollow without all my treasures in it. This too shall pass. Judy C in NC
Kathleen says
judy, you are so right on to pack that stuff yourself – like you, i pack as much non-breakable as possible, because i can pack it the way i want to unpack it – the movers can’t and wouldn’t know how to make those decisions and how to really label the boxes – why, they can’t even tell my batiks from my novelties! lol – keep your head up.. Kate
Doe in Mi says
I moved 16 yrs. ago and I ain’t doin’ it again. So there!!
Linda in NE says
Doe, your comment made me smile. I look around my house and all the stuff that has accumulated over the past 36+ yrs and think it would be a good idea for everyone to move every 5 yrs. That way stuff would be gone through and disposed of on a regular basis. I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t own anything that won’t fit into the back of a pickup truck w/topper. Now that would be pretty basic!!
Carol says
A tip, if you haven’t already thought of it (based on my experience with company sponsored moves in the US *and* overseas)
Grt insurance for anything you packed yourself — Otherwise, damage or loss is NOT covered by the standard insurance moving companies use… When they load the truck, they will tick a box on their inventory list that says packed by owner and if it’s damaged, too bad! They aren’t responsible!
And a corollary for all that. Keep detailed lists (and receipts if possible) of what is in each box and make sure you have a list of numbers (the stickers they will put on your boxes) for that list (I still have the entire moving inventories for 10 years of international moves and it saved us $$$$ in claims because I could PROVE that they had relabeled my boxes as packed by owner!)
And storage in Texas? I sure hope it’s climate controlled? Costs extra but worth it. Humidity in Texas is a killer… They SAID ours was when we moved the first time but it wasn’t and the water damage was considerable… Again, I saved all that correspondence so they settled…
LadyBaltimore says
Ah, Judy, all I can tell you is to dream of the day when you’ll be set up in your new home with all your boxes unpacked and sewing awaits you. That day will come; keep the faith!
The transition time with everything packed in boxes is tough!
Hugs!
AnnieO says
Oh my. I’m sure this is what my house would look like too. We haven’t moved in 21 years and have five times as much stuff as when we first moved to our 1630 sq foot house. Luckily our garage is not full as we park both cars in there and we have no basement or attic. Having to think about where to store stuff keeps me from impulse buying! Well, except for fabric….
Joyce Levengood says
Oh my, I don’t envy the packing or unpacking. We moved 12 years ago, and I still have boxes that I haven’t opened in our basement. Now my daughter is bringing her stuff back from college. My basement looks like an episode from Hoarders, without the health hazards. You’re a better woman than I am!
Mary L says
So where is your bedroom furniture?
Sandi P. says
Before we moved in January people kept asking me if I had all my stuff packed and I said, no, movers are coming. Then they would look horrified and say “but you are going to pack your china and that sort of thing instead of trusting them, aren’t you?” Nope! If I pack it it isn’t insured. If they pack it then it is. Still had people who had never moved with a company shaking there heads at me like I was nuts.
We had packed some books, fabric, etc…. so the house would show better, so I had some piles of boxes in the basement and it is kind of sad in a way.
Leslie Sorenson says
We made a major move across the country two years ago. My advice is “Don’t forget to breathe.” Also….go out and have fun with your friends in-between packing those boxes. My experience is that it takes about 4 years to totally be comfortable in the new place. We’re 2 years and it’s a little more like home everyday.
Liz E. says
Just curious – did you start a spreadsheet listing all of the things that went into which box?
The hard thing about company moves is that they pay for it, so its easier not to thin out as much stuff. In-town moves can be the same, if you have a bit of time to move boxes yourself.
Karen Langseth says
Don’t laugh at me…..when we moved years ago….the move was a whole 200 yards from the old home to the newly built one…….I moved with a total of 4 boxes……I paacked up the 4 boxes at the old house and took them to the new house and unpacked them…….I did two trips a day for about 2 weeks. It was the best way to do it. Keep your chin up, in a few months this whole move thing will be a distant memory that you will have a few laughs over.
Robin says
Brings back memories- finally got rid of my boxes in the closet of our stuff from our moves ( 3 in the past 3 years) but now have some boxes of stuff from my dad’s house (pictures and letters, etc). It’s no fun for sure.
Perry says
It’s getting there, keep on blinking, and before you know it it will be there!!!
Glenda in Florida says
I’m going to make another comment about the “packed by owner” issue. I was denied reimbursement for some stuff on the first move we ever made because they said they were PBO, and that I had no proof of what was in the box, or what condition it was in. The solution was to leave the boxes opened, so they could verify what was in it and list it on their inventory sheets, and they could repack if they wanted to. I never again, in the next 16 moves let them mark anything as PBO. Good luck with the move.
Beth says
I know the feeling. I am in the middle of moving myself. I have wall to wall boxes as well. I’m nearly finished packing but will not move for a few more weeks. The closing on my new home has been postponed for at least 2 weeks. I’m fortunate that my house is not being shown as yours is.
San says
Hi Judy, I just wanted to let you know what happened the last time professional packers helped move me so you can take precautions. I had very little jewelry, but they stole the better pieces. They also stole my boyfriend’s wallet, which had over $300.00, in it, as it was sitting out on the dresser. When I eventually unpacked the sugar bowl, it still had sugar in it. You get the picture. A friend who has moved often shared some very good advice. “Only pack one room at a time and stay in that room while they are doing it.” Best of luck to you. Your new house is lovely and will be even prettier when you finish with it.