How do you move?

[AtYourCervices]

We're moving over 800 miles away in the next month or so. I don't even know where to begin with this whole packing thing. I'm going to want to get rid of a bunch of things when we move. There's things that will have to go to the dump. Can anybody give me a checklist/timeline for moving? Thanks!

[number572]

I/we just moved everything from a 3/2 house over a 3,000 mile distance... here's what helped:

_ Keep only things that make sense to pay shipping costs for. Our shipper went by weight, so moving things that were heavy and had no sentimental or real monetary value got donated.

_ Start checking out various moving companies, some are via semi, some via DIY moving trucks, some are via "pod" where they drop you a pod and you fill it and they pick up and deliver it to your new address.

_ Consider a garage sale to cover part of the cost of moving the stuff that you are def. keeping... I hate garage sales personally, but it paid for over half of the pod cost for our situation!! Yay!

We chose to donate anything still usable to neighbors first, let them do a "walk-thru and see if they wanted or needed any of our leave-behind items. And then we called Salvation Army pick up service to take the rest. They pick up for free in my old city. And then whatever was left, a neighbor put in his garage to save for out quarter-annual free "bulk-trash pickup". It all worked out, neighbors have thanked us for giving them useful momentos of us (aww, how nice!!) and we felt great slimming down the stuff we ended up taking by about 85%!!!!! And also felt great about having some really good stuff to donate to Salvation Army stores.

Good luck, its tough and time consuming but in a few months you'll be all moved and feel great!

[mkksmom]

http://www.flylady.net/pages/Flying_MovingTips.asp

This might help.

[OkiMom]

I tend to start with seasonal items or items we use but not daily. So, Christmas/holiday decorations, camping gear, scrapbooking supplies, decorations etc. After they are done I like to take down whatever luggage/boxes that are coming with me. This gives me a set amount I can take with me and makes sure I don't over estimate what I can bring with me (thats if Im moving a distance). The rest I do room by room.

Generally I declutter as I go. I like to get the non-essentials done as soon as possible (as long as I know we won't need them like going camping between then and the move) and then start the room by room like 2 weeks before the move. However, I don't do yard sales. Ive always lived in an apartment so doing a yard sale wasn't possible or feasible (I guess I could have used a friend's yard but that would have meant loading everything in a car, unloading, selling all day, reloading and then finding a place to donate the leftovers.