Can You Help a Moving Battle

As a military family we will be moving anywhere from November 12 to March 13 and I've already begun the process. I go through each room one by one and sort what I want to go with is and what I don't, because trust me nothing sucks more than unpacking stuff you didn't use before the move and will, most likely, not use now. So I sort each room in advance of packing.

I think it's good to start early. It helps you stay organized, helps you not lose stuff in the move, helps you not go crazy in the end just tossing stuff into boxes because you only have a few days left.

Just some ideas. Get colored stickers (like the little dots people use for pricing at yard sales) and assign a color for each room. When you pack a box from the living room, put the sticker on it and put a number on that sticker. Make a corresponding numbered list with the room and box number on it and what items are in that box. This makes a huge difference when you are unpacking because you can unpack the stuff you need most right away and save the other stuff for when you have more time. It also means that as you unload boxes you can automatically put them in the room the stuff will go in. Just a thought!

I would start going through things now and get rid of stuff you don't use or need. Then start packing what you don't use everyday. This way you will be ready to move with less stress.

Use this time to declutter. Hold yard sales, visit Goodwill, etc. Then you don't end up transporting things that you don't use now to the new house.

Like the Christmas stuff... do you really need to wait til June to sort through and pack it up? For and end of June move, I would definitely start packing by Memorial Day weekend.

I have relatives that waited until the week before they moved and were literally just throwing things in boxes on moving day. Many things ended up getting left behind.

I'd be crack-a-lackin now as well.
Winter clothing, boots, coats, scarves, gloves, etc....ALL the stuff you WILL NOT touch in the next month. Heck, I'd be packing sheets, towels, knick knacks, pictures, etc.
The end of June IS right around the corner--moving-wise.
My advice: NEVER listen to a man (sorry, dads!) when it comes to allocating YOUR time to a task that will mostly fall to YOU.

UGHH moving is such a chore if you have the opportunity to get started packing and preparing do it! There are always things you dont need on a daily, monthly basis, pack them away. Clearly mark your boxes so if the need arises you can find the item! When we were moving my husband even got a small storage and we took things over there to get them out of our way. Of course me the last minute loulou was still in a mess come time to actually move! Good luck! :)

I would start packing boxes as soon as possible. Pack winter gear and other things you know you won't need for a few months. Make a list of contents on each box and stack them the best way you can so they are out of the way.
You don't need to pack the things in dresser drawers and often things in bedroom closets can be added to dresser drawers.
Packing takes a lot of time if he hasn't moved in a long time he may not understand how long it takes to pack up a home and move.
Once you are able to start moving stuff fill up your car and move the 'unnecessary boxes' into the garage of the new house. The more you get moved the easier it will be on big move day. Depending upon the kind of car you have you can even move end tables, small chairs ect. This way when big move day arrives you can have most of your kitchen and bathroom set up and ready to use. Once the kitchen and bathroom is ready get the bedrooms set up. I have moved several times the first coupld of days you need to be able to eat, use the bathroom and sleep. You will probably be too busy to watch TV or be on your computer a lot the first day or two.
Remember to contact your phone, cable and internet service ASAP to get your services hooked up or maybe installed in your new home before move in. Also call gas and electric services to let them know the last day you will need their service at the old address and the first day you will need it at the new. You may want to keep these on for a couple of days so you can go back and clean after you have removed everything.

Oh yes, start now!!! The upside is that when you do move and unpack, you'll realize that you don't need half that stuff anyway!!!!

You are nesting. This is normal. I see his point, you dont want to live in a pile of boxes. But, in my house, we would be pakcing up winter clothes, shoes, etc and then cleaning out closets. No need to move what you dont need! This will also help pass the time while you are waiting to move into the new house

I'd already be packing... especially the kitchen, it seems to have the MOST stuff back in the back of all those bottom cupboards :)
Maybe he is fearing box clutter? Find a good place to stack your labeled boxes so they arent interfering with daily life.

OMG! Yes, pack now! We've moved SO many times in the military. The earlier you pack the better you will be off. Moving is very stressful so start packing now the things you don't need now. You'll have to do so much exhausting stuff before you move. And then do it all in reverse after you move. Why wait? Pack now. AND lighten your load and get rid of things that you don't use. If you haven't used it in the past year or two, then sell it, give it or toss it.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

pack it up! Always be a planner...label clearly, & purge as you pack.

One Christmas season, we were so busy that I had the calendar all marked & labeled. I was updating our schedule one night....& my DH thought I was crazy with my notes/etc. I told him I was scheduling our plans to allow for spontaneity! He about hit the floor!

For me, it's all in the planning & prep. It's the only way I can avoid CrazyLand. :)

Based on previous questions by you:

Are you under contract or did you actually purchase the house and have keys in your possession? If you're only under contract with no mortgage committment yet, I can see your BF's point of waiting to make sure the mortgage goes through instead of packing and having to unpack if something happens. Preapproval does not equal a mortgage. Many people are still denied. If you have actually purchased a house and have keys in your possession, then you can start packing up.

We just moved, but I didn't start packing until 10 days before the move happened. That was actually enough time for me to get everything done and not feel stressed.

You've gotten a lot of good answers regarding the timeing. Just a suggestion, if you are going to be using professional movers, you might want to contact them well in advance re: packing boxes and labeling. They might require you to label things in a certain way to assist with the loading/ unloading process. You wouldn't want to run afoul of this.

Goodluck,
F. B.

The end of June isn't THAT far away. If you can start packing things up now, why wait? You can mark all of the boxes clearly, and if you have a need for something come up unexpectedly, always go and get it out, but realisticly, we all have things in our homes that we don't use for weeks, months, and sometimes, even years. LOL! (in my case, years and YEARS) I would use this time to weed through things, decide if there are things that you no longer need or want, donate them, give them away, or have a huge yard sale to help pay for any packing supplies, etc. Maybe you could even make enough money from your yard sale to purchase some new decorating items for the house you just bought? It's always fun to move into a new place and put your own personal "touch" on the place. I say start weeding through, pack up as you go, and clean the rooms that you get sorted and emptied too. You can NEVER have enough time to get prepared for a move, and who wants to spend the last week before a move packing up the old house? If you plan this just right, you may actually have time to spend some quality time with friends and family before you make the move, or have a fun moving party before you go. I once got everything packed up very early and only had what we needed for the last 2 weeks out. (basically the contents of 3 suitcases and 2 totes from the kitchen) It was before kids, so no toys or kids clothing. We had so much "free time the week prior to our move, and we were moving across the country, so I planned a big moving party. I had about 15 close friends and family over to our very empty and very clean house to hang out and we ate BBQ outside since we had packed everything else up. We had a bonfire outside in our backyard. It was so fun. I loved the time with friends, and there was no mess afterward. We used all throw away plates and cups, and the only stuff that needed to be cleaned like BBQ utensils were brought by one of the friends. The grill was not packed yet since there was no real way to pack it other than load it in the truck, and we wanted the tank empty anyway. I got a bunch of great photos. Everyone brought folding chairs to sit in. I say pack as much as you can and try to enjoy some time before you move in to the new place. You will have SO much to do when you get into the new house! Just be sure to mark all of your boxes and bags very well. I marked all of mine with the contents and the room. It made it easier for them to end up in the correct room, and for me to unpack them once they were in the rooms they were supposed to be in. I used masking tape to mark the bags. Good luck! :)

Start packing now! Having moved 7 times in 7 years, if there was time to begin packing early, things weren't as hectic as if we waited. Good luck with your move!

I would definitely get started now. The earlier you start, the more organized your packing and by extension unpacking will be. If you have time, you can pack things by room, labeling each box so that when it's carried into the new house, it can be taken to the room it belongs in. Plus, you'll have time to wrap all your breakables to lessen the chance of damage in transit.

Also, you really don't realize how much stuff you truly have. ONce you start packing, you will be surprised because it probably just doesn't look like that much!

We're moving first of July.

We've already started packing.

*1/2 the spice cabinet
* winter clothes
* board games
* kitchen items rarely used
* books
* baby stuff
* non-pregnancy clothes

I always took everything off the walls first and worked my way down as the weeks went on. Gosh, yes, start now or you'll be so stressed out!

If you wait until last minute you will be so stressed and overwhelmed. If you can pack up some things, and get rid of all the junk you dont need and get a jump start on getting everything organized then you should do it! You will be sooo happy later that you did, and you wont be so stressed later on! And I bet that he will be thanking you later for doing it!!! :)

Home buyers know that just because closing should happen on a certain date, that date can be pushed back. Things can happen & nothing is 100% certain.

I don't think you need to start packing right now, personally. We have packed an entire house in a couple days. I get wanting to start early, but there is a high likelihood that you need something in those boxes & starting early isn't worth it.

I'd definitely start packing now if I was moving in June.

Ummm, the end of June isn't that far away. Anything you do now will make things easier later. If you start now you can take your time to sort and label along the way. If you wait until later you will end up throwing things into boxes and into the truck just to get it done. And you'll be exhausted. Good luck!

Do it now. A little bit at a time. When we sold our house we decluttered hard. We either donated it, trashed it or packed up non-essentials. It really helped when it was time to pack up everything. It is better to pack now, leave boxes open if you can and label them well. Your DBF will appreciate it on moving day! That way you can get to the cleaning part without being rushed.
HTH,
A.

My friend did this, like you are wanting to do, and she ended up having to unpack a few boxes due to needing stuff. She also ended up living in a house full of rows of boxes for a couple of months. The closing ended up being put on hold due to the previous owner having a medical issue.

The thing is you can do some of it. Like packing up all the winter gear. The snow boots, turtle necks, etc...but be sure and leave a few longer sleeved tops that can be worn over a tee in case we get snow, you know it can happen..... But going ahead with the off season stuff will help you feel like you are getting ahead of the rush.