Moving house is one of those experiences that are sure to invoke “oh, you sweet summer child” reactions if it’s your first time. Especially if you’re naively excited about it.
Take it from someone who’s already moved twice: it’s an adventure, all right, but not a romantic one. More akin to the journey Frodo Baggins had to endure on his way to Mt. Doom and then some. Spoiler: he walked 1,300 miles.
To help illustrate the struggle, we present you with some of the best tweets out there on the topic of packing, moving, and everything in-between.
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I had to move about five times in half a year because Auckland landlords. The stuff goes in whatever box it will fit in.
16 boxes.....I'm pretty sure last time I moved it was more like 160! Never, ever moving again. I'll be the one leaving this house in a box.
I actually like to collect trash. Learning how to do wasnt that hard. I just picked it up along the way.
There comes a time in every move when everything you see is just trash.
I gave / threw away about 90% of everything I owned when I moved states. I ended up with the smallest UHaul they would let me take out of state.
The most frustrating thing is moving and then doing the same as you unpack.
Yeah, I got rid of so many nick-knacks that made it so hard and tedious to clean. The first time I cleaned our new house after everything was settled was heaven. It went so fast. I remain nick-knack free to this day.
Helping each other move is fun when you're young. But last time I did this, I was in my fourties and I found myself carrying boxes that seemed to be filled with nothing but old newspapers (!) While my small kids and my sick parent were waiting at home. That's when I realised: my friends earn enough money now, let them hire professional movers.
I'm in my 50's and I was happy the complex had flat carts and a freight elevator.
Load More Replies...1st move: 2 trips in a hatchback. 2nd: 3 trips in a station wagon. 3rd: 5 trips in a borrowed panel van. 4th: 5 trips in a rented 4 tonne van. 5th: paid removalists in a 19 tonne van, with two SUVs in hot pursuit. I assert that I am NOT a hoarder, but I am Not looking forward to the sixth move
I've never asked friends to help me move. That's what my dad is for! ;) Although I always hire professional movers too.
I was surprised how much it cost to hire professionals. They have a truck and three guys that can lift twice as much as I could at the time and all they needed was somebody to show them where to put it. In an hour or so they had everything done, I would spend two days with it. We moved some 80 kilometers away (50 miles) and we paid only about 8000 crowns, which is ~350 dollars. Before you move, ask pros how much it costs, you might be surprised. With friends it would probably cost the same just in gas for cars.
When moving my son we found we could hire guys to load a rental truck and others to unload. We rented the truck. Loading and unloading was a fraction of the time it would have taken us, saving both my back and wallet. The first move was from Tampa to Atlanta then back to Tampa three years later. The moving company he had originally hired said the truck they were putting his stuff on (partial load with someone else) got cancelled so the $875 he was expecting to pay was now over $3K. that was when he learned about the loading and unloading guys. Total was around $750.
Load More Replies...Without making it too complicated, let’s just say that moving house is a pain. Not only because of the physical effort required, but also because it feels like a never-ending story that scales depending on how big your house is and how much stuff you have.
Which? has a moving home checklist that isn’t too complex to make you feel like reality is hitting hard and isn’t too short so as to leave you wondering where half of your stuff is.
The worst part for me was when I went to the store and the sign said we sell moving boxes which was to bad because what I really needed was stationery boxes.
And then after you empty those boxes, you can't even give them away. And it takes ten trips to the recycle center in your small car to dispose of them all.
Load More Replies...Oh, Gods, we have four adults in our household, and the youngest is in their upper 50's. (Oldest is in 80's.) We tried renting houses, but each time, after 2-3 years, the owner would 'want to move back in', and we had to start the process all over again. After 3 or 4 of those cycles, it was *killing* us, physically and financially, so we made a concerted effort and managed to swing our Forever Home. All mostly on a single level, too - very few stairs to negotiate. Quiet neighborhood, lots of trees, close to DC, big lot - AND NO HOA!
This is my favourite quote about moving that I am going to steal (veteran of 29 moves).
In that case then I’ve been continuously moving for the past 30 years.
I used to enjoy the times when we had a blackout or something, that meant the freezer started defrosting, because we were allowed to eat the ice cream, no matter the time of day, and it was usually a mousse texture.
In a nutshell, moving house is a process that can span months. Sure, moving day is often just a day, if not two, but that’s only just one side of it. You still gotta worry about figuring out the logistics, start canceling and settling your utility and other domestic services, start packing and otherwise start disconnecting both physically and emotionally from the place you (probably) used to call home until now.
“Bonus points” if you’re moving to a new place because that’s a whole other can of beans that requires a completely separate checklist.
I just bought my very first house. I sat on the floor yesterday during my lunch break and ate lunch using a cardboard box as a table. It was glorious!
When I move into this house I had ordered exactly one piece of furniture, a sofa bed. I had planned to use it for all sitting, sleeping and dining as the house had used all my money. They called the day of the move to say delivery had been delayed for 7 weeks. That was a long time on bare concrete floors 24/7
I hate to tell you this after you've already gone, but places will pick up donations. I've moved a number of times and have donated bags of clothes and old electronics. They send a truck that goes from place to place. I'm sure many charities do this.
Load More Replies...I'm moving soon and I keep telling myself I'm going to start sorting and tossing things out. I've been telling myself that for months now and have done absolutely no work on it. That's why I always end up pulling an all-nighter the day before I'm actually moving. Every damn time!
I put all my extras on the curb with a Free sign. It was all gone by the next day.
Never want to move again. Its so stressful if you have kids with toys its even more crazy.
Recently retired. Arthritic hands and back. Told myself I will never use tools again. Gave a ton of them away. Bought a fixer upper house. Now where did I put that saw?
And finding lost things you didn't realise were missing in the first place.
Load More Replies...atheist, but like to say that "moving is god's way of punishing you for not appreciating what you have...like he's saying, 'oh yeah, you think you don't have enough?...here, pack all that s**t up and haul it somewhere else.'"
I still have boxes in the garage I boxed 5 years ago. I'm absolutely certain I've bought everything that's in them new since moving.
You don't realize how much you don't need that stuff until you are 65 or older.
Having been a bird of passage for a number of years, I can tell you that nothing reveals how much stuff you have like moving! I have made a couple thrift stores very happy with my donations.
If you haven’t seen it yet, legendary stand-up comedian George Carlin has a skit about stuff that perfectly sums up the nuance and complexity of moving. It’s not about a permanent move, but the struggle is essentially the same.
Besides having to move your stuff, the skit also points out a very human issue of having more space than you have stuff. The solution to that is, more often than not, getting more stuff. And then your next moving experience is going to be even more elaborately ridiculous.
I keep trying to start, but I always find something else I "need" to do. Packing sucks. :(
Load More Replies...When though. I mean, I know, but I've moved so many times and I still get it wrong.
My mum put all her misery important things she needed immediately into a locked filing cabinet. Movers then flung the key into a box and didn't know which one. She had 62 identical boxes to check
No matter how hard you try, you'll need something important you packed but not know in which box. After 14 moves I'm still running into this...
Load More Replies...My ex-mother in law (thank GOD for the ex part) really didn't appreciate how I label boxes when she "helped" us move. Clothes = Nakedness Prevention, Sheets & Bedding = For Comfortable Sexy Times, Precious family heirloom that she insisted we take when she moved the year before = Pee-colored Pitcher.
look I get it... I finally got my hands on a cookie monster cookie jar... it's breakable. So that is going into it's own box with instructions for everyone but me to stay away from it because if that b***h breaks I want it to be on my hands no one else's. you gotta protect your stuff!
Better than the last time I asked my bestie for help packing. She figured out which box had my undies and drew bras & panties all over it for the movers to see.
As I said in an earlier comment, anything *really* critical (the electronics, servers, PCs, etc.) I do not trust to movers. I move that stuff myself, in my car.
Label everything nitro glycerin fragile Will explode if handled incorrectly
Looks up conversion factor. That's 30 kg. Sheet. Put box on sheet and drag it.
Drag it to where? The new home? At some point it will have to be lifted into a vehicle.
Load More Replies...I learned long ago, only give a woman a small box, never a large one. She will fill it up and never think that someone has to lift it and carry it. When I worked in the oilfield offshore and was strong and healthy, this happened EVERY D*?$ Time! Sometimes 2 strong-backs could not lift it. Did not matter who's wife, girlfriend. Every Time!
There are a dozen hacks and things that you can do to minimize the struggle. The first big step is to plan, prepare, and be organized. At this point, you can book movers early, plan the logistics, call the various house services companies and get all the utilities sorted for the old and the new place, and, most importantly, start the packing process.
Can happen to a man as well. like "Hurr durr, I`m a man I know how to do this I don`t need no HaLp"
Honestly, I do catch myself saying "Weight's not an issue, balance is" when asking for help with heavy stuff quite often...
Load More Replies...I learnt that lesson - turns out dismantling from top down is the way... who knew?
Lie it on the floor if possible - keep gravity out of the equation...
Load More Replies...They're in a different box, with old phones and remotes.
Load More Replies...To be united with another box of cords left by the previous owner because her husband died and she has no idea what to do with it (hint: throw it awaaaay)
What address was this? I'm looking to move and I need some shark pyjammas.
Yep. I shipped a meal prep box, Chewy order, and a clothing subscription box.
By packing far in advance, you’re saving time, which will be a luxury during the days before the actual move. But this also allows you to do some spring cleaning while you’re packing.
Do a mental check on all the things you pack and ask yourself whether you’ll need it in your new place. By setting certain criteria, like have I used this in the last 2 years?, you’re also minimizing the amount of stuff you’ll actually have to move all the while bringing less (or zero) clutter into your tabula rasa of a home.
I'm packing a weekend bag with some clothes and toiletries, was a very useful tip from a friend.
Just weekend bag? Wow, you are brave. We packed two suitcases (to make sure it will not get mixed with boxes), one with cloths for a week and one with food for a week. We knew that there will be no time to cook, so we prepared food in advance and bought some instant meals, so we were free to unpack and set everything. (Then we learned that we underestimated a lot of things, for example, make sure that you have Internet connection where you move.)
Load More Replies...A friend of mine moved across the country before their house sold. So there were still a few things in it that her husband planned to come back and get. She asked me to stop by and get a some things to ship to her - and I found that she left ALL her underwear in the dryer. Good thing the house hadn't sold yet or the new owners would have been in for a surprise when they went to do laundry! :) How the hell do you forget your underpants???
This! This happened to me last week! Just bought new underwear.
Used the last pair I could find this morning. And had to buy a f-ing cheese grater
Cue me on moving day, leaving the movers by themselves for 10 minutes while I run to the supermarket, commando, to grab a 3 pack.
My children spent a week rotating Pizza Hut, oven pizza from the supermarkets, homemade English muffin pizza slapped together last minute and posh pizzeria pizza brought over by my parents coming to save me from the insanity.
It helps to always be on the lookout for boxes—check with local businesses if they have any spare boxes, or you can also look up if anyone in your area might be giving them away on Facebook Marketplace. Worst case scenario, Home Depot.
Once the box situation is sorted out, start filling them up. After filtering out the junk from the treasure, put the heavier stuff at the bottom so it’s not crushed (or it is not the one crushing), leaving no room in the box. It helps to group items into a single box if those items belong in a particular room, and to label the boxes accordingly.
That's a valid scientific question. You don't want to know the answer.
Scientists tell up it is dead human skin cells. But then how does a quarter inch of dust get all over the surface of those attic and basement rooms that have been locked for eight years?
Load More Replies...New Zealand has 99 problems but they still let me vote when my voting card got sent to my old address (and the incumbent party was right wingers so it’s not like they were paragons of progressiveness) and for that I am grateful.
I've lived in the same house for the past 12 years and we out grew it about 8 years ago with baby number 2. I'm dreading the process of address changing
Just changing the address with the local postal carrier can be precarious. I once got out of sync and changed all my credit card addresses but then had no card to validate the postal service change.
Ditto, say something, you're missing a perfect comedic opportunity!!!
Load More Replies...New business idea: Tinder but for single people who are both looking for a moving buddy.
Do you think they`ll accept pizza and beer as payment?
Load More Replies...There are these people called friends...also, movers.
I'm friends with 3 people who only call when they need help moving.
Needless to say, safety is important so, at the very least, make sure your boxes are taped up well and the more valuable or fragile things are stored away in safer containers. If specialized storage is not an option, use leftover packing peanuts or other packaging materials to fluff them up. And since you will very likely be transporting your wardrobe, you can use anything from hoodies to caps to dresses to keep your fragiles in order.
Pretty sure we have all kinds of Hells here in Norway. (Geograpgically i mean, in addition to the normal ones)
Just drop it all off at the Goodwill, I'm sure it'll make it back tot hem.
Just having people come waltzing in at random times for viewings of the suite.... You start feeling like your home is a museum real quick.
Viewings/showings are an unspoken torture - by the third one you're already ready to bargain...
Load More Replies...If you do want to go all out with moving and require a very detailed list that you can improve upon as you pack, consider checking out this handy dandy guide by Moving.com.
While moving is stressful, always keep in mind that there is a solution to every move-related problem. Most of them are resolved with storage, sheer determination, and a good, deep breath.
just toss everything in a bag or box and mark it clothes/trash if you want.
Remember that Japanese nonsense about sparking joy? They meant during moving.
A key thing many people don’t necessarily think about during the chaos that is moving is meeting your new neighbors. Moving.com recommends doing so immediately after moving in as it tends to be less awkward.
While the moving process itself can be a great ice-breaker for this, it relies on the neighbor actually running into you during the move. If that doesn’t happen, you can always take initiative and simply knock on their door, introduce yourself and maybe ask for some helpful info about the neighborhood, maybe some recommendations for services in the vicinity.
I'm moving tomorrow. The other night, I came across my mom's surprise 60th birthday picture collage, from 2010, that my ex-wife and I put together for her. One is a large number 6 and the other a large number 0. It's pictures of her growing up, her family, then myself and my brother, the grandkids, etc. I've had it in the back of my closet for the past 6+ years since she's been gone, because it is difficult to look at it. I made myself just sit and enjoy it though the other night and had a mini breakdown and after 10 minutes or so, got myself back together and got back to packing.
And that's ok! I'm trying to teach my boys it's ok to have your feelings and to feel them. What good are you bottling it up and dying of a heart attack at the ripe old age of 42?!? Good for you. I'm proud of you.
Load More Replies...Wait til you find the four years out of date mushroom soup. (P.S. It's still edible. Ask me how I know!)
We have food pantry boxes that we stick the "why did I buy this can" stuff into.
Coming out of a small apartment in Florida last year, the last few days were insane. The boxes actually had become the furniture!
If all else fails, have a housewarming party and invite your neighbors via mailbox invitations. In any case, happy moving!
And before you move on to other things found on our website, why not leave a comment about your worst or best moving experience, or hit that upvote button. It’s not fragile, don’t worry.
This, and the high cost of renting, is why I finally bought a house this year. Since I was able to buy down the interest rate on this small house, my mortgage will be $500 LESS per month than my rent was. I'm hoping I never have to move again.
I consider it a self-defense weapon. Pretty sure I could take down an intruder with it before binding his hands and feet for the police.
Those cutter serrations are SHARP & NASTY
Load More Replies...ALWAYS! I just buy the brown tape and stick the edge on the edge of a table or something. I can’t deal with those!
Yes, no just tape doing random things in random places, but you can cut yourself. If you are as talented as me you can, any way.
Maybe try wearing gloves. As I got older and more beat up I wear them EVERYWHERE. I posted tape gunning tips near top that might help.
Load More Replies...With me it's going to be all the cat toys that mysteriously disappeared.
You want it. You want it so bad. The excitement, the anticipation overcomes you. But then, when it's there, right in front of you, you're like... nah I'm good. Lol
Sometimes the stress has you mastrubating on every break as well 🤷♂️
Load More Replies...Who has a dresser in their closet?? I barely have enough room for CLOTHES let alone friggin' furniture! :)
For me, my bedroom has a relatively large closet but not a lot of room in the bedroom area, so we have my dresser in one half of my closet and hanging stuff in the other.
Load More Replies...I have a chair for that - too old to bend over! 8-(
Load More Replies...For some people, disassembling it and then reassembling after the move (Bed frame, wardrobe.. big items). Part of my job is doing this for others so I'm fine with it.
WTF kinda spoon is that??? Looks like a tamper for a huge pipe
It's for mixing drinks , I've got one for the best " fancy " gin and tonic 😋
Load More Replies...Prepare survival box (or suitcase). It has to contain some canned food, multicooker, pasta, spoons,... just things to get you a warm food with one electric faucet. And second box/suitcase with cloths, toothbrushes,... basically what would you pack for a vacation plus cleaning equipment, because you want to scrub the new kitchen and bathroom before you use it. And take at least a weeklong vacation from work to set your new home, there will be a lot of unpacking, fixing furniture, setting Internet, electricity and water,... a week is the minimum I think.
Yup, that happened to us too. The previous owner said that Internet is paid for another month, so we will have no problems, but he lied. And how do you find the phone number to call that company without Internet? It is a good idea to prepare for the move in advance, call new ISP, contact electric company, water, heating,... Make a list (on paper) and make sure that you have there your new customer number and phone number. And don't lose that paper!
As they tend to be the last things unhooked, I got smart the last time and put my router, switches, cords, cables and chargers all in a box with a giant X on all six sides. Won't be fooled again...
Load More Replies...I went out and bought a bunch of DVDs of TV series because the cable wasn't set up for a few days when I last moved. That's right - I couldn't even go a few days without watching TV. :)
I figured i only need like 25 boxes when i moved. 65 was the correct number.
When you get to that point it's time to get out the Hefty trash bags.
Load More Replies...Packing because of the time pressure. Unpacking because you get to play the games of Where the hell is the box with *Insert random vital immediate necessity*, and What irreplaceable item was broken in transit.
I think of my things in storage as potential archaeological treasures. I never know what I am going to find in there.
I think it's past time we both get new mattresses. Mine has to be around the same age.
Load More Replies...Moving tips : 1) 100% pay people to do it. 2) Pack a change of clothes, mug and a kettle in a separate bag. 3) Bed in last, out first. 4) That is it. The first time we ever paid for removal men we arrived with a massive lorry of stuff, I popped 600y to the shop to get teabags for them, by the time I came back they were just finishing up and leaving. Mindblowing. They earn every penny.
I'm still a teen and I've moved 8 times, soon 9. These are all so painfully accurate..
Best moving story: Many years ago, a friend was moving into a student house, where someone had once had a cat, which they couldn't take with them when they left. They asked someone in the house to feed the cat, and promised to have cat food delivered. Gradually the occupancy of the house turned over, with cat-feeding duties being handed down. At some point the details were lost. Who owns the cat? Are they coming back? How can they be reached? How long has this situation existed, and will it ever end? Who pays for the food? Answer: We don't know. But the cat is named Bootsy, and he's very friendly.
Dominyka - most of your posts and your profile are broken links for app users.
I had to pack up and move a 3 bedroom house into a 1 bedroom townhome. Three dumpsters, 2 calls for junk removal, and six visits to local charity shops. That's what happens when you inherit your parents' house after they've lived there for 25+ years.
This is why I’m never moving again. They can take me out feet first.
I moved four times in five years, only once hiring movers, and never thought it was that bad. Maybe I'm a mutant.
Start out packing everything, end up deciding you'd rather buy new s**t rather than pack the old s**t so you just throw it away!
Moving tips : 1) 100% pay people to do it. 2) Pack a change of clothes, mug and a kettle in a separate bag. 3) Bed in last, out first. 4) That is it. The first time we ever paid for removal men we arrived with a massive lorry of stuff, I popped 600y to the shop to get teabags for them, by the time I came back they were just finishing up and leaving. Mindblowing. They earn every penny.
I'm still a teen and I've moved 8 times, soon 9. These are all so painfully accurate..
Best moving story: Many years ago, a friend was moving into a student house, where someone had once had a cat, which they couldn't take with them when they left. They asked someone in the house to feed the cat, and promised to have cat food delivered. Gradually the occupancy of the house turned over, with cat-feeding duties being handed down. At some point the details were lost. Who owns the cat? Are they coming back? How can they be reached? How long has this situation existed, and will it ever end? Who pays for the food? Answer: We don't know. But the cat is named Bootsy, and he's very friendly.
Dominyka - most of your posts and your profile are broken links for app users.
I had to pack up and move a 3 bedroom house into a 1 bedroom townhome. Three dumpsters, 2 calls for junk removal, and six visits to local charity shops. That's what happens when you inherit your parents' house after they've lived there for 25+ years.
This is why I’m never moving again. They can take me out feet first.
I moved four times in five years, only once hiring movers, and never thought it was that bad. Maybe I'm a mutant.
Start out packing everything, end up deciding you'd rather buy new s**t rather than pack the old s**t so you just throw it away!
