The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

My inspection is tomorrow, yay!

I am overwhelmed at the idea of packing, etc...I know this is far off, but I like to plan ahead.

Anyway, any tips?

I figure we will have a garage sale soon..to clean house, and make some extra cash.

Any other tips to get organized in the meantime?

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

No tips, just gonna bookmark this and also say CONGRATS and good luck!!!

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

Posted by Goobster

No tips, just gonna bookmark this and also say CONGRATS and good luck!!!

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

Start packing sooner than later.

Be ruthless with that garage sale. If it dosent sell donate it - dont bring it back in the house.

Label everything.

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

I would say try to pack a few boxes a night (start with things you don't currently use all of the time). This way there isn't a mad rush to pack everything at once.
Label the outside of boxes with numbers and keep a notebook with the box number and what it contains.

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

1. Have that garage sale ASAP. Get rid of the junk before you move, it will be soo much easier.

2. Pack all non essentials NOW. Winter coats, sweaters, winter shoes, winter pocketbooks, turkey roasting pan, napkin rings, fancy dresses, etc ....

3. LABEL LABEL LABEL --- very clearly. i.e. "MASTER BEDROOM - sweaters, boots, ski clothes", "KITCHEN - serving dishes, napkin rings, cookie jar", "BATHROOM - shampoo, conditioner, razor blades, cotton" . I used white computer paper and packing tape to taped these signs on 2 sides of the box. I then highlighted the room in which it goes to. The movers had a very easy time unloading. It also helped me know what box to unpack first and what could wait.

4. About 2 weeks before closing, finish packing all but the essentials. Use paper plates & cups, etc... The day before/day of - use a box labeled "KITCHEN OPEN IMMEDIATELY" -- this would be your last minute essentials .... blow dryer, makeup, razor, toaster oven, toothbrushes, toothpaste, whatever you might use daily. That way when you get to your new home, you know what box has all your everyday essentials and it's located somewhere you can easily access it.

5. Before you move, decide what are the important rooms to complete to 'live' comfortably. For me, it was the kitchen and bathrooms. Then it was the beds. Everything else, as long as it was labeled was easy to find. I figured we needed to be able to live for a few days as long as I was able to cook & eat comfortably, shower and get headache medicine comfortably, and have a place to lay my head comfortably.

6. Use suitcases for clothes, use towels & dishcloths to wrap breakables. The day of, use your garbage can to store all your cleaning supplies. That way you can just open the lid, and start cleaning.

I think that's it.

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

I will say the experience of packing up our apartment and moving into our house was so horrible, it has made me never want to move again! We were over at the house working night and day to make it move-in and didn't really have time to properly pack up the apartment.

In the end, we were like throwing all these random things in boxes together and creating one big cluster f*%! of a situation!

My only advice is to start as early as possible and throw out as much as possible.

And remember to label the boxes on the sides, not just on the top, so once they are stacked you can still clearly see what's what.

Oh, and INSIST that all furniture be blanket-covered even if the brilliant mover swears it's not necessary. My white armoire got all scuffed up and I feel rage every time I look at it!

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

ugh, packing was expensive! between bubble wrap and boxes i can't believe all the stuff we had in a 1 bedroom apartment - plus all of my bridal shower gifts that were still in boxes!

we starting packing once the offer was accepted, we moved out of state so we needed to be ready, we had so much to do that for us it was easier to start early...we saved a few weeks worth of clothes and our toiletries until the end (we had work the entire week before and an engagement party literally the night before we moved! and i mean move across the country driving in a U-Haul!!! )

it's annoying....and then you have to do it ALL OVER again when you unpack hahahaha...

i would start early, throw away anything you don't use or want but if you aren't sure keep it (my parents regret giving a lot of things away or throwing things out) and organize! label your boxes, put things together that make sense, keep a list...it will make unpacking more pleasant...and a garage sale is a great idea if you have the time

Re: The transition period between buying a house and moving. NEED TIPS!

throw away or donate whatever you don't sell.

start packing early.
make lists and label all your boxes of what is in them and where it will go in the new house. have your list correspond to the boxes (label them A, B, C... etc...) so you know what's in what and where it will be in the new house.