Moving very soon - what advice can you share?

amother

Ruby

Tue, Jul 28 2015, 7:44 pm

youngishbear wrote:

The law is probably on their side. Do you not pay a cleaning lady for her lunch break?

you might be right but there still is a gigantic difference. In most cases an arrangement will be discussed and agreed with a cleaning lady in terms of her taking a 30 minute break during the day. Often homeowners that are moving are to busy to think about this detail of whether they should pay during break time. Also, with movers, people are often paying $200 an hour for the group.

trixx

Tue, Jul 28 2015, 7:54 pm

If possible freeze meals ahead of time so you don't have to do cooking when you move in. And just set aside one dairy and meat pot to warm up

Keep razor blade separate so you can open boxes right away

Keep legal documents on your person, don't pack away

teacher5

Tue, Jul 28 2015, 8:26 pm

Pack a suitcase to take in the car with you. On ot put sheets and towels for the family. In additon pack 4 days of clothing and pjs for each family member. Daily medications, and important documents too. Good luck

amother

Crimson

Tue, Jul 28 2015, 10:22 pm

We just moved recently. I labeled each box with the contents in Hebrew so the movers shouldn't know what's what and decide to help themselves to "good stuff". Then I assigned each room of the new house a color and put stickers of that color (got from Home Depot) on all 5 visible sides of the box. I made a drawing of the house layout with each room color coded and gave the movers copies so they knew where to put things (and I stood at the door anyhow to help direct).

Most important is use packing time as a time to purge. Clothes and kitchen items not used for a long while, toys the kids have outgrown.... so much nicer to move without clutter.

penguin

Tue, Jul 28 2015, 11:05 pm

Quote:

I made a drawing of the house layout with each room color coded and gave the movers copies so they knew where to put things (and I stood at the door anyhow to help direct).

Or you could prepare a colored paper for each room to match the color on the boxes. But of course it's best if someone supervises because the movers won't necessarily be very careful about where each box ends up.

From my experience and some of my kids' experiences, putting furniture back together can be tricky. I would ask the head of the moving company for references and ask pointedly about this. Otherwise it's late, they're tired, they leave, and you don't have your beds put back together.

amother

Coral

Wed, Jul 29 2015, 4:50 pm

OP here. Thank you all again.
This advice is empowering.
Any tips on packing china? The mover told us to use towels. Do you have to put a towel around each dish?
What should I unpack first when we get to the new house? I feel like I won't know where to start.

amother

Smokey

Wed, Jul 29 2015, 4:58 pm

amother wrote:

Your goal with china should be to seperate the pieces from each other so they don't bang into one another, and to pack them tightly in a box so that nothing can rattle around and break on impact. I used the original boxes and cardboard separators but I can see towels working well. Just pack them stiffly with no extra space. Use paper tape to secure if necessary.

A piece of advice regarding hardcover seforim: don't pack them in boxes because they become too heavy to lift. Some people use twine or rope and create little bundles, but that leaves dents on the covers. A better idea the mover guy suggested was to wrap each pile (depending on the size a pile could have 5 large gemaras or 10 smaller seforim) with saran wrap, several times in width and several times in length till it becomes a stiff rectangle that the movers can lift and carry like a carton. It worked for us.

MiracleMama

Wed, Jul 29 2015, 5:01 pm

I used newspaper to wrap most kitchen stuff my first few moves. Last move I spent on packing paper (not very pricey) and for really delicate stuff I got bubble wrap and these thin foam dish liners. Those were more pricey, but cheaper than replacing China and crystal obviously. All bought at Home Depot but I'm sure many places sell.

amother

Smokey

Wed, Jul 29 2015, 5:02 pm

The first thing to unpack is the bedding and linen for sleeping that night. Then you work your way through the clothing and cosmetics your family needs. I left my kitchen stuff for last and lived on takeout for a few days while I got the kids organized.

It will depend on whethee you have a spare room for hiding random boxes, and if you are arriving relatively close to shabbos and need the kitchen up and running or the dining room clutter free... if you share details maybe posters can be more specific.