Moving Tips from a Reluctant Pro

Todd and I have moved more times than just about anyone I know—from Virginia to South Carolina to Massachusetts and back to Virginia. Since moving into our first place together, a little condo in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., we have moved no less than eight times.

Do we like moving? Not particularly, but I don't think we view it with the same dread as most people. It's a simple matter of putting things in boxes, putting the boxes in a truck, taking the boxes out of a truck, and taking things out of the boxes—it's not rocket science.

That's why we've never hired a moving service. Don't get me wrong—I think about it every single time. But then I think about how I could spend those thousands of dollars on new furniture for my house, or a trip. So we buck up and do it ourselves.

That said, it's not fun. I get stressed out just like everybody else. But over the years I've figured out a few ways to ease the process.

Start early. It's so much easier to start packing a month or two before your move than waiting until the week of. You don't want to go overboard, but start in the rooms you rarely use (basement, guest room), and pack a little bit each day. As you finish, stack the boxes in an out-of-the-way place so you don't trip over them. When moving week arrives, a lot of your stuff will already be packed.

Purge, purge, purge. This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of crap you don't need anymore. Be brutal, and you'll discover that cleaning out your wardrobe/drawers/closets is actually crazy addictive. Again, don't go overboard.

Leave your clothes in the dresser. I used to pack up all of my clothes in boxes. Then I realized that they're already in perfectly sized boxes—they're called dresser drawers. Just move the fully intact drawers into the dresser in the truck.

Start challenging yourself to skip the grocery store a few weeks before your move. No one likes to throw away good food. Instead, try to make as many meals using the food in your cabinets/freezer/refrigerator as you can. And when you run out of options, it's OK to order takeout. Doing dishes only adds to the stress-fest.

Make a cleaning checklist. I usually err on the side of too-clean when we move because I don't want to give the landlords any reason to keep my security deposit. To avoid a last-minute marathon cleaning sesh, I start cleaning long before move-out day, spacing out jobs like wiping down cabinet fronts and cleaning out the refrigerator over the course of a few weeks. By the time we head out, the house is mostly clean, save for a quick sweep.

Get to know your moving truck. If you've never driven a moving truck before, take some time to get to know it. Packing that sucker requires some finesse—if it's imbalanced, you could have a very tough drive. And be hyper-aware of height limitations on bridges and overpasses. We very nearly had a run-in with a historic bridge in Connecticut.

Charleston to Boston.

via.

It's hard to believe that it's been two months since I went from that  /\/\/\/\ to this \/\/\/\/.

via.

I don't want to say that moving was easy, because it really, really wasn't. Moving 1,000 miles away rarely is. But at the same time, it's crazy how drastically my life changed in just a few days.

Two months ago I was living in Charleston, working at a local newspaper and living in a little 100-year-old house on the outskirts of downtown. My days were made up of two-minute commutes, long walks under the live oaks, $4 cocktails with friends, and small-town gossip. Life was easy, and it was slow, and I was happy. But ready for a change.

Our new house is about five miles from the heart of Boston, yet a 15-to-45-minute commute by bus, depending on traffic. I work as an editor in an office surrounded by hip restaurants with $15 cocktails, and my daily walk takes me through the skyscrapers of the Financial District and past the Tea Party Museum over Fort Point Channel. In the evenings and on weekends, we've had pasta in the North End, ridden the ferry to Spectacle Island, explored the Museum of Fine Arts, eaten fish tacos in Fenway, and taken day trips to Newburyport, Marblehead, and Walden Pond.

It all still feels very new, and I'm still catching up. But every now and then I stop for a minute to think about how far I've come in a few short weeks — whether I'm hurrying along to catch the T, organizing a photo shoot at my new job, or just walking through the streets of a city I can now call home.

moving day(s).

Yesterday, I left Charleston in my rearview mirror. As I was driving away, I tried to remind myself of the enormity of the moment, but really, I think there's just too much to process right now. I waved goodbye to my house, my neighborhood, and then the entire state of South Carolina as I made my way up the road.

Yesterday was North Carolina and Virginia, two familiar states that never seem to end. Today starts with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and continues through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and finally Massachusetts. I just can't wait to wake up in my new house. Maybe it'll all seem real then.

boston bound.

Well, I've officially told everyone who needs to know, so I guess I can now tell my blog that Todd and I are moving to Boston this summer. A lot of people I've told have had the same reaction: A look of shock and confusion, an occasional wrinkled nose, followed by "Why?"

The number one reason is simple: Because we want to. It's what led us to Charleston, and what will no doubt lead us to whatever city comes after Boston, yet it's an answer that most people seem unwilling to accept. Why is living exactly where you want to live such a foreign concept?

I love the size of Boston, that it's big yet approachable, with unique neighborhoods all throughout the city. I love that it's historic, with centuries-old buildings reflected against shining skyscrapers. I love that its population is diverse, and intelligent, and friendly, in their own way. And I love that in just a few hours I can get to Portland, Newport, Cape Cod, or New Hampshire's White Mountains. I can even drive to Montreal in the time it would take me to drive to Atlanta. Yes, I'm dreading the winter a bit, but I can't tell you how excited I am to have distinct seasons. I've missed those. 

So to everyone asking "Why?," I'll just say "Why not?"

home sweet home.

Yesterday, we bought a house. I wrote a check for nearly $6,000 and committed to paying many times that amount over the next 30 years. After 45 minutes of legal jargon and signing my name until my signature started to look weird, our realtor handed over a single gold key hanging on a gold ribbon. We are homeowners.

It's taken awhile to get here. We started looking almost a year ago. We fell in love with several places, and made offers on three of them. One owner raised the price after we made our offer (it's still sitting vacant), the other was snatched up by an evil cash buyer, and the other we discovered under a few feet of water after a heavy rain.

And then we found this house. When we first looked at it, it was more than $30K out of our price range so we decided to forget about it. When we got word that the owner was willing to be very flexible, we made an offer and it was accepted.

We moved in most of our things last night. We set up our bedroom but everything else is a mess. Still, it was the most incredible feeling to wake up in a house that feels more like home than anywhere I've lived in years. I sat on the couch in my PJs for the longest time just looking around and feeling happy.

So basically I'm obsessed with my new house, I have so many plans for it, and you'll be seeing a lot more home-related posts. Get ready for it.