It’s time for our second challenge of the year! I thought it might be fun this year to start off with some challenges to help us all get organized, and make managing our homes just a wee bit easier! I used to do these regularly with a group of friends of mine and the camaraderie and accountability really helped. Each Tuesday I’ll post different assignments in our challenges and I hope you will join us! (Need to catch up? See previous posts in this series HERE).
ASSIGNMENT 15: Final Prep Week
Consider this week your final week before your move. Things you need to do:
1. Get back to “like goes with like.” I’m sure you’ve been living in your house while doing this challenge, which means that stuff has gotten moved around. Do a quick run-through of your home, and make sure “like goes with like.”
2. Stations. This is the time to make sure everything you need in each station is actually where it needs to be!
2a. If you’re needing suitcases for this move, PACK THEM NOW. And do yourselves a favor, and everything that is personally going with you, whether by car or plane, get it out of the house NOW. Hide it in your car, or at a family’s home. Just get it all out-of-the-way of the movers, or you risk important stuff being packed where you won’t be able to access it. (Trust me. Hubbie almost went without underwear one move.)
3. If there are other items that need to get out of your house before the movers arrive, GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW. Get the donations where they need to go. Put garbage out by the curb. This is the time to get everything where it needs to go! You don’t want this stuff going with you!
Idea For You:
If you are actually moving, I recommend moving into a hotel the day before your packers/movers arrive. This way you have the perfect place to stash your “stash,” and a perfect retreat from the upcoming insanity. Yes, you could save a little money by not doing this, but honestly, it’s not worth it. Whenever possible, choose sanity over money.
4. Get your house ready for movers to walk in. Take a quick look around. What kinds of things do you need to do if your movers are arriving tomorrow. Are there small, quick things you can do to make the job quicker and easier?
Idea for you:
If you are actually moving, dump the garbage out of your garbage cans NOW. It’s a running joke among those of us who move so often, that you will arrive with a garbage can FULL OF GARBAGE because the movers packed the can with the garbage still inside! Yup. That’s a real thing.
5. LAUNDRY. Yeah, this is not my most favorite chore, but you don’t want to be packing dirty sheets and towels! Are your curtains washable? This would be a good time to get them clean and prepped for your new home!
6. Hire someone to clean after the movers are done! I know, yes, you could always do this step yourself and save some money. But if you can get away with it, don’t. I’ve done it myself and it about killed me.
Seriously, if you have burning the candle at both ends to get this move organized and ready, then the general stress of moving in general, YOU WILL BE BURNED OUT. Really. The second the movers are done and gone with your stuff, you’ll be done too. Emotionally, physically, everything. I was just so over the whole process, and then to be faced with what turns into a COMPLETELY new challenge?? It really is worth every single penny to have someone come do the hard scrubbing for you.
And your house WILL be a mess when you’re done. I have never seen so many scary, mutated dust bunnies in my entire life. And I’m a clean freak, so I have no idea where they came from. I almost broke the vacuum cleaner on them. Ugh.
So, just work this into your budget and get someone else to do it.
Idea For You:
If you’re not really moving, then this might be a great time to celebrate by getting a cleaning person to come in one time and do the big deep clean for you! Just a thought!
At this point, our “Big Organizational Packfest Challenge” is done!!!
Congratulations! You have completed this challenge!!
(I feel like I should have gold stars to give away!)
If you are really moving, the movers will come pack up your stuff and haul it away! (Again, if at all financially possible, I really do recommend getting professionals to pack and move your items. If at all possible. Yes, you could save money doing it yourself, but you need to balance that against your sanity during one of the most stressful periods in your life. I honestly do not recommend it. If at all possible.)
I would love your feedback and your own tips! Goodness knows I’ll be going through this every two-three years, so I can use all the help I can get!
Thanks for participating! Feel free to post in the comments, or link up! I’d love it!
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