Look how spiffy our house is looking these days:
With less than 5 days until the big move, we’ve learned that packing is no joke. But we’ve got our eye on the prize (our exciting new digs) so we’re trying to keep our spirits up, stay hydrated, and play some good music for dancing as we go (the dancing is for Clara- gotta keep the baby entertained or packing progress can screech to a halt). Oh and we got many of our “secondhand boxes” as we’re lovingly calling them by trolling craigslist and freecycle (and even driving to a local reader’s house when she offered some up to us on Facebook). But admittedly we did have to grab a few from Walmart when we ran out of pre-used ones. Oh well, at least they’re made from 100% recycled material and we can craigslist/freecycle them when we’re done so they’ll live on like Leo’s memory in Titanic. Sidenote: anyone else still have a grade school crush on Leo?
Our to-do list is pretty nuts, but so far we’ve managed to cross these things off:
- remove every single item from the wall and patch/paint every nail hole in the house (this was actually about 500 times easier than I expected- just remove all the nails at once, spackle everything at once, and then paint room by room. It’s a lot faster than doing those three things in each room before moving onto the next one since you’d be opening and closing the spackle and cleaning the putty knife about a million times).
- transfer all of our utilities so they start over at the new place on move-in day
- pack the entire bathroom (except for travel sized shampoo & conditioner, our toothbrushes, and the shower curtain)
- pack all of our frames, mirrors, books, ceramic animals, and 80% of the breakables (still need to do our dishware – yikes!)
- pack all of the clothes we won’t be using in the next 7 days (we created a little “vacation stash” of everything from clothes to baby supplies and toiletries that we’ll appreciate having on hand instead of needing to unpack a million boxes to find those necessities).
As for what’s still on the list, here’s what we’ve got on the agenda:
- pack the rest of the kitchen along with about 20% of the other rooms that still need to be done
- rake the yard so the new owners don’t think they’re moving into a giant leaf pile
- oversee the completion of a few random inspection items (some flue work is being done by a pro tomorrow)
- get our oil measured for closing (new buyers pay for the oil that’s left in the tank, isn’t that a nice fair way to do it?)
- wave goodbye to our tan slipcovered Pottery Barn sofa in the den (someone from craigslist is supposed to be picking it up at 4)
- clean the oven and the fridge (can’t really do this until right before we go)
- vacuum/sweep/scrub the house spotless before locking the door with a tear in my eye
Assuming all goes well, the new owners are supposed to be closing on our house on Monday morning and once those funds come through we can close on our new place on Monday afternoon. So for a few odd hours in the middle of the day we actually won’t be homeowners at all. Weird, right? This necessitates an airtight moving plan, which doesn’t exactly sound easy but we’re sure we’ll somehow get ‘er done. We’re planning to move all of our stuff into a giant U-Haul by Sunday night and are paying to keep the truck overnight so it’ll essentially become a huge storage locker on wheels until we can unpack it on Monday afternoon at the new house (where our alarm system will be getting installed at the same time). Should be interesting total chaos, especially since we’re used to a few trips back and forth when it comes to a big move like this. Thankfully we have John’s awesome family helping with the loading and unloading. Did you think we’d hire movers? Come on, we’re total cheap-os. Besides, we love a good DIY adventure. Here’s hoping it has a happy ending and none of my ceramic animal friends have to die for the cause…
LauraC says
Whew! Been there, done that, so many times! At 18 months in our home now, I feel like I’m setting a record (not really, but just feels like it) for not packing/unpacking. It is certainly interesting to see what several years of marriage + baby does to one’s belongings. When we moved into our first home in OK (1100 sq ft), we had very little. Almost six years and two kids later, we nicely fill up a home twice as big (wry smile).
Grace says
Did you consider green boxes like these: http://earthfriendlymoving.com/greenbox/
I’ve never used them but they sound great.
YoungHouseLove says
We did! They weren’t available in our area:(
xo,
s
Relevant Notes says
I’ve only moved in and out of dorm rooms / apartments each year… so I can’t imagine how difficult it is to pack up an entire house! I always hated that in-between feeling where things are half-packed and nothing is in its place. Good luck with everything!
Carole says
my husband was in Europe the week before we moved, so I did 99% of our packing myself whilst he away. Yuck.
I used a “backing out of the house” method–I chose the furthest room to completely finish then moved everything out of that room so I didn’t have to go back in there until the very last sweep-through. Otherwise, you end up feeling like everything is ‘almost finished’!
Good luck with everything! Packing is certainly a job that expands to fill the time you give it!
Heather says
“Sidenote: anyone else still have a grade school crush on Leo?”
Yes. I still go all dreamy when I think of the shot of the hair falling in his eyes when he looks up while sketching Rose… *sigh*
*ahem* Anyways. Just curious if you guys were taking the snazzy washer & dryer or leaving them behind since they’re kind of built into their little nook. I’m so sad that you’re leaving the bedroom built ins behind. I think that is my absolute favorite feature about your home and it’s one I can not wait to incorporate into mine.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Heather,
Those convey with the rest of the appliances.
xo,
s
oneida says
this is kind of random, but is that a baby jogger stroller? my husband thinks that he wants one for our new baby and i am wondering how you guys like it. they are so pricey but we have been given hand-me-downs of everything else so we’re thinking of asking for it for our baby shower. i was just wondering if it is the baby jogger and what you like about it/how you decided on that one. thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Oneida,
It’s actually a Joovy Kooper. We love it!!! The idea of having one stroller from infancy through toddlerhood is so appealing to us as opposed to having a bunch of them for different stages of development. And it’s only around $199, so it wasn’t too bad (we registered for it and a group of relatives all went in on it!).
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Oh, I don’t envy you! We just moved last weekend. We rented a truck, thinking it would take one back-and-forth trip. Well, it took two. And we hadn’t even moved the kitchen. Yikes! (We didn’t sell our current house so we are making car trips with the kitchen items after work.)
It’s been 3 days in our new house, and we’re sleeping on a mattress on the floor in our guest room as we remove wallpaper, spackle, and paint our new bedroom. Our new stove doesn’t like to heat up, so we are rearranging funds to buy a new one. And our dog isn’t liking the fact that the yard isn’t fenced, meaning he’s on-leash 100% of the time outside. It’s all worth it though, right?
Your good ideas:
Packing a week’s worth of stuff to live on. What I wouldn’t give for a clean pair of socks right about now. (TMI?)
Moving your utilities over the same day – our realtor said it can cost an extra $70 if you set it up the day after.
Raking the leaves. Wish our seller had done this (she’s 90 though….). Our dog is getting lost under the piles!
Happy moving day! Good luck!
js says
Skip the super thorough cleaning of the old house before you go. Don’t leave anything icky, but realize that the new owners will track in all kinds of stuff when they move their stuff in, thus making it a waste of time.
Claire says
Great tip I learned from a friend of mine that works in McDonalds: they always have boxes and they’re used to people asking for them and giving them away. I’m sure it’s true of all fast food joints.
Best of luck!
Kelly says
Wow, listening to all you’re doing for the buyers really underscores what our sellers DIDN’T do. Forget taking out nails and patching holes – they didn’t clean anything for us, and even left a bunch of stuff (read: junk) in the closets and cabinets. They did take all of the lightbulbs, though. And this was after they took another week BEYOND the extra week we gave them to move out.
You guys are the best sellers ever, seriously. Kudos to you! You’ll have everything knocked out in no time. Also, are you guys going to decorate the house using your old decor items (throw pillows, furniture, etc) and them phase them out as you buy new stuff? It’s so tempting to buy a whole house of stuff at one time…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kelly,
You now we love to work with what we have, so that’s definitely on the agenda along with DIYing some stuff and hunting down deals to fill things in!
xo,
s
Katrina says
WOW – its crazy to see your house all packed up! Congrats on the big move :)
Mary C says
Am I the only person who feels a little (sniff) nostalgic over leaving the house we all loved. Yeah, I’m getting a tad emotional here. We’ll always love you, first Casa Petersik.
Maria V says
I’m so happy for you guys!! This time last year our POD was finally being delivered to our new home and I was busy calling in favors left and right to get people to help us unload, in the end we had 13 people unloading the POD and we were done in 2 1/2 hours (and we have A LOT of furniture) it was great having that many people because no one was over tired at the end of the day.
And now I’m going to give you a tip which you guys will totally consider faux pas but it really does make packing easier. When packing your dishes pick up a pack of styrofoam disposable plates and put a couple on the bottom and one between each dish. I know it’s not green but it’s fast, cheap and easy to pack AND unpack. You can use the plates the first few nights in the house when you have better things to do than wash dishes.
Best of luck to you! Can’t wait to see the new place!!!
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
omg! exciting! cant wait to see images (maybe) from your chaotic moving day!! great to see that you have all the litte/notsolittle things remembered for your big day (ie. alarm, utilities, etc.) GOOD LUCK!
Josh G says
Also, it may be a little unconventional, but the abc store gives all of there boxes away, they are small but very strong. We usually do that for our dishware :) Good luck, can’t wait to see whats coming….Happy Holidays!
Katie says
What do you mean by having your oil measured?
– Confused in the Midwest!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
We have oil heat here, so the oil that we purchased in our tank will be measured so we can be reimbursed for the stuff we’re leaving behind to heat the house for the rest of the season!
xo,
s
Kathi says
You guys look like you’ve got most of it under control. Best wishes for a smooth closing and move!
And thanks for putting “Jump Around” in my head. *sigh* ;)
Alexson says
I love how y’all used painter’s tape to close up the moving boxes! Gotta work with what ya got :)
Callina says
It’s so nice when you move into a home that you know has been well cared for, even in the moving out process. I never would expect a seller to patch holes or even do more than a quick sweep with a broom, so it would be a pleasant surprise to open the door finding the home spotless, or even just fairly clean. Love the idea a previous poster had about leaving champagne and glasses.
Laura says
Try liquor stores for boxes rather than buying boxes. They are very sturdy, easier to lug around because they are generally smaller, and FREE!
Shunta says
Such a mixture of sad to see you leave this house but crazy excited to slowly watch what unfolds in the new house! every post that talks about the move gets me excited!!!
Carol N. says
Wow, it is really happening! Good luck with Monday, you guys are going to be totally worn out by the end of it. When we sold our last house, we moved into an apartment the same day (we were building but had to sell before we could afford to build). At the end of the day we were completely drained and just stared at the mounds and mounds of boxes in our apartment. Oh, and our cats were at the vets all day of the close/move and when we brought them to the new place, they came out of the cage and just looked around and went right back inside. Like they were saying “where have you taken me, this isn’t home”. Hope the Burgster does OK with the move. Will he be visiting somewhere else during all the moving?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, both Burger and Clara will be well taken care of during the move. Thank goodness for family and friends!
xo,
s
Kayla says
These pictures just cracked me up! They truly bring the phrase “sometimes it gets worse before it gets better” to life! Happy packing, just remember you guys rock, and you are fabulous!
Kate says
Your house actually looks great for getting all packed up! It’s probably because you don’t have as muhc stuff as I do; every time I move it’s hard to move because there are so many boxes full of all the stuff I cram into my space!
Sara @ House Bella says
Sad, exciting, bittersweet, and fun all at the same time! Best of luck on your move, can’t wait to see the very-first-ever pictures of your new place.
Katrina says
Patching and painting the nail holes – you guys are going above and beyond! We didn’t go that far when we moved, but we did clean the oven and fridge and scrubbed down the bathroom and every inch of the house. When we moved into that house, the previous owners left no toilet paper, no paper towels, no shower curtain, but they were “kind” enough to leave a lawn in need of mowing and a dog hair covered floor (it was like tumbleweeds blowing across the floor). We made sure to leave a clean house stocked with life’s little necessities when we left, and a bottle of champagne for the new owners to celebrate the purchase of their first house.
Good luck with the moving process. It’s tiring but worth it!
MelanieO says
Totally agree on doing unto others. Our PO’s left us a stack of local takeout menus, a loaf of artisan bread that we ate in hunks throughout the first afternoon, and extra lightbulbs for fixtures throughout the house. It was greatly appreciated and made us feel great about the nice things we’d done for our buyer…karma pays off!
Katrina says
Also, the owners of our current house left us the most comprehensive binder of information about the house. It contained everything – manuals, codes to the security system, the names and numbers of contractors that they had used to do work on the house (their oil/pool/plow guy) and when these people would likely be in touch. They also left a very touching note about how it had been their house for 25 years, but they were excited to hand it off to our young family in hopes that we would care for it for the next 25! That’s the kind of welcome you want! Do you guys have plans for leaving behind that kind of information?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katrina,
Yup, we already have a folder full of manuals for them along with some info like security codes, etc. We want them to feel like it’s really their home when we leave, so we’re trying to give them all the “tools” they need. I think that from being bloggers who love sharing tutorials and stuff, we’ll probably leave no detail unmentioned!
xo,
s
Keeley says
You two are seriously making me want to move!
I agree with the other commenters… you two are so polite and thoughtful. The previous owners of our home were rude to us at settlement and left dents and dings in the walls and a few other surprises. I’m so glad to know that not everyone is so mean… especially considering that they made a huge profit when we bought their home!
Congratulations on your new home. Good for you for DIYing the move. I can tell you right now that we’d get professional movers because we have long commutes and work way too many hours. When I grow up I want to work from home like you guys :)
Lisa says
Oh, I cracked up when you listed “ceramic animals” as a separate moving category!!! But I said “awwwww” when I saw Clara’s nursery pic – so sad to see the curtains and decor down, etc. Best of luck for the move!!!
Hannah says
Good luck with the move – “Best laid plans of mice and men” right. Just think, despite the chaos by Tuesday morning it will be all over, phew.
Just an aside – LOVE that you have Heifer International ad up on the site. We give every year, they are an amazing organization and I hope others jump on board with them.
Sophie says
*sniffle* This is SO SAD! I’m going to miss your house so much :'(
Samantha says
Re: the dishes — one time we were doing a local move and I started pricing the materials to pack our china safely. I discovered that buying the dish keepers from Bed Bath & Beyond was cheaper. So I packaged them carefully in those, put them in a laundry basket with our towels, and carried them to our house in the car. It ended up being a lot easier than wrapping everything in bubble and doing the dish boxes. Something to think about. The other place we got good boxes was buying used from a moving company. They were sturdier boxes than we could get new at the store and we liked that we were recycling.
Elaine says
Wow, looks like you guys have everything under control. Congratulations! That’s great too, about selling your sofa on Craigslist. Is it a reader that’s purchasing it? I have a crate and barrel coffee table posted on craigslist for less that half the original price and no one’s even come to look at it. When I first saw your CL ad, I was wondering why you didn’t use an image hosting site for better quality photos, but looks like it didn’t matter!
p.s. LOVE Leo ever since growing pains… at least he’s an awesome actor, so the crush has some merit!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elaine,
We do think it’s a reader who’s getting it (well, a reader’s hubby to be more exact). Hope your coffee table goes soon! It sounds like a steal!
xo,
s
erin m. says
Best of luck to you guys!! Moving can be stressful, but you seem to be pretty on top of it. I am so excited to see everything with your new home!!!
Do your buyers know about the blog? Have they looked at pictures of the house’s transformation? I think that would be so interesting if I were moving into a house that had been changed so beautifully!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
They didn’t know about the blog at all when they put in an offer on our house but we disclosed it to them just to make sure they’re in the know (since pics of the house with our furniture in it will remain on the blog). They were cool with it, so we assume they liked looking at the before pics. We would love to see photos like that but we’re geeks like that so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Haha.
xo,
s
Emily says
We’re moving next Saturday, so I know exactly what you’re going through. Our house is a crazy mess and we are working our way through an odd assortment of food from our cabinets…Just keep your eyes on the prize!
Ronica says
So what goodies/ packing supplies do you guys use and keep on hand (or purchase) for your big move? I’m hoping to move in the next 45 days (close date not yet set) after living in my current space for 8 years. Any packing tips?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ronica,
We used packing tape, a black sharpie for labeling, blue painter’s tape (to mark boxes that were fragile so they’re easy to identify by color), boxes of course, and some packing paper/bubble wrap that we got for free on craigslist along with the boxes.
xo,
s
TG says
Are you going to have Clara spend some time with a relative while you pack up the truck and unpack it? Can’t wait to see the pictures of your new home. How exciting.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! Thank goodness for friends and family!
xo,
s
Meghan says
I agree with someone who wrote not to worry about leaving things spotless – but I know the clean fridge will be most appreciated. The only thing I leave when I move (rentals only) is a roll of TP. I figure it’s an easy thing to forget and a horrible thing to not have in the middle of moving!
liz @ bon temps beignet says
Bittersweet : ( And didn’t Michael from The Office once say “what’s the point of bittersweet chocolate?” Yuck.
But, I really can’t wait to see this new place.
AND HOLY HECK what about the Bowers moving. crazy!
Meghan says
You guys are nice. Raking the yard, spackling up holes in the walls, etc. The people that we bought our house from left the house a disaster. I cried when I opened up the door after the closing. Our first weekend in the new home was spent doing some major cleaning. At least I got rid of all their grime.
MS says
Not sure I’m transfering my move last year onto yours, but just looking at those pictures brought a tear to my eye! And I don’t live at your house! Either way, I remember that chaos sorta…and blocked the rest. Good luck and give your house a hug good bye for me. I’ve loved following the changes you’ve made!
Kelly says
Where will you sleep Sunday night if all of your stuff is in the truck? I bet you’ll DIY a temporary bed for you and Clara!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kelly,
We’re staying at a top secret location along with our UHaul full of stuff (we don’t want to share where it’ll be in case anyone gets any evil ideas about trying to make off with our house full o’ stuff!).
xo,
s
Ali says
Loved these moving pics! So real life that it makes me smile in memories of the stress, fun and exhaustion! :) I’m happy for you! This next week is going to be crazy fun and crazy stressful! Hang on and take lots of pics to document it all!
I can’t wait for a video tour of the new house! I’m so excited about the sectional! Yipee! This will be fun, fun, fun with a side order of crazy and stress! Keep your jazz hands ready and those high kicks coming! Get jazzed…your plan is working out so perfectly! : No pressure from us the readers…take your time and get sleep! We’ll see you when we see you! But, don’t be shocked if we all pop on 4 x’s a day hoping for a post or update on the move!
~ Ali
Cassie says
I totally agree with everyone else – how awesome are you guys to the new owners. When we moved into our new home two years ago the previous owner’s pulled out all of the nails leaving holes and ripping off paint. Not cool. They did leave a clean home, but the walls looked horrible. What are you all leaving behind for the new owners? Blinds? Certan fixtures? Anything? Would love to know! Best of luck with the move, especially with a little one!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cassie,
We offered up things like all the curtains except for Clara’s (since they’re too sentimental to leave behind) and the built ins around the bed in the master along with the bed frame and all of our appliances, the three floating shelves in the dining nook, and the storage cabinetry in the basement along with all the light fixtures that are hardwired (as well as the plug-in sconces in the bedroom) except again for the aqua capiz chandy in Clara’s room. We definitely were happy to leave that stuff to get the asking price that we wanted (so we’re not torn up about leaving anything behind that we’d rather keep). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
christina says
The greyhound in pic2 looks so brave in the chaos.
Good luck on the move.
Sara says
Best wishes!!!
We were also in limbo for a few hours. Our whole life was parked on the road in a UHaul. We also have 4 cats and a dog so we had to keep them in the car while we waited for our new house to be available. Let’s just say, moving 3 families all in a few hours is nuts! And we were the ones squeezed in the middle. Our main priority since our daughter was at a sitter’s house, get in and get the baby’s room ready. I had 1hour and great helpers!! A few pizzas and laughs wrapped up the hectic day.
Can’t wait to hear the details!
The Chatty Housewife says
The first photo made me tear up a little. BUT…. I am excited to see what’s to come and how your style is translated and changed in the new home.
Laura@JourneyChic says
OMG, seeing Clara’s room all packed up is so sad! I feel like you JUST designed it, and did so with so much care, that it brings a sniffle to my nose to see it all disappear!
margie says
Hey guys, I was just wondering, I know you love you house and are going to miss it but do you think you guys will be depressed at all leaving such a gorgous house that you worked so hard on to get it just they way you want to move into a house where everything needs to be done? I know that kind of the point so you have more projects but it must be hard leaving a “pent house suite” for a “motel 6”?
Good luck with the move
YoungHouseLove says
We love a project so we can’t wait! Sitting on the couch in a gorgeous “done” room is oddly less exciting to us than sitting on a box in a room full of chaos and possibility. But we’re weird to feel that way- we know!
xo,
s