I’m so happy to welcome writer Jill Kemerer to Tag(g)lines today!
I have to tell a cool story about Jill…back when I first started reading her blog, she had just begun a Writer’s Survival Guide series. Her first post, if I remember right, was all about attitude and our mindset at writers–and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I said so in my comment…and that day received the nicest, most encouraging email from Jill. I felt so blessed! So I love that she’s here today, keeping up with our June Wednesday theme of moving, transition, traveling, etc…enjoy!!
Moving? Two Strategies for Packing Your House
When Melissa asked me to guest post about moving, I immediately agreed. We’ve moved so many times, I’m practically a professional! And since I’m in the middle of another move, what better time to write about it?
If you’re responsible for packing up your house, you will first need a strategy. A successful move always starts with one thing: chocolate. Okay, two things. Chocolate and knowledge. Ask yourself the following:
Am I a quick decision maker?
Do I struggle to make decisions?
When you know the answer, you can grab an ice cream cone and come up with a plan. People who are able to make quick decisions will have different approaches to packing than people who struggle with decision making, so choose wisely, my friends!
A quick checklist for ALL packers:
- Grab a calendar and determine exactly how much time you have before you move.
- Purchase or find boxes, several rolls of packing tape, Sharpies, and either newspapers or packing paper.
- Create a game plan for each week (or day, if you’re on a tight time frame) of the rooms/closets you will pack.
- Always pack the least-used items first. Pack the most-used items last. For instance, pack basement odds and ends, the stuff on top of your closet, and art work first. Kitchen essentials will be last.
- Pack heavy items such as books and dishes into small, easy-to-carry boxes.
Strategy One: The Quick Decision Maker’s Guide
If you’re able to make decisions quickly, welcome to my world! You’re going to be weeding out your belongings as you pack them. Yes, this will result in more work up front, but it will be worth it when you move into your new home with only things you truly need or love.
- Gather several empty garbage bags, a clothes basket, and your packing supplies. Head to the area you’re packing.
- Start in one corner and work your way around the room or closet until finished.
- Go through each item (or if the things are boxed, each box), sorting everything into one of three piles. Aim for speed!
- Keep (Put items near packing boxes)
- Donate (Put items in the clothes basket)
- Throw away (Put items in trash bags)
- Immediately pack the items in your Keep pile and tape the boxes as they’re filled. Mark the box with the room where it belongs and jot a quick list of its items on the top. (Ex: Basement: -Spring Wreath -Grandma’s Quilt -Reference Books)
- Put all packed boxes along the wall of the room, or, if you want them out of the way, stack them in your garage or a less-used area of your house.
- Divide your Donate pile into categories. Our largest pile went to Goodwill. But we had a few small piles to give to friends who had small children. Bag these items and deliver them as soon as possible. Don’t be afraid to take more than one trip!
- Toss all of the Throw Away pile into trash bags and place them outside in your trash area.
- Continue this process until all of your rooms are packed.
Strategy Two: The Less Decisive Packer’s Guide
If you struggle to make decisions in a timely manner, that’s okay. Moving is stressful—try not to put too much pressure on yourself. My recommendation is that you keep the decision making to a minimum. Basically, you’re packing everything. You can decide what to do with it AFTER you’re settled into your new home.
- Grab several garbage bags and your packing supplies.
- Be systematic in the area you’re tackling. Start in one corner and work your way around the room.
- Pack things as you see them. As the boxes fill, tape them up and mark the room they’re going to as well as a quick list of the box’s contents. (Example: Master Bedroom: – Bedside Table books – Knick Knacks -Lamp)
- If you recognize something as trash, throw it IMMEDIATELY into a garbage bag.
- If you think you’d like to donate something, put it in a small pile where all of your donation items can be pooled. At the end of your session, box or bag them up and clearly mark “Donation” on them.
- Do NOT spend more than fifteen seconds thinking about an item. Just pack it and move on. You can make decisions about it after your move.
Warning: You’re going to be dealing with a LOT of accumulated stuff, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of decision making ahead of you.
My rule? If I think about something for more than 15 seconds, I keep it. Obviously, it’s triggering some emotion in me. I can always donate it or toss it down the line.
Packing up all of your belongings can be a real eye-opener. You’ll find things in rooms they don’t belong in. You’ll find things you have no idea why you kept in the first place. You’ll wonder if you should pack something now or if you might need it next week. It’s tough. Just remind yourself (repeatedly!) that at some point you will be moved in and unpacked. Life will return to normal!
Thanks SO much, Melissa, for having me today!
Would you say you’re a quick decision maker? Or do you struggle to make decisions quickly?
Jill Kemerer writes inspirational romance novels. Coffee fuels her mornings; chocolate, her afternoons. A former electrical engineer, she now enjoys a healthy addiction to magazines, fluffy animals, and her hilarious family. She is a member of ACFW and RWA and MVRWA. Jill is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency.
To learn more about Jill, check out her website, stop by her blog, find her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.
Comments 43
Great post, Jill. I’m not moving any time soon, but my character is in my WIP, so this is quite timely. And it feeds into her personality as to if she’s a quick or slow decision maker. Pondering pondering pondering….
I can use this guide in cleaning out my wretched attic too!!
Lisa, I try to declutter areas of our house every 6 months or so–this list is great for moving OR for cleaning!
I think you must be a woman after my own heart, Jill. Clutter makes me go crazy!
Lisa, nice use of the word “pondering”…
These are great tips. I am such a slow decision maker! I needed these!
Nothing wrong with being a slow decision maker! I’m a big believer in keeping things as peaceful and calm as possible during stressful times. It’s good to honor our natural instincts!
I’m not moving but I’ll have to save these. I make decisions quick. Probably too quick.
Jessica, I almost threw away my ripped/stained wedding dress. I can relate! (I kept the beast. What’s one more bin in the basement, right?) Ha!
Great tips! I need time to sit and think first…then I can make a decision. So I’d pack it all and by the time I’m there I’d easily be able to decide what to do with it all.
Susan, that’s a great plan! I always feel bad when I see someone getting badgered to make a decision. Sometimes our brains need time to figure out the best options!
Jill, I like you. Anyone who lists chocolate and ice cream as two of the most important things for a move is someone after my own heart. And I am moving in less than 2 weeks, so this is pretty timely. Melissa, I’ll be so much closer to you- you’ll have to come visit my new house soon!!!!
Laura, I’m giving you a big hug and a triple-scoop ice cream cone right now! Congrats on your move! We will be living without a kitchen for 3 weeks, so I’m a tad nervous about the month of July. I look at it as a different type of camping.
Best wishes to you!
Yay, Laura! I can’t wait until you live closer. Fun. We’ll have to get together and eat chocolate and ice cream. I need to find a weekend to visit!
Fun to see Jill here today! Jill and Melissa in the same place = awesomeness.
I would be quite happy never to move again. Not a fan. But can I still have chocolate and ice cream?
Yes, yes, you need chocolate and ice cream!! By the way, our move puts me 45 minutes closer to you and my sister! Yay! For the record, I never want to move again.
You are sweet, Katie!
Yay for Jill! I too have benefitted from Jill’s kind and generous spirit. Can’t wait to someday hold a Jill Kemerer book in my hands.
I make decisions fairly quickly, I guess. And I’ve moved a lot in the last 5-6 years. My husband and I have been married that long and lived in 4 different places (3 apartments, and 1 house). We’re staying put for awhile! I hate moving, but I do like how it forces you to purge stuff you don’t need!
Oh, and Mel, it’s really hot here. Like 112, I think. But no humidity at least. So maybe your hair would do better in AZ. That’s a good reason for you to move here. Just sayin’.
Aw, thanks, Lindsay! You sure know how to make me smile!
(My hair is horrific today. It’s low 90s and humid!)
I hope you stay put for a LONG while! And I hope we do too.
Okay, 112? I will stop complaining now. Actually I don’t mind heat so much–it’s the humidity that does me (and my hair) in.
My goodness this post makes me so thankful we’ve had packers come in and do so much of this for us, thanks to my man’s company. I think I might be good at it (and with this organized list even better), but one less stress I say. One less stress is always good.
~ Wendy
One less stress IS always good! The only thing I like about packing/unpacking myself is that I know where everything is and I’m forced to get rid of non-essentials. It’s a good thing!
Depends on which day it is. lol.
But generally speaking, I am one of those quick decision makers. Scenario: Clean out my office. Doesn’t take too long…The things I’m going to keep are quickly put where they belong (sometimes for the first time in months), then I have the things I’m going to throw away to deal with. I bag them, then take them to the storage room and 6 months later, if I haven’t needed anything in the bags, they go to the trash.
So, I’m not sure whether I’m a quick decision maker or not. lol
It sounds like you’re able to deal with your belongings efficiently–that’s all that counts! Good for you!
I struggle with my office stuff. I have a hard time letting go of the little writing notes flitting around, or the stickers, random paper clips, etc.. I have too much attachment to all things writing!
I’m not a fan of moving. I moved a lot as a child and just wanted a home that we stayed in forever. My parents had the ability to make every house a home, but the process of packing and unpacking was such a chore. But, sometimes it can’t be helped and God has a different plan than me!
I’m a quick decision maker, which can get me into trouble. I think it’s because I tend to get impatient, but I’m learning to take more time. Honest, I am!
Gabrielle, I’m very similar! Ha! I switched schools all the time as a kid, and it left me yearning for stability. I really, really hope this is our final move!!
You are so not alone on the impatience thing, Gabrielle. Pretty sure that’s my greatest struggle in just about every area of life!
Oh dear, I don’t know. lol I think with packing I’m fairly quick but then sometimes I regret a decision I made and then the next time I’m more slow because I don’t want to make the wrong one. *grin* It’s very convoluted.
Thanks for the tips!
Hehehe…I think I’m actually pretty similar, Jessica. I can make one decision so quickly, but then the next–something sooo little–will take me weeks. But, we’re women, yeah? Isn’t that, like, our prerogative or something?
I make decisions rather quickly, but now I make myself take overnight to sleep on if it is more important.
Terrific plan–sleeping overnight on a decision. I agree, we don’t want to make hasty decisions we later regret!
Love this – with the two different types of strategies! For the most part, I’m a quick decision maker.
Even with writing, we tend to get caught up in “one right way.” No!! The packing method that works for me, might not work for someone else.
Great strategies! I sometimes chew on decisions.
Your strategies could also help with just cleaning out the garage or basement!
Or my writing room closet which I’ve been meaning to clean for…no…I’d rather not admit how long!
Yes, I use this strategy for all decluttering sessions. Works like a charm! (If only I actually spend the time to do it!)
Jill, I wish I’d had this guide when I moved a few years ago. I’ll remember who the expert is if we ever decide to do it again.
Thanks for stopping by, Constance!
Ha, ha! Constance, you know who to call if you need help! I’m REALLY good at this!
I am not moving…but…I have been going through drawers and closets etc today. You are right Jill, these strategies work for decluttering/organizing as well. I too, have a stained, ripped wedding dress. Don’t know what I’d ever do with it. I’ve kept it 32 years. I really think I’ve gotten my $200 out of it. When I get to that closet, I may say goodbye.
Melissa, honestly, all the hair comments cracked me up as I am sitting here with my hair all greased up in coconut oil for 1 hour before showering. Something a coworker talked me into trying out. She even provided the coconut oil. She gave it to me when our trip to Wichita got cancelled saying, “a girl always feels better on a good hair day!” I’ll let you know how it works out.
Haha, yes, I want to know about the coconut oil.
Mostly I want to know how it was wearing it for an hour before rinsing it out.
Hehehe…
Ooo, coconut oil! I bet that’s a great solution to chlorine-damaged summer hair too. I’m writing that one down! (I’m SO glad I’m not the only one who could care less about my stained, ripped wedding dress. I did keep it. It’s in a bin headed for the new basement–as usual! Ha!)
I’m seeing a character who helps people move … and is very organized for other people … but not in her own life …
Love this post, Jill. And loved learning a bit more about you.
Ooh, I like that character idea, Beth!
Yay! I love it when character ideas hit me. A closet slob who organizes for other people sounds like a VERY fun character!!