Series on Moving!

Okay, so today I'm starting a series on MOVING!!

The last time we moved a realtor friend of ours helped with the physical moving from our townhome to this one. He stopped me while putting boxes onto the truck and said that people would pay big money for organizing their move the way I did. I don't usually like to brag, but I could tell he was really impressed.

At the time, I couldn't find anyone with good information about how to move...and believe me I looked everywhere. Most of the advise was at best, already obvious, and at worst, really bad advise. I want to spend the time to explain how and why I move and organize to move the way I do, because the fact is, you have to keep living in the meantime.

I got rid of a lot in the last move only 3 years ago, but I have changed a lot in that time in regards to my taste and needs in life. Just because something wasn't clutter back then, doesn't mean it's not clutter now. Also, we moved into a home with stuff already here! I got rid of everything in the house that wasn't mine, but the garage is still quite full of it, no pun intended.

What my hall looks like right now:

First Stage in Moving: Daydreaming Big

So...you're thinking seriously about moving! You don't know the date yet, there's lots of work to be done and your house is a cluttered mess. Where's the boxes, right? Not quite.

Unless you're being rushed to move, take a little time...possibly two weeks or so, to daydream.

What kind of houses do you like or not like? What would your NEXT dream home look/feel like. (Not your million dollar dream, mind you. Just the reasonable to dream, dream.) What kind of backyard/storage/even neighbors? What size yard, what kind of stores would be frequented, are your friends/work close by? What kind of neighborhood feels safe to you?

[A word on neighbors: You are going to be living next to "these" people, whoever these ends up being, for a potentially long period of time. This is the one time in life where I would say to let the inner prejudice out just a little. Don't let that monster, because it IS a monster, come totally out, but let it surface just enough to find a place you and your neighbors will be happy about long term.

If you are seriously prejudice against a certain people--Black, Hispanic, Greek, Jew, Christian, Indian, Muslim...etc, etc.--do these people a favor and DON'T be their neighbor!! It will cause them much more misery than it will cause you.

But that's really not the prejudice I'm talking about here.

Are you annoyed every time you can't understand what people are saying and get agitated when you go in an ethnic resteraunt because you can't figure out what the labels say? Then, by all means, if you're not willing to learn the language well, don't move to China town or whatever.

Do you have several rambunctious children who love to swing on ropes, screeching at the top of their lungs when they run through sprinklers? Take pity on the quiet neighborhood chauk full of retirees.

Are you a certain religion and would rather only have an "open" mind on your schedule and not everytime your kids come home from visiting the neighbor kids? Then, you may want to scour the neighborhood for nearby churches to see what's prominent.

Do you like to keep three storage bins full of sporting equipment, an old crib, and a broken easy chair on the front porch? You probably don't want to move into a neighborhood with strict associations. OR are you super organized? You might not want the house four doors down from Mrs. Keepalot.

Meeting a huge variety of people and learning from them is one of the most fun and interesting parts of being a Houstonian. That said, you want to live where you can kick your feet up and keep the debates to a minimum. You want to feel at home and not like a social butterfly who just moved into a convent of mutes! Just really think about who you are and pay attention.]

Linked to A Bowl Full of Lemons