Just a little over a month ago Tim and I packed up our belongings and headed out to the bay area. We hadn't found an apartment yet and decided to bring just what we could fit in our car. These are the things we learned from the whole experience.
We first evaluated what we had and decided if it was worth it to bring it or sell/donate/give away/throw away. Most of our furniture was either thrifted, a hand me down, or IKEA/super cheap so we figured that it really didn't make sense to get a U-Haul. Plus we really weren't all that attached so we didn't mind!
Next came the sorting process. Anything with emotional value we kept of course and after that we found our items with the highest value and smallest size. My oh so adored BlendTec blender got to come but our old lamps, broom, etc didn't. We still had a few large items to bring with us Tim's beloved guitar but we were able to make it work.
I utilized facebook online yard sales, craigslist, and local online classifieds to sell what we could. We first sold things we wouldn't need and sold things like our bed and couches last. It definitely made those last few days on an air mattress more tolerable. Another tip is to advertise your items stages. Nobody wants to look at a pile of stuff. Things tend to sell much quicker when they can see them as is. This was definitely helpful.
This is probably a no brainer but don't leave your expensive things on top in the car. I didn't want anything to look tempting while our car full of everything we owned was parked at a motel in Reno on our drive from Utah to California so anything near windows was mostly blankets or backpacks.
What approach did you take to moving? Have you ever regretted that decision?
I'm still impressed with how much you got rid of. I don't know if I'd be able to do it. When I moved back from Rexburg, I'd already made some trips home with stuff, but the entire backseat of my car, the trunk and my front seat were full of things I had to take with me. I had to have my friend's husband come and stuff it all into my car. It was ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI've been downsizing a lot in preparation for my move. It's amazing how you look at things differently. I will be taking some of my furniture only because it would be more costly to replace it. There have been so many smaller items that I've found I don't need though. It is a nice feeling to clean things out!!
ReplyDelete