Like fitness and puppies, certain themes run through the Angie’s List Blue House at any given time. And like Eric and Conor, I’ve caught the moving bug.
My wife and I have only been in our house for about two years (see pictures below), but thanks to the current housing market, we’ve found an affordable place right next to Broad Ripple Park, and we can’t pass it up. It sits on a quarter acre bordered on two sides by the park, and best of all — according to my dogs — it’s close the dog park.
We moved into our current home without knowing for sure how long we’d be there, and even though we figured it would be five years or less, I think we surprised ourselves by deciding to move so soon, especially since we’ve invested a lot of money in a high-efficiency HVAC system, a bathroom remodel, and more.
We’ll miss our old bungalow, with its refurbished kitchen and bathrooms, and its beautiful original woodwork and crown molding. And though I don’t use my garage for any heavy-duty projects, I’ll miss its space. And we’ll especially miss the native-plant landscaping we’ve put so many hours into this past year.
But making a life change such as this isn’t all about looking back — it’s about moving forward and… moving, period. I guess I’m not kidding anyone with my optimistic outlook: I’m nervous as heck, and I wonder off and on whether we’re making the right decision. The new house is in a great location, but lacks a certain charm our current home exudes.
I’m sure, however, we’ll turn the new house into a nice and cozy home soon enough. Finding a good home inspector, glass block window installer, and storage service on Angie’s List will surely help ease our transition, but if you have some good transition tips, I’d love to hear them!
Zip ties — this is my favorite moving tip. If you use the heavier duty plastic hangers like I do, you can make packages of 10-12 hangers with clothes on them, secured with a zip tie or tow. Make these little bundles and then cover them with a larger trash bag to prevent clothes slipping off the hanger or becoming dirty. When you get into your new place, all you have to do is hang them up, take off the bags and cut the zip ties. I’ve been moving almost every year for the past 4 years. And if you can find them, heavy duty pallet wrap and a hand truck. Stack medium sturdy boxes on top of each other in a stack five to six tall, wrap them and move them with the hand truck. Does the work of five or six trips in one. And, most important, always pay your moving helpers in beer…
Great tips. Regarding the last sentence: sounds like you’re offering to help us!
Banker boxes - that’s my moving tip. If you go to any of the moving stores, they want a fortune for boxes. But you can go to any office supply store and get those banker boxes for about a buck each. They’re strong, stackable, and inexpensive.