The countdown is officially on! It’s hard to believe, but we’ll be moving into our seventh house in a month! We bought the lot over 18 months ago, and at times it has seemed like this house might never be finished; but here we are just one month away!
There aren’t words to describe how I’ve been feeling. Grateful and excited just don’t feel like enough. I’ve imagined hosting our 20th wedding anniversary party here, and I’ve imagined my kids taking prom pictures here. I’ve envisioned Christmases here with family and friends. And I’ve even thought far into the future and pictured my children coming home to this house with their own families.
This will be my 9th move in the last 19 years. In my adult life I’ve never lived in any place longer than 5 years. So this move feels especially significant.
I’ve always believed that home is wherever I’m with my people. And I still absolutely believe that. But finally being somewhere where I feel like I can put down roots and truly dig in…..this feeling is such a blessing!
It’s not about the house. It’s about feeling HOME.
And so……..it’s time to start packing up our sixth house! This isn’t my first rodeo as you well know. 😉 I’m pretty well versed when it comes to packing a house and moving. And truth be told, I find the process to be almost therapeutic. Taking stock of every. single. thing. you own and deciding whether or not you still need/want the item and then packing it up…….call me crazy, but I actually enjoy this part of the moving process.
I think the key to keeping your sanity and making the process as chaos-free as possible is staying organized and having a plan of attack. For our last move I followed this step-by-step checklist, and it made for such a smooth transition.
If you’ve got a move on the horizon, you can print this step-by-step house packing list pdf here!
I also think it helps to start the packing process early, so you don’t feel overwhelmed as moving day approaches. This week, 4 weeks from our moving day, I’m planning to check off the first 5 line items on this list.
Packing Tips
- Keep important papers, birth and marriage certificates with you.
- During the 2-3 weeks leading up to your move, plan your meals around whatever frozen food and perishable items you have.
- Use suitcases as boxes.
- Instead of bubble wrap or packing paper, protect dishes and other fragile items with sweaters and/or linens.
- Label the sides of boxes so you can read them when boxes are stacked.
- Keep everyday essentials in an overnight bag.
- Designate an “open first” box for things like bed sheets, hand soap, towels, etc.
We’ll be hiring movers to handle the big stuff, like furniture and televisions. But I actually prefer to do all my own packing. Knowing that this will be the last time I have to pack up a house for a really, really, really long time has me actually excited to start packing!
Do you have any packing tips or hacks to share?
So excited for you and your family! I have always wanted to build, it is on my bucket list. Can’t wait to see everything in its place, I know it will be beautiful. ?