Monday, March 23, 2009

Moving Sucks



So, we moved. We built a new house and sold our old one (I highly recommend buying a house in this real estate market - selling one though, not so much). Anyways, after selling and moving into a rental for the 1st time in 10 years, we finally moved into the new abode one month ago - I haven't relaxed since. We moved on a Wednesday, I do not recommend moving on a Wednesday. Friends are working, baby sitters are in school, and help is not to be found. If you want to get help with a move, you have to leave little room for excuses from those who can help. Wednesday is an automatic excuse generator - "Ah shit man, I'm working. Too bad, I could have helped with the heavy stuff".

One thing you realize when you move is how much shit you have. Moving is the ultimate time to purge. Clothes that don't fit anymore (stupid dryer shrinking my pants), cassette tapes of Europe and Duran Duran, what was I thinking when I bought this lamp, and so it goes. All these gently used, dust gathering gizmos and garb go to garage sales, or Goodwill, or garbage. Boxes upon boxes of Stuff that cost you thousands of dollars over the years that you are happy to give away or even ecstatic to sell for $100 after spending $20 on an ad in the paper and sitting in your garage for an entire Saturday while strangers pick through what are your former prized possessions. When we moved from our old house to our rental, we purged and purged good! And even after that, we have got a lot of shit. Clothes, toys, furniture, tools - heavy furniture, heavy tools! Lets face it, we live in a society of stuff - it's nice to have it, it's nice to be able to afford it, it's everywhere. And when you buy the latest stuff, it's soon to be replaced with even better stuff. But carrying that stuff sucks. Packing it up in boxes and blankets sucks. Not knowing which box the forks are in the day before you move sucks. Not knowing which box the extension cord is in the week after you move sucks. Taking stuff apart sucks. Putting it back together after carrying it piece by piece from point A to point B, sucks. Buying new stuff for the new house is fun - carrying it home, unpacking it, and puting it together - sucks, sucks, and sucks. Painting a bedroom in the new house - sucks. Insulating and finishing the garage - guess what - sucks too.

I've still got to install the central vac, and water softner, paint one of the bathrooms, finish the garage loft, install the garage heater, deck, landscape, fence - I'm expecting suckage on most parts.

But the new house is awesome:o) And I'm starting to watch a few games again!

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for making me feel better about how much moving sucks. I'm moving right now. It sucks.

Chelsea

Oilman said...

can't believe someone actually read that! You're welcome!:o)

Anonymous said...

I read it too. I'm moving right now. One day down. One to go. I'm sore as hell and sitting in my old house for the last night. I typed "moving sucks" into Google and your blog was result #1.

One last thing that sucks. No freaking internet for a week! Sucks...

Jane said...

Ha, me too. Misery loves company. Moving out in four working days and having no confirmed place to move to? It sucks a lot.

Jane said...

Ha, me too. Misery loves company. Moving out in four working days and having no confirmed place to move to? It sucks a lot.

Rose said...

I found you from a google search too and feel a lot better after reading your post. It's 11pm and I have hours worth of packing left to do and I'm tired and hungry (because I've been trying to 'use up' my food). I don't know how I've accumulated all this junk but I wish someone else could just pack it up for me.

There's no doubt, it's universal, moving sucks.

Anonymous said...

Moving does completely suck. It's 1:30 in the morning, I have to work tomorrow, and I'm still packing and cleaning and generally hating life. Can't wait for a month from now when I don't remember how much the moving sucked.

Anonymous said...

You made me feel a thousand times better about moving. It sucks. Bad.

These are the times when I really wish I had superpowers.

Or a million dollars. Then I could hire someone to do all the sucky stuff I don't want to do, like moving.

Anonymous said...

I'm another one of those typed in "moving sucks" ppl. And I agree with Jane not having a confirmed place to move into seriously sucks. Moving tomorrow by myself because my fiancee works...

Anonymous said...

totally awesome ppl are sharing the pain...i have to move out my old house end of today to my neww house and i have travel for work to germany tommorow..i'm hurting, i think i'm going to die before i get to germany...sucks!!!

Unknown said...

typed moving sucks into google and this popped up. It's good to commiserate. Moving sucks. I am supposed to be packing the bathroom. If I get caught on the computer again, I may be divorced. Than I would have to move again...

Oilman said...

Awesome.....I touched like 10 people!!! This interweb thingy is too cool:o)

Anonymous said...

I've decided that moving is just like childbirth. I looked forward to it, in some ways, because something excited was happening. Change is great, right??? But I was also apprehensive. The day approached and the stress increased little by little. Then, suddenly, it was upon me and the suckage factor brought me to my knees. But then, a couple of days later, as thing started to normalize, the "forget the pain" chemicals kicked in and the only thing that has made me remember how terrible it is (both moving and birthing) is to do it again. Thank goodness for the internet to help me procrastinate all the work I have to do!

Anonymous said...

I Googled moving sucks and ended up here. So good to read how other people hate moving too. I am procrastinating on packing for my sixth or seventh international move in the past ten years and I nearly would rather have a bonfire than move it all again. And I don't even have any furniture. So thanks for writing this blog. I feel a bit better now!

Allstar said...

I too typed in "moving sucks" into google and found this blog. Yeah -- moving sucks alright. I've been packing for a week and still have about 95% of my stuff unpacked. I didn't think I had this much junk until I started packing. What sucks is I need more boxes and I'm beginning to think the fastest and easiest way to get them is to buy them. It's not the cheapest though ...

Yeah -- MOVING SUCKS...

Anonymous said...

Awesome. It's 10 pm and I'm moving tomorrow. Still have hours and hours of packing to do. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has way too much crap. I was starting to think that perhaps I had a serious hoarding problem and should seek counseling, but you all made me realize that I'm completely normal. And yes, moving IS like childbirth. Actually, I think I'd rather push out a 9.5 lb. baby without drugs again than move. Moving sucks.

Moving Company said...

Great Man ! Thanks for sharing your experience. I can understand your feeling. Moving house is quite hectic job. We have to make proper to do list before moving.

Truck Rental said...

Quite risky ! Don't you think there is lot of risk of damage of things or anything can be removed from truck. I wish best of luck for moving.

Anonymous said...

One thing people don't talk about when moving is all of the fees to set up new accounts, transfer services, etc. In this day of electronics, setting up an account is someone entering info into a form, yet they treat it as if they have to carve it into stone and inlay it with gold.

I move often, not for any other reason then trying to find a place I like. When I was younger, moving wasn't a big deal. It is not about the quantity of stuff (which as grown over the years) anymore, it is about the lack of roots. I want to stop moving, but am now on a roller-coaster.

After buying a place beyond my means I was forced to short-sell it. That puts me in a 2-year probation where I can't get a mortgage. It also meant I could try a different city. After spending thousands to move out of state, I find myself in a rental house with lots of problems, so bad that I need to move again. And then I'll have to move again after that into something I'll buy. I hope to have enough sense to buy something affordable, but not run down, and in a place I want to stay for years and years.

heather said...

I too am one of the "Moving Sucks" Googlers! One thing that helps is minimizing the amount of stuff you have as much as possible on a regular basis. Even so, most of my stuff is comprised of kitchen items that I enjoy baking or cooking with. In the long-term, I've still set my sights on having less stuff to schlep around, so my paring down continues, even after the next couple of moves (I'm doing move 2 of 3 this year at the end of the week).

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

just helped friends move. you are john stamos.

Unknown said...

Moving totally and completely sucks. Found this post #1 on Google by typing "Moving Sucks"

Anonymous said...

Curiosity (and serious lack of sleep) made me type in 'moving sucks'...Can't have keys to new place till new well is drilled...running out of places to stack boxes and sick of looking at them...Hoping this doesn't get narrowed down to one of those 3 days to move everything and in the process of removing stacked boxes, finding all the shit underneath that gets thrown in the car unpacked just to get it out...moving sucks and foreclosure really sucks...oh no, suck suck suck, barn and garage full of shit too....SUCKS!!

Anonymous said...

Funny how the physical and material things concerns you guys... I care about the people i will not see again. i would rather burn my stuff so i could stay with the people. Aww so sad your staying up late packing... Get your priorities straight.

Anonymous said...

The well is drilled, closing tomorrow!! Finally!! To the anonomous above this, my priorities are always family and friends first...Only moving 10 miles and we're in the country which means it's only about a half mile in the city...Oh, and starting to find the shit under the boxes...moving sucks!!!

man with van in London said...

Its good to find people like you and blogs like this, where people share their personal experience from their encouters with different removalists. If you ask me that means a lot.

Anonymous said...

Your blog is awesome and I hope that you are now *finally* enjoying your new home!

I have 3 days to go in New York City where I've been living for 15 years and thought I was a minimalist until I actually had to pack.

Then there's the feeling of going through and boxing up memories of a lifetime that somehow makes me do a bit of work and then sit in my chair and ponder life for at least 30 minutes - which is not helping with the move, which is why moving sucks! ;)

Anonymous said...

What doesn't suck, Google for movers like us at 2 am for a laugh. What sucks... moving! I've been attacking this move for a week and I still have two nights left at my old place and none, repeat none of the really hard heavy shit has been moved from my place or my girlfriends, that's right two moving in for the price of twice as much shit Sucks!

Anonymous said...

I'm moving right now, and it sucks..

Anonymous said...

Moved yesterday, unpacking today, I never thought I could drink so much water in one day. It was easy moving out, no stairs, and one door. The apartment had 3 doors and a flight of steps.

Through out a lot of stuff as well, I thought I didn't have that much, until it came to 2 U-haul truck loads and about 6 carloads full.

Anonymous said...

Reading your post made me feel not so alone. I have allergies and severe asthma, and all I've been getting from friends on why they can't help today or yesterday. My shoulders hurt, my nose is running like a seive, I'm wheezing, and there is only a small passageway for me and my children to navigate to the toilet and kitchen. I had to "ask" my husband and his cousin to not stack boxes in front of the refridgerator or bathroom door! REALLY... I had to ask?!? Please don't tell my husband, but I "purged" his 12 boxes of biology notes and flashcards. I'll play dumb when he needs them, we moved to a small apartment..he did all the "moving" and I get the fun job of "digesting" things as they come in. We have two kids, two cats, and a mountain of useless shit! Will it ever end!!

Anonymous said...

I just got done moving, and I can confirm it does indeed suck. I hate having this feeling like I need to go back home - but I am at home. Ugh.

Jasmine Maharisi said...

Yeah, typed in "Moving Sucks." And it is. It's just downright PAINFUL. I moved over Labor Day. I'm so worn out from the move that I haven't had the energy to unpack much yet.

pharmacy said...

I think that it is a great way to build and sell your old house.

Anonymous said...

Hey, thanks for the post. I'm a design student and without problems there are no solutions. Thanks for the wealth of insights! Things I knew and things I hadn't thought about. There are so many things that suck about moving. Maybe I can design things that make it an easier or better experience at least.

levitra cialis said...

YEah moving sucks... the last time i made it i had to ask 3 days off of my job because i need to leave everything well sealed before start working again and i spend a lot of time on this.

Anonymous said...

MOVING SUCKS SO MUCH, 32 years of belongings downsized to fit into a 2 bedroom apartment, 1400kms in a uhaul, 2 weeks of couch surfing, and now just 90 mins of elevator time to get it all in the new place! I am so wiped out. Thanks you for writing this blog, misery loves company :)

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Unknown said...

Moving can be a bit difficult at times but if you do it the right way it dosnt have to be so bad
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Anonymous said...

Taking a break from moving on Memorial Day Weekend. Just searched "moving sucks" on duck duck go, and found this thread. Five years after the original post and I can assure you... It still sucks!