I realize this isn't a thrifty question necessarily - but maybe it could be weaseled into the simplifying category ;)

When we "land" this weekend, I'm having everyone put the boxes and bins in the garage. We'll be lucky if we get the furniture in and the boxes up to appropriate rooms by Monday morning.

Do you have any unpacking advice or tips? Unpack it all at once, THEN organize, organize as I go, what?

I don't want to have to do a massive declutter/organize there because I JUST got this house perfect - and hate the thought of un-doing all the things I've accomplished.

However, there's going to be some issue with storage (ie. the pantry and the dining room - which is going to store our homeschool stuff and I have nothing in which to put my bins and baskets yet).

I also don't want to fall into that "just keep it in the garage and we'll unpack one box a night" mentality - because three years later, we STILL had a box or two in the garage. :p (And yes, I donated most of the contents) :D

So, any thoughts on moving a family of seven/eight and their *stuff*??? :D

By best suggestion is to let everyone help even though it isn't going to be the perfect place right away. Find a place first thing for all the empty boxes to go. Have everyone agree to put them there when they are empty instead of leaving them in the house.

My personal preference is to unload the truck nice and slowly and order things right away. My dh's preference is to get the truck as empty as possible, as fast as possible and bust it all out from there. :lol:

I know you said that you didn't want to put them in the garage. That does make sense. However, if you end up doing that, don't make nice neat stacks. Put them in the way so you'll be motivated to finish.

As for organization, I think you'll do a little of both. If you know where an item goes, put it there. The oddball organization stuff will have to wait. There's no better time to organize than when you have to touch everything to put it away. However, after you live in the house, you'll start to figure out where you will want everything and there is no need to spend money and time on that upfront. It will likely change.

we packed by room. when we got the stuff off of the truck we had the movers put the boxes in the room they were marked. then, I went into each room and unpacked a few boxes per day. the kitchen we did immediately since I needed to cook and what-not. I didn't allow any boxes in the garage because if I didn't see them I would put it off.

yea i agree with robin. i'm going to have the boxes put in the rooms they belong...and do a little at a time.

kitchen and kids rooms first.

not an option - we have the boxes going first on Friday - then the furniture on saturday

have to get the furniture in there first, then boxes around said furniture ;)

totally not an option?

No, we have probably 80 boxes that are in our garage and playroom right now. They have to be moved first, Friday, when we have only one person helping us. The priority has to be on getting them into the truck and over to the new house exclusively, and they have to be out of the way. If the boxes are already in those rooms, it's going to occupy a ton of space and if they need to be creative about moving large/bulky/awkward things in small spaces, they'll need as much space as possible to maneuver it around without having boxes/bins in the way :)

The garage is a 3 car, however, and we can fill that whole third bay up with boxes and not block *any* of the moving space. :)

Saturday we're going to have as many people as possible moving the big stuff - but we have TONS tons tons of furniture. If there's time afterward, I may ask people to distribute, but the focus is just getting our stuff into the new house.

Ideally, it would work best to have the boxes in the rooms - and if we were moving furniture first it would be fine. But, since we are limited, we'll just have to make it work.

Note to self:

2 couches
elephant trunk
desk
coffee table
2 end tables
2 swivel chairs
dollhouse
puppet theater
playstands
fridge
range
kids desk and chair
bookshelf
three cube systems
two entryway benches
washer
five shelving units
laundry organizer
deep freezer
small fridge
glider
rocker
toybox
homeschool cabinet
flatscreen
2 loveseats
2 small chairs and ottomans
upstairs desk cabinet
fireplace tools/log rack/screen
dining room table
six chairs
highchair
4 twin bed sets
chifferobe
2 chests of drawers
king bed
armoire
recumbent bike
crib
2 bombe chests
chess table


crud - that's at least two loads on Saturday.

I hate moving. I am one of those people who gets to the new house and within 6 mos I have gotten rid of anything from the old one, and bought all new/used things for the new one becuase I am so ****ed picky about open spaces and being cramped... Esp when I don't know the house. Although I have always moved to someplace smaller except once. So moving up... who knows. lol...

I am a huge help huh? lol...

But if I had to move to a house like that, I would move everything into the third bay of the garage, and then I would put the furniture where it needs to go first. After that I would move 4 boxes into each room from the 3rd bay. And then keep doing that until I realised that I hadn't eaten anything in 12 hours. Then I would grab a granola bar, and go to it again... until everything was done.

Seriously... this is what I have done three or four times. lol... I always pack ALL the kitchen stuff in my car. I don't let boys touch that. The only time I have moved and let the boys move my kitchen my glasses were half broken, including my wedding glasses. Never again.

Good thinkin' :)

I already have a few things desginated for my car - my laptop, camera equipment, immedately-needed clothing/toiletries/towels/cleaning products, and probably some snacks and fridge stuff for the kids. I should throw a first aid kit in there, too - wooden play structure + my crazy kids = splinters and skinned knees, no doubt :lol:

I'm stoked - Papa John's (imo the best pizza place as far as ingredients - no rennet, veg sauce) is having customer appreciation day ON moving day - $5 pizza :cuc:

hmm...when we moved last we had the movers dump the boxes in the foyer. we have a really wide, big foyer...and we literally had to turn sideways to walk through it by the time they were done.

it forced me to do things right away. it took me about 4 weeks to fully unpack and settle...kitchen first. kids next. baths next. then...decorate/LR/school/etc.