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You are here: Home / Real Life Tips / Five Things I’ve Learned About Moving

Five Things I’ve Learned About Moving

July 31, 2014 By Karen Cooper 5 Comments

Hi there! I’ve been knee-deep lately in boxes, painters, window-cleaners, storage rooms, and dust. It’s been a bit nutty here, with all the moving stuff going on. Here are five things I’ve learned about moving, from my experience so far:

1. Moving is like childbirth or getting really drunk.

And what do those things have in common?

They are events in one’s life where one might forget the pain caused the first time and still do it again. Many of my friends and I have discussed how you have a sense of amnesia about childbirth so that it doesn’t seem so painful in retrospect. You forget that part and have another kid anyway.

Or, hypothetically, one time you were a bit, ahem, over-served and proclaimed, “I am never drinking again.” Does that prevent you from having another adult beverage ever? Not usually.

That’s what moving is for me.

After we moved into this house, I said I was never moving again. And yet here I am, moving again. It happens. You forget how horrible moving was the first time and you sign up to do it again because you fall in love with a beautiful home.

Five things I've learned about moving - TheDIYBungalow.com

2. Prepping your home for moving is like breaking up with your home.

Before we put our house on the market, our agent (who is awesome, by the way) suggested we paint pretty much every room in our home “Accessible Beige” by Sherwin Williams. It’s a great color, but, let’s face it, I’m not an Accessible Beige kind of girl. I’m more this:

Kitchen in the First House - thediybungalow.com

Paint color: Sesame from Benjamin Moore

Or this:

Five things I've learned about moving - TheDIYBungalow.com

So that’s why I say prepping your house for sale is like breaking up with your home. The new paint has covered up these projects – which were projects I planned and did – so that now it looks like they never happened.

There was a movie – can’t remember which one – where the guy breaks up with the girl and the girl then cleans her bathroom with his old t-shirt and throws it out. That’s kind of what this feels like. The old comfy t-shirt has been thrown out and replaced by beige. I broke up with my house.

3. Get ready for disruption a go-go.

Summer is usually a time when we don’t follow too much of a rigid schedule. But throw moving into the mix and it’s chaos.

I’ve had days where I’ve spent the day packing or putting stuff in storage and all of a sudden it’s 6 PM and there is nothing for dinner. Let’s eat out! Every night? Right. It becomes unsettling.

Plus, when your house is on the market, everything has to be kept clean and straight. That’s an unusual state in our home. My kids have been troopers about this, but it’s a challenge every day to remember to make beds and put everything away.

DIY headboard from old gym floor - thediybungalow.com

4. GET AN INSPECTION.

On my Facebook page, I asked what’s the most important advice you have about home inspections.  Overwhelmingly, the answer was, “GET ONE.”

I couldn’t agree more. The inspection for the house we’re about to own helped us understand what has been done in the house and what still lingers. The inspection allows you to understand your home’s inner workings and guts, and that’s important. It should uncover whether there’s asbestos or radon or anything else that could be dangerous. It’s really important.

5. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

For all the chaos and disruption, there have been beautiful moments, too. Like when my son told me that, rather than moving his stuffed animals to the new house, he wanted to donate them to the children’s hospital. Or the good conversations my husband and I had while I scrubbed the grout in the bathroom. Or thinking about all the fun memories we’ve made here and ones we will make in the new home.

And, at the end of the day, you end up in a home you love. So it’s all good.

You might also like:

  • Five Things You Need When Moving a Parent
    Five Things You Need When Moving a Parent
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    How to Stay Organized When Moving
  • A New Chapter
    A New Chapter

Filed Under: Decorating, Friday Five, Organizing, Real Life Tips Tagged With: Moving 5 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Cheryl @ Artzzle says

    July 31, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    As they say . . . “This too shall pass”. Hang in there. Can’t wait to see you in the new place 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      August 1, 2014 at 10:15 am

      I know, I know. And it’s all good – we’re ready to move to our next chapter in our new-to-us home! Thank you for reminding me! 🙂

      Reply
  2. JaneEllen says

    August 17, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    Oh boy can I relate, have had 4 kids, moved way many more times than any sane person should. Only kid I was awake with having was last one. In old days they put you out, when you came to you had a baby, hopefully yours if somebody didn’t screw up.
    I found hardest part was keeping house just so with 4 kids in house and hubs slept during day, worked at night. Fun.not. Hard to show somebody master bedroom with somebody sleeping in it, so tried to get lookers after he left for work.
    Do you offer your dog pizza and dog won’t take it or just not offer it? Our dog loves the crust. I know we shouldn’t give him any of it, any people food but we do. Happy week

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      August 17, 2014 at 8:41 pm

      Happy week to you, too! Our dog got sick from eating the crust, but she still begs for it…13 years later. So I always have to tell her “Dogs don’t eat pizza.”

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Moving Is Like Childbirth {What SHE Said} - Petticoat Junktion says:
    August 17, 2014 at 6:00 am

    […] what do those things have in common? quote from Karen of Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza…..yes that’s really her blog […]

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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