Checks On Our Checklist

Why did I acquire so much stuff?

I am a huge fan of design magazines, especially while waiting in a line at the grocery store. I flip the pages and see how tranquil those rooms look. The glossy pages accenting those clutter free rooms. My mind wanders to a space that isn't rented and lacks someone else's grandma's wallpaper. How nice it would be to have just collections of useless globes on my shelves.... Oh, I wish I could hang shelves....

Wake up call! The beauty of moving is realizing that I can now purge all of my collected hoopla and invest in some of those awful globes, or something else equally as useless. And, maybe, I will hang shelves.

So, as we continue to prepare for this move, we have some serious boxes to check before I can restock my new place.

1. Apartment - Check

For anyone who is wondering finding an apartment in a foreign country, or any rental space for that matter, is no small task. I highly recommend having someone at your destination to scope out the scene for you and see any potential properties in person. We used colleagues of Hubby's to scout potential properties for us, relay pictures and just generally represent us. Contact people quickly if you like a place. We lost out on a few places because we waited for a showing. Fill that paperwork out to hold your place as a potential renter so that you don't loose out. Finally, have lots of background information from your bank, landlord, etc. Oh, and don't forget that you will probably need 2X the first month's rent, plus a deposit.

Thank you to everyone who helped make apartment shopping 2000 km away easier. All of you at Relevance are awesome, as well as some local folk with kick butt personal cheat sheets to the area!

To see a glimpse of where we are headed check out West Village.

2. Purge everything - Half a check

It is really difficult to purge your entire life so far. Thanks to a certain professional organization company - Sparkelize - for some serious inspiration here. I have been able to come to grips with my 'stuff' and really prioritize what I need and what might fit in my new home. Like them on Facebook to get some amazing pointers! I must admit, I did go to bed many a night with the help of Captain Morgan, especially when it came to letting go of all of the educational materials I had collected as a school teacher. I have to remind myself to keep what I need, keep what I really love and keep what I use. Everything else can go or be replaced when I need it.

With that being said, I am still in the purge phase. I am held back by a busy toddler who needs her time at the park and nap time. Nap time is a great time to purge, getting it to the thrift store... not so much. So out it all goes, into the garage for dear Hubby to cart to the local thrift shop in that one single hour he has after work before it closes.

Another huge thank you to the family and friends who have helped move/store/rehome our bigger furniture pieces.

3. Clean it - Yet to be accomplished

I hate this part. I was hoping to start early, but.... yeah... cough....

Well, tomorrow is Saturday, perhaps then....

This is my 5th move in 7 years, I should be good at this by now, but I hate it. I don't scrub my oven (nor do I use it) so when it comes to the big move day out come my gloves and scouring pad. Yuck. When leaving your rental there are some things you need to do to get that big fat deposit back, including...

- Clean cupboards, behind appliances, tub, shower, baseboards, windows, closets, vents, toilets, sinks
- Vacuum and steam clean those carpets
- free the garage/shed of all of your stuff and sweep those puppies out
- weed the garden and mow the lawn (normally my yard is immaculate, not this year. Now I have to ask myself if weeding is worth the deposit)
- repaint - if you painted
- repair - if you damaged

Since Hubby, the Babe and I are good tenants this box won't take that long to check off - if I don't weed. I have moved my entire living room into the dining room so that I can steam clean early. Hopefully it actually gets done. The Babe has developed a fear of vacuums, which means my floors are crumby at best. To vacuum and steam them would be a miracle at this point.

4. General Moving Stuff - Check

Hubby is most incredible at arranging moves. He has a list in his head a mile long of the nitty gritty that needs to be accomplished before, during and after a move. He should almost write this part...

Basically, for any move have your basics covered. Cancel services and set up new ones. Spend that extra money to have your mail forwarded - you will forget to give your new address to someone. Give notice to your landlord and arrange for a walk through. The list is really endless here, I don't know how Hubby does it, but it's all done... sing song... :P




For now that's really all the checks on our checklist - if you don't break them down into sub groups - oh the sub groups!!! Except for the one check box where I get to endure surgery one week before we move, but hey, minor details.... I'll fill you in on that later. Lastly, in regard to my opening comment about 'stuff,' I vow to never have so much again. Keep me honest and clutter free folks!

1 week... y'all. Hee Hee