The time has come for Ashley and I to end our time at the University Village. We have found a place in Culver City that we are totally crazy about, and we hope we get it. I think we are finalists with another couple.We are definitely excited to be moving into a 1st floor house (ish), with a private patio and cute garden. We'll have to box up our modest belongings and hope to be prepared for the movers. And by movers, I mean... friends and well wishers from church.
The very topic of "church move" sends cringes up a lot of people's spines. Many of you know horror stories about people expecting too much, not being ready... etc.
When it comes to asking for help in moving, I think there are three rules you must abide by:
1. There will be food. If it is an afternoon/evening move - you provide pizza. If it is a morning move, you provide donuts. These are non negotiable.
2. There will be boxes already boxed up. If you don't have your crap together, then I think the hired help have every right to turn around and leave you in your disorganized squalor.
3. There will be sweat. You will be working as hard, or harder than everyone else. If you, as the movee, aren't sweating and lifting your share of heavy stuff, then you are a loafer and a free-rider. I also ascribe to the believe that it does NOT suffice to appoint yourself onto the "I'll just make everything fit into the truck" committee. That is for people who are injured, have seasonal allergies, or are otherwise hampered by some physical/mental malady.
Rest assured - when we move there will be pizza. I'll give you more details as the date approaches. What are your rules for moving? Any horror stories you'd like to share?
24 comments:
Rule 1. Only move when you are visibly pregnant or shortly postpartum. It lessens the guilt of having to move the heavy stuff, or anything at all...
Rule 2. For all that is private and embarrassing, box up bedroom goodies BEFORE people show up. Including underwear, who cares if we all wear the same kind, I don't want to see your business... Although you are probably right Dave, all things should be boxed before hand.
Rule 3. Only accept a job if it comes with a relocation package. And if such pampered/spoiled options are not available, sell anything that requires more than 2 people to lift/carry. And make the buyer bring their own man power.
Not the biggest fan of moving ;)
mia - i really like those rules. especially selling anything that requires more than two people to carry. that eliminates a lot of crap... especially one thing in particlar in our house.
I just laughed until I cried at your There Will Be Pizza poster.
My most memorable moving experience was fitting everything we owned on a full size truck bed and truck rack, including a mattress on top of the rack, and our bikes and pots and pans hanging off the side, a la beverly hillbillies, and driving from Texas to Missouri.
Great post! I think you hit all the major rules spot on. You could consider adding a fourth rule regarding the length of the move: No one should show up and be surprised that the move is going to take more than two hours. It's okay if it does, I just want to know ahead of time
Rule 4. Don't call if hiriing professionals is pocket change to you. There was a family that asked people from the church to come help with their move. I could have fit my entire house in their master bathroom. You could see people pausing to scratch their head as they moved the 3rd fridge into the 50' semi.
thank you dawn!!! i have to admit, photoshop is a really fun program. i like it juxta posed against the original.
you guys fit all of your earthly possessions in a truck? did you guys already have maxine at that point?
tk, you make a good point. how do you know if your move will last longer than an hour? that does depend on possessions accrued, but also help. its kind of a floating variable.
I want to know what large thing you have that will take more than 2 people to carry. I hope you guys get that place SOOOOOOOO bad! Speaking of moving large objects, we can't wait until you come out and see our newest acqusition!!
I hate moving. I hope I never move again.
My husband gets asked to help people move all the time because he has a truck. He actually doesn't mind it at all. He loves to move people because he considers it an awesome workout (lifting heavy boxes up and down stairs for hours). But he really hates moving people in the morning, because he can't ever wake up on a Saturday.
I think that should be another rule. Don't make people come help you move in the morning unless absolutely necessary. NO ONE is happy about waking up on a saturday just to be nice.
Moving is truly the worst. The only good thing about it is living in a better place. But then after you get there, never ever move again. I am in denial that we might ever move again. Of course this nightmare still haunts me whenever I think about church moves.
these are all good rules. i don't mind a morning move, so long as there's donuts. i agree, i like doing it (mostly) because it's exercise and i'm helping someone. it's a double dip of goodness.
it's like going for a run where it benefits someone, like a fundraiser race.
and yes, if you can afford movers then you don't deserve slave labor, unless they are your friends and you feed them generously.
Horror story...how about paying $3000 to have your stuff moved from LA to Nashville and having the company miss their projected delivery window by more than a week!! So you live on an air mattress & folding chair you bought from Target for 10 days AND when they finally are able to make it, you are out of town, so you have the uncomfortable duty of asking someone to be at your house to receive the delivery!! (All this happening while you are 9 months pregnant!) Poor Sean. At least they gave us $1000 bucks back!
I have the most recent move experience. Last Saturday (yes, 3 days ago) I was called at 6pm about a 8pm move (again yes, on Saturday night).
There were just two of us that showed up to help. It turns out the family themselves were still driving from AZ to San Diego. The wife's parents had driven a huge truck a couple hours ahead of the family so when I showed up there were 4 of us unloading the truck. It turns out the family never made it home before we finished unloading the truck.
So Dave can add another rule, #4 - Be at the move itself. It will help the people who are there moving you
Yes we had Maxine, I exaggerated a little for effect, we also had a volvo wagon to cram full of stuff. Still, it was a memorable trip, trying to entertain a baby (riding shotgun illegally) while driving across the country.
I think our move was once someone's horror story. We needed help moving into a temporary apartment while our house was being built. I was seven months pregnant with Finn, so not much help. I was carrying all I could, but actually started to have contractions and had to sit down for awhile.
And meanwhile, who was helping Dave? One other guy. Thanks, Brian Church.
That said, a lot of our stuff was in storage (Dave had done that himself), and everything was packed. Also, I am sure Dave has helped with moves many more times than we ourselves have moved. And when you have a big family all living in one area, you don't need to ask for help from your church. So you know, David, when you and Ashley move back to Denver, you're totally covered. ;)
I couldn't agree more with your rules. However, DON'T EVER move to Arizona if you expect these rules to be followed! We must live in the neediest and most transient ward... there are, on average, 2 moves per week and no one ever has all their crap boxed up. At a recent move, a guy from the EQ had to box up the girl's lingerie and other "toys" (EW) and another girl was hospitalized for a week because she caught raging diarrhea after having to wash the kids' feces off the walls. I can't believe Hazmat wasn't called in. Exciting that you guys are moving though!! Love the "there will be pizza" poster. Too funny.
jennae,
that is absolutely horrible!
those people should be listed on the "never help move" list, similar to a sexual predator list. people should be able to search potential communties, and look for how many people have been flagged for their questionable moving history.
only because its been mentioned before... i don't think its too big of a deal catching a glimpse of intimate apparel. however, you shouldn't be forced to handle it beyond catching a loose item. and other, intimate "accessories" should be kept hidden, in a mislabled box so only you and your spouse recognize them, and movers are none the wiser. i.e.
"man, this box of "foreign thesauruses" sure is light"
and blythe, dave is a championship mover. you married a good man. he is always one of the hardest working men out there.
i'm with johnny. if you have more money that you know what to do with, don't make other people do it for free. also, don't call last minute. and HAVE enough people to help.
i've never had a personal horror story (a blessing being single, female and owning a sedan). however, my dad once was trying to move a washing machine and it was NOT moving. they lifted the lid to discover it was still full of water and clothes. my sisters (and in laws) have horror stories of completely filthy houses and nothing packed. one family even had a lice infestation during the move.
I think if I showed up at a house and it wasn't packed, I'd stage a walk-out. That seems tremendously inconsiderate.
Oh and about designating yourself as the truck organizer dude, Sean usually is appointed that position due to his incredible high scores while playing Tetris!
Bless Jennae's heart. That story was heinous.
I was a little worried when I saw Jennae's name that her post was going to be about ME. (That's right, Jennae and her husband helped me move into my place in AZ long ago.)
Jennae, I've always felt guilty about that, seeing as how it was July in Phoenix and some heavy lifting was involved. And I think it was in the morning, too. Ugh, I suck. But I think it was pretty quick. Maybe an hour or so.
Jennae and Matt are true friends.
My missionary companion and I showed up to a move on the mission for a family that gave 1.5 months advanced notice. The husband was having hernia surgery. They sent an apologetic letter, letting us know that the move was planned before the hernia, but as luck would have it, by the time they got to Alabama, he would only be able to lift 10 lbs or less. When we got there, after 5 weeks of reminders, we were the only two that showed up.
did I mention it was raining? But they did take us out to dinner.
I should also give a shout-out to David, who helped us move from New Orleans to Denver 11 years ago. When we packed our truck it was over 100 out - and that's in New Orleans, where you really feel it.
Also, he drove our van while Dave drove the moving truck, and he had to hear our stupid clanking grill every mile of the way (don't ask). On the plus side, both of us became experts in the Kevin Bacon game. The point is, he paid his moving dues (and then some).
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