#moving advice

I HATE MOVINGGG!

does ANYONE know how to pack vintage porcelain dolls??

some tips i've found:

-you don't need a big space; honestly smaller is easier to furnish and keeping it cozy!!

-try to find a place with south facing windows: sunlight is ur best friend trust me

-to not be lonely i always had music/youtube something on to blank out the silence

-ENJOY UR TIME ALONE!!!! omg yes it can be lonely but god it's such a great time to create hobbies, mess up new recipes without any expections

-a wireless vacuum is ur bestie. u have a small space u don't need a big vacuum but one u can easily carry everywhere with ease!!

end of it all enjoy your time: i had to move back in with my family but i really miss living alone: it's a great way to get to know yourself and also create habits you've always wanted with no judgments. i wish u so much luck!!!

If you will be moving out of state, you need to start looking for a new doctor months before you move.

I know with virtual sessions, people are probably thinking about this even less. However, finding a doctor before you move is necessary because:

Your current doctor most likely does not have a license to practice in the new state. A doctor's license is not the same as a driver's license. Having a doctor's license does NOT mean you can practice in every state, only the one(s) they are licensed in. Odds are, if you have an appointment while you are in a different state from the one your doctor is in, they can't charge your insurance company for the appointment, so you will have to pay for it yourself. TIP: If you go out of town, they might be able to call in another script for you, but you should see if your doctor is willing and able to ask the pharmacy before you leave for an early fill due to travel. This ties in to the next point.

Some states do not let out of state doctors prescribe certain medications, so you might be out of luck getting your meds if you run out without a provider locally to write them. Sometimes Urgent Cares will be able to fill those medications for you. Sometimes. This is also important to know if you are going on vacation in another state. ANOTHER TIP: Some medications are not legal in other countries. Before traveling, make sure your medications are legal in the country you're going to.

If you are moving to an underserved area (as in, there aren't many doctors there, so the ones who are there are probably too overbooked with patients to take on more), it could take several months, maybe even over a year, to get into a new doctor. TIP: If you find all the doctors offices are predicting it's going to take a while to see their doctor, but someone is willing to put an appointment down for you, take it. You can and should keep looking to get in somewhere else sooner after you get that appointment, but take that appointment. If you do get in somewhere else sooner, PLEASE call the other office and cancel your appointment so someone else can have it. Also ask these offices if they have a cancellation list so you could possibly get in sooner, and ask them if they have any idea how fast the list is moving. If they call and offer you something, do your best to take that appointment, because you might not get another offer for a sooner one.

Here are some more tips:

If you are having trouble finding a new local specialist to take you on, start calling primary care doctors that are at least willing to continue your medication in the meantime. Make sure you ask them if they are willing to write the SPECIFIC medications you are on.

If you are on a cancellation list for a doctor, call every few weeks to see if they have an opening. This let's them know you are still interested, and who knows, they might just have an opening they can put you into. While your at it, make sure they have your current number.

Do not shrug off virtual appointments if you prefer an in-person appointments or even vice versa. Some areas are really underserved, so you need to jump on anything that can get you seen.

I repeat: start looking for a new doctor before you move out of state. Hell, start looking for a doctor months in advance even if you are moving far enough out of the area you won't be able to get to your current doctor if they go back to doing all appointments in person.

There are so many areas with not enough doctors to take you on immediately, so you might be out of luck with getting medications when you need them. Some medications cause serious side effects if you stop them cold turkey. Some medications stopping them immediately could get you killed in one way or another.

Please, PLEASE, look for a new doctor well before you move. Don't get yourself into a situation where you are stranded without being able to get your medication.

If you’re renting, make sure you take pictures/videos of every room. Document any damage before you move in.

That way when you move out, your landlord has to pay you back your security deposit and you have proof of prior damages you did not cause.

I’ve heard this but it is very important and good advice.

If you have a lot of books, either get small boxes for them (alcohol boxes are good for this and you can sometimes get extras from your local liquor store) or put a couple layers in a bigger box and then fill with something lighter (my friend did a mix of books and puzzles last time she moved).

Related to the above point, try to pack boxes such that one person could lift them, but also don't have a bunch of boxes that have like one (tiny) item each.

Label! Boxes! With! Fragile! Items!

Also label boxes in general so we don't have to ask where every box goes.

Have a solid idea of how much stuff you have and if any of it might weigh over 200 pounds (that's where the heavy item fee kicks in at my company), because we Will Not Be Happy, or prepared for that matter, if you say 50 boxes and you actually have 100.

Put things that are not going in the moving truck off to the side.

For any furniture with drawers that open with gravity, either remove the drawers or strap them closed (or let us know during the walk-through that the drawers need to come out).

If you have furniture that might need to be disassembled, get a rough idea of how/whether it comes apart ahead of time. You do not have to do the disassembly yourself, but if we know up front we can time disassembly so it doesn't bring the process to a screeching halt.

Turn off and drain appliances that are going to be moved (AC units, fridges, etc.) in advance. I nearly dropped a chest freezer on my coworker because it leaked while I was carrying it and it got really slippery.

I don't know how other places work but my company charges hourly, so the estimate is just that--an estimate. You can cut down on how long we take by being prepared!

If the moving company is providing the truck, you will probably not be allowed in the truck for liability reasons. However if you get boxes to a spot that's more convenient for us to move things to the truck, that is very helpful!

When you are booking a company, give as much information as possible about elevator access and stairs (how many flights, if the steps are really steep, etc.). If there's an elevator we can bring flat dollies and carry stuff way more efficiently!

If possible, get any interior painting done such that everything is entirely dry on moving day (or just do it after).

Let us know about the parking situation! If parking is tight move your car(s) elsewhere to accommodate the truck if possible.

Send pets to a friend/pet sitter or shut them in a room that's been cleared in advance. If you have fish tank(s) or cage(s) move them out of the way of large items that need to be moved.

If you have kids, either get a babysitter for them or engage them in the process. I've encountered five year olds who were more polite and helpful than nine year olds simply because their parents set expectations and helped them to be involved.

Let us refill our water bottles in your sink. I've never met anyone who didn't allow this, but moving is incredibly sweaty and strenuous and if we stay hydrated we're less likely to drop that fragile item with sentimental value that you're really nervous about.

Tips! For a tiny job that takes ~an hour, $10-15/person is a normal amount, but if we're moving your entire house, tipping *at least* $30/person is generally a good move. However, I've only been truly annoyed by someone under-tipping when they clearly had money (the remote worker moving into a fancy apartment complex) and/or were rude (the guy who kept grabbing stuff out of my hands but not my male-presenting coworkers). We can accept food at my company; we cannot accept alcohol.

moving out (across the mf country!) in 2 weeks and i feel really weird about it.

i’m scared and nervous and excited and really scared. like i want to hide under a pillow for 6 days but also like i want to jump for joy…sos