Oops, I did it again

Moving that is, we’re no longer mainland residents.  Living on Bribie Island, and it is rather paradisey at the mo, well it will be when all the infernal unpacking is finished.

I have a few lessons that I always learn, and forget in between so, I shall share with you, some of these are more common sense than lightening bolt inspiration, but they’re all handy.

1. Electricity – get it organised a week before you move, apparently it takes about 6 days for them to turn off power.  Also this way you can have cold beer when you finish.
2. Go into the post office – do the mail change thing, also purchase bubble wrap, and duct tape. Then get an extra roll of bubble wrap, and an extra 2 of duct tape.
3. Start packing way earlier than you think is necessary, and have twice as many boxes as you think you’ll need.
4. Start with things that aren’t used everyday, think bookshelves, trinkets, etc
5. Label boxes as though the person unpacking them is a complete moron.  Because by the time it comes to unpacking them, you will be.  A box labelled “Lounge, Bookshelf, Trinkets and Lotto tickets from 3rd shelf” is unmistakable.  A box labelled “Lounge Stuff” is hard to distinguish from the other 10 boxes labelled the same, and when you need that winning lotto ticket, you really want to be able to put your hand on it straight away, then bugger it, you can burn the rest of the boxes and buy new.
6. Don’t Drink and Pack.  Things will go in all over the show, boxes will become Tardis like receptacles of everything under the sun, and the above point will be moot.  In fact you probably won’t remember to label at all, or the writing will resemble wingdings.
7. Try to pack it onto the trailer (or into the truck) in some semblance of order.  If possible take the big items into the new house first, and the boxes and small stuff last. Then you have somewhere comfy to sit, and you don’t have to shuffle a couch around 10 boxes, which some moron (again you) has placed in the direct path you need to travel.
8. Start at the top and work your way down.  This applies equally to packing and to cleaning.
9. For walls and surfaces dilute floor cleaner with water – it’ll kick butt over your average spray’n’wipe, and get rid of a number of stains, it cleaned things I didn’t think possible.
10. Call around when it comes to carpet cleaners – don’t hire the supermarket ones, you have better things to do with your time, and it’s better just getting a professional in.  That way when the rug doctor makes the carpet look worse you don’t have to find an eleventh hour carpet cleaner who charges the earth.
11. Call your local Salvos (or equivalent) and ask them to bring their truck for a collection the day you hand the keys back.  That way you can pile all that rubbish lovely surplus that you have and have one less job.
12. When it’s all done, sit down, have that cold beer, and work out how you’ll do it better next time!