By: Revanche

Moving day! And week 1 in our new place 

October 9, 2017

 

The worst of the renovations are DONE!

The numbers

  • This is Part 10 of an 11 part series
  • I’ve written 50 checks over the course of this project.
  • We made a huge mistake going with an amateur for a relatively minor garage maintenance detail that turned into complete pain. Wasted cost: $932
  • We went over schedule by 10 days as a result of the numerous work orders we added. There was a new one each week, though we intended not to have any at all.
  • The final costs are still trickling in but we went over budget around 3%.

Highlights from Moving Day

  • We thought we’d forego professional movers. That was a (very very very) stupid idea. Thankfully we recovered our senses in time and scheduled movers. We forgot to notify the HOA. Thankfully it doesn’t seem like anyone noticed. (I think.)
  • Guess which dingbat packed the car keys in one of twenty identical unlabeled boxes?
    Me. It was me.
    Thankfully I had kept four of the twenty boxes corralled away from the others, those were my “money and immediate need” boxes so the hunt was limited to those four in the end but STILL.
  • The dryer is GAS?? We have no gas line for the current location of the dryer! DAMMIT. ($250 to install a gas line. Laundry is critical.)
  • Seamus, they’re not stealing all our things, we’re just moving it. Don’t look so sad!
  • We planned to move 10 pieces of furniture, including mattresses, but we ended up filling an enormous moving van. Where did all this stuff come from and can I sell most of it, please?
  • My priorities according to my bag for the day with professional movers: internet router, Roku, checkbook and all the wallets with cash and credit cards, laptop, laptop charger, cell phone charger, the wrong car keys, home keys.
  • The first thing I did at the new place: set up the router. Internet is life.
  • I scheduled my first delivery to arrive at the new place on Moving Day. Naturally, they were more boxes.

Night 1: It’s a horribly late night. The adults are tired, the dog is tired, the toddler is keyed up to vomit-level excitement. By the time ze has had one book and the last of my patience has trickled out of the hourglass, it’s past ten. I throw the quilt over zir head like hooding a falcon, turn my back, and pat zir butt. Against all reason, it works and ze falls asleep without a fight.

Me? I keep waking up. Is it because I’m in a strange place? Is it because Seamus is sleeping at the foot of the bed instead of by my side? Is it because I’m half convinced that my nightmares are real? Is it because there isn’t all that racket outside that we normally hear from the nearby parking lot where drunks come to howl and young adults come to tussle?

Day 2: JuggerBaby doesn’t want to leave the house at ALL. Ze has full access to the huge tubs of toys and books we had in storage and there isn’t enough time to play with them. We spend HOURS indoors building massive towers, linking plastic people, laying out colorful accessories in patterns. Only twenty minutes was spent watching Moana.

A couple friends come over for brunch and to lend capable hands with unpacking. JuggerBaby gleefully nabs a new adult for more playtime.

Going outside to play is a non-starter, “I don’t want to go wif mama!” but Seamus desperately needs a walk and PiC is stuck with Bob going over some fine details so out come the big guns. That’s fine but I am going outside to walk Seamus and eat chips. The tears and rolling on the ground limply to avoid being hauled outside stopped immediately: “I want to eat schips too!”

Someday ze will realize I play on zir food motivation like a fiddle.

But today is not that day.

Night 2: Ze is in bed and back to the usual antics. I want water! I want mama stay ‘ere! I need potty. I want lamby!

I put my foot down and threaten a walkout if I hear one more word. I hear no more words. I crawl back to my bed, PiC stays up many more hours working on who knows what. Half our house still looks like the Monster of Storage exploded in it so it could be anything.

I feel dislocated.

Day 3: I still feel dislocated this morning. It’s not a fun feeling. Boxes boxes everywhere … We’ve been unpacking 3-6 boxes a day and we’re making progress but there are definitely chokepoints in that progress.  To make the best use of our closets, we have to spend a bunch on shelving that’s me-friendly, and that whole organization scheme takes brainpower.

Night 3: They were not kidding about these WhisperSense fans. You can hardly hear them but so powerful.

We eat take out again for dinner because I can’t find my kitchen for all the boxes. It’s somewhere over there. By the door. Honest.

Day 4: My love for unfilled drawers is slowing down progress. The promise of an empty set of drawers, the luxury of not having to cram all cabinets chock full is distracting.

Seamus is urging me to the door. I think he thinks we forgot to go home. He’s extra confused when I take him back “home” with me for a walk and to pick up more things.  He eagerly sniffs everything and marks his favorite spots, outside but inside the place echoes, and we leave again. I can almost hear him: why do we keep leaving? This is where we stay! He’s still pretty sure we’ve made a mistake. Especially because our neighbor is his favorite buddy to play with.

Night 4: A thunderstorm hits us right when I start reheating leftovers for dinner. Spooked by the startlingly nearby lightning strikes, I turn off our appliances but was in the middle of a 3 hour roasting session so I risk leaving that on. Convection ovens are weird and I’m trying to get used to it.

Day 5: Seamus and I explore the neighborhood properly today, ranging far and wide in search of a park. Google Maps lied. There’s a stand of trees up that one street, not a park! We are miffed.

I note on my way back that of the surrounding streets, our street is the most depressing to walk. It’s rundown, unkempt, and feels unfriendly. The people are surly, no friendly or acknowledging nods from anyone, the idiot across the street backed into my car and acted like I was the jerk.

People walk through here with their kids and dogs often but they’re just passing through. Now I get what Bob meant when he commented that we’d have to work to build new community. In our previous place, we didn’t socialize much with the neighbors but still naturally had brief hellos with people who were out walking their dogs. I’m not one to want to stop and chat every afternoon with people anyway, but I’m not sure how I feel about this right now.

Night 5: That pork shoulder roast was inspired. Served with sautéed Chinese broccoli and asparagus and rice, we ate very well tonight. I haven’t totally lost my touch! Whew.

Day 6: Oh crap, I forgot to set up our Skybell. This is my attempt at being fancy and techy but I’m not sure if this was a big mistake. A 2-minute setup turned into 15, then 20, then just as despair set in, it finally detected my home wifi network. SUCCESS.

My office is a shambles, I’m keeping the door shut because each of those boxes requires more brainpower than we have right now. My plan: take out the easy boxes first – those solutions are obvious. Books on bookshelves, clothes in closet. After we knock down those easy wins, then tackle those more difficult boxes that require some thinking, one at a time. Also it’s clear that I’m about to run out of shelf space already. Too many books and comics, crap.

Night 6: I still have no idea how to work this thermostat. HELP. Also WHY does the showerhead keep rotating to the right? Stay put, darn you!

Day 7: Another day, another thing that needs fixing. The seal on the shower fell off so it’s leaking onto the floor. To cope with my feelings, I start doing laundry and don’t stop for days.

Night 7: JuggerBaby remains confused, “May I take this toy home?” You are home, darlin’. It’s an adjustment for all of us. But I do love my kitchen. It’s tailored to my workflow even though it was pretty speculative at the time we designed it, and they doubted me but I stood firm. Now that I’m in there, my assumptions were validated!

So far, so good?

An unforeseen problem with being in a bigger space is that JB no longer wants to go outside.  Ze used to LOVE going outside but now that there aren’t any restrictions on running or jumping, and the hallway doubles as a fantastic runway for a toddler’s trample, outside has no allure.

Even though we have so many things to fix, still, having only one residence to worry about is a major relief. We’re still learning our way around the neighborhood and settling in but I appreciate not having to be on guard against sadistic jerks who would make threats against dogs and children.

:: What do you do to feel at home in a new place? How long does it take you to get settled?

Before: Background, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Next on our Home Buying Adventure: Part 11

30 Responses to “Moving day! And week 1 in our new place ”

  1. 3% and 10 days over is really really good! Poor JB, I’m sure he’ll get acclimated to the new space soon. It took me a full year to feel like my current place was really a permanent “home” but the new habits, muscle memory, and feeling of familiarity took only a week or two.

    • Revanche says:

      We heard SO MANY horror stories that I was really aware of the possibility that this could drag on but we were working with the right people on this project.

  2. Jugger Baby will get used to the new place and outside will appeal again. Especially if you can add some appealing outside toys. Bubbles? Sidewalk chalk?

    congrats on getting into the new place.

    • Revanche says:

      Thanks so much! We may have to get some sidewalk chalk once we’ve sorted through and gotten rid of a lot of zir toys.

  3. Joe says:

    Moving sounds exhausting! I’m not looking forward to our move at all. We’ll probably move sometime next year or the following year. We really need more space.
    Yeah, 3% over is pretty darn good. Nice job.
    It’s interesting to hear that JB doesn’t want to go out anymore. Our kid doesn’t like going out as much either. He spends 6 hours at school and by the time he gets home, he wants to play with his tablet and games.
    Take it easy and enjoy your new home. Maybe we can come visit around Christmas. I think you’re relatively close to my brother’s place.

    • Revanche says:

      Moving was totally exhausting. In this case, I think it was worth the work (mostly because it’s over now!) Let me know when you’re around!

  4. Quest says:

    I’m glad your house purchase and move seems to have gone smoothly. I’m also glad that you moved away from that nasty ‘neighbor’. Who needs it? Congrats on your move and I’m sure the house will feel like Home in no time!
    Quest recently posted…2017 FOOD SPENDING UPDATEMy Profile

  5. We last moved over 11 years ago, from the condo into our current house. Back then we had just one toddler, who was very wound up. I think it took a solid month or so for everything to stop feeling strange and new and for it to just feel like home. Also we did not come to our senses and hire movers, we DIYed it, and the truck we rented caught on fire. So your decision was a wise one.
    Liz@ChiefMomOfficer recently posted…Wizard Chess and Hoverballs – Teaching Kids Hard Lessons About MoneyMy Profile

  6. Cindy in the South says:

    I have moved probably 25 times (I would have to stop and count) in my 57 years. Some moves were short moves, maybe 12 miles, other moves were thousands of miles, and many were in between. Moving is stressful. I hate it. I have not moved since 2012. It will get better. My street is not especially friendly, is unkempt, etc. There was a drug dealer (really, he was arrested numerous times) across the street, but the house caught on fire and burned to the ground. No one was hurt and it was electrical, I was told. There will be lousy neighbors everywhere (neighbor should have looked where he was backing before he backed into your car)… You will be fine. Even very nice neighborhoods have lousy neighbors, and problems. No place is perfect. I hope the stress lessons soon. It always takes me a few months to get acclimated.

    • Revanche says:

      That’s a heck of a love of moving! I’d think you’d be a complete expert by now. Thanks for the kind words, I’m sure we will be fine once things quiet down.

  7. Glad you are settling in to your new place! I’m sure it is unnerving being in a new place especially in the beginning. We get so use to our own spaces that even staying in a hotel you can have a different sleep! But glad you feel safer in your new place.

    • Revanche says:

      Thanks! That’s true, sleeping in a different place is disruptive enough, never mind MOVING to a whole new place.

  8. Oh, dear. Just reading this makes me want to break open that brand-new Costco-size Lifetime Supply of Maker’s Mark stashed in the back of the cupboard. Sounds like you guys need it more than i do, though…maybe i should have it shipped to you?

    Moving is such torture. Glad to hear you got into the new place without (apparently) any major disaster. It always takes awhile to get acclimated, especially with a little kid in the mix. Hope you’re soon settled in, feeling more comfortable, and discovering civilized company among the neighbors.

    • Revanche says:

      The moving process was totally torture but we made it! And now that we’re not shuttling between two places, I’m starting to feel better.

  9. Mrs. BITA says:

    Our last move was in 2012, pre-baby and pre-dog, and it was a lot of work. I shudder to imagine doing it with both in tow. You seem to be making excellent progress. Soon the boxes will be but a distant memory and the new place will truly feel like home.

    • Revanche says:

      We had to get creative but I’m truly impressed with friends who manage it with multiple pets and kids in tow. I don’t think it scales!

  10. Linda says:

    I’ve been in my current place a year and I still feel like I’m settling in. There are boxes of “stuff” to sort deal with in the garage, and some storage areas that aren’t yet organized. It’ll probably take me another two years to get the house and garage “just right.”

    On the flip side, I’ve been in Napa almost three years now and it definitely feels like home now. 🙂
    Linda recently posted…Chasing the white rabbitMy Profile

  11. Welcome home! I don’t love change, and I can relate to the angst-ridden-but-at-the-same-time-very-funny account of all of the changes you’ve had to deal with in your first week in the new home. I hope, hope, hope that you will be surprised by friendly neighbours before too long. Here’s hoping that the “unfriendly” and “surly” turn out to be in the minority. For my few moves, normal is there before I realize I’ve been approaching it. Once the focus is off of the move and onto the logistics of daily life, a new normal subtly creeps in. All the best!
    Prudence Debtfree recently posted…September 2017: PF Mistakes & The Battle vs. Shame/JudgmentMy Profile

    • Revanche says:

      Thank you! I am finding the pangs of missing our old place are fading, and it’s just becoming a pleasant memory.

  12. Clare says:

    Congrats on the new digs!

  13. Lol did you really pack the keys into unlabeled boxes? Are you me? We almost cheapened out on moving guys too. But as steep as it was for $300… We didn’t have to lift a finger 🙂 so worth it.

    It took us…3 weeks to feel settled. We went without a fridge for 1 week and bed frame less for 2 weeks (our bed was too big to come up the stairs).

    • Revanche says:

      Hello, I am Revanche and I am a Total Klutz and dork. Yes, I totally packed the car keys. *so sheepish*

      We had so much crap that it cost uh..a lot more than $300 and we still had to move a ton of stuff on our own. That’s going to be a year long project – DECLUTTER!!

  14. I’ll have to let you know when we feel settled! We just moved yesterday and it was bittersweet closing the door for the last time. We lived on a great family street and now we’re downsizing into a smaller rental we owned by the lake.It is totally gutted right now, so we’re living in a 24 foot camper in the backyard 🙂 They start work this week – and as the weather turns, they will work faster I think!! And we’ll be in Dallas for FinCon for 5 days which will be nice too. Moving from the camper into the house shouldn’t be that big of an issue. We have everything in storage right now. Hopefully it will be done before the snow flies here. I totally get the stories you are telling about things needing fixing though – even though they are new! You’ll get settled in soon!

    • Revanche says:

      Oh that last door close – the FEELINGS! 🙂

      I hope that your next home will be as homey when you get there. See you in Dallas!

  15. SP says:

    Congratulations on the big move!!!

    I love Seamus’s thought 🙂 He must have been happy to reunite with his stuff later.

    I’m glad you hired movers, makes things so much easier. We did the opposite and said that we WOULD hire movers, then cheaper out and did not… But we had no dog and no kid and no chronic pain issues – so it was a lot more feasible for us to take care of things.

    Hope you all are settled in and enjoying your new space!
    SP recently posted…September UpdateMy Profile

    • Revanche says:

      Thank you!

      I think he’s finally resigned to the new neighborhood with all its new smells. I bet he’d be thrilled to go back to the old one where all his familiar “stamps” are, though 😀

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