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Packing to Move

Yeshuasdaughter

Yeshuasdaughter

You know, that one lady we met that one time.
V.I.P Member
I have lived at the same place for seven years. I accumulated an entire household's worth of useful items, but also junk. During that time I became physically disabled. I'm getting better, but I don't have the energy I once had.

I move in like 2 weeks. I am trying to pack up, but it just seems so overwhelming. Opening one closet, and seeing it packed full, I just sigh and sit down in resignation.

There's so much clutter. I'm sort of an opposite-hoarder. I was sick for a long time, so I didn't have the energy to sort through each item that came into the house, and deem it trash or treasure. I couldn't just donate it to the thrift store like usual. So it'd just go up into a closet until I had the energy to look at it. I have so many surprises in my closet, that I didn't even know I owned.

Now I just feel defeated. I bought a pack of yard-waste-type giant trashbags, but it's such an enormous task ahead of me.

Normally, at all the other houses I've lived in, other than dishes and stuff like that, I like to keep my personal possessions down to something that'd fill 2 large duffel bags. This though.... I mean, whoa. What a massive undertaking. It'll most likely fill the dumpster- easily!

Advice for packing to move? How can I make this easier? Maybe the best advice is what my gut is telling me: "If you don't want to bring it with you, just throw it out."

Also, there is a stray cat I've been feeding for seven years, since he was a kitten. He is totally feral. His ear is clipped, meaning he has been fixed and vaccinated (catch and release program) by Animal Control. I've only touched him once or twice. And he's only come inside a couple times as well. He runs away from all humans, but he mews like a baby every night at sundown, for us to feed him. I feel incredibly guilty leaving him behind. I'm scared he will starve. What should I do?
 
Its a very personal decission. I have also just moved and I am about to sell my old house.

You could give more value to sentimental stuff, or more value to stuff that is costy, or more value to stuff that will help you in your new life... or.... Its difficult to recomend you something without being in your shoes.

About the cat you could tell or write a letter to some people living close to you that you think may love cats.

Best of luck.
 
Moving is one of the absolute worst chores/tasks in the human experience. Doubly so for autistics. We moved to the current house a little more than four years ago. The need to be in some form of control had me purging and packing nearly four months ahead of time.

Almost worse than the move itself was putting the old house on the market. Luckily, it sold within two weeks, but having to vacate private spaces so strangers can tour through it sucked.

I don't remember a time when I have ever been more tired or stressed than when we were moving this last time. Before it had been apartment to the old house, same city. This new city, new house. A much bigger move.

Both times we moved I melted down over a bowl of cereal. The first time I couldn't find my spoons, the second, I couldn't find the bowls. Fate was mocking me, but with hindsight I can now smile at the irony.

While the whole process can, often does, suck, it was awesome once everything was done. We have more space, a book cave and totally non-scary laundry room. Trail access. A significantly shorter drive to work, etc.

As to your kitty is there a neighbor to ask who could feed him. Or as he is feral, does your humane society have a working cat candidate program? (A program that rehomes feral and semi-feral cats to dairy farms, ranches, etc...Cats are fed and vetted, but are not house pets they do what they were born to do. Hunt.)
 
I know exactly how you feel. My wife and I want to move to a smaller house which we have been thinking about doing for the last three years. Every time we get to the point of making a commitment to move, I just sit down and get totally overwhelmed with the enormity of all the things like putting the house on the market and having a bunch of strangers tramping through our house, then finding a new house to buy, then packing and moving... Moving is the worst, especially if you are doing it by yourself.

It's sad about the cat. Do you have a neighbor who will commit to feeding him? Can you get a humane cat trap and take him with you?

Good luck, hope everything works out.
 
Wow. So much going on. If you can just get rid of stuff, goodwill or salvation sometimes picks up free. Church might pick up to sell at a sale. Last resort, call a for profit retail used store , they may take off your hands. Finally, call 1800 junk or a person with a small truck to take to dump. We actually had to unload at a house, and l had no energy, due to something going on that l had no control over.

The cat. Feral cats are so difficult to catch. I got one inside my car and was trying to move it, and it climbed into my car seat. I ended up going to a fireman station, and with gloves he popped the seat out, the cat flew out, and he promise he would feed it.

Tuna with a sedative that you get from vet? Then it can get checked, and you can put in cage and figure out next step like a no kill place.

I found abandoned cats about several months before we were moving in house on reservation. I bought a bunch of dry cat food in huge bags and poured a giant pile on front area so that there was something until we got there.
 
I don't want to catch the cat. He is wild and his territory is this neighborhood. He belongs to this patch of earth. I am just worried about him. Where I live, even though it's suburban, it backs up to a natural area of creeks and woods. I am moving to a big building with an elevator in an urban environment. It would never work for him.

And the moving thing, it isn't the sentimentality or anything. I know that all I want are my clothes, my tools, my dishes, linens, and keepsakes from when my daughter was small. That's it. It's more the enormity of packing and throwing things away, when I don't have very much strength or energy. There are furniture pieces that I do not want to bring with me, and even the idea of getting rid of them exhausts me mentally.

I'm just hoping there's some easier way. But maybe there isn't.
 
This sounds difficult. It sounds like you need help. Are there friends or family members who could help? Or if not, a service or charity? Young people you know who you could tip a little bit of cash to? Sometimes charities will collect stuff. We advertised items like beds and a cooker etc for free on a Domestic violence assistance site when we moved, people really wanted it and came quickly to take it away.
 
Yeshuasdaughter said:
I have lived at the same place for seven years. I accumulated an entire household's worth of useful items, but also junk. During that time I became physically disabled. I'm getting better, but I don't have the energy I once had.

I move in like 2 weeks. I am trying to pack up, but it just seems so overwhelming. Opening one closet, and seeing it packed full, I just sigh and sit down in resignation.

There's so much clutter. I'm sort of an opposite-hoarder. I was sick for a long time, so I didn't have the energy to sort through each item that came into the house, and deem it trash or treasure. I couldn't just donate it to the thrift store like usual. So it'd just go up into a closet until I had the energy to look at it. I have so many surprises in my closet, that I didn't even know I owned.

Now I just feel defeated. I bought a pack of yard-waste-type giant trashbags, but it's such an enormous task ahead of me.

Normally, at all the other houses I've lived in, other than dishes and stuff like that, I like to keep my personal possessions down to something that'd fill 2 large duffel bags. This though.... I mean, whoa. What a massive undertaking. It'll most likely fill the dumpster- easily!

Advice for packing to move? How can I make this easier? Maybe the best advice is what my gut is telling me: "If you don't want to bring it with you, just throw it out."

Also, there is a stray cat I've been feeding for seven years, since he was a kitten. He is totally feral. His ear is clipped, meaning he has been fixed and vaccinated (catch and release program) by Animal Control. I've only touched him once or twice. And he's only come inside a couple times as well. He runs away from all humans, but he mews like a baby every night at sundown, for us to feed him. I feel incredibly guilty leaving him behind. I'm scared he will starve. What should I do?
Click to expand...


I'm working on moving as well, though I'm not 100% sure where I'm going. What I did was I went through everything & had to decide whether stuff was even going to be helpful or useful, or not.
What you're doing with the duffel-bags, I'm trying to do with a couple of steamer trunks (books & such are not included, those are being crated.) Your idea to cut down to just a few bags is a very good idea & will make things a lot easier when you move in.

Getting rid of furniture & such--if you think it might have any value, sell it & get the money to assist you in your move. Have a giant yard sale (get some people from church or something to help out, because yard sales are a lot of work.) You advertise it right & get some "pickers" in and they might help clean the house out for you.
 
I would hate having to move, @Yeshuasdaughter. There's so much stuff in our big old house that I'd be tempted to just put an ad in the newspaper offering free stuff to anyone who wants it.

Can your daughter help you? I know she is preparing to leave for college so downsizing makes sense for you. Has she gotten the money she needs for tuition and expenses? Please let me know how that is progressing for her.

Hang in there. You can get this done!
 
@Mary Terry , Regarding her schooling, we've been saving and going through lots of financial aid loopholes. As well as saving, I've been researching school and federal policies and it's been cut down significantly. I think we need only about $1000-$1500 by August, and I think it's doable.

Another good thing regarding college is that all of her scholarships are repeating, meaning she'll get them for all 4 years of school.

Regarding moving, thanks everyone for the advice. I think you're all right. Just one thing at a time, and enlist helpers. It just seems so big a task. But 2 weeks, and working a little at it each day, can really make a dent.
 
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