I Hate Moving!!!

[Fyrme]

Sorry guys, I'm just needing a sounding board and a little mind ventilation after a long few weeks of making repairs, packing, dealing with mortgage lenders, and everything else that goes with selling a house.

This move will be my 5th house and by God my last. The only way I'm leaving this one is on a gurney in a body bag. I didn't realize just how much freaking heavy stuff I owned until I had to pack it all and move it to storage. That's right, storage. Which means I have to move it again. WHY did I have to start collecting vises and electric motorsat this point of my life? WHHYYYY?

On top of the stress of packing a 28x30 garage and a 12x24 shed all into a 10x15 storage unit, I've repeatedly been called a hoarder by my wife. While I will agree, I have a problem with too many nuts/bolts and scrap project steel, I am in no way even close to a hoarder. The arguing got bad enough that I have taken a couple weeks off work and resorted to only packing up my stuff while she is at work. How could I possibly be classified as a hoarder if I have been able to pack 1100 sqft of **** into a 150 sqft space. Granted, I'm only about 80% done, but I still have a little room and 90% of the big stuff is done.

We close a week from today and I will be starting on a new shop shortly after the move, so I keep telling myself the reward for all of this will come soon.
Again, sorry for a pointless thread, but I need to vent to my fellow garage junkies that can relate. Because God knows, my wife gives me absolutely zero sympathy

 

[mds47588]

Admitting it is the first step...

 

[drivesitfar]

i sold home for 30 years before retiring in 2007 when the market really went crazy and not in a good way. that said i sympathize with your issues and you are not alone. i usually would give a housewarming gift to my client a couple weeks prior to closing and tell them to not kill each other.

then i would monitor the financing, closing, arrange to have keys delivered or picked up and talk to them about 3 weeks in person after they had moved in. of course i told them if they had an emergency to call me anytime which a few did and i helped if i could.

now as far as i know nobody died. of course there are always issues that need to be worked out when moving especially if to a smaller home so everything will be ok some day soon. i did hear a few interesting stories that i was sworn to privacy, but you can only imagine with over 1000 home sales that i have a few for my or their death bed to share or leave this world with them.

now how many vises would you like me to come pick up? i can bring my 4 x 8 utility trailer and we can fill it up or do i need to get something bigger? also when i leave with all the vises you no longer need i'll leave some money at the front desk of the storage facility to lease you an extra space to put some of her stuff in that is cramming yours into very tight spaces. ok?

good luck and i hope all is good in a month or two at the new space. in the meantime go look at some of the before and after garage re do threads on the other side of GJ for some inspiration for your new space that is clean and ready for you.

cheers

 

[nicksnothereman]

I just load most of my tools in those crazy duffel bags (outdoor?) that walmart sells then put everything back in it's place when I get there; they used to be much better but they're still pretty good. Works well but it seems you have heavier stuff.

 

[PFSard]

This move will be my 5th house and by God my last. The only way I'm leaving this one is on a gurney in a body bag.

I bought my current house three years ago. This will be last as well. I'm 61 years old. If I do sell, I think I will try to sell it with contents included (I wish).

 

[jakemac]

I sympathise,
4yrs ago I sold a 2-family and consolidated down to a 1-family. I was in the old house for 20yrs. After taking almost 8 tons (I have the weight receipts) of stuff to the transfer station (dump), I still had to rent 5 storage units to store the overage during the move. 4yrs later I'm still paying for two units that need to be cleaned out.

Two weeks after moving into the new house, I had to repair something. I remembered that I had a replacement part that had been in the old garage for 15yrs. I tore the house apart looking for it. I dug through both storage units looking for it. After a week of franticly looking I remembered that during the move I decided that I didn't need to save a 15yo un-used part, so I sent it to scrap. The new part cost me $20 and a bunch of gas running around to find old stock. Funny, I don't even remember what it was, but I remember the cost and aggravation of having to buy something that I knew I had once saved.

 

[BK13]

Hey, at least you didn't have to pay $10k + when your wife left...

 

[Chadwilliam1]

In January I put all my stuff in a 10x15 storage unit and my dads house. Put my house up for rent so my wife and my two kids could move in with her two parents while we have a house built. This has been an extremely stressful time in our lives. My son is almost four and my daughter just turned one. We had trouble with the appraisal so we had to switch banks which pushed the start of the house back a month. Our new house should be started next week if were lucky. OP I feel you pain, I had to change my wife's t-belt in my in laws drive way. I tried using my father in laws most disorganized set of tools it was so stressful. I had to drive to my dads house and try to predict every tool I would need. As you can imagine I had to make several trips. It will be worth it in the end I hope.

 

[colin39]

We rented before buying and after 3 or 4 rentals I said "NO MORE" and bought big enough for family to grow, after all the rooms were filled I got it turned off ( you can all work that out I hope ) now jus make more dump runs than hoard stuff.

 

[rsanter]

I hate moving too.....and I have a lathe that weighs 2.5 tons
Moving *****

Bob

 

[hakka26]

After doing School 4.1, I decided to buy a house with the first Christmas bonus My realtor was a dump truck and it was such a miserable experience I didn't do it again. Downside is I should've moved up at least once, upside is the house is paid off. Moving stuff in and out of storage when relatives visited is something I'm still recovering from.

 

[Fyrme]

Thanks for the support guys.

Drivesitfar,
half the work is done on the vises, so there's no way their not making the full trip with me now
I went and bought Sterilite storage tubs for all my heavy stuff, so I didn't have to deal with bottoms falling out of the boxes everywhere.

Jake,
I'm actually downsizing the house by 900 sq ft. It's going to be a tight adjustment, but the wife and I decided that our current 2650 was too big and had wasted space. And since our kids will be out of the house in a few years and it will be just us, 1700 will be perfect. And the fact that the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom can be pretty much closed off for guests only once they move out, leaving us with a handy little 1000 ft to live in down stairs.

rsanter,
That would **** to move. I'm not sure what's worse though, moving one 2 ton thing, or ten 100+lb totes. The buyers agreed to let me leave my 830lb TIG machine here until after we close, so I only have to move it once. So kind of them

 

[fatfillup]

I am thinking of moving in a year or 2 and I am dreading it.

 

[rsanter]

Yea, well I have s tons if the 100lb totes to move along with the lathe, and toolboxes, and car parts....etc

Bob

 

[theoldwizard1]

In January I put all my stuff in a 10x15 storage unit and my dads house. Put my house up for rent so my wife and my two kids could move in with her two parents while we have a house built. This has been an extremely stressful time in our lives. My son is almost four and my daughter just turned one. We had trouble with the appraisal so we had to switch banks which pushed the start of the house back a month. Our new house should be started next week if were lucky.

Stay tough ! You have the builder "over a barrel" as long as your family has a place to live.

A buddy was having a house built. The first 2 time they went to closing, he showed up with a punch list and gave a copy to the mortgage company. The mortgage company asked the homeowner if he was going to accept responsibility for the incomplete work and he declined. After doing this twice, the builder fixed everything on the list and ask for a walk though with the owners before the 3rd and final closing.

Needless to say, the house was perfect !

 

[oldldh]

As my dear old Mom used to say---

Three moves equal one FIRE!!!

After moving all over the world, during my Air Force career, and all over the U.S. afterwards, I added the moves up...

The grand total is TWENTY-FOUR MOVES!!!

Eight fires is enough!!!

My feet are now nailed to the ground!!!

After my next move, I will get my mail from a gopher...

 

[Durka]

Fires? I take it some of those moves were to a campground?

 

[drivesitfar]

Oldie: you'll have to let us know if gopher express is faster or slower than pony express since you were around when the ponies were running. you have a lot of good years and posts left so don't get in any hurry to post that one.

Durka: I'm still smiling about that comment.


i'm not looking forward to my next move after 30 years of being here, but my wife is finally on board and ok with my idea of having a big detached shop. small house and big shop sound like a good idea especially if my 5 kids and their spouses move me.

 

[jpickar]

I am getting ready to move this year!!! Man I shouldn't have read this thread!

John

 

[truckdriver]

We have our house for sale now so all the treasures I had hoarded in the garage are divided up between 2 storage units and my dads garage. It really *****.

What part of Green Country are you in?

 

[crewchief888]

before we bought our house we were renting,
i had "stuff" scattered everywhere, at home, at work, in my truck, at a friends place, and stored at my moms house.

mom sold her house 6 months before we bought ours..

i moved "stuff" around again...

our closing on the house got delayed by 3 weeks, we had to be out of the rental....

i moved "stuff" again.... a lot of the household stuff got stored in one of our old race trailers. garage type stuff took up most of a friends 3 car garage...

we slept on the floor at a friends place for 2 weeks....

moving day was thanksgiving day. i spent the next 3 days making 3=4 trips per day clearing out the garage..

i really had no "junk" , no spare parts, only "extra" vehicle was my harley.

i told the old lady i aint moving again, just bury me in the back yard.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Fyrme, this too shall pass.

Hang in there man. I've finally gotten over some of our move anger and having to start all over. Smart move working alone when you saw it was getting too tense with the wife. The "I'll do this $#&! myself" is the more peaceful way even if the work is harder. I'll gladly pay that entry fee.

Remember, lift with your knees, not your back

 

[OccupantRJ]

I own a forklift and a semi trailer just for moving my shop when needed. Load and park. Unload when convenient. Easiest way other than hiring it done.

 

[Fyrme]

Major progress today. The Garage is almost done and will be done by tomorrow afternoon. Then all I have left is what's left in the shed.

We have our house for sale now so all the treasures I had hoarded in the garage are divided up between 2 storage units and my dads garage. It really *****.

What part of Green Country are you in?

Just down the pike from you in Claremore.

 

[Outlawmws]

Last time I moved was over 25 years ago. All of 2 miles... I made ONE load with a 24 ft U-push it and emptied the house completly.

I, made at least 4 more with the same truck that weekind, and many more with a full sized PU to move my garage...

3 completely disassembled trucks, a disassembled race car, piles of spare parts tires and other junk, My tools, welders, lathe giant press, Drill press, benches, you name it...

 

[truckdriver]

Major progress today. The Garage is almost done and will be done by tomorrow afternoon. Then all I have left is what's left in the shed.




Just down the pike from you in Claremore.

My sister lives in Claremore. Small world.

 

[panknuckshovel]

How about the pre-marriage and post-marriage moves? Pre-marriage, a couple bags of clothes, a tv maybe a matress and couch all thrown in the truck you own. Post-marriage you have nine tables alone and not one of them has the word poker attached.

 

[Fyrme]

DONE! Now we just have to have a successful closing on Tuesday and move it all again!

Lets recap with pics, shall we..... But first lets do some math again.

Garage 30'x28'= 840- 126sq ft (est parking area)= 714sqft of stuff.
Shed 24'x12'=288+120sqft loft=408sqft

Total square footage of space used:1122sqft.
Rented storage building 15'x10'= 150sqft.

Here are some before and after pics.......
Disclaimer: The before pics were from different times, but basically all the same stuff, just maybe in different locations, and maybe a few more things since the pics were taken.

And my wife calls me a hoarder

The last pic is ALL of that stuff packed into the storage unit. You can tell there towards the front, all the random stuff without a home gets thrown in there. Much neater packing behind it.

 

[drivesitfar]

Congrats you are over half way there now. that looked like a great shed. did you build it and are you able to build another at the new place?

i really like your cabinets under your workbench and especially the Greenlee ones which i bet weighed a little even empty.

good luck on the rest of the move and i hope you are able to function again in your garage/shop in a couple months.

 

[Fyrme]

Thanks. The vertical cabinet is several singles stacked and bolted. And yes, it's quite heavy. You can see it loaded on my trailer in one of the pics as well as the workbench which took two hand trucks to get it on the trailer. They are Diebold cabinets used in banks, very heavy duty double walled cabinets. They have since been refinished in two tone. The pic is an old one. The shed was there when we bought the house. The house we are moving to has a 12x20 shed with a 11x20 lean to on either side. That is where all my stuff will go until my 30x40 shop is built.

 

[drivesitfar]

wish i had a few of those cabinets and i'm they are on my radar now.

here's a tip for organizing your new space while you have some down time. I've had several architects show me this trick.

i draw my space to scale or there might be some site online that has a free planning site. anyway i like doing this on paper. so after you draw out the space measure and cut out pieces that would be the size of your benches, machines, cars, toolboxes, welding tanks and equipment. then you can move them around the space until you like the way they look.

this might help you figure out some of the heavy work so you'll only have to do it once. also helps to let you know if you have the space for more tools or if you have to sell a few.

like i said you are more than half way done moving now so it's all down hill from here.

if you already packed away the tools so you can't make actual measurements just make your best guess and still might help you from moving things around a few times.

 

[Outlawmws]

wish i had a few of those cabinets and i'm they are on my radar now.

here's a tip for organizing your new space while you have some down time. I've had several architects show me this trick.

i draw my space to scale or there might be some site online that has a free planning site. anyway i like doing this on paper. so after you draw out the space measure and cut out pieces that would be the size of your benches, machines, cars, toolboxes, welding tanks and equipment. then you can move them around the space until you like the way they look.

this might help you figure out some of the heavy work so you'll only have to do it once. also helps to let you know if you have the space for more tools or if you have to sell a few.

like i said you are more than half way done moving now so it's all down hill from here.

if you already packed away the tools so you can't make actual measurements just make your best guess and still might help you from moving things around a few times.

I've done this method of floor planning for years, both paper and with cad:

TIP: when doing it with "paperdolls" take a 1/4" paper punch and punch one or two holes on the "dolls" then put scotch tape over the holes, its just enough tackiness to keep them from flying at the first puff os a breeze (or a sneeze for that matter) the base drawing needs to be on velum/paper or something with a decent finish, as regular bond tends to peel up and stick too easy to the tape.

I'd recommend doing this BEFORE toy finalize the new shop plans, you may want to reconsider the positions of windows, doors and such...

Oh yes: Sky lights! Put a few small ones on the south facing slope of the roof; minimal added heat, GREAT added light! And south facing windows over your benches! (unless you are down under, then replace south with north...

 

[Fyrme]

wish i had a few of those cabinets and i'm they are on my radar now.

here's a tip for organizing your new space while you have some down time. I've had several architects show me this trick.

i draw my space to scale or there might be some site online that has a free planning site. anyway i like doing this on paper. so after you draw out the space measure and cut out pieces that would be the size of your benches, machines, cars, toolboxes, welding tanks and equipment. then you can move them around the space until you like the way they look.

this might help you figure out some of the heavy work so you'll only have to do it once. also helps to let you know if you have the space for more tools or if you have to sell a few.

like i said you are more than half way done moving now so it's all down hill from here.

if you already packed away the tools so you can't make actual measurements just make your best guess and still might help you from moving things around a few times.

Technically I'm only like 3/8's done, because I will be moving everything to my new storage building to store until my shop is done. Then everything again over to the shop. But the last move won't be so bad and may even be kinda fun. I've done several sketches on paper of tool placement, but haven't got anything nailed down yet.

As I type this, I'm absentee bidding on up to 5 more similar cabinets. I should know if I won any later today. Not real hopeful though as I'm only willing to pay $8 a piece. But there may be a chance because most that are bidding against me are resellers and they won't pay much more than that either.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I feel your pain.

I am staring down the barrel of a move. I'll be leaving this house, putting most of my stuff into storage, and moving back in with my parents. Going back to school this fall (going to be a heavy equipment tech!). Even as a single guy I've got a lot of ****. Lot of furniture, since I had a couple of relatives kick the bucket last couple of years so my parents loaded me down with a bunch of that stuff.