We’re about 90% packed, which feels great with moving day right around the corner. We’ll be loading the truck on Sunday and—barring any last-minute changes at closing—officially moving Monday afternoon. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly.
Here’s the status of the to-do list we shared on Wednesday:
- Removed every item from the walls and patched and painted all nail holes — this turned out to be much easier than expected: remove all nails at once, spackle everything at once, then paint room by room. It’s faster than repeating the loop in each room — done.
- Transferred all utilities so they’ll start at the new place on move-in day — done.
- Packed the entire bathroom except travel-size shampoo and conditioner, our toothbrushes, and the shower curtain — done.
- Packed frames, mirrors, books, ceramic animals, and about 80% of breakables (dishware still needs attention) — mostly done.
- Raked the yard so the new owners won’t arrive to a giant leaf pile — done.
- Oversaw completion of a few inspection items (including some professional flue work) — done.
- Had our heating oil measured for closing (the new buyers pay for the oil left in the tank) — done.
- Sold our tan slipcovered Pottery Barn sofa in the den; someone from Craigslist is picking it up — done.
- Pack the rest of the kitchen and finish about 10% of the remaining rooms.
- Clean the oven and refrigerator right before we leave.
- Vacuum and sweep the whole house before locking the door for the last time.
Not bad, right? We only have that final 10% of packing plus some cleaning left. After a long, stressful day dealing with last-minute closing paperwork yesterday, we drove by the new house and just sat in the car admiring it through the windows. Clara and Burger watched too. That quick visit helped us shift back into the excited mindset we want for the next few hectic days. Ah, new house — we can’t wait to get you settled.
For anyone who enjoys seeing a house mid-transition, here are current photos of how things look right now:
A few readers asked which items are conveying with the sale — these things will stay with the house:
- All kitchen and laundry appliances
- Basement storage pieces and cabinetry
- Built-in wardrobes on either side of the bed and the bed frame
- Floating shelves in the dining room
- All hardwired light fixtures and the plug-in swing-arm lamps in the bedroom (except the chandelier from Clara’s room, which we swapped for a standard fixture)
- All blinds, shades, curtain rods, and curtains throughout the house (we kept Clara’s curtains for sentimental reasons)
- A folder with manuals and house information, plus labeled exterior and interior paint cans
We’re genuinely glad to leave many of those items behind — it helped the sale move quickly and even contributed to an offer above our asking price. For fellow planners and Type-A movers, here are a few packing strategies that worked well for us:
- We used blue painter’s tape to mark boxes containing breakables so they’re easy to spot and handle with care.
- Taping a small piece of painter’s tape to cabinets that aren’t empty yet saved us from repeatedly opening every door to see what still needs packing.
- We labeled nearly every box with a Sharpie so essentials—like Clara’s bath items—are easy to find at a moment’s notice.
- Our local wine shop supplied sturdy, free boxes (some with handles) that are perfect for moving.
- We packed a “vacation” bag with a few days’ worth of clothes, toiletries, and baby supplies to avoid hunting through boxes right away.
- We also prepared a “first-day” box to keep in the car for the new house, filled with toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, basic cleaning supplies, and disposable cups—handy for helpers and for the first few hours after arrival.
Everything’s on track. We’ll keep our eye on the prize—the new house—and try to stay calm and focused as moving day approaches.