The big day has finally arrived. Today we begin the move from Florida to our new manufactured home in California. The moving van arrived bright and early. It was big and shiny, just like our expectations as we head toward a new 55+ lifestyle.
Before loading the van the movers inspected and approved all the cartons Don and I packed for transport. Early in the moving process we decided to do most of the packing ourselves to reduce costs. Do-it-yourself packing did save money, but it was a big job that took about a month. I must confess it was more hard work than we expected, even though we tried to pack just a few boxes at a time.
Since we carefully followed the moving company’s proper packing guidelines, every carton met the required standards and not one carton was refused for transport. See my Journal entry “Moving Plans and Costs” for more details on packing.
Because we chose to do most of the packing ourselves, it was necessary to share some of the responsibility for our move’s success. For example, we had to agree to have everything packed and ready for loading when the van arrived. The evening before moving day we were still packing last minute items, but we got it all done before we went to bed.
It was also necessary for Don and I to assume some financial responsibility for the move because we didn’t use the mover’s packing service for everything. That’s one reason we purchased full replacement value protection, the most comprehensive plan available to protect our household goods. Under this plan any articles that are lost, damaged or destroyed during the move will be repaired or replaced. This protection cost just under $400.00 but gave us peace of mind.
The only items we didn’t box up ourselves were our special treasures. The day before we moved a professional representative from the moving company arrived at our home to pack irreplaceable items such as our good china, crystal, artwork, mirrors, collections and heirlooms. It was worth the extra expense when we saw the careful and detailed attention our treasured items received from the packer.
The moving van for our cross-country move was huge. It was scheduled to pick up another household in Miami after loading up our belongings in Port Richey and before heading west to California. This is a common practice among moving companies because the furnishings of the average household will not fill a van. We were told each shipment would be carefully sectioned off from the other shipment.
The driver and two helpers were friendly and courteous – but most of all careful with our furniture. Each piece of furniture was wrapped and protected before being placed in the van. Don stepped inside the van, took a couple of photos and was amazed by the precise and intricate placement of articles. They loaded items vertically all the way to the top of the van until it resembled a well-put together puzzle.
I can’t even imagine how difficult it would have been if we rented a van and tried to handle this part of the move ourselves. This is one area where I strongly urge seniors to hire a reputable moving company and purchase full replacement value protection for the items being moved.
The moving crew worked from 7:30 a.m. to after 6:30 in the evening. We worked right alongside them, cleaning each room thoroughly as soon as everything was removed. Our good friends, Betty and Bob were helping out as well. The buyers of our Florida home and their real estate agent arrived in the afternoon for the “walk-through” and didn’t have any problems with the house, pool or gardens. This whole process took about two hours. All the while the three movers were coming and going in and out of the house. It was an interesting experience to say the least.
As the day wore on the weather turned from warm to hot. Since the movers propped open every door in the house our air conditioning couldn’t keep up with the heat. It was so hot that I found myself enjoying the cool air as I cleaned the refrigerators. Later in the afternoon we removed perishables from two refrigerators and two freezers and invited neighbors to come over and take what they wanted. Although we used up most of our perishable food ahead of time it was surprising how much remained.
We also gave away flammable, corrosive or hazardous materials, such as paints, solvents, oil, aerosol cans, turpentine, fertilizer, pesticides, weed killer, propane gas for the grill and other items the moving company can not transport. Even our large collection of potted patio plants had to remain behind, but found a new home with friends and neighbors.
The van line driver had been preparing a “Household Goods Descriptive Inventory” all day. A yellow, numbered sticker was placed on each box or item. In addition, Don had carefully put together our own numbered, contents inventory that included where everything should be located in our new home. We signed the inventory and joined the ranks of over l.5 million families who move long distance every year.
By the time the movers left we were tired, but had enough pep left to go for a swim in the pool, share a bottle of champagne with our friends and eat an entire tray of chocolate brownies for dinner. Our friends left, Don and I locked the door, took one last look at our home of 21 years and said good-bye.
We spent the night at a hotel in Port Richey, Florida. Our friends asked us to stay the night with them, but we were all feeling pretty emotional and didn’t want to have to say good-bye again in the morning. The moving van was well on its way by the time we got to the hotel around 9:00 p.m. It didn’t take long to shower and fall into bed, anticipating our new life in California.
The closing on our Florida home was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. the next morning. We arrived a little early, as did the buyers. But the closing agent was almost an hour late. Don and I were anxious to get on the road and begin our trip west. The buyers were nervous too and we all were pacing up and down like tigers on steroids.
Finally the closing agent arrived and completed all the paperwork in about an hour. We shook hands with the buyers, wished them well and headed for our Florida bank to wire the money we received for the sale of our house to our California bank. That done we headed for our favorite beach restaurant, enjoyed a Gulf shrimp lunch and headed west for California.
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