Rhonda Bracey: At Random

Well, it’s almost two weeks since we shifted from Perth to the quiet of the southwest of Western Australia. So what have we learned about moving?

1. Stressful though it is, we should do it more often – 16yrs of STUFF is too much to deal with!
2. Life in the country has so far lived up to expectations – the air is cleaner, it is quieter, the birds sing, all the people we have met have been friendly and welcoming. Oh, and there are more bugs that come into the house…

Next, my list of essential tools for anyone considering moving:

• box cutter so you can remove that packaging tape easily when either you stuff up or when the box gets to its new location
• packaging tape dispenser (like they use in shops/warehouses) – saves your fingers, stops scissors from getting gunked up (technical term!) with the sticky stuff from the tape
• pedometer so you too can be amazed at how much walking you do moving stuff from its home to a box then back from the box to its new home (and any double or triple handling in between)
• bubble wrap – go buy a big roll from your office supplies store; you’ll be glad of it for all sorts of things, including artworks and mirrors as well as the small breakable bits and pieces
• sense of humour – ‘cos you’ll need it!
• mental health check before you start – ‘cos you’ll question your sanity and that of your partner at various times
• time – allow enough time to consider each item and then make a quick decision on whether to toss (charity or garbage) or keep
• a comprehensive list of what’s in each box – saves your verging-on-madness sanity when you need the xyz item NOW! (I needed a replacement fax roll three days before we moved as the bank sent through a 27 page fax! I located and had it installed in about 5 minutes because I knew it was in a specific box – all I had to do then was find the box in the garage, open it, feel around, and voila! new fax roll!)