Moving

House_Moving Next to marriage, no other event in our lives requires so much from us, both physically and mentally, as moving.

Almost everyone’s done it at least once at some point in their lives ---some, more frequently than others.

It could be just across the street, the next town, another city, or, for the more adventurous, a foreign country.

Reasons vary for moving: New job or a job transfer. Better home. Cheaper rent, and, in a few cases, avoiding creditors.

Ever since our prehistoric cave-dwelling ancestors -- one of whom we shall call Og the caveman -- discovered the existence of another world beyond the tall mountains and faraway hills, where grasses were greener (aren't they always?) and wild game abounded, the urge to look for and explore new territories has become an integral part of his very existence --- and in many cases, his very survival.

Fast-forward 50,000 years, and Og the caveman's descendants, now more than a billion strong, are still as restless and footloose as their hairy, club-carrying, nomadic ancestors.

As a modern-day descendant (aren’t we all?) of this intrepid explorer I have proudly carried on that nomadic tradition four times in my more than four decades in this world, with the last move as recently as last month when I uprooted myself from a place I’ve known all my life.

My reason for moving to another city isn’t for economic reasons though, nor was it for my own survival (we’ve since gone a long way from just being food gatherers and hunters), but rather, for the sake of my own sanity. The old neighborhood where I grew up has changed drastically, not for the better unfortunately, but for the worse.

Illegal vendors, pedicabs and haphazardly parked jeepneys now rule the once vibrant but peaceful street where just a decade ago, you could still drive through without much of a hassle.

That part of Manila that I used to call home has now become, in my own words, a little patch of hell on earth.

As anyone who’s ever gone through the rigors of packing know only too well, pain and frustration are just about as synonymous to moving. The mere thought of collecting, sorting, and getting your things together is more than enough to raise one’s already high blood pressure soaring to rarefied heights. You are, after all, only packing up your entire life in those boxes and maletas (luggage).

Unlike that caveman in our family tree, who need only shove a handful of his worldly possessions in his animal-skin pouch and be on his merry way with his trusty wooden club, we, his gadget-loving descendants who had since turned into a society of packrats, can only be so lucky.

I wish I could tell you to pack light in this case, but with an average middle-class Pinoy family having a ton’s worth of assorted furniture and appliances (and that’s not even counting the small knick-knacks that we’ve happened to collect along the way) in their possession, packing up for a big move has never been as complicated, confusing, and gut-wrenching.

All the planning, logistics, support, and finally, execution, have turned this once simple act of relocating to another community into a full-blown military-type exercise.

Thus, the initial excitement that one felt with the prospect of moving to a new neighborhood will no sooner die down as the awful reality of moving day slowly sinks in.

Based on my own experiences, there is no tried and tested formula for a non-stressful move. Even the best-laid plans can go awry. Mine certainly did. Things happen, and as Murphy’s Law states, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

Murphy’s law notwithstanding, it is still possible to move your entire household without you ending up in either a hospital or a mental institution.

Following these two basic rules will not exactly give you a perfect and sweat-free move, but it will help make your life-changing move easier and less painful (I say less painful, because, hey, you still gotta pack all those stuff, right?).

Plan Plan Plan

I cannot stress enough the importance of good planning. A well-laid plan is essential in order to make your move to a new community smoother and more stress-free. Nothing can spoil your first day in your new abode than a badly planned move. Can you imagine what will your soon-to-be neighbors think if they see the newcomers shouting, cursing, and arguing amongst themselves?

First thing to consider is timing. Traditionally, most moves in these islands are done on a weekend, most often on a Sunday. And that’s because most of us work, yes, even on a Saturday.

Now, unless you have an army of helpers who can haul those heavy pieces, transport them and arrange them for you in your new home, moving everything in a span of one day would be a virtual impossibility.

It is doable though --- at least, not without anyone falling down from exhaustion.

The best thing you can do is to split the moving day, like I did.

With the help of some hired hands, I arranged for some of the heavier pieces of furniture and appliances to be moved on a Saturday, and scheduled the other heavy pieces for the next day. This way, I was able to put them in their designated places long before the other stuff started coming in.

Checking out your new dig first would be a great idea. A good soldier always does a reconnaissance of the battlefield before going into actual battle, and you should, too. That way, you’ll know what you’re up against.

This is essential especially if you’re moving into one of those tight condos. Have you seen the size of those birdhouses, I mean, condo units? You’d be lucky if you could squeeze even half of your existing furniture in them.

Bring along a measuring tool while you’re at it, because that comfy sofa you’ve had for years might not fit into your new living room. Or the bedroom might be too small for your king-sized bed. Or that massively heavy antique cabinet that was handed down by your doting lola might suddenly find itself as the centerpiece inside your bedroom, without any space left for the room’s most important piece: your bed.

The same goes for your old unused appliances as well. Like I said, we’ve become a society of packrats and it’s not uncommon to see old, rusting appliances still making its presence felt in some corner, like one of those creepy-looking garden gnomes that refuse to leave.

Do yourself a favor, if the place you’re moving in to has less space than the one you’re moving out from, ditch the oversized junk. Better yet, make some money out of this move by selling them.

Believe me, ditching them may hurt at first and may in fact be a source of constant arguments (it was in my case), but you’ll save yourself the aggravation and thank yourself later. I did.

Also include in your plan the number of people you will need to help with the move. If you belong to a large family that is not dysfunctional and has a lot of willing hands (and muscles) to offer, then you’re halfway there. But if not, then be prepared to shell out some serious bucks. This is so you can hire a couple of burly kargadors (porter) from that corner sari-sari store (neighborhood grocery) or palengke (wet market) to help you haul that narra dinner table and your lola’s bulky aparador (cabinet) that you just inherited.

Make sure though, that the people you’ll be hiring are not part of the akyat-bahay gang (burglars). Otherwise you’ll find yourself without a single furniture or appliance in your new home. Remember, even your lola’s old baul (wooden chest) and all its mysterious contents are still worth something in the antique market.

You will also need transportation for your move --- and I’m not talking about that jeepney conspicuously parked on the sidewalk. A truck of any kind, as long as it can carry well over a ton, would suffice.

Don’t have friends who own a truck? Then search the internet or your local newspapers and you’ll likely find an ad announcing, "trucks for hire" in the classified ads section.

There’s no need to get one of those 16-wheeler behemoths though, since you won’t be using that much space anyway. You ditched the oversized junk, remember?

Organize.

First off, get yourself some boxes, or better yet… get LOTS of boxes. And by that I don’t mean the shoebox-sized ones but the big spacious ones.

When I was planning my move a month back someone suggested that I buy one of those balikbayan boxes to put our stuff in. They have a point; those corrugated boxes are big and sturdy. Designed to travel long distances and stand the rigors of airport handling, it is safe to assume that they too will survive the rough handling of the kargador.

But there is one drawback. As big and sturdy these boxes are they are also freaking expensive. Adding this to the cost of your already ballooning expenses isn’t at all practical.

And this is where your friendly neighborhood sari-sari-store comes in.

Usually, the storeowners have in their bodega (storeroom) tons of boxes of different sizes that were used in the delivery of goods to their store, all of which they are only too willing to part with… for a price, of course.

Prices of the boxes vary, depending on the size and the shrewdness of the storeowner. I would suggest getting those used to pack styrofoam cupped noodles, as they are just the right size.

Don’t forget to buy rolls of packaging tape, several rolls if possible. Get good strong ones with loads of sticking power as these will be used to securely fasten those boxes of keepsakes and memories, as well as your secret stash of girlie magazines.

For those boxes containing heavier items such as kitchenware, hardbound book collections, PCs, DVD players or, if you’re one of those last hold-outs, your VHS player, packing tapes will not be enough, unfortunately. You will need to further fasten the loaded boxes with a strong abaca rope (a PVC rope will do just as well), or you’ll no sooner find your precious cargo falling out of the boxes as the bottom end gives way.

Okay, now that you have your boxes, packing tapes and ropes ready and waiting, it’s time to get organized.

Part of the confusion in every move arises from the fact that there is lack of organization during packing, and it is not uncommon to lose or misplace things during and after a move.

Be systematic. Write everything down. Better yet, label each box after packing. For example, a box containing pots and pans should be labeled as "kitchenware." Those containing your pillows, comforters and blankets should be labeled as "bedroom," or "master’s bedroom."

A marking pen would be a good investment at this point, as well as some white bond paper, although, you can just write on the side of the boxes.

Make sure to write down on a piece of paper or in a notebook the number of boxes for each room. This way you’ll know instantly if something is missing.

As much as possible, keep things together. That way you’ll have an easier time sorting them out once you reach your destination.

Here are useful tips I found online on keeping connected or related stuff together:

“Keep bookends with books, light bulbs with lamps, and extension cords with appliances. Small, loose parts can be attached to the item they belong to with tape or placed in small envelopes -- to keep picture hooks with pictures, shelf brackets with a bookcase, a special wrench and bolts with the wall unit. Keep larger corresponding items (such as a cable TV cord) in resealable bags, and tape these to the underside or back of the item. As a backup, have a 'Parts Box' open on the kitchen counter and fill it with cables, cords, parts, pieces, brackets, or nails that are removed from any items of furniture. Keep this box with you, or mark it well with a rainbow of colored stickers so it can be easily located on move-in day.”

Lastly, keep your most valuable and important stuff with you. Do not make the mistake of putting your jewelry and important papers such as birth certificates, passports, bankbooks, checkbooks, and other legal papers, in a box and handing it over to a total stranger who, in this case, is the hired kargador.

Not that you don’t trust these hardworking guys but hey, these days you cannot afford to be too trusting.

I realize that in the flurry of packing and moving, confusion inevitably sets in, especially if you’re as absent-minded as I am. So try to stay cool and for Pete’s sake… keep your head together.

Moving your entire household may not exactly be the most fun activity you and your family will ever do together, but with good planning and a little bit of patience, you can make this life-changing event go smoothly -- and bearably.

Photo: 'Moving' from virtuesofharmony.net

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