Tips on preparing your house items for removals

This is a guide for those who are going to have removalists pack their items for freight. It doesn’t include information on how to pre-pack furniture or white goods.

As I mentioned in the previous post, our freight arrived from Australia and I found out that our stuff wasn’t packed properly by the removalists and was more like stuffed into boxes. Not everyone is going to have bad removalists but you never know until it’s too late. So here is a guide on how to prepare items for the move so they arrive all in one piece.

General Tips

• Don’t count on the removalists to do a good job. Prepare everything for the worst case scenario.
• Have a clear dividing system. If only some of your items are going in the freight and the rest are going into storage, ensure that you don’t keep all these things together but divide them in a very clear manner. You will not be able to keep an eye on very removalist in every room telling them what’s going and what’s staying and if you don’t divide things you’ll end up forgetting something or they will pack something that was meant to stay. Unfortunately I'm talking for experience of someone who had a dividing system but not a good enough one.
• Put all the little things in lock bags. Most things that can fit into a lock bag probably should go into one.

Tips for the Kitchen

·         Take extra care of your expensive and precious breakable kitchen items. It might make sense to you that something should be packed extra carefully but not to the removalists. Prepare all these items yourself by wrapping them and placing them in the right size boxes. If you kept the original boxes, use those. 

·         Place small items in lock bags. The removalists might wrap them well but when small things are unwrapped on arrival, they might be forgotten in all the wrapping paper and be thrown out. Items to be mindful of are lids of small containers/jars (unless kept on the container itself but this option takes lots of room and the removalists might remove the lids to save room) and small cutlery (especially anything smaller than a tea spoon).

·         Use the dividing system. Do have all freight items on the bench-tops and all storage items in the cupboards. Don’t have freight items in one cupboard and storage items in another cupboard as things will be messed up! Don’t have some items on the bench-tops and some items in the cupboards, things might get forgotten.

Tips for packing clothes

·         Ties. Roll them and put them in a (shoe) box.

·         Hats. Put any hats that might be squashed in a box. Same apply for other delicate head wear like fascinators.

·         Shoes. If you keep shoe boxes, put your shoes in their boxes. If you don’t have shoe boxes, get boxes or containers that will fit your shoes. I recommend hard boxes and not soft ones that can be squashed. Another option is to stuff the shoes with paper and wrap each shoe individually in a cloth or paper (make sure it’s plain paper so it doesn’t colour the shoes). This will ensure that your shoes aren’t squashed or marked by rubbing on each other.

·         Handbags. Take appropriate care based on the type. If they are flexible, fold and put in plastic bags. My bags ended up with hubbies tools! So, do your best to keep your bags nice and clean. If they are the kind that might get squashed, stuff them with paper/clothes and/or place in a box.

·         Fold all of your clothes and put them in containers. There are special fabric containers for clothes and I highly recommend these, otherwise use plastic once. If you fold and pre-pack your own clothes, they will all stay together and will be much easier to unpack.

·         If you’re not meant to pack your personal effects, make sure it looks pre-packed and not packed. So don’t use cupboard boxes but the kind of boxes I mentioned earlier. Use clear plastic containers instead of opaque ones.   

·         Prepare to do lots of ironing when your clothes arrive.

·         Use the dividing system if some of your clothes are going into storage or you haven’t packed the clothes that you take on the plain with you. Do put the freight clothes in one room and the storage clothes in another room. If you have to, do put the freight clothes on the bed/floor and the storage clothes in the closet but make sure to tell the removalists not to pack the closet items. Don’t put freight clothes in one closet and storage clothes in another, it might confuse even you. Don’t put freight and storage clothes in the same closet or on the floor in the same room, storage things will end up coming with you.

Here are a few clothes storage ideas. These ones are from Ikea but they can be found in other stores as well. They also come in different sizes so you can choose something that will be handy for you after the move as well.

Tips for linen and towels

·         Fold and put in a plastic bag. There isn’t much that can go wrong here, especially if you plan on washing your linen and towels before use, but you never know what the removalists will pack them with. The plastic bag will keep them clean, all together and it will be easy to unpack.

Tools

·         Put all your tools in an appropriate container like a tool box. This will ensure they are all together and don’t damage anything else they might be packed with.

Study 

·         Computer & screen. Cover them in bubble wrap or a thick cloth. Unless you wrap your computer and screen, they are likely to go straight into the cupboard box without any protection and if the box get squashed, your computer and screen might get damaged.

·         Books & albums. If you have an especially precious book/album, wrap it in paper/cloth or/and put it in a plastic bag. Unless it’s something really precious, I wouldn’t bother.

·         CDs & DVDs. If you have a large collection that is likely to fill a box or more, don’t bother preparing them as they will likely all end up together. If you have a smaller collection that is likely to end up with other things, buy special boxes intended for CDs and put them there. This will ensure they are not squashed by other items.

·         Put pens in lock bags. Some pens might leak, especially if squashed or due to air pressure, so put them in a separate lock bag.

·         Place small items in lock bags. Items to be mindful of are cables and USB sticks. 

·         Use the dividing system. Do put freight items in one room and storage items in another. If have to, do put all freight items on the floor and leave storage items on shelves and table. Don’t put some of the freight items in one place and some elsewhere, things will be forgotten.

If you have more tips or any questions, just leave a comment.

Due to a spam message to one of my previous posts, all comments must be approved by me before they are published but if you’re not a spammer, they will J

Cheers. 

quick update

I'm finally back online after 2 days of moving houses and a weekend without internet. This is only a quick update but I have a few post planned, which I will hopefully write and post this week.

• We moved from the temporary apartment to the house we'll be renting for the next 3 years. This is the house of my dreams, I wish it was in Canberra! It's very specious, the kitchen is beautiful with wood cabinets and black granite countertops, the master bedroom is huge, so is the 5 piece bathroom, and there is a walk-in-wardrobe! After I put everything in place and make it look amazing, I'll take some photos.  

• The negative side is that we had issues with the real estate agency or more like they had issues with their contractors and it affected us badly. The maintenance and cleaning of the house are terrible. All of the first floor smells with cat/dog pee which we're desperately trying to get rid off, blinds are missing in some rooms, some things are broken, we're missing keys and had to order a new lock for the mail box, the washing machine and drier we payed extra for arrived second hand and dirty! I am not impressed at all. 

• On Thursday the rented furniture arrived. We were dealing with Bill who owns a furniture rental company and it was a very smooth experience! He is very patient and helped me through the process of choosing furniture and he actually cares about the final look of the rooms so he can recommend matches for items. Highly recommended!

• On Friday our freight arrived from Australia and we found out that our staff was very badly "packed". I'm saying "packed" because it was more like our things were stuffed into boxes instead of actually been packed. The box with the desktop was crushed and because we didn't take the screen with us, we still don't know if it was damaged. Hats were all squashed, some of my shoes got marks on the leather from rubbing on each other... Things of one kind ended up in a box with another kind like my handbags were in a box with tools! The kitchen items were pretty much the only things that were wrapped and packaged. I am going to write a guide with tips for people who have removalists packing their things so their things arrive all in one piece. 

• Before the move and all of the other headaches of last week, I started planning a trip to Alaska. I've always wanted to go to Alaska for the magnificent scenery and nature and lately also got obsessed with seeing the northern lights. Hopefully we'll go in September as it's a good month to see the northern lights but it's still not awfully cold. The plan is one week of a cruise for the coastal scenery and one week inland with a focus on seen the northern lights. Any suggestions are welcomed.

• I am going to post a few restaurant reviews and they will all be easily accessible under the menu at the top of the blog. This is a good reference for me and hopefully for other people coming here and to the US in general. It can be a bit hard at first when you just land here and have no idea where to go out to eat and what to expect.

I'm back to tidying up and ironing a huge pile of clothes. Fun fun fun...     

Good things in Denver

There are some wonderful things in Denver and I don't want you to think that all is bad and annoying. My negative list had 7 points so I made sure to have 7 positive points at the list below.

Not in any particular order. 

• Excellent service at restaurants. I've been to a few restaurants already and the service is fantastic. The waiters are both professional and outgoing, the food arrives quickly and while you’re waiting for the food they make sure they you have drinks or something to snack on. The food I had so far was also very good so it's obviously not only the waiters that are doing a good job. A good name of a restaurant is a combination of things and it's a shame that in Australia they usually forget about it. 

• Denver is very dog friendly. Firstly, the majority of rental properties allow pets. This is totally different to Australia where people usually can't have pets unless they own their own house. Secondly, travelling with pets is quite easy as there is a range of hotels and service apartments that allow pets and pets are also allowed into parks and many other places. Again unlike Australia where the travelling options and destinations with pets are very limited. Thirdly, there are many dog day cares where you can leave the dog during work hours or when going on a holiday. These are only a few example.

• Variety of products. There is a pretty good range of supermarket goods. I can go in and find something new to try or just find whatever I was looking for. In Australia I often found the supermarket experience irritating as I usually had to compromise on quality, flavour, size, you name it. I'm not saying that in the States there is everything in every supermarket, because this is definitely not true, but there is a much better range than in Australia.

• Reasonable prices. The wages in the Sates are very low so I doubt that many middle class Americans find the prices low but they are definitely reasonable for Australians that come here for a holiday or live here still earning an Australian wage. In addition, there are many discounts, especially if you have a membership card, so it's easy to save.  

• Easy to shop online. Firstly, every store has a website and a lot of websites offer online shopping. Secondly, shipping is either free or really ship. Thirdly, exchange and returns are very easy. The beauty is that because there is competition, if someone doesn't offer you free shipping or doesn't accept returns, you have the choice and just go elsewhere. Australian retailers only whinge and do nothing to adjust to the new market. 

• My favourite products. I know, this is another point about consumerism, but I can't help it. We are all consuming goods and services and you're better off consuming them in the US. There are many products that I like here or more like products that I got to know and like in Israel and could never get in Australia. Best example are Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Cap'n Crunch peanut butter cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds (my healthier breakie option) and of course all the wonderful female hygiene products that somehow never made it to Australia (if you're new to the States and need recommendations, send me a message). Of course it is also heaps easier to buy alternative clothing and shoes as there are actual stores that sell them and many online stores too.

• Nice people. This point is last because I think that it should be the default, especially with service providers. Unfortunately it's not always the case so I do want to mention it. Australians are really nice and are great when it comes to service so it's hard for the Americans to impress me, especially because of their bureaucracy that doesn't make them seem so nice. But the bottom line is that most Americans I came across were nice, unlike say Israel where many people are pushy and rude. So, Australians, don't expect to be impressed but Israelis - you sure will!

Missing Canberra

With Chaos & Nyx at the back yard in Canberra

I still can’t believe I’m in the States. It’s just another day, I’m sitting on the couch with my laptop, the dogs are sleeping in the same room… but I’m not in Canberra, I’m in Denver. I have to admit that I miss Canberra. On our second last day in Canberra, I spent some time with the dogs on our green lawn of the backyard. It was a lovely warm day.

I miss the familiarity. It took me a very long time to know Canberra, to be comfortable with it. It took me so long to be independent. I grew up in a small town where everything was a walk away, where every neighbourhood was easy to navigate in, where I know knew every shop. As a result I always had issues with travelling on my own to new places. My navigation skills are poor and I have a phobia of getting lost. My experiences of actually getting lost probably didn’t help. Coming to Canberra, a very spread town and much larger than the town I grew up in, was a real challenge for me. In Canberra you pretty much have to have a car to go places and after a very frustrating a year and a half of catching a bus I had to buy a car. It wasn’t easy, I pretty much had to learn to drive again, this time on a different side of the road with slightly different rules. Then I had to battle my own fears and slowly gain the confidence to drive on my own. I guess for most people it’s not an issue but for me it was a huge challenge, and yes, I am proud of myself as I came a long way.

And now I’m in Denver, a city so much larger than Canberra, but with public transport just as bad. So again I have to have a car and again I have to learn to drive on the other side of the road with very different roads and road rules and again I need to fight my fear of driving to new places. I hope that this time it will be easier…

I also miss all the friends I made in Canberra! It took me a long while to make friends and then it was time to go. Keeping in touch was made easy with emails, Skype and Facebook but it's nothing like catching up, especially if you used to see each other regularly. I also miss the Bowens, my Canberra family. You're the best! 

I hope it won’t take me forever to settle down in Denver, mainly in terms of getting around and making friends.

*** 

I started writing a post about all the great things in the States but it will have to wait for a sunny day. The gloomy sky outside the window does no good to my mood.

Cheers,

Irena

Let off steam

Some things in the States annoy me an awful lot and I feel like I need to let off some steam. Please don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it here and the overall experience is very positive. There are just these little things that drive me nuts and frustrate me at times. Writing this down is my way to acceptance.

Not in any particular order.

• People not returning their shopping trolleys. How hard can it be??? It's usually a few steps away from the car! Every car park near a store with trolleys will have a few deserted trolleys while the favourite spot to leave a trolley is in the car park spot itself so no one can park in that spot after his majesty the lazy arse left.  

• People don't follow road rules. Americans probably aren't as bad as Israelis and will try not to kill anybody but they still do whatever the hell they want on the road. You need to be a psychic and predict what they are going to do next. How about using indicators and not going across 2 lanes and one continuous line 'cause you suddenly realised you need to turn at this very intersection?

• The disappearing lane. It might be just a Colorado thing, I don't know, but it's rather dangerous and very annoying. You can drive in the right lane and then suddenly it becomes a right turn only lane, or it merges with the lane near it without any warning, or it just disappears! How about putting some signs around so I don't have to use my psychic skills every time I drive? 

• Non stop phone spam. The Bank of America calls me with a recorded message 1-3 times every day. Some political organisation or whatever says that I was "carefully selected" to participate in their survey. This is a bloody service apartment! Then someone keeps calling Belinda although I keep telling them that it's the wrong number. And these are only the regulars. Then there are the messages and calls to my cell phone which annoy me even more as in the States you have to pay for incoming calls and SMS. I don't want to pay for spam. JUST GIVE ME A BREAK!

• People not picking up after their dogs. We're staying at a service apartment which is dog friendly and there are a fair few people with dogs. The problem is that some of them aren't picking their dogs' poo and the lawns are Poo Fields. I can't let Chaos & Nyx run of the grass as these is poo everywhere! Unfortunately the situation at the neighbourhoods doesn't seem to be much better. There are free poo bags and bins around, just use them!

• Bureaucracy. Everything has to be done by the book and if there is no rule, well, tough luck. There is no common sense or even "I'll ask my supervisor and try to find a solution for you".  Unfortunately, foreigners usually don't fall under many rules and have a hard time settling in. Don't forget that you also have to have a Social Security Number for everything. Well, good luck with that...     

• Limit choice of cell phones in the telecommunications providers. There seems to be a monopoly of telecom providers over certain cell phone models which I just don't get. So if you want a certain model you have to go to the telecom provider that has the monopoly over it. For example, AT&T sell Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0" and Tab 8.9" but they don't sell Tab 7.7" or Tab 10.1" so if you want these you have to go to Verizon or T-Mobile. Even if you want an unlocked model you have to get out of your way and spend lots of money buying in online. Where is exactly that famous USA freedom?

***

I found this online photography magazine 100Eyes, which showcases contemporary photography. Have a look at their issue on the topic of American Dream. Some of the photos are shocking but the thought behind all of the projects is deep and the results are worth looking at. It shows the USA in a few different lights, cynical but hopeful at the same time.