I have moved house....

I lived in my last house for more than fifteen years. That's a long time to settle in. So long in fact that it was bound to take some serious settling out.

A significant number of people said something like, 'moving house is supposed to be one of the most stressful things,' to me when they found me with what could best be described as 'the unhinged look' while hugging myself and gently rocking. They might have been right.

Generally I think of myself as being a pretty laid back person but moving house did stir up a few episodes of neurosis. There really is rather a lot to think about (oh and, yes, do) on so many different levels.......

1) The legal stuff - although our solicitor was grand she couldn't address my form phobia or my need to shout at legal-speak to more obviously say what it means.
2) The fact you're manoeuvring huge amounts of money around in a seemingly flippant way - although actually some of the building societies did their best to make it tricky. Oh and hidden costs - they jump up and bite in an already quite stretched time!
3) The sifting, sorting, binning, packing and situation of being unable to locate anything rendering you to a sort of chaotic half-life for some time before the move.
4)The need to inform everyone - even those that are barely in your consciousness (like the car registration) - of a change of address and the various bits of identification some of these people need before they accept you have moved.
5) Disconnecting and re-connecting. Ugh! Pah! Companies would do well to dedicate effort to researching how to make this as stress free as possible. If I see an advert for a company that declares they have - I'm switching - despite huge recent efforts to the whole switching process that have left me distinctly anti-switch. My frustration was mopped up regularly by some poor person in a call centre. Thankfully I think we have all the connection we need now.
6) Moving day which happened to be on the most hot and humid day this year so far. Actually due to the upbeat and determined chap that helped us - this went surprisingly smoothly.
7) Arrival. It's easy to restore a skeletal life where eating, sitting and after a bit of a search round - basic hygiene is maintainable. But arriving at the level of life you had before packing started involves several weeks of creative problem solving, moving stuff back and forth and a lot of cable.
8) My home is my haven, my hide away, my security. All the rumblings on the surface were not as unsettling as my un-earthed roots flapping about for several weeks!

However. I think we are getting there and I can see the foundations of a very happy new home.

Comments

  1. Anonymous27 July 2010 at 10:50

    I can't quite imagine you describing yourself as having 'the unhinged look' while hugging myself and gently rocking.

    From what I've seen so far, I'd have imagined that as normal behaviour (for you, anyway!)

    I used to know an American girl who was a self employed house mover (she moved rather wealthy people into houses rather than actually moving the houses!) Perhaps that's something that might catch on in England?

    Hope you're happy in your new home (I've always thought that a house only becomes a home once the cat has pooed on the carpet and the kids have vomited on the sofa - so I hope all that happens sooner rather later for you!)

    All the best

    Keith

    P.S. For me, there's a therapeutic aspect to reading your blog. No matter how disjointed my life may be, I just have to take look at Just Pleasantly Floundering Around and think.... "Still...... At least I've still got my marbles!"

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  2. Fred Miller27 July 2010 at 13:44

    Hey! It's good to see you again. I've been waiting. I don't know when a house feels like home. I lived in a truck on the U.S. highways for eight years, so New York City feels as much home to me as Topeka, Kansas. Maybe I'll drive big rigs in England some day and will call that home as well. Be happy!

    TheFredEffect

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  3. Eric27 July 2010 at 14:51

    Moving large sums around flippantly is the best way, I think. *off to trade stocks*

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carol27 July 2010 at 15:19

    *groans* I remember it well and my sympathy goes to you!! We had to do it whilst navigating round forms in Thai (which meant you were signing things with no idea what the hell it was that you were signing!!) and the actual 'moving' involved weeks and ships!! I'm only just recovering and it was over a year ago!!

    Still, you are now settled into your new home and are now all connected (It's lovely to have you back hon!) so it can only be onward and upward

    *raises glass and toasts your new home* (obviously not now...it's only 3pm so a wee bit early for all that but I shall certainly raise my wine glass to you this evening :-D)

    C x

    ReplyDelete
  5. jim_greenan27 July 2010 at 16:53

    I knew you'd blog today - that's why I checked - and you had.

    Moving house to a new place is meant to be one of the most stressful things you can do I think - not moving within the same place - though that sounds pretty bloody stressful from what you describe. Couldn't we all just swap with people and then pay the money deficit to whichever person?

    I can do the wee and the vomit on your carpets if you like to help you settle and other bodily fluids too.

    Can't wait to visit!!

    Love and settledness

    Claire xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Molly Potter27 July 2010 at 17:28

    Well Keith – you certainly made me giggle. Of course I am actually the sanest person I know but perhaps that gives away too much about my friends.

    I had to self-hug and rock today after I cancelled all my bank cards to discover them floating around in the bottom of my bag. I hadn’t thought to look there. And of course the bank won’t know which address to send my new cards to. Am I deluded when I say I think I am actually quite together and systematic in my approach to life generally? It’s alright – I have a carer.

    We don’t have a cat.

    Always glad to provide therapy.

    Hi Fred,
    Truck life sounds good! In fact I feel sad that my possessions have amounted to too much to fit in a wheelbarrow like they used to – back when moving was really easy. And I am not acquisitive. Thank you for being patient. Be happy back.

    Hi Ericster
    I do most things flippantly – can get me into a lot of bother.

    Carol – I am on a two week clean living programme after a stint of over-reliance on alcohol for stress relief!!!!! Have yet to open the bubbly. I suspect it will be popped at the house warming...scheduled for late August I think if you fancy it! Mice to connect with you again lovely.

    Claire – weird. Must be a geno-transcommunicatory sense.

    I had put you down for vomit and poo. I’m nothing if not good at identifying people’s strengths
    xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nikki27 July 2010 at 19:20

    I'm going to come round and see you soon!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ken Devine27 July 2010 at 21:22

    Hi Molly P
    All exciting stuff which is well within your capacity to cope...except when you mention banks, building societies, legal speak and informing people of address change etc! etc! It can make a manic person even more manic(ier).
    I don't think we've heard the last of this experience.

    I know you are quite often on a different planet, but are you still in the same region?

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  9. The bike shed27 July 2010 at 21:29

    I've just had an offer on new house accepted today, so I've got it all to look forward to. Oh well....

    ReplyDelete
  10. Molly Potter27 July 2010 at 21:59

    Nikki - please do. Come to the house warming.

    Hi Ken D - I believe this planet is called Criptle 144...only took three spaceships. We sent our stuff ahead by Zootle-Whossh. Acually it's only 1782 steps from our old house but it's in a secret road that nobody appears to have heard of.

    Mark...oooo hope it's your dream house. Are you moving far?

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  11. Carol30 July 2010 at 08:27

    Ooohhh would love to come to your house warming. If you let me know where and when I will check the diary :-)

    C x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mark In Mayenne1 August 2010 at 16:55

    Hey, Molls, hope you really love living in your new place!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Molly Potter1 August 2010 at 17:29

    Carol - invite has been e mailed...

    Hi Codgi - I do love it...thank you

    xxx

    ReplyDelete

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