I hate moving house

Phil_aka_Pip · December 2013

I've moved before and its been a bit of a pain. This time it's horrendous. I spent most of last night and most of today dismantling my "studio" which has grown from a small amount of "dabbling" kit 10 years ago to a massive system where everything is connected to everything else. Natch it wasn't installed like that in one go, it grew like it over 10 years.

I'm on a beer break now.

Up in the loft, and in the garage roof space, I've kept a lot of original manufacturer's packaging. This has indeed helped. I've even found packaging for stuff I no longer have. What can be re-used is re-used, the rest is binned. I've occasionally come across something I haven't used for years but don't wish to discard. Then there were the little Sony speakers that my mum & dad gave me for my 18th birthday, they still work but they're a little worse for wear, and they bring back memories. All in all the whole procedure brings about a sense of loss and tearing something apart - even though I know I'm going to rebuild it all at my next place. I hope. I hope that I'll not leave it all in boxes to rot.

jd0272 · December 2013

God I know. I've still got stuff boxed and taped in the loft from the last one. And I need a bigger house about right now.

Grunfeld · December 2013

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I've occasionally come across something I haven't used for years but don't wish to discard. Then there were the little Sony speakers that my mum & dad gave me for my 18th birthday, they still work but they're a little worse for wear, and they bring back memories. All in all the whole procedure brings about a sense of loss and tearing something apart....

Yep. I had to clear the house I grew up in after my mum died. I still had stuff there from when I'd moved out at 18 and, I'd kind of used it as a storage facility over the years. My house isn't big so I had to be ruthless in chucking stuff out; could not bring much here. That feeling of loss was very powerful but now, about four months after doing it, I'm really glad I let it all go. It actually makes me feel lighter, it was the right thing to do. But at the time it was difficult.

TTony · December 2013

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I spent most of last night and most of today dismantling my "studio" which has grown from a small amount of "dabbling" kit 10 years ago to a massive system where everything is connected to everything else.

I don't envy you that task .... There is/was a lot LOT of kit in there ....

House-warming invites ???

johnnyurq · December 2013

I also hate moving so feel for you, my next move will be feet first in a box or wheelie bin.

Every time we moved I somehow manage to lose the wrong things and never the tat I wanted to lose en route.

Here's hoping it goes smoothly and more importantly as stress free as can be.

holnrew · December 2013

Moving is the most stressful thing ever. I've done it 6 times in the last few years. (Including 300 miles away at a few days notice). I need to do it again in the next couple of years. Not looking forward to it one bit.

stickyfiddle · December 2013

I'm not a fan of moving either, but I really like the opportunity for the large-scale clearout. It's a brilliant feeling.

holnrew · December 2013

I can't think of anything I regret throwing away.

Jetfire · December 2013

Our house is really small so you can pretty much see everything that we own. We have 2 small bed rooms and they are barely 8 x 10. All myguitar stuff is in one bedroom and its down to the bare minimum simply becuase im not allowed to keep stuff in our living room. Howevee all the houses we are looking at will be much bigger and have a music room so I can spread out so more gear time!!

Deadman · December 2013

Last time I moved I thought my arms were gonna drop off. GL Phil.

viz · December 2013

Three men in a boat has some lovely thoughts on possessions as they're packing before their journey:

George said: “You know we are on a wrong track altogether. We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can’t do without.” George comes out really quite sensible at times. You’d be surprised. I call that downright wisdom, not merely as regards the present case, but with reference to our trip up the river of life, generally. How many people, on that voyage, load up the boat till it is ever in danger of swamping with a store of foolish things which they think essential to the pleasure and comfort of the trip, but which are really only useless lumber.
How they pile the poor little craft mast-high with fine clothes and big houses; with useless servants, and a host of swell friends that do not care twopence for them, and that they do not care three ha’pence for; with expensive entertainments that nobody enjoys, with formalities and fashions, with pretence and ostentation, and with — oh, heaviest, maddest lumber of all! — the dread of what will my neighbour think, with luxuries that only cloy, with pleasures that bore, with empty show that, like the criminal’s iron crown of yore, makes to bleed and swoon the aching head that wears it!
It is lumber, man — all lumber! Throw it overboard. It makes the boat so heavy to pull, you nearly faint at the oars. It makes it so cumbersome and dangerous to manage, you never know a moment’s freedom from anxiety and care, never gain a moment’s rest for dreamy laziness — no time to watch the windy shadows skimming lightly o’er the shallows, or the glittering sunbeams flitting in and out among the ripples, or the great trees by the margin looking down at their own image, or the woods all green and golden, or the lilies white and yellow, or the sombre-waving rushes, or the sedges, or the orchis, or the blue forget-me-nots. Throw the lumber over, man! Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need — a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing. You will find the boat easier to pull then, and it will not be so liable to upset, and it will not matter so much if it does upset; good, plain merchandise will stand water. You will have time to think as well as to work. Time to drink in life’s sunshine — time to listen to the AEolian music that the wind of God draws from the human heart-strings around us — time to — I beg your pardon, really. I quite forgot.

Phil_aka_Pip · December 2013

George makes a lot of sense. Until I realise that while I could be happy with one acoustic guitar (as once upon a time, I was), but now I've got a whole studio full of kit I can get a lot closer to getting the sounds I hear in my head to come out of loudspeakers.

I've been though the getting rid of lumber stage. Twice I accept that I may be collecting more, but for now I'm not classing it as lumber and until I do, I'm taking it with me.

Thanks to those who have offered good wishes. I appreciate it.

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I hate moving house

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