Moving Tips: Planning Our New Place To Dwell

Last Saturday, I drew up a floor plan from images and one time viewing our new rental in AZ. I scanned the images to save and attached to an email to send to Jeff. Jeff went back to the place last Sunday afternoon with the drawings and noted measurements, details, and took a few missed shots of spaces in question (like what is over there?) Since I was on the phone with him, it helped for us walk the space together, (even though I'm here in FL) and I was able to note measurements on my drawings here.

I then put all the measurements into an online room planner, which helped give me cleaned up version of room dimension plans. I took a inventory, room by room, of all the furniture we have, along with their measurements, to be able to create furniture plans (and options!) Doing this ahead of the movers getting there with our furniture will be a huge help in getting the house set as our "home." Since this layout will be different for us, and my sofa has been around since 1998, we have been looking at getting a gray "L" shaped sectional. I spotted one I think will be a great fit for the space, our style and it's a great mix of both Miami & Phoenix: It's a sofa at ZGallerie called Phoenix, and the fabric color is called dolphin :) The added bonus: unlike the Ikea sectional (I first used for planning) the ZG Phoenix sofa would NOT need to be put together.

Phoenix Sectional - ZGallerie

(actually looked better in the store!)

Phoenix Sofa in ZGallerie

Milano Sofa in Macy's

(available in gray)

Karlstad Sofa - Ikea

Looks nice online - but not as comfortable to hubs - but like the look!

Since Jeff flew back into Florida last Wednesday, we were able to discuss the furniture plans and agree with the ones that will work best for us. Part of what also helped with the furniture planning was to measure the existing space between furniture, because we know this is what we're already use to and comfortable with.

While Jeff toured the house (for our second visit), he had discovered that (thankfully) the back-splash is wallpaper - so that will be removed, sanded, primed and painted which will help to update the kitchen a little bit. The upper cabinets have a lip under them, so we may add under counter lighting, which will also help brighten the kitchen counter workspace. We'll probably switch the cans on the kitchen track to Ikea pendants and the chandy to a more drum shade style. Jeff also spotted an extra closet we missed on our first tour / viewing - which will work for our linen closet, since the bathrooms are significantly smaller than what we have now. Currently, I use our second bathroom double sink vanity for our sheets and towels.

The Studio / Loft will be a work - play space: The office, but with room to watch tv, and we won't be as separated. A dining table will work for a desk, and Ikea Expedite bookcase, set low profile can help define the office space. Sitting at the desk facing west will allow for a view out the windows, a view of the TV and converse with anyone in the seating area bringing up the existing white sofa.

I also asked him to measure doorways and stairways, to ensure furniture fits. Closets were also measured out - both there and here, so I can plan what will fit where. What I'd like to do is have the movers  load the area rugs last so they'll be off the truck first, place the rugs &  furniture in the rooms, and use two rooms downstairs to store all the wall art in one, and accessory boxes in the other. Kitchen, bathroom, and closets will go to their areas, so I can get them set first - and we can function.

We'll be able to get in our new place while our homegoods are in transit from Florida to Arizona. This will be a huge help to be able to clean, paint, switch a few light fixtures and add hardware to kitchen and bathrooms (not having handles or drawer pulls is driving me & Jeff nuts!!) We also will be installing the washer & dryer we had to buy, since this place only had hook-ups. We did ask owner if he would put them in, but we didn't get a response - so we took that as a no. Luckily, I found a fairly new, but "gently used" Whirlpool W&D set online in Phoenix. After Jeff did the tour & measurements, he drove over to check them out. It was a great deal: only $320 and $25 for delivery (beats any sale in the paper or any outlets nearby!)



If all goes according to plan, we should be set & settled by Thanksgiving... With the exception of doing the Guest Rooms - We'll do at the first of the year, especially since Jeff won't be able to spend time with any guests until he is able to take off  from the store - after Christmas. No fireplace, but it has so much charm in a lovely tree-lined community - I love it as our first place to live in AZ. This past weekend, I collected all our wall art and accessories, and set them by categories and size. I put the dining room chairs out in the garage, padded & covered the dining room table, and this will make an easy pack/wrap station for the movers to pack this Friday.

Wall art packing station...

Tapes for packing...

and furniture slides with covers we sent out to AZ with the box of tools...

Baggy of all the nails removed, to be reused.

Pack of chair pads to add to protect the wood floors....

Zip lock bags came in handy to pre-pack and sort all the window hardware we removed.

This stuff worked like a charm to fill my (as Jeff said) "machine-gun holes" in the walls from all the pictures I had up. Dried quickly for touch-up soon after...

Saved papers the past few weeks fr some pre-packing...

Packed up tools and paint supplies and shipped out Monday to Jeff's store, so we'll have supplies out there to do work on our place, before the movers arrives.



The time has gone so quickly. I've been visiting with (real) friends and my mom before we head out next Monday. I don't think it's hit me yet that we're leaving. As I went through papers in the office yesterday, condensing, filing, shredding and purging, I looked at each paper and asked if it added value to my life before getting rid of it. Unfortunately, I had to do the same this week with an old - once-upon-a-time friend... and after 30 years...

This move is going to be good, to meet new people, make new friends,

and be in new surroundings...

They don't have Comcast service in the area we're moving to, so my email may be changing. I don't quite know how my sign-on's all over the Internet are going to work... I've got to figure that out. To help bridge the gap for communicating, I do have a gmail account to use at nyclq2010@gmail.com.... but it will take some getting use to using since I've used Comcast email for over 5 years. I don't know if I'll be back on again before the computer gets packed Friday / Saturday. It will than take 6 days of travel time after they load Monday (Nov. 7). I probably won't be set back up (even if temporary) until somewhere between Nov. 16 - Nov. 19... but I do post pics on facebook...



and I'll be back, so please stay tuned...

... and thanks for stopping by!