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PCS The Bennett Way

The one True thing I know after moving 8 times in 11 years is that...Nothing Goes According To Plan ! No matter how much planning we do, Something..Somewhere goes all to pieces.If you have any Tried and True ways to make the move painless,please sign my Guest Book. We all want to know!

    How do I do it?
  • Buy those Rubber Maid Containers. They not only keep your things organised, it is great on the other end..Less boxes to cut down. We all know that the packers love to WRAP or Dump. If you have Lego's in your house, you know what I am talking about. We buy the size that fits under the kids beds, all we have to do is take the lid off. I put Everything from the Kitchen Utensils, Junk Drawers, the Desk, even the Bathroom Items in these containers. All the packer has to do is tape it shut and label. They stack the large ones on the truck, the smaller containers they put inside a box. Once you get moved in, all you have to do is stack the containers in an out of the way place.

  • If you live in Post Housing, I would stongly advise you to get a Cleaning Team. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Get it confirmed and written in stone. Not only that, have your list of names for back up calls. We have moved twice, the Inspector comes for the Final Inspection and the Cleaning Team didn't show up. If you are lucky, the first name on your list will come through for you. If all else fails, do like I do...Throw a Fit! I threw such a fit when we tried to clear quarters in Kansas, AFTER the Inspector told us he would be back in a week to Re-Inspect...He ended up calling someone himself. Another thing, and this is MY opinion only, I think the Inspectors and the Cleaning Teams are in cahoots somehow..I have yet to meet a family who cleaned their own quarters to pass the Inspection the first go round. I'd rather pay the money than have the added stress of wondering how many times I'll have to clean that oven before "He" thinks it's clean enough.

  • I start taking the odds and ends off the shelves a week before. Not one who likes to dust, I send all the glass pieces thru the dishwasher. When we unpack on the other side, everything is sparkling clean. My dining room table will be full of nick nacks when the packers come. I make sure I go thru all the rooms looking for breakables. They won't think a thing about packing that pretty little girls glass bank with a box full of shoes.

  • I take the curtains down and send those thru the wash, or the dryer to get the dust out. If I have to have them for privacy, I'll put them back up. If not, they get folded and put in the room they go to. Packed along with everything else in that room. This way, I don't get to the other end and Wonder..Where can they be? I think Packers like to put Garage or Basement on boxes just to mess with us.

  • I start washing walls a month before the move, and threaten the kids with..YOU will be washing walls if you don't keep your hands off them!

  • 1 year is long enough to accumulate a lot of junk.2 years...even more. Take a long hard look at what all you have. Do you really need it? 2 months before every move we have a big yard sell, the money made goes towards something for the family. Even IF we sale the kids old toys. We buy for the family. Our last PCS Yard Sale bought Play Station and 2 games.If you can't sell it, give it away or donate it to Good Will.

  • I am WOMAN, I know I CAN DO ANYTHING, but there are just some things I refuse to do. Like clean the grill for the move,drain the lawnmower and the basement. I don't know why, just a personal thing I guess. We do try to split the work up to His/Hers, only to get it done faster. We start weeks before the move so it doesn't really feel like work, just a good house cleaning.

  • Get Rid of It! If we had things stored in boxes because I just had no room to unpack them, like ALL that Kitchen Stuff! If we haven't used it in the time we have lived there..OUT it goes. Same with clothes. If we haven't used it, We don't need it.

  • Undoubtedly, the time will come when you will have to do it ALL by yourself. My only advice, do what you can, when you can. You'll have a thousand things going on at one time, and just to much to think about to get it all done. And just as sure as you are moving, your things will get to the other end. maybe not as nice and neat as you would like, but these things do happen. You have not lived until you are living the good life in one state and find yourself living in another state 2 weeks later. Can they do this you say? OH! Yes! and with a smile on their face! probably thinking, it's their turn!

  • I think I am ready for the packers, I walk around the house, looking to make sure everything is in the right room. If your son left muddy shoes in the living room, they will pack them with the living room items. If you plan on taking that brief case, hide it! They will pack it up first thing! No doubt! We fill a bathroom with all the things we plan on taking with us. We tell them..DO NOT ENTER! your babies blankies? grab those too! We have had to go out and buy new blankies because we weren't paying attention. And you all know, a baby won't take to just any blankie.

  • Packing Day,your home is invaded with strangers. If you are lucky the soldier will be there, but most likely he will be Out Processing and you get to watch 3-5 people pack all of your treasures. I think we all do this our own way. I can't bare to watch. No one will treat my things as well as I do. I stay out of the way, in another room or outside.

  • It's Lunch Time. I don't know when the Tradition started, but it seems like the packers expect us to feed them Lunch and supply them with soda all day. Again, this is a personal choice. We normally have cases of soda, but the Lunch thing, it all depends on if we can afford it. Our last move, they were lazy and they had 4 days to pack us up, and they TOOK the entire 4 days, up to the last minute. We fed them lunch once.

  • THE DAY is here! That huge truck is sitting outside. Now is the time for your husband to find his new best friend..The Driver! All your worldly possesions will be in this mans hands. I don't know what all my husband talks about with these drivers, I think it is that Man Thing, but when we just know our household goods will go into storage because the driver will get there first, somehow, they work it out and we meet up on the other end. Doing the Wonderful Door to Door Move. 7 Stateside Moves, we have never had our things go in storage. And YES, we have lived in Hotels and Guest Quarters for up to 2 weeks. So it is possible, get your husband out there doing the Male Bonding thing!


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