Move in "survival kit" ideas please

[dotti105]

Honestly, I have done the search, worded and re worded my search and have had no luck.

we will be flying in and renting a car, picking up our keys at LSL after closing by wire.

furniture does not arrive for another day or two. Refrigerator and Washer/Dryer delivered the day after arrival

What should we bring as a "survival kit" while we camp out in our home??
Soap
TP
Paper towels
Inflatable bed
linens, (sheets, towel & wash cloth)
????

Because we are flying, we will be more restricted than if we could pack the car and drive. We can pack linens probably, but not much else.

We thought we would stop at Walmart and buy the bare necessities. What am I missing??

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

[Wiserbud47]

You may be asking too much of yourselves. Please consider staying in the Waterfront Inn for a couple of days until you get your house in "live-in condition". The Waterfront Inn will give you a 25% discount by giving your resident ID number. If you don't have one yet, private message me and I will give you mine. This would take a lot of pressure off you and make your start of life in the Villages more pleasant.

[2BNTV]

Do yourself a favor and don't think you have to do everything in a week. It's a good way to get stressed out. Just plan accordingly, and get as much as you need to get done at a comfortable pace. You'll feel better.

Make a list of things to do, and prioritize it, starting with the most important thing to do and work your way down the list. Seeing it every day, will crystalize thoughts in your mind.

I know your excited to be moving to TV, but you have to relax a little bit, or you'll wnd up, exhausted. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Your not missing anything, as this is what I had to do.

[redwitch]

Get at least one lamp (or I'll loan you one) for the bedroom. The fans don't have lights and it is miserable getting up in the dark and trying to find your way to the bathroom.

Don't forget to pick up some silverware (plastic works beautifully) and paper plates. Even if you eat all meals out, they come in handy for snacks while unpacking, etc. and never go to waste.

If you're a coffee fiend, shout out and I can bring you a small coffeemaker until you get one.

[Nlnicholson]

I vote for the Waterfront Inn. We stayed there between moving out of our CYV and moving into our house. It was so relaxing. Took away a great deal of the stress. You're right near LSL. Go to the square. Enjoy the music. Eat out. Relax. You got plenty of work to do once you start unpacking and plenty of time to do it.

The place is beautiful. Get a room overlooking the lake. Gorgeous!

[judy&ken]

We camped out in our home at first, we had a lot of fun!
Lamp, paper plates, coffee cup for morning tea, air mattress,
Any meds you may take, showers essentials.
It was nice to finally claim our home, we drove so it made it
easier to bring more.
Enjoy!

[DeanFL]

Dotti,

We're closing 2/5, POD coming 2/6, and Village Movers 2/7 to unload. My 1/3 of house stuff - Phyllis' 1/3 will come when she moves in Spring; balance of home furn will be new/ordered. Appliances to be del 2/7, and carpeting taken out then laminate in the next week. Don't want furn on new carpet etc etc, so altho we will be partially moving in, not really. Only the guest BR will be totally furnished and sleep-ready. Altho we would have inflatables, not comfy enough. So I made reservs for the first 2 nights at Hampton Inn/Suites on 466 near BV Blvd. To relax and enjoy without the stress of camping...'in' the new house. The TV carpeting will be taken out 2/8 then brought to Lake Mary to be installed in Ps house same day - we will drive back to LM then too. I'm back to TV house a few days later to unpack some and be there for lam install - the BR will be done by then and sleep-worthy. We're fortunate to be doing the moving in stages - but we both thought the first couple overnights in the new home after Closing would be rough.

Exciting stuff - and the construction is so good, so very pleased with Builder. Can't wait to join all the good folks at TV - dreams come true! The Bubble awaits!

[kittygilchrist]

Dotti, we have started supporting move ins for singles. Last one who moved got from other singles with loan of:
inflatable bed
bedding
pot, pan, utensils
paper and plasticware
soap and dish detergent
towels, dish towels...etc.
you need a cooler and ice as well.
If you want to borrow something, post it...

[CFrance]

No one has mentioned a couple of bag chairs--you know, those fabric ones that collapse and fit in a bag. Find some with drink holder is the arm. They can be bought just about anywhere down here, and they really come in handy. Easy to move out to the lanai, easy to bring back in to park in front of the tv.

[KathieI]

I agree with some of the others, Dotti, I think your asking way too much of yourself. Stay at the Waterfront, with the discount it isn't very expensive and its very luxurious and you'll need the rest before unpacking and getting into all the hysteria of moving into your new life. Enjoy and good luck!! Hope you choose this opportunity.

[TrudyM]

Although we haven't moved here yet we have moved a lot and been in this situation. Even if you stay in a hotel you will want a few things for the house while you wait for the delivery of things I mean between 12 and 4 can seem forever if you are sitting in an empty house.
I agree with the folding chairs you will need them for when you go to driveway parties anyway, and the cheap lamp last time I got a work/shop light then used it in the garage later. That way you are not on the floor or in the dark. A good book to read as you wait and snacks.

People who live here will have to address if the utilities will stay on or will suddenly shut off on you a day or so after close.

Bottles of water to give the delivery guys. Every time the movers deliver our stuff they ask for water and they have all the boxes with the glasses in them.

Some of this doesn't apply if you have a pods move.
My suggestions if you have movers unpacking a truck or pod into the house. I have horror stories about movers.
If you are alone get a friend from the forum to come and help stand guard in exchange for you taking them to dinner after. The moving guys need to be watched or they will drop throw and bash stuff.
A cell phone that takes pictures or a camera so you can take a shot of damage on the spot.
A pad of Paper and a clip board, A marker and blue painters tape so you can put up signs next to each doorway identifying which room is which so they put the boxes and furniture in the correct room or they will unload everything into the garage or put guest room furniture in the den etc. I stand in the driveway with the marker and write on each box what room I want it in also have pieces of paper with room ids on them and blue tape to dressers etc. Plastic painters drop cloths to throw over any prize pieces of furniture that you don't want them setting drink cups or boxes on. Don't start unpacking stuff while the movers are there or some of it will end up back on the truck or in the trunk of their cars, I have had them carry my things in the front so they get marked off the list and then out the back and into the trunk of their car. If someone elses stuff is in the front of the truck and they didn't have a dividing wall up, walk in and do a look see and make sure none of your boxes are mixed in on top of their stuff. Make sure they don't load your step ladder back in the truck at the end, had this happen twice, first time they had to ship it back to me later. Now my name and cell number is written on it in big letters. Can't think of anything else for now.

[jebartle]

that you are welcome to use while settling into your home in paradise!

[rosygail]

Check with your realtor about shipping some boxes of supplies to his/her house. That's what we did. We had linens, plastic dishware, soap etc. inflatable air mattress, in the box so we had everything but grocery type items. We went to WALMART and purchased some patio chairs. so we had someplace to sit. The box we had shipped became a table and we watched DVDs on our tablets. It was fun to spend those first nights in the new house.

[CFrance]

We had a great time camping out in our empty house. We spent the days before our furniture arrived running around buying supplies we knew we'd need and bringing them home and deciding where to put them. It was fun. Waterfront is not all that close to where your house is. My guess is you will spend lots of time in the car running back and forth from Loews/Home Depot/BB&B to your home and then back to Waterfront.

The best thing we did was have the Direct TV appointment all set up beforehand so we had tv from day one. After eating out for three days straight while driving down, the last thing we wanted was more restaurant food. And the last place I wanted to sleep was in another hotel room cooped up with bird and dog.

To each his own, though!

[dotti105]

Great suggestions folks!

Our situation is not the usual. We are not actually moving ourselves yet. Just our "stuff".

We have one week to get the few items of furniture we are moving unpacked and to get the feel for our home. Then we have to go back to the rat race.

We will be receiving the delivery of our refrigerator, washer, dryer. We will be buying and installing all our fans and the foyer and DR lights.

Just about the time we get stuff unpacked we have to come back to the real world and camp out in our home in Utah. We will have sold, given away or moved almost everything by then.

Bill will be getting the house ready to rent. So he is keeping a weeks worth of business clothes and casual, grubby clothes here. Bill retires April 1st and I probably am indentured until Sept. We we hoping to have the house ready to rent by the time he retires April 1st and he can move to TV.

We will be buying most of our furniture after we move , so we will be in limbo where ever we are for a few months. No easy way out.

Because I commute to the Bay Area to work that just makes it more interesting.....
So we don't really know when WE will be moving.

I have ordered a patio dining set and we will use that for table and chairs while we camp out. So I guess we will pack some sheets and towels, stop at Walmart for the necessities.

I wish we were making one simple clean move. That would be so easy. We just always keep things interesting.

Some great folks on the forum have been keeping us up to date with weekly photos and we are just thrilled with the house! We are ready emotionally for the move!! It is the the rat race real world that is making it difficult.

So we will camp out in the house and get done what we can and enjoy sitting in our patio furniture with a Styrofoam cooler while we await our stuff.

It sounds like we aren't the first and won't be the last to do that!! The adventure is just beginning!

[CFrance]

And you aren't the only ones not making one simple, clean move. In January, 2012, we packed up our apartment in Pittsburgh, ran back to Michigan and packed our lower condo level, sent it off with movers, ran back to Pittsburgh and sent that stuff off with another mover, got in two cars with dog and bird and drove three days to TV. Since neither load was a full truckful, we were not given a specific date for it to arrive, but it could have been four days to two weeks.

In July of 2013 we packed up the rest of the by-then-sold condo and chased another truck to FL (also with bird and dog along). All I can say it was exciting, but Phew!

Good luck, Dotti. Soon your life will get easier!

[dzine]

Probably a flashlight would be helpful if your house is totally empty.
Bedrooms will be dark.
You seem to have the basics and we do have plenty of stores here.

Hotels are pretty reasonable, I just checked Hampton Inn for Feb (high month)
and it was just $120 with breakfast Villagers rate.