What I Learned From Moving More Times Than I Care to Admit
Hard-won lessons, a few disasters, and the two checklists I now give every client.
Moving boxes taking over!
I have moved enough times to know exactly how things go wrong — and exactly how to prevent them. I've stood in an empty kitchen at 11pm wondering why I packed the coffee maker in the very bottom of a box marked "miscellaneous." I've watched movers wrap a honeymoon souvenir in approximately one layer of paper, then act surprised when it didn't survive. And yes, I've been the person who triggered every smoke alarm in the house at once — because I thought I'd be clever and turn off the utilities a few days early to save a little money. What I did not account for was that the smoke detectors were hardwired and had dead backup batteries. The alarms disagreed with my cost-cutting strategy loudly, and at length.
Moving is one of those experiences that sounds manageable in theory and becomes completely overwhelming in practice. Even when you're organized — even when you have a plan — there are a hundred small things that slip through the cracks. The voter registration update you forget until election season. The prescriptions you didn't refill before the chaos began. The garage remotes packed away in a box somewhere because nobody thought to leave them for the new owners.
"Every mistake I've made — and every mistake I've seen clients make — found its way onto one of these two lists."
That's why I put together a move-in checklist and a move-out checklist. Not from a template I found online, but from lived experience. Every mistake I've made — and every mistake I've seen clients make — found its way onto one of these two lists. I hand them to every client I work with, and I've heard back more than once that it saved them from at least one significant headache.
The essentials box is the one I wish someone had told me about the first time I moved. When you arrive at a new house at 7pm surrounded by towers of boxes, the last thing you want to do is excavate through all of them to find your toothbrush. Pack one box — and keep it with you, not in the moving truck — with everything you need to function for the first few days. Future you will be grateful.
The move-out list is where I see the most stress — and the most last-minute surprises. Two items I want to flag specifically. First: the attic and the crawl space. These get forgotten every single time. I've seen sellers leave behind holiday decorations, old furniture, and in one memorable case, an entire set of storm windows. Check those spaces before closing day, not on it.
Second: know what conveys with the house. In most contracts, anything attached to the property stays — that includes TV wall mounts, curtain rods, and yes, the garage remotes. I've seen negotiations unravel over a set of curtains. Read your contract and ask your agent if you're ever unsure.
Even with tons of preparation, you may still hit a bump in the road. We once nearly moved into a house in July to discover the AC wasn't working — caught it on the final walkthrough, which was its own kind of panic. Fortunately, we had a great agent who got it resolved before we got the keys. That experience alone is a good reminder of what it's worth to have someone in your corner who knows how to handle the unexpected. And whatever you do, don't cancel utilities early to save a few dollars on the way out. I can still hear the ringing of the smoke alarms.
Moving is genuinely hard, even when everything goes according to plan. When it doesn't — when the alarms won't stop, when something irreplaceable gets broken, when you realize on day two that your internet isn't set up — it can feel like a lot. But most of the chaos is preventable. A little planning goes a long way, and having the right list — and the right people — makes a bigger difference than you'd think.
I hope these help make your move — into Williamson County or wherever life is taking you — a little smoother than mine were.
Brandi Cotnoir is a luxury real estate professional with Onward Real Estate, specializing in Franklin, Brentwood, College Grove, and the greater Williamson County area.
