MOVING ADVICE pleaseeeeeeee?

Question

My sister is moving to Florida w/ her child. They have come upon hard times & I Mom lives in Tampa,Fl & is willing to take her in, but they'd have to sleepinher livingroom until she finds work & gets a place. She really doesn't have much of value to take with her yet she insists on lugging her tvs, kitchen table, chairs, microwave, etc with her--but she's BROKE & has nowhere to put it. I tried to convince her that these items are non essential & is better off packing most of thier clothes & just start all over. She stresses that she doesnt want to have to rebuy things she already has. She's nervous & maybe it's a sentimental thing shes hanging onto-but it makes no sense to hold on to those things. its a new life & i think she should just start w/ a clean slate. She driving her old car down there-i say, pack it up and keep it moving. She wants to hussle up some $ to get a self haul truck that will be expensive to move crap she just doesnt need. what can i do to help her wake up?

Answer 1

This is a big move for her. Be supportive. You don't have to agree with everything she does, but you should approve of her decisions. It will mean a lot to her and help make a difficult situation a little easier to cope with.

Answer 2

She may want to keep the items out of sentimental reasons, but it also does make a lot of financial sense - it will cost her a lot more to replace all these items someday than it will to move them. She'll need them again eventually once she moves into her own place. Also, if she is broke, these things represent what little "property" she does own, so it's understandable that she would reluctant to simply dismiss it.

My advice: she should have a yard sale (and advertise on Craig's List or local community boards) and sell off the larger items (tables, chairs, beds) and any older or junkier items that will soon need replacing anyway.
She should be able to raise at least $50-100 this way; that will be enough to rent a U-Haul (their smallest truck is only $20 per day) to move the rest of her stuff. If she is moving from a 1-bedroom apartment, considering renting a small cargo van from Enterprise or Budget, it's even cheaper and can hold a surprising amount of stuff if you remove the seats and pack carefully.

Be supportive and help her find a compromise between "essential" and "sentimental."

Answer 3

Advise to try to seed out her bare necessities and have a yard sale with the rest of her items to get the cash for the move.
Ask her where is she going to put her stuff when she gets to mom's house?
Tell her it is replaceable. I'd personally take the TV but the table and chairs, sell them and what ever else has no sentimental value or too big to put in the trunk.

Answer 4

Being that your sister is about to embark on a new chapter in her life, I'm sure she is just feeling a little scared and sensitive. I totally agree wit you. It would be much easier and quite less costly just to pack the car and move. Just try ex-planing to her that, not only is it costly to rent the moving van...she will also have to have someone to drive it, as she needs to drive her car as well. Also, where is she going to store her stuff at as she is going to be sleeping in the living room and it is also costly to rent storage. Tell her that when she does get on her feet with a new job and all, just how good it's gonna feel to buy all new stuff...for her new life there with her loving family....well, hope this helps...good luck... ;)

Answer 5

First and formost, in spite of the relationship, she is moving furniture into someones residence, who i assume has a house full of furniture already... To me it seems like a case of 'I want my cake and eat it too'... She's getting a helping hand in times of need, also taking advantage of the source. Creating possible unwanted clutter and aggravation. She's setting herself up for wearing her welcome out almost as soon as she gets there. She's going there with baggage, luggage, freight and child. But most of all 'BROKE'! So, someone will have to house her and child, feed them, possibly clean up behind them sporadically, give her gas money for her car that she's taking with her on top of the extra utility usage(electricity and water) not to mention occupying someones space for relaxation.

I see a 'Time-Bomb' in the making! I'd say she should weigh her options and don't be so insensitive and selfish when invading someone Else's territory!