Tips from the Trenches: A Guide to Practical Parenting

This post is a little off-theme for my "parenting" blog, but I'll try to bring it full circle by the end if I can. The purpose of this post is to educate the future home sellers/renters of the world about proper moving ettiquette. There's nothing worse than moving into a new home to find that the previous owners didn't properly close up shop before they left. When moving in, we don't want to pack up the rest of you belongings before finally getting to unpack our own.

Here are a list of do's and dont's that excited movers should consider as you prepare to cut your old abode loose:

• No one wants your toilet brushes, indoor trash cans, and cleaning sponges. We will throw them away immediately and so will you in your new home.
• Feel free to leave your cleaning supplies, including laundry detergent and dishwasher tabs. For most people, leaving toilet paper is acceptable. But do not leave BODY cleaning supplies, like used soap and sponges, etc.
• No one wants your bathmats or non-slip shower/tub mats or decals. Throw them out.
• No one expects a clean house (and they will clean it thoroughly before they do anything else, trust me), but don't leave the oven, bath, or toilets a nasty mess. There is no need. It is also nice if the bathroom floors are cleaned, especially if you have lots of little boys (or big ones) in residence. (Ah, there's my parenting link. Whew!)
• Do not leave your questionable home maintenance detris in the garage or basement without asking first. Rusty tools, dull tree cutters, and rotten paint, even if it matches the walls painted 10 years ago,  is not appreciated.
• If you feel compelled to leave anything behind, have a yard sale and invite the new owners/renters. Throw everything not purchased away.
• Do not leave food anywhere. Not in the freezer, not in cans on the shelf. Take it with you, give it to the neighbors, or trash it.
• Do not leave clothes hangers. We have enough of the ones we like already.
• Be sure to leave your oven's broiler pan in the drawer, but take all the other stuff out of the drawer. If you've moved one or more times, you already have plenty.
• Feel free to leave lightbulbs, especially those needed for "weird" appliances or light fixtures.
• Diaper Genies, potty chairs, baby toiletries or medicines...take them with you. IN fact, make sure the movers pack your medicine cabinets as they often get forgotten.
• Do not leave your old furniture, especially mattresses, "just in case" the new owners need it. Get rid if it!
• Do not leave pet supplies and equipment. The only exception to this is if you have a bird feeder and want to leave the bird seed behind.
• Feel free to leave behind your snow shovel and deicer. That is actually quite helpful if you don't need it.

As a general rule, never err on the side of leaving something behind. We know you probably mean well (maybe), but we will never know what we didn't have and we will always remember having to decontaminate our hands after throwing away your toilet brush.