Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Phased move-in

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Mar 27, 2009, at 11:45 AM, Kristin Wells wrote:

> Do any communities have experience with this? What did you find? Let  
> me know
> if I need to explain more.

We moved in in two halves. The city just has to do a C of O on each  
half -- we are adjoined units. The unfinished units were fenced off.  
And we didn't have access to the CH at first.

The only negative of that was that others had to wait and were  
"seconds" in a certain sense. But on the other hand, we had figured  
out a lot of stuff before they got here so it was easier for them.  
Just be sure to include the people who are not living there. Once  
those of us in the first wave were onsite, dinners, etc. began  
happening without being announced on the email list. This excluded  
people who were already feeling left out.

One thing I was dumbstruck by is that this is the only time you will  
ever be in a situation where people are ALL moving in and unpacking at  
the same time. That experience was overpowering. I don't think anyone  
had thought about it or prepared for it.

In college there is that first day when everyone shows up with a van  
full of stuff but this was whole houses of stuff -- plus dogs and kids  
and bikes and cars. They moved in one day and their stuff was  
delivered a week or two later. The elevator breaks down because it's  
over-stressed. Magnify college times 10.

PLUS nothing works. The kinks are still in the pipes and electrical  
systems. That one outlet never got wired. They have to inspect to be  
sure of this or that. I was in the first wave and construction people  
were in and out all day long.

Everyone was stressed. No one could find anything. No one knew the  
neighborhood that well. Several of us had lost our apartments because  
we thought we were moving and then there would be another delay. So we  
moved into rooms in the area. We at least knew something about where  
to find a dry cleaners or grocery store. The liquor store was right up  
the street.

Practically everyone who hadn't lost an apartment had sold houses and  
moved in with parents or friends. Their stuff had been in storage for  
months and they had not a clue which box things were in.

And the pile of cardboard boxes was a wonder to behold every day. That  
went on for months and months as people continued to  unpack. I'm not  
sure how soon we had recycling. The second wave certainly didn't have  
to scrounge for boxes.

Just do everything you can to keep the group whole if you move in in  
halves.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing,Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org