All along, I would envy people moving from one house to the other or from one place to another. Owing to the way I love travelling, I always considered it fun for the involved people especially if it involved relocating to new places and new neighbourhoods.

Seriously for some reason I would wonder why people complained of stress as they were getting ready to vacate a place for a fairer one.  "After all they will enjoy the ride and meet new people,” I always said to myself.

I only got to understand the mystery and stress related to shifting on Tuesday when nature dictated it. Because of the new baby my sister got two months back, it was necessary to move to a bigger and better house. With all the excitement about shifting, I decided to get involved in all the details needed in the shifting.

This way I realized how shifting wasn’t a bed of roses, only the idea of packing the entire property one own makes the head boil. I wonder how it comes about but things to pack become suddenly a lot compared to how they have always been.

As I packed suitcases and suitcases of clothes, I realized that things to pack were more than I ever thought. Kitchen utensils, the wardrobe, sofas, beds and all other furniture packing quite complicated! This explains the reason why people prefer selling their belongings than shifting with them.

"Selling and re-buying property saves one the stress of packing and transportation,” says Nalsis Gashugi.

Thank God I was only relocating to Kacyiru from Kimironko; imagine the hassle people who shift from far away go through!

Not to mention are the assets that get broken during the process. Especially breakable things like kitchen utensils, flower vessels, even furniture sometimes breaks. You can’t imagine I lost my favourite flower pot, it fell down during the rush and in a flash it was no more!

When it comes to the price of hiring a vehicle, drivers are always keen to hike the price even when the stuff to be relocated is not so much.

They always consider the trips they’ve taken and the weight of the items saying their vehicles are at risk carrying such heavy loads.

"Carrying items can’t compare to taking people, this is why however near the place is, the price has to be handsome,” says Gustavo Murinda, who has owned a transportation vehicle for more than three years. No wonder he credits his wealth to it.

On average, these vehicles with the pickup make don’t go below Rwf 50,000 when it comes to charges.

As if not enough, shifting is credited for loss of important things especially documents. People have lost their academic transcripts, identity cards, passports and many documents.

The worst thing about it is the fact you’ll never know where exactly they got lost!

And finally getting to a new house and fitting in everything also seems to take eternity! To someone who has not gone through this, they’ll not understand the reason as to why it takes that long!

Like me, before this first hand experience, they probably think it is just a matter of spreading them out the way it was in the first house. One has to consider the new house and it different plan. Some lesson!

Well, fitting everything in the right place and unpacking are two different things. Though necessary at times, never put shifting as a first priority.

It’s quite tiresome and demanding. Just plan well ahead!

Ends