Please tell me nice stories about how you moved house in December and you still had a nice Christmas

[Helenagrace]

We move house on Monday. My life is currently in boxes. Because we're moving 300 miles we won't even get our stuff delivered until Wednesday next week

I am beginning to despair that Christmas will happen.

[hattifattner]

we moved on 18th. Chaos, but some memorable moments - like when DS2 (then 2yo) found a wrapped box of ferro roche in a packing box....hid under the table and unwrapped them and took a bite out of each one before blowing a raspberry in disgust, and reaching for another.

We moved in as the carpenter was finishing laying a new floor in the living room. I brought him a cuppa and fell through the floor, wacking my shoulder really badly. Then had to try help DH put together flatpack wardrobes that needed me to hold bits together....but I could not raise my arm.

[MegBusset]

We moved on Dec 3rd two years ago - a big move from one part of the country to another where we hardly knew anyone. To be brutally honest, that Christmas didn't really happen - boxes everywhere, house a state, and DH spent most of Xmas Day ill in bed! The DC were 3 and 1 so too young to feel like they missed out.

Last Christmas was fantastic though :)

[nancy75]

We moved on 17th December, we were painting the rooms as the removal men unloaded the lorry. I don't think I sat down for about 4 days but Christmas all came together fine( by the skin of it's teeth) unpack the stuff you need and the Christmas tree, hide the rest and do it in January

[Heavensmells]

We moved on the 16th December then a week later on the 23rd I had my ds! It helped having a spare room as non urgent boxes were just bunged in there until we got round to sorting them. It was lovely actually. We were very excited to be in our new house and after the exhausting few days post move everything just sort of came together or maybe I was too tired to care.

[KatyMac]

I was hoping for lots of good stories as I go in to temporary accommodation on Monday (sitting with boxes around me) & come home on 20th

[scampbeast]

We moved on the 13th December, it was the tidyist Christmas ever so the room looked with all the decorations and no clutter. All the boxes were hidden stored away till afterwards

[ApuskiMcClusky]

We're due to move house on the 15th, so am watching this space - we have the advantage of only moving up the road, though, so lots of things will just carry on as normal. I'm taking the week before Christmas off work to get the house straight in the hope that we can be at least partially organised by Christmas week.

[MistyB]

Moved four hours North on 30th November, lived in temporary accommodation for three weeks, moved into our beautiful house on 20th December. It all happened and Christmas activities in our new town were even more special because they were completely new and it sniowed!!! Some boxes were not unpacked for three years and the initial hysterical decorating did result in us buying paint that never went on the walls, but apart from that, it was great. It was the best Christmas present and some well deserved wine was consumed!!

[BonzaBlue]

We left the UK for Australia on the 1st of Dec - left late at night so think we arrived on the 3rd due to time differences etc. Stayed in holiday accommodation for 2 wks found rental accommodation, moved with 2dc 7 and 9 I think, had to rush around looking for presents etc... it was rushed but fab time was had!

[GoldMyrrhAndNonsense]

One of my favourite Christmas memories was driving across the entire US for west coast to east. Moving into a new house on Christmas Eve and having a make-shift Christmas tree made from a branch. Absolutely fabulous! Can't remember any of the presents etc but do remember the whole family being together and having a brilliant time. Sure there were loads of arguments and that Mum was completely stressed out!

[ipswichwitch]

We moved on 17th December and it was snowing so we just shoved everything in the garage/spare room. We hardly did any unpacking- just bare essentials- until the week between Christmas and new year because we both had to work in the run up to Christmas, and because of the snow weren't getting home til almost 7 every night.

We did get the tree up (priorities!) and lived on takeaway. The bonus of having snow was the fact we didn't have a fridge at first so the milk just went outside! It was actually one of the easiest moves I've ever had and that first Christmas was great (DH also proposed on Christmas Day :) )

[MoetEtPantsOn]

We once moved on 14th dec. Only had one DC but full time work to contend with too.

It was crazy up to 14th to get everything packed but the unpacking was easy. Did all the essentials and then knew I'd have some time over Xmas to finish off all the annoying boxes that aren't really that urgent.

We ordered DD's big present and picked up on Xmas eve. Other stuff is packed in its own specific box. Xmas decs live in a box all year so were easy to find.

The big thing I guess was that we didn't host Xmas lunch. But if you are, do an online shop now and forget about it. Good luck!

[trumpton]

We moved 9th December. A move in deep snow that involved me and 3 DC , 2 guinea pigs, a gerbil and a rabbit driving in a brand new car that I had never driven before staying over night in a hotel in the midlands and continuing the next day for a 4 hour ferry crossing and an another night in a hotel while we waited for removal van to catch up.
So we moved into rented accommodation that I had seen once before on the 11th December . It was brilliant .
Oh ! DH told me 2 days before that due to work commitments he couldn't join us for the move but would follow ASAP. He arrived on the 23rd after all the work was done .
We did it all again the next Christmas but only a local move . ( been in this house 20 years now ) and DH is still working too hard !

[DuchessOfAvon]

We moved on 23rd Dec. Threw all the boxes into the house , locked the door and went to the InLaws for 4 days. Then DH came down with a horrible bug and I spent NYE stripping wall paper and demolishing built in shelves whilst drinking champagne on my own.

[AphraBehn]

I moved on 21st December once, we put the Christmas tree up on next morning. All the presents were wrapped beforehand and left round my mums. The worst part was fighting my way round Tesco trying to do a normal shop because I'd not got any food in!

We did go to in laws for Christmas and Boxing Day though.

[Helenagrace]

Thank you for all your responses!

We've survived the move. We have one box left to unpack (but I need to buy a desk first), the tree is up and we even have Christmas lights up outside.

I'm unbelievably knackered having put in 19 hour days since Monday and I'm so very glad I wrote the cards and wrapped the presents before we moved.

But Christmas is coming to the Grace household after all!!

[Helenagrace]

Oh and Trumpton you're amazing! To do that move on your own (well with assorted small animals and DCs)

[wonkylegs]

Due to various fuck ups by EA & solicitors the people who bought my house (we were moving 2 houses to 1 so were ok) didn't get the purchase finalised & I could handover the keys til the afternoon of the 23rd Dec (many years ago) They had been waiting outside in a van with all their stuff but I daren't give then the keys as I didn't have the money. The EA & solicitors were horrible & said that they couldn't complete the sale as they were going off on their Xmas party so it would have to wait til after Xmas despite the fact that the poor family were stuck in limbo between houses with the money floating round between banks and waiting for a final piece of paper from the solicitors. After much arse kicking from me they finally sorted it all out. Felt so awful for the family that I'd dug out an old Christmas tree & some spare decorations & put them up with a small gift for each child wrapped underneath. Then made mulled wine and invited the family & removal men to wait inside for the call whilst eating mince pies. It was the best we could make out of a bad situation.

[girlywhirly]

We were aiming for a move on 18th Dec to our current home, but due to our solicitor being sacked for incompetence we had to complete in the New Year. The plus was a bit of discount on the fees and a partner in the firm taking charge of our case. We did put up decorations at the old house but they came down on 27th. I think with hindsight it was for the best, but we would have just had a modest celebration. We were going to stay with FIL for Christmas anyway, the following Christmasses he always came to us.

[MrsBucketxx]

we moved on the 16th last year, moved in unpacked decs up in a week.

it was a new build with no work so that helped masively.

it will be fine just have lots of champs at the ready when you move in makes ot much more fun.

[kiery]

How exciting, a new house!
We moved house Christmas Eve.
Only had carpet down in bedrooms and living room. Didn't bother with decorations but focused kids attention on how brilliant our new house would be. Went to my mum's for lunch on Christmas day.
This year DH on call eve and Christmas day so we are having steak pie and Boxing Day will be turkey with all the trimmings!!
I have found that if you have a positive outlook it will rub off on kids xxx

[CherryTheRedNosedReindeer]

i moved on christmas eve 1999. i had a 9 month old ds at the time. it snowed, and my new house was on a hill. thats the only year i didnt have a tree, but we chucked some lights round the fireplace and tinsel around the place then went to my mum for christmas day. it was lovely walking there in the snow, ds enjoyed himself, and my dad went out on christmas eve and bought me my first mobile phone as i didnt have a home phone and he didnt want me to be without a phone with a little one (note: my dad leaves all the present buying to my mum and just signs his name normally)