Packers Coming Sat- Tips Please

[batsforlashes]

So, the packers are coming on Sat to start packinhg up the house- they will then come back on Monday to load the container. Am majorly starting to panic about it all. Dh is leaving next week and I am following out about a month later ( Sydney) with the dc's. So any tips on what NOT to pack- paperwork etc... Also, do they work one room at a time or do they generally spread out over the house. Also can I stand beside them and watch what they are doing. Sorry bit clueless here- also not helped by the big dose of reality coming at me like a truck ...

Thanks !

[ifink]

Hello, if they are anything like ours then they will be super super fast so my top tip would be to ensure that you put everything and anything that you don't want packed into one clearly marked/defined area in your house - and do it well before they walk in the door. They tend to come in teams so it could be hard to keep track of what's being packed when - safe to say that I let the packers in, went to make tea, left my watch + make-up/wash bag on a chest of drawers (not in the 'no pack' area) and they were in a taped up box by the time I got back upstairs! We packed our suitcases for bringing out the day before the packers came and lived out of them from the packing point onwards - kept everything nicely in one place. Also, before they start put big signs/post-its on anything you want them to take extra care with and point this out to them first.

[SeoraeMaeul]

:) I was just about to start a thread asking for motivation, our packers arrive on Wednesday! Totally agree with ifink, you won't be able to keep track they move really fast so organisation before they arrive is the key. But also if you want to stand by to inspect rather than watch, don't worry. If you've gone for a reputable company these guys pack everything so safely - we had one broken candle (not a candle stick just the candle) in our last move from London to Korea.

Group things and clearly mark them - pack, store, rubbish/recycle. If you can get the latter two groupings out of the house before they arrive then thats even better. Take the time when they arrive to walk round the house with them, they usually ask for this anyway, and run through where everything is and anything that is incredibly valuable for sentimental or financial reasons.

If you are staying in the house and want to keep back kettles, plates etc for the Saturday night/Sunday then be very clear about it - personally I'd live on take outs and paper plates but it depends if you plan to take the stuff with you or not. I noticed you are following a month later - are you "camping out" in your old house or staying with someone else. If "camping out" make the bin men you're new best friends because at the end of the month you'll want them to take practically everything you have left (a small back hander to the team leader is usually a good idea)

Oh and double check, and then check again the paperwork - I once shipped my passport luckily we had some time before we followed the shipment. But think through what you need - not just the paperwork for moving to your new home but also bills for utilities to shut down your old house (you'll need telephone numbers and reference numbers).

Good luck!

[latermater]

My packers were here last week, and it went very smoothly (I wouldn't want to wrap things in brown paper for a living, but they do it so well, and were very pleasant (Crown Relocation). Plus there is a real sense of making progress after the phoney war and arse ache of going through all your stuff and deciding what is pack/store/take with us when we go in a few weeks/recycle/charity/bin. If anything I think I have kept too much paperwork as I could not face a really detailed sift of everything by the time i got to the top of the house where all that stuff is. I did pack some kitchen things which I have had to replace/borrow for the month we are still here: call me fastidious but I cant drink white wine out of a mug (not least because the bottle disappears so much faster that way). So no useful advice I'm afraid, other than to say embrace the packing process - with any luck it will be surprisingly painless and will give you a sense of achievement! Good luck.

[batsforlashes]

Thanks for that everyone. I filled another ten black bags again today- this is after filling a skip two weeks ago - so much stuff accumulated. Actually think I will feel better come Monday and then we can maybe feel like we are moving forward. At the moment I just feel like I am giving everything up and all the good stuff about moving is too far away if that makes any sense.

I do need to find a key to a room that I can lock- my eldest DD is the nosiest child ever and has been in and out of every box in the house .

[shelscrape]

Our packers were great and just wanted to be left alone to get on with it, even brought their own kettle and tea and coffee. One did upstairs and one did upstairs. DH and I were surplus to requirements, so we left them to it on the first day after giving them instructions on what to pack/what not to pack

Top tips from me....

1. Be completely packed for your journey before they arrive. Pack your suitcases and bags completely for the journey and put them in a separate room.
   
2. Set a room asisde for things they are not to pack. We used the second bathroom for our cases and bits and pieces we were giving to friends and told the packers to leave it well alone.
   
3. Take all original certificates with you in hand luggage. ie. birth certs., marriage certs., degree certs., driving licence, red books for children to prove their immunisation history, passports, cheque books, utility bills. Take certified copies of passports too if possible.
   

Don't worry they know what they are doing!

[batsforlashes]

Thanks again for all the advice. I think tomorrow will be interesting to say the least. It is/ was Dh's last day at work and he went for "1 Pint" at 5.00pm so seeing as I cannot leave the 3 Dc's and join him, I have decided to start my own party here at home. Oh well- prob. going to be a crazy day, hangover or no hangover !