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Original poster

Has anyone moved house (sold and bought) and not used removals?

65 replies

NapQueen · 16/08/2018 21:46

Dh and I are selling a 2 bed and moving to a 4bed. He is baulking at the quotes for removals - two quotes around 700 inc vat.

We have two small dcs and will be moving to an upper flat. So lots of stuff and stairs to main floor plus another flight of stairs to bedrooms.

We are selling to buy so need to be out by (I assume!) 12noon.

Ive said to him to go do his own research and plans and we will discuss it next week. He seems to think we can rent a van, ask for some help from fuck knows who friends and do it for 200.

OP posts:
ShirleyPhallus · 16/08/2018 21:49

He seems to think we can rent a van, ask for some help from fuck knows who friends and do it for 200.

The £500 you’ll save will come in handy when you contract divorce lawyers

It’s not a skill like being a doctor is but knowing how to move out large items and pack them in the van is invaluable. I did do it from Gumtree once (man with a van jobby) and a tiny Polish guy turned up. Then he pretty much lifted each heavy item on one finger and took it up the stairs with grace and great precision.

My 6’ 4” DP was incredulous and incredibly sweaty Grin

user1471459936 · 16/08/2018 21:49

Mans a fool! (But you know that).

Magstermay · 16/08/2018 21:49

700 actually sounds very good. We have moved ourselves in similar situations (ie DH having to do it all himself) and it would be impossible to do in a morning, we’ve taken several days (moving from rented). I’d use removals in your situation.

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Original poster
NapQueen · 16/08/2018 21:52

Yeah man is a total fool. But he is day to day fucking lush so Im trying not to take a shovel to his head over this.

I even said to him "is a calm and stress free wife not even worth the extra 500?"

I also said that we will have 4400 spare after sale, all fees and depost.

So out of 44, I want to spend 7. Even that wasnt enough to make him just go "oh ok".

OP posts:
Original poster
NapQueen · 16/08/2018 21:54

700 may be because we are North east. The company is great, they drop all boxes as soon as deposit is paid , we can move the removals date if it changes. And they price based on time so if they take less time they give money back.

OP posts:
DuskyMoth · 16/08/2018 21:54

I've moved myself 5 times. Hired a Luton Van with a lift thing at the back. They are easy to operate and drive.

It did take a couple trips in the van though, so wouldn't have been able to do it in a single morning. I did it from rented accommodation.

m0therofdragons · 16/08/2018 21:54

We did it once before dc when moving from furnished rental to our new home. It was okay but we hardly had any stuff eg cooker, washing machine, fridge and beds were staying in the rental! Second and third time we had movers and got them to dismantle furniture and put it back together. Best money ever spent. They were awesome!

Original poster
NapQueen · 16/08/2018 21:56

If we were moving from rental id go for it in a heartbeat and take a day or two.

But as we need to sell in order to buy we have to be 100% out of the old house lock stock before any money can be used to buy our next home.

OP posts:
SoftlyCatchyMonkey1 · 16/08/2018 21:56

We moved recently from a 2 bed flat to a 4 bed house. Hired a Luton van for £70, got my dsis and dad to help, all done within 4 hours. We only moved 10 miles away though.

TarquinGyrfalcon · 16/08/2018 21:57

Friends of mine did this and we were the lucky ones who got roped into helping them.

It was a fraught, awful day. There were 6 of us, a van and three large cars. They were only moving to the next town but we spent all day shuttling back and forward and packing and unpacking vehicles.
It was incredibly stressful.

When we moved a couple of years later we paid movers and although it is still a difficult day comparatively it was easy.

Money well spent.

AJPTaylor · 16/08/2018 21:59

I did.
Never again. As pp said its more than just braun. Its the logistics. Last move 120 miles 4 bed to 4 bed plus garden stuff including a shed. 5 blokes, huge lorry, extra box van. Best 1700 we spent on the whole move.
We stayed in a v nice 4 star hotel overnight.

Howhot · 16/08/2018 21:59

I've never hired removals before, always done it myself with lots of help from family. I've never had to move into a flat before though! If you don't have the help available I'd be tempted. £700 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things

Original poster
NapQueen · 16/08/2018 22:02

We will have to move on a weekday (banks) so he will need to factor in that his helpers would probably be at work.

OP posts:
Glitteryfrog · 16/08/2018 22:03

No no no no no no! Spend the money.
We moved ourselves from a two bed to two bed with a week rental overlap and we still almost killed each other.
I'm pretty tall and strong and still struggled with lifting of heavy furniture.

Aria2015 · 16/08/2018 22:04

I've done it and it was so stressful, not to mention back breaking! Would never do it again! Money well spent getting professionals in. I now see it as part of the cost of moving house but back then I thought ’how hard can it be to move everything out a one bedroom flat?’ the answer, very hard!

busybuildingdens · 16/08/2018 22:05

Haha! Your silly DH! We did, but we used a storage unit for at least 6 weeks beforehand (we had DC so it was slightly trickier). On moving day we had a bed, two sofas, a fridge freezer, and the last few boxes. What with cleaning up after ourselves we were there until 1200. Your DH is mad!!

EspressoButler · 16/08/2018 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StealthNinjaMum · 16/08/2018 22:09

Noooooo!

We did it. Never again. Dh did it with the help of me and his frail parents and it was seriously hard work. We didn't get out in time so the people moving in were waiting and I still feel guilty - nearly 20 years later - that I didn't have time to clean his house properly at all.

Original poster
NapQueen · 16/08/2018 22:09

Espresso Grin

I see it as a cost of moving. Its factored in, in my head.

Storage container may be a decent alternative. If we can move 80% of our stuff , leaving mattresses, fridge, microwave and kettle for the main day, then id do that. It would be a fucking ball ache bringing it all to the new flat though and we both work ft.

OP posts:
StealthNinjaMum · 16/08/2018 22:10

Don't think of it as £700. If he thinks of it as £200 then it's really 'only' £500 extra but well worth it.

Singlenotsingle · 16/08/2018 22:10

We hired a Luton van last time we moved 3 miles away with dp and my two ads helping. We agreed that next time it would be Pickford's or similar. Very stressful and hard work (not that I did any! Grin). And you moving to a flat makes it worse... Spend the money, it's cheap at the price.

waltzingparrot · 16/08/2018 22:11

My DB & SIL moved themselves because they were only moving 6 doors up the road but DB said even if he was only moving next door he'd call in the professionals next time.

thislittlepiggywenttothemarket · 16/08/2018 22:12

I did several times. I hated it. The last time my back hurt so bad for weeks that I was scared that I really damaged something. If you have the money let the professionals do it.

BettyBigBollocks · 16/08/2018 22:14

We’ve done it twice. The first time I swore to never do it again but OH somehow persuaded me. Never, ever again though - way too many arguments! We did manage it though, both sets of parents, a big van and a few cars, it is doable but it’s so bloody stressful that I’d rather pay a removal company.

cestlavielife · 16/08/2018 22:15

Ha ha
You go off with dc somewhere nice and leave him and the friends to it. . His choice.