Moving house: help! What do I need to know!

[Givemecoffeeplease]

We are moving from London to Kent at end of month. Me and DH, 2 kids, a dog and a cat. What do I need to pack for the first night? What do I need to do with my utilities like gas and electric? Any tips to help the kids, 8&5, to settle? Ditto for the cat who I assume will need to be locked in for 6 weeks bless him.

I’ve been so invested in the sale I haven’t thought for a second about the move! to anyone who can help. Thank you.

I can’t help with kids/cat but ring your utility providers to tell them that you are moving - you may be able to take your contract with you. You will need to give them meter readings on the day you move out. When you get to the new place, take meter readings there.

Kettle, drink making stuff in cups & spoons. Loo roll. & bathroom cleaner. Dish cloths & washing up liquid. Night clothes. Entertainment for the kids

Pack PJs, toothbrush, bath/shower stuff, clean clothes for the next day, keep these just in an over night bag etc for the first night so you aren’t hunting around. Along with any chargers you need.
Also pack some dog/cat food and their water bowls to have handy.

Ring utility’s up tell them your moving out date, as above you may be able to transfer. Otherwise metre readings before you leave, and new reading once’s at new place.

Do you have a moving in date yet? You can ring sky/virgin etc as they normally take a couple of weeks before coming out so could be worth trying to book them for day after moving in.

For the kids, iPads, snacks, books etc anything to keep them entertained amongst the chaos!

Good luck!

Best thing I ever did was pay a bit extra for the removal firm to pack up the house. Soooo worth the money.

When you arrive get the children’s rooms sorted out first so that they can settle in quickly.

If you can, have the removal firm keep your stuff for 2 days, stay in a hotel or airbnb near your new house and spend the two days getting into the new house and cleaning it from top to toe. You don’t know how clean the sellers are going to leave it and it’s easier to clean when empty.

Read the meters when you arrive at the new house.

Good luck 💐

Is there any way you can put the cat into a cattery for 3/4 days, two days before moving and 2 days whilst you settle in ?
Only you will know how your dcs will cope , sometimes it's better for them to go to a family member of at least but them stuff like colouring Books / games downloaded on their devices etc to keep them out of the way and busy. Lots of snacks !

If you're moving with furniture, set up the beds first when the van arrives. As in, with bed linen and everything. That way when you're too tired to carry on unpacking you can go straight to bed.

I've moved so much and with one DS and cats.

Declutter as much as you can now. I decluttered so much we only needed one large moving van. Pack an essentials box with the kettle, tea, coffee, water, pet food, mugs, pet dishes, washing up liquid, a litter box, litter and a bottle of wine. Pack a suitcase with bed linen for everyone, a towel each, outfits for a couple of days and toiletries. I pack important documents in my work bag. These three things and the cats come in the car with me.

I would pack a suitcase or bag each for the children with their essentials and treasured toys. I would let them choose what to take. Maybe the children would like to choose new bed linen before the move for their rooms?

Once you are there and the movers have put your beds together make up each bed so you are not doing it last thing when you are exhausted. I would involve the children in getting their rooms as straight as possible. My DS and the cat slept together the first night. We have kept our cats in for only 2 weeks but that's because Boycat's mental health suffers if it is any longer.

A lovely take away for tea! How exciting!

Agree with setting up the beds first, and packing what you need for cuppa and even a few plates etc in a box with loo roll, washing up liquid and sponge etc.

Writing the room name on each box can help you to know where to carry each thing once you are in the new place. You will need more boxes than you think you will, if you are sourcing them then try local health stores or the co op etc as they'll often have free boxes you can reconstitute with brown packing tape. You'll also need more packing tape than you think you will, and multiple market pens for labelling.
Also start packing stuff up before you think you need to
Good luck! I love moving, it's so exciting.

Make setting up beds (even if it's just mattresses on the floor) and settling the fridge in first priority as the fridge will need to settle for 4 hours and then get down to temp and you dont want to be worrying about beds at bedtime when you're all shattered.

Pack as much as you can now. Small box = heavy items and vice versa. You can get packing kits on line according to your property size. These are a helpful start.

Get a small pad and give each page a number that matches a box number. Itemise the contents of each box in the pad. That way you can flick through a pad to find things rather than rummage through boxes.
Label each box ( and the page) with the destination room.
Use the back of the pad for to do lists etc
DONT LOSE THE PAD!

I had a bright yellow plastic bag that contained “the pad” sharpies, tape etc and my husband understood the consequences of losing the bag/not returning items.

Kids: order the pizza on the first night and have favourite cuddly toy to hand.

Get some cash out to tip the removal people.

And as above, the advice on beds.

Pack kettle, teabags, coffee, teaspoons, children’s drinks, sugar, mugs, milk, biscuits, toilet rolls, bin bags, cleaning spray, kitchen roll/j cloths in one box. Corkscrew too.

Children's bedroom is most important to get the beds ready (and nightwear) so when they're tired its good to go.

Get a takeaway the first night.

Keep calm. Introduce yourself to your neighbours over the first week.

Now declutter what you don't need. No point in taking stuff you don't want to your new home!

Excellent advice. De cluttering has been achieved already. How much do I tip the movers?

Would have forgotten pet food, pjs and towels, this is v helpful.

Feel like my cat may only manage two weeks too, but at least it’s something!

I think about £20 each is a reasonable tip

Good luck with the move

Make sure things like passports, jewellery and important paperwork travel with you, not the removals company, just in case.
Start packing (if you can) three or four weeks before the move. Pack all the infrequently used things. Label the boxes with what room they need to go into at the new house, and what’s in them. I did a general label eg kitchen - plates/glasses but then also wrote on anything we might need in a hurry that was in that particular box - stuff like extension cables, batteries, scissors.
See if your removals company do the wardrobe style boxes, they have a bar so you just put your clothes in all on the hangers and then remove and rehang at the other end instead of folding them all up.

Take photos of the meters including water if appropriate on leaving and arrival, and call relevant utilities. Set up mail forwarding for all names you have used. Arrange new broadband ( it can take weeks to reconnect).

Schools. Have the application ready to go as soon as you exchange. They can take several weeks to sort.

I second taking photos of the meters, both in your house and the new house. I had to prove a year later that the reading was correct as the next owners were trying to convince the utilities company that it was me that owed them a LOT of money. My DB had the same issue when he moved a couple of months ago, house was empty due to probate but the executor of the estate had put the heating on constant and high a year previously and had forgotten about it!

I usually tip about £10 or £15 each so they can get a drink with it.

Two weeks is usually enough for cats to get their bearings. Boycat is a homebody so he doesn't go far. Girlcat is more adventurous. It is so hard and such a worry but I really believe that cats needs to have access to the outside.

I forgot to mention. Do a final sweep once the movers have gone. Not that they will have left anything I am sure but just so you know everything has gone!

Leave the spare house keys etc in a plastic bag on one of the windowsills for the new owners.

@Procrastatron

Pack as much as you can now. Small box = heavy items and vice versa. You can get packing kits on line according to your property size. These are a helpful start.

Get a small pad and give each page a number that matches a box number. Itemise the contents of each box in the pad. That way you can flick through a pad to find things rather than rummage through boxes.
Label each box ( and the page) with the destination room.
Use the back of the pad for to do lists etc
DONT LOSE THE PAD!

I had a bright yellow plastic bag that contained “the pad” sharpies, tape etc and my husband understood the consequences of losing the bag/not returning items.

Kids: order the pizza on the first night and have favourite cuddly toy to hand.

Get some cash out to tip the removal people.

And as above, the advice on beds.

Re. The Pad: also take photos with your phone of each page - that way, if when pad goes missing, you have a record and can carry on as normal without wasting time looking for The Pad/having a breakdown.

For reference, in the past I have been the ‘The Pad’ misplacer loser

This is gold. Thank you. Also thrilled to hear the cat won’t need as long as I feared.

Absolutely agree with setting up beds as the first thing that you do in the new house. And if you pack for yourselves do resist the urge to mix final few boxes contents and label them as "random stuff". That did not endear DH to me as I had to unpack them as he was at work...

Get the removal people to pack, best thing we ever did when my DM moved