Quick advice needed - packing for moving!

[ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou]

Got a packer coming in 2 days. What do I need to do to prepare? Always done my own packing before and not sure how to make the process smoother. Current list is:

• set aside essentials, valuables and urgents (paperwork, medication, clothes for a couple of weeks, jewellery etc)
• clear down surfaces into drawers or boxes
• empty bins
• wash sheets so bedding is vaguely fresh
• clean bathroom
• gather house plants and garden pots together
• try and eat all the fridge and freezer food 😋 😅

What else?

Are they doing a full pack? You don't need to do anything

I have used packers twice now, once for own move and once for elderly DPs. They are really good, it transforms the job and quite frankly there’s not a lot you need to do.

Anything staying in the house - label. E.g bathroom cabinets, towel and toilet roll holders, mirrors, curtain poles etc.

Any expensive light fittings you want to take need to be taken down and replaced with standard flex and fitting for a light bulb.

Sort out all the spare keys that belong with the house and label for leaving behind. If you have anything like remote controlled garage doors leave those too.

You probably have these in essentials/urgent but make sure you know where the kettle, mugs, teabags, milk etc is! Get in biscuits for the workers. Sort out what you are eating on moving day and what with (plates, knives and forks etc).

If you haven’t booked a ‘moving out’ clean, keep the hoover back and any tea towels/washing up liquid/cloths/cleaning stuff. Unless you are Mrs Hinch, when they take out the fridge/cooker/washing machine it’s going to need a clean in the empty space. You may find empty kitchen cupboards need crumbs wiping out etc.

Have labels ready for where you want stuff to go when you get to your new place if it’s not obvious.

If there are any potential difficulties about finding the new property, make sure you have written down instructions for the removal people.

With only two days to go it’s probably too late to get rid of stuff that you don’t really want anymore, but if you can do a charity shop/tip run, so much the better.

All you need to do is make sure anything you don't want packed is removed to a separate place. Have one big box marked as not to be packed and agree it with them.

You don't need to do any of the clearing surfaces stuff unless that's stuff you want to throw away.

Any specific Allen keys or similar for taking apart furniture. Ours had almost everything but there was one old IKEA bed that they didn’t have the key for. They were also supposed to put the beds together at the new house but refused to do one because there was a bolt missing so do check that too 🙄

Ours packed literally everything for us but, in retrospect, I would have done my glass ornaments myself just for my own peace of mind.They didn’t break anything but mainly through luck!

Have you got stuff in the loft? Ours said they weren’t insured for getting stuff down as our loft wasn’t boarded.

Get to the new house before them if you can and, if necessary, ask your neighbours to move cars so the movers can get the van in. I arrived at my new home to find the movers having a huge argument with my new next door neighbour about parking their van 🙄

Obviously my packers/ movers were not the best so I hope yours are better. Good luck with your move and your new home!

Thank you. This is really helpful. I've spent the last year binning stuff. I haven't booked a post move cleaner, but I have a hoover handy for last minute run rounds. I've cleaned oven, microwave, kitchen drawers, cupboards, bathroom cupboards and we're taking g down the fittings that are coming with tomorrow. Thankfully the loft is boarded with a fixed ladder so they can do that!

You've all lifted a load off my mind. Thank you. Just need to tidy DDs room or there's going to be very odd thi gs boxed up together and we'll never find anything!

Make sure you tell them not to take the hoover. When we had packers for DM they packed it before we realised so had to borrow a neighbour’s to clean up at the end. They also packed the doorbell ringer box!

One tip I gave previously seen is to put anything you don’t want them taking in the bath.

If things are going in different rooms at your new place label them.

I remember a previous thread where someone had to leave in their slippers as the shoes they were going to wear had been packed before they realised!

They really are like a team of locusts. The packers we used probably used more packing material than we would have done. They were very careful and took extra care of my DM’s precious ornaments (I think if you pack anything yourself it won’t be covered by their insurance)

Empty any waste paper bins. Otherwise they'll get packed with their waste included. Packers are wonderful but they are very literal (as they should be)

Have you got pets to sort out?
Our cats sensed something was up and one went missing 15 minutes before we locked up for the final time. I had to arrange with the neighbour at the old house to trap her and give me a call to collect her.
Put vacuum in the car with you and get to the new house before the removal men . Hoover before the furniture starts coming into the house. Each room will only take a few minutes.
Leave a folder with instruction manuals for appliances etc you're leaving behind.

Ah hah.i have a whole plan for the cats, including having the baskets already down from the pift and sitting 8n the kitchen so they don't know when I'm going to trap them.

On a sadder note, I've just found out we have to empty the loft. Wah. I'm so hot and tired.