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Original poster

Moved house 2 months ago, boxes still everywhere, when does it get better?

83 replies

Wozzzzzuuu · 14/11/2023 21:12

Just as the title says really. We moved 2 months ago to a house that's much bigger than our last house. I'm fairly strict on clutter/stuff so we definitely didn't have too many things, and everything had a place in the old house.

Roll on 2 months here in a bigger house, we have managed to unpack the main living area and kitchen so at least that's something. But upstairs there are still boxes everywhere belonging to the kids as well as our bedroom and the study/office.

Dh and I both work, and I'm also studying part time so by the time everyone's home in the evenings, there's no time for sorting and unpacking. Kids aren't old enough yet to do it themselves. Weekends since moving have been swallowed by parties/visitors to see the new house and also general fixing jobs around the house that are more important than unoacking. Any time I have is spent trying to keep afloat with cleaning in the rooms that are unpacked.

I remember it being a bit tricky for a while when we bought our first house but not this bad. There's just no time!! When will this get better??

OP posts:
Scottishdreams1991 · 14/11/2023 21:17

Honestly? you need to get a move on. We had everything unpacked within 2 days of moving in with 3 kids. Most was done on moving day.

NashvilleQueen · 14/11/2023 21:18

Agree with PP. Get a move on.

SiennaMillar · 14/11/2023 21:21

Put the kids into childcare for a weekend and get some mates round the help. Be brutal about chucking things out as it sounds like you must have tons of junk (no offence, but I don’t see how it’s taking that long otherwise!). I unpacked a three bedroom house, alone, in an afternoon, just chucking things in roughly the right place. Then I organised it properly as I went through daily life. Good luck

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MolkosTeenageAngst · 14/11/2023 21:23

If 2 months later you have multiple unpacked boxes then it sounds like you do have too many things, if anything was essential or needed or valued you would have needed it by now. If something can be in a box for 2 months without you missing it I’d question if you really need it at all.

Doggymummar · 14/11/2023 21:25

Omg we don't go to bed until unpacked

ElleLeopine · 14/11/2023 21:27

MolkosTeenageAngst · 14/11/2023 21:23

If 2 months later you have multiple unpacked boxes then it sounds like you do have too many things, if anything was essential or needed or valued you would have needed it by now. If something can be in a box for 2 months without you missing it I’d question if you really need it at all.

This!

GotMooMilk · 14/11/2023 21:27

Yeah I’m with pp we unpacked within a day or two. I actually think maybe you’ve missed the window of when you’re in mad moving mode and now you’re back in real life I can see how there’s limited time. You need to prioritise it- can the kids sleepover with grandparents and you block a full weekend to unpack? You’ll feel so much more at home when all sorted and some pictures on the wall etc.

pacificoceanwhale · 14/11/2023 21:28

You need to take a day or 2 off work and get stuck in

SnapBang · 14/11/2023 21:29

just unpack as you use, surely? We had most things unpacked in usual place within a day or so. Then unpacked and arranged as we went. If it’s something you don’t use regularly, I’d it for the loft / shed? Otherwise bin??

1212testing · 14/11/2023 21:34

Moving house is hard but I do agree with pp that 2 months is a bit to long to still have that many boxes unpacked. I moved house last month and didn’t rest until all was unpacked within 2 days. Good luck!

piscofrisco · 14/11/2023 21:34

I took a week off to unpack. And I did most of it, but I still had the odd box to unpack a few months later. You deffo need to clear some time and get at it.

BuffaloCauliflower · 14/11/2023 21:35

@SiennaMillar where are you finding weekend childcare?!

Rainingagainonasynday · 14/11/2023 21:36

Harsh! I'd be the same as you OP.

2 days?? Maybe you've got less stuff?

SpringIntoChaos · 14/11/2023 21:36

BuffaloCauliflower · 14/11/2023 21:35

@SiennaMillar where are you finding weekend childcare?!

Friends? Relatives?

Christmasisonitsway · 14/11/2023 21:39

You obviously don't need the stuff in those boxes? Just get rid of it. Last house move I had every box unpacked before I went to bed. I am a serial planner though, I had it mapped out in my head weeks before as to where everything would live. Yes, I am weird.

ThreeRingCircus · 14/11/2023 21:40

Boxes everywhere would drive me absolutely insane. I could not rest until we were unpacked when we moved house....it took two or three days working around two DDs aged 3 and 1.

If you haven't needed the contents of those boxes in two months....what is in them? Can you remember? Do you need them?

I would a weekend cleared to sort it and absolutely blitz it. You don't want to be getting Christmas decorations out plus have boxes still not unpacked.

Original poster
Wozzzzzuuu · 14/11/2023 21:42

Hmmmm yes I agree we've probably missed the 'mad moving window's and are now back in the daily life stage. I think part of the problem was that we were in an interim rental for a month so all of our stuff went into storage, and instead of moving it all in on the one day, we brought it in dribs and drabs over a few weeks. Fatal mistake!

Most of the unpacked boxes are kids toys, we originally packed up by room but because the stuff was in storage, it got chucked around a bit and mixed up and it's actually the sorting of it that takes SO LONG 🙈

I would love to get rid of the kids for a weekend and plough on but it's not possible, and the full weekends have made it hard to get anything done.

Fuck it. I just need to bloody well do it don't I 🙈

OP posts:
Original poster
Wozzzzzuuu · 14/11/2023 21:43

Btw I am INSANELY jealous of all of you who managed to unpack 2 days 😆 We spent our first two days over and back from the storage unit with the van, carting in the bare necessities

OP posts:
GeorgeBeckett · 14/11/2023 21:44

Oh my gosh I don't think this is that weird. Some PPs are being a bit smug!

Did your old house have more built in storage than you had now? Do you need to buy furniture to unpack to? Are these barriers?

I think at this point you probably need to just take a couple of days off work. If you need furniture then a day to sort that then another when it comes.

Original poster
Wozzzzzuuu · 14/11/2023 21:44

Also, I think the fact that none of our old furniture really fits anywhere here, and that makes it very difficult to find a place for stuff. We probably need more furniture now.

OP posts:
beetr00 · 14/11/2023 21:49

@Wozzzzzuuu

according to PP, 2 days to unpack, a whole...... house? ok!

If you could set yourself a "reasonable" timescale, what would that look like for you? 💐

Good luck, you WILL get there

Dinkydoo17 · 14/11/2023 21:55

Try being really strict with yourselves and just doing one box a day, every dsy, even if it means going to bed a bit later. You'll soon be done and feel better :)

underneaththeash · 14/11/2023 21:57

beetr00 · 14/11/2023 21:49

@Wozzzzzuuu

according to PP, 2 days to unpack, a whole...... house? ok!

If you could set yourself a "reasonable" timescale, what would that look like for you? 💐

Good luck, you WILL get there

Edited

I unpacked a whole house with 3. Just stop procrastinating.

lyrds · 14/11/2023 21:58

We have moved more times than I could count (military) HOW have you still got boxes 2 months later?! That would do my head in.

JanglyBeads · 14/11/2023 21:59

I'm in a similar state to the OP and think it's entirely reasonable. Our first few weeks were taken up with a combo of water leaks, learning how to put up curtain rails as there were none, finding essentials and then several family emergencies.

Some people are very smug.