How do you move house?? Logistically!? Moving on the 29th and not ready, please help!

[WellErrr]

I’ve never moved a whole house before, only into/out of house shares etc. Then 16 years ago moved in with my husband and now we are moving. Or rather I am, he is out of the country working (my choice to do it now and on my own. Seemed like a good idea at the time!).

I started sorting and de-cluttering 6 weeks ago when I had ‘loads of time.’

I have sorted lots of things. I have packed what I thought was lots of things. I am now wandering the house in an increasing frenzy doing lots and not doing anything.

I’m working today, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, can’t get out of it. I have movers coming 28th so I have 4(!?) days left. The movers are only taking the bulky stuff though as it was over £4k for the full move due to the distance, so my uncle is coming with his lorry on the 27th morning. So really I have two days! And 3 kids 🙈

What do I do?? How do I do this methodically?? I need a plan! Experienced movers, please help!

When we moved last, I had 2 open boxes in each room. One for packing and one for disposing of. Then as the days/weeks moved along I would gradually fill both. Before closing the keep box I would have last check of it with a more ruthless eye, see what could be moved to.dispose box. Then write on box in big letters which room to take it to, vague idea of what was in it. If I had time, a piece of paper in the top of the box with a list of what was inside, if mixed contents. Then tape up, into van.

I packed a bag with a couple of days worth of clothes for all of us, left an open box in bathroom for toiletries and one in kitchen for kettle etc etc. Open box by door of kids' rooms so they could chuck essential toys in there on the morning of the move.

With a couple of days to.go, I would essentially now be camping in your house. So meal plan and get rid of, or pack away anything you don't need for those meals. Leave some.empty boxes out for Christmas decs etc.

By disposing of, I don't just mean chucking. I would at some point go through those boxes, put textiles for recycling in a bag for kerbside, anything worth donating in bags for charity shop, and bin the remainder.

For the next week, put aside the bare minimum number of day to day items, pack everything else. Tricky over Christmas, but disposable foil cooking trays are going to be your friend. It can be helpful to think of what you want in a 'last thing to pack/first to unpack' box - inevitably kettle, small number of tea bags/coffee/2 cups, phone charger, loo roll, tea towel, hand towel, but could also include baby bottles, cuddly toy, etc

For wardrobe clothes, if you don't have wardrobe boxes, throw a blanket/duvet cover on the bed, throw the clothes on top, on their hangers. Then fold up the bottom and sides of the blanket and move them as one large bundle. Unless you're very minimal about clothes it's going to be more bundles than you expect. Probably needs to be fairly last minute so make sure you don't pack the blankets into a box beforehand!

For stuff that needs to go in boxes, pretend it's not your stuff. This is why packets are so fast, they don't do to think about each thing. Heavy stuff at the bottom of a box, fragile stuff at the top. Things like laundry boxes can be transported with the laundry in them so don't over stress about having everything washed in advance

Stop wasting time on mumsnet and just get on with it - that's how!

If you are working all those days you need very little - a suitcase with a few outfit changes and toiletries plus some kitchen bits. Everything else needs packed as others said label boxes as you go with what room. You cannot pack a full house on boxing day you really want to just be doing the last few things it takes far longer than anyone estimates so you really need to get going

I was thinking the exact same 🤣

At this stage in the game OP, forget trying to sort anything, just pack!

Two little tips:

(1) bags. Strong bin bags to dump clothes/shoes/towels etc into and get some heavy duty rubble sacks for when you run out of boxes and still have leftover miscellaneous stuff that needs packing.

(2) a survival kit of things you'll need early on. Loo paper, hand soap, kitchen towels, tea making stuff, aspirin, phone chargers, chocolate, anything you don't want to have to go digging for in a pile of boxes.

Put bedding for each bed straight into a sturdy bin bag so it's easy to make up beds when you arrive. Pack an overnight bag for each person. Pack a kitchen essentials box and pack everything else away in boxes, writing on them what's in them. I bought boxes on line. You still have time. A plea on your local Facebook page for boxes is often fruitful too.

Step 1. Gather everything you need for the next few days as if packing for a holiday.

Step 2. Pack everything else. Just pack it up, don’t faff or dither.

Advertise on local Fb pages for moving boxes, or just go to somewhere like Big Yellow Storage and buy a load. Strong moving boxes are expensive. Most supermarkets crush their boxes immediately and it is really hard getting hold of enough. Amazon boxes are too flimsy.

Buy a couple of rolls of bubble wrap fro
s storage place or B&Q etc.

And rolls of parcel tape.

To be fair if the van is parked up you can always go and get something if really needed.

I'd just make up all your moving boxes and put several in each room, label the box with the room and go from room to room, keeping enough clothes out for the week and just putting everything in the boxes. They will have new toys soon enough anyway. Once filled put them by the door. Clothes are best in bags. Ditch anything that you dither about taking.

At the end of each day, get all the filled boxes and stash them in the van.

You don’t have time to sort it out at all. With three kids and working plus a DH overseas six weeks was never going to be enough. We are having a proper declutter as just retired, well I was already and DH joined me close to 3 months ago. The sorting takes an age if you do it properly, we are getting closer but are not done and there are two of us and no small children or working.

All you need out are a few clothes, medications, enough crockery for one set each to eat off plus cookware and toiletries.

Fear it maybe too late to start deciding if things need to be thrown etc, just pack it all in! Sounds like you have loads of help at the other end so might be best to have a sort out there when not rushing. Just leave enough clothes and suitcases out for your car journey. Get some microwave meals in or takeaway for the last few nights.