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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Moving House Hell

37 replies

RedRainRocks · 19/03/2016 10:31

So house sold before Christmas, lots of faffing around by solicitors in a long chain - no dates can be agreed upon, yada yada and then yesterday.... Yes, yesterday they give us a date for the day before the bank holiday. 6 days time! AIBU to be hugely peeved that I now cannot get a removal company anywhere! I must have called 40 companies since yesterday and they've all been booked up for weeks.. How do other people manage to book that far in advance?

Stress levels are stratospheric.

OP posts:
Sidge · 19/03/2016 15:34

Rdoo I apologise and the OPs update also puts a different slant on things too.

I have moved house so many times and have never been in a situation like that with such tight restrictions on completion dates; it seemed odd to me but as you say it's common I must have got lucky!

I just wonder how it can be managed when the solicitor/conveyancer says "it has to be this date" and that date just isn't do-able? How can the chain be so precarious that it may collapse because of such short notice to complete? (Not being snotty, genuinely curious as I have no idea! As I said I must have been lucky before never to be in this situation.)

OP I hope you get something sorted. And have lots of gin.

LaurieFairyCake · 19/03/2016 15:45

Yeah you can't rent your own van with a 5 bed house Hmm

I've as much as that and our largest removal truck was packed by professionals to within an inch of its life and done totally properly.

If I had to do it I'd need 3 vans that size. There were over 100 cardboard boxes alone.

And 5 people to do it. It was a huge job.

StarOnTheTree · 19/03/2016 15:46

Can you try a removal firm that is outside of your area? Any firm available would be happy to travel to you for a small extra fee I would think.

Buckinbronco · 19/03/2016 15:55

I didn't think it was a big deal to get a new mortgage offer after expiry or get it extended- maybe it was a precarious mortgage anyway and they are too worried to try again. But you'd expect in a long chain there would be a couple of people in powerful enough positions to say I'm not moving with 6 days notice?

SmellySourdough · 19/03/2016 16:02

man&van + self storage.
move everything but the very essentials into self storage.
then on moving day move bedding + essentials into new house and then you can take your time to get everything out of storage.

Buckinbronco · 19/03/2016 16:10

Yes the only way to so man + van is many trips into self storage but you'll have to hire it again and make many trips from self storage to your new house!

CalicoBlue · 19/03/2016 16:34

I had one weeks notice that we were moving last year. Long back story, but Dh was away with work. I had to pack up and move a five bedroomed house. It was a nightmare.

I would strongly recommend using a professional firm. They will know how to move things, having watched 2 teens and my DH try to move a sofa out of a room then give up, then see the removal men do it is seconds. They will take apart the beds and put them back together again. Plus they are insured, if they break anything or damage the house.

We tried to move as much as we could ourselves and then booked the removal firm for the heavy stuff, big mistake. I so underestimated the work involved. I was exhausted. Next time I will get the removals to do everything.

The pp had a good idea to move a day or two earlier and keep the stuff in their storage. If overnight they will just keep it in the van.

heron98 · 19/03/2016 17:05

We rented a man with a flatbed truck for £100. That was 2 trips and he helped us with the loading etc. We were only moving a mile away though so it was fine to go back and forth, might be more of a faff if you're moving across the country!

dannydyerismydad · 19/03/2016 17:15

We were stuck in a similar situation. Contacted a removal company waaaaaay out of area and it all worked out. They were no more expensive either.

All the local vans were tied up in our chain.

SquinkiesRule · 19/03/2016 17:28

Depending on what part of the country, you could google PODS moving, they bring the containers and you fill them in your own time, then they take them away and deliver to your new house when you tell them. They are in Leeds and Manchester.

Original poster
RedRainRocks · 19/03/2016 17:39

Squinkies !!! That is inspired, thank you so much. I'm not all that far away either. You are amazing! I've requested a quote. Fingers tightly crossed ;)

OP posts:
Artistic · 19/03/2016 22:26

You could also try your local yellow pages for a very local & small setup of man-with-van mover. They are usually more flexible ( and kind).

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