To ask for your tips on moving houses

[Lalalandisboring]

As I know situations can be different for each family...

But it's the first time I'm moving houses (from rental to rental, both private) and every time I think about it, my mind goes blank, I don't know how to start organising myself. DH is the "let's just put everything in boxes and go" kind. However I'm slightly OCD and can't move without knowing that I've taken care of all the small details.
So please help me think of things that I might forget -I'm BU feeling this anxious I know but I need to feel that I've got things under control.

I know we have to think about moving broadband and TV subscriptions, as well as water, gas etc. And we need to pack. Anything else that needs to be organised before we move? I'm freaking out thinking that I might miss something!

I've moved quite a few times and have a colleague whose DH is ex-army, so is a moving house expert. We both agree that it is important to get completely unpacked in the first week. You will be absolutely surrounded by boxes, it will look daunting, but if you leave a couple of those boxes 'for later' I guarantee they will still be there when you move again.

If you get movers who pack check how long they will let you keep the boxes before they come to collect. (We used Pickfords - very professional)

If you do it yourself then tips we had:

• Leave the hoover until nearly last as you might want to run round with it after everything has gone. And even if you don't feel you have to hoover your old house before you move out you might want to hoover the new one before you move in.
• Leave the fridge until last so it is first out and then first thing in

My tip is to start early, if possible months before. Declutter, so things to keep. Things to recycle. Things for charity shop. Get cardboard boxes and pack and label with which room they will go into. I left the kitchen until last. Set up mail redirect. Save some money for emergencies

Do you have young kids?
We stayed at my parents house for 2 nights because the kids were struggling with the idea of "new house" and leaving "home" and worried about what they were leaving in all the chaos. They were 2 year old twins though.
Make sure their room(s) are the first ones sorted with their bed made and toys in it, it will help them to settle. If they're a bit bigger what about putting them in charge of unpacking their boxes so they feel ownership of their space.
We also put some new toys in, it was stuff they'd had at Christmas/Birthday 2 months before but there was no space in the previous house so we put them out of the way until we got to the new one. When they got there to exciting new things they'd forgotten about it certainly helped with the transition to "new house".

Try to move mid week - removal companies are cheaper - most expensive on Fridays (especially the last one of the month) as most people move then.
Most removal companies will pack - and the big firms prefer to because they can do it far quicker than you will. But you need to have done any sorting out before because they will pack anything.

On the day put your kettle, mugs, teaspoons, tea bags, coffee, milk and biscuits together in a box, escort said box personally to the kitchen in your new home.
This is your priority and if done correctly everything else will be smooth.

I'm so glad I posted, I love all the tips given here!!!

I googled removal companies and found one that seems to be popular, and I've seen their vans and lorries in the area. They also do packing - but like one pp said I think we'll do the unpacking.

I do have children and the teens will be in charge of their own rooms - sorting, packing and unpacking. I might let the younger ones (8 and 9) do their own room and then do it again myself when they're out

A box is now ready for the kettle/tea/cups/milk

Definitely pay someone to do it for you, it's money well spent.

There is something so emotive about packing up your belongings, it's not just the physical work. Packers just get on with it and load it al up, where as it's personal for you.

We are moving House in a month too and I'm a super control freak when it comes to things like that so there's no way I could have the removal guys pack up our stuff...
I would definitely recommend packing non essentials now, having a clear out as you go along (1 box of stuff to take, 1 box for charity shop, 1 box for the bin)
Get hanging boxes to transport clothes - then you literally take them off the rail in the wardrobe and put them on a rail in the box (no unhanging, folding then rehanging creased clothes)
Clearly mark each box with the room it will be going into at the new house to save you having to them move stuff from the kitchen to the bedroom, etc.
We always take the kettle, mugs, spoon, milk, tea and coffee with us in the car so we can get everyone going with a cuppa at the new place.
If you have pets, have a small box with their food, food and water bowls to make it easy to get them sorted in the new house

I'll probably think of more

I have moved several times. It's cheaper if you do everything yourself Eg packing, hiring small vans, unpacking but that depends on your budget and how many miles you are moving. One big van may be cheaper for your needs.

I'm a veteran mover. Current record for not moving since I left home is 20 months. I have it down to a fine art.

• Get cardboard boxes. Do not pay. Your local 24 hour supermarket is a good source because they will be shelfstacking when the store is still open. Tesco HQ told me 10-11pm at our local store was the best time to go, and it was indeed excellent. Your store may vary! Most of the supermarkets will crush boxes as soon as they're out the back, which is why it's important to go when they're actually stacking shelves. When you get to the other end, keep the cardboard boxes - flatten them, move your wardrobe out a couple of inches and shove them down there; it's amazing the faff it saves when you next have to move on.

• Start packing early, as it will take longer than you think. Make sure you have somewhere to put the boxes; there's nothing like packing to make you realise how much stuff you actually have. Start asap with things like books that you don't need on a day-to-day basis. Label every box, and pack it all by category. Do some each day.

• Use this as an excuse to have a good clear out. Start running down your food supplies www.supercook.com/#/recipes is a good way to find recipes that use what you already have in.

• Gumtree is an excellent way to get rid of anything that's too big to post (and some smaller stuff). If it would normally go to the tip / isn't really worth anything, shove it on the freebies section; it's amazing the shite people will willingly come around and collect if it's free.

• Ensure you understand the legalities around ending a tenancy, in particular deposit protection. Do ensure you fight any attempted deductions, on principle if nothing else. Remember that you only have to leave the property in the same condition you got it in, minus fair wear and tear. This means that, for instance, if you've been there 5 years and the hallway carpet has worn a hole due to people walking on it, or the paintwork has become scuffed, they can't charge a penny for it. The LL also cannot charge 'new for old' on any damaged items (see the little known but very useful concept of betterment). Professional cleaners can never be mandated so long as you've cleaned the house to the same standard it's left in.

• Inform anyone you ever get post from that you are moving (banks, DVLA, workplace, utilities, broadband, GP, clubs, subs, trade union etc etc). I spent months trying to convince the NHS that a previous tenant no longer lived here; I was opening the post so I could tell them (again) that he was no longer here in the hope that he wouldn't miss appointments. The level of detail I received was alarming, covering his drug addiction, possible lung cancer (test missed, presumably because he didn't get the letters) and so on.

• If you're happy with going with a man and van type service (they will do full house removals) then I've found www.anyvan.com/ to supply excellent and cheap man/van services for moving. I once got everything I owned (no major furniture, just a couple of bookshelves and all the usual crap a singleton would own) moved from NW England to London for £180 by a bloke who spoke next to no English but had an impressive set of muscles.

• If possible, move a few days early and then go back to clean. It's so much easier.

• Leave your clothes on hangers. Life's too short to start taking them off hangers and putting them on again. People will tell you that you can get more clothes in if you pack them separately, which is true, but you've still got to transport the clothes hangers, so it all adds up to the same thing in the end.

What everyone else said regarding kettle and tea bags and put your bed together first (remember to label the box of duvet and sheets).

Label everything with what the box contains and the room you want it put in.

Various companies will supply boxes if you're hiring a man with a van, or the moving company will deliver boxes for you.

Buy marker pens.

Towels can be used to pack delicate items.

Books weigh a lot so don't over fill those boxes.

Contact your phone/broadband supplier and a get a date to install the line.

For posters who asked if we'll have a few days overlap, we will. I think there will be about 4 days of overlap so that should give us about 3 days to move everything and 4th day to clean the old house before giving the keys back.

rightsaidfrederickII thank you for reminding me about legalities around ending the tenancy. I'll be looking into the concept of betterment, I'd never heard of it.

Do not underestimate how long the cleaning will take afterwards. It will be hours and hours. Especially if you have deposit involved. You may also ned to paint a bit etc. Kitchens and Bathrooms will be the worst. Allow a day for the kitchen. We are moving in a couple of weeks and have a month clear for doing up the old house. It's a misery.

If you have packers you are already saving yourself a massive headache.

I had boxes labelled by numbers (on all sides), and a notebook with a list of what's in each box. Not detailed, like 1)Broccoli clithes fancy 2)Baby Broccoli clothes not-seasonal 3)Mr Broccoli running stuff 4)Clothes to wear now, unpack soon! Etc.

Oh, and if you have lots of books and other heavy stuff, pack boxes 1/2 full of bioks and put light stuff at the top, eg clothes.

Useful info for you on the legal side
Deposits: forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=67759912&postcount=3
Ending the tenancy: forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=67759913&postcount=4

I'm slightly OCD and can't move without knowing that I've taken care of all the small details.

In that case I definitely wouldn't let the movers pack. I've moved a lot of times and people kept recommending that I leave the packing to the professionals, so I tried it once. I couldn't do it. I had a total meltdown every time someone touched my stuff. Never again.

Get recommendations from friends for which local companies are best. Friends around Dorset hate Pickfords, yet friends in the midlands rave about them.

I’ve done international travel so it’s important to get as much decluttering done as possible. Clear out everything you don’t need and also think about things like Christmas trees. Is it too old /not appropriate for the new place (too big/too small).

I’ve only ever paid about £200 for a 4 or 5 bed house to be packed - and that included all the packing materials. They’ll send in 2 or 3 guys and be done in less than a day. Massively worth it!

Get 2 or 3 quotes from removals companies, and ask friends / neighbours for recommendations.

Make sure you allow about a week to set up the post redirect.

Download a list of who to inform of change of address - there is bound to be something that won’t occur to you.

Write which room the boxes are to go in on them, the movers will be quick unloading and you don’t want to slow things down by them having to ask you where they go

Check whether your home insurance covers your belongings in transit, if you’re using a reasonably big firm they’ll usually be able to arrange it for you if you don’t (we’re moving soon and it’s only an extra 30 quid).

Also definitely get a few quotes, there was a huge difference between the ones we got.

Last time I moved I packed myself an overnight bag: Toiletries, pjs, change of clothes, book, iPad, phone charger, towel etc, anything that you'll need for the first night. That way if you're knackered / overwhelmed /don't know where to start you at least have everything for getting to sleep that night and waking up the next morning.
Also set a side one box, clearly marked (if you've got kids maybe they could colour it in) all over, to be the first box you unpack. Include in this box the absolute essentials such as kettle, mugs, teaspoons, antibacterial wipes, a tea towel, tea bags, coffee, sugar, biscuits, bedding. No one wants to be digging around for that one thing you need. And removal men appreciate a cuppa and are more likely to go above and beyond if you are nice to them.

Make sure you know which box your cutlery/crockery is in, or have a small stash in a separate box.

We’d done the milk/tea/kettle thing but moving day ran over so much we ended up eating fish and chips at 9pm with a teaspoon. Cutlery turned up three days later once I’d bought a cheap set in Wilko

Get good quality parcel tape, otherwise the wretched stuff splits on you.

And yes to the overnight bag.

Good luck!

Man van removals in tiverton when very good when we moved op if thats close to you

Great tips here. Watching with interest.