To start packing 13 days before move?

[ItsBuisnessTime]

We're (myself, DH, 3 DC's - 4, 3 and 1) moving in 13 days from a 2 bed flat, to a 3 bed house.

I want to start packing now, as so far, literally nothing has been done. I've started some minimal deep cleaning as life with three small children in a small environment equals chocolate finger prints everywhere and the occasional wall drawing, so I've been doing some touch up painting and skirting board/door cleaning etc to get the ball rolling.

However, in my mind, 13 days is quite a race to get our entire lives packed up and spotlessly clean our current flat, on top of looking after our three small children!

DH thinks we have all the time in the world, and I needn't start packing anything yet!

AIBU to just start? I planned to do the kitchen and the bathroom today - putting away things like the slow cooker, soup maker, a few utensils, stacks of plates and the majority of cutlery, pots and pans that never really get used etc. In the bathroom - just leaving out the essentials... you get my drift!

I ideally want most rooms packed up within the next few days so that I can properly clean everywhere, as going backwards and forwards between the kids demands and needs means I feel as though we don't actually have a great deal of time!

Sorry for the long post! Any veteran movers with an insight to when I should reasonably start packing and deep cleaning - please give tips!

13 days and nothing packed?! I would be having a heart attack! Pack all the stuff you don’t need, pick a room and leave the boxes there. Make sure the boxes are labelled. Have the stuff you need for moving day in the boot of your car (stuff like bedding etc).

It will take longer than you think. Start now!

Start now; there is never enough time.
And book an oven clean, unless you are very good at keeping yours cleaned, it’s shit job at the last minute!

I would start now, yes. You don't know what distractions might come up in the next two weeks. It's a good chance to declutter too.

Pack!!

I've cleaned the top part of our over yesterday - it's a glass topped electric stove and my god, it took me a god hour to scrape all of the crap from under the edges of the glass panel and get the oily, greasy residue off of the back splash! I realise that makes me sound like a less than clean person, I'm actually very house proud but life with three young Dc's means 'deep' cleans don't get to happen all too often! I'm dreading doing the inside of the oven and hoping some oven pride will do the trick!!

Ok, you've all helped me feel a little less crazy and 'over prepared' for wanting to start packing this weekend!

In my head, I'd much rather live amongst boxes for the next 13 days, than leave everything to the last minute and hit panic stations!

Yeah, pack everything except what you will definitely need in the next 13 days. I would be packed everything except 1 set of crockery and cutlery for every person, 5 changes of clothes, a single box of toys and books for the kids. Everything else boxed and dismantled. I found those shrink bags helpful for towels, sheets, clothes etc when going from a flat where extra space isn’t really a thing.

Oven, not over! 🤦🏻‍♂️

I started packing a full house up a week before we moved - it can be done.

Our flat isn't even on the market yet, but I've started putting bits away. There's nothing worse than a mad rush at the end to try and get everything done. It goes faster than you realise.

Yes crack on with packing up stuff you can manage without for a couple of weeks. It'll help with the stress levels to feel you've done something. The last time we moved I went for the packing option with the removal company and they were amazing. It made a huge difference. But crack on, your husband is wrong. There's a fair bit you can get done now to make life's easier on moving day (like cleaning the oven now so it'll only need a quick wipe over on moving day) so carry on! Leave his shit for him to sort if he's that chilled.

Start now. Honestly, it will take far longer than you think.

I think that’s fine.

We are 6 weeks from moving and I am already packing/sorting stuff out

We started packing 6 weeks before we moved last time and there was still a last minute panic

If you have any flat pack furniture and are wanting to use it in the new house, it will take ages to dismantle properly.

If you end up doing a clear out at the same time, trips to the tip will take up at least half a day.

Everything you've cleaned recently will look filthy again once you've actually moved everything out so you'll want more time for cleaning at the end, especially if you're renting and want your deposit back.

I started as soon as offers has been accepted!

Yes deffo start now!

@raspberrymuffin yes, we're renting! Hence the importance I'm placing on allowing myself enough time to clean everywhere. Our landlady has been absolutely fantastic throughout our tenancy, and incredibly understanding about us dropping two weeks notice on her, so I really want to leave this flat as clean as I feasibly can given how accommodating she's been!

Right, I'm starting to pack! I'm glad you've all confirmed my views that 13 days is most definitely NOT too soon!

Gosh you have your work cut out with three under four!

Definitely get going now!

Men always think "there's plenty of time" when it comes to domestic work!

Most people start with the less used rooms but I agree with you doing the hardest ones like the kitchen first and leaving out a "skeleton" set of equipment first is better.

Also a good tip is to sort things like important documents (passports, house insurance, birth certificates?), valuables (jewellery?) and any medicines and prescriptions and changes of gp now when you are calm and not in the last couple of frantic days.

And delegate clear cut things like pictures, ornaments and framed photos and books and TVs/tech to other people. Maybe your four year old could pack boxes of shoes?

Also you can save time by folding laundered washing straight in to packing boxes for each person as you do it, but some people prefer the "stuff it all in to a strong bin bag" technique.

Do as much decluttering as possible. And don't forget your favourite garden ornament! Or the dog!

Good luck!

It depends on what you are doing

• just chucking everything you own into boxes and taking it to new house - can be done quite quickly

• sorting through everything , taking stuff to tip/charity shop/selling stuff you don’t want to take etc takes bloody ages!

I was surprised how little time it took to pack up our 3 bed house and move 2 adults and 2 children's stuff, once I got down to it.

I'd leave it to a couple of days beforehand if you have have the time to go at it for full days, so you're living out of boxes for as short a time as possible.

It is worth getting some de cluttering done ahead of time though.

I'm actually in the middle of moving today, first load gone second load waiting. It's been a nightmare. Its the first time we've moved as a family of 4 and my god, its so much harder, especially as we live abroad so no family to help babysit etc.

It took us a weekend to do the loft, a whole day to do the shed and I'm still packing the kitchen now!
We started 4 weeks ago and we only have a 2 bed bungalow 😟

I'm finding this move very overwhelming and I've moved all over Europe. I'm only going 20km away now.

I packed our house in 4days. I don't have kids and it was incredibly stressful. I only held off as moving wasn't 100% confirmed.
The first couple of days things were neat and tidy the last few days things were thrown in any old box and I didn't sleep the night before trying to get all the last bits and pieces done.

I have vowed if we ever move again I will pack all the non essentials as soon as possible. I'd rather live with a few boxes stacked up than put myself through that stress ever again

Dear God, I thought you were going to be panicking over leaving it too late!

Your DH is is being ridiculous, but I expect it won't be him doing it, whenever it's done.

Weed out the stuff you don't need/want. Get boxes packed & labelled!! Get DH cleaning/touching up marks etc.

Good luck with moving 💐

you will regret it if you delay,2 weeks is absolutely nothing time wise you still have everything else to do in that 2 week slot, the moment our house was sold,everything got packed,then just relaxed until .moving day ....get on with it

When we bought our house we only had it confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that we’d be moving on that Friday. There’d been some paperwork issue that meant it was delayed, and then suddenly it was all resolved. Absolutely nothing was packed and I was 36 weeks pregnant, plus we were both at work all day on the Thursday.
It was hell on earth, thankfully we only had a one bedroom flat to pack up but I we ever move again I am starting packing weeks if not months in advance!