To ask for your "moving house" top tops?

[WestrayWife]

Moving house in the New Year - big move in terms of quantity of "stuff" (4 bed house, been here for 14 years, 2 primary age kids) but only a local move a few streets away.

AIBU to ask for your top tips for moving house?!

We'll be moving as part of a chain and I genuinely don't know how I'm going to have time (or, more likely, the movers are going to have time) to pack up an entire house in one morning and allow for enough time to clean up and get out before the new family arrives at (I assume) lunchtime?!

What do you recommend I do in advance to help make the situation easier for all involved? We'll try to declutter as much as we can between now and then, but are there any things I won't have thought of which would help?

Maybe also worth mentioning I'm in Scotland so Scots Law applies.

I moved last year and had just lost my dad so was in no fit state to sort things out. Told the removals firm I didn't want to even think about it. They dismantled all the beds, wardrobes, full pack, move and reassembled the furniture at the other end. Cost 1.9k for a 3 bed move around 2 miles away. They were amazing and I just left them to it when they packed. Worth every penny.

Forgot to mention insurance - we let the company that we have our buildings and contents insurance know that we were moving and they confirmed that
we would be covered for any damage to our belongings in the move so long as we used professional movers. Worth checking as it’s a lot cheaper than buying the insurance the removal companies offer.

😂

One of them was in his 70s, he was an absolute dynamo of a worker and he drove the rest of them as I had/have a lot of stuff 😬

Head to a discount store and buy a load of those large clear plastic boxes. Stick them everywhere in your house. When you are moving between rooms stick in things you might need over first few days. Things like putting an few rolls.of loo roll, candles, blankets, cups etc. Easy to see them in clear boxes.

Excellent advice @MadnessIsMyMiddleName - I had indeed forgotten about the garden / shed until I posted. To be honest I'd also forgotten about the loft.... and we have other things in the eaves too. Ugh.

Thanks to everyone giving rough pack/move estimates - if it's only £500ish to pack then I agree it will definitely be worth it. Fingers crossed my movers will charge similar.

I'm also going to follow up on an oven clean in the week before the move - that's a great shout. We can use the air fryer for a few nights. That's one of the things I was most concerned about leaving until the last minute.

Get cracking on the decluttering, inside and out. Also, eating down freezer and pantry stores.

Make sure you have a box handy with kettle, coffee, tea, sugar, biscuits (and if you're so inclined, beer, gin and wine!) Also some biscuits etc.

Make sure you have clean sheets and pillowcases, and bedding good to go, and get beds made up asap.

If you can make a cup of tea and go to bed, everything else is so much more bearable.

If you've got animals, think about putting them in kennels/catteries, it's a hell of a lot less stressful for them. Also, make sure vaccinations are up to date, microchips in place, and address details switched asap - and for the love of all that is on four paws, DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE BEFORE THEY HAVE GOT COMFORTABLE IN THEIR NEW HOME!!!!

I would also advocate paying a packer and mover. I have just helped a friend move 3 hours away and I really wish, for their sakes, they'd paid for the full service. Its pricey but so worth it. When we did it 15 years ago, I walked out of a full house the one day, stayed at my parents, it was all moved into the new house the next day. It was like a magic spell! I think I'd now add in a couple of days in a Travelodge especially if the house you're moving into isn't any bigger than the one you are leaving

No animals, thankfully. Just DC, who are already insisting on walking the new route to school by themselves as soon as we're in.

Not without me following 20 paces behind you you're not!!!

Pack an Open First box (and make sure it's easily accessible).

Kettle, mugs, tea and coffee
Cleaning supplies, including a dustpan and brush, cleaning spray, cloths, dish soap, dish towel, etc
Loo roll, hand wash, hand towel
Snacks

Some excellent tips here - thank you all.
I've also written down about clear plastic boxes, emergency loo roll and checking what my existing house insurance covers.

A really decent removal company will make the process so much easier. We last did it 4.5 years ago, and the removal company were fantastic. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for!

Not sure if possible over NY - book waste removal firm and charity collections for any declutter items.

Inform utilities asap (take readings in both houses), inform council tax,etc.
Get your moving company to pack. Depending on company - total between 2.5kand 4k.

Book cleaners to clean after you leave.
If you have the time cleaners to clean your new place.

Kids off to relatives if possible.
Important docs and jewellery, art work and any precious memory things off to family 2 days before move. We had two boxes get "lost" - the last ones to go, marked docs (hope they enjoyed my ideal home magazines and toddler cook books :)
Order takeaway last night in old house and first night at new house. Make beds asap as you can flop into them once move is complete.
Box with pjs, toilet roll, kettle / coffee etc in - pop it in your car.

We moved from a large 5 bed detached into a bit smaller 4 bed detached. Two adults, four kids and two dogs.

We used the packing service it was around £500 more. Worth every penny. The total cost was around £1800.

They brought all the boxes the day before and packed everything, dismantled furniture, took tvs off walls. They packed about 75% of stuff into the vans and took it to their warehouse. I felt nervous about this but all was fine. I literally did nothing. In fact we went out for lunch because we were in the way.

The labelled everything really well.
Definitely have a massive clear out before you move. We got a skip.

That was my experience too, the packaging service was 'pennies' compared to the actual moving cost. We were only moving a few miles as well. The fact that they provide the boxes and packaging is worth taking into consideration, that saves £££.

We did do our loft though as they wanted the same again for that and I wanted to declutter there the most.

Oh and don't move in the middle of a heatwave, that was hellish. ☀

I'm more concerned about potential snow than a heat way @ShamblesRock. That would just be the cherry on top if that were to happen.

Might investigate local hotel for the night before - even if just for me and the kids so I can get them off to school in the morning without any tears / tantrums. DH can fend for himself with the movers for the night

My poor DD had to walk home by herself the day we moved in. Luckily the new house was/is just round the corner so we gave her vague directions and hoped for the best.

We were having to get the younger two from their school, right next to the house we moved from.

As others have said:

Professional packing service with the movers (pack most the day before)

Kennels for cats/dogs for about 4/5 days.

Hotel for the first night you have moved in. You can sort until about 6/7 then have dinner, go to bed, have breakfast and be completely refreshed to get straight.

The day before the move, put clean linen on the beds. The morning of the move all the bedding for that bed can be put in a box and put on the bed. At the other end the box is on the right bed and one night slept linens can go straight on.

Pack all essential documents in a separate case and keep it with you: passports, bank books, birth/marriage certificates, insurance certificates, spare car keys, investment stuff, laptop.

Prior to the move have a huge clear-out and get a man with a van to collect and dispose.

The last few moves we have had have had a clause inserted to say that the property being purchased must be cleaned to a professional standard. I think that's normal but have been shot down in flames over that on MNet.

Good luck.

I moved several properties last year

Make a to do list

Declutter, start early
Bought strong plastic stackable Boxes with lids & free cardboard boxes, bubble wrap
Boxes to keep - label each box clearly
Box for important documents & valuables
Boxes for charity
Boxes to recycle
Boxes for rubbish

Update utility providers

Clean properly before leaving

On the day that you move have a box with essentials in your car
Mobile phone charger
Toilet roll
Drinks
Snacks
Kettle, cups, tea, milk
Torch
Your list of essentials

Set up beds or sofa to sleep on the first night

Set up & pay for post redirection

Set up new utilities

One moved change everything to your new address quickly

Register with new doctor, school etc

Good luck

Declutter as hard as you can.
Pack one box yourself from the kitchen with favourite mugs, tea/coffee etc, plus cleaning stuff.
Do a separate load of mugs etc for the removal guys.
Pack one other box of your very precious/ private stuff / medication and lock in your car along with important paperwork, ID docs etc.
Also, keep clean bedlinen aside so the very first thing you can do is make up the beds.
Get the removal company to pack everything else.

Get an A4 lined book, and index it with some post it notes.
Surgically attach it to your body and write EVERYTHING you need to remember down in it - lists, room sizes, useful contacts etc

Do change of addresses in advance, post redirect etc. Tou win't have time for a few days after you move.

Put pets in kennel/ cattery.

Keep a little tool caddy ready with allen keys, drill, screwdrivers aside.

I agree 100% - get the removal company to pack! It’s such a small amount in relation to the whole costs of moving house! Our 4 bedroom house took 2 days to pack but they did it so well. We just packed our personal things. I always get my old house professionally cleaned - it’s so much nicer for the people coming in and makes me feel better. They can clean it again if they want! Good luck! Xxxx

As soon as Christmas is over, start packing. Designate an area in a spare room for the boxes.

We always start at the top and work downwards, so empty the loft. Pack what you want in boxes, and charity shop the rest (or car boot sale etc if have time). Be ruthless.

Then do bedrooms. Throw any broken toys etc. keep a selection out for the kids until you move, pack/charity shop/chuck the rest. Clear out any unwanted clothes.

etc

If you pack things in boxes, write what is in a box in as much detail as you can.

Do not just write "Things"/"Mixed things"/"Different things". (Learn from me).

@SkaneTos I feel very seen by your post. Writing "things" and "other stuff" is exactly the sort of thing I would do.

Take a picture of meter readings on the last day. I had an old thermostat in my new house and the removal guys helped me to get it working, so check that you can switch on your heating when you arrive.

Pay for a packing service. It costs nothing compared to the stress it relieves