AIBU to ask for your house move tips

[SandrenaIsMyBloodType]

I’m so overwhelmed that I know I’m not thinking straight.

Found out today that we are moving in 5 weeks. I’m starting now, from scratch, to organise it.

Obviously today is dedicated to finding a removal firm, but even that feels like a minefield.
i know our situation is less complicated than many but it’s been ages since I have needed to do this. We’re moving from one rented property into another rented property and have arranged to pick up the keys for new house a couple of days before we have to leave this one. And they are only about 40 minutes apart. We’re downsizing though and there’s going to have to be some purging of stuff.

Have you moved house recently? Do you have any tips? Any regrets or things you forgot to do that you could warn me about? Anything you did that made your life easier?

Yes, very true, I'm like this too!

My best advice I give everyone that no one ever listens to?
get the moving company to pack for you. It’s honestly not more expensive than doing it yourself when you come to buy boxes and bubble wrap etc. they supply all of that. The last time I moved they did it and it was the best thing I did.
On top of that:

• declutter, declutter, declutter
• have an essentials box that you take with you in your car for toilet rolls, tea bags, milk, cleaning products etc
• put coloured post its on the doors so removal men know where things go ie BEDROOM 1/ dining room etc
• when you get to the new property, make the bed first
• buy some neutralising air fresherner blocks like neutradol. When we got to our new house I found it really destabiiising because it smelled like someone else’s home - once that smell was gone I felt so much better

Declutter and then get packers

Don’t forget to set your Royal Mail redirection service for anyone you forgot to tell you’re moving

^ Definitely this, for peace of mind

I downsized in the summer and one thing I wish I'd done was hire storage for a month. I was really going for it with decluttering but the amount of stuff I had to wade through - clothes especially was SO time consuming. I was actually quite horrified at the amount of 'stuff' we had accumulated as a family of 4.

Put your bedding in your car. If moving chest of drawers of clothes, remove the drawers from chest and leave clothes inside drawers. Put each drawer in a bin bag (label them) to keep clothes clean. Then when put the chest in a bedroom, put the drawers in.

Pack one suitcase for each person. Include a couple of days clothes, any special toys/books for kids, their bedding and bath towel, their phone charger/devices. That way you have everything for the first night for each person rather than one big box to dig through. Their precious things are safe and close by and you know exactly where bedding is for each bed. Their case can go in their room on arrival.