Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Packing/moving top tips please

23 replies

HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 18:39

We've lived in our house for ages so have accumulated a fair amount of stuff. We want to pack up ourselves so we can get rid of lots of stuff we don't need. Any ideas for getting the job done quickly and efficiently whilst keeping kids(3 and 13 ) vaguely happy? Eldest has ASD so won't be packing or minding his brother. Argh! Any suggestions gratefully received.

OP posts:
MrsAFlowerpot · 25/10/2011 19:35

Sorry, no tips, but about to do the same so posting to offer moral support and steal some tips!! Wink

Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 19:46

Thanks for the moral support MrsA, hopefully we shall get some pointers Grin

OP posts:
homeaway · 25/10/2011 21:22

I would attack a room at a time if you can, getting rid of the excess stuff as you go. Pack everything that you can in advance and only leave the things you really need til last. Make sure you have lots of boxes , it is always surprising how much there is in a cupboard and how quickly the boxes fill up. Dont make the boxes too heavy and number them all. I created a list which had all the box numbers on and where they had to go in the new house. Get bubble wrap for fragile things. I would start now as it always takes much longer than you think to do everything. Good luck .

ReelAroundTheFountain · 25/10/2011 21:24

Start chucking stuff out NOW! don't think "oh I'll sort that out in the new house" because you won't. Be ruthless and throw out anything you haven't used in the last 12 months.

NickNacks · 25/10/2011 21:28

-Label the boxes on the side as well as top so when they are stacked you can still tell which is which.
-In the new house try and allocate one room you don't need to start off with (dining roo/ guest room) to put all the boxes so you can work through them in an orderly fashion and it will be clear so you arent living in complete chaos for the first few days. Especially useful if you have toddlers who might get hurt by climbing boxes etc.
-Wrap drawers with their contents still in (if light enough) into black bags and keep upright. Can then be placed straight back into the chests at the other end.

whomovedmychocolate · 25/10/2011 21:30

I am in the throes of moving right now - we are on day three of five (so you can imagine how much shit we have) Hmm

My recommendations:
(1) Hire a skip
(2) Ebay mercilessly if you can be arsed, otherwise find a local charity shop that will collect.
(3) A month before moving box up half your kitchen. If you don't miss it - don't take it - sell it or give it away.
(4) Ask on freecycle for moving boxes. Most removal companies fail to collect them back and people are desperate to get rid of them. They are quite expensive to buy so worth having and they can always be reused.
(5) Clean everything before boxing. No really. No-one needs to pull things out and find they are dirty when you are knackered and disorganised - tis bad to take dirt TO the new house.
(6) Do not underestimate how traumatic and disruptive it is - I got my period just as my bathroom box with sanitary protection disappeared in a big truck over the horizon - yes it's a small thing but gahhhhh it was the small thing that really annoyed me because I should have foreseen it!

Indaba · 25/10/2011 21:38

Spend loads and loads of time labeling boxes. With more detail re contents than you think humanly possible.

whomovedmychocolate · 25/10/2011 21:48

Indaba - I labelled all my boxes - DH didn't. He has convinced the kids that 'there are presents in some of these and once we've unpacked them all you'll find them' Hmm

Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 21:52

Thanks everyone, there are some good tips here. home away will try and be disciplined re one room at a time as I naturally flit quite a lot! reelaroundthefountain 12 months!! That's strict but I can see it makes sense and leads to order rather than chaos Smile
nicknacks that sounds sensible re the one room principle, that way I can feel like it's a bit under control, and I hadn't thought to label the sides of boxes.
chocolate all the best with your move. I have ordered the boxes already but as I'm due on soon the mooncup is going in my handbag thanks Grin

OP posts:
ronx · 25/10/2011 21:53

Get the removal company to pack for you. They will have all your possessions packed in boxes within two days.

Money well spent.

Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 21:54

Indaba so make a note of everything that's in there kind of detail, sounds like a plan.

OP posts:
timidviper · 25/10/2011 22:00

I agree with ronx.

I throw out anything really crap/broken then let the movers pack the rest up. They label every box and put it in the relevant room at the new house, you can then unpack and sort out, binning what is unwanted, without the risk of finding that the rubbish thingy you've just thrown out would fit perfectly somewhere and cost a fortune to replace!

Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 22:02

Ronx, we considered that but we have loads of tat stuff we don't want to take with us to the new house.

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 25/10/2011 22:03

ronx - this is true but our removals firms (we got five quotes) all quoted between 2 and 3 thousand for packing! Shock Which seems a bit steep, it was only a few hundred quid last time they did for us Confused

So we packed ourselves and it's worked okay. Two of us did it over about four days.

countessbabycham · 25/10/2011 22:03

Start as soon as possible.

Take any offers of someone else having kids even for a short while.

Don't be afraid to actually take stuff to the dump/bin it.Don't beat yourself up thinking someone might want that ancient ripped chintz lightshade.Obviously re home what you can but you don't want to be dealing with 8 piles of stuff still waiting for so and so to collect at zero hour.

If when you move (and you've got a loft) don't be afraid to just temporarily put "stuff" you can't decide whether you'll need or not up there.Just bung it up and sort it later when you're less frazzled!

See if any friends/family members will deal with your laundry/plants for a few days around the move if there's anyone local.

Remember it will all finally be done and you will get thereSmile

whomovedmychocolate · 25/10/2011 22:03

that's on top of removals costs btw.

Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 22:05

Yes I can see the sense in that Viper, it's just that we have to sort through or transport rather a lot of crap Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 22:10

Grin countessbabycham the 8 piles of stuff waiting for people to collect bit is very familiar, we will have to be very ruthless.

OP posts:
Original poster
HotBurrito1 · 25/10/2011 22:15

Thanks very much everyone, it's been really helpful. Just gotta do it now...

OP posts:
ronx · 25/10/2011 23:33

Two grand to do the packing?? I'll come and do it for £500 Grin

whomovedmychocolate · 26/10/2011 13:08

ronx - the boxes themselves ran to about £400! Shock

They've now taken everything but our beds :(

Roll on Friday!

Bloodredrubyblue · 26/10/2011 14:06

Get loads of black bin liners. Pack, quilts, pillows, towels, sheets and any fabric/textile that does not need ironing into them, then get a vaccuum cleaner and wrap the opening of the bag around the nozzle and suck the air out then tie tightly.

A double quilt can be sucked down to the size of a 12 inch cube and when the bag is opened it just pops back into shape. Saves loads of space.

whomovedmychocolate · 26/10/2011 16:07

Ooh I used all my bedding to line the breakables boxes. But that's a good idea.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page