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Original poster

Moving house - Your top tips please

22 replies

Whathashappenedtomyboobs · 10/11/2011 15:00

Hi I'm due to move house within the next month or two (fingers crossed before Christmas) My DH is going into hospital on the 22nd Nov for a week and will be out of action for 3 months :( Absolutely no lifting/manual work allowed. I have a 9 month old as well. I can't afford/haven't budgeted for the removal company to pack for us.

What are your top tips for packing and moving???

I've already got some vacuum storage bags for clothes/blankets/towels etc and started decluttering.

HELP!!!

OP posts:
stealthsquiggle · 10/11/2011 15:01

Ask the removal people how much they would charge to pack - we were astonished at how little more it was (because it is easier for them to move if they have packed themselves)

homeaway · 10/11/2011 16:44

Start now!!! Move from room to room packing everything that you are not using and give away / sell anything you dont want. Label all the boxes and number them and create a list with the box numbers on so that you can keep track in the new house where things will go. Create a last minute box with t bags and other essentials like calpol ( which hopefully you wont need but the last thing you want is to have to dash out to get some on moving day), babies milk etc... If you have access to the house before you move do a shop and leave it there. Good luck !

Original poster
Whathashappenedtomyboobs · 10/11/2011 19:31

Great thanks. Do removal companies require you to use certain types of boxes or is it any as long as they are sturdy?

OP posts:
vinegarpuss · 10/11/2011 19:40

Most removal companies will supply the boxes, bubblewrap and tape quite cheaply. Remember you won't be insured for breakages if you have packed your own boxes.

bibbitybobbitybloodyaxe · 10/11/2011 19:43

Last time we moved it was only £500 extra to have the removals company pack the entire house. We figured it was worth it Grin and I had a 3 year old, a 6 month old, and a dh permanently at work at the time.

Rumpel · 10/11/2011 19:46

Why don't you ask some of your friends and family to help you if they are near you? I am sure they wouldn't mind seeing as you are in a predicament. I'd also make sure you have kettle, tea bags, coffee etc in your car so you can at least make a cuppa when you get there without having to try and find them first! We moved when DD was 9 months also - it was fine she spent the whole time rolling around the carpets whilst we took ages to unpack everything over weeks. It's amazing how much guff you accumulate Shock Also amazing how yucky it can be behind freezer etc! Good luck and good luck for your DH's op.

PorkChopSter · 10/11/2011 20:17

Seriously; get the removal men to pack. They will do it faster and better than you. It will be insured. They will use their boxes and bubble wrap. They will also empty most of the house on the day before you move, meaning you can clean then.

Last time we moved it cost £150 for them to pack. It took 4 hours on day 1, and we were done by 10 am on moving day.

Recently I put a bunch of stuff into storage while we had building work and spent over a hundred quid on packing materials and it took me days.

LillianGish · 10/11/2011 20:22

In your situation I would definitely get the removal company to pack for you - get a quote, as a previous poster has said, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If they pack, then all you'll have to think about is sweeping up in each room as they finish - and they'll do all all the things like keeping the kettle handy etc. I move house quite a lot and I always have packers. I'd also advise having a big chuck out before you move.

Original poster
Whathashappenedtomyboobs · 11/11/2011 15:04

Ok I'm going to check how much it will cost for the removal company to pack but I really don't think we can afford it- this move is totally wiping us out!! Plus I feel a bit funny about other people packing away my things...weird I know!!!

Right well I'm going to make a start. Thanks

OP posts:
Kendodd · 11/11/2011 15:10

Cut back on something else if you can and get the removal company to pack for you. I did and it cost about £150 extra and was sooooo worth it.

Kendodd · 11/11/2011 15:14

Another tip, if the removal company pack for you they come the day before the move and bring everything with them, you don't have half packed boxes lying around for weeks. I asked ours what we needed to do before hand, they said nothing, I didn't even have to tidy up, they where like a plague of locust clearing each room.

Atlastadragon · 11/11/2011 22:35

I moved 2 weeks before DD was due, and the removals firm packed for us. I too was surprised how reasonable it was. One chap came and packed everything the day before we went , even empty blister packs of anadin!

They won't get drawn into looking at things, as you might do, or deciding where to pack it.

I think we had to pay a deposit for the packing boxes, which we got back if we handed them back within a couple of weeks, so that made us focus and unpack quickly!

Hatwoman · 11/11/2011 22:41

I've moved twice in the last 3 years. I wholeheartedly agree with getting packers - it's so worth while. You don;t have to do a thing to prepare for them. My other piece of advice is to allocate 2/3 days to SOLID unpacking. write off every activity. expect to do nothing else. obviously you have the baby to take care of - so maybe it'll be 4/5 days - but again imo it's so much better. you'll be settled within less than a week.

PerAr6ua · 11/11/2011 22:44

Lots of labels for the boxes - colour coded so you can recognise which room they're meant for at a distance, and one for each side of the box, so you don't have to turn them around to work out what they are.

And what someone said about a kettle. Put a separate box in the kitchen now. Kettle, tea, coffee, biscuits, milk, sugar, teatowel, few mugs and spoons, food for kids till you can organise a takeout. Last thing to pack and first thing to unpack - have it on someone's lap in the car Smile

TheCountessRoyalofBlood · 11/11/2011 22:45

Seriously, get the removal firm to do it, it is money well spent, it means if there are breakages that they will pay and you get that for piece of mind (although bear in ind that 1 or 2 glasses/mugs/ etc do sometimes break - tis fact of life but the big things are covered!)

With DH out of action it will be well worth it. that being said still worth decluttering now anyway - perhaps declutter and ebay it this will add to the moving fund.

Original poster
Whathashappenedtomyboobs · 12/11/2011 17:49

Ok just spoken with DH and we are going to get a quote for the packing...fingers crossed we can afford it! DH is off work 3 days before the op so is going to help finish decluttering :)

Thanks x

OP posts:
HotBurrito1 · 14/11/2011 17:57

Moved last week and we packed ourselves. Went pretty well as all of the cleaning was done before removal day, on the day we just had a quick whizz round with the Hoover. Someone suggested packing priority boxes with things you'll need the first few days... This really helped. Also someone on here suggested to me to label with maximum detail, and this was very useful too.

We got boxes from an online company, from staples, from friends and some borrowed from the removal firm (even after decluttering we had rather a lot of stuff Blush ).

If you pack yourselves it's a good opportunity to get rid of some junk. It does take a while, but you have some time to get cracking now. All the best, you will find it tiring either way.

We don't think our removal firm didn't break anything, but we haven't finished unpacking yet Grin.

HotBurrito1 · 14/11/2011 18:00

Or rather we don't think our removal firm did break anything... Brain still not recovered.

Lexie1970 · 14/11/2011 19:49

We moved back in June. We did look at somebody to do the packing but it was a hefty sum however should we move again sod the cost get the movers to pack!!

If you have a loft and shed / garage do not UNDERESTIMATE how much crap you have accumulated over the years! Get far more boxes than you think you need as you will use them all and then think you could do with a few more. Wardrobe boxes are fab as it means you just take off rails and put straight in and if you don't have wardrobes in new house the stuff can stay in the boxes and still be wearable!!! Also personally think hiring crates is better than boxes as making up boxes is totally soul destroying. If crates have to go back in a week you have no choice but to unpack - stuff in boxes can linger for years......

My parents had son (just turned 4 at time)and I packed over the course of week.

Also cleaning the house is so much easier when empty and if removals company has packed day before you have clear areas to clean. Our last day was stressful 'cos we were still packing as removals men arrived OH had got totally rat-arsed night before and threw glass of lager at wall in hissy fit ALL OVER damn carpet - happy days :) :)

Anyway all I can say is good luck - packing is awful.......

Thehusbandsatcricketagain · 14/11/2011 21:54

If you do pack yourself then make sure every box is all for the same room & make sure you put the room on the box,when we moved last year it was a doddle,the removal men just looked at the box & deposited it in the correct room

and start NOW,loft decluttering is major important as that's where most of the crap hidden stuff seems to lurk

I packed,removal men moved £600 all in for over 100 miles,bargain and happy me as could never have left anyone else to pack for me with my ocd orderedness

Thehusbandsatcricketagain · 14/11/2011 21:56

oh yes as above get rid of any dc for at least 24hrs,simplifies entire operation

wonderinglonely · 16/11/2011 17:55

we moved on a wet day and I wished I had put down a few cheap door mats in our new house as all the feet in and out were a bit messy.

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