House move in 2 weeks, panicking.

[GoatsInATree]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this one as I feel that I'll be needing ongoing help with this but here goes.

Just found out I'll be moving house in two weeks time. I've known a move was likely for a couple of months now but have been procrastinating about preparing for it because I didn't have a fixed moving date.
The problem is that my house is a complete tip - I've been planning to declutter it for about a year now but never got round to it. (Procrastination being a recurrent theme here!).

I live alone so don't have to worry about packing for others.
House is a small 3-bed. Kitchen/diner, sitting room, upstairs small bathroom, 2 average sized bedrooms and one box room which is my office as I work mostly from home.

I'm now sitting here in a panic. I have no clue where to start. My house is such a mess already!
I moved house four times in 18 months ten years ago and the experience was horrendous each time.
I'm working today but have managed to drastically reduce my hours for the following two weeks which will help.

Please advise/hold my hand/kick me up the arse!

Pay for packing and removals. Spend your time before moving day decluttering and taking stuff to the tip of charity shop depending on the condition. If you don't have a car, pay for a skip. Do a room at a time, cupboard by cupboard. If you haven't used or worn something for a period of time, get rid.

De-clutter as much as you can. I recently moved from a similar house and it only took me Friday -Monday to pack up, and most of those days weren't full days, as I don't have much stuff; 22 packing boxes and lots of bin bags and bags for life, for a 3 bed semi!

Thank you both.

I'll start the decluttering tomorrow as I have most of the day free so I can do it in 45-minute spurts with a 15-minute break each hour .

Not sure what room to start in. Am tempted to start in the worst one but have a feeling I may get a little disenchanted as I won't see much progress at first. I think I'll start in the dining room which isn't too bad right now. I should be able to get it finished in a couple of hours.

Start in an easy room, like the dining room you're planning on, then alternate with a trickier room. If I were you, I'd do a room at a time, as you haven't got a lot of time left and be ruthless! I would pack a room at a time too, labelling every box with the room it will be going into, as you go. Good luck! You can do this!

Thanks cremeegg. I'm going to do the dining room today, will report back when it's done. It's easy as it's a kitchen/diner, the diner part being quite small with two cupboards and a few large drawers.

I can't afford a removal company so it's a 'man and van move' unfortunately. I do remember how much easier it is when the movers pack for you.
Labelling the boxes with the room is good advice. When I moved into this house I didn't think it through at all and just packed boxes with things randomly from different parts of the old house.
After the move I spent nearly 3 weeks in chaos unable to find things! In fact there's still one box that I haven't fully unpacked - 8 years since the move!

I've started another thread about my shit tip house today. Keep going.
Buy a load of black bags. Aim for TEN a day. Be ruthless. Marie Kondo is a recurrent theme on here and its excellent but time is of the essence here so just get stuck in.
Some charities will collect if you have a lot of stuff. Right get going! I'm cracking on too.

How are you getting on, Goats? By the way, I got my packing boxes from eBay. £16.78 for 20 and they were delivered within 2 days.

We moved recently after 25 years! I'd advise you to get a big skip and throw anything you've not used in the last year. Be ruthless! Send clothes to a charity shop. Leave books outside for people to help themselves. Get a load of boxes off eBay, you'll need more than you think. Any half empty bottles e.g. Cleaner, food, shampoo etc throw away. Any furniture that won't fit in the new house get rid of. Arrange a deep clean for the day you leave. The house we moved into was really dirty and it really really bothered me!

Declutter as you pack. So go to the bookcase (eg). Items either go into the box as they are worth taking or they go into the black bag.

Then do the kitchen cupboards. Leave out a plate and cutlery

Then do the wardrobe. Leave out four outfits. Pack or throw everything else.