Stressed about packing up house and preparing to let

[InaPuckle]

I've live in my home since forever and have accumulated so much stuff, most of which I like to think is useful . The house is tiny and I am just having some refurbishment finished but also have some painting to do. I've no more money to spend on it but need to hurry up and get everything cleared up. Right now I'm just feeling quite alone and stressed about it, kind of wishing someone would come in and do it all for me! All my useful stuff clutter needs to go up in the loft, but there's a catch, I haven't yet finished laying the loft flooring and am working full time.

We're off to NZ for 9 months so need to pack for more than just a holiday but not really long enough to justify sending extra stuff out.

It's just me and DS who leaves a constant trail of mess behind him.

Any tips on how to get packed up and how to cope with the stress?

I'm s massively stressful as there is all of the emotional stuff dredged up from moving as well as the practical things.

We took everything (including a full nappy bin and a tray of brownies) so at least we didn't have to decide what to take and what to leave. I suppose that's your first job and then you need to get the loft sorted. Is there anyone who could do that for you? Not because you can't but because that is a job someone else could do whereas the decision on what to take is yours.n

I don't really have anyone I'd be happy to ask about doing the loft, who would do it for free, wouldn't want someone who might put their foot through the ceiling either! Not sure I can afford the builders any more. I try to work on it when DS is in bed but can't always motivate myself to do a bit every day.

I need the house tidy and the stuff out of the way to find tennents, before we even start clearing away all the personal effects!

Hmm I was going to suggest outsourcing what you can too. Otherwise you just have to bring yourself to be ruthless.

Similarly we are looking at spending a year in South Africa, no shipping budget & don't want to pay masses for stuff in storage either... Just need to get rid of loads of crap basically.

I've created a bit more loft flooring, making progress then. I've also arranged for two agents to come round to value it for short let. Hopefully their enthusiasm and optimism will rub off!

I feel for you! This time last year I was selling my house and used to spend every evening looking at all the Stuff that'd need to be packed/dumped/sold/etc and feeling completely overwhelmed and daunted.

I was alone with 2 small kids. And a job and a cat.

BUT... It got done. Some of it in small bursts, and some in huge swaths.

Yours will get done too. It will. You'll do it. I don't know exactly when, or how, but you will. :)

Thanks WhatsGoingOnEh, just the one small kid and a cat here, so really it should be easier . It's those moments of stopping to look at it all that it gets so overwhelming and easy to stall. I have a few hours coming up with DS away so will be doing some huge bursts then.

I seem to develop super-human powers when DS is away and I have some time to just crack on, no need to stop for meals or keep quiet while he's going to sleep.

been there - no alternative but crack on with it.

hints as we did what you are doing:

• don't leave anything valuable or sentimental in the loft. It is accessible even if locked. For only 9 months, may be worth a small storage unit for the valuables, or speak nicely to relatives.
• do lock the loft (and make sure it is excluded from the tenancy), but if there are tanks or pipework there your tenants will need emergency access. So fit a small breakable padlock, with a note that in water-through-ceiling emergency only, they break it.
• declutter ruthlessly. When every single item needs to be lifted, it makes you concentrate. Stuff is cheap in the Uk, you can replace. Be aware that stuff is not cheap in NZ - but your container would only just make it before you were coming home.

have you got your agent lined up? Will they actually do the job? Have you got ALL the insurances in place? 9 months is an odd length - are you prepared to let it for a year?

Ina is your DC school aged? Do you have a plan other than winging it in place?

Thanks specialsubject trouble is I don't think anything I own has any value but I feel sentimental about everything, hence the endless clutter I have accumulated. I will lock the loft, there are no tanks or anything up there that access could be required for (except the roof).

I've had an agent round today and another coming tomorrow. They can market it for 9 month contract or short let like a holiday let but can actually put it on for both to start to see what we get. Luckily it's a good area for property.

I'm not really sure why I picked 9 months, but I felt a year was too long, DS going in to Y6 when we get back, so want to come back to our home for convenience there and also applying for secondary school from here.

Sophie DS is in school, taking him out when we go, starting school in NZ in February is the plan. From what I have worked out so far it sounds like not a problem to just rock up and attend the local school, so far no one has mentioned any applying for places then wait and see so I guess they're not oversubscribed. School when we come back may be more of a problem but have a few nearby to consider, if not back to where we are.

Sounds like a great adventure ... And you will get there, things will be done. It's really easy to lose perspective when you move but you just have to focus on getting yourself and your ds there safely with priorities like school ticked off. The rest is detail. Speaking of school, as the school year starts in January, the aus/nz school calendar is out by about 6 months compared to the UK. Depending on which year your ds goes into when you are there, he may have some catching up to do when you arrive or when you get back.

you'd be surprised at how your attitudes to stuff change when you have moved away and had to live out of a suitcase for a while.

been there!

and also been to NZ - loved it. Enjoy!