Moving: packers on Friday, and moving on Monday

[madcows]

Hello all,
I wonder if any of you have thoughts of how best to do this. Finally, finally, finally we have exchanged and have a completion date. The move is on a Monday (not our choice, but had to accept it), and taking MN advise we will def'ly be getting packers in. The problem is that they have to come to pack on the Friday before. So... do we pack a suitcase on Thursday, pick kids up from school on Friday and go away for the weekend. Or will there be lots to do. Or will it be hell surrounded by boxes...
I had a very organised list of what to do when... but it assumed that I moved any day apart from a Monday!
Any thoughts???
madcows

Hello madcow. I suggest sending the DCs off to Granny/Auntie if possible for the weekend, and you and dh remaining to keep an eye on things. You will have personal things you want to pack yourselves, and the Packers will inevitably have questions and queries on where you want things. Good luck with the move.

Hi

We moved house with packers about 10 days ago, and you do really need to be there - they will have loads of questions as they pack, and unpack the following Monday. We were lucky as they started on Thursday and finished / moved on Friday so it wasn't too bad, but we packed a small suitcase of things we needed eg toiletries, school uniforms for a couple of days the following week etc. Good job we did as we only finishing unpacking all the clothes a week later! In your case I would pack a weeks' worth just in case.

I definitely second getting someone to look after the kids on the packing and moving days too. Ours were at school and nursery which was ideal, but they would have really got underfoot if not.

Good luck

We have moved a few times like this. I would suggest getting the kids to stay with friends or relatives. Perhaps book yourself into a local B&B for the weekend but pop back to the house to sort and pack what you need. Or borrow an airbed to sleep on at your old house.

Are they packing on Friday and never returning to your "old" house and seeing you Monday at the new house? Or are they returning on Monday morning for the last few essentials? If its the latter you may well cope sleeping on your mattress on the floor and a kettle and eating takeaway (keep knives and forks out) or eating out but I would still try and get the kids looked after elsewhere.

You will need to be there on the Friday as they pack as they will ask you questions etc.

I would suggest you keep a pile of stuff you'll need in one corner and tell them not to pack it - or even better pop it in the car to ensure they dont pack it by mistake.

We always leave handy and take ourselves our duvet pillows,certain paperwork and sentimental small items (jewellery)etc, vacume, kettle, mugs, 2 x plates and cutlery for 2 people, washing up liquid and a tea towel, washing up bowl/bucket - to fill with cold water and keep a pint of milk fresh, cleaning wipes and we also pack an over night bag with change of clothes, wash stuff and towels. I also buy a bag of donuts (cheap) from tesco or wherever to share out with the removal men to keep them sweet

Good luck with the move.

Problem is that we can't really leave them with Granny on their own, as she is a bit fragile... and no-one else.
The movers are coming to pack up on the Friday, but leaving us surrounded by boxes, and then the move itself (about 500 yards away!) happens on the Monday.
The Friday is easy, as kids are at school... but the Monday is first days of holidays I will need to organise all-day playdates.
And I'm imagining that the list of essential-things-not-to-be-packed-by-the-packers will grow as it will be for more than a couple of days. But the donuts are a good idea!
Still trying to work out if we should stick around on the Sat/Sun, eating takeaways, etc... or go away to Granny's and then back late on Sunday, for the move on Mon.
Did you clean after the packers, but before the move, or is it too chaotic?
madcows

The packers will pack stuff into boxes - contents of the kitchen, shelves, drawers, cupboards, but you should still have access to the furniture eg microwave, fridge etc. and beds (unless they are dismantled) until the van is loaded on Monday.

If you can designate a room/area on each floor that they can stack the boxes in, you'll be able to make a start on cleaning, and camp out for the weekend.

We have always moved with the military so always had the dreaded "March Out" inspection, so yes I clean as I go. You could always ask the removal men to stack as many boxes as possible in certain designated rooms over the weekend. This may leave you with a few empty rooms to be able to get on and clean.

As a general rule, they have always on every move packed upstairs first, so we have always just started to clean the empty bedrooms first, but whatever room is empty first you can start cleaning as soon as its empty, as long as they are not walking through the room with heavy furniture - you will piss them off if you get in their way when lifting heavy and awkward items.

I would deffo call in some play date favours where possible with regards to the kids.

Definitely keep the children out of the way as much as possible - can be traumatic for them to see everything packed up, as well as getting in the way!

We had packers on monday, moved tuesday. But they left us any furniture we needed overnight - so we had a bed, cot, sofa, tv (!), fridge etc. (freezer was actually moved with contents intact as we were only going down the road, but it was the last to be packed and (theoretically ) the first off.) So don't think that you'll be sleeping on the floor over the weekend.