FTB's - Advice for physically moving house?!

[DragonMamma]

Hello :D

We are FTB's and have 2 small DC's. We currently live in rented and are waiting for our completion date but I would assume it will be in the next month or so.

Any tips on how to move effectively? We are only going a mile down the road and we are doing it ourselves so I'm not relishing the idea tbh.

Where we live has fitted wardrobes but we have managed to negotiated with the vendor to purchased her wardrobes so that will save a lot of self assmebly.

There is laminate in one of the bedrooms and I'd ideally like carpet, would you try and arrange this for the Saturday morning after collecting our keys on the Friday? Or is that being a bit too optimistic?

Oh and any tips on where to get decent, cheap boxes from would be appreciated - Are the wardrobe ones worth paying for? We could fill them, move them and refill? We are handing the keys back to our rented place on the Monday so we have 3 days to do it.

All tips & links appreciated.

boxes cost a fortune. Try your local freecycle groups for removal boxes, and prepare to move quickly to get them. No need for wardrobe boxes, for a move that short and with three days to do it, use suitcases and binliners, if you can't do that you have way too many clothes.. Pack boxes full but don't make them too heavy.

keep the kettle, mugs, toilet roll, documents, wallets, valuables etc handy at all times. While you are going between houses make sure you keep locking up.

Once you have exchanged contracts (Which I hope you have!) then you can book that carpet fitting - with exchange you WILL get the keys, or a lot of money. As you must be first in the chain, you should have the keys by about 2pm on the Friday. If you can find someone to look after the kids on the Friday and Saturday that would make things a lot easier.

have a big clearout - remember you will be carrying EVERYTHING you own. Arrange your post redirect, contact utilities, inform friends of moving date etc now.

it is worth it afterwards! :-)

Thank you!

We are exchanging contracts a week today - it was the earliest DH could get that didn't clash with work. They said we'd have a completion date then?

I'm already enlisting my mum to have the kids overnight so we can get the beds up and more annoyingly, install a load of curtain poles as she's taking them all with her.

Tried my local freecycle for boxes and there's none going. Will have to ask around.

I'm already in the process of selling all our DVDs and CD's, I don't want to fill the house with crap from the off.

I wish I was well off enough to afford somebody to do it all for me...

not sure why exchange is affected by whether your husband is at work - it is all done by the solicitors and you don't need to be there. Time between exchange and completion is negotiable (generally no less than a week) and the completion date has to be decided at exchange, so get involved for a date.

Your solicitor has hopefully reminded you that you must insure the new house from exchange.

Boxes are rare on freecycle - put up a 'wanted' as that can work.

The solicitor needs to go through the paperwork? I'm confused now!

me too! What confuses me is why whether your husband is at work or not affects the exchange of contracts.

By now your solicitor should have draft contracts agreed, list of what is being left in the other house signed, searches done, have asked for your deposit, an acceptable completion date and all queries on both sides answered - and an agreed price of course. He/she then phones the other solicitor, they agree that there are no outstanding queries and they then verbally agree an exchange of contracts. That locks the transaction unless someone wants to pay a LOT of money.

good solicitors do all this and keep you posted. Bad ones go to sleep unless you keep prodding.

We are in the process of getting quotes for removals having just sold- I've been very surprised how affordable the quotes have been, having heard of some horror stories (mainly from my mum!) and have had a quote of £400- boxes come free (second hand from the removal firm) and much less stress. Think we are going to pay just for less hassle and to allow me to clean the house properly (other people who have moved think it's money well spent).

We aren't in rented though so will have to be out on the day of the sale- if you overlap with yours, could you do it over a couple of days if it's still unaffordable?

Having moved "about a mile down the road" 3 times since August 2010 this is my top tip:

Hiring a man-with-a-van for 6 hours or so can be cheaper than hiring a self-drive van for a whole weekend (which you'll have to do if the place is not open on Sundays). The man (or woman) will know how to fill the van efficiently and be helpful when carrying things.

Special - all the searches etc have been done and our solicitors have received a copy of our mortgage offer from our lender. Errr, not entirely sure what else. I got the impression that the rest would be sorted when DH goes in to see them. I'll call them tomorrow and ask what the reason for the visit is. Does he not have to sign something?

Sausage - my DH has a long wheel base van through work which should be ample for carting our stuff around. We basically only have our 3 piece suite and dining furniture plus the odd chest of drawers because the wardrobes are staying here.

I'll definitely look in to a man and van Trills, I don't really want to be at the arse end of the sofa getting stressy, I'd rather do nothing make cups of tea and 'direct'.

We signed our paperwork ahead of time, the solicitor just filled in the dates meaning we didn't physically have to go in on the exchange date, would have been impossible seeing as though Dh was already working 100 miles away

Overlap your tenancy agreement, we have done it twice. Gives you time to check out new place, decorate, put in carpet, move and then clean an empty rental property.

Good luck.

I'd say consider a local removals firm (sorry if you don't want to hear that!)

We paid £200 for one full van load (huge van) to travel 30 miles. They filled it all expertly and were very efficient, quick and knew exactly what they were doing. The nationals will charge you a lot but local firms can be very good value.

Meant to say we didn't need to empty furniture as they moved it with clothes in.

Re the furniture I'd wait til you were in so you get a feel for the place.

if the place will be in both your names you should both be signing something. Doesn't have to be done in the solicitors office (I've never met my solicitor as he's on the other side of the country, all done by post), so if a visit isn't practical because of the kids, it's not a problem.

hopefully all is well but just a bit puzzled. Knowing you've had exchange should just be a matter of a call from your solicitor, unless your seller starts to mess you about at the last minute. REALLY hope not, been there!

Start now writing a list with all your suppliers (gas, electricity, water) and people you pay such as TV liucence, council tax, banks, pension company etc etc.

Write down their name, the web address, their phone no and your account number. Once exchanged you can contact most of these before completion/moving date to tell them your new details. Do the phone first so you can get your new number. A lot you can do on line. Tick stuff off as you do it. Do not get rid of the list until you are sure everyone is done and actualy acted on it (ie no more post coming through to your old address).

Still do a post redirection though. Just the above is something you can do whilst hanging around waiting til d-day Did it on scraps of paper on my first move. Nightmare. Did it "properly" the move and it was a dream in comparison.

Thanks for all your great advice - really appreciated.

I have ascertained that we need to go in next week because the contracts need signing? We've not actually been in yet and have only ever received the initial paperwork to instruct and sent back proof of ID, address etc.

They want to complete a week next Friday - I've told them to bugger off. I've only just given 4 weeks notice on our rental and can't afford to run 2 properties for a couple of weeks. That didn't go down too well.

I will have today off and then tomorrow, I pack!

you've taken enough of a risk giving notice before you have exchange of contracts - as you have nothing to sell and have your mortgage offer you should be ideal buyers. Let them wait a bit, no-one can give less than four weeks notice on rental.

Nag like mad to get that exchange through ASAP, make sure they are leaving everything that you expect them to leave and that there are no last-minute funnies.

good luck and fingers crossed for you!

The EA asked me to call the sols today so they have the contract paperwork ready to sign on Tuesday and also asked me to sort out transferring the deposit etc over to them.

The notice won't be a problem, my LL doesn't mind when we move out - he's one of the good ones thankfully and the longer the better for him.

Thanks for your advice, you've made me ask a few questions I wouldn't have.

I just wish she'd leave the bloody curtain poles, would make my life so much easier and save having to put new ones up before the kids can sleep there