Anybody for a mutual packing support thread?

[jenduck]

We'll, it's here! After many moons of trying to buy our house & sell another one, the time had come to move out!

We complete on the sale a week on Monday, but we are moving out this weekend as it's a long weekend. We also have to live with my parents for a couple of months before the purchase completes (same village) & are putting our freezer, washing machine etc in storage, so best to do that this weekend.

I have 2 dses, 4 & 2, who I am at home alone with for 4/5 weekdays, although ds1 has preschool each morning & ds2 has nursery on 2 mornings. As such, I am finding it difficult to pack, but it needs to be done!

So far the loft is clear (our biggest battle), our room & ds2's room are clear except for random bits that I don't know where to put & the lounge is clearish.

Is anybody else in the same position & maybe wanting to do some mutual spurring on??

Congratulations on your purchase Jenduck!

Can I join? We exchanged Wednesday last week and are completing on the 7th June so 16 days to go. We are moving out of rented to our 1st home.

I am enjoying the process thus far but I dread packing clothes and I'm sure I won't find unpacking as enjoyable as the packing.

FIL has managed to get his work van to help with move so we are moving ourselves. Already have packed 30 boxes all stacked up in PIL's garage, we are moving closer to them I hope I don't regret being so close to them.

We don't have kids yet so I believe that makes it to deal with process. I have been packing a box per night for the few weeks since our offer was accepted. I believe little but often is the best way rather than a short sharp shock but then my mother would be in her element if it was the latter

We're not moving until mid july but I've started packing as I'm trying to sort & pack as we go along and we've managed to time it so that half term & nearly every weekend up to the move we are busy or not here.
I'm just shocked at how much stuff we've got!

Notyetthere we complete 7th June now as well :)

Can I join you :)

We complete tomorrow! I think we are nearly at 90 boxes! So far, I've not missed anything that's in those boxes so that's worrying :)

The clothes will go straight from the wardrobe onto the remover's transport rails although we have boxed up some clothes.

I am not looking forward to unpacking!

Notyetthere your brave moving yourself. I've done that once before with my parents (dad thought why pay for labour when you 4 children + assorted bf/gf to do it for free) .
It taught me one thing .... to pay for somebody else to do it and not let my parents anywhere near a house move!
I'm sure it will go smoothly and it sounds like you are getting there with the packing.

Cuddy just out of interest approx how big a house = 90 boxes?
I'm trying to work out an idea of how many more DH needs to bring home from work. The recycled ones he brings home from the hospital are far superior to the ones we bought

Moving from 6 beds to 5. In fairness we didn't have a lot to pack from 3 bedrooms! The removals company gave us loads of boxes. The most bizarre things was that there were boxes with DH's writing on from 5 years ago when we moved here that were included in the boxes the removals company gave to us!!

I just packed my first (small) box and filled a esco bag with random crap crockery that we will never use again

we are moving from a 2 bed with built in storage to a 3 bed with no built in

Wonky I wanted to use movers but DH family are adamant they will do it for us! They were almost offended when I suggested we use movers! FIL has a dodgy knee and hernia but they still don't see it a problem. I have assigned him project manager/van driver for the move but you know some men, they can't sit around watching everybody else do the heavy lifting.

We rented unfurnished and had everything delivered by the shops do probably the biggest item that we have carried up the 2 flights of stairs to our 2nd floor was a very light sofa bed! I dread to see how we will move our giant mirrored wardrobe doors without bending them!!

Hi we are about to start packing. Well we need to decide on a removal company first so we can get the boxes but will do that this weekend. Completion should be mid July. DH thinks we should get the removal company to pack but I think it would be easier for us to do it as we are moving out of my parents old house which still has some of their stuff in it and we aren't taking everything so I think it will get confusing and they might pack the wrong stuff. Plus I feel a bit weird letting other people touch my things.

Pretty you are welcome to join!

Have you started your packing yet? Are you using movers?

I found This thread useful

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=36196317#post36196317

Cuddy good luck with the move tomorrow! 90boxes and you are not missing anything? How big are they? 30boxes for us including Xmas tree box, BBQ box and a kenwood chef mixer box.

have packed one box, doing it all ourselves we have a van lol

There's quite a few of us, thank you all for joining me!

We too are moving ourselves. We are hiring a van for the whole of the bh weekend (although dh & I had somewhat of a falling out this morning when he informed me that he'd canceled 2 if those days as 1 day should be plenty to move ourselves ). Tbh I am finding it tricky to think what to take to my parents house, as we'll be there for a couple of months. The rest of our stuff us going to yellow box for now.

Am also finding it v tricky to pack with 2 small kids around - am using cbeebies & checking them when I hear screams every 15 mins or so & I even gave them a ready meal today . Tbf, this is usually only for about 2 hours a day as they still have school/nursery & we go to groups etc, for everybody's sanity!

Have not managed to do any packing yet today as ds2 teething & extremely grumpy. Also had his speech therapy group & went to my grandparents house as they were looking after ds1, do that took up whole afternoon.

Off to try & finish ds2's room now as have put night garden on!

Meant be moving Friday. Started packing at the weekend and we're about 90% done, just a few last minute bits to do. But we have moved house about 10 times in as many years, so we're pretty slick these days.

Jen with the one van we will need to at least 2 trips(35miles one way) but then at least we only need to pay for petrol.

As for feeding the kids a ready meal, its a one off; we are not all Mary Poppins and you know we all enjoy eating things that are not good for us!

Ooohhhh this is exciting! I have even downloaded an app that does a countdown and tells me how many weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds to completion! Can you see I'm definitely a 1st time buyer.

Checking in!

puffin am very impressed at your speediness! We have been doing bits for Weeks!

So, van is coming tomorrow, eek! In-laws coming down for Saturday & some of Sunday to help, my parents have offered too. House just looks such a mess because whatever isn't in boxes is scattered around! Not much to do most, though - kitchen, bathroom, cupboard under stairs & clothes, plus odd bits.

Feel sad, but excited!

House starting to look a bit odd already...i've taken all the kids drawings down in the kitchen and am clearing the bookcase (we wont read actual books for a bit lol) - task for the weekend is to start filling holes from pictures, so they'll all be coming down too

I know what you mean about house looking odd!

I have had a brainwave for packing pictures in frames - put them in used jiffy bags! Good size match & also easier than faffing with newspaper or bubble wrap!

good idea jenduck

That's a fab idea. My main problem is packing 4 massive canvas' they don't have frames or glass, are fragile and irreplaceable. So any other suitably inspired ideas on how to pack them so they end up in one piece would be gratefully received.

No tips for that I'm afraid, Wonky. Any larger pictures we have, we are just taking in the car & holding on laps (only moving 3 miles so short journey).

Anyway, we have nearly done it! Spent the whole weekend going back & forth from house to van, van to house & Yellow Box & my parents & somehow got most of it moved! Still have to go back for a couple of hours in the week to box up remaining bits & then again next weekend to move those (probably 2/3 carloads), but it's mostly done!

Yay!

How's everybody else getting on?

Not much further our supply of boxes hasnt happened, they were given to someone else now need to find boxes asap! stuff wise, we have alot of books and dvds. going to have a good declutter this weekend as we have no other plans and its going to piss down