Moving house with packers - what should I be doing?

[culturemulcher]

We're moving house in about 5 or 6 weeks' time, and we've decided to use a removals company who'll do the packing as well as the moving.

I've gone through most cupboards and shelves and thrown out what anything I can bear to part with we don't really need, and I know we've got to take down any light fittings and curtain poles we may want to take with us.

But what else? It feels as though I should be crazy busy getting ready for THE MOVE, but I'm wondering what on earth I should actually be doing.

Anyone got any advice - things you wish you'd done before the packers came? Anything I should sort out in advance?

Recently moved home with packers. Did a few boxes myself the previous night - including all small electronics & chargers, important keys & files, important papers & stationary, clothes & toiletries for arrival night, basic food, breakfast & milk.

Most importantly got the old house keys & new house keys in my purse & into the car lest it end up at the bottom of the 'drawer' box!!

Also it's important to know where you will be putting your furniture in the new house so that you can stack boxes in the free spaces - you don't know in what order they will unload & it's best to have furniture put down in the right place than to keep moving it after opening the boxes!

The movers will need cups of tea so handy cups & biscuits will make your move less stressful!

Good luck!

3 days - First day part pack and load, second day finish pack and load, third day travel and unload.

Has anyone else done this? Only one removal company has mentioned that they'll leave us with beds on the second day.

I haven't done it but the people who's house we bought did a two day stint. A lot depends on whether or not you don't get the keys to your new house until after lunch on the 3rd day.

I'd check what happens to the stuff on the first and second nights? Are they driving it to a depot / somewhere secure overnight or is it goign to be parked outside your house? Who will be liable if any issues?

If your house is completely empty on the second night, yes you would have to find somewhere to stay but there are lots of plus points. You could travel to your new home the night before and stay locally, then be at the front door with the keys first thing. You could have the whole house scrubbed and hoovered and figured out where you want beds to go if there are any last minute hiccups. If you have to wait until 3pm+ though that's a ballache.

Clearing out on the second night also means that your old home is ready for cleaners first thing in the morning and you potentially have a more leisurely opportunity to walk around, check for odds and sods, locate the cat that's gone awol in the frenzy, have a cup of tea with a neighbour etc etc. If you have older children, you could pick them up from school, have a pizza picnic on the living room floor and then head for a hotel.

I moved into a house with an 18month old that the previous owners had two cats. The place was flea infested which became apparent when the cats were gone and the eggs hatched and bit us, but mostly bit my toddler on the neck and face. If your new home will be empty from the night before, I can't recommend highly enough to NOT assume that it will have been left pristine and infestation free if they've had pets. For 120 I will never move into another house without having the whole place preventatively sprayed first.

Might be a little late to be helpful, the thread is about 18 months old

We are going to be moving an hour away. Would it ok to leave the contents of the freezer in the freezer?

I made sure we ran down the contents of the freezer and I defrosted and cleaned it the weekend before we moved, keeping the contents in the cold garage with cool blocks and wrapped in newspaper and dust sheets. Nothing defrosted overnight apart from the freezer.

On moving day, the remaining frozen food went into an insulated bag with cool blocks and was transported in my car. I emptied into the freezer at the new house shortly after arriving.