Moving house - what do you wish you had done ?

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There is a real risk we'll actually exchange this week and then have two weeks to completion. So benefiting from all your hindsight what does this moving thing involve and what do you wish you had done?

As background moving from three bed to four be, with two pre school DCs. Will get packers and movers (but as it's a Monday they have suggested packing on Saturday)? We have two days off before and a week off after move when dc will be in childcare. We've been in current house for years so there is a lot of stuff and new house bigger but less built in storage. Should find out today what white goods are being left.

Any tips? Lessons learnt ?

Wish I'd had a massive sort out BEFORE moving not after.

Be ruthless about throwing stuff out before you move.

Expect the new place to be dirty - maybe hire a cleaner to come in on the moving day?

I think that I got it right this time. I booked cleaners for a deep clean.
Got things like fitted wardrobes arranged to be built in the first week while everything still in boxes.

Got linen done by service wash people ready for moving, had stamped, addressed change of address cards, vehicle details etc ready, posted after exchange.

Had locksmith booked for day after.

really good question!

as for locks, apparently you can change the barrels yourselves if upvc doors - see elsewhere and on youtube - a 5 min job.

what about getting room / kitchen measurements so you can get a headstart on buying whatever white goods you need / can give to wardrobe makers?

Something I did which worked was pay people
So I paid a handyman who came and built stuff, put light fittings up, hung pictures, moved stuff and assembled basically. I got the keys at noon and everything was done down to sheets on the bed at 9pm. Bliss!
Needed blinds so they came and fitted all the blinds at the same time too

Ollivander can I ask how much that cost you? We are moving soon with 3 under 5s, so looking for ways to make it a bit easier!

I can't actually remember as it was years ago but I looked online and just picked one. Wasn't mega expensive. They started about an hour after I got the keys so save costs because the first hour was unpacking really
One local to me is £20 an hour but even a couple of hours really helps as they can build while you unpack

Hire a skip!

Ollivander84 absolutely agree, I chucked money around to make it as easy as possible, locksmith, cleaner, linen done, light fittings put up.

I reserved some of the money we had put aside for moving and it was worth every bloody penny. Especially with children and pets on top.

I agree with others about having a clear out.

My top tip is make sure your preschool DC'S see stuff going into boxes and see then boxes going in to the van and see them come off the other side.
(They don't need to see it all, just the start)
Otherwise they'll spend the next year saying 'we used to have one of these in my old house'!

(It also helps if you can assign a grown-up to look after them, and take them away when they get bored/too excited/mischievious/tired/in the way.)

Our removals are taking apart and putting beds and wardrobes back together for us. We're packing ourselves as packers we're £800 plus vat which was over budget for us, plus I'm a bit controlling so want to know what's what. Removals have delivered lots of boxes and packing materials so we can start although we're not exchanging for a couple more weeks we need to do it over evenings.
I have a check list of people to tell we've moved. And I'm waiting for after the move to see how much money we have left then we'll get someone in to decorate.
I'll steal ideas from here though 😁

Wish I'd hired a skip rather than endless trip to the tip (new house).

In advance, make up A 4 Signs for each room, master bed, Jenny room, Billy's room, spare room. Blutak to doors. Makes it easier to direct movers.
Also rough floor plans for each room showing where major bits of furniture are going. You want movers to move each bit of furniture only once.
Couple of sheets of broadsheet newspaper on floor to show where boxes should be stacked. Otherwise they put a dozen boxes of books in just the place where the bookcase needs to go!

I second idea of handyman ASAP.
Otherwise you have pictures and mirrors leaning against walls getting in the way, and asking to get knocked over and broken. Hanging pictures might seem like low priority but they are safest on walls

I wish I hadn't believed my DH when he said he had sorted his share of the loft/shed/hobby room. He hadn't and it caused absolute chaos, enraged removal men and a horrible rushed day.

Be ruthless at clearing out! In car pack cleaning essentials so can start cleaning new house asap. Pack drinks/snacks in car so have available on day.

If you can, employ packers and movers. They don't touch the loft, so you'll have to sort that yourselves

Have the children looked after.

Make sure bedding is last thing packed so you can easily access it, you'll want kids bedrooms sorted first so they settle.

If you do have movers then, mark boxes with room names and print out a floor plan of the new house and annotate the floor plan with room names, give that to the movers.

Good luck!

Ours have always done the loft, maybe some do?

I booked my broadband engineer to come on the afternoon I moved and a handyman the day before and on the day, to put my new bed together, hang up mirrors and curtain poles, and fit storage; such as a bathroom cabinet, door hooks and a hanging rail in the cupboard. I also labelled every single box and item of furniture for the removals people. So definitely plan which room you want your stuff to go in, in advance.

I didn't have a lot of stuff, as I packed a 3 bedroom house into 22 packing boxes (plus suitcases and bags), but my outhouse in my new 2 bedroom house is now full of stuff we no longer need or want! So, even if you get rid of loads before you move, there'll still be stuff to go after you move!

Pack a suitcase or two as if you are going on holiday. So you have clean clothes and undies for the first few days, stuff to shower with and hairdryer/straighteners.
I moved two weeks ago and would have been miserable without being able to have clean clothes, decent shower stuff etc. However well you plan some stuff ends up "lost" temporarily so having your everyday essentials helps.
Second the spending money on the problem. I had cleaners etc

Kettle is last on moving lorry, and first out. Everything can be solved in moving with a cuppe. (That gem was passed down from my Nan)