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Property/DIY

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Can anyone who has moved themselves help?

45 replies

Everywhichway2018 · 27/07/2018 07:52

We are going to move ourselves as the quote for removals was more than the value of our stuff - leaving a lot behind.

Can anyone recommend what I need and where to get it please?

Our buyer wants to exchange and complete next week so I am totally overwhelmed with how much now needs to be done.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 27/07/2018 13:57

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that getting a removal firm and paying them to pack for you is worth every penny. Packing is time consuming and disruptive. The cost of packing materials will likely be more than you think and you will be surrounded by boxes and trying to find things. Loading the van, dismantling beds, etc all takes time. Then when you are already knackered you have to unload and unpack. The stress of all of that on top of moving is not worth it imo.

MovingThisYearHopefully · 27/07/2018 14:07

Couldn't agree more wowfudge!

Everywhichway2018 · 27/07/2018 16:44

@wowfudge I totally get what you are saying but we are having to move twice. (Long story short - after spending out money and losing our buyer on exchange we have decided to complete our chain before spending out this time.) Honestly the good we are taking from this property could probably be replaced brand new for £2500. Our lowest quote was nearly £1800.

Thank you all for your helpful tips. Now just need to make it through to exchange and then hit the ground running!

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bathsh3ba · 27/07/2018 18:27

My advice is ... don't do it. I moved myself literally round the corner and it was the most stressful few days of my life. I still haven't finished unpacking....

Arewehomeyet · 27/07/2018 18:34

We have done it twice. Last time moved entire contents of a 4 bed house. It is utterly utterly awful. Had to move all our stuff into storage as all very last minute in the end. I think we saved about 50% the cost of removals but not worth it in anyway.

NotMeNoNo · 27/07/2018 18:38

Ok did you say if you have kids? Our experience is that 3 or 4 adults can move a small house/flat but children take it into another league .

Basic rule of any DIY : do it like professional would. Proper van, proper boxes and packing materials, be well prepared!Grin

seastargirl · 27/07/2018 18:38

Hire a van that can be collected one place dropped in another.

Plenty of cardboard boxes, if things are being stored I'd buy proper moving boxes online. Big roll of bubble wrap or paper to wrap breakables in, plenty of tape.

Make sure each box is labeled clearly what room it's for and what's in it, I tend to write something on every side of the box so that if they're stacked when stored you can still see them.

Laundry bags from b and m are ace for all clothes, bedding etc. If you need to make beds where you're staying make a bed roll of sheet duvet and pillow so it's easy to make the bed at the other end (do this as soon as you arrive so that you know you can get straight into bed when you want)

Pick a room to store your packed boxes, it's easier if rooms are emptied and makes it clearer for you to see your making progress.

Keep the kettle, loo roll, teaspoons etc to pack last so you can make whatever refreshments you need easily.

Keep your car and house keys somewhere where they will not get packed in a last minute panic.

Blankets/quilts can be used to wrap tellys etc.

Photograph your property and metres when leaving so that any complaints from the new owner can be quelled easily.

You will feel like you'll never do it

seastargirl · 27/07/2018 18:40

Sorry hit post to soon.

You'll feel like you will never do it but you will!

crimsonlake · 27/07/2018 18:59

Please do not do this especially if you have to move next week and have not even started packing. Lots of threads on here from buyers whose vendors were still at the property packing hours after it officially theirs, me included.
Do not underestimate how long it takes to pack and clear a house and clean. It took me weeks to pack everything and some time to source all the boxes. What time is completion on the day? That is the official time it is no longer yours and you need to be out, so expect that to be by 2 pm, check with your solicitors.

crimsonlake · 27/07/2018 19:09

Where about in the country are you? I had to move twice and put my things in storage and other items were scattered around friends garages for 6 months. I am based in the North West and moved from a 4 bed house for £350 , paid just under £100 a month for storage and another £350 to have them brought out of storage to my new home. Moving twice is the pits and having to pay twice sucks but you just have to accept it as part of the costs. I was trying to keep and save every penny towards my new place as it needs a lot of updating but suffering the cost is part and parcel of moving.

SassitudeandSparkle · 27/07/2018 19:14

I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself either tbh. Start packing immediately, you will be amazed by the number of boxes.

DorothyHarris · 27/07/2018 19:14

One thing we did which i would absolutely do again is buy about 20 of those Ikea blue bags, you can get them on Amazon, put all the clothes in still on hangers and anything that wouldn't break.

BackforGood · 27/07/2018 20:21

Another who has moved themselves (for various complicated reasons). We were moving locally. We were in a really fortunate position in that the vendor was happy for us to do it over a few days if we wanted to. We had 7 people helping us with the actual move, plus someone else who took the dc for us, plus a couple of other people who came and did an hour or so, or helped in ways such as making tea and fetching food for dinner (couldn't lift). There is no way in the world I would do it again.
The movers are professionals. They know how to lift, They know how to pack. They can strip a house in a tiny fraction of the time willing volunteers can. I know it seems a lot, but, as a proportion of the amount you will spend on moving house as a whole, paying removers is one thing I wouldn't scrimp on.
I can't believe you haven't started packing yet.......

Moore6701 · 27/07/2018 20:26

We’ve always moved ourselves - first time was Scotland to Northern Ireland. Starting packing up non essential first- room at a time. Had a good declutter. Lots of boxes, newspapers, bubble wrap. Moved the lot in our trusty cattle trailer.

lljkk · 27/07/2018 20:37

pack everything you can as soon as you can.
Plan what you really need in last 3-4 days before departure & put it all in designated suitcases; the rest gets packed up.

Have 1-2 boxes for very important stuff you will need frequent access to (wallet, some plastic plates, bog roll, etc)
I don't think it's more complicated than that, tbh.

AwkwardPaws27 · 28/07/2018 16:49

Try Freecycle or local Facebook selling pages for boxes and bubble wrap - I got a load for free on there, and then passed them onto to someone else who was moving afterwards. Wilko also do a packing materials range or you can buy big rolls of bubble wrap on Amazon.

Are you planning to exchange and complete on the same day? If so, I really urge you to have at least a couple of days between as if anything goes wrong with the exchange there will be no time to sort it before completing (my buyer went AWOL on our planned exchange day, if we'd been completing on the same day it would have been even more of a nightmare as everyone in the chain would have lost their removals costs).

Everywhichway2018 · 28/07/2018 17:43

Thank you everyone!

We are really in limbo at the moment. Buyer wants to exchange on Monday and complete Friday but not sure if this will be possible as the solicitor hasn't reviewed the enquiries answers yet.

I have ordered lots of laundry bags from ebay and wardrobe boxes.

Still need to get bubble wrap, boxes, tape...

Wish me luck!

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 28/07/2018 17:59

Good luck! Keep the car keys, loo roll, kettle, tea and biscuits to hand, you can do it!

SassitudeandSparkle · 28/07/2018 18:16

Good luck - really, even if you can't start packing then you need to start sorting and dumping ASAP!

hendricksy · 28/07/2018 18:20

I pack myself and get removals but I pack each room off all the things I don't need and label it as I go along . Ending up with the things I use regularly at the end . It's pretty easy really once you get started . Store boxes in the corner of each room and label as you go .

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