Moving house tips

[Flower0503]

Hi all.

So we are moving house in 10 days time. Any top tips to help the move to smoothly? We have hired a removal company to do packing and removal for us. Any top tips welcome please (and anything NOT to do)😀
(Have searched but I can't find a similar thread already although I'm sure there must be one)

Have a really good clear out now. Packers will literally shift everything in your house.
Make sure you've emptied the loft, the shed, anywhere else you don't use as a room (under stairs cupboard / garage / etc)
Get someone to look after small dc / pets for the day.
Have a couple of clearly marked boxes with things you are taking in your own car - from your purse and phone and charger, to tea bags. Screw driver, toilet roll also useful.

Move furniture (eg wardrobes, fridges) that you don't move regularly and do all the cleaning now, before the day.

I've never had packers so not sure how this bit works, but when I've packed boxes I'd say list the contents on the outside and clearly mark which room you want the removal men to put them in.

Watching for tips as we move in 11 days!

Pull drawers out and leave clothes in, then all you'll need to do is put drawers back in when you get to your new house, also leave clothes on coat hangers, saves hours not having to re fold clothes etc!

Have a box of things with you in the car that you absolutely would not want to lose (valuables/jewellery/passports etc)

Extra labelling of boxes - my packers labelled stuff eg understairs cupboard but not in sufficient detail

You don't need to pull drawers out - the movers will do all of that. Designate an area for anything you are leaving for your buyers and put instruction manuals, etc there. Have some boxes you can take in the car - one with kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, etc so that doesn't get packed up. Have another with cleaning stuff. We had one with basic tools too and another with phones, remotes, extension cables so getting stuff set up at the new house was easy. Take your hoover in the car with you or make sure it's the last thing on the van and first off. Strip the beds on moving day but roll everything up - duvet, pillows, etc complete with covers and if possible take that in a car or put it a large bag then you easily and quickly make the bed at the other end.

Oh and don't let the movers pack damp towels - I put ours in a bin bag and took them in the car. Otherwise they'll go smelly unless you find where they've been packed quickly at the other end.

Put a note up on each door saying 'Bedroom 1', 'Study' etc so that they can mark the boxes. Then put the notes up on the correct doors in the new house so that at least all the boxes are in the right places.

Prioritise putting the beds together and making them up the other end so you will be able to fall, exhausted into them at the end of the day

Thank you! These have been really helpful.

Aim to get to the new house ahead of the removal men. Take the vacuum with you in your car. Hoovering empty rooms is quicker than rooms filled with boxes.

Have a box of things you want to find quickly and easily that is clearly labelled. For us that always includes the kettle, a change of sheets for making beds on the first night and other first day things.

Tea towels, bathroom hand towels and soap should go along with your tea coffee mugs etc

• as you fill boxes label them
• if you have storage for "full" boxes in new house label with a 1/2/3 1 is open within 1 week 2 within an couple of weeks 3 is as required ( Christmas stuff etc /books/ out of season clothes)
• designate an area to put all boxes after being emptied also flatten every box you empty and if using paper to wrap items have a few wheely bin liners to put it in
• 2 small boxes by the front door for old owners post and your post as it arrives bakes sorting much easier
• get some ( about a dozen) of the donation bags from your local charity shops as you unpack donate everything you think why the hell did we pack this ( decluttering before help but this will still happen) the reason for charity bags is they are easy to identify and you won't take the wrong black sacks to the charity shop.
• designate a kitchen drawer for the TEMPORARY storage of important paperwork, instructions etc as you find them when unpacking so they all go in one place.
• pack school uniforms ( book bags lunch boxes etc) and work clothes into suitcases that way you can find them more easily when it's suddenly Monday morning
• return all your library books BEFORE you move

Be as detailed as possible when writing what's in a box. Kitchen or bedroom is not very helpful when you want to find the breakfast bowls or shoes for a wedding you're going to in 3 weeks time

If you are using packers check the insurance window. We have to indicate what we will claim for within seven days so everything has to be unpacked and checked within a week.

We moved! We actually MOVED! On Wednesday. And followed your tips - thank you. This was such an easy move using packers and the tips you wrote here. Thank you!

Congratulations @flower0503 - we too are in (it's been 2 weeks now). Another top tip for anyone reading this thread who hasn't yet moved is to think about where items belonged in your last house compared to your new house when you're labelling boxes. Just because you used to keep something under the stairs doesn't mean it will end up under the stairs in your new place. But when the kids say 'where's my tennis racket?', it's easier to find if you know where it came from. Also, group similar items together. My husband packed a lot of our boxes and I found 5 clocks in 5 different boxes when I unpacked (because they 'filled a gap' in a random box!