Moving day fast approaching, any tips?

[HelloThere1234]

We accepted an offer on our current house in October, had an offer accepted on our dream a week later and exchanged on December 20th!
We're due to complete in exactly one week's time...

We've never been in a chain before but we think we've got it all covered. We're 80% packed, loft has been emptied, utilities informed. We've hired a very reputable local removal firm (coincidentally the owners of the house we're moving to are also using the same ones).

But despite all that we're still very stressed and nervous! Do you have any tips? Something we may have overlooked? Or any advice for moving day?

:D

Pack a bag for each person for a few days with all you need as if you were going on a short break. Also pretend you are going on a caravan holiday and pack an essentials box with kettle, mugs, tea etc plus pliers and screwdriver, loo paper etc.

When you get to new house, put your beds together and make them. The beds will be ready for you later when you are exhausted. Bliss.

It's good you are both using the same removal firm, shouldn't be any annoyed movers if you accidentally cross over. If you are packing yourself make sure you lable the boxes clearly, anything vital like meds, work laptop or a favourite blanket can be found quickly that way.

If you have children get their rooms in working order first so they feel 'at home'. Take meter readings as soon as you can after you get the key (take photos). Take away for tea and good luck.

When you strip each bed, wrap the sheets and pillows in the duvet - leave the cover on - and you can quickly remake each bed at the other end. Take bedding in your cars so you don't have to search for it.

Have a toolkit, cleaning materials and tea and coffee making stuff in plastic boxes and take those in the cars too.

Sort out your mail redirect now.

I packed a bag for one day. But as soon as we'd moved I couldn't find the underwear, baby wipes etc. Pack a bag for 3 days! Use royal mail to redirect the post. I still haven't got around to changing my address everywhere a month on, and had no internet for weeks, so I think that's essential. Agree with current neighbours to leave last bits to pick up/ chuck on their drive, as when you think you are packed and need to go, there is always more stuff. Good luck

Thanks for the tips all!

Tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits for moving day - use old mugs (our movers broke two of ours) and leave kettle to be packed last.

Keep out kitchen roll, bin bags, dettol wipes and hoover for final clean up. I had a couple of fabric bags which I chucked chargers for phones, pens, pads, solicitors papers etc in so could keep hold and track of them in the 2 days before the big move.

Get kids to pack the books, toys etc they want in their new bedrooms. I also took scent diffusers from the boys bedrooms and put them in the new bedrooms when we moved in so it felt more homely. Agree with the tip above re laundry bundling and packing a case for each of you for the first few days. Remember a few rolls of loo roll and hand towel too.

Take photos of final utility readings at both old and new place ( I did and saved me a fortune as had proof of final bills when Scottish power were trying to bill me 200 fro 4 days worth of electricity and gas). Arrange locksmith for new locks at new place within a few days of moving in.

Saving this in final couple of weeks of packing up, lol.

We've just moved!
Yes to all of the above.
Our new house was really dirty so I was glad I had all my cleaning kit and toilet brush easy to hand.
Start a list of all the changes of addresses you need to do and add to it as you go. Don't forget HMRC.
WiFi takes longer to swap over than you think, investigate early.
Put the TV remotes somewhere sensible so they can be easily found. Same with WiFi router.
Arrange childcare for small children if possible.
Keep some ibuprofen and plasters handy. Our backs are knackered from cleaning and we've got scuffs and grazes.
As you dismantle beds, put screws in zip lock freezer bag, label it and put in safe place where can be easily found.
I have a cat, we've put her in a cattery for a few days. We've kept cat litter, tray and her toys packed in one box well marked so ready for when she comes home.
Good luck.

www.mumsnet.com/home-and-garden/moving-house-checklist

It sounds obvious, but make sure you check that the removal people are clear of where you want your boxes when you arrive at your new house. We moved the week before Christmas & despite labelling & labelling & labelling our 'removal firm' decided to just randomly place the boxes around the house (despite verbal instructions). I wish my husband would have double checked they had done their job before they left. It was awful - I'm still sorting it all out now

All good info, thanks!

We've only labelled up half the boxes (something we may later regret granted), but we had a big sort out and got rid of a lot of stuff we don't use or need - so we haven't got masses to sort through.

We don't have any children yet, but we have got a cat! He's going to dear mother's for a couple of nights, I expect he'll be put out as he doesn't like change lol.

We've only lived in our current house for 3 years but it's such a strange thought that this time next week we'll be living somewhere else!

What NOT to do.
Wrap your chests of drawers in bubble wrap to stop the drawers falling out. Removals people hate this as they can't slide other things between them on the van.
Do not expect your your new house to be clean. At all.
Do not forget to take a photo of your meter cupboard for gas/leccy.
Do not expect your new house to look like it did when you went to view it.
Do not expect the dog to automatically know where to shit!
Do not expect to know how the boiler/oven/gas fire works straight away.
Good luck x

Aim to arrive at the new house before the removal company. It's easier and quicker to hoover and dust an empty house.
If you have pets and it's a local move out them in kennels. One of our cats went missing on moving day.
Flatten the boxes as they become empty and have a single place to store them (we used the boot of our car) otherwise you'll be tripping over them.
Aim to lose the random box of crap that your DH insists on keeping but hasn't touched in 20 years. (We have a box of comics that have been through 2 moves).

Yes to everything above! I've moved 10 times ...hope never to again!...another few things to add: declutter as much as poss beforehand, have a takeaway menu handy for your first night so you don't have to cook, add a torch and also a bottle opener to your in the car essentials bag for some wine!..don't be surprised if there's all sorts of crap left behind in your new loft or garage or shed, find out where the new house's meters are and read them too as soon as you arrive, also find fuse box and water stop cock are just in case...put lots of cat toys around he house and try and keep your cat in for a few days so they get used to the new place. Good luck!

Some good tips already.
Don't forget that labelling boxes is not just to tell you what is inside, it is so the removal men know what room to put it in. So if you have only labelled half of the boxes you are going to have your stuff all in random rooms at the new place and have to carry it all around yourself. Do yourself a favour and label everything! Then make sure that you direct the guys at the new place so stuff goes where you want it. Don't let them leave until you are satisfied the boxes and furniture are in the correct rooms.
Oh and tape things together which belong together. Cables to laptops, remotes to tellies etc as they all get separated in the move.
Get in a tip for the removal guys if you can afford it and think they have done a good job. And mine wanted lots of tea and coffee.
Before you leave the old place, stand for a few seconds in every room really staring at it. Amazing what you see when you think a room is empty- a mirror still on the wall, a dressing gown on the back of the door, a doormat or pot plant you wanted to bring. So easy to leave stuff behind by mistake.
Good luck!

We had a plastic box with adaptors, extension leads, remote controls, router, ,cables of TV etc, in it which meant we could quickly set up electrical stuff at the other end.

Do not expect your new house to look like it did when you went to view it

This!!!

Houses look so sad without furniture, and you can see all the scuff marks and tatty bits.

Make labels with ‘bedroom 2’etc on and blu tac them on the doors so the right boxes go in the right rooms.

Provide tea and biscuits when they first get there as the kettle will be gone after that.

Take photos of the empty house when you leave in case the new owners try to claim something was broken or damaged.