Is there a countdown to moving calendar

[kerrymucklowe2020]

SSTC but apparently it's not uncommon for chains to take 6 months! So, to stop going completely insane, I wondered if there's a type of countdown calendar, things I can do ( however small ) towards getting ready for the move

You could start decluttering. Make sure all of your wardrobes/drawers/cupboards are completely neat so when it comes to packing it’s a matter of lifting stuff out and putting it straight into the boxes rather than having to fold/organise/bin while packing.

Chains can take 6 months but it’s not that common. Do you have a reason to think yours will take that long? We’ve been advised that 8 weeks is currently achievable but I think we’re expecting that to fall to about 12 weeks.

@Simonsaysitschristmas I don't know yet where the end of the chain is ( we had an offer accepted Monday) so im presuming the worst scenario abs thrn anything else is a bonus?

Oh I see @kerrymucklowe2020, sorry assumed chain was complete.

I wouldn’t do anything like surveys etc because what if the chain takes an age to complete and people start pulling out? Likewise getting quotes from removal companies I would wait until you know the chain is all firmed up because it’s not like you can book them in yet anyway.

I would focus on getting your current house as ready as possible by decluttering.

Marking place

Yes I agree decluttering is the way to go for now. We have already done two tip runs.

I think I’m going to start decluttering this weekend to. Some of my drawers have got really messy and unorganised (due to shoving everything in there for last minute house viewings) so I want to get everything neat so when it comes to packing I’ve made it as easy as possible for myself.

I think the job I’m dreading most is going through all the random wires we have and working out which ones we still need

I have a massive box of cables in the loft “just in case”. No idea what any of them do.

Nowadays some estate agents won’t let you view a house unless you’ve accepted an offer on yours so it’s possible your chain isn’t sorted yet. I’d wait until it is before timescales can be assessed. I had a three house chain when I moved and it still took about four months.

I am joining this thread :-)

We have decluttered everywhere apart from the Garage (his job) shed (his job) and the girls wardrobes.

We won't be taking much furniture with us, as for the last 8 years we've bought stuff that "does" and we don't love. Yet is all sellable quality - IKEA Kallax Units, Sofology sofa, Next coffee table etc.

So even if we sell it all for £10 a piece, that covers a couple of takeaways.

We're also replacing lots of things like pans, so we're ordering them and then leaving them in the box they arrived in to make life easier.

I reckon we'll start packing the week of completion and exchange - we're doing them the same day. And we're in the lucky situation where our landlord is our friend and he's moving in, but there will be a gap of a month so him and his gf can decorate to their taste which means we don't need to move everything in one day.

Mine is a FTB and the seller has two properties they were thinking of offering on. HE said they were both vacant, his wife said only one was........

So, I started to declutter my wardrobe and aim to sell some items on eBay ( I even bought s half mannequin from gumtree). I got to dress number 5, made a cup of tea.........and haven't gone back to it.........I should be motivated shouldn't I?

@kerrymucklowe2020 I started by packing just decorative things, that had no use other than being pretty.

I am also trying to eat out the cupboards and freezer, it’s ridiculous how much I have I could open a corner shop!

Gosh you're all very brave - I am not doing anything until atleast when our buyers survey comes back ok as don't want to jinx it ;-)

@Maybenexttime08 we are at that point where we are in limbo. We have sold our house. We have found a house. Solicitors appointed with draft contract documents completed and mortgage applications submitted. So now we wait. And wait. and Wait. Wait for everybody else to do their thing.

In the meantime, we need to feel like we are contributing to the process in some way by slowly moving things forward. If it is decluttering, most likely it needed doing anyway, moving house or not. I decluttered the medicine cupboard and found at least 4 expired calpols. Potty training finished 2 months ago but all the pottys, steps, etc were still lingering about; they have also now been packed.

I have packed away my vases but I have left a couple in case we need conduct viewings again due to the losing our buyers.

It has become all consuming this house moving. It is like once we decided to move, it is all I think about now.

@kerrymucklowe2020 - ditto on not being able to concentrate on anything else. I'm trying not to bore my DH / friends etc by talking about it ALL the time! Away this week so hope that will help - but away with a friend who was an estate agent so it's so tempting to ask her questions all the time!

If any one is needing to buy furniture for their bee house, I'd say order it now.

Ordered a sofa and loveseat yesterday - expected delivery 13/12

Dressing table I wanted? 03/09

Daughters new bed? 27/08

Timber is really hard to get apparently.

@Kelsoooo that is a good point. We shall wait till we are closer to signing contracts before ordering any of these things in case it falls through.

@Maybenexttime08 Yes that is exactly it. Trying not to bore everybody else with it.

Omg Im.not ordering any furniture yet - I've ordered a new frying pan fir the new house and that's it! Also trying to run down the cupboards but there's only so much soup / pasta / rice I can eat!
Managed to list 10 things on eBay and take 3 bags to the charity shop. That's it for now .......

Just ordered 10 moving boxes

That’s good @kerrymucklowe2020 I can’t bring myself to order them at the moment as I’m too nervous about jinxing it

That said I have continued doing little bits of decluttering here and there so it’s easier when the time comes

I put 16 items on eBay and only one of them sold........:(
I don't know if I should actually put anything IN them yet as I'm only just into week three ..........

So far I have managed to get our moving boxes for free. A friend has recently moved so passed on their boxes to us. About 50 boxes. At the same time, I had set an alert on my local Facebook selling page and with a couple of weeks someone was getting rid of theirs for free. About 30 to 40. Surely that should be enough.

Over the weekend I packed a few pictures and paintings off our walls as I remember us damaging the walls behind them when we put them up. We thought we ought to give ourselves enough time to fill in the holes and repaint.

I haven't packed much more yet after the initial flurry of packing while decluttering. We are posting our mortgage application paperwork today so that is one nervous wait. Also our buyers returned some queries about the gas and electricity after having them checked out. We had agreed to have the boiler minor issues checked out by BG as we have boiler cover with them but we decided not to fix the electrics. Apparently it needs updating to recent codes. Electrician did say it wasn't dangerous so we told our buyers to update it themselves when they move in if they so wish. No response to that yet. So you can see why I have paused on the packing. Until these issues are out of the way and we move on and that our mortgage application is approved then I will relax enough and carry on packing.

When do you all decide the perfect time to pack? Is it after mortgage offer and that all searches are completed or do wait till exchange? We have so much stuff and many cupboards to empty that everytime I look around I feel the need to start NOW or else we will be rushing at the last minute.

Sorry no blooming paragraphs! I put them in but the android app seems to remove them.