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Tips - Preparing for a house move

54 replies

whattimeisteaready · 24/01/2021 11:05

Has anyone got any good house moving tips please
Due to move in about 6 weeks (which may not go ahead on time I know) but looking around how much stuff we have I’m not certain of the best place to start
All I’ve done so far is sold all of the furniture that we definitely don’t want to take and I’ve ordered boxes and wrap

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something2say · 24/01/2021 11:10

Start taking things down and stacking them.
Clean them.
Get rid of unwanted stuff.
When boxes arrive, pack. Not all heavy, mix of heavy and light.
Label and stack boxes.

Create an email to yourself of tasks as you think of them.
For example towels for shower and change of clothes for moving day.
Create an address change list including online.

Werk · 24/01/2021 11:11

Do you have a lot of junk to dispose of? We had a whole loft full (hoarder DH) so I got a skip and a clearance guy - he took boxes of old books and bags of old clothes (that were no good for charity) for free because he could sell them.
We had to move at short notice so I was pretty ruthless.
It is so much easier to move if you have less stuff.

Other than that, I had already packed up bookshelves and ornaments because of home working and homeschooling we needed the space and if you know your move is imminent (we should be moving into our new house in a few weeks out of our rental) I would pack all summer clothes, the garden things that won't be used and that "junk" cupboard.

something2say · 24/01/2021 11:12

Pack summer clothes, quilts and blankets.
Label.
Everything off walks, off shelves.

When you start taking the house apart, its THEN you know you're moving. No easy weekends for you now, once you no longer live there.

Good luck and hope you're happy in your new home x

MsBubbles85 · 24/01/2021 11:13

We started to pack just before Christmas (we are moving to the new place on Tuesday) and started with the things that we will not be using at the moment. Also started eating things we had in the freezer so we will have less food to carry with us.
For clothes I put away the clothes I am not going to use (party dresses, work clothes.. ) in suitcases.
Basically start doing a bit each weekend so you don't get overwhelmed!
Good luck with everything!!!

Hottubtimemachine · 24/01/2021 11:16

I’m moving tomorrow and have been working 70 hour weeks on the frontline so not much time to prepare. I would say book your removals NOW. We waited until we had a provisional moving date which was only given to us less than a week ago. By then it was too late and everyone was booked up.
We’ve managed to get a firm to pack and move us (but have paid over the odds as everyone booked).
We got a skip and were ruthless. Had to give up on giving things away on FB pages as people kept messing us around/not turning up.
I’ve booked a cleaner for both houses (the one we are selling and the one we are moving to- I’m pretty sure our sellers won’t clean).
Sort the loft and the garage now. It’s far more work than you think.

ServeTheServants · 24/01/2021 11:18

We labelled all our boxes with numbers and wrote a rough list on a sheet of paper of what was on each box. Also labelled which room to put them in.

Get a plastic tub to keep all furniture fixtures in (separated into labelled sandwich bags).

Try and get through freezer food over next few weeks.

murbblurb · 24/01/2021 11:18

get an insurance quote for the new place, ready to start on exchange.

make a list of the essential addresses to change when the time comes. Also have post redirect ready to start on completion, whenever that may be. Try very hard not to have exchange and completion on the same day, although covid also makes that difficult.

reduce reduce reduce. Not so easy at the moment with no freecycle, no charity shops and essential journeys only, but do what you can. Eat your stocks down as fridge/freezer need to be empty and dry if moving, and both will be out of action for a day after.

label boxes on top and one side so you can see what's in them in a stack. Do not overpack - if you can't lift it, don't expect the removers to do it.

and remember it will all be just a memory before too long!

Thatwentbadly · 24/01/2021 12:37

Give each room in your new house a number in the hundreds eg kitchen 100, livingroom 200 and stick the name and numbers on each door. Then as you pack give each box a number, so for the kitchen the first box is 101,then 102, 103 and so on. Make a note of what is in each box.

Chemenger · 24/01/2021 12:43

If you can possibly afford it pay the removers to pack for you. They do it 10 times faster than you could, it's all insured and it means all you do on moving day is make sure you put the kettle in the car and hoover round. Oh...and stop them packing the contents of your kitchen bin and the unemptied cat litter tray.

FinallyHere · 24/01/2021 12:47

Oh, I like @Thatwentbadly 's numbering scheme.

I kept labelled each box with its home location, eg shelf / drawer / cupboard so I knew where anything was. Stuck a label on the end and the top of each box, to maximise the chances of being able to see the label when they were stacked up.

FinallyHere · 24/01/2021 12:48

Ah, pressed post too soon

Main top is to clear out things ruthlessly. Don't consider whether it might gone in useful. Do you love it or could you not live without it.

Itscoldouthere · 24/01/2021 13:48

We moved just after the last lockdown, the trickiest thing for us was the recycle centre/tip was closed, then when it did open you could only book a slot once a fortnight.
I ended up giving lots of things away, I put things in our driveway, then posted on the village Facebook page and people just came and took it all, managed to get rid of lots of things that way.
The other thing we underestimate was garden stuff, we had a lot of pots and furniture, a whole van full, I didn’t realise we had so much as it was dotted around the garden.

whattimeisteaready · 24/01/2021 13:49

Wow thanks, so much that I hadn’t thought of!
Will read through and come back
@murbblurb House insurance now on my list thank you
Packing everything feels so overwhelming at the moment, ideally I’d like to get rid of half our stuff if possible

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whattimeisteaready · 24/01/2021 13:51

@Werk re: junk, I can get them to a tip but I’ve dedicated a room this morning to things I don’t want to take so will try and sort into sellable and tip but not sure if it’s worth trying to sell smaller things

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whattimeisteaready · 24/01/2021 13:55

Thanks @something2say it’s taken a year to get my head around selling the house as we are swapping like for like almost and only moving 5 miles away
As soon as I took the clocks mirrors and pictures down just now it felt really weird and I had to sit down for 5 as it all became a bit more real

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BlackDogBlues · 24/01/2021 13:59

De clutter and pay the movers to pack. It’s not always that expensive. At least get a quote. They have no emotional attachment to anything which means they do it very quickly. They just lift the clothes on hangers and put them in a big cardboard hanging wardrobe...it’s fab.

Best thing we did was put the bedding for each bed, duvet, pillows and anything in these supersize bags so they could just get rolled out again.

RosesAndHellebores · 24/01/2021 14:08

Take photographs of the meter readings.
Ensure contract has a clause about new place being cleaned to professional standards.
If you are doing it yourself and have restricted parking, apply for LA to close the space(s) closest to your house.
Get movers to pack and book a hotel for your first night!

DappledThings · 24/01/2021 14:25

Pay the movers to pack for you. Worth every penny.

AliceMcK · 24/01/2021 14:30

We are moving in about six weeks too. We are flexible on date (already in procession of new house) so going with what the moving company can do.

I’ve put a lot of stuff out front with a sign telling people to help themselves. I took pics and posted on local gifting sites just saying come and get I’m not putting anything aside for anyone, I don’t want to be messing around with people not turning up. Waiting for better weather then I will add more stuff. I’ve asked friends and family if they want other things, several have taken stuff of my hands. I’ve cleared clothes out, most have gone to a local charity still collecting.

Even though the movers will be packing I’ve started putting stuff in boxes and labelling them, photos, ornaments, bags, shoes etc... I add things as I go. I’m not wrapping anything as the movers will do that. If I was moving myself I’d be wrapping and closing up boxes as I go along. I getting a skip so I can throw things as I go along too.

Pick one part of the house you keep all the boxes that your taking then you’ve not got boxes everywhere.

My biggest challenge with be toys, not an easy job clearing out the kids stuff when they are around.

When you do the final move, do a sweep of the house, make sure you check the loft. Take meter readings, check no taps are leaking, set heating to off.

Thatwentbadly · 24/01/2021 14:37

My favourite declutter tip is rather than choice what to get rid off is to look at whatever cupboard contents or category and assume you are going to get rid of it all and then decide if you want to keep any of it.

Fairystory · 24/01/2021 14:45

Pack an overnight bag for everyone so you have nightclothes, a change of clothes and toiletries in the car with you.
Keep kettle/mugs/tea/coffee etc. in the car with you.
Ditto with basic cleaning products unless you are paying a cleaner at both ends.
Set up broadband and gas/electric supplier for your new house.

Itscoldouthere · 24/01/2021 14:46

I also did the food cupboard early, I had lots of baking stuff out of date and went through my large herbs and spices draw, again lots of out of date, duplicates. It made a big difference going through it all, I reduced my food shopping in the last month, didn’t buy any store-cupboard type foods as I didn’t want to pack and transport them. Same with bathroom stuff, had cleaning things in every toilet so just started using what we had and not replacing. It’s amazing how much stuff you can squirrel away in a house without realising.

Itscoldouthere · 24/01/2021 14:48

Don’t forget broadband, do it early, we had to wait 2 weeks to get it in the new place, my teenagers were very cross.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 24/01/2021 17:01

If you are planning building work asap it's useful to move long term storage stuff (that you will definitely keep - otherwise it's very expensive) straight into big yellow storage or whatever. Large suitcases, summer clothes, stuff you don't use very much/can live without for a while like wedding china Smile
Start cleaning as you empty then it's just a quick wipeover on moving day. Find instruction manuals and spares for appliances you are leaving. That weird plastic nozzle for the back of the dishwasher that no one ever uses.

whattimeisteaready · 24/01/2021 17:13

Thanks again I’m reading everything that’s been said in between the start I have made on packing some boxes - some brilliant ideas, please keep them coming as there’s been loads I hadn’t even thought of.
Have a teen so the BB sorted early is definitely going on the list!
No building work at the new house it’s only a year old so should be able to get straight on with things although I’m shocked by how tired I am from just doing the bedrooms stuff today and I’ve only been at it 9ish hours 😬

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