Tips for using a packing service. Feeling unprepared for move next week!

[AmberRose17]

I'm moving next Weds (at 37+3 pregnant) from a 2 bed to a 3 bed house nearby and have booked a packing and removals service. The packers (2 people) are coming the day before.

I have two kids already (2 and 5) and finding it impossible to concentrate on what I need to do to get ready (not helped by 5yo home for Easter, scrambling my brain with his keenness to "help", which I don't want to dismiss, and 2yo just a little chaos generator as you'd expect).

The packers are coming on Tue. I'm on mat leave and my husband is on annual leave, which helps. From Monday we have the eldest in a holiday club and youngest in nursery. So we basically have a day to get ready. Is that going to be enough? What should we do to prepare?

It feels so weird to be moving so soon but not have actually packed anything. We've been trying to declutter but it's hard when I can't even bend down to put my socks on! Any tips or advice extremely welcome!

All you need to do is make sure everything you don't want packed is together and in one place so you can say "don't pack that". The packers will descend like locusts and pack absolutely everything before you can say 'oh not the kids bedtime toys".

That.

The really important stuff, I say put it in your car (if you have one). So kettle, essential food clothes and toiletries, children's favourite toys. Leaves no chance of it being packed by mistake.

The rubbish get it out of the house or the packers will just pack it.

You don't need to do much of anything.

Empty the bins and throw away any obvious rubbish. I packed an overnight bag so we had things to hand for day one. Anything you don't want packed (cereal bowls, dinner etc) put in a cupboard with a sign on. Things we didn't want packing - vac, important paperwork etc we put in the ensuite to not be packed, but you could put in a car. Make sure your hospital bag doesn't get packed up.

I'm so slow at typing.

pack a suitcase/box with stuff you need the next couple of days.
make sure that stuff that needs to stay at the old house (like the wireless thermostat) are clearly labelled and out of reach.
if fridge/freezer moves with you empty them before transporting. you should wait for a day after they are in the new place before plugging them in again.

other than that: enjoy. it's money so,so well spent!

They will pack everything - dirty nappies you name it.
So as pp says, pack some essentials and put them in your car - a couple days worth of clothes, toiletries, kids stuff and a few kitchen bits. Get rid of everything you don't want - get it to the tip or charity bins.
Are the kids being taken care of day of move? You really don't want them underfoot. Have their favorite toys or whatever in their new rooms to make them feel at home.
Good luck!

Just put the rubbish out, pack clothes/toys/chargers/nappies like you are going away for 3 days, plus something to eat off/out of, cutlery and cups and put all of that in the car (don't forget shoes and bedding). Then just let them get on with it. We've stood in the garden till they have finished one room, then gone in there and cleaned and followed them round the house. Last move, we'd literally done nothing in terms of packing or decluttering as we'd actually thought it was all off until the week before we moved

I heard a good tip, pack the stuff you don't want them to pack as if you were going away self catering for a couple of days, if possible stick it in your car out their way. I'm thinking of including cleaning kit.

Yes, put everything you need in the car or it will be packed. Put labels on your bedroom doors 'bedroom 2' and then do the same at the other end so the boxes go in the right room.

If you can, write details on any boxes you see. So they will write 'kitchen' but if you can write 'pans' or 'cereal' as well it will help you a lot. You end up with more boxes when you get stuff packed for you so it will take longer at the other end,

Having just got packed yesterday can I also add, pack a good pair of ✂️ too. I can't get the dog's food open this morning and will need to manually rip kitchen boxes till we find the scissors 🙈

Remember to keep back the cleaning materials you will need to clean the house as it gets emptied. You'll want to clean kitchen cupboards and drawers etc, skirting boards that have been behind furniture, the sort of cleaning that can't be done until the house is cleared of your stuff.

Pack a small box with kettle, teabags, mugs, milk, a few plates, some cutlery and a Tupperware of a frozen one-pot meal that will thaw during the day and that you can heat in the microwave that evening so everyone gets fed (it's that or
a takeaway). A change of clothes for both DC might not be a bad idea. And as PP have said, overnight bags. Also have bedding in the car if you have space. That way, if exchange is delayed, and you don't get the keys until late afternoon, you aren't scrambling around trying to work out where the sheets are.

The one thing I found when we last moved (with DC and a baby) was that the packers did tend to just chuck the toys into boxes and small bits of dolls-house stuff just fell out of the bottom. So if there is precious Lego etc, it might be wise to make sure it's all in lidded plastic boxes to start with.

It’s a weird feeling isn’t it but honestly they are amazing and will sweep through your house like locusts it’s quite something to watch.

As previous posters said just be mindful that unless it’s bolted down it will go in a box and don’t presume that because you’ve asked one of them not to pack the things left in x room that they will tell the rest of them. Be very clear to all the packers what you don’t want them to take and make sure all cleaning stuff is kept well away otherwise it’s a mad dash to the supermarket to buy mops/dusters etc as I learnt recently!

We have full service when we moved.

Honestly ours packed and unpacked into allocated rooms with insane speed and efficiency.
They came at 9 and we went went for brunch - came back at 9.45 and the whole place was all packed up. V weird to see.

By that evening (maybe 7pm) we were sat down with a nice movie on and a cup of tea in our new living room.

What I did do was make cleaning packs and we went ahead to the new house (with cleaning squad aka DH my mum and my siblings) and cleaned the rooms before the unpackers got there.

A packing service is the best value thing ever! So well done for booking one. Agree with others make sure everything you will definitely need in the first couple of days are separate. I also ensured my valuables - mostly jewellery - were in a separate bag that I packed myself. We also had to clear our loft ourselves

Our packers came the day before our move and took everything away - just left us with the sofa, beds and tv

I loved having packers when we moved 11 years ago. It was bliss. I do wish I’d sorted out the kitchen drawer of bits and bobs and that, as they (which is to be expected) just emptied it into a box. I didn’t need random flat batteries, loose bulldog clips and rubber bands etc so I ended up chucking it all at the other end.

Things to keep out:

Cleaning stuff
Everything you need to make a cup of coffee, any meals or bedtime milk or whatever at the other end
Bedtime toys or blankets or whatever
Bedding for the beds in the new place
Chargers
Towels (for willing hands) and soap and hand cream
Car keys
Handbag
Pen and paper in case you need to leave any notes for the new people
House keys (current and new)
Toiletries
Snacks
I would also keep my valuables on me
A change of clothes per person in case of disasters
Shoes and coats

Thanks everyone for these really helpful and reassuring comments! Am feeling a lot less weird about it now. Thanks to @AfternoonToffee for the reminder about the hospital bag, which I’d not even started on until this morning (poor neglected third child!). Yes, @Changingwiththetimes we have childcare for both kids 9-5 on the packing and removal day, as well as the day before so hopefully will be fine.

Just wanted to thank you for this thread OP as we are due to move in a couple of weeks when I'll be 39 weeks pregnant with our second child (why do we do this to ourselves!?) and have found your post and the replies really helpful.

I'd also completely forgotten about a hospital bag and am literally throwing one together tonight 🤣