Top Tips for a panicked mover?!

[Ginforone]

Just as the title reads i guess, we are probably 3/ 4 weeks from moving into our (hopefully) forever home after an incredibly stressful couple of months, and while I've decluttered to put our house on the market where do I even start with packing? I'm feeling very overwhelmed right now so some top tips would be hugely appreciated!

I always pack a suitcase with the bed linen for the first night, pyjamas, an outfit each for the next day, a towel each and toiletries. Then when your beds are reassembled by the movers you can just make them to flop in.

I also pack a box with essentials. Kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, cats dishes, some cat food etc. The suitcase and the box come in the car with me. Important stuff comes in my work bag with me.

I pack each room as much as possible as I go along. Clearly label which room it goes in so the movers can put it in there. Pack as much as you can in each box. Use towers to protect mirrors.

Try to also have a spare box for last minute bits.

How exciting!

Ahh fantastic thank you!! Great tips!
Love the essentials box! I'd not even considered the pet food 🤦‍♀️

Can you afford packers? Had never used them before but we moved with a 4 month old and they saved my sanity - will never do my own packing again

I had packers. They came the day before and did it all for me. It only cost of couple of hundred more than doing it myself and was well worth it.

Get packers. The cost is disproportionally low compared to the effort saved. And everything will be insured against breakage in transit if they pack, but probably not if you do it.

Agree - get packers. Ger rid of anything you dont want- donate, dump or ebay. Then get the packers in - but they will pack everything in sight - rubbish, cat litter box, the works. Take your essentials (don't forget school books and uniforms, phone chargers, anything you need for a couple days) in your own car.

Get a wuote for packers. We moved the month after a family bereavement. We’d done nothing. We packed a suitcase each, the pets box.

They did everything. It was wonderful.

I'm the same @ginforone - due to hopefully complete in next 3-4 weeks, a full house to pack up with a dog and a 3 year old in the mix and I'm also 36 weeks pregnant (We've unintentionally gone for the Grand Designs level of stupid timing!) We have had quotes for packing but I swing between thinking it's better for us to try and save the money as it's a lot when we are going to have to do so much work on our new house but also not sure if we're being a bit mad by even attempting to do it ourselves 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Good luck with your move!

Good luck OP.

We have recently moved we didn’t use the packing service as we were downsizing, and were constantly decluttering, as I was determined not to take anything to our new home that we didn’t need/want/use.

Ask them to put your beds and freezer/fridge (we were allowed to keep food in the freezer, so check with your removal firm) on last so they are first off the van, strip beds in the morning and have clean bed linen and make up beds as soon as you arrive.

Remember to take photos of your meter reading at your old home & new one.

Things that need to go in car include cups spoons, kettle, tea, coffee milk,butter bread. Suitcase with clothes for a couple of days, toiletries for a couple of days.

It’s a tiring few days but so worth it, we have recently relocated, the best thing we have ever done.

Good luck and wishing you every happiness in your new home.

Forgot to say, descriptions on the boxes are really helpful, just kitchen is not enough, make a note on the box of the contents, much more helpful when you unpack.

If you can, throw money at the problem. Get packers!

Thank you all so much for your tips! I don't think our budget will stretch to packers unfortunately but I'll get a quote regardless as that seems the least stress!
I just keep looking round and feeling overwhelmed 🤦‍♀️ but I'll make a start this week i think, break it down into smaller steps!
Good luck to those of you in the same position! I hope all goes well!

Whilst packers are a really good idea and they are quick they pack everything. I tend to pack and maybe chuck as I go along. So from our last move I gave away four cases. It wasnt until I pulled them all out I realised I had seven!

It is a process. If you can do a bit each day you'll get there

You need loads of boxes .. many more than you can imagine

Start packing now - things like the shed and garage can be done. Dismantle furniture that you're not using e.g. bed in spare room as it is one less job to do. Go through everything and bin, recycle, charity shop anything you don't want - don't move stuff unless you have it. Good luck.

We moved everything in a transit van a few years back - we were only going a few miles though so could trundle backwards and forwards. We filled the van up and cars the night before so we were ready to go as soon as we were allowed. We had everything else stacked in the room nearest the door ready to go.

Oh my other tips - get Tesco deliveries for a few weeks and keep the crates. They are solid and stack. You can give them back after the move. Put things like bedding and clothes in strong black bags - they're easier to carry upstairs than boxes.

Pay a company to pack and move you, it is THE best way and deffo worth the money.

We're also moving next month - downsizing and moving countries, so a little stressful! At the moment I'm decluttering ruthlessly - offering books and kitchenware to friends, then the rest will be charity shopped. I've started packing stiff I know we definitely won't need, and labelling very specifically. This way you know which boxes to prioritise opening once you're in your new house. Remember to organise mail redirection.
I've also got a list of things to be done (probably) the week before, like cleaning the oven and mowing the lawn. Not essential, but I can't bear to leave a house not looking it's best.
Good luck and enjoy your new home.

Wardrobe boxes are great- bar at the top so you can just hang the clothes in them and put them straight back into the wardrobe when you get there. As others have said- bed linen, overnight bags, chargers, pet stuff and a box with the kettle, tea bags, biscuits, loo roll, soap, mugs etc in the car. We slept on mattresses on the floor the night before and after the move as we’d taken the beds to pieces and didn’t get into the new house until late afternoon so didn’t get them back together until the day after. Get a takeaway or supermarket pizza etc for the first evening.