Moving house, with 21 month and 7 month-how to do as stress free as possible please

[Rudolphthehazeyjanedeer]

We are moving (3rd time in 3 years) at the end of the month, only just found out, as dh has been offered a new job, with a house. We have moved twice in the last 3 years, once when i was 36 weeks pregnant, and once with a 6 week old - very stressful!
We have never used a removal firm, (think that dh would rather pull his own teeth out) have no idea how much one would cost, and TBH we probably can't afford one anyway. Has anyone got any tips how to make this move as stress free as possible- please?

I would be asking the new employers if they will pay relocation (many companies do) and if so get a removal firm in.

God yeah, removal firms are not that expensive. And they will pack all your stuff and thus are responsible for damage. It saves so much stress.
No harm in asking firm. Most would do re-location costs.

Surely his company will pay for all removal costs? That's standard practice ime.

Look in your yellow pages and call a couple of firms in the box of 'authrorised' removeal companies - the ones that belong to the removal trade association. They will come round and give you a written quote for removal, or removal and packing. IME (having done it twice) packing does not add as much as you think to the removal cost, and saves SO much hassle.

They come the day before, pack everything extremely efficiently in one day, provide all the boxes, packing materials, provide a bed assembly in your new house so that everyone has somewhere to sleep - in fact ours re-built everything that had to be flat-packed fro removal, AND they may well come and collect all the empty boxes after you have emptied them! All breakages are insured by them.

Don't use a cheap unprofessional 'man and van' type firm would be my advice (DP engaged one and I had to sack them...).

It cost us about £1000 to move and pack a 4 bed house - but within london.

If you really can't afford a removals firm and you have a house set up for you at the other end, then I would do it in shifts. Move as many non-essentials (books, cds, lots of clothes and all furniture except bare bones a week or two beforehand, crockery, pans, glassware except what you need for day-to-day eating) then just have the basics to move on the day. If you've done it twice recently then, hopefully, you haven't got too much junk to dispose of, otherwise get a skip and be ruthless.