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Original poster

Would we be idiots to move ourselves?

70 replies

Bobshhh · 09/08/2022 10:45

Starting to talk completion dates so need to get our life in order.

We're moving a 5 minute drive down the road, going from a 2 bed with garage and loft to a 4 bed.

Would we be idiots to hire a van (husband and dad are comfortable driving it) and try and do it ourselves? Is it worth just paying the extra cost for movers to take the pain away?

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 12/08/2022 08:00

We moved ourselves and it was fine, but we got a van with a tail lift, which was a big help and roped in two of DPs mates (DP and the other two all 30 something manual workers so strong and used to carrying heavy things about, so always helped each other out with this sort of thing anyway we also have no DC, so less stuff and no childcare to worry about).

We paid them with a crate of beer each and a Toby Carvery between old and new houses.

blobby10 · 12/08/2022 11:00

It depends on the house and the furniture in there - my friend moved out of a townhouse last year. He had a kingsized bed and a double bed on the top floor. The beds had been assembled with slats etc in situ - removal men couldn't have got the bases down the dog leg staircases so came up with the brilliant idea of dropping them down the gap between the banisters! I would pay for removal firm every single time tbh - always did my own packing as I had a massive clear out in the process then labelled every single box in detail for ease of finding stuff.

And they are SO strong and quick at shifting boxes and chests of drawers that would need two normal people!

rainingsnoring · 12/08/2022 13:50

It depends on your situation.
It would absolutely fine if you have help as you do, no young children and not a huge house.
We wouldn't be able to do it as we have none of those things.

Tessasanderson · 12/08/2022 14:56

We did i. Family of 4 living in a 3 bed semi.

It was tiring and 2 of the people were males, plus one extremely strong young girl.

Washing machine, loft, garage, beds, 2 x wardrobes, everything. It was hard work but thoroughly worthwhile. Last wardrobe went in at 9pm on the night of the move.

The key was the previous 4 weeks we spent packing everything properly and having it all ready to go.

Rebuildingconfidence · 12/08/2022 23:19

I did exactly as you are describing, moving from a two bed flat with garage and loft to a four bed two minutes away.

I paid £800 for movers (3 men) in Jan this year and it was worth every penny. We were not able to declutter before moving and moving day was literal hell. Our loft was like another house worth of stuff and we filled our new 4 bed and garage easily. I had my Uncle and parents helping. We had three cars doing multiple runs as well as the removal van and we were still clearing the garage at 8pm that evening. Luckily our buyers were very relaxed and in no rush as they bought it as a buy to let.

FinallyHere · 12/08/2022 23:42

We first did DIY moves when we were students and all our goods fitted into a suitcase and a box. Then hired a van and asking friends to help, plus returned the favour for them.

No way round it, it's a lot of physical work. If you just don't have the money and are young and fit, you just do what you have to do.

Latest move was at very short notice, we used packers and movers.

Absolute game changer. All sorted and went out that first night to regular sports fixture as usual.

Are you strong and fit enough. What else would you spend money on?

Arthursmom · 13/08/2022 00:13

Get movers. Worth. Every. Penny.

Furries · 13/08/2022 01:53

I try to do as much as I can myself around the house. But moving is definitely something that I’d happily pay for.

The whole process is stressful enough - once you get to comp,etion, nothing better than someone else packing, dismantling, transporting and unloading. Plus, their insurance should cover you if anything gets broken.

The fact that they also assembled my bed was a godsend - even if I did only throw a duvet on it for the first night.

This definitely comes under my narrow umbrella of “pay someone else to do it”.

OneCup · 13/08/2022 02:02

My husband and I did it. The washing machine was a killer but we don't regret it as we saved thousands. We did have a few weeks to do it though.

Furries · 13/08/2022 02:43

OneCup · 13/08/2022 02:02

My husband and I did it. The washing machine was a killer but we don't regret it as we saved thousands. We did have a few weeks to do it though.

How did you save thousands? Removals aren’t that expensive.

BarbaraofSeville · 13/08/2022 02:47

Ah, that reminds me, we actually left our washing machine behind and bought a new one as it was 11 years old, on its way out and I didn't want to move it only for it to break shortly after.

We also didn't have any wardrobes to move as the ones in the old house were built in.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 13/08/2022 08:16

@BarbaraofSeville thats a good reminder - washing machines don’t travel well and need there packing bolts (travel bolts?) put back in before removal.

RidingMyBike · 13/08/2022 08:39

It's definitely possible but do plan for different eventualities. Our vendor was doing a family assisted move out of the house we bought and seems to have been a) very disorganised so hadn't decluttered and b) had family members roped in to help who then didn't! Supposedly they all caught Covid at the last minute and couldn't help him.

BlueMongoose · 14/08/2022 12:06

I've done both. Be warned it will be heavy work and stressful doing it yourself, especially if you have to vacate before 12 and can't get in for ages the other end. We did it once when we had less stuff because our buyers were not moving in the same day. I'd definitely get a quote to find out how much I would save- you may be surprised - you may save very little doing it yourselves. For other people who have larger moves than the one in question, if you insist on doing it yourselves, get a tail lift box van, you'll need it for the heavy things like washing machines.

Namechanger355 · 14/08/2022 17:09

We just did this - houses are 5 mins drive away. But we moved from temporary rental to new house so didn’t need to do it in one go

I’m pregnant but did what I could and my husband had to do the bulk of the work - wasn’t easy but saved a lot

Whippetquick · 14/08/2022 17:15

I've moved house 4 times and used removal service . Just hire a van and be super irganised packing and decluttering way in advance so you are ready to just pack your essential everyday items day before.

ILoveYoga · 14/08/2022 17:36

We had to do this once when our movers only turned up with a van instead of full sized moving truck. We were moving around the cor et - maybe 10 houses away. 3rd semi, no garage or shed to 4 bed and garage. We were HOURS late moving out. Was terrified we were get a bill from our buyers who had been waiting with their movers for hours to get in.

horrid experience

however, I suppose if we knew this in advance, furniture would have been dismantled to help and had at least six people helping to load/unload

get movers. Don’t create stress where not needed

2bazookas · 14/08/2022 17:41

The journey distance isn't the hard part.

The hard part is the packing, lifting and carrying.

I'd never do another DIY housemove. I also pay the removers to pack everything.
Its takes me weeks to pack an entire household. Removers can do it in half a day.

Thesehills · 23/08/2022 04:46

We actually moved out yesterday.

That last big bit was such hard work, it’s the big and heavy stuff that’s hard to manoeuvre that’s so exhausting.
We we’re on our knees by the end.

We both said we’d not do it ourselves again.

garlictwist · 23/08/2022 05:28

We did this. It was fine. Just did a few trips.

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