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How do you cope with the stress of moving house?

322 replies

YukoandHiro · 12/10/2022 03:42

We're on a tight chain. If we don't exchange and complete within the next 2.5 weeks we'll lose our buyer as their mortgage lender won't give any more extensions to their offer (there have been endless complex delays with the paper work and we lost our onward purchAse so it's all take months)
It's touch and go whether or not we'll get moved or the whole thing will collapse.
I haven't actually slept for NIGHTS now. I'm exhausted and totally wired. I'm spending all my days on endless phone calls feeling frustrated and my work is suffering too.
We have two kids too so we still have to get them to school etc through all this. Honestly feel like I can't cope at all!!

OP posts:
toastfiend · 01/11/2022 13:38

@FuzzyPuffling I completely feel your pain. We went through all this with roads. We're on a new build estate and the roads haven't been adopted. There are clauses to state we are not liable for any costs and our buyers actually live on the same estate as us currently, so presumably are happy with the road situation, yet their solicitors raised the same enquiry confirming there was no liability for thr costs of maintaining the roads upwards of 3 times. Then we went through it all again with their buyer's solicitors. Even more ridiculously, their buyer's solicitor is the same company as our buyer's solicitor, so they could have just shared the information between departments, but no, they just decided to maximise the fuckabout time instead. Then we had to go through it all again for the mortgage lenders. I'm so, so hopeful that this is now it and we'll have no more curve balls.

RM2013 · 01/11/2022 13:44

Well we’ve had some communication today. The report on the mortgage offer along with the mortgage deeds to sign today for our purchase and an email from sale solicitors advisin log that they emailed buyers solicitors yesterday to ask if all enquirers had been answered and if we can discuss completion dates - fingers crossed

FuzzyPuffling · 01/11/2022 14:19

Ooooh, progress, people, progress!

Expelliarmus88 · 04/11/2022 08:42

@YukoandHiro thank you! I've booked removals now even though they haven't confirmed our exchange / completion date. Also booked air bnb. So much money down the drain if the unthinkable happens!!!

Anyone else just twiddling their thumbs waiting for solicitors ?! All enquiries and searches completed ...

toastfiend · 04/11/2022 10:25

We may finally be able to exchange today. I'm very anxiously awaiting any news. All bar one in the chain have agreed to exchange today but the one who hasn't come back yet are the useless solicitors that have caused all the hold ups and failed to exchange on 3 previous occasions, so we shall see.

FuzzyPuffling · 04/11/2022 10:42

Everything crossed toastfiend.

Expelliarmus88 · 04/11/2022 11:05

Good luck @toastfiend !

RM2013 · 04/11/2022 13:38

Good luck @toastfiend

Reallybadidea · 04/11/2022 13:53

Fingers crossed for @Expelliarmus88 and @toastfiend

mistletoe1 · 04/11/2022 16:58

Waiting is the worst! Hope you all get some good news, and hoping to hear about your exchange @toastfiend 🤞

toastfiend · 04/11/2022 19:40

Thanks so much for the good luck vibes everyone - they worked as we exchanged today! 😁 it was a bit touch and go, but our amazing solicitor pulled it out the bag, so we are all systems go to complete next week. It's such a massive relief. Lots of packing to do now.

Hope those of you waiting get some good news soon, too. We were in your position until today @Expelliarmus88 and it is such an anxious time. In the end it all came together very quickly (and quite unexpectedly) today, but it was touch and go for a while and the stress is so hard to manage. Hope you have some dates set soon and it all goes smoothly for you! 🤞🤞🤞

FuzzyPuffling · 05/11/2022 07:06

Hurrah toastfiend that's great news.

We're in box packing world too..11days to completion.

Now, St. Anne, how about some magic for expelliarmus88 and anyone else waiting.

RM2013 · 05/11/2022 09:01

DH and and I were just talking about packing. Our issue is where to store boxes. Have a few small jobs to complete this weekend but might start packing some non essentials soon.

hope everyone has a relaxing/productive weekend and let’s home next week brings some news for those waiting to hear

toastfiend · 05/11/2022 09:09

@RM2013 we've hired a storage container as we're moving ourselves, not using a company. It's been £140 well-spent as takes some of the stress out of it and means we're not tripping over boxes all the time. Once they're packed, they go to the container.

RM2013 · 05/11/2022 09:40

@toastfiend thats interesting. We weren’t keen on doing the move ourselves because someone would need to drive a big van and neither DH or I felt confident in doing so. Last time we moved my dad did the driving but he’s in his 70’s now so wouldn’t put that on him 🤣

toastfiend · 05/11/2022 09:53

@RM2013 that's totally fair enough, I wouldn't want to drive the van myself, but DH is always champing at the bit to do it for some reason. Think it's the novelty factor.

We've moved quite a lot because of his job, not so much in recent years due to buying our own home, but when we were moving due to his postings the removals companies were always paid for, including packing. I found it much more stressful than just doing it ourselves. They never listened to requests (i.e., this bag is the stuff we need to have when we move in, not on the lorry for 36hrs, please don't pack it - inevitably packed), packed totally mad shit like a whole box dedicated to the bag of recycling we had in the kitchen ready to go in the outside bin, and 2 protein shakers with protein still in them in a box of crockery (the smell after 36hrs on a hot lorry was something else!) There was also no order or reason to anything being packed so it made it so much harder at the other end when we were trying to get set-up. Packing and moving ourselves is cheaper, but mainly means that we can pack in the order we want, know where all our boxes are and what they contain, and unload from the storage container in our own time, rather than being tied to driver hours etc.

I think it's just about whatever works for individuals, though, and obviously if you're packing yourselves then you wont have a lot of those issues. Is it maybe worth starting by totally emptying one room, if you can, and having that as "the box room", so each time a box is packed and sealed it goes into there and isn't in anyone's way? We've done this with our spare room for anything not going to the container.

FuzzyPuffling · 05/11/2022 10:22

We've emptied our spare room of everything and it is now full of boxes and those splendid checked laundry bags ( brilliant for clothes, bedding and textiles). The study has empty boxes in it, gradually being used up and the garage has full boxes only.

There are still piles of full boxes in every corner of every room. I sort of don't mind, as it looks less like my home every day.

RM2013 · 05/11/2022 10:55

We are planning to do our own packing but having removals to come and do the heavy lifting and carrying up stairs etc as we are moving to a 3 storey house!!

not packing yet but I’m taking down pictures etc and filling any holes left behind today. Might sort out my summer clothes and put them in a suitcase as don’t need them. Trying to keep busy but also don’t want to tempt fate with anything going wrong 😑

Expelliarmus88 · 05/11/2022 11:44

Thanks a lot @FuzzyPuffling and @toastfiend !!

That's interesting to hear what the packing companies are like! This is our first time using a company to pack and no idea what to expect - they pack our clothes too apparently but I'm embarrassed to let them pack our undergarments as surely that's too much !! Then again, I have a teething 4 month old and I cannot pack at all. DH is full time in a stressful job and hiring packers is the only way we can do this ☹️ Are there any tips on how to guide them? We were going to leave them to it and go off to our air bnb. Do they take down curtains and chandeliers or am I expecting too much now ?!

Good luck to everyone else packing / waiting!!

Expelliarmus88 · 05/11/2022 11:45

And thank you @Reallybadidea

RM2013 · 05/11/2022 14:40

@Expelliarmus88 i guess they are probably well versed in packing up and probably have a tried and tested system that they use. Had to laugh at you saying about the undergarments. I must admit I did wonder about contents of drawers when the furniture is moved 🤣. Hope all goes well

Expelliarmus88 · 05/11/2022 14:58

@RM2013 😂😂 that sounded better in my head than lingerie hahaha pfftt not that I've got any of that left in this new mum phase 😂

You're right, they must have a system!

Expelliarmus88 · 09/11/2022 09:26

Any updates anyone?
Still waiting to exchange here!

hanna65 · 09/11/2022 09:34

Still no exchange date for me! I complained to the EA about my solicitors and after a few crappy emails I was cc'd in to, someone else in the firm has agreed to take over my file.

I found out yesterday that my vendor is having an operation that will put her out of action in mid December so am now panicking that we need to exchange and complete before then.

RM2013 · 09/11/2022 12:07

No still waiting for news on when we can start talking dates. There was a small query start of the week from the buyers solicitors which my solicitors have said is now resolved but no dates have been forthcoming and solicitor dealing with our purchase advised some replies to enquiries were received on Friday and outstanding ones would be chased.
i contacted them Monday for an update because our buyers are pushing us for a move date but heard nothing - feeling fed up