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Packers are coming in 12 days

43 replies

coffeeneeded · 24/11/2022 11:13

The packers are coming the day before we move.

I've always packed us up myself for our precious moves, but this time I'm being an adult 🤣.

What do I need to know or be prepared for. Jewellery and underwear will be put away in my overnight bag.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 24/11/2022 11:15

Following. We're supposed to be moving in 3 weeks. I know I need to do some decluttering because there's no point getting them to pack and move stuff that I'll be getting rid of eventually but I can't seem to find the motivation.

Aquamarine1029 · 24/11/2022 11:22

Pack up any and all sensitive/important items yourself. Financial paperwork, birth certificates, passports, other important papers, pictures, etc. I would also pack up any special things myself, like family heirlooms.

Get rid of everything you don't want to come with you. It makes no sense to pay to have it moved only to clutter up your new home. Be brutal.

RidingMyBike · 24/11/2022 11:22

Have a space/corner to place everything you don't them to pack. That's a lot easier than pointing out one or two random items per room! Remember you'll need coats and shoes to wear (ours almost got packed!). Don't put your keys down, else they'll get packed too...

Pack your overnight stuff and put in car out of the way. Ours was a four day move and we packed enough clothes/toiletries for six nights.

We took passports/house and work paperwork/laptop/medicines in the car with us. Don't forget chargers.

Don't forget things like curtains and lamp shades if you're taking them with you - we forgot to take them down so I was scurrying round that morning taking down curtains and the lampshades just got left.

We needed to get things down from the loft ourselves so did this a few days in advance.

Check what your packers will do about desks and chests of drawers. Previously packers I'd used had moved these with the contents still in them (carried drawers out one at a time, fitted them back in in van, then did the same at the new house). This makes it a lot quicker at the other end as everything is still where you'd expect it. Most recent move the packers emptied everything into boxes, leaving us with a vast quantity of sorting out to do. We hadn't allowed time for that in booking annual leave.

Good luck!

WarmRain · 24/11/2022 12:08

Would definitely say if you live near an IKEA to go and buy those giant blue reusable bags....amazing for packing clothes into and very easy to carry even if heavy x

WarmRain · 24/11/2022 12:11

Oh and wrap glassware in your clothes to prevent them from damage.....Good luck x

SeaToSki · 24/11/2022 12:17

They move like greased lightening, so dont assume you can do a few things while they start in the kitchen…they will be in every room simultaneously. You need to be 100% ready half an hour before they arrive. Put anything you dont want them to pack in the car (including your handbag and phone). Group stuff together that you want packed together or you will end up with boxes filled with a variety of things that they found on the kitchen counter and it makes unpacking stressful as you cant find anything. They will pack your rubbish bins with the rubbish in them!

Declutter declutter and sort

coffeeneeded · 24/11/2022 12:20

Ha. So the rumours of super human packers are true.

Thank you all so much. Very useful tips.

OP posts:
RidingMyBike · 24/11/2022 14:26

Yep, they move at SPEED! And they will also see stuff in terms of space taken up rather than things that go logically together so if you have a different room configuration at the destination, think in advance what stuff you want to group together to make sure it ends up in the right room.

They'll label the boxes with the room it's FROM and a v brief contents description (eg kitchen - crockery - fragile or Lvg rm - books) so I find it helpful to make a list of what that translated to room-wise at the new house.

Hooverphobe · 24/11/2022 14:31

When’s the binman coming? THAT’S your deadline.

haggisaggis · 24/11/2022 14:36

They pack everything. We had a bin full of garage sweepings packed for us, as well as empty jars my dh had left by the sink (beautifully wrapped in several sheets of paper).
We forgot to set aside clean bedding for new house and packers took 2 days to unpack - and bedding was in 2nd van so we had to make up beds with the dirty bedding.

Mirabai · 24/11/2022 14:46

I make photocopies of the floorplan of the new property with each room numbered and give them to each removal guy.

I label every item in each room with the destination room number. Anything that is to be left I label LEAVE in an different pen colour.

I box and label myself - desk contents, important documentation, photographs, jewellery and other small valuables. I also box my bedside table contents and bathroom stuff that isn’t going in my suitcase. This makes it so much easier to find at the other end.

Finally, as well as an overnight case, I do big IKEA bags for the bedlinen that’s coming straight off the beds. You take it off the morning of the move, then simply remake at the new property without hunting around for the bedlinen boxes.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 24/11/2022 14:54

I've seen it suggested on another thread to pack things like kettle, a couple of mugs, tea bags, cutlery etc separately.

Mosaic123 · 24/11/2022 14:55

Packers told me to pack a suitcase with clothes, medication, tooth cleaning items, a couple of towels and so on, as if you were going away for a long weekend.

We took jewellery and some precious objects (paintings and silver) to friends a couple of days before.

We collected it a couple of days after the move.

When you move in many people are coming and going from your new place so it was nice not to have to worry about some valuable or sentimental objects

PPop · 24/11/2022 14:59

They are insanely fast! Ask them to clearly label everything and avoid them just filling a box with some kitchen and some bedroom for example, I found some things were in strange boxes which helped with room for them but it confused me!

For a lot of our clothes they stuck our drawers closed and took them out full as they didn't weigh much so they may not take clothes out. But will hang the clothes that need hung in special boxes.

I am glad we did ours this way as it was amazing and so helpful, they took lots away the day before and the day we had our keys 10 of them arrived and unloaded like grease lightening with me just saying what room I wanted things. I basically put a post it on the doors of what room I was referring to and everything got there fine 😂

Good luck and all the best with your move!

ThorsBedazzler · 24/11/2022 15:09

I'm in the middle of it right now. Packed yesterday, move tomorrow.

Tell them clearly what is not being packed by them. They will pack everything else.

I had to buy new dish scourers and washing up liquid as they got packed.

If you are planning on taking anything yourself, make sure you have enough space to transport it. My DH is convinced we can move shed loads in our car. Forgetting we have children and ourselves to fit in the car...

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 24/11/2022 15:09

WarmRain · 24/11/2022 12:08

Would definitely say if you live near an IKEA to go and buy those giant blue reusable bags....amazing for packing clothes into and very easy to carry even if heavy x

Surely the packers will have hangers?

2bazookas · 24/11/2022 15:28

Pack a laundry basket with a kettle, tea/coffee/mugs/biscuits, bowls spoons weetabix and cans of soups, washing up liquid, petfood, tin opener, milk, T towels, jeycloths and disinfectant. That gives you enough to cover hot drinks for the team and you, a snack meal and breakfast. You will also need enough TP soap and handtowels for the bathrooms.

As soon as you arrive, give the kitchen cupboards a swift wipe round with disinfectant and jeycloth, so the packers can unpack all the kitchen stuff straight away and out of sight (don't worry about which cupboard it goes in; to be sorted / washed/ rearranged later at your leisure. But for now you can see everything rather than wonder which box it's in.) They will unpack and put away an entire kitchen in an hour; it would take you days.

Along with stuff that travels with you ( jewellery and confidential papers, bank ,passports , insurance etc) don't forget to pack daily medications and any epipens/inhalers .

Remember that all drawers will be transported with their contents inside. All wardrobe stuff will bemoved hanging up in a mobile one by the packers ( so no need to pack any drawer contents/ hanging clothes)

I'd changed all the beds earlier so still relatively clean; just stripped and folded the linen from each bed, into a big zippy bag left on that bed. At the other end, my saintly packers re-erected each bed and remade it with the right bedding.

Put a number on the door of each room at the new house. As the removers bring in the furniture, one of you stands at the front door telling them which room to put it in.

Whatnextarghhhhhh · 24/11/2022 15:33

I cannot stress this enough. KEEP THE CORKSCREW HANDY.

Mirabai · 24/11/2022 15:40

Pack a laundry basket with a kettle, tea/coffee/mugs/biscuits, bowls spoons weetabix and cans of soups, washing up liquid, petfood, tin opener, milk, T towels, jeycloths and disinfectant. That gives you enough to cover hot drinks for the team and you, a snack meal and breakfast. You will also need enough TP soap and handtowels for the bathrooms.

They will tell you to do this when they arrive, don’t forget one saucepan for soup/porridge.

coffeeneeded · 24/11/2022 15:45

Whatnextarghhhhhh · 24/11/2022 15:33

I cannot stress this enough. KEEP THE CORKSCREW HANDY.

Ha. Isn't this what screw tops are for 🤣🤣

Thank you all so much. Excellent advise

OP posts:
MarianneVos · 24/11/2022 15:55

mynameiscalypso · 24/11/2022 11:15

Following. We're supposed to be moving in 3 weeks. I know I need to do some decluttering because there's no point getting them to pack and move stuff that I'll be getting rid of eventually but I can't seem to find the motivation.

Honestly, I felt the same but massively regretted it when I had to spend hours unpacking stuff we didn't want or need anymore. You have to do the declutter some time, so it makes so much more sense to do it now.

Mirabai · 24/11/2022 15:58

Put a number on the door of each room at the new house. As the removers bring in the furniture, one of you stands at the front door telling them which room to put it in.

If you give them a copy of the floorplan with the door numbers labelled and you’ve already labelled items with the room numbers you don’t need anyone standing around directing traffic. (I forgot to mention in my post that you need to label the doors on the new property).

SchrodingersKettle · 24/11/2022 16:00

My only tips are:

They will pack faster than you can keep up with

You should be prepared to feed them lots of sweet tea or just hand them an 8 pack of Coke, a lot of biscuits (or a big pack of Twix and Mars maybe). My packers had been driving since 3am from their previous job and already exhausted, then packed our house on the run. Lovely lads and very grateful for sugary drinks and snacks.

Newlifestartingatlast · 24/11/2022 16:10

Mirabai · 24/11/2022 14:46

I make photocopies of the floorplan of the new property with each room numbered and give them to each removal guy.

I label every item in each room with the destination room number. Anything that is to be left I label LEAVE in an different pen colour.

I box and label myself - desk contents, important documentation, photographs, jewellery and other small valuables. I also box my bedside table contents and bathroom stuff that isn’t going in my suitcase. This makes it so much easier to find at the other end.

Finally, as well as an overnight case, I do big IKEA bags for the bedlinen that’s coming straight off the beds. You take it off the morning of the move, then simply remake at the new property without hunting around for the bedlinen boxes.

You and I are made of similar dna 🤣🤣🤣. Ive done this 5 times now

I do an overall floor plan.( Take from EA site) and label each room with its new name. But I also do a detailed plan for each room and show position of furniture and where I want them to place boxes ( so they don’t dump in front of cupboards you need to unpack into🤷🏼‍♀️) . Decide this and off long before move and stash safely.

When you arrive, get the overall plan up in hall, then run round putting each room plan on its door. Pack masking tape for this

before the packers arrive ( usually over the week before), I label EVERY bit of furniture with room it was going into. I make sure I’ve got it’s position on the floor plan for that room.

Then, we’ll in advance of packers, for every cupboard, shelf I attach post its on with the room name it as going into and what the items are ( books, kitchen utensils etc). I ask packers when they arrive, to simply take off post it / masking tape and put onto outside of packed box once they’d packed that cupboard, shelf etc,. So, when it gets to other end , it goes to the right room and I can see what is in each box without having to unpack it.

If I have anything I don’t want them to take I “red tag” it - large red post it, or sheet of red craft paper on item - I tell packers to not touch red tag items. I try , as other posters have said, to move these aside- but sometimes if it’s furniture that staying, curtains etc you can’t do that. Red tag it.

i pack a separate box to go in van last, or in your car, with hygiene wipes for loos at other end and other nasty stuff when you arrive before you can get to your cleaning stuff. And loo roll. And put a label on door in both houses for which loo it’s ok for packers to use. I clear out, clean other bathrooms in advance of packing and effectively sealed door off so I dont need to clean all bathrooms on move day.

i also empty all my kitchen cupboards etc about 3 weeks before the move. Ditch what I don’t need. Then clean them properly. I line the bottom with kitchen towel and put stuff back in. Once packers have packed the room, I simply remove the kitchen paper, bin, , and job done- no rushing to clean everything once packed. A quick vacuum and job done.

have plenty of biscuits, tea, coffee for packers. Put in box as last thing with kettle, milk, sugar, mugs, spoon and some essential plates etc for your arrival nights takeaway- last to load, first off!

prioritise making beds up, and essential curtain hanging when you arrive. Everything else can wait till next day - Even a shower! but you don’t want to be wrestling a duvet when tired, knackered or stressed

oh, ( this could be identifying 😱🤣) make sure you have an emergency number for the estate agents who have the keys to your new house. Seriously. I nearly didn’t get in and had my stuff taken into storage, because agents packed up and went home at noon due to a power cut. Bloody idiots only got the keys at 11am. There was no emergency number, they never called me, weren’t answering office number to me or either solicitor cos they didn’t forward it, or even remember they needed to hand keys over. 5 hours of stress and delays. By 5 pm movers were threatening to just go home with my stuff still on board. Everyone was also bursting for a wee and thirsty 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣We had to break a plate glass large window to get in - glass everywhere across the floor as it was laminate. bloody nightmare. Packers then walking glass round the house . Never ever move without an emergency mobile number of the estate agents And maybe a hammer and thick gloves 😳. Store your solicitors number in your phone. Store the number of the packer gaffer once they arrive, again we once had removal lorry “ disappear”,for 1 hour once as took a different route and got stuck in traffic

coffeeneeded · 24/11/2022 16:20

Wow. I thought I was organised... then you lot came along.

Not much decluttering to be done thankfully but I do need to do the kitchen cupboards.

Notes taken on all your ideas. 👍🏻👍🏻

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