Give me all of your moving/packing tips please!

[EatsShoootsAndLeaves]

We are selling our 3-bed house (to a FTB) and moving less than 10 miles away to an empty 3-bed house (gone through probate, no chain). We don't have a completion date yet, but expect for it to be around 3 months. I'm all for making our lives easier, but finances are tight so we will be hiring a van and doing it ourselves rather than paying a removal/packing company, so where should we start? DH and I both work FT and have two DC's so bonus points for tips to take some of the stress out....

Agree with others re professional movers.

I've only moved house once with family/friends helping and that was the first flat me and DH bought and it was a whole day of hard work.

I would get some quotes because it might not be as much as you think and the time/energy saved is well worth it. You will need enough van space to remove everything from the house in 1 go - you cannot do shuttle runs if you've completed & the new owners need the keys - they will be so pissed off.

Other than that - ruthlessly declutter, all the junk from the loft, shed, cellar, the under stairs cupboard needs to go, that crockery you don't use, that bread maker that hasn't left the cupboard in a year - whack it on marketplace. You never know, you might make enough selling the bits you don't use any more to fund some movers.

Go through the contents of your house, and use marketplace or similar to sell everything you won't want in the new house.
Use the money to pay for packing and removal.

Thank you for all the replies!
I feel a little naive (and guilty!) that I've spent the morning lounging in jarmies rather than making a start- it seems like this is going to be a bigger/longer job than I realised.
I will take on board that unanimously everyone has said that removal companies are worth the expense, it just means something else will have to give to make funds for it. Love the tip for wrapping delicates in towels/ saving packaging materials up ready, and I will put a shout on Facebook for boxes. Also thanks to the poster who suggested a suitcase of essentials for each person- this is a great idea for ensuring the DCs get their important things in one place.

Yes! I've 'thought about' a vinted wardrobe clearout, and I could put any funds towards helping with the move. I'm really good at procrastinating...just need to get things started!

Does anybody know if there is extra charge if you are moving from 3rd floor to another third floor flat? There is no lift in either block 😅

The removal company would take that into account when quoting - they either visit to see for themselves or do a video survey plus check on Google maps. It's likely to add to the cost simply because of time, someone has to carry everything down loads of stairs and then back up again. Which takes longer than if it's all on the one floor. Other things that can add to the cost are delays getting keys or not being able to park the vans close to the entrance.

OP you're doing the right thing thinking about it now. We had about four months notice of when completion was likely to be and our seller procrastinated no end. He didn't declutter or sort anything, eventually had a skip on the drive on completion day, hadn't paid for packing but also hadn't done anything about packing himself(!). Eventually got so overwhelmed four hours after he was meant to hand the keys over he just walked out leaving the house full of stuff!

We had to pay for house clearance and then get the money back from him!

@RidingMyBike thanks. No parking nearby either. Did really account for that. Going to be £££s 😅

There's a reason everyone is saying get a removals firm in. Pack yourself to save money but seriously, just get some quotes.

You won't fit all the furniture and boxes from a 3 bed house into one van anyway will you?

I'm not rich, we don't have spare cash, but I've set aside £550 for the removals men! None negotiable.

We moved two weeks ago into a probate sale, just up the road. I would ask if you can have access to the garden and garage after exchange, so you can move all your garden furniture pots etc the week before, we did this and it helped considerably. Most estate agents/solicitors should suggest this to you anyway. Good luck :)

I've moved 3 times in 3 years!

I agree to pay movers but pack yourself. They are insured and move stuff so fast. Ours also put beds together for us.

I decluttered like a demon. I also packed a suitcase with sufficient clothing, toiletries, bed linen and towels to tide us over for a couple of days. That went in my car. I packed an essentials box with tea bags, cat food, wine etc. Important documents went in my work bag. Then these went in the car.

The day we moved I stripped the beds, put DGirlcat in her box and we were off!

The other end I made up the beds straight away, had a delivery with wine and bed!

It was a long day but the thought of having to move it all ourselves is crippling.

Label each box eg kitchen, bedroom 1. Stickers on doors, for removal men to matchbox numbers to rooms, if necessary. We labelled the contents of each box, too, and made a master list in a notebook. So I knew that in the kitchen box 4 contained x, y and z.

I’m a house moving veteran- DD had moved 4 times before her 5th birthday. Now we’ve come to our final resting place (!) and it’s a bit sad to think we’ll never need to purge again.
If you have large heavy pieces to move (piano, wardrobes, corner sofas etc.) you’re going to need a professional moving service. At that point the number of boxes is secondary, but I pack them myself. 40x40x60cm is the best size IME and on the largest move we had 40 of them! A bottom layer of books, then stuff wrapped in towels and clothes. Cut a T shape in the box ends for handles. Loads of duct tape, craft knives and indelible pens. Single ply napkins in packs of 500 are good for separating crockery, then I use them for cleaning or at the table so a little more green than bubble wrap.
Number your boxes and keep a detailed record of what’s inside. This is the time to create boxes of important old documents, photos and memorabilia that can stay there for years but you have your packing list when you do need them.
Purge clothes, old books (sorry) hobbies and kitchen equipment. My food processor hasn’t come out of storage since 2009 and I’m a better cook now! Ask yourselves if you need those toys, videos and DVDs. Run down your stash, pantry, freezer etc. Get rid of tat (sad Xmas baubles, school-made oddities).

You’re only ten miles away, but a box with tea supplies, kettle, toilet paper, mini toolkit, torch and first night bedding and towels will be a good resource.

If you have pets then put them in kennels/cattery/leave with a relative for a few days either side of the move. (One of my cats went AWOL about 15 minutes before we were due to drive off. I had to arrange for one of the neighbours to capture her and ring me to come back for her).
Start clearing the loft, garage shed etc first. DH wanted to take "useful" bits of wood and pipe etc.
Pack a basic cleaning kit and vacuum cleaner in your car and plan to arrive before unloading starts (or send removal men off to get their lunch). Then have a quick clean around the empty house before large items of furniture arrive. Who knows when you'll next have the opportunity for a major furniture moving type clean?
Meter readings- gas, electric , and water at both properties otherwise you'll get apportioned bills.
Get a Royal Maol redirection for a year for each member of the family.
Change the locks. You don't want nosy Nora from next door letting herself in at your new abode.

I agree with others about getting professional movers to pack and move things

BUT don't do what we did years ago which was to get them on day 1 but then on day 2 think "oh there isn't much left in the cupboards we can do that and end up with absolutely loads once it comes out of cupboards it seems to grow in space" !!!!

If you do want to do it yourself get a tape dispenser (we got ours from the storage unit place BIG YELLOW) where we had units

Also, if you use a stredder collect up the shredded paper to use for packing for free

But seriously just get the professionals to do it and economise on food & drink & meals or something like not getting a coffee from a shop or walk to the shops rather than taking bus or car - save a bit of money each week to save up for the professionals

Clear as much as you can beforehand though

Put into your car the essentials for the first night - bedding and the kettle. No rooting around then. Bubble wrap - a whole big roll really cheap from Amazon. Also heavy mattress covers from Amazon.

Definitely moving boxes on facebook marketplace. There was always one on our local one and that's how we moved. We then posted the boxes back on facebook after the move.

Label the boxes on at least two sides to know the contents. When they are stacked, you need to know what's in each box.

Sort the shed/garage/loft now! They take longer than many estimate.

We started packing rarely used items and stacking them in a corner of one room(dining room had space for this and we could still use the table in the meantime. I packed a box or two every evening.

I also started cleaning out kitchen cupboards as I packed things out of them. I also cleaned the others where things remained but it meant they would still be clean come completion day.

Have you bedding ready to make your bed first thing when you arrive at the new house. Once you are eventually exhausted, you can just go to bed.

Have a box of tea and treats handy on moving day so that you can set it up immediately when you get to the new house.

Put heavier things in smaller boxes and lighter things in big boxes. One of my biggest boxes had cushions. Nobody needs to be lifting a big box of books.

Use bedding and towels in your crockery boxes to save on bubble wrap.

Arrange for internet as soon as you exchange. They can take a long time to come out and set you up.

Redirect Mail for minimum a year.

That sounds like a big job, but definitely doable if you break it down bit by bit. Since you’re doing the move yourselves, I’d start by decluttering now — go room by room and get rid of anything you don’t want to take. Then begin packing non-essentials early (like books, decor, out-of-season clothes), and label your boxes clearly. Make a moving week essentials box with clothes, toiletries, chargers, and important stuff so you're not digging through boxes later. If possible, ask friends or family for help — even just watching the kids or helping load the van can make a big difference. You can also get the kids involved by letting them pack some of their own things or decorate their boxes to keep them busy. A simple weekly checklist leading up to the move can really help avoid a last-minute rush. You’ve got this — just take it one step at a time!

There isn't a PhD in moving stuff, some people talk like it's brain surgery.

Provided you are willing to work hard, have the time and be careful then you can do it yourself and save a packet. Of course some people don't have the time or have other distractions.

The big issue is obviously moving heavy stuff particularly down stairs which can pose a significant safety issue. So the key point is to identify stuff you can move and stuff you can't without help. This will normally be things like beds and wardrobes (which is why all my upstairs furniture can be dismantled !)

Think about whether it is worthwhile leaving them and buying new. You can buy a lot of new furniture for the cost of a removal.

Appliances are best left and replaced where possible.

Don't waste trips up and down the stairs. When I moved I started moving stuff downstairs weeks in advance. You have to go up and down the stairs anyway, so just take stuff down bit by bit as part of your natural moving about the house. Pile the stuff up downstairs and then it is easy to move once you go.

When we moved the first thing was a huge declutter and we were ruthless. We filled 2 skips!

Boxes from fb marketplace. Paid for removal company who did a packing service which saved our sanity. Would pay for one again if needed.