sudden exchange, moving in 4.5 weeks HELP

[bananashoes]

I need all of your packing and moving tips. I am 6 months pregnant, with a toddler and 2 older children. We are moving a 4-5 bedroom house (i am a bit of a pack rat). We have suddenly had quick movement on our house buying and the exchange is now happening Monday and completion end of the month. Please, help me organize this move.

My plan: sort and get rid of, donate, throw out everything in the next few days (i started this process a few weeks ago actually), and start packing up rooms next week, put what we need to live on in suitcases, and pack up everything else. I would love your tips and tricks.

Pay for packers if you can possibly afford it.

they will come the day or two before the move and do it all in a matter of hours. This maximises time for decluttering etc so gives you more breathing space.

I would say go easy on yourself. Of course you want to sort before you go, but it's not the end of the world if you take useless stuff with you and sort later. Also if you can afford to pay for packers too, then do that!

Pay for packers 200%

Declutter like mad and pay for a full packing service.

They pack up absolutely everything for you and put it in the right rooms at the new house. They even dismantle beds etc. It's well worth paying the extra cost especially as you're pregnant.

Start the decluttering now, start getting quotes for full packing and move service now. You've plenty of time!!

Absolutely pay for packers. It's cheaper than you would think and takes so much of the stress out of the process.

Oh I love this time! One room at a time, first of bin what needs to go, then round up things to donate - don’t move crap to new house, then wrap precious items and pack room by room. Opportunity to clean room ready for sale too.

Wipe and things before you pack. Label boxes for an idiot - the clearer the better as it’s so easy to forget when you just write ‘kitchen’ - put important- essential kitchen items open me first for example.

You’ve got plenty of time, but just one room at a time and it’s annoying if young children help by unpacking!

Pay for packers. I would not consider moving without them.

I just moved, it was exhausting. Top tips if you are packing yourself.

1. Write what's in the box.
2. Pack suitcases with your clothes you will be needing for moving. Then either get wardrobe cartons or just pack clothes on their hangars in boxes....easy to just hang back up at the other end.
3. Vaccum bags for things like duvets and large coats.
4. Don't forget to defrost freezers etc the week before...you don't want to be up till 2 am like some people...not mentioning any names.
5. Try and empty out your fridge / freezer of perishables you can't be bothered to move.
6. Get lots and lots of boxes from the removal company.
7. Start with places like the loft / shed / garage with bits you don't use day to day.
8. Pack heavy items in smaller kids books in the bottom of the box, soft toys on top.
9. Get a tape gun from amazon it will speed up box making. Get some fragile tape for boxes with glass, crockery etc.

10. Removal company will likely have picture bags / tv bags but check with them.

Another vote for the packing service, best money we spent when moving.

Something else we did that we found really useful (although only works if you’re moving somewhere fairly local) was renting a storage unit for a month or so. Then as we cleared out rooms anything we weren’t going to need imminently (camping stuff, Xmas decs etc) got taken to the storage unit so it was out of the way and left more room at home for packing and sorting. We then gradually moved it all back once we’d moved into the new house and were a bit more sorted. We also left a few things there that were particularly delicate that we didn’t want to risk in the moving van.

I would pay for packers if pregnant. It leaves you more time to declutter beforehand, but you can also declutter as you unpack at the new house. Just means you’ve paid more to move it that’s all. We boxed up each room separately and labelled so hopefully on unpacking stuff turns up in the right area of the house. If older kids are old enough, get them helping. Make sure you have enough boxes, tape and marker pens and don’t overload boxes so they are too heavy. Good luck.

Another vote to declutter and pay for movers. Charity shop, facebook marketplace and neighbour whatsapp group are your best friends.

Try and do some every day. I threw away loads, mainly clothes and went to the recycling banks most days with a few bin bags worth. Don’t pay to move rubbish!!

It really depends on what your budget is. As PPs have said, packers are brilliant.

I really wouldn't panic. Our completion got put back and put back, everyone was suddenly ready, but with someone's mortgage offer running out 11 days later. We were going away on the Friday for the weekend (with friends so didn't want to back out) so we set a deadline for exchange by noon as we needed time to sort utilities/insurance out. Ended up being around 2pm.

That left us seven days when we got back and it came at a bad time when DH absolutely would not take time off work before completion. I packed most of it, DH helped in evening and took things to the tip. We were ready to go on completion day.

One thing that will help, is having a clear out now. Not sure how old your children are, but if you normally pick up from school, arrange for a friend to do it. Even better for them to go somewhere else for tea if you can.

Chuck/sell/recycle as much as you can, then pay for the packing service. No point in paying for stuff you don’t want and I wouldn’t contemplate doing the packing at six months pregnant with several other children.

Make sure you pack a chair last on the van so it is first out of the van at your new house. Then you can sit down! Guess who packed her chairs first on the van when 8 months pregnant?

Waiting for exchange/moving date and also got a holiday soon ( booked last year)

There have been multiple trips to the tip/ charity shop: book hub. Lots in our daughter’s garage.
We are downsizing!

I’ve sorted items as if we were going away for the weekend for our first night. Toiletries nightwear outfit for next day etc in a little case.

For the movers I’m planning lots of cold drinks in the beer fridge ( soft drinks!) with snacks to help themselves for here.
Packing a box with kettle, mugs, tea coffee etc for in the car for the new place!
Recent thread on here about tips for removal people which I hadn’t thought of.
Good luck with your move.