More unusual moving house tips

[KatyMac]

Not the easy stuff like take a box with mugs kettle etc or make sure the children are being looked after somewhere else

But what things really make moving out/in easier?

There must be some serious knowledge here on MN

I colour coded the boxes with stickers, blue bathroom, orange kitchen etc listed items in boxes so I didn’t have to bugger around opening every bedroom box looking for something. Put fresh linen on duvet and pillows put them in bags and in the car. Wardrobe boxes for our clothes. Signs on the doors to say which room it was so I could tell movers which box went into each room. Nothing went into our bedroom except our bed so the first night we could get a good nights sleep without clutter around us. Putting the right box in the right room from the start made unpacking easy.

Declutter before you pack up! I wish we'd done that - it would have made the whole process both quicker and cheaper

This plus a box with a couple of plates, a knife and fork, etc that you might need for tea and breakfast.

And another box with cleaning products mix toilet roll, etc.

Keep these in your car, not with removals.

If you can, have a back up plan of somewhere else to sleep in case you don’t get moved in until late. We finished moving at 10pm and just couldn’t be arsed sorting out a bed. Premier Inn to the rescue!

Things that are confirmed (mentally if not actually)

Ideally 2 weeks between exchange & completion
Definitely the same moving company for both houses
Cat to cattery
Children to childcare
Valuables, bikes and electronics to friends houses
We have agreed the numbers for the rooms (but not if we have labels or write on the boxes)
Cars to have cleaning, some tools, bedding and packed lunches/teas/emergency food/utensils

More planning to come

Definitely staying in a hotel the first night. We were last in the chain so even with 7 removal men it was 6.30 before we were in. We walked round the corner to a local hotel, had a bath, got changed, had a big drink and went out for dinner. The next day, big breakfast and back to our new place to unpack - was fab and we were well rested and not at all stressed.