Removals tips and advice

[Nittynarna22]

Removals are coming tomorrow to pack up the house with a move scheduled for Friday! Any tips on what to set aside so they don't pack it up? Any other general pieces of advice are appreciated. We have a 9 month old and a 4 year old and have never done a big house move, we have been in this house ten years and came from rented accommodation. Thank you

Put clothes you’ll need for the day, toiletries and anything else you don’t want them to pack somewhere safe before they arrive. I left out underwear for moving day once and it got packed. A friend left out nappies and they were packed.

I always put jewellery in a box and keep that with me and anything that I want to keep an eye on like important paperwork. I keep medication with me too. They go through the house like a dose of salts, so any bits and pieces around will be packed. Do remember to have a tea box with kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, biscuits and cold drinks if it’s hot. They’re fuelled by a regular intake.

If you have a day between packing and moving, presumably there will be beds left and some furniture. When a room is cleared, I clean it, so there just a final whip round on moving day. You’ll need cleaning materials and the vacuum cleaner left, unless you’re paying for a cleaner.

Pack your suitcases as above the night before and put them in your car. What they can’t find, they can’t pack.

Print out identification sheets for each room in the new house and tape them to the doors when you get in. Have sticky tape in your handbag. Then you can direct traffic easily.

Pack a bag for each family member with clothes and stuff for overnight, and have a large bag for their bedding so that you can easily remake beds when you are unpacking. Have cleaning materials in your car ready including bin bags etc so you can give your old house the once over as well as the new one.
Put together items you logically want to unpack together. Eg toiletries that maybe spread between drawers and cupboards, ornaments, toys. This makes unpacking far easier. Be clear what you want to go where. Eg which is bedroom 1, which is a play room if you have one etc. again so boxes are unloaded into the right place. They are super quick so be around to direct. Good luck.

put aside the children's favourite toy and/or cuddly in a separate bag so they don't get swept up with the main packing.

If it's a local move put pets in boarding for 2-3 days covering the day before the move. Our cats got spooked by the removal men and went AWOL about an hour before we were due to move off. I had to ask a neighbour to catch them and give me a call to go back and collect them.

Carry a hoover and basic cleaning kit in the car with you. Get into the new house before the removal men (or ask them to take their break) and whip around with a duster and hoover in the empty rooms before the furniture and boxes come in.