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Original poster

Your house moving tips here, please!

54 replies

MrsMerryHenry · 30/05/2009 21:16

We're moving house in a few weeks' time. Thankfully I've already started clearing out bits of detritus here and there, but obviously we still have FAR more stuff than we moved in with.

I have started to create a mind-map of all the tasks we need to complete before the move, but would LOVE to get your best tips on how to make a smooth(ish) move.

Also if anyone can recommend a good removals company (London to Brighton) all the better.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Kutner · 31/05/2009 16:23

I am a panicky list making organisational freak who is also moving in just under four weeks time, and so I am probably unusual in that things have been making their way into boxes slowly but surely over the past couple of months

Get some boxes and start packing what you don't need. At the moment, for example, all of my books and DVDs are packed, half of dds toys and books are packed, and we only have the bare essentials left in the kitchen.

I've also taken the opportunity to be ruthless when clearing out, and have been freecycling/ebaying/skipping things that we no longer need or just don't use.

Our broadband company needed 30 days notice that we were cancelling our contract, so that has been done. I'll also be asking the water company to take a meter read, getting the forms ready to set up the mail redirect, notifying the council that we're no longer responsible for the c/tax etc. A lot of these little jobs can be done now to save time later.

We've also been eating our way through the odd things lurking in the back of the freezer and the cupboards to save having to take it with us.

I'd love to have paid someone to pack it all but there's no way that we can afford it.

nevergoogledragonbutter · 31/05/2009 17:09

Do you reckon this is worth it?

I'm still not sure it'll be enough boxes, and we don't have a big 3 bed house. (at least according to the feedback our estate agent is getting)

nevergoogledragonbutter · 31/05/2009 17:11

....and while i'm having a rant....it's the same fucking size as every other house on the estate. where's the surprise? and don't complain it backs onto the main road, that's where you saw the for sale sign you fuckers!

sorry, had to get that out.

Elibean · 31/05/2009 17:37

Not sure it would be enough boxes either...but then again, its 12 years since I last moved, so am definitely rusty. Plus, had no kids then

Looks like I'm in excellent moving-company. Not even a list to my name yet, utterly frozen, hoping that having found a rental/exchanged (maybe tomorrow!) will de-frost me.

You lot are impressive...anyone want to do my move for me?

BalloonSlayer · 31/05/2009 17:48

Another vote for the packers - they came the day before and did most of it. Then back in the morning to do the rest. I couldn't believe how quick they worked - mostly I expect because they weren't saying "Awww, remember this?" to each other every five minutes.

Only two 's about them. One was they put all the knives and forks in a box and then chucked in all the bleaches/ ant killer/ dodgy things from the cupboard under the sink on top of them. Which meant I had to wash everything before using it, which was a pain in the arse.

The other was that one of them made rather salacious comments because I had a riding crop in my wardrobe. It was honestly HONESTLY only there because I'd had it from childhood and my Dad had found it broken and repaired it for me, so I was sentimental about it. Stressed and 6 months pregnant, I did not want a merry removal man brandishing it at me saying wey-hey!

Oh and they kept packing the soap and loo cleaner, although I hate not being able to wash my hands properly and of course you want to leave the loo clean for the new people. Every time I rescued some bleach and soap from a box and put it back in the bathroom one of the buggers packed it up again.

SamVimesIsMyHero · 31/05/2009 18:09

LOL

ilovemydogandmrobama · 31/05/2009 18:17

Am sure you've thought of this, but make sure you have sorted out when the gas/electricity/water will be transferred or turned on/off.

MaryHuff · 31/05/2009 18:28

Here are my easy moving tips:

  • Don't bother sorting out stuff before you go
  • Get removal men in to do all the hard work
  • In new house, shove all the stuff you don't use in the loft, on the wishful thinking proviso that you will sort through it when you get time
  • Repeat with each house move until you can no longer stuff anything more in the loft
MaryHuff · 31/05/2009 18:30

Actually, above should have said get the removal men to do all the work - packing, moving, unpacking.
Always far easier that way

smartiejake · 31/05/2009 18:33

My one tip is- if the removals company offers you some sort of redelivery insurance in case of problems/ delays getting into your new property then take it. (It cost us £30)

We had a last minute delay on the removals day where the solicitor of our buyers, buyer had made a big mistake (we completed and moved on the same day).

Then when it finally went through (2 hours late) and we turned up at the new house and the vendor was still moving out (they were moving them selves using a small hire van- skinflints) so we couldn't get in for another two hours.

By the time we finally got the key it was 5.30 and the removals guys had to go (as it would have taken them 3 hours to unload). So they took our stuff into storage for the night and redelivered it the next morning (which would have cost us another £700!!!!.)

Yes we could have sued the buyer's buyer's solicitor and the vendor for the money but for £30 it was well worth not having that hassle!

ouchitreallyhurts · 31/05/2009 19:27

Brilliant thread! we are hopefully exchanging this week and moving in 2 weeks - have done a bit of decluttering and lots of packing of stuff we don't need for a while.

moveme.com is quite good as it has a timetable of your move, what to do when etc and also letters that you just put your new address into it once and then print away! (its for things like child benefit, banks, internet company etc)

just want to exchange now so we can get moving along!!

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 31/05/2009 21:06

Rofl at BalloonSlayer: "I couldn't believe how quick they worked - mostly I expect because they weren't saying "Awww, remember this?" to each other every five minutes."

  • and HouseMoveTriplet SamVines' salacious sex toys note to self!
OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 31/05/2009 21:30

Oh, and dragonbutter - are you not using a removals company? I'd have thought they'd provide you with all the boxes, etc.

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 31/05/2009 21:34

we can even claim for removals for the relocation package MrsMH. Only we don't have the cash to fork out for it in advance.

Yes, i am having a time of it. What i really really want to do it climb into a box myself and wait for it all to be sorted.

It doesn't work like that though does it?

No gin, but you've reminded me of the wine. Thanks.

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 31/05/2009 21:36

You poor thing, it's awful when everything crashes in at once and you can't see a way out of it.

Keep reminding yourself that things will change, that you are not powerless and in a few months or even weeks' time your life will be very different from today.

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 31/05/2009 21:42

DH has an interview for a job in cornwall tomorrow. This is not part of MY plan.
I fell to pieces on the phone to my mum this afternoon. I would love to make the move and know it will be good for me. The problem is whether there are opportunities for DH there.

stupid recession.

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 31/05/2009 21:51

It's crap for you at the moment, but you can both do things differently at some point.

DH and I both had 'secure' jobs when I was preg. Now DS is 2.6, we're both freelance as we were made redundant when DS was still under 1. I feel lucky in a way that it's been so long since our redundancy that we have passed through all the stages of frustration, anger, fear, etc etc and are moving forwards optimistically (still frustration for me as my business is taking sooooo long to get teeth). I also had a massive, shocking bereavement during that first year of motherhood.

But somehow I kept hanging in there, mostly struggling and f**ing and blinding, and even though things are not 'perfect', whatever that means, we can see so many more possibilities now than ever before. So it's okay. We'll manage, we'll get through it. And OMG have I ever grown as a result of enduring through all that crap!

So if all you can do at the moment is hang on, just hang on and expect no more of yourself. Things will change.

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Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 31/05/2009 22:00

Am shooting off to watch Desp Housewives, catch ya later.

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 31/05/2009 22:07

thanks. sniff.

BalloonSlayer · 01/06/2009 08:32

They really don't look at your clothes though MrsMerryHenry. They sweep everything off in one go. And drawers are removed as they are. They don't look at anything (except riding crops ).

I remember another thing, I had written a list of helpful info for the new people, plus a card. That got packed too! I was irritated at that but you see - they don't look at anything - they pack it all so fast!

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 02/06/2009 23:00

Hmm...still not happy about strange blokes handling my clothes, but that's okay - I'm hardly Gabriella Solis in the clothes department (though DH would disagree...) so it will take oooh about 5 minutes to sweep all my clothing into storage.

Thank you SO MUCH everyone for all your tips. MN is utterly brilliant.

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 02/06/2009 23:05

We've had good news from the estate agent today. It looks more likely that we will be moving. Yay.
Strangely as DH got off the phone from EA, the doorbell rang and a man delivered the boxes i'd ordered.
Weird coincidence.

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 02/06/2009 23:07

Hurrah! So you have a buyer?

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 02/06/2009 23:10

yup!

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 02/06/2009 23:17

Oooh, fantastic!

So you've accepted the offer?

(maybe to avoid confusion we should keep this convo to this thread!)

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