When to start packing?

jojo9239

So four weeks ago we sold our home and placed offer on another no chains either side valuations all done and fine mortgages all sorted I handed our sellers pack back 3 weeks ago our seller only just handed it back and my solicitor received it yesterday so only started our searches yesterday but our mortgage etc is in place. Just wanted to know when do we start packing etc I think people buying ours want us out ASAP to start renovating it

NicNicP

I started sorting things and packing bits as soon as offers were accepted. Little and often for me.

glasgowdan

It's not so much about getting out asap so they can renovate - it's about preparing for whatever day you have agreed upon, and making that match the date to enter the property you're buying!

In terms of packing, it depends how much stuff you've got! I reckon I spent 2hrs a night for 2 weeks and pretty much got our house as good as packed.

getmore4less

Already,

you start the day to decide you are planning to move.

now you have a place to go to you can plan where stuff you will keep will be going room by room.

AFF8879

Only after exchange of contracts. If you or the buyer need time then set a decent amount of time between exchange and completion, but I'd say it's unwise to do too much until the deal is guaranteed. Unlikely given no chain but the first flat I tried to buy fell through the day before exchange, and there was no chain there!

Mickygg

Nah I wouldn't start properly until exchange. You say you've sold, but you haven't until you've exchanged.
I've lost out on several houses for various reasons and packed most stuff, only to unpack again to re market. Trying to sell with everything in boxes isn't great.
I do sort out stuff though, such as take unwanted stuff to tip and box a few things up I can store in loft of garage.

jojo9239

Thanks everyone gonna start storing some boxes from my sisters works then least we have things to put things in and de cluttering at the least

Hope we aren't waiting too long

Riggyman

Mickygg wrote: »

Nah I wouldn't start properly until exchange. You say you've sold, but you haven't until you've exchanged.
I've lost out on several houses for various reasons and packed most stuff, only to unpack again to re market. Trying to sell with everything in boxes isn't great.
I do sort out stuff though, such as take unwanted stuff to tip and box a few things up I can store in loft of garage.

Not going to work well if you're doing simultaneous exchange and completion.

Mrs.CJP

We completed in 10 weeks which was from offer accepted on our new home.

We didn't start packing immediately but we definitely did a little bit each weeks. Our approach was roughly like this

Week 3, 4 and 5 - Sorted out of the loft, garage and shed. A few tip runs

Week 6 & 7 - Packed all non essential items

Week 8 & 9 - Final items to pack (Week 8 was the week we exchanged)

Week 10 - Our weekend before the move meant that we simply finished taping the boxes and gave us the time to give the house a good clean.

Personally I felt better doing a little bit each weekend. It meant I wasn't stressed and the weekend before we moved (we moved on a Monday) was stress free

Penelope_Penguin

Definitely start disposing of stuff as soon as you decide you're putting your property on the market

Also, make sure you label everything, especially if you've not exchanged, and may have stuff packed for some time. When my daughter moved aboroad for 18 months, we packed up her stuff into our loft. We photographed the contents of each box, and wrote a list of what was in each one (lablled box1, box2 etc) and stored that on each of our computers. It's been really helpful as she wanted a specific item mailed to her, and it meant I knew exactly where it was, and didn't have to open every box to find it.

Mupette

Now would be a good time to declutter.