Moving House Old Style

EllanVannin

I have tried 2 methods - chucking everything into the back of the car and packing things to move. I have never paid anyone to help with the move - it's a cost I can't justify. I have to say that packing the stuff made it so much easier. We were organised and had the move done in a couple of days. There was no hurry as like you we had a cross over period.

When everything was just thrown into the back of a car, it was a mess - not to mention the arguments we had about where this and that was. The junk that came with us was ridiculous. I don't ever plan to move again - I am staying put for the next 40 or so years. I hate moving. :rotfl:

twiggy100

Wow, thanks everyone for all your advice!. i am close to a breakdown at the moment! Have taken on board your comments and have started to box alot of stuff up. It's driving me mad though, we are at the point now where you can barely move in the house for boxes, and the garage is full! I think I may have started too early. I have found the new love of my life though.....sugar soap. I was dreading the thought of having to come back here and paint hallways etc where grubby little fingers have been but sugarsoap has really taken care of it it's fab. i am paranoid about getting all our deposit back, as really can't afford to lose ANY of it. Anyone have any advice on how to get grubby marks of a cream carpet? It's where bare feet have been while sitting on the sofa. I have vaxed it with my new carpet cleaner, but can still see a ghost of a mark.

starsandmoon

I had a 2 week crossover between homes when I moved 18 months ago. Firstly I changed the locks on the new property as you just dont know who may still have keys! I then scrubbed it from top to bottom. The home I was leaving was rented and had white goods so I didnt have to move those. As I was on my own with no muscular help for lifting and a tiny car I found a local moving firm for the big move. Bought a set of packing boxes and packed myself and moved fragile items myself. I used to take bags of stuff up to the new property and the moving firm moved all the big stuff like beds etc.

To make life more fun the boiler blew up and needed replacing and it was December :eek:. Luckily I still had the keys for the rented place as I cleaned it (to get deposit back) once it was empty so I was able to have a warm and a bath there until new boiler was installed.

It was more stressful than expensive I found. Took me ages to get properly settled but Iam now.

Good luck :beer:

climbgirl

Definitely, definitely pack your stuff up into some kind of order. Trying to make sense of the chaos as you chuck it into the back of a car / van will take some much longer than packing it properly in the first place...

I'd second the point about labelling each box with the room you want it in - kitchen, lounge, bedroom, bathroom etc. It makes it much easier if you can drop the boxes in the right room and unpack a room at a time.

Label (in detail!) what is in each box - you'll think you'll remember but you won't.

When you get to the new place, the first thing you do is make the bed. Best advice anyone gave me when moving! Then when you're done with unpacking, you can just stop and collapse for the day.

And lastly, have a box of important things - kettle, toilet paper, teabags, towels, basic toiletries etc. Things you can't really do without! Keep that box up front with you in the car and make it the first box you take into the new place. You'll thank yourself when you can quickly grab the loo roll when you need to go, rather than desperately trying to remember which box it's in!

bluebag

aliasojo wrote: »

Ditto.

Except we're moving just as soon as we can find rented accomodation 200 miles away!

I'm struggling with the 'getting rid of things' bit just now, heaven knows how bad the packing up bit will be.

OP, if you're the one who will be doing most of the moving, then do it your way, if it's your OH, let him do it his way and if it's a joint effort, then just do what most couple do....and bicker over it.:rotfl: No matter what way you choose, you'l get there in the end anyway. I have every sympathy for you.

We are hoping to put our house on the market in the spring as we really need something smaller and in a better area.

I am at the thinking about how much painting and decorating I need to do stage ... it's bringing me out in a sweat just thinking about it!:eek:

Still it will be worth it once we get out of here.

zippychick

as this has dropped down the board ive merged it with an older thread on moving house OS style - hope it helps and good luck with the move!

Zip

Dontknowanymore

OMG I am moving next week, only found out yesterday!
Im moving froma 2 bed flat to a 2 bed flat, me and 2 children. Have had to book a man and van service which is costing me £150 and the 2 men will move it all thank god!
I have packed 2 boxes from the living room, but other than that I am completely overwhelmed by the situation. I'm working Monday, wednesday and friday next week then taking my son to Legoland for his birthday on the Saturday and moving on the Sunday! :eek:

So basically, this weekend I'm going to have to pack and declutter, do you think its doable??????????
Have got to pick the boys up and take one to a party so will read the rest of the thread tonight!

23rdspiral

Dontknowanymore wrote: »

So basically, this weekend I'm going to have to pack and declutter, do you think its doable??????????
Have got to pick the boys up and take one to a party so will read the rest of the thread tonight!

Gosh, I think it is doable but I do wish you good luck.

Are you able to take annual or even unpaid leave? Some firms allow special leave in exceptional circumstances - might be worth an ask?

I don't mean this in a mean way but would it be possible to delay the birthday trip by a week?

You've sat, sun and tues? Could family / kids friends look after your children for a few hours to give you time to concentrate?

Could a friend help out? I know it's hard to ask for help sometimes but good friends would hate to see you struggle. We took up several people's offer of help - being careful not to ask too much of anyone person and keeping to theiir skills... Girlies helped with clohtes, dad did books, young chap lugged shed contents...

A close friend of mine was evicted and her new place fell through the day before she moved so she had to make hard decisions in just a few days /hours. She boxed all sentimental breakable things herself first, asked friends over to pack books, cloths, pans etc. Those friends took away sellable/ charity things out of her way. Anything she wasn't sure of she dumped in those charity sacks 1 for each room... To sort through after move. Not ideal but quick.

Dontknowanymore

Thanks.
I remembered I only work every other Monday so have Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues and Thurs. Plus every evening, and on Wednesday I finish at 12.30pm.

I can't delay Legoland, my son would be heartbroken and we were supposed to go on his birthday last year but because we moved to this flat (from a refuge) 4 days before his Birthday.

I only started my job 3 weeks ago, its domestic cleaning on a self employed basis so if I don't do it on the days I'm supposed to, I will still have to do it on another day.

I have no family arounf here that can watch the boys and I wouldn't ask any of my friends to watch the boys but that's ok, it's got to be done!

Every time I have moved I have only had about a weeks notice, when I moved here from the refuge, they called me on Monday morning and I picked up the keys 3 hours later! I only had the stuff I had in the refuge then cos my Mum had packed my house up and put it in storage, I stupidly told her to bin majority of it.

So I do know its doable, I just want to try and do it properly this time, I have got proper boxes from safestore self storage and packing materials so at least that is something! I just dont know where to start lol

LittleBrownFrog

ooh - thanks for bumping this one up - going to bookmark it & have a proper read later on. We're in the process of buying/selling at the moment & I'm having a minor panic about moving with 4 children, 4 chickens, two cats, a fish, some sea monkeys & all the paraphernalia that goes with them! When I bought my first house, everything I owned fitted easily in the back of my Fiesta (apart from the bed, which my dad brought over separately!)