Moving House Old Style

Maitane

Not Moneysaving but something I recommend (I moved far too often for a long time) - have a box of things you need to hand separate from the other boxes and the last thing you put in the van.

This box might include things like:

• Kettle, mugs, teaspoon and tea, coffee, sugar & milk 'liberated' from hotels (or from the cupboard if you're not one to nab these )
• Duct tape, bin bags, note paper & pen
• Washing up sponge, J-cloths, stardrops, teatowel
• Handwash, toilet roll and hand towel for bathroom
• Plasters & painkillers (I've not yet moved without injuring myself!)
• Phone charger, spare lightbulb, extension lead

I'd also pack your bed up in it's own box and even if it comes at the detriment of prompt tea-making when you first get there, get your place to sleep made and shut the door. Don't let where you sleep get piled up with boxes as getting to bed exhausted to find a dusty, box covered bed would be horrible.

As January_23 mentioned, if you have a cool box get some snacks and maybe even a preprepared meal in there to save you the temptation of a takeaway unless you budget for it. Just remember to have plates and cutlery handy.

SailorSam

When you get to the new house the two rooms to get livable first are the kitchen and bedroom.

FiremanDave

bigdaftkid wrote: »

I will be moving in a few weeks and will not be using removal firm to save money. I have a great deal on a self drive van but would welcome your tips on making the move easy without lots of costs. I have a friend bringing me boxes from her work so that's sorted. Any useful tips please?

Make sure you don't get stung for any existing damage to the van.

passion_flower

Try and get many hands to help you, we decided (stupidly) to move ourselves this time and it was a nightmare, if someone on the day would have approached me to say how much you are offering me to help you move I would have said name your price.
Hiring paid help is worth their weight in gold, and I will never cut that cost (although we won't be moving any time soon).
One of the things that saved my life was to invest in some of the wide plastic wrap.
I then took all the drawers with all my neatly folded clothes still in them and wrapped them all in the plastic to load onto the van. All I had to do at the other end was cut the plastic and slide them back into the units.
Saved oodles of time and effort.
Good luck

Broomstick

If the new house still needs a good clean before unpacking and you won't have the keys before your moving date see if you can enlist some help with that early in the day of the move. Unpacking into clean space is time saving. We moved our three bed house ourselves to another ten miles away earlier in the year but we had three weeks in which to do it so we were able to get the supposedly clean new home properly clean before filling it with our stuff which was a blessing.

Bx

bigdaftkid

Thank you for all your replies. I have now packed all my flat and done it in just 4 days. All I have left out is basic needed things. Just need to wait for the keys and I am all set to go. Had a de clutter along the way. used bubble wrap and enlisted an extra pair of hands for on the day. Have two sets of extra hands at the other end. Feeling excited now as have been wanting to move back home for 6 years. Can't believe it is finally happening. back to my family and 100 miles journey but worth it.

rosie383

Bump! Bumpity bump!

happyinflorida

Yes, start NOW!! If you've got 3 daughters and 13 years worth of accumulation you will take 4-6 weeks to pack it all!!!!

Leave the housework - that can be left till you've finished packing the boxes!

Good luck

rosie383

Been reading here again. It's crazy to see that I first posted in this thread in August! And we still haven't got a date to move! Frantically kondoing and packing now though as things seem to finally be coming together. It would be great to get a completion date in a few weeks. It feels like it is actually going to happen!

rosie383

Quick question. Is it worth keeping glass jars? I figure any plastic ones kondoed from the kitchen can be given to dh to use for fiddly screws etc. for when he makes a start on all his stuff in the shed. Giving him biscuit tins too. Just not sure how practical glass jam jars etc. would be for a move.