The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

fuddle

Great news met with a little 'oh dear, this is happening' I expect monna. It's another step towards what will be. Have you any idea what that next step will be yet?

It's good news but it's news that comes with change and change means hard work sometimes

mardatha

Exciting new chapter possibly opening soon monna !

nursemaggie

Monna When it comes to moving, if your DS knows someone who uses one of the smaller removal vans for work, he could ask him to move you this was the best move we ever had. We knew a antique dealer who had a small removal van he used for clearing houses collecting things he bought or delivering things he sold. His wife ran the shop.

He had a couple of days a week when the van was not in use so he would do just local removals. We moved less than a mile. He said he would take one or two rooms as a time and which did I want to go first? I opted for the kitchen . It took him about half an hour or so to fill the van with things for the kitchen, the kids toys, and a few things from the garage. I went with him in the van.

at 10 am I had the kitchen straight, we cleaned it the day before. I reasoned as we were taking our phone number with us, the post office as it was at the time, would just switch the numbers as our buyer was coming outside of York and our vendor was moving nearer her daughter, so I called the number of the house we had moved into and I was right. I told them the kitchen was in full use and kettle was on.

It took us a little longer to do the move than it would have done in one van but we just ended up with everything straight by about 4 pm. The dealer noticed a brass coal scuttle in the coal house at the house we moved into.

He said, "it has a little hole in the bottom, but I can mend that. Give me that and £15 and we can call it quits." It would have cost us at least £200 with anyone else.

That's the best move I've ever had, apart from moving into a furnished flat.

ivyleaf

Good luck monna i expect you feel numb because you've been waiting so long. Lyn and HWK are in the same situation as your nice couple - they've had an offer accepted in principle, but have yet to receive an acceptable offer for their own house, so the one they hope to buy is still on the market. It all seems very confusing and frustrating, and it's a complete mystery to me how anyone in England ever manages to buy a new home at all!

nursemaggie When my parents and I moved back to UK from Gibraltar in the 1960s and unpacked our boxes, we were perplexed to find that the extension table for my mother's sewing machine was on upside down (it was attached to the main body of the machine with hinges). We concluded that Customs must have taken it to bits to make sure we weren't smuggling anything inside the machine! At least it still worked properly.
Couldn't your son help with packing your things while he's packing his, as he would presumably do if you were both moving to the same place?

nursemaggie

Ivyleaf It all suddenly comes together and then they tell you it all yours tomorrow and still have to find a removal firm. about 30 people end up moving on the same day.

greenbee

I've never had a problem with removals. If you are buying, then you give them a rough date when you ask for quotes, and then when you exchange you confirm the completion date. They then let you know how long they'll need to pack so whether they'll do it same day or the day before (usually depends how much stuff you have, how far you are moving, and also how busy they are).

I usually pack my most precious bits myself and put them in the car (or even send them to live with friends for a week or so beforehand), and then leave the movers to pack the rest. Otherwise I'd have to take weeks off work to pack up properly, which isn't realistic. It's also worth bearing in mind that if you pack your own things then insurance cover doesn't always apply for breakages (boxes tend to have 'PBO' for 'packed by owner' on them so the movers know it wasn't them if they are doing some and you're doing the rest).

Most removal firms offer a range of options, so it's worth investigating. If you have very little stuff and lots of willing volunteers to help shift stuff either end then a van rental works. If you have lots of stuff, no time and no volunteers you need the full service.

NM - if DS moves first presumably that would be easiest as he can get all his stuff out of the way and then help you pack up and move?

For all of you moving, it is certainly worth a clearout before you move as you don't want to pay to move stuff you then chuck. Then again, you don't want to get rid of stuff that may be useful in the new place, so be careful not to be too enthusiastic!

fuddle

We've never used a removal firm but DH has always had access to works van. The worst was turning up with all my kit loaded on a low loader and covered in tarp. I bet the neighbours were worried the roughians were moving in! :rotfl:

nursemaggie

Greenbee I have moved 53 times in my life. Some were as a child some were very short notice when my first husband was in the RAF. We did often have to move again after only 3 weeks with a weekend notice.

I have tried every type of removal from a one man band to the long established company with a brilliant reputation. Our two worst moves were the big national because we were moving from York to Anglesey, and, Derby to Gloucester by a company that had glowing references and over 150 years of experience. Both sent us the idiots to move us, and neither stuck to the schedule agreed. We did not have a car when we moved to Anglesey.

I have never been able to get a company to say they will let me pack some and them pack the others. It's either all or nothing. It was the same when we moved here and look what a disaster that was. In case anyone forgot, they sent us two very young inexperienced boys. One of them kept complaining about everything and insulting me all the time. When DS came to see what was going on the taller one punched DS and left him unconscious. They then left us high and dry with no one to move us.

We were very lucky to get someone who had done a light move in the morning and were available. I never go for the cheapest, I always get at least 3 quotes. I have never been given the completion date on the exchange day except when it has been the same day as completion. That usually happens a few minutes later when they do that. Rentals are just as bad.

This housing association said after I had signed up you can move in now.

I have moved so many times I clear out every six months. I never hang onto sentimental stuff because the memories that go with it still remain. My last clear out was about 3 weeks ago.

Lots of things will be divided between up e.g. we will take the bedding that fits our beds, the towels we use. Cup, plates,dishes, cutlery we neither of us will need many.

I think it would be a good idea to pack them when we divide them, oh dear it sounds like a divorce. The problem will be having room too store the packed boxes. I think it would be a good idea for DS to move first but I am more likely to get somewhere instantly, unless this one we are viewing on Tuesday is the one for him.

monnagran

Oh you dear brilliant friends. My viewers left at 12.30, I received their offer at 2.00, at 3.00, I told you the good news and you have already organised my removals for me. Everyone should have friends like you, there would be much more happiness in the world.

Apparently, they are working towards a moving day in June, so I have 3 months to get organised. It is a bit weird because half my stuff is still in my friend's barn and I honestly can't remember what is there. I was in such a state when I packed up that I don't remember much about it. Still, as long as I have my bed, my clothes and a kettle I can cope.
Now I start looking for a bungalow.
The excitement is beginning to stir.

Softstuff

Congratulations Monna :j I hope everything goes smoothly. They're obviously very enamored with the place to make an offer so quick, so they'll be determined.

Nursemaggie, I think packing as you divide would be the way forward. We've never paid a removalist, just "man and van" operations. But then, we've never owned much either worth worrying about that wouldn't fit in a car previously.

When I moved here from England I had the contents of 1 suitcase. Everything else I owned had been gradually sold to pay for flights back and forth here to see hubby. All I had left was a few clothes really. Our first move from his parents to a flat comprised of 1 car load of bits of his and a man and van to move his TV and office chair (we couldn't get them in the tiny boot of his nissan silvia). When we moved to the house, he found it very stressful... this being despite us having sold the flat furnished and needing just 2 fiat 500 car loads and a tv, mattress and desk moved by a friendly neighbour :rotfl: Total move cost, 2 bottles of wine. A couple of years on, we're still sleeping on the mattress on the floor, but we're getting there