Packing and moving day hints and tips

steve866

Have the hoover handy; you might want to hoover them new house before moving anything in depending on the state it has been left in. 

badger09

Bottle (or several) of wine/beer/gin/vodka/absinthe or whatever has been getting you through the process so far and something to drink it from. Swigging from the bottle won't impress your new neighbours

coachman12

The O/P seems to have had all the advice I can think of. The only extra thing which I don't recall being mentioned is -------your wardrobes.  It is a very good thing to buy ( or hire ?) those moveable clothes rails on castors ( you also see them in hotel lobbies) , as many as hold all the clothes in your wardrobes , put covers over them to protect them. 
What you write on the boxes is the best trick, and where movers are to put them in new house-----you'll need to remember what's in those boxes someday for the few that you have never opened after several years
Don't hesitate to tell removers to "go more gently" if you see them throwing items into the van---keep an eye on them. And buy large "FRAGILE" stickers to put all over the boxes which contain your meissen 
Try and enjoy the day, distract yourself by taking a few photos every now and then. Best wishes and very good luck and happiness in your new home.

md258

Label the boxes which need unpacking fairly quickly (eg stuff you'll need within the first 3 days) so you can quickly identify them and prioritise unpacking them.

Put cleaning stuff, valuables, basic toolkit and things you'll need in the first hour in your car (get the removals to take everything else).

Have one person directing the removals to which room the boxes should go in and the other unpacking the first 3 days stuff.

Send the children/pets to their grandparents/aunts/friends for the day and unpack their stuff before they arrive.

getmore4less

Start declutter/packing as soon as you decide to move.

Although a lot easier these days with Internet, a full set of menus for the local takeaways can be useful if a new area. 

Review what is still in boxes from your last move. 

Be careful packing by category you can end up with one thing you need in a box of stuff you won't for ages. 

Teapot55

A toilet roll & a bottle of handsoap & a hand towel for each toilet in the new house. Two boxes of mansize tissues, one for upstairs, one for down (I sneeze a lot). Plenty of microfibre cleaning cloths. Essential medicines. Biros/sellotape/post-it notes. Spare batteries. Ketchup/salt/vinegar etc. Plasters & basic first-aid kit. Small basic toolkit, especially screwdrivers. 

Splatfoot

badger09 said:

luvchocolate said:

It's all in the planning if you've been in the same house for a while you will have accumulated stuff!
Only take what you use/need. 
Good luck in your new home 

It would be so much easier if my husband felt like that. He's not going to change now though.

I have the same problem! 

Murphybear

Check your removal company’s insurance.  It is quite common that they won’t pay out for breakages if they didn’t pack the items. 

We usually get the removal company to do a part pack.  They pack kitchen items and China/glass etc.  They are generally much better at it and it will take them much less time.

badger09

getmore4less said:

Start declutter/packing as soon as you decide to move.

Although a lot easier these days with Internet, a full set of menus for the local takeaways can be useful if a new area. 

Review what is still in boxes from your last move. 

Be careful packing by category you can end up with one thing you need in a box of stuff you won't for ages. 

You obviously know my husband.
(Boxes in the loft from house before this one. We've been here nearly 21 years!)

badger09

Murphybear said:

Check your removal company’s insurance.  It is quite common that they won’t pay out for breakages if they didn’t pack the items. 

We usually get the removal company to do a part pack.  They pack kitchen items and China/glass etc.  They are generally much better at it and it will take them much less time.

Thant's interesting. Didn't even know that was possible. We have quotes for full packing but have packed over 50% so far.