When do you start packing to move

mm1985

So a little context, our solicitor has discussed a possibly completion date of 14th Jan with an exchange of 11th Jan. we know it is silly to wait until 11th to start packing as that would just not give us enough time but at the same time we don’t want to pack to early, have the sale fall through and have to unpack in the same house. 

The only thing outstanding is our buyers local searches (which of course could raise enquiries but we have been told this seems unlikely) and the buyer received their survey results last Thursday and we have not heard anything negative on that front so are assuming all is ok. 

our EA tried to get in touch with buyers and their solicitor on Friday but couldn’t. Our solicitor got in touch with buyers solicitor who has confirmed only thing outstanding is local search. 

With all this in mind would it be silly to use our Christmas break to pack? My husband is self employed and is off for two weeks over Christmas/new year and then returns to work on the 4th and we really wouldn’t want him to take any time off until completion date. What are your thoughts and when would you start packing? 

ccfc1972

We're hopefully looking to complete around the 14th Jan as well. We've already started packing.

mm1985

ccfc1972 said:

We're hopefully looking to complete around the 14th Jan as well. We've already started packing.

You see everything is telling me this is sensible but the cynic in me still worries the sale could fall through. Especially with the local search still outstanding 

Thrugelmir

I'd use the time now to rid yourselves of anything that you don't intend to take with you. 

GDB2222

Thrugelmir said:

I'd use the time now to rid yourselves of anything that you don't intend to take with you. 

And lots of stuff that you do!

I regret keeping a load of the carp that we moved from one home to the next, to the next ...

Falafels

mm1985 said:

ccfc1972 said:

We're hopefully looking to complete around the 14th Jan as well. We've already started packing.

You see everything is telling me this is sensible but the cynic in me still worries the sale could fall through. Especially with the local search still outstanding 

You're bound to have possessions which you don't need to use every day and potentially wouldn't need to unpack immediately, even if your sale did fall through. Start with these. As Thrugelmir says, get rid of anything you won't be taking with you, and any other clutter. Be ruthless.

I sold a two-bed cottage, and I spent a fortnight packing at a fairly leisurely pace.

Alternatively, hire a removals company who will do the packing for you. This is an option if you really don't want to commit yourself, but it feels a bit like a swarm of locusts descending on your home. They operate with the same ruthless efficiency.

AdrianC

Start tidying, clearing, and culling before putting the place on the market...

mm1985

Thrugelmir said:

I'd use the time now to rid yourselves of anything that you don't intend to take with you. 

To be honest we don’t have very much clutter and what we do have we have recently got rid of with a couple of trips to the dump. I’ve given away all my children’s baby toys so they don’t come to the new house with us.

everybody in the chain is aware of the completion date and while I’m not sure when the searches were submitted if I assume they were done after the buyers got their mortgage offer (so around 23rd November) and they take 4weeks to return they should be back next week and hopefully we’ll be on track for the date so maybe after Christmas and before the new year we’ll start packing up some things 

GDB2222

Things change. We have thousands of books lying around the house, but in practice I do nearly all my reading now with ebooks. I really don’t want to part with the paper ones, though. When we downsize, we will just have to bite the bullet.

martindow

I would have a ruthless look at what you have in the house and give to charity shops or the tip what you don't need.  I would second the idea of employing the removal company to do the packing.  You can carry on as normal until the day before the move when they will quickly and efficiently pack.  You need to make sure that valuables, computers, etc you want to move yourself are kept safely to one side and clearly labelled or put in your car.  The removal people will make sure that the kettle, tea bags and some mugs are hte last to be packed and the first to be unpacked so no need to worry about them!

mm1985

martindow said:

I would have a ruthless look at what you have in the house and give to charity shops or the tip what you don't need.  I would second the idea of employing the removal company to do the packing.  You can carry on as normal until the day before the move when they will quickly and efficiently pack.  You need to make sure that valuables, computers, etc you want to move yourself are kept safely to one side and clearly labelled or put in your car.  The removal people will make sure that the kettle, tea bags and some mugs are hte last to be packed and the first to be unpacked so no need to worry about them!

This sounds very tempting. We’ve got quotes from removals companies but are still to book any because we don’t know for sure when we are moving. Anybody have any experience with booking a removals company when exchange and completion will be so close together?