When do you start packing to move

mm1985

geoave1 said:

Just get a packing company. I too do not understand how people spend hundreds of thousands on a property purchase and not a grand or two on a packing & removals service! We’re moving after the new year and I started packing the stuff we don’t need immediately (ornaments, books, vases etc). The rest i.e. clothes and kitchen i’m leaving for packers. Can never start too early. I’ve found not storing stuff in a loft in any house i’ve lived in to be the best way of ensuring I don’t keep anything unnecessarily!  

This is most definitely something we will consider but even then it’s difficult to organise with not knowing when you are moving. Our EA has been trying to get in touch our buyers since Friday and they’re not getting back to her so I really don’t know what is going on at the moment our how to get in touch buyers. 

ccfc1972

mm1985 said:

geoave1 said:

Just get a packing company. I too do not understand how people spend hundreds of thousands on a property purchase and not a grand or two on a packing & removals service! We’re moving after the new year and I started packing the stuff we don’t need immediately (ornaments, books, vases etc). The rest i.e. clothes and kitchen i’m leaving for packers. Can never start too early. I’ve found not storing stuff in a loft in any house i’ve lived in to be the best way of ensuring I don’t keep anything unnecessarily!  

This is most definitely something we will consider but even then it’s difficult to organise with not knowing when you are moving. Our EA has been trying to get in touch our buyers since Friday and they’re not getting back to her so I really don’t know what is going on at the moment our how to get in touch buyers. 

Frustrating isn't it. We just want a solid date so we can plan...seriously can't wait to move in and then not have to think about moving again for at least 10 years...if ever!

badger09

We started half hearted decluttering hen house went on the market end of July. Stepped it up several gears when we accepted offer & had offer accepted end August. Hired a skip for a week and concentrated on garage & shed  & other big items of carp which wouldn't easily fit in car for the tip. Gradually took over 30 bags & boxes to various charity shops, half a dozen tip trips between lockdowns. Started sorting out wardrobes, guest bedrooms, study etc, packing stuff not regularly used & labelling for destination in new house. 

We're having 'full packing' service, but we've had it before & I don't want them packing everything in the random way they do, so been gathering similar items all in one room, so they get packed together.

Vendor pulled & we've recently had offer accepted on another house, out so now going into storage & we're moving into temp furnished accommodation. Cue relabelling for new place, & sorting stuff for temp move. Donating a lot of furniture before we move & removal co will basically be packing fragile items, kitchen contents & sofas and doing all the heavy lifting. They're booked for 2 days before planned completion date and if we don't exchange, we'll lose deposit  - and probably our sanity. 

Its been a marathon effort but I'd definitely have had a nervous breakdown if we'd left it until exchange. 

geoave1

mm1985 said:
This is most definitely something we will consider but even then it’s difficult to organise with not knowing when you are moving. Our EA has been trying to get in touch our buyers since Friday and they’re not getting back to her so I really don’t know what is going on at the moment our how to get in touch buyers. 

Yh that is a pain. I managed to book my packers just before exchange (there are about 3 weeks between exchange & completion for us which includes xmas/new year break) but we’d agreed date directly with the seller and told the seller to get their solicitor to push ours on to meet the dates, if they hadn’t I doubt we would have exchanged and completed on the dates we wanted. There are a lot of decent packing companies out there who are flexible but maybe once you’ve all agreed a date you can book in, this website is quite useful with real reviews:
https://www.freeindex.co.uk/categories/property/removals_and_relocation/

Do you have direct contact with your buyers? 

mm1985

geoave1 said:

mm1985 said:
This is most definitely something we will consider but even then it’s difficult to organise with not knowing when you are moving. Our EA has been trying to get in touch our buyers since Friday and they’re not getting back to her so I really don’t know what is going on at the moment our how to get in touch buyers. 

Yh that is a pain. I managed to book my packers just before exchange (there are about 3 weeks between exchange & completion for us which includes xmas/new year break) but we’d agreed date directly with the seller and told the seller to get their solicitor to push ours on to meet the dates, if they hadn’t I doubt we would have exchanged and completed on the dates we wanted. There are a lot of decent packing companies out there who are flexible but maybe once you’ve all agreed a date you can book in, this website is quite useful with real reviews:
https://www.freeindex.co.uk/categories/property/removals_and_relocation/

Do you have direct contact with your buyers? 

@geoave1 no but I wish we did. We do with our sellers who we keep in regular contact with but unfortunately my husband (who did the viewing after offer was made) didn’t take contact details. I really wish he did because at the moment they are not responding to messages from  our EA and I’m starting to panic. Im also tempted to seek them out on social media and make contact...but I’m aware that is very stalker like so have convinced myself not to do it

mm1985

So our EA finally heard from our buyer. The buyer was pleased to hear that the search results would be with solicitors tomorrow and said in the email that they are in receipt of the survey and glad everything is moving along well...the EA feels like if the buyer had any issues with the survey then she would have most likely raised it in the email. 

We are of course still very aware that this sale could fall through up to the day of exchange but as the EA said we have overcome most hurdles now so we most definitely need to think about packing

Thrugelmir

mm1985 said:

The buyer was pleased to hear that the search results would be with solicitors tomorrow and said in the email that they are in receipt of the survey and glad everything is moving along well...

Doesn't sound like they are preparing to exchange this week.........

maisie_cat

We were moving 250 miles and removal companies wanted a fortune, we knew that exchange to completion would be quick so decided to do it ourselves as that was more flexible.
We hired a storage unit half way and transferred all but the basics and the kitchen. We left enough furniture to make the house look lived in in case the sale fell through. Then we sort of camped for 3 months because our "proceedable" buyers had trouble getting a mortgage!
When we actually moved we got most of it in a luton van the day before completion. Don't do as we did and transfer sofas that won't go through the door, we could have given them away and not shifted them with hindsight! There were quite a few things we should have offloaded before we moved and a few things we should have brought with us and have replaced.

mm1985

Thrugelmir said:

mm1985 said:

The buyer was pleased to hear that the search results would be with solicitors tomorrow and said in the email that they are in receipt of the survey and glad everything is moving along well...

Doesn't sound like they are preparing to exchange this week.........

No, our solicitor has said this week is not an option as exchange needs to be just a couple to days before completion, which at the moment is suggested for 14th. However, with most hurdles (or at least the ones that are within our control) have been crossed I feel a little more comfortable using the Christmas break to pack up some of the stuff in the kitchen, loft and garage that we don’t use or won’t need any time soon.