When should I start getting ready to move?

TBG01

RelievedSheff said:

I would make a start now. 

Have a massive declutter. We did this before we moved and it saved us moving a load of stuff that we didn't need or want and made moving the stuff we did take much easier.

Start by packing stuff that you don't need on a daily basis. Pack things in boxes, but don't make the boxes too heavy and label each box with the contents and which room it is to go in the new house.

If you have furniture to take start dismantling the stuff you don't use daily and getting it wrapped and packed ready to go.

From us reserving our new build house to moving in was 3.5 weeks and we started packing pretty much as soon as we had reserved the plot. We did it bit by bit over the 3 weeks which didn't make it seem daunting. On moving day we literally had a few bits in the kitchen to pack away. We slept on a mattress on the floor for the last couple of nights.

You have done the hard part and got the mortgage offer and your searches are back. Assuming enquiries are simple to answer you could have a completion date sooner than you think.

3.5 weeks? Did you buy a shed?

GaleSF63

RelievedSheff said:

I would make a start now. 


Start by packing stuff that you don't need on a daily basis. Pack things in boxes, but don't make the boxes too heavy and label each box with the contents and which room it is to go in the new house.

Good advice above. Books for example are very heavy!

If you are short of space use boxes small enough to put back into cupboards etc. that you have packed the contents from. You can always put them in a bigger box on/near the day. 

Brie

Go to Aldi or Lidl and get lots of their "banana boxes" - you know the sturdy ones that keep bananas etc from getting squashed during shipping.  They are prefect for glassware, books, cds.  They are sturdy, they are stackable, and they have hand slots on the side so they are easy to carry.  And as you are stacking them you are stopped from overfilling which will make them too heavy to lift.  If you aren't using these then I suggest wine boxes - particularly if you have a lot of books (like me).  Nothing worse than loading a big box with all that weight and doing your back the first time you pick it up.

And as teapot said - pack your "needed immediately" box and load it last.  We quite literally packed a suitcase like we were going on a holiday so we only had to open 1 thing and could leave the rest until the next day.  Ensure you include whatever you need to enjoy your delivered pizza and bottle of wine.

tealady

A tip for unwanted stuff.
Put on the edge of your property with a note "free". It's amazing what people can use.
Near me I have seen bedside cabinets, concrete slabs and a computer desk. 
As the saying goes "one man's trash is another's treasure"

PollyWollyDoodle

Definitely declutter and get rid of anything you don’t want to take with you, but my advice would be don’t start packing too soon. Your solicitor will ask you about a completion date, so you have some warning. It’s really demoralising to be surrounded by cardboard boxes, packing materials, and having to unpack boxes to find things you still need, especially if exchange of contracts is delayed for some reason. 

If you’re renting presumably you’ll have a bit of overlap so you don’t have to move everything on one day. 

tdawber

Yeh I wouldn’t box stuff up, I would start decluttering, get stuff sold that you don’t want/need anymore in your new pad.
start getting boxes, have a look on your local Facebook marketplace, sometimes people give moving boxes away for free, get some decent tape (screw fix)  and big marker pens.  

Depends how much space you have to store the boxes when they are full. 

cheeky-peach

We've taken everything down from our attic and sorted it out, sold, skipped etc. I was shocked to see how much stuff we had up there and how much we didn't actually want to keep. We also had a sort out of the garage and did the same.

UnderOffer

TBG01 said:

RelievedSheff said:

I would make a start now. 

Have a massive declutter. We did this before we moved and it saved us moving a load of stuff that we didn't need or want and made moving the stuff we did take much easier.

Start by packing stuff that you don't need on a daily basis. Pack things in boxes, but don't make the boxes too heavy and label each box with the contents and which room it is to go in the new house.

If you have furniture to take start dismantling the stuff you don't use daily and getting it wrapped and packed ready to go.

From us reserving our new build house to moving in was 3.5 weeks and we started packing pretty much as soon as we had reserved the plot. We did it bit by bit over the 3 weeks which didn't make it seem daunting. On moving day we literally had a few bits in the kitchen to pack away. We slept on a mattress on the floor for the last couple of nights.

You have done the hard part and got the mortgage offer and your searches are back. Assuming enquiries are simple to answer you could have a completion date sooner than you think.

3.5 weeks? Did you buy a shed?

😂 RS part exchanged. 

youth_leader

I left the kitchen until last, and really regretted it as I hadn't thought of all the wrapping of glasses etc, it took soooo long to do. 

Do put a first aid kit in your 'essentials' box, I really injured my toe on my first night and had no idea where my first aid stuff was.