Hopefully, exchange of contracts is not too far away now. We've done nothing towards packing yet (didn't want to tempt fate!). Am feeling very disorganised. When did you start packing to move? We've got a 2 bed house + a jammed packed garage!!
When I moved 2 months ago (back in with my ma ) I had most of my stuff packed two weeks before completion. Saved me a lot of stress (was still stressful though)
We started to pack on the day of exchange, which gave us a full 2 weeks to get it finished before completion. Good luck with your move - it's worth it in the end!
I say get rid of all the junk, and be brutal! I know I would need to be. Then when you know you're going to complete pack everything else up then.
Some friends of mine were asked would they go over and help some other friends move their stuff to their new place. When they got there, the day of moving, they hadn't even packed!! My friend and her hubby were not too pleased that 'helping with the move' meant packing boxes not just lugging them!
*It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them. -- Pierre De Beaumarchais
Load up your car with all the stuff you don't want - well in advance - and go to a car boot sale. On the way home, visit the tip and get rid of anything that was left. Then reward yourself with a nice pub lunch!
If you're packing yourself, start now! if you're leaving to a removals firm, don't do a thing....trust me, I've moved dozens of times. Hope it all goes well!
**Accept that some days you are the pigeon and some days you are the statue.**
Julie's post reminded me - I would always get the removals co to do the packing. They are much quicker and better at it than us amateurs and it doesn't add much to the final bill. All I would do beforehand is check through and throw out any junk as others have said.
I've often wondered about that - when you pay removals companes to do the packing, do they literally do all the packing? I mean really all of it? You just leave everything as is and they do it? How long does it take? Would they do it on moving day?
Yes, they literally do everything and would much prefer you didn't 'help'. When my partner and I moved out of our separate flats and into our current house, both of us had the removals guys to do the packing - they did the whole procedure on the one day. They arrived at my partner's flat flat at 7 a.m., then at mine at about 11, and we got into the house at about 4. (The properties were all only a few miles apart). They stayed and helped us assemble beds and position furniture until about 7 in the evening.
Re: removal men packing For a property a bit bigger, for instance a four bed house with double garage (the garage is significant as it is probably full of stuff!), they would be likely to pack the day before, just leaving the bedding and kitchen stuff till removal day, especially if you're travelling any distance. It is still amazing how quickly they can do it (and don't forget they bring all their own paper, bubble wrap and boxes) but the factor that makes all the difference is that they don't get distracted like we poor feeble minded ones do every time we so much as start tidying a cupboard....or is that just me?
Important point too - they will almost certainly not cover you for damage or accept any liability unless they have done the packing themselves.
We got the removals men to do it too. Apart from the general clear-out which we did before putting our flat on the market, we didn't have to lift a finger. They just came on the day, packed the lot up in 2 hours and off we went. I would recommend keeping tea, coffee, a kettle and some choccy biscuits within easy reach - it keeps them happy
We used pickfords and it cost £600 (for a heavily stuffed 1 bed flat)
All she needs is therapy. All she needs is love, is all she needs.
I'd recommend having a removal company do the packing. I had a cramped full three bed house and was moving 80 miles away. They came the day before and spent the whole day packing, leaving the essentials til the next morning. I just dusted and hoovered as they cleared each room.
Originally posted by Celia Fate: We got the removals men to do it too. Apart from the general clear-out which we did before putting our flat on the market, we didn't have to lift a finger. They just came on the day, packed the lot up in 2 hours and off we went. I would recommend keeping tea, coffee, a kettle and some choccy biscuits within easy reach - it keeps them happy
We used pickfords and it cost £600 (for a heavily stuffed 1 bed flat)
We got a few quotes in and decided against Pickfords, one because they were quite expensive but mainly because their liability is so small. It is something like £30 per box - no matter what is in the box. So for example great auntie's tea service worth £200, 50 CDs worth £750, old towels worth £0, all lost /damaged, you get £90. Worth it? I don't think so. Oh and they spent more time telling us what they WOULDN'T do (plants, paints, anything slightly dangerous like cleaning products etc etc etc) than what they would do.
Def recommend the pre-move clear out. It saved us about 10-20 boxes worth of clothes and books
oh and we started packing about 6 months before we moved - but that more due to running out of room than being uber-organised
Originally posted by curlup'ndye: I'd recommend having a removal company do the packing. I had a cramped full three bed house and was moving 80 miles away. They came the day before and spent the whole day packing, leaving the essentials til the next morning. I just dusted and hoovered as they cleared each room.
How I wish I'd done that! Being a stingy so-and-so I decided on just a removal service but with both of us working full time we were SERIOUSLY behind by the time moving day arrived. I'm afraid queenstomper WE were those people relying upon the goodwill of friends to pack everything in a mega-hurry. I had totally underestimated what was involved and felt like a prize prat on the day but there you go, a lesson learned.
Originally posted by curlup'ndye: I'd recommend having a removal company do the packing. I had a cramped full three bed house and was moving 80 miles away. They came the day before and spent the whole day packing, leaving the essentials til the next morning. I just dusted and hoovered as they cleared each room.
It doesn't take all the stress away but does help. When we arrived at the other end I couldn't unpack anything as the place was filthy, that included the insides of the kitchen cupboards. They had also removed every curtain rail and nearly every light fitting. Needless to say I didn't forward any post as had been requested in a note left on a scrap of paper, it was prompty burnt in the fire.
How I wish I'd done that! Being a stingy so-and-so I decided on just a removal service but with both of us working full time we were SERIOUSLY behind by the time moving day arrived. I'm afraid queenstomper WE were those people relying upon the goodwill of friends to pack everything in a mega-hurry. I had totally underestimated what was involved and felt like a prize prat on the day but there you go, a lesson learned.
We've essentially started already. As I'm preggers and too big for most of my clothes they are already packed and in suitcases at my Mum's. As soon as we have a sold sign up we are going to try and do a box a night of all the non-essentials. I'll be too big for major packing by the time we move, so need to get it out of the way asap.
I've never had the packing done. From memory, it's a lot more. I do know that if you go that route, they will pack and take everything. So clear out first. Car boot sale is the thing. A friend of mine had packers and they carefully transported things like her vast collection of old supermarket carrier bags stuffed into a cupboard. I do the packing myself. I start after exchange and do a small amount every day. But I get rid of junk much earlier.
My fiance used Pickford's when he was moving from St Albans to Glasgow. He rented a flat for 6 months while we looked for and bought a house. All his stuff except clothes, went into storage.
Pickford's packed EVERYTHING, including a half eaten packet of biscuits which we had been eating before they arrived. You can image our joy when we came across them again after 6 months!
) I had most of my stuff packed two weeks before completion. Saved me a lot of stress (was still stressful though)
How long does it take? Would they do it on moving day?
