Moving tips!

[special_kala]

All going well we should be moving within a month Smaller and more expensive but much nicer.

How do i move with 3 kids?

 

[Nut_Shake]

The only way to do it is start early so you have plenty of time to sort it all and keep extremely organised. Do a little bit at a time (in the evenings or whenever you have even a few moments, you'll see that you'll get plenty done by just doing a little bit each day). Number each box, write down on a notepad roughly what's in each box, and with that you'll be so organised when you get to your new place too. You'll know exactly what box needs to go into what room and which boxes you want to unpack first and which aren't so urgent to unpack. Also do you have any family or friends to come over and spend a few hours on some days just watching the kids whilst you get more done?

This is exactly how I did it with the move abroad and it was so much less stressful as I was doing it little by little and making lots of notes so I know exactly what was going on every step of the way. This is the only way to do it to keep your sanity with kids around! xx

 

[tina3747]

However many boxes you think you'll need... Double it!

 

[KayBea]

weite on each box what room it needs to go in & number it according to how important it is so when you arrive at the new place you can dump the boxes in their appropriate rooms & unpack the important stuff first xx

 

[Susie28]

To get your little ones involved (the older two perhaps?) I think it would be quite nice to put their items/or items from their own rooms in their own cardboard boxes and then get them to decorate their own boxes with colours and stickers. Each box would be identifiable to them and it would keep them amused while you do some packing.

 

[sue_88]

Like Susie's idea.....failing that - OFF TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE!

I've moved 4 times in the last two years - admitidely without a baby and could pack a house in less than a week....but my top tips:


Pre-make your boxes. Spend some time taping them together and stacking them out the way.

Do the easy bits first - books / DVD's / pictures. It's hard to get the motivation to start going with packing but these easy bits make you feel like you've done a good start.

Start the kitchen!!! For some reason I always leave it last and it's a nightmare. Leave out 1 cup each, 1 plate each & 1 glass. Everything else away. Baking trays / pans etc mostly away, leave 1/2 of each. Any ingredients you might not use...baking supplies / pasta / tins etc put these in an open box in the kitchen, if you need them you can get them.

Sort the garden shed / tools by wrapping up the equipment in bags. Ask a neighbour to borrow their lawn mower if you want to tidy the garden before you leave.

Look round each room - what haven't you used in the last month?! Handbags /clothes / oranaments / toiletries.

Are you taking curtians - if so taken them down in the rooms that are not slept in. Pack them away.

Also the nightmare in any house if you have one - the understairs cupboard!! Sort out / dump anything you don't need & pack up the rest.


Hope that helps!

 

[special_kala]

Fantastic tips ladies. Thank you.

 

[Belle25]

Stalking this thread! Need tips.
Am moving next month too. Good luck with it.
I'm just going to start boxing up stuff we not need until after the move, so it's a more gradual process.
X

 

[LynseyPynsey]

We're moving next month too! Thanks for the tips ladies.

 

[Pink Flowers]

I get Martin to pack he enjoys it, should I send him round?

Sue's tips are great

 

[Floralaura]

Dont do what we did and pack a house and move all within less than a day!
We sold ours and the buyers decided at 4.55pm Thursday they would only complete if we were out by Friday at 12pm..Along with our 3mth old and 3 yr old and cat AND we had no where to go until the Saturday. Plus we kinda needed to sleep during the night- Thus major chaos ensued lol.
We are due to move in Nov again and I have started packing already-little bots like summer clothes etc have gone into storage boxes and been packed in wardrobes ready and I have been de-cluttering so less to move..Like the others said slowly is best with Kids!

 

[kmbabycrazy]

Good things for packing clothes quickly, if they're on hangers get those large drawstring bin bags push all the clothes into the middle of the wardrobe and pull the bin bag up over them and then tie the draw string at the top of the clothes leaving just the hook part of the hanger out, that way they're packed quickly and you can unpack them quickly.

And definitely numbering the boxes in order of importance so you know what to unpack first x

 

[Pink Flowers]

we always pack kitchen up last, so the day before we move everything is packed apart from what you need for the morning, you will need the kitchen as you have 2 toddlers. then we always un pack it first. I always take the kettle, tea bags etc

 

[MrsPear]

I agree with whoever said get started on the kitchen. So much crap accumulates in there it's unreal (or it may be just me). Obviously you need to keep some things out, but sort through your herbs/spices/baking stuff and get rid of stuff that's only got a little bit left or a bit manky etc. It just saves so much time in the final couple of days. Also however much you recycle etc, your bin will probably fill up pretty quick so it's better to start getting rid of stuff now.

Also, do you have any charities local? Some of them collect stuff. Maybe you've not got anything to go, but moving is often a good time to get rid of stuff like the plates you haven't ever used but save 'just in case' and pieces of furniture like a coffee table that just isn't going to fit. If someone collects it (or you drop it to them) then it saves you having to advertise or throw good items away and you can feel really refreshed by the general de clutter!

 

[Quackquack99]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet but when I last moved, I used disposable cutlery and plates for the last couple of days so I could pack as much kitchen things up. The plus side meant I didn't have to wash them.