Your moving/new home tips!

[Kerryoke]

Well, three months (!!) after Mr. Oke and I had our offer accepted on a flat, we finally signed the contract last night. We've posted it to our solicitors this morning, and assuming all goes well (fingers crossed) we think we should be moving within two or three weeks.

Of course, because we didn't have a very good idea when anything would be happening until the contract actually arrived through our door yesterday, nothing is packed yet (although we do have about 10 boxes ready to go). We're certainly planning to hire movers but are going to pack everything ourselves.

We're also planning to buy lots of things for the new place - our housemate is staying in the house so we're planning on leaving eg the hoover and washing machine and buying new ones for Our First Just-Us Home. I think January will be a good time to pick up some of those cheap in after-Christmas sales, but there are some things like a fridge and freezer (and bed!) that we'll have to get within the next few weeks. I was thinking eBay and charity "furniture and electrical" shops might be good places to look for these. Has anyone had experience buying home furnishing type things from these before?

And general "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T __________" moving-home advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Dragonlady]

Pack a box with things you'll need first - toilet paper, light bulbs, disposable plates and cutlery, any meds, toothbrushes, - and keep it in ONE place. DO NOT LOOSE THE BOX IN THE UPCOMING MESS. Take it with YOU - do NOT let the movers touch it.

[Hunter Hawk]

Originally Posted by Dragonlady

Pack a box with things you'll need first - toilet paper, light bulbs, disposable plates and cutlery, any meds, toothbrushes, - and keep it in ONE place. DO NOT LOOSE THE BOX IN THE UPCOMING MESS. Take it with YOU - do NOT let the movers touch it.

Also a flashlight and some clothes.



Use the smaller packing boxes wherever possible. You'll wreck your back if you try to "be more efficient" and overload yourself.

Pack one box of key kitchen supplies and label it clearly.

Don't try to do everything in one weekend. It always takes longer than you think it will.

Optionally, buy several moving blankets (they're cheap) and some of that rubber gripper stuff you put under carpets or on shelves and use the moving blankets as jerry-rigged carpeting in the new place. You'll be coming and going a lot and tracking a bunch of dirt in, and the blankets will protect the floors. You can also lay a blanket on the floor and pile boxes and other stuff on it, then slide the whole mess if you need to shift it.

If there's contractor work that needs to be done in the new place (electrical, painting, insulation, whatever), try to get it done before you unpack too much, and ideally before you move in at all. Also, try to queue the contractor work appropriately (e.g., electrical before insulation before painting).

[eleanorigby]

My only moving tip:

set up your bed, complete with sheets FIRST. That way, late at night when you are exhausted from the move, you have a fresh ready-made bed to fall into.

[Veb]

Originally Posted by Kerryoke

We're also planning to buy lots of things for the new place - our housemate is staying in the house so we're planning on leaving eg the hoover and washing machine and buying new ones for Our First Just-Us Home. I think January will be a good time to pick up some of those cheap in after-Christmas sales, but there are some things like a fridge and freezer (and bed!) that we'll have to get within the next few weeks. I was thinking eBay and charity "furniture and electrical" shops might be good places to look for these. Has anyone had experience buying home furnishing type things from these before?

And general "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T __________" moving-home advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hey, I furnished several apartments out of resale shops. So long as the place has a fairly well-established reputation, it's possible to get some really good second-hand appliances and furniture. Or check out estate sales and auctions. I'm not sure if they're called the same thing in the UK. Here, they're sales where the contents of houses are sold off after a death, i.e. the sale of household items is part of the departed's estate. They can be great sources of inexpensive, good-quality household stuff. It's easy to tell where the houses and contents were well maintained. I scored a lovely bedroom suite and really gorgeous rug, all of which I still own and use, at estate sales--and for very reasonable prices. Actually my freezer came from an estate sale as well, come to think of it.

Fairly obvious tip, but measure all floor footprints and openings for appliances before you shop. For several years I carried around a couple of note cards with dimension, paint colors, etc. It's a lifesaver when you spot something you really like but you're not sure if it will fit. And, take a tape measure along when you shop. It takes all the guesswork out of whether something will actually fit where you envision it.

Big endorsement for the 'first night' box for things you'll need right away. I usually set aside a small suitcase for clothes, meds, toiletries, etc. but the box contained flashlight, disposable plates and silverware, a bath and hand towel, bottle and can opener, Swiss Army knife and a few basic tools like screwdriver, hammer and a roll of toilet paper.

It's also handy to pack a bucket with basic cleaning supplies, just so they're obvious and right at hand when you need 'em.

Good luck, Kerryoke! You'll be settled in and feeling at home before you know it.