Moving House

[wisewomen]

Me and my partner are in the process of moving house for the first time (buying and selling at the same time). We are planning to do the removals ourselves to save some money but have come up against a problem.

We obviously cannot have the keys to our new house until we have sold ours (on the day of Completion). We therefore have to be out of ours before 12 noon which is fine but cannot offload our belongings till we have the keys to our new home. We are going to have to do more than one trip so where do we put stuff until our sale has gone through and the purchase complete.

Do we all do a little give and take on moving day or is it the case as as soon as monies have exchanged we have to be out?

Please help, just cannot understand how we are going to do this.

[Ethel]

You are creating a lot of work and problems for yourself in trying to save money. Seriously consider paying for professional removals, or hire a large van which will take all the removals in one go.

If you are not licenced to drive such a van, hire a 'man with a big van' - you do all the work, but he drives.

[wisewomen]

Yer we have considered this and may end up doing it this way, just seems such a waste of money as we are only moving to the other side of town.

[sense4all]

It might be that a storage unit to take all non essential items may be the answer to your problems. Some have a two week minimum period.You can drop off boxes in the car a couple at a time. then move the things you need in one trip from the house to the new place... then go to storage in your own sweet time in the afternoon.

[rabbitygirl]

Having moved ourselves by hiring a van, ordering a man with a van, and going professional I can advise. We had the same situation as you on moving out of house 2. We moved 3 streets, farmed out the kids and got stuck in. Problem 1 was in those days, no mobiles, so if the phone was cut you off you didnt know about completion, problems etc. Couple moving out of our new place had done no packing as removers were booked to do this. They hadn't noted this. They turned up expecting boxes and furniture and found ornaments and books still on shelves.

In the meantime we are chased by our buyers to get out. So our stuff was on the left lawn, new bods stuff on the right side. Good job it didn't rain. When I got to new place I found hubby and his dad had loaded everything into the car port which was filled to the rafters. I nearly cried.

Our move this Feb was man and van. It snowed. A lot. Man said he wasn't coming out because the van was up a snowy hill, he had given the guys the day off and 'anyway, no one moves on a day like this' There are not enough @*! on the keyboard to describe my answer to him. We shared our new occupants removers who were great in an emergency.

Moving 3 weeks ago - got the professionals in. We are in our fifties now and I dont have the strength, the nerves or want the hassle. So, had a great team to move us 120 miles up the road, a split delivery to 2 houses and they didn't put a foot wrong. �950 well spent.

Get proper quotes, based on them visiting the house, verbal estimates (which some decline to give) are low to get you. The proper quote, in one instance, was double!!.

Undoubtedly the best move we ever did was into our 1st home. We had collected quite a few things and we had a removal van to take us. A lovely day helped by Mum and Dad. Dad was a removal man by profession!.

[buildersmate]

For the amount of money these removals people cost (compared to say what you have to fork out for the solicitor) they are well worthwhile.

[chappie]

Do some removal services come and pack all your stuff up into boxes for you? My hubby and I moved recently, and we said that if we ever moved again, if we could find a company that comes to your house and packs for you, however much it cost, we would book it, because it was so much hard work to pack everything ourselves.

[buildersmate]

Most companies do it - its an extra cost optional service.

[Herc]

I moved a few months ago and I considered doing it myself, but my (wiser) wife talked me out of it and I am so glad she did.

The removal men are worth every penny. Yes, it was �550 for a three bedroom house and I could have spent the money on something else, but honestly it was worth every penny.

Come moving day you will be so glad you did!