Packing up a house

We’re on the final countdown to moving house now…. 18 days and counting eeep! I’m *trying* to remain calm and not panic [easier said than done].

moving house
my entire house has become a game of tetris!

We’ve been lucky this time in that we had lots of notice that we’d be moving. We first looked at the house at the end of March. It was the first house we saw but I knew it was the ‘right one’ for us. Even though it was an empty shell when we first looked around, it just felt right. The space was just what we were looking for, it’s light and airy and spacious.

Last time we moved we had three weeks from looking at the house to acutally moving in. It was a whirlwind of packing and organising and I barely had time to draw breath. We’ve lived in this house for almost 6 eyars now, the longest we’ve lived in a house as a family. Which means that every nook and cranny has been filled with stuff. So. Much. Stuff. Thankfully having had these couple of months, I’ve been able to do some serious decluttering. Bags and bags have been donated to charity, and there is a mountain {yes, really} of rubbish waiting to go to the skip.

Here are a few tips for packing up your house:

  • Before you start packing, DECLUTTER. Really, this is the best time. Go through drawers, shelfs and cupboards, especially the ones you rarely go in. I promise you’ll be amazed at the stuff you find hidden in there! It’s better to clear out the junk before you start packing.
  • Don’t leave it until the last minute – as soon as you know you’ll be moving, make a start.
  • Start with ornaments/knick knacks/photos – when I pack up, I always take all the pictures off the walls and all the ornaments and decorations down first. They’re things you can absolutely live without, and often the fiddly bits so it’s great to get them packed out of the way.
  • Pack carefully – think about what you’re putting in boxes… keep each box with specific items in, or at least specific room things in… it’s far easier at the other end!
  • Don’t overload boxes – nothing worse than packing a box full of books to realise it’s far too heavy for anyone to actually lift.
  • Work your way around the house – once I start packing, I work my way around the house, packing the things in each room in order of how much we need them. Once I’ve been around the house once and packed the non-essentials up, I can go back around and pack another load up.
  • Designate each family member a suitcase – in the last week before we move, I give each of us a suitcase. We fill it with enough clothes to see us through and any other bits we need. For the kiddos, any toys/books they want to keep ‘unpacked’ have to fit in their suitcase. I find at the other end, it’s easier to find each person’s suitcase with their essentials in than dig them out of various boxes…
  • LABEL!! – make sure each box is clearly labeled, not only with the room it’s going in to, but also a vague idea of what’s in there. I’ve colour coded a lot of our boxes this time – each room in the new house has been designated a colour, I’ve used a piece of paper in the correct colour to label each box and will put a matching colour label on the doors in the new house on moving day – hopefully, it means all boxes will at least end up in the right rooms!
  • Pack an essentials box – kettle, tea, coffee, phone chargers, routers, etc -anything you REALLY want to find at the other end quickly. I usually seal the box with some bright coloured tape – such as the ‘fragile’ packing tape you can buy so I can spot it easily!

Do you have any other tips for a stress free house move?

8 Comments

  1. Slummy single mummy

    June 4, 2015 at 09:54

    Excellent tips! I’ve moved house nearly thirty times in my life and so am a bit of a pro at it. Labelling is absolutely key! Plus don’t pack books in big boxes ;-)

  2. Claire

    June 4, 2015 at 10:44

    You are doing an amazing job, Mama! Packing, looking after Vega, and the girls and still working and blogging. I know it’s hard work but it will be so lovely for you all. Good luck and if you need help loading on a weekend please let us know xxx

  3. Alison

    June 4, 2015 at 19:19

    Eek! You’re so close! Can’t believe you’re managing to do all this and everything else. Super woman! Love the essential box tip – definitely going to remember this next time we move.

  4. Kathryn

    June 6, 2015 at 11:45

    It’s the thought of this that puts me off ever moving again but just think of the new space and all the positives it will bring. Well done on being a moving house ninja Polly – it will all be worth it in the end and I can’t wait to see the new place xx

  5. katie albury

    June 9, 2015 at 14:48

    Oh my goodness you are doing well! Love the list…moving is so stressful let alone with children and babies to work around too. Can’t wait to hear all about your new home xx

  6. Laura

    June 11, 2015 at 00:44

    It’s great you have had more notice this time around – moving can be so stressful and I find everything happens to quickly – you seem really organised though. I am dreading when we sell our house and move

    Laura x

  7. Cora Cooper

    February 3, 2016 at 14:47

    Thanks a lot for those packing ideas! I need to start packing my house for our big moving next months, and can’t decide how and where to start from. Greetings

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.