Our House Move An Update – May 2017
It’s been a month since I lasted updated you on our house move. I think there is a reason why they say moving house is one of the most stressful things you will do, and we haven’t got to the packing stage yet!
I think the first thing I am surprised by his how fast the chain is moving, particularly given it’s made up of 8 people. Last month we had paid the deposit to our solicitors and instructed the survey on the property we are buying. So much has happened since then, it feels like 3 months rather than 1.
There is a small snag in the process in that our buyer has yet to do a valuation on our home. He is porting his mortgage so that part is simple enough and we don’t have to worry about approvals and affordability, but we do need to know that his lender is happy with the property. We have been advised that this will happen next week.
However, other than that I have been told that everyone else in the chain is pretty much ready to exchange. Which is much, much faster than I had ever anticipated. I had a bit panic last week and started calling removal companies in order to be ready, they are all coming to give quotes early this week. There is a bit of an issue in that we booked a summer holiday in December, not realising we would be moving so quickly and in the middle of all of this we will be going on holiday. I am kind of hoping maybe we exchange before we go and complete after we are back, giving me a couple of weeks on our return to sort things out. But realistically I think I may have to pay for the removals company to help with packing. It’s all getting very real to say the least!
I am the queen of spreadsheets and the best way I can find to organise myself is lists and spreadsheets! I have started multiple of all of the above and last week began in earnest sorting through my house to work out what we need to take and what needs to find a new home.
My lovely Mum came last week and has taken a lot of things from our loft to kindly store for us and hopefully help reduce our moving costs and help start the process of sorting through my house. But I suspect the next few weeks are going to be immensely busy. I guess things can always go wrong, but I am always a glass half full type of girl and I am planning for the best.
Any advice?
Oh gosh that’s exciting, it really is moving quickly isn’t it? I hope everything goes through smoothly and works out with your holiday.
Nat.x
Clear your conservatory then start with the kitchen pack away everything but the essentials use your conservatory as storage . Try and use up all the food in your cupbards too.
Get a company that will do the packing for you. Get them to pack, and remove the day before completion, and store over two nights, while you find a lovely hotel to relax in to get over the stress of getting out and to prepare for the fun of getting in. Also avoids the stress of (a) removal men having to get everything out before completion and (b) the horror we suffered of our buyer failing to actually get the money into our account by close of business on completion day. So when your household turns up the day after completion, you have a whole day for them to unpack it, instead of them chucking stuff of the van at 3:00PM desperate to get away by 5:30…
It can be a nightmare, but these strategies can help make life a lot easier.