Packing to move. Downsizing. Yes right!

I've just sold my house and I'm in the process of buying another. The only thing I've done so far is to clear out all of the crafting stock that I didn't use and give it to a local resource centre, but there is still a huge amount left.

I've also dug up some snowdrops, whilst they were "in the green" so that I can take them to my next garden. I know I should be starting to declutter but it just seems so overwhelming and, to be honest, it still doesn't feel as though it's really happening. I keep thinking I've got plenty of time but I really do need to make a start. Good luck with your move craftyone.

We downsized 9 years ago craftyone when I was 56y. I’m so glad we did and did it then as it’s hard work! Like you I didn’t sell anything but gave all that wouldn’t fit to good homes - a quart won’t fit into a pint pot!

We sold our house within a week (!) so it was action stations. We too moved ourselves. Husband hired a large van. A friend helped. I left the 3 piece suite, washer, dishwasher, dryer and bed - we bought new - so I dare say that made removal day easier. We were lucky because the sun was shining but I did sit in my lovely garden for a few minutes on my own before we left to say ‘goodbye’. I felt a bit emotional as we’d been there 32 years and I loved my house and my neighbours. Brought our girls up there, had dogs to walk on the local meadows. Hey ho.
But we definitely did the right thing for us. We love our tiny apartment as it’s right in the town centre. It’s given us a new lease of life - hardly any housework = time to play out.
The last few days before we left we were just using 2 cups, 2 plates etc you get my drift. All boxes packed by us (not too heavy) and labelled for ‘the other end’. We borrowed one of those things where you can slide the metal shelf under a box and tip it back onto wheels - saved lugging boxes and was brilliant. Perhaps you could get one from a hire shop?
Good luck I hope all goes well for you and you’re happy in your new home. You take your memories with you I found ❤️

We have yet to downsize, but when we have moved house in the past, I have found it easier to declutter when unpacking than packing. Packing often happens quite quickly while unpacking can be as leisurely as you like.

We've bought but not sold yet.I'll wait until we have an offer before packing.We've got to this stage twice before ,in fact sold our house twice before and then the house we bought fell through.Its tough to start unpacking again so I'll wait.
The house we've bought has been taken off the market as the seller has already moved and in no hurry to complete ,ours has only been live on Rightmove /Zoopla etc for a few days ,2 viewers so far .We live in hope .We've already got the plans for an extension in place for the new house and we're keen to get started .

If you’re having an extension built paddyann is it still a downsize?

yes we're leaving a 5 bed 3 bath house with a 33 foot kitchen and a massive living room and double garage for a 3 bed one bath .So we're making the living room into a decent size kitchen and building a new living room on the side .Will still be less than half the size we have now .Lots less to clean

Like you we cleared out a lot of things gathered after 30 years accumulation. Most of it was done before marketing the house, so that attic, cupboards and garages could be properly viewed.
We packed books etc as we went along, but did employ the removal firm to do the packing. Despite downsizing it still took them 2 days!
We hadn’t bought our next house, we knew the location, but the right house hadn’t come on the market. We put everything bar essentials into storage, some of the furniture was more than we needed because we didn’t know what would go in the new house.
Fortunately we could live for a few months in our holiday home until the right house came on sale.

I’ve been gradually decluttering the last month as I can see me moving in a couple of years, DH died a few months ago and I’m just thinking ahead for when the garden gets too much. I’ve done numerous runs to the local recycle centre and several drops at charity shops and I also place things at the end of my driveway for people to take and it’s usually gone very quickly. This week I’ve started on the garage and after that I’ll tackle the loft my children think I’m bonkers but as I said to my GS if I don’t do it now you’ll have to when I’m gone.

I do have a question for those moving themselves especially craftyone how do you plan on moving larger furniture? beds, wardrobes, sofas for instance.

Tanith, the removers will be taking all the furniture and boxes that will, in multiples, crease me, like books as they are heavy. My car is a yeti and I have taken the back row of seats out, can easily carry a lot of light things back and forth

I appreciate your posts, definitely don`t feel so alone now. I will not get to exchange for another month on my new house, hopefully sooner but am waiting for sewer adoption paperwork, need to get everything right. I do know that it took us by surprise the last two times and then it was panic stations

My house sale is at the tentative stage ie just at solicitors but I cannot put this packing on hold and tbh neatly stacked boxes would not put anyone off, if the sale does not go according to plan. I cannot be thinking `what if`. I am buying before selling, could not cope with the stress otherwise

This morning I emptied a couple of base units in the study, things like candles and holders and dvds. 3 boxes packed and I have designated the study as the holding area, only for the removers, not me. A bit of heavyish shifting right now but only one-offs

We moved about 16 months ago and had to seriously downsize a lifetimes stuff. It took a year for our house to sell and complete and I started off packing crafting stuff away ( only now my new crafting cabin has been installed are they getting unpacked) .

Of course I’ve bought more stuff in the intervening 16 months as crafting people do ?.

In terms of downsizing we thought we had done a great job but when the boxes were unloaded at this end you couldn’t see the house for boxes !! So we had to do a whole lot more.

But we DID have our removers pack for us and they did a cracking job and I will never move again without this service. They even dismantled wardrobes and reassembled after the move .

Good luck with the packing and the move!

Break time, best to do this stuff in small doses. Am much appreciating the fact that I have been meticulous, good packing and the `really useful` boxes are all secured with some roll around cling film. Kilners next, bottled fruit and jams into RU boxes. First removers will be 2 men and van, to move garage storage units and workshop. Many packed boxes will go onto these shelves, also from bigdug

Yes I know I will have more to downsize but have given a lot away, will wait until after moving and decide for sure

nana, all that crafting stuff, I must give my children a lesson on how expensive it all is, they have no idea

Ah! craftyone sorry, I misread your original post I thought I’d read you weren’t getting ‘removers’ in when you had actually said ‘packers’. ?? I had visions of you with a double bed slung over your shoulder staggering down the stairs ?

I’m not a crafter but a good friend is. I think she enjoys the buying of craft stuff and admiring it as much as the actual crafting!!. She quietly told me once that she had spent THOUSANDS on craft items. Jeez. All I could think was ‘it’s cheaper to buy ‘em’!
?

But I realise that not the point of it all .... ?

haha, tanith, like something out of a cartoon.Laughing. Going well so far, another break now, I packed 2 RU boxes with kilners. Lots of these preserves left to do and have made good progress. Have hidden some stuff, like bose and expensive headphones. Friend had stuff `vanish`. Will be taking the best stuff myself and I include my spinning wheels, which will be strapped into the passenger seat, one journey at a time

I have plenty of energy, luckily, could not do this if I was lacking energy

I bought lots of materials ie boxes etc from kite packaging. Got mostly the smaller boxes, having to be realistic about the weight. The RU boxes will be a permanent fixture in the garage/now workshop. All fully labelled and mainly stored on bigdug chrome shelving, it is very versatile

I did buy large plastic stacking boxes from them, not see through, I had large but light workshop stuff to transport in an orderly manner. They will eventually hold kiln dried logs

Tbh I have been foward planning for 7 months, did the room and furniture scale drawings, lots of shuffling on paper. Mainly because I have to tell the men where to put furniture once and for all

Any more singles on here ie no-one to cook for, make sure to eat properly. I do, I am what I eat so old fashioned herring today, baked in foil so as not to stink the house and lots of veg but not potatoes. Then dark chocolate and a proper sit down for a bit. Will re-start in a couple of hours

Good luck to all Gransnetters currently moving house, it can be an exciting but also emotional time.
For the last four house moves we have had packers, get a good company and they will pack and move your things brilliantly, it takes all the strain out of it for you.
On throwing/giving away ‘stuff’ ask yourself when you last used it, and if you are likely to use it again.

That phone call, the one I guessed might come, EA. Buyer wants a visit with son in 3 days time, she only had one visit and I was expecting a second visit. She offered on the house and I accepted after a bit of negotiating. She is getting a fab bargain house. hand on heart.Son has not seen it. So just a bit of box re-jiggling, to fill in some empty spaces and not look overpowering as in towers

Then tomorrow and sunday, sigh, that sparkle cleaning that I do. Massive triple glazed windows here and it has been raining, window cleaning sunday and yet again all will be presented at its best. I think this will be the last visit. I hope so

We moved last summer, after 32 years. As large vans couldn't get to us we did most of it ourselves (plus 'man and van' for larger items.) We had two storage containers locally so did it over time. By the last night we were just sleeping on our mattress. A neighbour brought his boat on a trailer and we put the mattress on it. He took it to his home until we got the key, then bought it to the new house (only half a mile away). It was fun to see our bed arrive by boat!

We aren’t downsizing yet, but we had the decorators in last summer and took the opportunity to sell/ give to charity over 500 CDs and 200 books. We still have loads more to go but it was a start. I told my DH it will be less for the children to sort!

We moved aboutv8 yrs ago. Not a downsize but a chance to really think about what we did /did not need. Sifted books & reduced them by 1/3. Kitchen clutter & crockery also reduced. Clothes sorted and reduced., paperwork sorted reduced and organised. Photos sorted into decade boxes and labelled anyt unidentified pics went out.
Music..CDs & vinyl... all came too, craft stuff all came too, furniture all came too!, DH collections of football programmes and Private Eye mags all came too!
We were not ruthless enough!,

I downsized just over 5 years ago after 34 years in my last huge flat. It took 4 of us 2 weeks to sort, dispose of and pack everything. Things I didn't want to take with me were put on the front lawn, free. It all went!
When I arrived in my 1 bed bungalow box, my daughter and SiL sorted every box, several bags went to the tip, including all my saucepans, (I'd put them in a black bin bag, seemed a good idea at the time!),
Two days later everything was sorted and had a home! But - my knitting and craft stuff is slowly taking over!
Another sort out is looming!
Enjoy your sorting, and your new home.

I moved last year and the best advice I have is start packing much earlier than you think. I would recommend a number system for each box and a brief description of the content and then on removals day you can ask the removal people to put boxes 1 -5 in this room numbers 6- 12 in that etc. it makes life easier. Don’t bother packing clothes, they willmove chests of drawers as they are and the hanging clothes in the wardrobe they will put onto their own mobile rack, just ensure there is somewhere to hand them at the other end. Also, the very best advice I was given, on the day, when you get to the new house, make the bed ASAP and DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ONTO THE BED! By nighttime you’ll be exhausted and you will be grateful of the bed being ready and waiting!
Good luck with the move.