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House and home

Moving house after 34 years

(60 Posts)
lincolnimp Tue 02-Jun-20 00:35:49

Hi all you experienced people.
Once everything is in place we will be moving house.
Some of you may have read my posts about my OCD husband and his difficulty in sorting his 'stuff'.
I am more at ease with this He does manage a couple of hours, in total, each day, so he is trying.
But, and here's the real problem now, it's 34 years since we last moved house and this time in reverse---from a 5 bedroom to a three bedroom, with so many patio planters to be transported, contents of a shed and a potting shed as well as household contents---all to go.
Furniture doesn't worry me, its just the whole idea of the practicalities.
Any good tips please
We are having a full packing service from a reputable company but the whole idea troubles me greatly.
Also, what about actually arranging the removal firm for the date agreed by everyone in the chain. How on earth does it work?
Panic setting in

kmelfreu Sun 19-Apr-26 11:08:31

l am writing a piece for The Telegraph about downsizing after the loss of a loved one and looking for people to interview about this. All the difficult emotions and logistics but would be handled very sensitively. lf you have something to share please email me directly at [email protected] thanks so much, Kate Freud x

Allira Sun 19-Apr-26 11:14:57

kmelfreu

l am writing a piece for The Telegraph about downsizing after the loss of a loved one and looking for people to interview about this. All the difficult emotions and logistics but would be handled very sensitively. lf you have something to share please email me directly at [email protected] thanks so much, Kate Freud x

This is an old thread, Kate. You might be better contacting Gransnet HQ and asking if you can start a new thread under Media Requests.

justingray Thu 30-Apr-26 12:43:16

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

petra Thu 30-Apr-26 12:46:24

justingray

Moving after 34 years is a huge change, especially when downsizing, so the stress you’re feeling is very normal. When a home has held decades of belongings, it’s not just about packing, it’s about making decisions, which can feel overwhelming. The fact that your husband is managing a couple of hours each day is actually a positive step, especially given how difficult sorting can be.

A helpful approach is to divide everything into clear groups early keep, donate, and discard, so the packing team isn’t boxing up items you don’t really want. For outdoor items like planters and shed contents, it’s worth confirming how they’ll be handled, as some preparation may be needed. Timing within a chain can seem confusing, but experienced movers usually coordinate closely with agreed completion dates. Companies such as Real Estate Movers (https://realestatemovers.ca) explain this process clearly, which can make it feel far less uncertain.

It also helps to prepare a small essentials box for your first day, basic kitchen items, documents, and clothes. Labelling rooms at the new house can save time too. It may feel chaotic now, but once dates are set, things tend to fall into place more smoothly than expected.

If you look at the date of the op you will see there is a good chance they have moved.

Toula Fri 26-Jun-26 07:07:34

Use local conveyance/solicitor where you are buying. My mistake... I used the one who sold my house in Yorkshire. I was buying in Lincolnshire. Yorks conveyancer went thro the numbers only, not interested in the area. Caveat emptor applied.

Maremia Fri 26-Jun-26 07:24:30

All the old names on this Thread.

JessHamz2026 Wed 08-Jul-26 18:12:15

Hello all!

I am currently completing an MA degree at Cardiff University and am writing my final dissertation on downsizing in the UK. If you have a spare 5 minutes and haven't done do already, please can you take the time to answer my survey below.

There was some confusion the first time I posted the survey. There is one question specifically about living in a narrow boat, which was inspired by my boyfriend's dad downsizing into one. However, if this question doesn't apply to you, you can just leave it blank. The same goes with other questions. It is my first time doing a major survey, so if there isn't an answer that applies to you, please just select the closest option.

My aim is to get a sense about what people think about downsizing, how much information is already out there, and their housing preferences.

If any of you have kids/grandchildren who have been to uni, you may know the struggle of trying to collect data. Therefore, any answers you can give me would be extremely helpful.

Thank you

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2VMYi2_etSEeqhWWRgK2F0UBFFZUUcq0rW9-kADHbTtLW1Q/viewform?usp=dialog

JessHamz2026 Wed 08-Jul-26 18:25:05

Hello all!

I am currently completing an MA degree at Cardiff University and am writing my final dissertation on downsizing in the UK. If you have a spare 5 minutes and haven't done do already, please can you take the time to answer my survey below.

There was some confusion the first time I posted the survey. There is one question specifically about living in a narrow boat, which was inspired by my boyfriend's dad downsizing into one. However, if this question doesn't apply to you, you can just leave it blank. The same goes with other questions. It is my first time doing a major survey, so if there isn't an answer that applies to you, please just select the closest option.

My aim is to get a sense about what people think about downsizing, how much information is already out there, and their housing preferences.

If any of you have kids/grandchildren who have been to uni, you may know the struggle of trying to collect data. Therefore, any answers you can give me would be extremely helpful.

Thank you, Please be kind

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2VMYi2_etSEeqhWWRgK2F0UBFFZUUcq0rW9-kADHbTtLW1Q/viewform?usp=dialog

JamesandJon33 Thu 09-Jul-26 18:36:35

We moved after 40 years.
The contents of our house were put into storage , when we moved in with our daughter, whilst we looked for a new home. The removal company were fantastic. Nothing damaged and marvellous emptying our old house and putting our stuff in the new one when the time came. A good removal company will give you heaps of advice. So choose carefully and use their expertise .