You'd think working in conveyancing would make moving house a breeze. But when Lisa Rainbow from our Market Harborough conveyancing team completed her own same-day sale and purchase, she quickly discovered that no amount of legal expertise can fully prepare you for the chaos of moving day.
Here's a glimpse into Lisa's experience, along with six practical tips she learned the hard way. Spoiler alert: it was hectic!
Tip 1: choose a Monday completion
I wanted to keep things as normal as possible for my children, so I arranged completion for a Monday. I had the whole weekend to pack and when Monday came around, I got them ready for school and dropped them off as normal. I arranged with a friend to collect them after school in case we were still unpacking, which we were!
Tip 2: pack room by room
Although we had started packing a few weeks prior to our completion date, we had overlooked the amount we still had to pack up on the day. There were still all the essentials we were still using, the beds, the toys (so many toys) and half of the kitchen. It's never too early to start packing. Label your boxes by room and mark the fragile ones.
Tip 3: load the truck strategically
We hired a truck from a local rental company, and we were able to collect it the night before so we could get a head start on loading it up. An idea I had was to load the truck by room, so once you get to the other side you can offload a room at a time and nothing goes missing. This will save you a lot of time.
Tip 4: wait for instructions from your solicitor
Once our solicitor had confirmed completion had taken place and we could collect the keys from the estate agent, one of us headed straight to the estate agents and the other headed to the house with the truck. Always wait until your solicitor has let you know that completion has taken place before heading to the estate agents.
Tip 5: measure your furniture before moving day
The unpacking saga. This is the bit nobody warns you about, the house fills up fast and you run out of space in each room to put all the boxes! Then came the sofa. It wouldn't fit through the living room door thanks to an awkward angle. So, there it sat, in the hallway, until we found a workaround, which was knocking the doorframe out and starting the renovation earlier than we had planned.
Always measure your furniture on one of your house viewings before completion!
Tip 6: pack a first night essentials box
Moving isn't glamorous, and unpacking takes way longer than you think. There will be delays, stubborn furniture, and mystery boxes you swear you've never seen before. But when you have the right team behind you, you can focus on the good bits: the first night's sleep, the kids running from room to room and the kettle finally plugged in!
Remember to pack a first night essentials box. This could include a kettle, toilet roll, toothbrushes/toothpaste, pyjamas, bedding and breakfast essentials. Keep this in the car and not in the removals truck.
Moving house is never easy, even for those who live and breathe property law. But with a bit of planning, a lot of labels, and a good sense of humour, it's absolutely doable. Lisa's experience is a reminder that behind every transaction is a real family, real stress, and real excitement.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
