Non-motoring > House move without professionals - any tips ? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: hawkeye Replies: 18
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 11:33 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - hawkeye
Having had her house up for sale for nearly 3 years, neighbour has now sold in a blind rush and is moving tomorrow to a new build about 10 miles away. Husband disabled and 2 sons in their twenties. Not enough notice to engage professional removers, a hired Luton tail-lift van appeared in her drive yesterday. The husband will go into a day centre for the day, she will manage the other end, her sons will lift and drive and I will be er, "managing" this end and helping with lifting.

Never having done a self-move before, I'll be providing a bit of muscle, a sack barrow, some ratchet straps, an iota of common sense and a calming influence.

Any tips? Anything you would do differently having done it before?

If you can't help, wish me luck.

TIA
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 11:40 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Armel Coussine
I do wish you luck Hawkeye. But being at the tail end of a complicated house move with professionals, I am afraid you will all need it. I hope the sons are strong and physically intelligent. Moving large heavy objects through difficult narrow spaces takes skill.

It might be an idea to coopt or hire another man or two. It won't be fun.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 11:56 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - -
SWMBO was in removals so i'm typing as she gives me a few pointers.

Load bedrooms first, leave heaviest items washing machines etc nearest the back door.
Label securely tied boxes of stuff (by room).
Common sense dictates utilising all available spaces, mirrors and similar between mattresses and soft furnishings.
Old blankets, curtains etc for covering and protecting furniture during transit.
Garden effects last on first off...if room, you'll be lucky do do it in one trip unless this is a big lorry/small house.
Kettle, teapot, teabags, milk, sugar, cups, bickies etc and bog rolls in the front of the van or accompanying car.

Without seeing the vehicle and load there's no set method of loading, but try to make sure that the parking area at the destination is clear if possible.

And the best of luck.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 11:42 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Robin O'Reliant
I've done a self move and it is straightforward enough. Make sure the kettle, teabags, milk sugar and mugs are last on the van and first off. it's thirsty work.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 11:47 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - swiss tony
Think about how to load, BEFORE you start...

Don't forget first thing in, is the last thing out.

are small things boxed?

THINK hard about the right way to lift stuff.
If a 2 man lift is needed make sure both people are on the same songsheet - when you say 'to the right' which right? his or yours?

Good luck!
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 11:53 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Perky Penguin
What a good neighbour you are Hawkeye! Get some small strong boxes for the contents of the kitchen cupboards - 6 bottle wine crates from supermarkets are good. Maybe one or two cool bags for the fridge contents too. Good luck!
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 12:01 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Mapmaker
1. Pay somebody to do it.

2. See 1. You'll find somebody, even now, on shiply.com

3. Find somebody to pay to help with the lifting. Anybody picked up off the street will do.

4. Tail lift. Thank GOD! Particularly useful when stuck half way between top and bottom to allow you to step on and off the truck when carrying smaller items.

5. It will take you three trips if you thought it would take one. Easier not to overload the thing.

6. When unloading, put the things straight away where you want them to live.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 12:20 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Iffy
Packing the van tightly can take ages, so with a short move, I'd be inclined to make more trips.

I'm assuming we are near or by Richmond in North Yorkshire, so there shouldn't be a lot of traffic.

Endorse what the others say about handballing, the more people to help the better.

Make sure you have some plastic sacks to hand - useful if boxes run short and for packing up odds and ends the occupants may not have already boxed.

Start early if you can get into the other house, you want to be more or less done by the time it gets dark.

Do you need a guard/lookout for the van at the other end?

It's very hard to keep a constant eye on the back of the van when you are going in and out.
Last edited by: Iffy on Sun 19 Dec 10 at 12:23
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 12:13 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - henry k
Fridge or freezer moving? see recent thread on fridge moving.
Snow at your end ?

Ensure all house keys are kept safe. Maybe on a bit of string attached to someones belt so they are never mislaid / lost / buried.
Identify what tools needed for dismantling and reassembling. Again keep track of them.
Agree tea kit, loo rolls, paper kitchen rolls, light bulbs all kept to hand.
Food for the troups sorted?
Wraping glass items in newspaper will often ensure they need re washing - buy tissue paper from the off license ?
Sticky labels for boxes i.e. Kitchen , lounge
Instructions for new house central heating, turning off water etc ?

Well done & good speed.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 12:19 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Netsur
Get very worried about slipping in all this snow.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 12:56 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - hawkeye
Thank you all for the valuable input.

>> Get very worried about slipping in all this snow.
What snow ?

>> Start early if you can get into the other house,
New build; garage already being filled

>> It will take you three trips if you thought it would take one.
My estimate; 6 trips, start 8:30, finished by 7pm. We'll see how near I was later.

>>Find somebody to pay to help with the lifting.
There's nothing that would fase 3 fit chaps. I have 2 mates in reserve if things look slow at lunchtime.

>> What a good neighbour you are Hawkeye!
Not that good; she'll pay.

>> are small things boxed?
everything, but everything is boxed, labelled and marked "This way up you idiots!"
She's organised.

>> THINK hard about the right way to lift stuff.
Got that covered thank you.

>> Load bedrooms first ...
I remember the guys who did our last move doing that, but why?


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New Sun 19 Dec 10 13:12 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Iffy
Is there some heat in the new place?

The forecast is a pipe-bursting minus 18.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 13:16 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - -
>> >> Load bedrooms first ...
>> I remember the guys who did our last move doing that, but why?

Bedroom stuff's huge but light so put them up the front out the way, as a bonus mattress provides a good soaker upper of any violent braking, you won't drive like a twerp but guarantee every idiot on the road will be out tomorrow.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 22:09 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Dave_
One thing to add.. As soon as beds are in position in the new bedrooms, get them made and ready for sleeping in as a priority. One thing the family won't want to do is have to make the beds from scratch when beyond shattered at 11pm. I say this with the experience of 13 house moves in the last 20 years :(

Hope all goes well.
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 22:27 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - R.P.
Done it quite a few times (surprisingly) with friends, for friends and for myself - it's not hard if you follow GB's advice - the first few hundred yards are always the worst as the load er...settles. Take your time and lead from the front !
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New Sun 19 Dec 10 22:50 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Dog
The last time I DIY'd it was 8 years ago when I hired a 7 ton jobbie from Ryder,
quite fun driving that around the lanes on Bodmin Moor :)
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New Mon 20 Dec 10 20:09 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - hawkeye
Thanks again for the advice and good wishes.

It could have been a right pain when one of the sons failed to appear until 11am and neighbour's s-i-l didn't materialise until 11:30 because of a burst pipe. S-i-l was to be a key packer and marker of boxes. And the builders were still in the destination house; neighbour will be sleeping at her son's tonight.

Then joiner Steve turned up in his Transit and things began to shape up. No breakages, minor hand damage after someone crushed it between the garage wall and a fridge-freezer. Thank goodness for the cotton gloves with rubber dots which I wear for shifting. The cold would have taken my skin off on some items. The builder foreman told his troops to bear a hand with the unloading otherwise keep out of the way. By trip 3 a bit of harmless craic was developing. I wasn't prepared for the neighbour weeping as she handed over the keys to the new occupants. Clearly she'll miss her favourite neighbour of 17 years, hem hem!



Start 8:30, 4 trips in the Luton, 2 trips in the Tranny, finished 4:30, not too many aches for an old bloke, I've lost my woolly hat and yes I did go up and down on the tail-lift for absolutely no reason.
Last edited by: hawkeye on Mon 20 Dec 10 at 20:12
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New Mon 20 Dec 10 20:43 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Perky Penguin
Well done Hawkeye. Now wind down and enjoy your own Xmas!
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New Mon 20 Dec 10 14:39 
 House move without professionals - any tips ? - Leif
As someone else has said, refuse sacks or plastic supermarket bags are good for small stuff, books etc. Places like homebase sell large plastic storage containers which are useful too. Last time I used professionals, they had webbing straps to tie down the larger stuff, and large wooden boxes for other stuff. Sheets and bedding are good to protect delicate stuff. Also sheets of newspaper screwed up. Avoid hand brake turns and racing starts ...
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