Right way to pack the lorry.

[brianjbox]

Hi all

We're moving ourselves through necessity really [didn't have the £4.5k quoted] and have hired a 7.5t box truck/van with a tail lift.

I have hired the truck for a week so we have it two days before we move, a day of travelling and not having to be back till two days after [5 day hire £500.00].

My friend up the motoring shop has saved me many boxes which we have filled though they are all different sizes so a little awkward to stack, we are moving from Kent to Lincolnshire and going from a four bed to a three.

Where do I start? what goes in the lorry first, what do you do with 35 years of tools and materials that you've accumulated?

We start loading or collect the lorry first thing Wednesday morning ready for the move on Friday, would really appreciate some advice from anyone who's done this before, useful little tips, anything really.

Cheers
Brian

 

[LooPrEvil]

Brian, the most important thing is that the kettle goes in last, as you will want it as soon as you arrive at your destination - it is no good if it is at the back of the van!!

So anything you need on arrival goes in last. Try to organise the load so that boxes for certain rooms are together, and clearly mark which room they go in, then you can take them one by one on arrival to that particular room. Probably best to have upstairs things nearest the van doors so you can get them out of the way first (you will get tired as the lifting goes on so get the upstairs out of the way first.

Heavy boxes nearest the the floor of the van, lighter ones on top.

This is a good time to decide which old tools you never use, and get rid before you move.

Go easy when cornering, and be careful when opening the doors on arrival - the load may have shifted.

All the best

 

[RedHerring2]

I like to have a thorough clear out before I start.
Anything that is sellable is sold, if possible.
Anything that I think isn't worth the cost of haulage doesn't go.

I have, in the past, had a gazebo in the garden for temporary storage for unimportant stuff.

A friend recently moved to Germany. There was four in the family, they were allowed 1 m³ each! It makes you think hard about what goes and what doesn't.

 

[Deluks]

Helped a mate move on Friday, I still ache!
Get a couple of mates to help you, we did it all in one day, he only paid for 1 days hire. Was only ten minutes down the road though.
There's no point in moving stuff you don't need or will never use. Shoulda sorted out the cr@p beforehand.

Bulky stuff and furniture should go in last, that way you get it out the way first at the other end. Heavier boxes go in first. Plenty of old duvets/towels/blankets to protect furniture. If anyone is going with you in a car, make sure they get mirrors, flatscreen tv, wrapped in duvets/bubblewrap, and also any valuable breakables such as antiques vases etc.

Don't stick anything in the new attic unless you really really need it!

If you have a spare room/shed/garage at the other end then use that for non important stuff like books, tools you don't use, christmas deccies etc. Label all boxes with the room they are going into, so speed things up when you unload.

To get rid of unwanted stuff, try ebay/gumtree/boot sale, freecycle, charity shop, skip. In that order.

 

[Susiejb]

Go easy when cornering, and be careful when opening the doors on arrival - the load may have shifted

Really excellent advice from everyone ... but a good point made by Lou...we have always moved ourselves including moving from Birmingham to Cornwall.
My husband took a relatively 'mild' bend at the bottom of a hill at the speed he would normally do in a car and almost has an accident...so do drive safely.

 

[LastMagicBean]

I like to have a thorough clear out before I start.

ooohhh, far too much information.

 

[Nige F]

Go easy when cornering, and be careful when opening the doors on arrival - the load may have shifted

My husband took a relatively 'mild' bend at the bottom of a hill at the speed he would normally do in a car .

What - drive like most 7.5 ton monkeys do

 

[big-all]

you sure you will get it all in ??
definitely throw or give away anything you haven't used in 2 years

plan the most important items first then plan the 20 to 30% you can leave behind if required

 

[longdogs]

I like to have a thorough clear out before I start.

ooohhh, far too much information.

 

[RedHerring2]

I like to have a thorough clear out before I start.

ooohhh, far too much information.

It wasn't what I initally meant, but on recollection, it may be the last facility that's used before leaving.

I know; too much information!

 

[joinerjohn]

Don't do what a friend of mine did. He had a collection of books and packed them very neatly into a box about 3ft square, then taped the top shut. When it came to trying to move the box, it took 3 of us just to pick it up, then he realised it wouldn't fit through the doors of his property.

 

[longdogs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSeZMrk_00


The wrong way to pack the lorry

 

[brianjbox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSeZMrk_00


The wrong way to pack the lorry

I hope I do better than that guy did

Thanks for all the fantastic advice guy's, in the last 3 1/2 years of trying to sell and doing so four times only to have the chain collapse each time [even after signing contracts twice] we've greatly reduced our belongings.
The last time we sold and exchanged [thought we were safe then] we gave most of our belongings to the neighbours, when that chain collapsed we spent the summer sitting on the paving slabs because we gave all our patio furniture away

So far this time [after exchanging contracts] we've had over 30 lots on ebay which although most sold was a nightmare, the charity shops loved us because of the property slump people haven't been moving so they haven't been getting a fraction of what they used to.

Two sets of bedroom furniture [older kids moved out] was set up in the drive with a free sign on and was collected within an hour, my drum bbq was left outside at 7am this morning and disappeared by 7.30

We have got rid of loads of stuff but our downstairs rooms and garage are stuffed with boxes, I am worrying about getting it all in but am hoping the lorry will be bigger than I'm imagining.

3 1/2 years on the market, more let downs than you can imagine, stress, headaches, going grey, really just can't wait for Friday and be gone

Gonna read back through this thread

Cheers all

Brian

 

[ladylola]

When we moved house our "secret weapon" was a hundred lime putty tubs which are just large plastic buckets with lids. We cleaned them out and put loads of stuff into them that we knew we wouldn't want quickly or straight away. Of course each tub was numbered and a list made of all their contents.
Being completely waterproof we could stack them outside so keeping the house as clutter free as possible whilist we got settled in

 

[Alarm]

Take heed the book box warning, I packed all my books into 2 very large boxes.
It took 3 of us to move the damn things!