Move day

It's perfectly possible to pack up a house, clean, tidy and move out all on just 3.5h sleep, right??

I was up until 2am last night tearing up Stuart's old business accounts (dating back to 1996) so that we could dispose of them at the local tip (having left it all far too late to shred them and dispose of them properly in the recommended way...). Stuart managed to stay up until just after midnight, having had a tough day's work as well as a drive to Birmingham and back.
 
We were up again at 5.45am in time for me to go to the spin at the dojo, while S finished off some paperwork. We'd been told that the removal company would be with us between 12.30 and 2.30pm, so I thought that a 45 min spin class wouldn't make too big a dent in the day - but nevertheless we cracked straight on with the sorting/cleaning/tidying as soon as I got back.

S had just left in the car for a final run to the tip when the removals lorry turned up at 10.20am - 2 hours earlier than expected.

The removals men got on with the packing and moving while I frantically tried to finish tidying up the bits and pieces I didn't want them to pack, and clean the dishwasher/washing machine/fridge/tumble drier!

Having seen us busy at it, our kind neighbours Anne and Dave offered us a coffee at theirs, so we went round for a chat and a very welcome break from it all. It struck me while sitting in their kitchen that we'll miss all of our friendly, generous neighbours who have been so good to us, and that after today we may not see them again before we go! Very sad! 

We popped round to our nearest pub for a bite to eat at lunchtime as we only seemed to be getting in the way of the removals men - and not long after we'd sat down I received an email to say that the sale had completed. (Email?? Whatever happened to using the phone and letting me know in person?!!)

Thankfully, the estate agent seems to be in no rush to release the keys to the new owners until we've finished our removals and didn't have a problem with us saying it'd likely take all afternoon for the removal men to finish.

Currently, I'm at work, having come in for a brief meeting and to use the computer to complete the insurance details for the removals. Stuart has told the estate agents we're aiming to be out of the house by 5pm. I've just realised that's only an hour away. Cripes, better get going!

~ Helen