When One Year Quietly Turned Into Three

In exactly one week’s time, we’ll hand back the keys to the flat that has been home to my children and me for the past three years.

When we first arrived in England, we genuinely thought we’d only stay for a year. Because of that, we brought very little with us—mostly clothes and books—and rented a newly built furnished flat where everything, from the sofa to the dining table, was already provided. It made settling into a new country remarkably easy.

At one point we considered moving somewhere cheaper because the rent was undeniably high. But every time we looked elsewhere, we came to the same conclusion. Sometimes expensive homes are expensive for a reason. The neighbourhood felt safe, the building was well managed, maintenance issues were dealt with quickly, and in more than three years I can honestly say this flat caused us almost no stress. Looking back, the higher rent bought us something that is difficult to put a price on: peace of mind.

This autumn, however, our circumstances are changing. We need more space, and for the first time since arriving in the UK, it’s genuinely time to move on.

I Had No Idea We’d Accumulated So Much

I’ve moved internationally around ten times, but there was one important difference.

Professional movers packed everything for me.

This is the first move where I’ve had to pack every single box myself, and I’ve discovered just how much work that really is.

When we first arrived, everything we owned fitted into the boot of my husband’s SUV. I assumed this would be another simple move. I’d pack everything into boxes, load them into my car, and make a few trips to a nearby storage unit.

That plan lasted until I actually started packing.

The boxes simply never seem to end.

So far we’ve packed nearly fifty boxes and suitcases, including fourteen boxes of books and five boxes of toys. Then there are all the clothes, shoes, kitchen items and countless little things that somehow appeared over the past three years.

Every time I move, I promise myself I’ll own less and live more simply. I’ll buy less, own less, and get rid of anything I no longer use.

But when it comes to throwing away perfectly good things, it’s surprisingly difficult.

Our living room has now disappeared beneath towers of cardboard boxes. My desk has already been dismantled, making it difficult to study or write, and I’ve barely opened my laptop this week because every spare moment has been spent packing.

The Surprisingly Long Moving Checklist

Although it feels chaotic, most of the major jobs are gradually falling into place.

The first was giving notice to end our tenancy. Since we’re renting, we informed the landlord two months before moving out. The flat found new tenants almost immediately, which wasn’t surprising. It’s a wonderful neighbourhood, and probably one of the nicest flats nearby. If anything, it reminded me that buying property in a good location really does pay off.

Ironically, while our current flat already has new tenants lined up, we still haven’t found our next home.

I’ve been checking property websites every day for weeks, but there simply aren’t many houses that feel right. Perhaps it’s because the busiest moving season hasn’t started yet, or perhaps recent changes in the rental market have reduced the number of available properties. Even arranging viewings has become frustrating. More than once I’ve received a phone call the day before—or even just a few hours beforehand—telling me the viewing had been cancelled because someone else had already signed the tenancy agreement.

Yesterday was no different. One viewing was cancelled at the last minute, and although the other detached house looked promising in the photos, it wasn’t nearly as appealing in person.

So for now, we’re still waiting for the right house to appear.

Storage, Movers and Cleaning

Because we’ll spend the summer holidays in Korea before returning in September, everything needs to go into storage for about two months.

After comparing several companies, I booked Big Yellow Self Storage because it was close to home and reasonably priced. Their introductory offer gives 50% off for the first two months, so the total came to £213.50.

The car also needed somewhere to stay while we’re away. Commercial storage options were either expensive or inconveniently far away, but fortunately a family friend introduced us to a retired gentleman who owns several parking spaces next to our building. Sometimes the best solutions come through local connections.

Originally I thought I could hire a helper through Taskrabbit and move everything ourselves. But after seeing the number of boxes growing every day, I quickly realised that wasn’t realistic. I briefly looked at AnyVan before booking a local removals company recommended by friends. Two movers will come for the minimum three-hour booking, costing £240.

Then there’s the end-of-tenancy cleaning.

Some people clean the property themselves, but I decided to leave it to professionals. Apart from saving time and energy, professionally cleaned properties often make the final inventory inspection much less stressful and reduce the chances of disputes over the deposit.

One company quoted between £400 and £500 for our two-bedroom flat, which felt more than I wanted to spend. After looking around online, I eventually booked another company for £273.60. I’ll share a review once it’s all finished.

Living Out of a Suitcase Again

Once we hand over the keys next Sunday, we’ll spend three nights in a nearby hotel before flying to Korea.

Sharing one hotel room with two children may feel a little cramped, but after weeks surrounded by cardboard boxes, I know exactly what I’ll be looking forward to: walking into a clean hotel room with absolutely nothing left to organise.

That moment always feels like crossing the finish line after a marathon.

My younger son is even more excited than I am. He’s already talking about eating breakfast at the hotel buffet before school each morning and has announced that he’ll wake up early so he can eat as much as possible.

When we return to England in September, we’ll probably spend another couple of weeks in temporary accommodation before moving into our next home—assuming we’ve managed to find one by then.

This time we’ve booked a highly recommended Korean guesthouse in New Malden. Hotels are comfortable, but longer stays become expensive with children. Airbnb can be wonderful, but it also feels like a gamble. The cheaper places often came with compromises, while the ones we genuinely liked were well beyond our budget.

The guesthouse seemed like a sensible middle ground. Every room has its own bathroom, laundry is included, parking is available, and almost every review mentioned the homemade Korean dinners served each evening.

After weeks of packing, that sounds like luxury.

I’ll write about that experience once we’ve stayed there.

Closing One Chapter

There are still countless things left to do before moving day.

But in one week’s time we’ll finally be living out of suitcases instead of cardboard boxes, and around ten days from now something even more meaningful will happen.

After spending the past three years living separately because of work and study, my husband and I will finally stop living apart.

When we first arrived in England, we believed we were beginning a one-year adventure.

Instead, this flat quietly became the backdrop to more than three years of school runs, birthdays, late-night PhD work, family dinners and all the ordinary moments that slowly turn a place into home.

Now it’s time to say goodbye.

We still have the challenge of finding our next house, finishing the move and starting over once again, but I’m hopeful that by autumn we’ll be unpacking these same boxes in a new home and settling into another routine.

Three years ago, we thought this chapter would be short.

Instead, it became one we’ll always remember.

Now it’s finally time to begin the next one.