You'll probably unpack that and your living room, and if you're not taking long off work, your home office first. Unpacking takes place over six to twelve weeks, depending on your family, and you may find that you have to permanently store items in a garage, basement or attic, because there just isn't the room for them. Simply apply to the smelly area (or leave a tub open in a cupboard or fridge) and the smell should be vastly diminished or gone within 24 hours. The same goes for activated charcoal, or a few drops of vanilla on a cloth. Baking soda is good for a whole month, so can be used continually, not just for cleaning for a move. A 400 mile move MAY end up costing you the same as renting a van in the UK a move out of the country may be cost prohibitive, and it may be easier just to sell everything and start fresh when you get there. A long move such as over several hundred miles may also change schooling arrangements, or your job uprooting over a distance of hundreds of miles can lead to new opportunities or the loss better ones back where you were so you have to carefully evaluate what you want from your life, and whether it would be best served by moving to a whole new part of the world. It takes careful planning to move house, but you can do so via the web at http://movingplan.com or http://helpiammoving.com - two great sites that help you plan your move and give you an idea where to start. Most importantly, you need to start planning as soon as you know you're moving - so that you're as organized as possible. Your quotations should be coming in now too, from those that you've requested them from, and they should be making appointments to evaluate your belongings, to decide what size of van you'll need and how many men you'll need to help you move - or just the size of van you'll need. You should have chosen your new utility provider by now, and have any forms you need to fill out for your bank, so that there's no delays in changing your details to your new home. Wastage is easily avoided and you can use up all of the items in your freezer without needing to buy more. You may also want to start making a list of any items you'll need when you move to your new house anything you've ran out of or will use before the move, so that you can buy more once you're in your new house.