Moving House Stress Free: A Guide
Having your life on hold for a couple of days while moving house is a stressful time for anybody. Here are some no-nonsense tips for moving house to ensure getting into your new home is exciting rather than exhausting.
Make A List – Check it Twice
With moving being such a hectic time, the cornerstone of not forgetting anything is creating a list of fundamentals ahead of time. Don’t get caught up in trying to plan everything down to the hour, instead organize milestones as tasks. For example – “Call utility company to transfer service” or “Book cleaning service for the old house”. Once you have a list planned out you are less likely to let anything fall through the cracks.
Label your Boxes
After an exhausting day of last minutes checks and moving you will thank your past self for planning ahead. Label your boxes for the room they need to go to – this way you do not even need to peek inside to take them to where they belong in your new house. Additionally, number your boxes and keep a general list of what items are in each numbered box. This way if a box goes missing you will notice and know what you have lost!
Measure Doors Before Moving House
A classic rookie mistake when moving – throwing your back out trying to angle a couch through a doorway it was never going to fit through in the first place. When getting a building inspection carried out on your new home, take the time to measure any doorways or passages you will need to bring larger furniture through.
Rent Your Boxes
A simple way to save yourself money and headache while also reducing waste is to rent plastic boxes to move your items. Services such as Gecko Box are a fantastic solution also protecting your items better than your standard cardboard moving box.
Transfer Your Life Ahead of Time
Once you move into your new home you want to make sure you can turn the lights on once getting the keys. Contact your utility services providers: gas, electricity, water and internet ahead of time to transfer your billing, address and service. Once you are done unpacking you are going to want to have a hot shower with the lights on. Additionally, take the time to set up a mail re-direct for at least 3 months to your new home. As letters and bills you have forgotten begin arriving at your new address you can update your contacts as you go without missing out on anything important.
Book Removalist for a Weekday
You can save yourself some money and make sure you removalists are not in a rush to their next job by booking them for a weekday rather than the weekend. If you are paying an hourly rate for your removalist enquire whether travel to your existing home is also charged. To give you peace of mind while moving house ask your removalist whether their insurance will cover all your items. It is always a good idea to check your valuable items before they are transported. Take pictures of any especially fragile items or furniture before they are transported so you can report any damages before paying.
Move Valuable Items Separately
Mistakes happen – its a fact of life, but if you have nobody to blame but yourself it’s easier to stomach. Take your smaller valuable items such as important documents, jewelry, family photos and passports with you through the move. Just make sure you don’t leave these items unattended if you can avoid it and conceal them in an inconspicuous box.
Avoid Packing with Newspaper
Packing your plates and glasses with newspaper is a common way of padding fragile items when moving house. Lesser known is that crockery or grandmas’ silverware can be stained by newspaper ink. Save yourself a costly mistake and package crockery with other paper, packing peanuts or old clothes and towels.
Pack a Survival Bag
If despite all your planning everything falls apart and your removalist is delayed or worse, having a bag of essentials in your car is a godsend. Small items such as a change of clothes, toothbrush, phone charger and nappies make all the difference if you are stranded in your new but empty house.
If you are looking to move home – browse our Home & Land Packages or explore one of our Communities to call home.