Moving into a new home is an exciting time of your life as you start a new chapter. But regardless of whether you’re renting or buying there’s a few things everyone seems to leave to the very last minute – or even worse totally forget about.
To make sure you’re all set for your move, we’ve put together these ten pre-moving tips that will not only save you time but keep you stress-free.
Start de-cluttering early
It doesn’t take much common sense to realise that the less you have to move, the easier (and cheaper) it will be. But what about that cabinet that you must take or the 5 throw blankets that keep you snuggly in winter – yep it’s time to be honest with yourself. Let’s face facts; we all have a little hoarder monster in us, but it’s important to ask yourself these three questions:
1. When did you last use {insert your item}? If it’s more than 6 months it’s got to go.
2. Does it fit in your new home? If you can’t get in past the front door, then there’s no point in putting it in the truck in the first place.
3. Is it useful? Ok here is where the honesty comes into play. If it’s a totally useless item, why do you need it?
De-clutter by giving your items, selling or donating to charity should happen as soon as you know you’re moving home. Think about it, if you do something everyday towards your end goal (moving in this instance) then it’s less of a hurdle at the finish line.
Always keep in mind the amount of space you’re moving into, knowing the room available to you sets the boundaries to how much you can take along with you for your move. Which brings us to…
Get measurements
This will help you to understand the space you’re moving into and which items you currently own will fit.
Make a start by measuring up the dimensions of large furniture (fridge, sofa and dining tables) and then go to your new home and measure out the space. You could even use masking tape to map out the room.
Don’t forget to measure the doorframes and hallways. There’s nothing worse than lugging the plush leather sofa to the new home, only to find that you can’t even get it inside the living room.
Say goodbye to your neighbours and hello your new ones
Don’t get too distracted by your move that you forget about your neighbours, even if they are ones you’d like to forget about.
You should let them know about your move, if moving trucks will be blocking driveways, and also your new address to forward mail and keep in touch.
The same goes for your new home, make sure meet your new neighbours, introduce the family and let them know when you’ll be settling in. A proactive approach is a great way to get a good start with your new community.
Source: Home Move
Look into using a removalist
Sometime things are best left to the professionals, and this is one of those times.
You’ll need to pick a day that you need to move buy and start compiling quotes. Booking a removalist on a weekday can sometimes be at a discounted rate so being organised can end up saving you some money.
Most removalists will only move boxes from A to B, and to get the full-service packing and un-packing help, it can become expensive. However having an extra pair of hands to help can ensure all your packing gets done and even help with
furniture assembly at the other end.
If a removalist is too expensive, hiring an Airtasker to help you is a great alternative as they can assist you with almost anything. From packing and moving to post and pre-moving home cleaning.
Label organisation
You may think this is over the top, but we promise it’s not. Start by numbering or naming each room in your new home on a plan, that you and removalists have a copy of. Then make sure you label the boxes to match the room in your new home.
This method will make it faster and more streamlined if you’re doing the heavy lifting yourself or if you’ve hired some help.
Source: Removal Tips
Get Powered Up
It’s a really simple thing to get power connected before you move, but don’t forget to also get it disconnected from your current place too. Whether it’s just changing names or providers, make sure it’s on your priority list.
Change Your Address
You’ll need to let companies, such as your bank that regularly sends you mail, know of your change of address. It’s also wise to go to the local post office and apply for a new address so your mail is redirected. Also don’t forget to also update your details on the electoral roll.
Get home & contents insurance
Organise your existing home insurance policy to cease the day after you’ve moved out and your next insurance policy to commence the day before you move. This means you’ll be covered for moving day when you technically aren’t living anywhere.
Pack an un-packing box
Keep a helpful box separate from the rest and is the first thing to unpack when you get there. It should contain all the tools you might need, cleaning products or screws from furniture for assembly. All helpful items should be in one simple place to save you time and frustration.
Pack a first night box
Likewise with the un-packing box another helpful box that is important for your move is a first night box. This should contain some food and drinks, clothes, basic toiletries and bed linen. Basically anything you’ll need to survive that first night.
Happy moving and don’t forget if you need some help to let us know.