What you need to know for a no stress move
Moving is often synonymous with high levels of stress. The process of uprooting and relocating your whole life can be physically and mentally draining, especially if you don't have a plan to work through making sure everything is done and in order.
Allow at least a fortnight, if not a month, of planning before your actual move date. For the time you have, make a list of absolutely everything you need to do, big or small, then create a timeline that you can work through and tick off as you go, so you know that all your bases are covered.
Your list could include the following:
1. Contact your utility providers (phones, electricity, gas) two weeks in advance to organise when your services are to be connected/disconnected.
2. Moving provides you with the perfect opportunity to discard clutter. Sort out unwanted items and either hold a garage sale, donate them to a charity or just throw them away. Why waste time and effort moving things that you never use anyway?
3. When looking for removalists, shop around to find the best price and business suited to you.
4. Notify your roads and traffic authority, insurers, banks, medical fund, electoral roll, etc. of your change of address. Send some eye-catching notes to your friends and relatives telling them you have moved, then get the post office to re-direct other mail for a few months to catch the random, forgotten ones.
5. Update home contents insurance to protect your personal belongings.
6. When packing, choose the boxes you use carefully - heavier or fragile items should be packed in smaller boxes, boxes should only be packed to a weight that is still comfortable to carry, and be sure to label the tops and sides to specify the content and what room they belong in.
7. It can be a good idea to pack a travel bag so you have easy access to things like toiletries, underwear or a change of clothes and other every day essentials that could easily be lost in a pile of boxes that you haven't yet had time to sort through.
- Arrange for young children and pets to stay somewhere else on moving day, as it can be a traumatic and confusing experience for them.
- Clean out cupboards and pack items that won't be needed before the move, such as books and out-of-season clothes.
- If doing your own packing, make sure you have enough boxes, packing, and tape for the day.
- Defrost the freezer and empty the fridge and freezer of all contents.
- Pick up dry cleaning and drop off any videos, books or other borrowed items.
On Moving Day:
- When the removalists arrive, talk through the day over a cup of tea or coffee. Give them a plan of the new house so that they know what boxes / furniture goes where, and discuss any features of either property that may cause difficulty in access.
- Most removals companies are paid at the end of the day, so make sure you agree this upfront.
- Contact the utility companies (gas, electricity, water etc) and telephone provider to turn off supplies.
- Either organise someone else to do the cleaning or work out how and when you are going to clean both the property you are leaving and the one you are moving into.
- Secure all doors and windows.
- Write a note for the new owners letting them know about rubbish removal days, or where to find the switch for the alternate source of water heating, etc.
- Leave a forwarding address or even sticky labels, just in case you've forgotten to forward something.
When you get to the new house, check for damaged items before the removalists go, if possible.
