Moving into another house, whether you sold the old one and living in a brand new home or renting, it will be a different kind of feeling.
You’ll ask yourself, how am I going to bring my valuables? My heavy furniture? My new appliances?
Whether it’s just a few blocks away or you are moving interstate, the idea alone is stressful. Hence, it’s essential to be organised and prepared. And you need someone expert in moving—they are called professional removalists.
So, to help your move go easier and smoother, this guide is for you. You can seek help from house movers on Sunshine Coast or ask friends or family members if you really don’t know what to do.
1. Plan Ahead and Get Organised
As much as possible, avoid the rush or last-minute packing. You should plan at around 1 to 2 months before to make sure that your moving day goes smoothly. That said, create a countdown list and itemise everything you need to fulfil week by week.
2. Organise a Conveyancer
A professional conveyancer is one who handles the legalities of selling or purchasing a property. Hiring a conveyancer as part of your moving will free you of the many hassles attached in real estate matters, like transferring titles. With all the legalities involved, you want a smooth-handling process, in which a conveyancer will do for you and that there will be no complications to hunt you after moving.
3. Organise a Home Survey
It’s important that you organise a home survey to check the new property’s condition and if it’s a worthy investment. Don’t forget to do a comparative analysis of your chosen surveyors and research which type of home survey works best for you.
4. Contact a Removal Company
Getting a removal company is not required. Depending on your situation, you’re the only one who can assess if you need removalists or not. Factors like money, distance and complexity or simplicity of the items to move will tell if you can self-move and hire a truck instead. It would only make sense to get the expertise of removalists if you are transferring interstate. However, weighing your options will help you arrive at a sound decision.
5. Know Your Move Structure
During your move day, it’s crucial to determine from point A to point B plans. You can rent a van or truck for a day or ask for help from your friends with trucks for shorter distance moves. As for a long-distance location, consider checking different removalist companies online or within your area. It’s best to plan ahead of time if you are hiring removalists.
6. Keep Your Movers Informed
Communicate with your movers and explain all necessary details before the move day. They need to be aware of the minor specifics to estimate your relocation process, cost and proper equipment accordingly. Also, they need to be aware if there is heavy lifting to do (e.g. piano, furniture, long tables, etc.), and if you need assistance with furniture assembly or disassembly.
7. Select the Most Ideal Transportation
For moves under a short distance, you may be able to get away with more than one trip. However, if you don’t have access, you’ll need to make sure you have a suitable truck to cater all your valuables in one go. As for determining the size of your truck, simply follow the following guidelines:
- Items of most houses can be transported with the same 7.3 m truck with one or two trips.
- Two to three rooms that are fully furnished need a 7.3–7.9 m-long truck to guarantee the move is fulfilled.
- Generally, all contents of a single bedroom apartment can fit in a 16-cubic foot (4.8 M x 243 cm x 213 cm) truck available in your local area.
8. Eco-Friendly Move
Moving to a new place can produce a great amount of waste, such as newspaper, cardboard and bubble wraps. When packing your belongings, go for reusable plastic bins that you can purchase at any home depot. You can then use them as covers for your cabinets or closets until you’re ready with the contents. Wrap your fragile belongings with cloth or linen.
9. Reuse Container and Boxes
You might need more cardboard boxes to fill out with your other belongings. A couple of weeks before you start packing, get some reused boxes every time you go to the grocery or convenience store. Use smaller boxes for convenience.
10. Keep a Record of Items
Keep an inventory of all your household items to ensure nothing is missing during moving day. Create a spreadsheet if you like to list the contents of every box. You can even assign each box a number.
11. Label Every Box
Adding labels to every box makes it easy to locate the things, especially when unpacking.
12. Find Out the Rules of Your New Place
In case you’re moving into a condo, it’s not as easy as pulling up to the front door and loading your boxes inside an elevator. Make it a top priority to check their moving policy before you schedule a removalist.
13. Track Things Necessary for Packing
Why not use a box if you need to take your luggage with you? This applies to dresser drawers as well. You may need to exclude them for transport, yet if the location isn’t too far, you can use them for light items. You can use wardrobe boxes if you have delicate apparel you don’t want to fold or anything.
14. Keep a Moving Day Kit Handy
Before your move, it’s best to prepare a moving day kit with you. It is a box filled with important supplies, such as:
- Garbage bags
- Light bulbs
- Cleaning supplies
- Toilet papers
- Change of clothes
- Toiletries
15. Be Ready for Removalists or Movers
Regardless if you have friends, family members or movers to help you with your move, always be ready for them the moment they arrive. As for a moving company, pack everything before the crew arrives.
16. Safeguard Your Belongings
Make sure you’ve properly packed all your breakables and label ‘fragile’ on top or on every side of the box. Don’t forget to do a quick backup of your important files if you’re moving your computer. In the event something happens in transit, you already have a backup.
Takeaway
Moving can be a stressful process. You want to get done as soon as possible. Whether you’re new to it or have been moving for years, nothing beats being fully prepared. It won’t be entirely your job as there are professional movers who will help you throughout the duration of your move. That is if you prefer to hire a removalist company.
