Moving tips!

Appreciate the essential moving tips.

The link to packing tips also provides a good overview.

I also put colored tape around each type of box (red for electronic; green for books; blue for kitchen). It can be very hard to read box contents when they are being carried in the door of your new place, but easy to spot the color !

This really sped things up and ensured that everything 'landed' in the correct room.

It also means means that in the first few days in your new place when you invariably must-have some particular item that you can very quickly narrow down the box it may be in.

Great advice!!!

Thank you.

the biggest tip I can give is to look at what you have 2 months b4 you move, and look at whether or not you need to take it. Also remember what will and wont work in your new home.

We filled a 12 m3 skip withs tuff we didnt want to take (plusd a few trips to St Vinnies) as we wanted to go to a minimalistic but stylish look, and highlight the features of our new home.

I helped a friend of mine move last weekend and he had 10 yrs of junk and stuff to move into his new home, and not much room to put it in.

This also saves a heap in removal costs as well.


Adrian B

Agree. We've moved three times in four years (including two interstate moves). The amount of junk we've got rid of is amazing. And each time we leave more and more stuff packed in boxes (sadly, including all my beautiful books).

I think the trick with chucking stuff out is that you need to pack early. Otherwise you end up like friends of ours who left it so late that they basically just grabbed thing and tipped them into boxes without any thought or decent labelling. They ended up transporting masses of stuff they didn't really need (and paying for it both in cartage costs and by the size of the unpacking job at the other end.)

I'm glad that everybody encourages packing early. I started packing about 2 weeks ago and everybody laughed at me telling me I had heaps of time, why do it now.

Handover is in 6 weeks or so and I imagine that the date will creep up pretty quickly.

We're not horders and tend to throw things out regularly, but I was amazed over the weekend when I packed up the stuff under the stairs. Have thrown out 8 boxes of stuff and taking 2 boxes with us!!



http://www.ourdreamhouse.blogspot.com

The fisrt thing my wife did when we got home from signing the contracts was to start to pack.

Minor technical issues of the fact our house hadnt been started yet...

Adrian B

I am another supporter of getting a skip dropped next to the house when in the final throes of moving - we filled one the last time and still had disposables left over.

Having moved a few times in the last couple of years we have also learnt to start packing a month or so in advance.

Our tactic is to work out what we can do without in the short term (winter/summer clothes, decorative items, some books) and start filling one room with all the packed items.

We also label each box with a prominent number on each side AND the top.
The numbers are indexed on a list we keep which details the contents of every box.

Not surprisingly we still have a wall of unpacked boxes from our last move of just over a year ago - and like Cabinfever most of them contain our collection of books...I am constantly burrowing through the heap looking for THAT particular book I am after.

On a side note, moving is a good time to itemise your contents for insurance purposes.

We laid all of our Vinyl, CD's and books out on the floor and took photos (many) with all of the covers visible as documentation of exactly what we owned.
I have been robbed before, and it seems the thieves only liked some of my musical taste - my index allowed me to specify exactly which items had been stolen...sadly the insurance didn't stretch to covering some of the original pressings and I was only supplied with reissues...

Cheers,

Earl

Great ideas...I like the idea of using different coloured tapes for wrapping the box

here is mine found this on the aus post website.:
www.movingservices.com.au

click on the 'plan your move' tab..

Use the Australia Post service to redirect your post. This will catch any mail that you forget to change address for. The service can go up to 12 months and the cost is minimal.

that coloured tape idea is brilliant. I also had a house plan with a list of what furniture was for each room so that if Dh was asked where to put something it was on the list and plan. Same with boxes. All study stuff went to bed4. bed3 stuff to... bed 2 etc.

That sounds like me! I'm already starting to wonder what I can pack away and I haven't even signed contracts yet.

Thankfully as I have been renting, and I threw out a heap of stuff in my last move (downsized the house) I don't think it will take me too long to pack.

Don't forget to cover the glass or your dishes separately with a bubble and put it on a flat box. You may also cover it with a blanket to save a bubble sheet. Mark the boxes FRAGILE.

I found the following tips on a real estate website and thought it was worth sharing:

* Start a central file for your move documents
* If using a moving company obtain at least 4 quotes
* Choose a moving company and make a booking
* If you are moving yourself get at least 2 quotes from truck rental companies
* If you are moving yourself book and truck and trolley, you will also need blankets to protect your furniture during transit and most truck hire companies can supply these for a small additional charge.
* If you are moving yourself start collecting newspapers and boxes for packing - you will need more than you think!
* Start packing items that will not be used before the move
* If you are moving a piano ensure that the moving company you have booked can accommodate this - you may need a professional piano removalist. Organise to have the piano tuned after the move.
* If travelling by air ensure that flights and accommodation (if necessary) are booked
* Complete a change of address form from the Post Office - this can be done on-line at http://www.australiapost.com.au
* Obtain medical records, dental records and prescription histories. Fill any prescriptions that will be required a week before and a week after the move. Don't forget Vet records!
* When moving with children make arrangements to transfer school records
* If you are moving into or out of a building with a lift check with Building Management - you may need to reserve the use of the lift on the day of the move
* If you have items you do not want to take with you start organising a garage sale or start transporting things to your local tipIf you are moving yourself enlist the help of reliable friends and/or relatives. Many hands make light work and you will need at least 4 people to get the job done - give them plenty of notice.
* Arrange new homes for any plants that you are not planning to relocate.

Packing Tips

* Tape remote controls and cables for electrical appliances to the back of the relevant appliance
* Wrap white china etc in butcher's paper before protecting with newspaper - it keeps them white!
* Make sure that the following are always on hand - extra boxes, tape, marking pens, newspaper, a small toolkit, garbage bags
* When dismantling beds make sure that all screws, nuts & bolts etc are taped to the relevant piece of furniture - makes reassembly for that first nights rest a breeze!
* Save room by packing breakables amongst towels, blankets and clothing (make sure these boxes are marked FRAGILE!)
* Use your luggage instead of boxes for packing clothing
* Important documents, money, jewellery and other valuables are best carried with you on the day

2 weeks to go

* Keep packing
* Start using any frozen food and perishable goods
* Establish cut off dates for phone, electricity, gas and water
* Organise child care for the day of the move if necessary
* Moving can be very traumatic for pets - make travel arrangements for your pets or arrange to have someone look after them from the day before the move to the day after
* If possible, take pictures or video of your belongings, record serial numbers
* Inform electric, gas, water, newspaper & magazine subscriptions, telephone and cable companies of the move
* If traveling by air confirm any flight and accommodation arrangements
* Call you insurance company to see what changes are required to your policy, enquire if moving is covered and arrange insurance for your new home
* Contact any organisations (ie. Gyms, Clubs) at which you are a member and organise to end, sell or transfer membership
* If you are having a garage sale - have it now!

The week of the move

* All except essential items should now be packed
* Drain fuel from lawn mower, empty gas cylinders/bottles
* Collect any outstanding lay-bys, dry cleaning and return any library books or videos/dvds
* Use or dispose of any food items you will not be taking with you

The day before the move

* If you are having your belongings professionally packed this service will start today
* Defrost your freezer, empty and clean out your refrigerator
* Do laundry
* Pack a "Survival Kit" for moving day - include first aid items, wet weather gear, tape, keys, snacks, change for road tolls if required, mobile phone and emergency phone numbers
* Pack of box of essentials that you will need when you arrive at your new home ie. the kettle, mugs, cutlery, paper plates and plastic cups, tea, coffee, sugar, long life milk, breakfast items, garbage bags, toilet paper.
* Make sure that sheets and pillowcases are on hand to make up beds for that first nights hard earned rest!

Moving Day

* Ensure all keys are in a central location, make sure that electricity, gas and water meters have been read and the telephone has been disconnected (or arrangement is made for this). Make sure all taps ar turned off tightly.
* Don't forget to take your pegs off the cloths line!
* If you are leaving a rental property make arrangements to drop keys to the agent/landlord
* Double and triple check that garages, cupboards, under sinks, bathroom cabinets are all empty. Look up! Is there anything on top of cupboards that you have overlooked?
* Turn off the power and water heater at the mains
* If moving with someone with a medical condition ensure that medication or anything they may require is close at hand
* Put out the garbage and recycling bins
* Check the mailbox one last time
* Say "Goodbye" to your old home

Best tip I have is instead of cardboard boxes we use the clear plastic boxes on wheels
best bit is when your done can us in the garage, kids room where ever as extra storage

Just ensure you are organised before the day, including canceling utilities, writing a checklist will allow you to never miss or forget something and the biggest thing is labeling so it makes unpacking much simpler at your new place.

I've got the big move up and coming and we to are trying to move only the items we need.
So 8 weeks to go I started to fill up the bins to the brink every week. Each week I'm packing another section of the house.
2 weeks before we move we're having a garage sale. After this anything we don't sell is going to Vinnies.

Great tips here, wish I had come across this earlier for packing ideas, moving ideas are still very useful now though!

I'm still deciding whether we just get a Budget truck and move minimal stuff, or bring in a removalist.
Myself and my brother will be moving out of the olds house and in to my new place - there's very little in the way of furniture coming with us. We'll probably keep one of the beds for the spare room, my brother will keep his desk and wall unit, but that's really it - I'm buying all new stuff for my bedroom and study.

Everything else is packed in to boxes which we've bought - pots and pans, pillows, bedding, cutlery, you name it. It's all new. A Fridge, Dishwasher, Washing Machine, Drier, TV, wall unit etc we'll buy after the move so it goes straight there.

I was a removalist for a few years and I have a few tips.
-If you buy a flat screen tv keep the box, it's better to pack these in the box they came in.
-If you have a filing cabinet empty it, you would be surprised how much a full cabinet weighs especially if you have to use stairs.
-If you pack your own kitchen place any flats (plates,bowls, serving platters) on their sides and put packing on the bottom of the box.
-Don't fill big boxes with books cos they can weigh around 50-80kg.
-Don't use those stupid plastic tubs to fill up with heavy stuff because they break and people have put in claims for a $5 plastic tub even though they filled it with 20kg of books.
-If moving interstate get full insurance and find out exactly what it covers and also check with your own insurance company.
Hope this helps someone.

Cheers