Moving House: 12 Sanity-Saving Tips to Relocation Heaven
Ward off moving-day disasters with these savvy preparation tips
As exciting as it is to move to a new home, it can also be stressful and fraught with potential peril. Instead of crossing your fingers that all your things will arrive in one piece at the other end, getting ready ahead of time will minimise the chance of breakages and take the pain out of moving day. The secret is in the planning.
2. Make it easy on your pets
Pets will know something’s up when the routine changes and the house starts filling up with boxes. Don’t forget to leave room in your car for your pets when you make that final trip, and be sure to set up a water bowl as soon as you arrive at the other end. All that anxiety can make a pet thirsty!
Pets will know something’s up when the routine changes and the house starts filling up with boxes. Don’t forget to leave room in your car for your pets when you make that final trip, and be sure to set up a water bowl as soon as you arrive at the other end. All that anxiety can make a pet thirsty!
3. Prep your plants
If your pot plants can cope, keep watering to a minimum during the week before you move to make them lighter and to reduce mess. I always transport plants in my own car when I move – I don’t trust that removalists will have their best interests at heart. Plastic-lined boxes are the way to go (or a laundry basket!). If you’re moving interstate, check that you can bring your plants with you without violating any laws.
If your pot plants can cope, keep watering to a minimum during the week before you move to make them lighter and to reduce mess. I always transport plants in my own car when I move – I don’t trust that removalists will have their best interests at heart. Plastic-lined boxes are the way to go (or a laundry basket!). If you’re moving interstate, check that you can bring your plants with you without violating any laws.
4. Protect your artwork
If you’re packing up your house yourself but plan to get movers in to take your stuff from A to B, check how they plan to pack up your artwork. If their approach is to wrap up paintings in old blankets that have been lying around on the floor of the truck, it might pay to shop around.
If you’re packing up your house yourself but plan to get movers in to take your stuff from A to B, check how they plan to pack up your artwork. If their approach is to wrap up paintings in old blankets that have been lying around on the floor of the truck, it might pay to shop around.
5. Measure your furniture
Assuming your furniture is going to fit in the new house may not be wise. Measure both your furniture and the space you intend it to go ahead of time, and don’t forget to double-check doorway dimensions to avoid moving-day disappointment.
Assuming your furniture is going to fit in the new house may not be wise. Measure both your furniture and the space you intend it to go ahead of time, and don’t forget to double-check doorway dimensions to avoid moving-day disappointment.
6. Pack a bag of essentials to see you through
A bag that contains everything you need for the first few days after you move will mean you don’t have to waste time sifting through countless boxes when it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Help kids of all ages pack what you know they’ll need. Left up to them, you may find a bag full of toys instead of clothes at the other end. Whatever you do, make sure that favourite teddy is within reach at bedtime.
A bag that contains everything you need for the first few days after you move will mean you don’t have to waste time sifting through countless boxes when it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Help kids of all ages pack what you know they’ll need. Left up to them, you may find a bag full of toys instead of clothes at the other end. Whatever you do, make sure that favourite teddy is within reach at bedtime.
7. Tape drawers shut
Damage to furniture is always annoying, and you don’t usually discover the dents and scratches until the removalists are long gone. Use packing tape to stop drawers sliding out when they’re picked up and loaded into the truck, and put ‘fragile’ stickers on any of your most prized possessions.
Damage to furniture is always annoying, and you don’t usually discover the dents and scratches until the removalists are long gone. Use packing tape to stop drawers sliding out when they’re picked up and loaded into the truck, and put ‘fragile’ stickers on any of your most prized possessions.
9. Go easy on your glassware
Glasses are the most common items to be broken during a move, so wrap each one individually and nestle them into small boxes weighing no more than five kilograms fully packed.
Glasses are the most common items to be broken during a move, so wrap each one individually and nestle them into small boxes weighing no more than five kilograms fully packed.
10. Eat your way to an easier move
Try to reduce the amount of food being stored in your pantry, fridge and freezer before the big day. You’ll have less to move and are sure to discover many items past their use-by date you can throw away. If you can shop a little less in the weeks before you move, that’s money you can put towards the cost of hiring removalists and reconnecting utilities.
Try to reduce the amount of food being stored in your pantry, fridge and freezer before the big day. You’ll have less to move and are sure to discover many items past their use-by date you can throw away. If you can shop a little less in the weeks before you move, that’s money you can put towards the cost of hiring removalists and reconnecting utilities.
11. Redirect your mail
Redirecting your mail is one of those things you can get out of the way weeks before you move – you can nominate when you want the service to start on the form. If you wait until you move to do so, you’ll have to wait for another three business days for the service to kick in.
Redirecting your mail is one of those things you can get out of the way weeks before you move – you can nominate when you want the service to start on the form. If you wait until you move to do so, you’ll have to wait for another three business days for the service to kick in.
12. Take advantage of an empty abode
That time between when the previous residents move out and you move in is the ideal window in which to get work on the house done without the hassle of moving furniture around. If the floors need sanding and refinishing, now is the time. Does the place need a paint? It’s a whole lot easier when it’s empty.
That time between when the previous residents move out and you move in is the ideal window in which to get work on the house done without the hassle of moving furniture around. If the floors need sanding and refinishing, now is the time. Does the place need a paint? It’s a whole lot easier when it’s empty.
It’s often left up to one person in a household to do most of the packing prior to moving day, but if everyone does their bit, no-one need feel overloaded. As well as having them pack their own room into boxes, give each child a section of the kitchen to take on as their own. With a few clear instructions, even breakables should come off the truck undamaged.