Moving house can be likened to a three stooges short film; Violence, hair pulling and it always ends up in a huge mess. If you’ve ever moved out of a house you have lived in for a number of years, then you will understand what I mean. Every time you think you are finished packing, you open a cupboard and realise you have only scratched the surface.
Every time I move home I think ‘there must be a better way’. Fortunately with a little planning and forethought, the whole process can be streamlined to ensure a smooth transition from the old to the new.
Expert hands – calling in the movers
Did you realise that you can actually employ full service removalists who will carry out Melbourne removals from start to finish? Basically, you go out for the day and when you return home to your new property, voila! Your belongings have almost magically been transported, unpacked and placed into your new home. That is what I call stress free moving!
Clearing the way
The amount of times I have moved unwanted junk to my new premises because I hadn’t pre planned my move, are too numerous to mention. Hiring a skip for a few days makes sense. There is often more rubbish than you realise stored away in your garage, drawers and cupboards. Take this opportunity to declutter your life.
Don’t rely on charity shops to take things like books or furniture. When moving house for an elderly relative recently, we thought we were doing a good deed by taking his books to the local op shop but were told, quite brusquely, that they weren’t wanted.
If you can be bothered, free sites such as Gumtree, may be a good place to start if you are looking to give away goods. Be prepared for time wasters though! Even free stuff is often hard to get rid of.
Get packing – boxes and bags
For those who decide to go it alone, you will need to source some boxes, bubble wrap and tape, for packing. Many removal and storage companies now offer these for sale or Bunnings has some options.
Marking boxes with detailed notes of contents and room numbers with corresponding room numbers placed on the doors of your new house, will make moving day run smoothly.
Service connection, mail etc
One area that many people leave to the last minute is transferring their water, power, gas, phone and internet services over to their new address. Unfortunately, whilst things like electricity only take a few days to connect, internet services and foxtel often need to be booked many weeks in advance. For those relying on a seamless transition for their internet services, it pays to get in early to avoid disappointment.
Your real estate agent should be able to give you the details of ‘one stop shop’ companies, who will be able to organise all your connections for free. This limits you to their suppliers of choice, but many will weigh up the inconvenience of having to do it themselves and decide it is worth the trade-off.
Related: How Packing and Storing Affects Your Items
At the other end
Having someone waiting at the other end, directing placement of furniture and boxes will prevent you sitting down on the evening of moving day and being swamped by a clutter of your belongings. As much as possible, put things away as they arrive. Many hands make light work so enlisting the assistance of as many friends, relative and acquaintances as possible, would be ideal.
As with everything in life, planning and preparation are key to making the move to your next property, run smoothly. Take this time to really assess what you own and how much of it you really need to take with you. A new home is a fresh start and a new life so start it out on the right foot!
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