MOVING HOUSE – TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF RELOCATION
Are you moving soon? Finding a new home and moving house can be an extremely stressful, exhausting and expensive ordeal…if you let it. There’s plenty you can do, however, to streamline the process and make things easier for everyone involved.
PREPARING FOR RELOCATION AHEAD OF TIME
When you’re moving, time is very much of the essence. It really pays in the long run to do as much of the groundwork well ahead of time as you possibly can.
BUDGET FOR YOUR MOVE
Moving is expensive, so it’s a good idea to create a budget for your move. Things like moving boxes, removalists and clean-up costs are a given, but you’ll also need money for any items, you intend to replace, for food while your fridge and pantry contents are packed up, and to cover things like increased insurance costs.
MOVING HOUSE CHECKLIST
It’s absolutely vital to have a moving house checklist. You need to be super-organised, and keep all documentation in the same place. You can arrange the checklist according to time-frames – 8 weeks out, 4 weeks out, 2 weeks out, and the day of the move. Brainstorm everything you need to do, from getting quotes on moving to procuring moving boxes, updating your details, changing services over and anything else – then assign a time-frame for each. You can tick off your checklist as you go, making sure that by the time of the move, nothing has been forgotten.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK – MOVING ON QUOTES
Once you’ve decided that you’re moving out, reviews and moving on quotes are essential – for moving boxes and materials, removalists or truck hire, repairs, skip hire if necessary, cleaning and yard maintenance. Word of mouth is a good starting point for your research, but look online at google reviews too.
Moving time is a convenient time to assess how much you’re paying for utilities and insurance, and get better deals if you can. It’s easy enough to jump online and compare costs of health insurance, pet insurance, gas, electricity, internet, water and mobile costs. Take the hassle out of moving with a FREE ONLINE CONNECTION SERVICE.
Also try and familiarise yourself with your new neighbourhood a few weeks out. Most importantly, you’ll need to know where things are, what facilities are local and how best to get to work or school. In terms of relocation though, scope out the best route between the old property and the new one, where best to park the truck, and whether there are any council parking restrictions.
KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED
If you’re a tenant or you live in a unit block or complex, you’ll have to let the real estate or body corporate know as soon as possible that you’re moving out. This is for your benefit as much as theirs, as there may be moving out procedures that you need to follow.
Make sure you update all your details – think schools, banks, insurance, work, transport authority, electoral commission, utilities – as soon as you can. Update contents insurance if necessary (especially if you’re buying new furniture with the move) and be aware that if you’re in private health insurance and you’re moving interstate, your premiums might change.
Let your work know that you’re moving house, and book in a few days of leave if you can. At the very least, try and get a day or 2 off post-move. There are lots of things that can be done outside work hours when you’re preparing for relocation, but recovery isn’t one of them! Moving house is usually far more exhausting than you expect it to be, and self-care is important.
PACK WISELY
Marie Kondo is the latest guru when it comes to tidying and culling, and her principle of doing away with things that don’t spark joy is a great place to start when packing. If you haven’t used it, cooked with it, played with it, watched it, worn it or thought about it for a year, either throw it away or donate it. Equally, if it’s not absolutely essential prior to moving, it can be sorted and packed away well before moving day.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY MOVING
Moving house is often more expensive than people realise! From removalists to packing materials to clean-up and everything else, costs can add up very quickly. The good news is that there are lots of ways to save money when it comes time to move out.
Being shrewd with packing is one of the major ways you can save valuable money. Hit up local businesses for moving boxes – electrical and furniture retailers may have larger boxes available. You can also make good use of towels, sheets, blankets and the like when packing valuables – they’re an excellent substitute for bubble wrap and newspaper! Avoiding wardrobe boxes is another wise move – instead, keep your clothes on hangers but protect them with garbage bags.
If you’re physically able, and lucky enough to have some time off, you can save money by hiring or borrowing a truck and doing the hard yards of the relocation yourself. This is even easier if you can get a helping hand or 3. If you choose to go down the removalist route, however, you can still minimise your outlay. Most removalists quote by the hour, so there are things you can do to get the best value for money from them. Ideally, it’s best if pets and children are looked after out of the way off-site. Fill out your paperwork beforehand, and take apart furniture if possible, to make it quicker and easier to move. Line up your boxes near the door before the removalists come, and once they arrive you can make their job quicker by staying out of their way.