All in one moving house guide
Moving house doesn't have to be super stressful. Getting things prepared in advance with a strategy and checklists will help your move stay on track.
Prepare as early as you can
If you start planning as far in advance as you can. Give yourself plenty of time to organise things before moving day.
Make sure your utilities, like power, gas, internet and water are organised. You can compare Powershop plans to see what electricity and gas plans are available at your new address. You can book to have your power turned on in advance of your actual move in date, so it's available as soon as you walk in. If you have insurance providers to update, be sure to contact them, to provide your new address. You should update your address for your bank and credit card account as well.
Declutter your current home as much as possible. If you have enough unwanted items you might consider holding a garage sale or putting them on Facebook Marketplace. This not only clears space, but can also help to offset some of the costs of moving. If you do have items that you are undecided about keeping, or if they will fit in your new home, you can have a look at storage facilities to keep them temporarily.
Getting closer to the move create a packing plan. Get your packing supplies in place boxes and bubblewrap to look after anything fragile. Label boxes as you go grouping things that belong in the same room together.
A few weeks out create a floor plan of your new home. Use this to guide your unpacking process, it can help you be strategic about what gets set up first in your new home.
Here's a simple timeline you can use as a rough guide.
Tasks | Timeline |
|---|---|
Declutter | 2-3 months prior to the move |
Contact providers | 1-2 months prior to the move |
Get pack materials and boxes ready | 1-2 months prior to the move |
Create a floor plan of the new address | 2 weeks prior to the move |
Having a 'Kon-do' attitude to decluttering
If you have read Marie Kondo, you'll know she has a particular, no-nonsense approach to throwing things out. Her book was titled The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She also had a TV series which inspired people to throw out the things that don't spark joy. It can be difficult to be ruthless in getting rid of things, but it can pay huge dividends down the track. It will make moving a lot easier if there is less stuff to relocate.
Whether you use the Kondo approach or not, do try and be systematic and go about decluttering room by room. This can help to make the task a little bit more manageable and not so overwhelming. It will also ensure that there is no area that gets overlooked.
When to declutter
This is a job to do ideally over a month before your move date. Some time between 4 to 6 weeks. This gives you enough runway to sort through things without feeling rushed. If you start in a space that you use less, like your garage, you might find it a bit easier. You've probably got more items there which can just be thrown out. The additional time will be helpful if any unexpected delays pop-up or life gets in the way of your move house schedule.
Sorting out your stuff
Sort as you're going through your stuff and categorise items into one of these four piles.
What to do with it? | |
Keep it | This is anything that is essential that you will need in your new home. |
Donate it | Anything that somebody else could use or may benefit from but doesn't have a place in your new home. If you go onto Facebook marketplace or free stuff, you'll find you can get rid of many things without even needing to drop it off anywhere. |
Sell it | Either with a garage sale, or on an online platform. |
Bin it | Things that are broken or can't be used. |
Using these four categories will make it much easier to figure out what's coming to the new address and what is not. Save yourself the energy of moving things to remain unboxed and ignored in the garage of your new address.
Important documents
You never know when you might need to refer to some document to help with your move. If you have a folder or a box where you can keep all of these together it can be useful and makes sense to have it done ahead of moving day.
Document checklist
You may not need all of these but if you have paper copies of these it is a good idea to keep them in one location.
___ Birth certificates
___ Passports and visas
___ Marriage certificate
___ Insurance policies
___ Important medical records
___ School reports
___ Power bills
___ Contracts
___ House documents or lease agreements
___ Car rego paperwork
___ Moving company paperwork
Use this checklist and make sure nothing gets left behind.
Physical versus digital copies
Given how easily this can be done it's probably worth having a digital copy of these on your phone. You can snap these on your kitchen bench with your smart phone camera. If you have time and access to a good scanner, you can get higher quality digital copies that make a good digital record. It can be very handy to just have photos of all of these just in case you need them.
Moving arrangements
Moving company or do it yourself move?
Decide if you'll have professional removalists or handle the move yourself. A removal company is going to save time and effort. They also have experience transporting fragile items and handling valuables safely. You can save money if you do decide to do it yourself but be realistic about your own physical ability. You may likely need to get help from friends and family and rent a truck or a van. You don't want to cause yourself or friends an injury while moving house, so weigh up carefully if it might be more efficient to go with a removalist.
Lock in the move date
Do this as early as possible. Check in your calendar and avoid periods that are busy. Weekends are typically more convenient for people to move but because of this they book up fast with moving companies. To make sure you've got all the services you need ready to go at your new address, you can book online to make sure you have your electricity and gas ready when you move in.
Some other things to you can do:
Make a plan for your move day.
Think about the arrival time at your new house.
Create a furniture floor plan to help with the unloading process.
(This will make things easier for the movers so they know where to place each item.)
Other services to update
Internet provider
This is pretty essential for most houses these days. Notify your internet provider about your move and give them your new address and your move in date. Schedule a transfer date and any connection or installation that might need to occur. If you're changing providers, your new internet provider should be able to help with closing your account with your old provider.
Change of address.
It's important to get this one sorted with Australia Post. This will make sure any important mail still gets to you at your new address.
Steps to follow
1: Visit Australia Post, either online or in person to update your address.
2: Set up mail redirection. This redirects your mail to your new address for at least three months and will make sure you don't miss out on important mail or notifications.
3: Let the electoral office know. You need to update your details for voting purposes, as voting is compulsory in Australia.
☐ These steps will help make things smoother when you are settling into your new place.
Moving with pets
Pets can sense when a move is happening, and there are things that you can do to help them adjust. If you're moving some distance away from your vet, get a record of your pet's medical history and vaccinations that you can pass on to your new vet. This would be helpful in case of emergencies. To keep your pet happy they'll appreciate a familiar environment so if they have a blanket, bed, toys or other comfort items keep these close by. This will help to give them something familiar as you move into a new space.
Checklist for pet relocation
Things to do | Notes |
|---|---|
Organise vet visit | Update vaccinations and get medical records |
Pack pet's things | Keep their favourite items close and pack these last. |
On moving day | Set them up with a quiet space with familiar smells like their favourite blanket or sleeping spot. |
In the new home | Introduce them to new surrounds gradually. Reward them with treats to keep them happy. |
The final week before the move
___ Double check details for the move with the removalist.
___ Double check details for the move with the real estate agent.
___ Make sure the times are locked down and that you will have keys and access.
___ Have one box or bag of towels and bed linen ready to go for the first night in your new home. You'll appreciate a nice bed to sleep in at the end of that big day.
___ If you are moving house plants, put the pots inside plastic bags so they don't leak any dirt or water.
On moving day
___ Keep your essential items handy. One box or backpack should do it.
___ Make sure the moving team have a floor plan and know where they can park the truck for loading and unloading.
After everything is packed, do a final walk-through of the old place double checking that:
___ Rooms are empty.
___ Power is turned off.
___ Clean up after any dust stirred up by moving appliances.
___ One last check for mail.
After the move
In the days after the move there'll be a lot of unpacking. Hopefully you'll have all your utilities sorted like water and internet, but if you have any issues specially with electricity and gas, you can talk to Powershop about getting that promptly sorted out.
Take the time to personalise your new space and enjoy it. If you've got a load of excess packing materials, boxes and bubblewrap, you can call the moving company and ask them to collect it so it can be recycled and help somebody else.