Prepare for your move!
Moving to a new house can be stressful but only if you are unprepared! With enough time and preparation, you can move like a pro and make the experience a good one! Follow the tips below to have a stress-free, smooth, organized move.
Simple Steps
Consider when moving house
Planning
Start early!
For moving day to go well, you need to plan and start packing and decluttering about 2 months to a month before the day itself.
- If you live in an apartment complex, check loading zones and building management rules early. Do this before you book your Sydney removalists as they will often have requirements in relation to moving times, truck height restrictions, insurance requirements and lift use.
- Get quotes from at least 3 removalists so that you can get an idea of competitive prices in your local area. Fill quotation forms thoroughly, because it helps movers to estimate the scope of the job more accurately.
- Get boxes and start packing as soon as possible. Declutter while you pack so you have fewer items to move on the day.
- Think about which furniture and appliances you want to bring with you. As it happens the new house might not have a spacious dining room, or the lounges may not fit along the wall. If you can, measure the fridge bracket, the space for washing machines and dryers in the laundry and areas for each room so you can make sure everything will fit.
- If you are disassembling your own furniture or dismounting your own appliances, make sure you keep all the parts (any fittings, screws, etc) in a clear bag and tape it to the appliance or furniture.
- Get insurance! Most removalists do not provide full contents insurance, so just make sure you have read the Terms and Conditions of the insurance if the removalist claims they are insured. The insurance they have is often limited (e.g. public liability insurance to damage of premises or workers’ compensation) and does not apply to damages for your personal goods. We provide contents insurance through our partner insurance company on this link: www.removalsinsurance.com.au of which we receive 10% of the commission.
PACKING
Take care of your precious
Packing can often seem like the most time-consuming, daunting task in a move. Follow these tips to make packing less overwhelming and to help you on moving day.
- Declutter before and while you pack. The more you get rid of before the move, the easier the move will be. While you pack carry two bags with you, one for rubbish and the other for items you want to give away such as a clothes bag, a children’s bag (books and toys for example) or a box for books. Sort while you pack and put aside the “give away” and “bin” bags and boxes.
- Prepare a packing caddy to go with you with scissors, tape, a marker and butcher paper. Label the boxes with their designated room and their contents, especially things you know you will look for as soon as you are in the new house (scissors, dish soap, knife, drill and allen keys, cutlery, plates, work clothes, etc).
- Start packing the items you don’t need first: off season clothing, items in storage, documents, etc. On the last day of packing you should be left with very few things: the kitchen, some cleaning and laundry materials, clothes for the week, toiletries.
- When packing heavy items, don’t overdo it! Use small boxes for heavy items such as books, gym equipment and glassware. Leave some space at the top to fill with padding (in the form of packing paper or cushions) to prevent breakages from stacking.
- Pack clothes in port-a-robe boxes so that it is easier to transfer them and to avoid any wrinkles.
Dealing With Removalists
Find your best moving partner!
Dealing with removalists can seem like a hard task but if you do your research, give them the correct information, moving with professionals can be a lot easier than doing it yourself. Here are a few pointers on how to work well with removalists.
- Make sure you understand the quote, read the Terms and Conditions, check for additional charges and request insurance if you need it.
- Be honest but polite and respectful. Customers that don’t state the correct number of items to be moved are often disappointed on moving day as are the removalists. Moving companies schedule jobs based on the inventory provided by the customer so if this is inaccurate, both the quotation, and the service type will vary leading to stress for both the customer and the removalist. Movers have a hard job. They work in 40-degree Sydney heat and rainstorms to try to delivery your items as safely as possible. They move difficult items such as pianos, double door fridges, snooker tables and over the balcony. They work very long days. Shouting and being unreasonable will not help.
- On moving day, the removalists rely on the customer to give them information to help them with the move. Send them instructions before the move in relation to parking and access. Make sure they have any swipe cards or keys for easy access and ask for them back at the end of the job making sure to count all of them.Explain which rooms there are and which labels on the boxes belong to which rooms. Before leaving the old house, walk with the removalist to make sure you have not left anything behind. The places people tend to forget things: in the corners and on top of cupboards and shelves, the garage, laundry, the garden. At the end of the job, if it has been charged hourly, double-check the times and make sure the invoice/timesheet matches how long the job took.
Are you moving homes?
Looking to move places soon? Please fill out our quote form, and our professionals will be more than happy to help you out!