Moving house – it’s one of those things that seems like an okay idea in the abstract, but it really starts to lose its appeal the closer you get to moving day.
But if there’s anything that’s going to keep you motivated, it’s knowing you’re prepared. Or maybe it’s the pizza you’ve already ordered for 7:30pm on move day – either way, a moving checklist
can’t hurt, so here’s our list of tips for movers.
In the 4-ish weeks before moving
1. Organise the power
When you’re moving house, gas and electricity are big ticket items for getting settled quickly. Tell your current provider when you want the gas and electricity disconnected and organise the connection at your new address. If you’re
a Momentum customer, you can do all this through MyAccount.
If you’re thinking about switching to Momentum at your new home, check out our plans and prices.
2. Organise the internet
Call your provider and let them know you’re moving and find out what you need to do so things run smoothly.
3. Set up your water account
Let your current water utility company know you’re leaving, and set up your account at the new address.
4. Clean out your cupboards
Set aside a weekend to offload the stuff you don’t need from wardrobes, hall cupboards and bottom drawers (the mate helping you move doesn’t want to lift one more moving box than is necessary).
‘Ancient grain’ doesn’t mean quinoa that’s travelled with you to three different houses.
5. Empty the pantry and freezer
Start clearing shelves by using up any beans, legumes, grains or pasta you have kicking around in the pantry, as well as any frozen meals. It’s also a good time to check use-by dates on everything. (The same bottle of hoisin sauce
made three moves with me before I noticed it was 5 years out of date.)
6. Organise a move-out clean
Knowing someone is taking care of the clean can make the move a lot less stressful. If you’re planning on getting a cleaner in for the job, book them well ahead of time, in for the day after you’ve moved everything (or at least
most things) out.
7. Start collecting packing supplies
Check your community Facebook pages to see if people have cardboard packing boxes and other packing materials to give away, or ask your local grocer and supermarkets. Gift shops and chocolate shops will often have excess bubble wrap for
your fragile items, too.
8. Put things up for sale
If you’ve got household items that won’t be coming to the new home, put them up for sale (or even free to a good home) online.
9. Check your hard rubbish collections
These work differently for different areas, so check with your council what your options are for getting rid of larger unwanted items before you move.
10. Book your moving company or moving truck
Decide what you’ll need to move all your belongings (will you need a professional removalist for heavier items?), and book it ahead of time – even if it’s just sending a text to that mate who’s got a ute.
If you need a set of wheels, you can usually rent these from hardware stores, moving companies or handy friends.
11. Pack up the outdoor area
Put the furniture, plants and garden tools you’re taking with you all in one place so you can clean up the rest of the yard.
12. Return anything you’ve borrowed
You’ll have less stuff to move, and your mates will love you for ‘remembering’.
In the two weeks before moving
13. Change your address
For things like bank accounts, insurance, subscriptions, Centrelink, Medicare, the Electoral Commission, and your drivers licence. If you’ve got kids, let the school know too (and the kids, come to think). You can also get your
mail redirected with Australia Post.
14. Start packing the stuff you won’t need
That includes books, clothes for a different season and lesser-used kitchen appliances. To make sure you’re not digging through the dress-up box when you’re looking for lightbulbs, make a note of the contents on your moving
boxes.
15. Organise insurance
If you need moving or house and contents insurance for your valuables, get it ready ahead of time.
Make sure you know your sausage dogs from your packing peanuts.
16. Make a plan for your pets
Not everyone’s furry friends handle relocation well, so make sure you’ve got a plan for yours that keeps shedding and shaking to a minimum.
17. Do a round-up of all the keys
Make sure you’ve got all the keys for your current place ready to hand over when the time comes.
18. Collect all the user manuals
Get the guides and important documents for any appliances in the house (things like the dishwasher, aircon and oven) and put them somewhere the people moving in will find them.
If you're looking to upgrade some appliances at your new home, see more information on how 'Energy efficient appliances save power'.
19. Tell your frequent visitors
Let people who come over often (like cleaners, gardeners and dog walkers) know that you’ll be moving home. If they’re coming to your new home, let them know your moving date and what day you’ll need them to be there instead.
On moving day
20. Check the power
If your power company has told you the new address is connected, but the lights aren’t coming on, it could be because the main switch is off. In that case, you’ll need to switch it back on at the switchboard. Switchboards are
usually on the outside of your house toward the front or (particularly in apartments) in linen closets, kitchen cupboards or on hallway walls.
If your power isn’t on when you expected it to be, get in touch with your power company and they’ll help you sort it out.
21. Turn on the hot water in your new place
Do yourself the honour of a warm shower on moving day. Systems generally take a few hours to warm up so turn yours on the minute you get there on moving day.
22. Get the big stuff in first
Depending on the layout of your new place, you might need to move things like the fridge and washing machine before anything else, so make sure you plan it out in the unloading process. If you’re using moving services, let the mover
know too.
23. Check where your router goes
The last thing you want to do is cover up the port with furniture or other heavy items, so plug in your router before moving anything else in.
Shortly after moving, Annie and Greg uncovered their shared passion for not moving.
24. Set up your bed
That way, no matter how far into unpacking you get on the day, you’ll be able to go to sleep the minute you need to.
Final touches
25. Turn off the power at the old place
It’s easier for the person moving in to sort their power if it’s switched off at the main switch.
26. Wait to turn on the fridge
If you’ve moved your fridge on its side, you may need to let it sit upright before turning it back on – sometimes for up to 24 hours – to let the compressor oil settle. (We recommend checking what your fridge manufacturer
says.)
Moving house tips:
There’s no ‘right’ way to pack (okay, mum?) but there are a few packing and moving tips that might make the job a little easier for you.
Keep the fiddly things together
Have a shoebox or pencil case with the little pieces you need to put your furniture together, separated and labelled (think screws, dowels, nuts and bolts). And
make sure you pack your toolbox somewhere handy (like the front seat of your car).
Pack an overnight bag for move day
That way, all the important stuff is easy to find – like your keys, wallet, toothbrush, a change of clothes and most importantly, toilet paper. (Maybe even
a few snacks for good measure.)
Keep the cat inside
The length of time you do this for will vary from pet to pet but it’s important to keep them safe while they get the lay of the land.
Create a space for things that don’t fit
If you can’t find a place for something when you unpack it, keep it with other similarly homeless items. It’ll make it easy to work out
what you need to find room (or a new home) for once everything else is done.
Did you know?
You can organise your power connection up to 4 weeks ahead of time? To see the plans we offer at your new pad, click on the button below.
See our plans