Moving house can be an exciting adventure for you and your family, however there are many things you should consider to make the journey as smooth as possible. In this guest blog by Emily from Service.com.au she shares 8 of her best tips to make sure your local or interstate move is stress-free!
- Booking a removalist service
The first thing you should do is arrange a local removalist service provider for the selected dates you wish to move. Beware that booking a removalist on the weekend can cost far more than a  weekday move. Removalist services can get booked out ahead of time, so it’s best to make arrangements and bookings early to avoid additional costs for short notice.
- Preparation before the move
Furniture removalists on Service.com.au say that one of the most common mistakes their customers make is forgetting to prepare their new home before the move. After a long day of unpacking, the first thing you’ll want to do is have a nice, long shower. If possible, go to your new house prior to the move and set up the bathroom and kitchen areas. Give them a clean and stock up on fresh towels, mats and toilet paper - you’ll thank yourself later!
- Delicate items
For delicate items like plates and records, make sure you wrap them in bubble wrap or white paper and stack them vertically. This way they are less likely to break. Tip: don’t use newspaper as the ink can rub and stain your items.
- Refrigerator
If you're moving your refrigerator or freezer, make sure you dispose of all food items and defrost the appliance at least one day prior. This way, you won’t have a wet and possibly smelly fridge when it arrives at your new home.
- Vacuum seal
Invest in vacuum seal bags such as Space Bags. If you’re moving in the summer, vacuum seal any winter coats and jackets. Not only does this drastically cut down on the amount of space taken, these items can then go straight into storage in your new home.
- Box labeling
Besides labeling and colour coding boxes for each room, it’s also a good idea to mark them in unpacking priority. For example, for high priority boxes that need to be unpacked first, label #1, and low priority boxes that can be unpacked in a couple of weeks, label #3. Although it can take time, it’s also a good idea to tape a list of the contents onto the box. When it comes to moving day, having a list to refer to will make finding what you're after so much easier!
- Unpacking
Colour code each box for each room. For example, pink boxes go to the kitchen and blue boxes go to bedroom #1. This way you can ask your removalist to place boxes in the correct room. This simplifies the process and saves the hassle of moving boxes from one room to the other on moving day.
- Overnight bag
Lastly, pack an overnight bag with any essentials you will need on your first night in your new home. This usually includes, toiletries, pajamas, and a phone charger, for example.
Emily is the Marketing Manager for Service.com.au – an online trades directory which helps everyday Australians connect to trusted tradesmen.