How to Plan for a Move
Planning For Moving House
Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful experiences in our lives. The stress can be compounded when dealing with family and work commitments, financial strains and emotional ties. Making a move with a clear set of objectives and a plan in place can help to ease the stress through the moving process. This How to Plan for a Move article has been written with this purpose in mind.
Break it Down
The first step in How to Plan for a Move is to break down a house move into manageable parts. While not all circumstances are possible to predict, having a detailed plan for moving and checklist can ensure you stay focused on what is achievable. Checking off the plan as you progress through the stages of your move will help you to keep your priorities focused on getting to the moving date. This way should you encounter an unpredictable situation you can attempt to manage this with a degree of readiness.
Planning
Before your move, consider the amount of time you have available between now and the moving date. It is preferable to have at least 6 weeks to prepare for a move. If it is not possible to have this much time to plan and prepare, consider getting some close friends to assist you with the larger tasks like organising the garage and shed. Try to be as productive as possible during the time that you have available.
Choose a Furniture Removalist
One of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the right furniture removalists. It is best to research the different removal companies, in particular checking their customer reviews as well as contacting the businesses themselves to get a feel for the company.
Preparation for Your Move
Preparation is key to a successful move. We recommend beginning the process by examining your current residence and belongings regarding like-spaces. For example bedrooms, living areas, kitchens, bathrooms and utility areas like the laundry and garage – grouping areas of likeness will make consolidating items for packing easier.
Having an awareness of what you really have to move is a real eye-opener and can be daunting, particularly when moving a family. While we generally know and understand the items of our daily use that need to be moved, quite often our homes contain belongings we have kept to either repair or re-purpose. Some items we have lying around fall into the “I don’t know why we have kept this” basket. Now is the time to make some decisions about the fate of these items.
You do not want to pay to have items moved that are of no current or future value to you. Deciding to concisely account for all of your personal possessions can save you money in the long run and even allow you to make a little bit of money by selling those unnecessary items before the move.
Strategy 1: Investigate
Concerning a process, firstly investigate the area thoroughly and take a visual account of what you see. Before you begin to ask yourself:
- What exactly are you keeping and why?
- Are there items you can sell or donate?
- Are there items here that can be disposed of immediately?
Strategy 2: Group
Divide the space you are sorting into 3 areas that will accommodate the items you are sorting out. Depending on the room or space, these areas will be larger or smaller. Ensure you have a rubbish bag or bin and two garbage bags or other containers for the saleable/donated goods and of course your packing boxes and supplies ready. Group each item within the space in terms of:
- rubbish,
- to be donated or to be sold and
- to be kept.
Strategy 3: Decide
Once the area is ready, you can commence the process by deciding what items you are taking with you and what is going to happen to the remaining belongings. Once the decisions have been made, dispose of the rubbish, label and bag up the items to be donated and sold. Then you are ready to prepare your belongings for the move. Packing up the items that you are keeping will require a different strategy for each area of the house that you are dealing with.
Strategy 4: Pack
Please see our Packing Guide for useful information of what, when and how to pack for your move.
A Clear Plastic Container
It is handy to keep one clear large plastic container with a lockable/sealable lid for items you will require as soon as you arrive at your new premises – toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, towels, utensils and cups for each person, water, snacks, medical supplies, phone chargers and screwdrivers all come in handy when moving. It is advisable to pack this box last onto the moving truck so that it is available as soon as the truck arrives and can be taken directly to the kitchen.
Garage Sales and Online Posts
About 3 weeks before the moving date consider holding your garage sale. Advertise this in the local area and consider also posting ads online. You can additionally post unwanted items either to take away for free or for sale on Gumtree. Once the garage sale has been concluded, any outstanding items in good condition can be listed online.
Notification of Services
Organise your notification of services, consider the services for both your old and your new location. You will need to contact them to notify them you are vacating your current premises and to advise of your forwarding address. Some companies will need to be contacted to inform them that you will still require their services but at a new address.
1 Week Before Moving Day
By this stage, you should be in the final stages of packing your everyday items which you have left from the bedroom, bathroom and living areas. It is a good idea to confirm your arrangements for the move with your Removalist and organise cleaning and any preparatory work required at either your current or new residence.
Arrange for the collection of keys to the new home and discuss the moving day strategy with all involved parties.
Finalise any arrangements you have made for your beloved pets and get your mail redirected through Australia Post. Organise mail redirection to start just a day or two before your move.
2 Days Before Moving Day
This is the time to clean out the kitchen including the pantry really. Defrost the freezer and clean everything thoroughly in preparation for the move.
1 Day Before Moving Day
This is your final stage. Organise any items still to be packed from the living room and kitchen.
Pack a small bag with things that you will need to have with you on moving day. Also, charge your mobile phones and any other devices you will travel with.
Dispose of any remaining rubbish and get a good night’s sleep.
Moving Day Itself
Plan to be available onsite when your Removalist is due. Enjoy the cup of coffee that Optimove removalists Brisbane will bring for you and watch them get down to work!
How to Plan For a Move and Printable Moving Checklist
We have compiled a downloadable and printable moving checklist to assist you with your move. This printable moving checklist is a summary of the information provided on this page on How to Plan for a Move as well as in the Packing Guide article. You will also find more useful information in our blogs section which has been written to help you with your planned home or office move.
