Moving House | Checklist for a Successful Move

Guide to Moving House

Moving home is an exciting, busy and stressful time but it is possible to put in more excitement and remove that stress with a simple guide to the lead up to moving day, plus tips to help you settle into your new home faster. Typically the settlement period when you buy a home is six to eight weeks. This is to give you enough time to finalise your finance, organise any pest or building inspections not already conducted, and so your conveyancer can organise the transfer of title and any other legal documentation.

However, in those six to eight weeks of settlement you need to be doing much more than paperwork and packing to remain organised for the process of moving house. To help you stay organised and make sure you don’t forget any important steps in the process, follow this timeline checklist so that you know everything will be taken care of in due course, you can maintain perspective on the situation and not become overwhelmed by all of the things which need to be done.

Moving House Checklist: Tasks to be Completed 4-6 Weeks Before Moving

Marking the date on your calendar with excitement may have seen you flipping through quite a few pages and you can mistakenly think you have some time before you need to start organising your move. However, four to six weeks out from your settlement date and moving day, you should:

• Arrange time off work. If possible, ask your boss now for a few days – or even the week – off work around your moving date as this will allow you to be much more efficient when the time comes and much more clear headed because you’re not cramming the move into a weekend when everyone else is out on a Sunday Drive, and you’re not trying to pack and organise things after a long day at the office.
• Consider access and size. Think about how the size and accessibility of your new home compares to your old one and whether you will be able to take all of your furniture with you, and even if you can get it in the door, around a hallway, up a flight of stairs or jammed in a lift. In some cases you may need to start dissembling pieces of furniture and you can save yourself time and money by leaving behind or selling items you can’t take with you. Also keep in mind you may need to book the use of a common lift if you’re moving into a busy apartment block.
• Inventory your items. Moving is a great chance to get rid of things you no longer want or need so classify everything in your home into five categories – moving, storage, disposal, giveaway and garage sale. This will ensure you are only moving what you need to and by getting everything in the last four categories out of your house now, you are clear to move everything you’re keeping and your old home will be empty sooner on moving day. Now is also the time to organise that storage.
• Insure your items. You will have had to organise insurance on your new property to take effect when you moved in as a condition of your loan application, but insuring your belongings in transit to your new home is your responsibility and you should organise that insurance now.
• Decide who will do the moving. Decide whether you want just you and your family and friends to pitch in and make the move together, or whether you want to hire professional removalists. This decision will depend on how reliable your friends and family are and whether you can book them in for the dates of your move. If not, make sure you book in professional removalists early because the best will book solidly in advance.
• Start notifying billers. Now is the time to take note of all of your mail and start telling people about your new address. You can notify people like your bank, credit card provider and phone provider as this mail comes less frequently so in the next billing cycle you probably will have moved.
• Consider how far you’re moving. If you’re moving interstate or from a regional area to the city for example then you may need to organise accommodation for your moving days while your new home gets settled. Moving a long distance can also mean you’ll need to pick up your family’ medical files for transfer to new practitioners and records for your childrens’ new schools. Don’t forget to pick up the files for your furry family members too as your pets may need to visit a new vet after the move.
• Notify your landlord. If you are renting this will allow your landlord to organise a final inspection and submit your application for the return of your bond which can be a welcome injection of cash after a move.
• Check your food stores. Start monitoring what you buy at the supermarket and avoid stocking up on bulk items which you’re only going to have to move. Also start using the food in your freezer so it doesn’t go to waste.
• Know what you need for moving day. It can be good to get a jump on your packing by starting four to six weeks before you move, but make sure you’re not packing essentials you will need on moving day. Also start collecting items such as boxes, tape, markers, newspaper and ropes to save time on the day.

Moving House Checklist: Tasks to be Completed 3 Weeks Before Moving

While you may have been super organised and started your packing as soon as you signed your new contract, with just three weeks until moving day you need to make sure you have undertaken your packing in earnest:

• Pack all items not used on a daily basis. This will reduce the clutter in your home, allow you to start cleaning, clearing and tidying your home, and leave less to pack on moving day. This also means you can start taking apart furniture you don’t need in the next three weeks as this will make it easier to transport, and you can pack items from desk drawers for example. Don’t forget your outdoor furniture and play equipment which can be especially dangerous to transport assembled. Also make sure you are labelling your boxes correctly and in detail from the beginning as this will make it much easier on the other end to find things you haven’t had time to unpack yet.
• Hire moving transport. If you’re completing the move yourself, now is the time to hire a truck, ute or trailer (or two). Don’t forget to leave room to transport yourself and your family especially if you have small children or pets who can become agitated by an unusually packed car over a long ride. Therefore, make sure to have familiar items available and make room for as many items as possible in your other moving transport.

Moving House Checklist: Tasks to be Completed 2 Weeks Before Moving

Just two weeks to go before you take possession of your new home and the excitement is mounting, so don’t let it be quashed by the stress of your approaching moving date, and make sure you organise:

• Disconnection and reconnection of services. Notify your electricity, gas, phone and water supplier of your moving date and they will be able to adjust your bill for your moving day at your old home, and make sure that you are connected when you arrive at your new home.
• Tie up local ties. Now is the time you need to start cancelling your newspaper service, gardening and other local services. Also make sure to return any local library books or videos and pick up any dry cleaning you’ve dropped in.
• Liaise with your removalists. If you have hired professional removalists you are paying for their time so you don’t want them waiting around to ask you questions, you want them to get on with their job. That is why you’ll need to make a list of everything you need them to move, and items you will be moving yourself so everyone can work efficiently on the day.
• Book in your mail redirection. While you have notified most people of your move, you want to catch all of your mail when you move and registering your new address and move-in day with Australia Post will mean your mail will follow you, and in some cases they will also notify the organisations mailing you of your new address. You can do this at a post office branch or online.

Moving House Checklist and Tasks to be Completed 1 Week Before Moving

This time next week you’ll be in your new home and if you’re remained organised the transition should be a smooth one. In the week before you move you will still need to organise a few things:

• Pay your final bills. Your utilities companies will have been able to organise a bill for your services to date so before you pack up your purse make sure all of your bills are paid up. even try and pay some bills in advance which are going to be due over the next few weeks to make sure you are kept up to date even if you haven’t completely unpacked.
• Confirm your new services. Making a follow up call to your utility companies to make sure that your reconnection is still scheduled can be worthwhile in case there is a hold up with your order.
• Can your rubbish. Once everything is packed you should just be left with things which will be thrown out so make some final trips to the local dump to get rid of any unnecessary debris which will just get in the way on moving day. You’ll also need to finish your cleaning or call in a professional to finish the job, which may a requirement of your lease if you are renting.
• Unplug. Now is the time to pack up your computer ready for the move and look at this as an opportunity for a break from incessant emails and beckoning work documents. You will also need to completely clean out your fridge and freezer so make plans to eat any left overs this week.
• Secure personal documents. When you move personal documents and items such as passports, drivers license and any valuables, put them in a safe place and keep them together. Also make sure you have somewhere safe to transfer these to in your new home.

Moving House Checklist and Tasks to be Completed on Moving Day

The big day has finally arrived and to make sure you don’t forget anything in the flurry of activity which accompanies even the most organised moving day:

• Collect and drop off keys. Your conveyancer or real estate agent should have a copy of the keys for your new home which can be handed over on settlement day. Also check with your landlord or the agent selling your old house where they want the keys to be left.
• Keep essentials close by. Have a box or bag of personal essentials you will need on the day of your move such as toiletries, a change of clothes, medications, toilet paper and towels. Have another box of kitchen essentials like your kettle, some cutlery, mugs, tea, coffee and snacks. Also keep the box or bag with your personal documents and belongings close by too.
• Disconnect the last appliances. Once you’ve made your last coffee in your old home disconnect everything and make sure it is ready to be moved.
• Pack the beds first. Unmake the beds and pack bedding in one of your essentials boxes. This will allow you to remake the beds as soon as you arrive at your new home so the family can settle in for their first night.
• Check all cupboards and storage areas again. Double check you have packed everything and that all boxes have made it into the removalist’s van or into your own vehicles.
• Securely close and lock your old house. Check all the doors and windows are locked, garages and sheds are secured and the lights are off, because this is no longer your house anymore – you’ve finally moved!

Things to Remember When Moving into Your New Home

To make sure you and your family settle into your new home as quickly and easily as possible, there are a few more items you can check of your list, such as:

• Check for missing items on moving day. Pay attention to every box and item of furniture which is unloaded at your new home and check it against your inventory list because it will be much easier to track down a lost box on moving day that the following week when everyone involved in the move has forgotten who you are.
• Making sure your utilities are turned on. If you do this as soon as you arrive with the first load of your belongings you can often avert a crisis if your electricity, gas and water are not connected and have them turned on in the same day.
• Set up the essentials. Start cleaning your kitchen if necessary and make up bedrooms as quickly as possible to help everyone settle in sooner.
• Settle your pets. Your pets are likely to be more stressed about the move than you are because they don’t know what’s going on. Therefore if you have particularly nervous animals, keep them away until everything has been moved in as there will be fewer distractions and strangers around. Then you can start familiarising them with your new neighbourhood, taking your dog for walks to find the best parks or beaches.
• Find new local services. Take a few walks or drives around the neighbourhood with your family to find the best playgrounds, shopping centres, sporting centres, swimming pools, libraries and restaurants.
• Update your details. Make sure to change your driver’s license details once you have moved, as well as changing your car registration and insurance as your new address and garaging conditions can change your premiums.

Moving house doesn’t have to be hard, especially when you can organise so much of your move online with change of address registrations, utility disconnections and reconnections, not to mention a quick email to tell all your friends about your new home. With some preparation and organisation moving day will fly by without too many dramas and you will be well on your way to starting your new life in your new home.

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