To help reduce the stresses and minimise things going wrong, we have put together a check list to help you prepare for the task ahead. The secrete is to plan ahead and do 90% of the work before the day that you actually move. Print Check List Click Here Plan Ahead R Advice schools of re-location, photocopy children’s school records and carry with you for enrolment in your new location, R Advise authorities of your move and date of departure R Advice Gas and Electricity authorities. Arrange final meter R Advise Postal Service and arrange for mail forwarding R Advice Telephone provider and arrange for call forwarding R Advise your Bank/Building Society/Credit Union R Advice Electoral register R Advice your doctor, dentist solicitor and clubs R Don’t carry “Rubbish” with you. Be vigilant and sort out items which are for charity, friends, garage sale, and the bin. Often the cost of moving and storing items is worth more than the items themselves. R Use up your fresh and frozen food stocks R Check with the manufacturer handbook on the correct way to move your fridge, freezer, washing machine, dryer etc. Often these items need to have the motor bolted down or specially prepared for moving. R Plan ahead and determine where you want the items to go in the new property. Draw the rooms to scale on sketching paper and use scaled cut outs of the furniture pieces to experiment the best way to arrange your furniture. That way you can move straight in and save time, energy and frustration. R Start collecting packing material and boxes. Days before you move R Start packing away the things and keeping out only the bare essentials that you need in the next 7 days. R Keep common items together such as bathroom products, cups, socks and underwear etc. R Number each box and the room it goes into and keep a general list of what’s in each box. That will help you to priorities what gets unpacked first and where. It is also a great way to find that something that you packed away but need urgently. R Mark boxes ‘fragile’ and/or ‘top load only’ where applicable. Removalists don’t have x-ray vision. R Never place liquids or anything else which if broken can damage your goods. R Nominate a room or dedicate some space that you will store the boxes in preparation for the move R Cancel all of your delivery services such as newsagent, milkman and baker R Empty or use up the fuel from lawn mower, lamps, heaters etc. R Do a final tidy up of the garden, cut lawns and remove rubbish R Clean out the medicine and makeup cabinets and dispose of unwanted or out of date items R Make arrangements to store valuable items and documents at some one house in a locked safety box because it is easy for them to get overlooked or misplaced on moving day. R Finalise outstanding accounts with local suppliers and return those things that have been sitting on your shelf. R Arrange for children and pets to stay with family of friends the night before the move R Clean items before packing them, that way you don’t transport the dirt to your new home and it will save you time and energy. R Take apart cabinets, display units, desks etc so that they can be flat packed and wrapped to minimise damage. R Remove internal shelving from cabinets and cupboards and use masking tape to fix the doors and draws. Hint – Don’t use packing tape on furniture, it may leave residue and be difficult to remove. R Wash and dry clothes and take down and wash curtains and blinds if you are taking them with you Hint - Use plastic cutlery, cups and plates in the final days to save you washing, misplacing or breaking them during the mad rush on the final day R Give the building manager and neighbours at least a weeks advance notice so that they can make preparations to work around any inconveniences caused by your move. Also, if there are 2 lifts in your block see if you can get exclusive use of one of the lifts. In most cases if you are in a modern apartment block then you will need to book in a time to move with the building or strata manager. R Have a few boxes available for items that you forgot to box after you have cleared the property. R The day before, disconnect the washing machine and drain it of water, disconnect the fridge and allow the gas to settle. Don’t forget to tape the doors, draws and shelves and secure the washing machine drum. R Enquire as to whether your contents insurance covers your goods in transit. If not, then consider getting cover. Hint – Have a rainy day strategy in place just in case it rains. If possible it is better to postpone the move. R Arrange for a neighbour to forward the mail to you until the new residents move in. Preparing your new home R Notify the relevant authorities such as electricity, gas, water, telephone and insurance of the date that you will be moving into the new home R Where applicable, such as for apartments, obtain permission and book in a date to move in. Investigate and notify the relevant people Hint - Make sure that your new home is prepared and ready to receive your furniture before the move day. It is easier to clean the carpets, remove rubbish, paint walls etc when there is no furniture or children and pets roaming around the home. On The Day R If you are using removalists, remember “you get what you pay for”. R Spend some time at the beginning with the removalists to discuss what you expect from them and agree on a strategy. R Always be present and oversee everything to ensure that your goods are not damaged and that they are packed correctly. R Turn off the hot water heater and drain it R Tighten all taps and replace any blown light bulbs R Check that gas, water and electric switches are off at the mains Hint – leave a contact number incase the new residents find something that you left behind or receive your mail. R Make sure to lock all windows and doors R Job done and time to have a quick drink with your neighbours and to wish them farewell. At your new residence R Make sure that you are there or that a trusted person is there to receive the furniture. R Have the layout plan of where all the furniture is to go stuck up on the wall for everyone to see R Allocate some one with the task of ticking off the items against the stock sheet when they come through the front door or front gate.
readings and disconnection of utilities and arrange for reconnection at new address
