Get organised for moving day!

You’ve finally done it. All the i’s have been dotted and the t’s have been crossed, and you’re now officially a homeowner. It’s a little hard to believe, but all the house hunting and financial stress is finally over.

Of course now, you have to worry about the moving stress!

Get Organised For Moving

Moving can be almost as big a hassle as house hunting and buying itself. Everything needs to go in boxes. Breakable items like dishes need to be packed carefully, and what about all that stuff in your closet? Will it all fit into a box? Better question, how do you plan on getting all of your belongings from point A to point B?

Have we scared you yet? Don’t worry. Staying organised while moving is both possible and easy. Check out our easy moving guide for those who want to stay organised for moving.

Pre-Moving Checklist

The secret to staying organised while moving is to plan ahead. Moving really starts about two months before any boxes actually leave your house. You’ll need to handle a few things well in advance to ensure that you don’t end up paying for them later.

• If renting, notify your property manager that you will be moving. Some property managers fine tenants who do not notify within a certain time before leaving. To be safe, tell them at least two months in advance. If this isn’t doable, notify them immediately after the papers are signed.
• Begin looking at moving costs. Is there any break between when your lease ends and when you get the keys for your new house? Do you need a storage unit and a hotel room for this break? Will you hire movers or rent a truck? Maybe you have a really dedicated family or group of friends who have promised to help. Regardless of which scenario you find yourself in, start planning.
• Book carpet cleaning and pest control appointments in both your rental and new house if needed. Some property managers do this with your security deposit after you move out. Check with your new house’s seller to see when these tasks were last completed. You don’t want to move into a dirty house.
• Make sure your insurance policy on your new home is updated and covers you immediately, rather than checking after you’ve already moved in.
• Schedule time off from work to move.

Depending on the time of year, mums and dads should be enrolling their kids in new schools and making sure all records and transcripts are sent over. This is especially important if your children take medicine during the day.

Now is also a good time to be gathering boxes and newspapers. You’re going to need them!

The Packing Process

Many people dread this part of the moving process, but with a good attitude, this can really be a fun step. It’s your chance to reorganise your entire house and get rid of all the clothes, books and movies that no one uses any more.

Before you begin, make labels for your boxes so you know which box goes in which room. You can use a label maker, but post-it notes will work as well. You can also colour-code them for extra assistance if needed. Don’t forget to mark boxes as ‘fragile’ to ensure they’re handled with care.

Put a box in each room marked ‘donate.’ This is for anything in the room that can go to a charity or op shop. As you go through each room, fill up these boxes with items you could easily part with. Ask yourself, ‘Do I really want to waste time and energy packing, moving and unpacking this?’ If not, put it in the donate box.

Make sure you have plenty of newspaper or bubble wrap for your breakable items and wrap each item up tight. Try to pack them tightly in boxes so there isn’t much room to move around. This will hopefully stop them from breaking. Fill in spaces with newspapers or extra bubble wrap.

• Heavy items: Use small boxes. Heavy items in big boxes are often cumbersome. The person carrying the box might drop it or be in such a rush to put the box down that the heavy item breaks. Use a smaller box to make it easier.
• Books: If you have a lot, put them in rolling suitcases. Boxes of books can be extremely heavy. Instead, roll them along behind you.
• Clothes: If you’re not going far, leave your clothes on the hangers, move them in your car and immediately hang them back up again. This saves time as you don’t have to take everything down and put it all back up again.
• Important Documents/Items: Pack into one box. Put your valuables, like diamond or gold jewellery, along with your vital documents, such as birth and marriage certificates and related moving documents. You won’t have to go digging through several boxes. It’ll be all in one place.

The Week-Before Crunch Time

As moving day draws closer and closer, you might feel like you’re being pulled in so many different directions. Stay calm. This is where you need to stay the most organised.

• Keep an ongoing checklist of everything that needs to be done before leaving your current home. Cross off items as they’re completed and add new ones as they come up.
• Call your movers/storage facility/hotel to confirm any reservations.
• Bubble wrap the corners of furniture, such as wooden dining room tables or headboards. This will protect them throughout the move.
• Check the weather and prepare accordingly. Keep a few towels and tarps around if rain is in the forecast.

Remember, being organised for moving doesn’t have to be stressful. The key is to start early and plan ahead. Moving should be an exciting time. You’re making a fresh start in a new home that you’ll get to decorate and make your own. Enjoy the clean slate and embrace the new chapter in your life.