Organising Your Move

By, Karen Koedding, A Little Elf

Moving house is a stressful, time consuming project, but by being organised and getting started right away, you can make the job easier.

BEFORE YOU PACK

-          Visit the new home with a measuring tape- make sure you can fit in all your current furniture.  Measure the doorways, hallways, stairways as well, many a piece of furniture had to be abandoned due to doorways and entryways.

-          About a month before, start using up things like perishable or frozen food items that won’t be able to make the move.

-          Redirect mail to your new address.  Notify companies of your new billing address.  Or get a post office box if you move often, and send all of your mail there.

-          Organise for connection of utilities such as electricity, gas, phone and internet in advance of the move.  Sometimes it can take weeks for to have a new phone line or internet service connected.  Terribly frustrating!

PACKING

-          Put your new keys on your key ring right away.

-          It’s important to have the right tools for packing- boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, packing tape and permanent marker pens.  A good option in Australia is to contact Kennards.  You can rent the boxes and buy the supplies from them, they will deliver them to you, and pick up the boxes when you are done.  You can keep the boxes for 3 months…excellent service.  In the states, try visiting your local Budget Truck location.

-          Moving house is a great excuse to de-clutter. As you pack, throw out or give away anything that is broken, damaged, outdated or unused.  Think about the fact that you are paying for supplies and hourly wages to move the items…are they worth it.  Do they add value to your life?

-          You can start packing items that you use infrequently like out of season clothes, vases, photo albums and books weeks before your moving date.

-          A Little Elf always suggests that you keep your jewellery with you at all times.  Valuable artwork requires specialist art movers.

-          Pack small items in paper and then wrap packing tape around it…label the packing tape so that you know there are parts in there…better yet put small parts into food storage bags with a note inside saying what they are for and pack them in your “OPEN FIRST” box (see below).

-          Label each box with information including a general description of what’s inside, and what room it belongs in.  Colour coding will not always work as many movers are male, and can possibly be colour blind.  Indicate if it is fragile.  Label on the top and 2 sides for easy reading.  If you are storing items for a while, it is a good idea to type an inventory list up for yourself including a box number, room, general details.

-          If you have movers/removalists, label the rooms in your new home with the same room titles.

-          Always pack an “OPEN FIRST” box.  Include all of your remote controls, phone chargers, laptop charger, toilet paper, hand towels, kitchen towels, hand soap, paper plates, napkins, cutlery, cups, any important paperwork, a box cutter, bandaids, sticky tape, blank paper, pens, Phillips head screwdriver, Allen keys for furniture, garbage bags, food storage bags or aluminium foil.  Put two chairs in your new home right away…even if they are beach chairs.

-          Moving day – ensure that you have plenty to drink, make sure your new fridge is on and cold, bring sandwiches or get a local takeaway/delivery menu.

Unpacking

-          Open breakables over a surface such as a counter/benchtop, with paper as a cushion.  Photograph any breakages for insurance claims.

-          Make sure all of the boxes are delivered…compare to moving inventory and your inventory.

-          Unpack the kitchen and bed linens and bathroom first.

-          Make sure that all small items have been unpacked.

This is not an all encompassing list but is a good start for you.

Copyright A Little Elf 2009.  All rights reserved.