The thought of moving house can be exciting and stressful at the same time, especially for newly married couples. It’s known as the second most anxiety-provoking activity we can undertake, so don’t be hard on yourself if your heart is racing at the thought of all that packing.
Most of the time, the ordeal of moving house is accomplished according to plan, but there are often some hilarious, embarrassing and highly stressful botch-ups. You need to plan your move, so don’t procrastinate and then do everything at the last minute.
Consider whether you might need to store some items as well. But if you have concerns, why not arm yourself with the following six tips to help lessen the stress?
If you can afford it, this is the best way to ease your stress. Let a reputable, professional removalist team come in and take your furniture and belongings to your new home and install it. You won’t have to worry about hurting your back, having to ask your muscular friends to help or deal with the hassle of hiring a truck or borrowing a ute.
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You’ll save time doing it this way because, especially if you’re moving to another town or another state, you won’t be making several trips; just one trip there on moving day. You’ll save on fuel, time and stress.
If you’re too stressed or rushed to pack your belongings, your removalist might also offer professionals to come in with their durable, fit-for-purpose cartons and pack your belongings. Some removalists prefer this because they know the box sizes and it helps them to balance the load. Whether you opt for full packing or only part packing for valuables such as antiques and china, you can relax knowing that everything’s safely packed in appropriate boxes with the correct labels. You will need to sort things to a certain extent and advise the packers somewhat, but this is the least stressful, less time consuming and easiest way to move house. If you don’t want to hire packers, then make sure your boxes are sturdy, labelled correctly and are not over-filled.
Moving house is a great time to get rid of years and years of clutter and stuff you’ll never use or don’t want but haven’t been bothered throwing out. Your move will be easier the less you have to move, so go from room to room and be ruthless.
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Whatever you haven’t worn for at least two years, put in a bag for St Vincent De Paul or The Salvos. You’ll be surprised how easy it is once you start sorting your things and the stuff the kids or Mum or Dad will never use again but someone else might. Include old computers and other technology that is outdated or doesn’t work – these probably won’t go to the op shops but to an E-waste disposal bin.
Insurance is highly recommended, even though it’s rare for anything to get broken, it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially with precious, valuable items such as antiques and the like. Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) operates in all human affairs, so don’t let it happen to you. Your removalist company might have insurance options, so always ask them.
In the grand scheme of things, this might sound obvious, but do take the time to check out the removalists before you decide on one, and do get quotes from at least two.
No matter where you live in Australia, try to find removalists that are accredited and read what they say on their websites. The Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA) is an official body of removal experts helping to regulate the industry. If a removalist website has testimonials, be sure to read them as well.
Ask around the office; ask friends and relatives to see if they have had good or bad experiences with removalists. This is well worth your time and effort for your peace of mind and the safety of your belongings plus getting your belongings to the new home on time and on the right day.
So many people move on a Friday, but it is the worst time – don’t do it unless you absolutely can’t avoid it.
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Removalist companies are notoriously busy on Fridays, especially during the summer, so try for another day of the week to avoid stress. If you’re on a tight budget, choose a midweek move which is usually less expensive than Friday.
The high demand for Friday moves sends the prices up. Another consideration is if the handing over of keys happens later than expected, the move could go into the weekend and push the price up even further.
Author’s Bio
Alex Morrison has worked with a range of businesses giving him an in-depth understanding of many different industries including home improvement, financial support and health care. He has used his knowledge and experience to work for clients as diverse as MyHome Clean, Cosh Living and The Wood Tech Group to help them reach their business goals.