A complete and thorough moving checklist is a critical component to pulling off a stress and hassle-free move. When you have a detailed moving house checklist, packing all of your items and moving interstate or locally becomes a step-by-step process.
Our comprehensive moving house checklist will help you successfully move in or around Melbourne, St Kilda or interstate. We’ve also gathered a host of packing and unpacking tips to help improve the moving process and make it as easy on you as possible. So, no matter if you decide to move by yourself or enlist a professional removalist company, you can follow this quick moving checklist to ensure you stay organised.
We’ve put together our best tricks and tips with this moving house checklist to help you pack your items quickly, safely and easily while having a smooth moving process.
Packing and Moving Tips 101
Before we dive into the actual moving house checklist, we’re going to give a few quick packing and moving tips to ensure you start out on the right foot. These include:
- Be prepared for the very real possibility that your items will take up far more space than you originally bargained for. Getting an accurate volume (in cubic metres) estimate from a professional removalist company will remove the guesswork and ensure you get a big enough truck to handle your items. It’ll also help you get a more accurate moving cost.
- Packing securely and safely takes time. The more time and effort you dedicate to this portion of your moving process, the easier time you’ll have when it comes time to unpack again. Ensuring that you pack everything correctly will also help avoid damaged or broken items at the end of the move, and labelling everything as you go will help you stay organised.
- When you start packing, be prepared to come across items you haven’t seen or used in years. Moving house is a great time to go minimalist and scale down your belongings. Make a point to toss what you don’t use or need. This will lessen the items that you have to move.
Moving Checklist: Two Months to Moving Day
Many people think that starting two months out to the actual moving date is far too early to start a moving house checklist. However, preparation is key to having a stress-free and successful move. Moving your home takes longer than you expect, and it’s common for issues to crop up along the way. By starting early and following the points below, you’re reducing the chances of things going wrong. Two months out, you should:
- Arrange pet transport— If you’re not planning on doing this yourself, you want to book transportation for your pets.
- Arrange transport by car— Book in all of your relocation vehicles like caravans, trailers and boats.
- Do a spring clean— Take inventory of your belongings and decide what you want to bring with you, what you’ll donate or sell and what you want to discard. You may have to organise a hard-rubbish collection, skip or a garage sale.
- Hire a contractor— If your lease or contract of sale outlines any repair or maintenance work before the move date, you want to get started early.
- Organise your paperwork— Work to ensure that your moving budget stays on track by getting an itemised list together of all of your expected moving expenses. Get a folder for all of your moving documents like receipts and quotes. Collect your personal, important documents like your wills and birth certificates and put them in a secure, waterproof location.
- Pick out a removalist company— Now is the perfect time to start researching and gathering quotes from expert, professional removalists. For reliable, safe, experienced and affordable removalists in Ormond or Melbourne, Easy Peasy Removals offers free quotes.
- Research the new house— If you’re moving to a new city or suburb, you want to find out where your amenities are, such as the supermarkets, doctors and dentists.
- Secure storage facilities— Do you need long or short-term storage hire in St Kilda? If you don’t do this until the last minute, you may find yourself paying premium prices for last-minute storage solutions.
- Shop smart— Try to use up as many perishables and frozen foods as possible. Put together a meal plan that’ll empty the freezer, fridge and pantry by the time you have to move.
Moving Checklist: One Month to Moving Day
It’s never too early to implement moving tips and tricks. Remember, packing all of your items can take much longer than you originally expect. So, even if you don’t move for another month, we recommend you complete the following now:
- Apply for leave— Organise time off work and talk to your boss to explain why. Depending on your move’s scale, you may need to take the day before and after the move off, along with the day of the move.
- Arrange insurance coverage— Most traditional contents insurance doesn’t extend to your items during a move. Ask your removalist company about moving insurance packages.
- Begin packing— Secure and safe packing is very time-consuming. You want to start packing as soon as possible and give yourself more time than you think you’ll need. You can also organise professional packing services with your removalist company to handle it for you.
- Change your address— Notify the tax office, electoral commission, banks and other important contacts of your address change. If you have pets, you’ll have to take a trip to update their details with your future and current city council office.
- Check instructions— Take a look at the manufacturer instructions on all of your large appliances like refrigerators or washers for moving tips and recommendations.
- Collect your keys— You should have all of the keys to your current home, and don’t forget to ask for spares back.
- Dispose of dangerous goods— Ensure that all air bottles and gas cylinders are empty with the valves open. Arrange to have them safely disposed of with any dangerous materials you find.
- Finalise moving day plans— Lock in your moving day time and dates with your removalist company. This will give you a clear timeframe.
- Give notice— If you’re renting the house, you want to give your landlord notice and organise any final inspections to secure your bond’s refund.
- Note fragile items— Get a separate checklist of all special, precious or fragile items that you’ll move. Organise packing materials and protective wrapping to ensure they don’t break.
Moving Checklist: Two Weeks to Moving Day
By the time you get to this stage of your moving process, you should have a good handle on the entire plan. Continue following the tips on our moving house checklist to lock everything down, including:
- Back up computers— Ensure that all of your important devices and computers are backed up. You should store your files securely and separately.
- Book babysitters— If you don’t plan on having your pets or kids around on moving day, consider organising babysitters.
- Cancel services— Cancel any domestic services you have, such as house cleaners or gardeners.
- Confirm your removalist— Contact your removalist company and confirm any removal requirements and payment details.
- Contact the Australia Post— Stop or redirect all of your deliveries and subscriptions and organise mail redirection.
- Create a floor plan— Get measurements for every room in your new home to ensure all of your pieces of furniture fit. This will give you time to replace anything that doesn’t fit.
- Note regulations— Take note of any moving requirements you have, like access restrictions, parking restrictions, traffic management and lift protocol that your local council, building manager or body corporate may impose.
- Notify utility companies— Notify all of your utility providers of the move and arrange for service disconnection and reconnection.
- Organise your incidentals— Return any items you borrowed like DVDs and library books. Refill any medications and ensure that you have enough until you move. Return your property keys and pick up any dry cleaning.
- Service the car— If you plan on driving long distances during your move, your car should be in good working order.
Moving Checklist: One Week to Moving Day
When you get to a week before your moving day, it’s more essential than ever to have a solid plan in place and tick items off your list. To keep on track, you should:
Collect your keys — Arrange for your agent or solicitor to collect the keys for your new home. You can also collect the keys yourself. Consider booking a locksmith to change the locks straight away.
Confirm your travel plans — If you’re moving overseas or interstate, confirm any accommodations or flights.
Confirm your removalist specifics — You want to confirm the little details with your removalist, including:
- Access details
- Additions or changes to your removal plan, including settlement times, destination, and unpacking or packing requirements
- Insurance requirements
- Mobile phone contacts
- New and old addresses
- Payment requirements and options
Finish up packing — Check that all of your jar lids are screwed on tightly to avoid spills. Pack your plates vertically to prevent breakage during the move and to keep them more secure. Water your indoor plants lightly and pack them into boxes with plastic lining. Drain oil and petrol from equipment and tools. Use up any food in your pantry, freezer and refrigerator.
Organise a final inspection — If you bought a new home, it’s time to set up a final inspection 24 to 48 hours before you actually move in. This will ensure that your new property is up to the standard you agreed on.
Set any essentials aside — Keep important, small items like chargers, keys and remotes in a specially marked box or basket. Keep towels and bedding for moving day in a marked and separate box.
Moving Checklist: The Day Before You Move
The day before the move, your moving house checklist should be relatively small, and it should only have last-minute odd items to complete. If you’ve made it this far in the list and followed it, you should be relatively stress-free. The day before the move, you should:
- Clean appliances— Clean out the refrigerator and defrost the freezer. Also, drain any liquid from your appliances like irons, washing machines and ice makers. Make a point to fit your washer with shipping bolts to prevent any damage.
- Charge devices— Make sure that all of your mobile phones have a full charge and put the chargers in a safe spot. Write any important numbers down in case the phone dies mid-move.
- Create an essentials kit— This kit will have basic needs for moving day, such as a first aid kit, bottles of water, phone chargers, important documents and prescription medications.
- New home check— Double-check that your new home is clean and ready to go.
- Pack bags— Each family member should have a bag that contains clothing for moving day, toys for kids and toiletries.
- Provide packing instructions— If you chose to go with professional packers, they should arrive today. Make sure they have clear instructions.
- Touch base with the removalist— If there are any changes, you want to touch base with the company today.
- Utilities— Call the utility companies and confirm your service disconnection times and reconnections.
Moving Day Checklist
Easy Peasy Removals have been responsible for thousands of moves in Ormond and Melbourne in recent years, so we understand the challenges and stresses that moving day brings about. So, whether you decide to move on your own or enlist our professional staff, you want to do the following:
Old Home Moving Checklist:
- Check the Iiventory— Make sure all of your items are loaded onto the truck by marking them off the inventory list as you see them. Carry your jewellery and important documents yourself.
- High-priority boxes— Any high-priority boxes should have easy access and be clearly marked so the company knows to load them last and unload them first at your new home.
- Leave a note— Leave a forwarding address for any stray mail or packages that come through after you leave.
- Removalist tour— Give your removalists a detailed tour of the house with clear instructions. They should have adequate access to the moving truck, and outline all of the access points they can use. Double-check the destination address and give them your contact number.
Before you leave, ensure:
- All the utilities are disconnected and switched off.
- The house is completely secure.
- You leave the garage door opener behind.
- You packed everything.
- You returned the house keys to the agent or solicitor.
New Home Moving Checklist:
- Access point check— All access points should be clear for the removalists.
- Appliance setup— You want to leave your refrigerator standing upright for a minimum of three hours before you turn it on. This allows time for the gas and coolant to settle.
- Check for left items— Do a quick check and look for anything the previous occupant may have left. Make sure you remove any toxic or poisonous substances, and that the garden is safe for your pets and kids.
- Complete a condition report— If you’re renting, complete a condition report and take pictures for your records.
- Item condition check— Check on the condition of all of your unpacked items before you sign off.
- Unloading— Outline where you want your items and give the removalists a copy of your floor plan.
- Unpack priority spaces— You should assemble your beds and unpack key areas first, like the bathroom and kitchen.
- Utilities— Check and ensure your utilities work. It might take time for your hot water to get warm if you have to relight the gas pilot light.
Easy Peasy Removals Can Eliminate Moving Day Stress
If this checklist seems like a lot to consider, we encourage you to contact us. Our dedicated and reliable removalists can help see you through your move in Melbourne, St Kilda, Ormond or Sandringham and the surrounds. You can call 0431 747 411 or go online to request a free quote today.
