How to Organize and Prepare for a Household Move
Is there a person in this world who likes moving? Weekend getaways and vacations are all great, but moving is complicated and hard. Those who are about to move usually go through a lot of stress before everything’s settled. After everything’s finished, they swear that they have no intention of doing it again anytime soon. Still, there are those who don’t find the process too difficult, and that’s because they make preparations and organize everything in advance. There’s a lot of work to do, and we give you a brief list of tasks which will help you move your household more easily.
Make a check-list
You know what you need to get done before you move… sort of. The key to getting everything done is knowing not only what you need to do, but when you should do it, too. If you’re not sure about the exact order of things, you can always find a good check-list which will help you sort out any legal and practical matters before you take out your boxes from a truck and bring them into your new home.
Make a moving binder
Get an old school binder or a plain old notebook and use it to keep track of everything that’s going on. In it, you should write down contact information of your contractors, your receipts, all your estimates and include a list of all things you’re moving. You can list all things according to the rooms they’re supposed to go to, or you can group them differently; for example: write down the number of towels, carpets and boxes of cutlery. This will also be a good way to know where everything is once you get to a new place.
Separate fragile things
It’s always difficult to pack fragile items such as plates, mirrors and your grandma’s crystal vases without worrying about whether they’ll be shattered by the time they get to their final destination. Try to get boxes of different sizes and be generous with valuable items because it’s best if each item gets a box of its own. Whatever you pack, put heavy things on the bottom of the box and cover them with lighter ones – never do it the other way around.
Pick a moving company
Maybe you prefer to move the things without hiring a company, but it’s always more complicated and riskier that way. Hiring a truck and supervising everything will take you more time than you have, and not to mention that you’ll have to see how much you’ll be paying for a mile. Instead of renting a truck, you can always hire a moving company. Make sure they don’t hire subcontractors and that they have accredited removalists. You can find reliable and experienced removalists in Brisbane who will take good care of all your things and get them safely to your new home.
Use labels
This goes without saying, but you should label each and every box you’re moving, and we don’t mean writing things like ‘fragile’ on them. When packing, make sure you pack similar things together: towels and bathroom items in a box labeled ‘bathroom’, and pots and pans in a box that says ‘kitchen’. You don’t want to go through a dozen boxes looking for a towel on your first night there, accidentally spilling your children’s toys, books and DVDs all over the place.
Essentials go in last
There is always that one box that contains the essentials: children’s favorite toys, blankets and pillows, and of course, your coffeemaker. This is probably the box you’ll pack first, but don’t fall into a trap and make it one of the first boxes to be loaded into the moving truck. The ‘survival box’ should be the last box to go in, so that it can be the first box to go out in your new home. It should also be labeled an even colored differently – you can go for bright red or cover it with Frozen stickers.
As much as you dread the great move, you should start preparing months in advance. The sooner you face the difficult tasks, the better for you, because you’ll be able to sort out any difficulties that might occur more easily. Easier and efficient move won’t happen on its own, and there’s so much to go over, that you shouldn’t wait for the last minute to pack.
