Our top 10 tips to get you ready to move:
Plan your move
Organise removalists, packing and unpacking services, cleaning, and mail redirection, ideally about a month in advance. Use Australia Post to redirect mail and notify of your new address. Organise services and utilities to be disconnected in your old home and connected in your new one.
- Sort before you move
Sort through your belongings before you move. Create a Donation pile and another of things you no longer require. There will be less to pack and move which will make it quicker and cheaper.
- Time for packing
Packing a house takes time. Professional packers can pack around 3-4 boxes per hour, but if you are inexperienced, it will take much longer. Ensure you leave plenty of time to pack before your removalist arrives, so everything is boxed, labelled and ready for them to go onto the truck.
- Appropriate boxes
Pack your belongings into boxes to keep them clean, safe, and easy to transport. Always pack lighter items in large boxes, and heavier items in small boxes. Items such as artwork, televisions, golf clubs, wine have special moving boxes. Have an esky to move cold food and a box of essentials i.e. Kettle, mugs, tea, coffee etc (see Survival kit below) Get breakables packed professionally, or research how to pack them to minimise breakages.
- Wrap for breakables
Use clean white paper for wrapping & bubble wrap for packing breakable items. Do not use newspaper as it can leave black newsprint on your possessions and home. You will need around 1kg of paper for every 3 boxes to be packed. For a 3-bedroom home, you will need around 15kgs of paper. A tape gun is also invaluable to tape boxes.
- Label boxes
Ensure you have markers to label your boxes. Include Your NAME, ROOM (e.g. kitchen, bathroom), CONTENTS (e.g. glassware, books) and FRAGILE if appropriate. At your new home, well-labelled boxes can be placed in their correct rooms, and you will find specific possessions quickly. Write on the tape and not the box if possible, so they can be re-used.
- Important items
This carton should contain ‘easy to lose’ and ‘hard to find’ items such as remote controls, shelf supports, keys to furniture cabinets and manufacturers’ instructions for reassembly of items. Valuable items such as laptops and small electronic items, passports and jewellery should accompany you on the move, so you know where they are.
- Survival kit
The first hours in your new home will be less stressful if you have packed a survival kit. This should contain kettle, tea, coffee, and snacks. Favourite toys and pyjamas for the kids, baby food and supplies if you have one a change of clothing and sleepwear, chargers and cables for electronic devices – mobile phones, laptop, iPad, home phones etc toiletries, medicines or prescriptions bowls, food, collars and leads if you have a pet any other essential items for your home
- Small children, the elderly, and pets
Moving day can be stressful. If possible, organise for the elderly, small children, and pets, to be cared for so they can come home after the chaos has cleared, their belongings put away and your new home organised. It makes sense to set up their areas early so they can get themselves settled into their new room while you focus on the rest of the house.
- Get help
Moving is stressful and physically strenuous. Hire reputable removalists who are referred by those you trust. Let us help you with packing and unpacking, so you can focus on work, family, organising services and connections in your new home, and the many, many other things that need to be done when you move.
Planning your move
How long will it take to pack my house?
Packing takes time as there are often around 80 to 100 moving boxes that need to be packed. Breakables such as glassware take longer to pack, as they need to be wrapped and packed expertly to ensure they are safe in transit.
We can give you an idea of how long it will take our Packing Specialists to pack your whole house. However, keep in mind that they are professional packers, with a lot of experience and training. If you pack yourself, it is likely to take you longer.
As a general guide:
2-bedroom apartment/house
with around 50 boxes, will take around 12 hours of packing
3-bedroom house
with around 80 boxes, will take around 20 hours of packing
4-bedroom house
with around 100 boxes, will take around 24 hours of packing
Do you move furniture?
House to home is not a removalist service, we provide ladies to pack all your belongings ready for your removalist to transport. When your belongings are delivered by your removalist to your new home, our Specialist Packing team can unpack them for you.
Can you recommend removalists?
We work alongside many of Australia’s leading, quality furniture removalists, both big and small, and would be happy to recommend one to you, based on where you are moving and the size of your move. Alternatively, our team can work alongside any removalist you choose.
Do you provide packing materials?
You can order packing materials from us, your removalist or self-storage facilities.
What packing materials will I need?
Unless you know exactly how many boxes you need, order more than the minimum so that you do not run out of boxes with belongings left to pack. If you have a lot of breakable items, order plenty of paper to ensure the Packing Specialist team do not run out while packing your precious items.
Can I get some help sorting my belongings prior to packing them?
Yes. We offer a Pre-Move service, where our Packing Specialists can help you to sort out what to keep, what can be sold, what to donate to charity and what to dispose of, as well as helping you to prepare your home, belongings, appliances etc for the move. This service is ideal for people who are especially busy, like to be super-organised or have many possessions, and can be done any time before the home pack.
