Moving House (Again) Shortly - What Are Your Hot Tips? Things to Cull, Things to Buy for The New Place, Good/Bad Methods?

jrowls on 22/11/2023 - 10:05

G'day guys

Moving houses again in a few weeks. Hopefully we'll be able to stay a bit longer this time (gotta love your place being sold and redeveloped, eh?)!

Just having a slow day at work and thought I'd touch base with the hive mind and see if y'all have any hot tips. It's a pretty painful process so I am trying to think about it and come up with a sensible approach prior to getting stuck into it. I'm wondering if anyone has good shouts in terms of:

  • Things you'd get rid of

  • Things you'd buy for the new place

  • Moving/packing methods / approaches / techniques that work surprisingly great

  • Moving/packing methods / approaches / techniques that don't work at all

  • Things that are a rip off

  • Things that are totally not a rip off

Basically anything that'll make it less of a living hell for us lol.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Some Human on 22/11/2023 - 10:15
    +2

    2 most important things are to overlap your lease by at least 2 weeks and get rid of everything you want to get rid of before you get the keys.

    • Mechz on 22/11/2023 - 13:07
      +1

      1 is more than enough. No point wasting money.

      • Some Human on 22/11/2023 - 13:14

        Depends how much crap you have and how motivated you are.

    • HeWhoKnows on 23/11/2023 - 09:00

      Actually the 3rd and most important thing is to give the place a very good clean to ensure you get all your bond back.
      This falls in the "lease overlap" suggestion from Some Human.

  • Carbon Door on 22/11/2023 - 10:15
    +17

    Ah, the joys of moving house, right? It's a bit of a pain, but with some good planning, it can be way less stressful.

    Decluttering: Before you pack, get rid of stuff you don't need. Have a garage sale, donate to charity, or just chuck out things that are past their use-by date. It's surprising how much stuff we accumulate that we don't really need! I have heaps of expired food at the back of the cupboard and fridge. like who designs a deep fridge?!

    Investing in Good Boxes: Consider buying some sturdy moving boxes. Yeah, it might seem like a bit of an expense upfront, but good quality boxes can be a lifesaver. They stack well, don’t fall apart, and can be reused or resold later.

    Packing Techniques:

    Label Everything: Trust me, knowing what’s in each box without having to open it is a huge time-saver.
    Pack One Room at a Time: Keeps things organised and less chaotic.
    Use Clothes for Padding: Instead of bubble wrap, use your clothes to wrap and protect fragile items. It's a two-birds-one-stone situation. and less waste is ozbargain's method.

    Avoiding Bad Techniques:

    Overpacking Boxes: It’s tempting to cram as much as possible into each box, but that's a surefire way to end up with broken items (or a broken back!).
    Leaving Packing to the Last Minute: We've all been there, but it’s really not a great plan.
    Beware of Rip-offs:

    Expensive Packing Materials: Sometimes you can get boxes for free from supermarkets or friends who've recently moved.
    High-cost Movers: Get multiple quotes and check reviews to avoid overpaying.
    Great Investments:

    Quality Packing Tape: It holds up better than the cheap stuff.
    Portable Wardrobe Boxes: These can make moving clothes a breeze.
    Extra Tips:

    First Night Box: Pack a box with all the essentials for your first night in the new place.
    Photograph Electronic Setups: Before you unplug your TV or computer, snap a photo of how all the cables are connected. It'll save you heaps of time later.
    Moving is a bit of a marathon, not a sprint, so take it easy and don’t forget to look after yourself in the process. Good luck with the move, and here's hoping this place feels like home for a good long while!

    • Derrick Crane on 22/11/2023 - 10:47
      +4

      This is a really good post. A few extra suggestions:

      Use only 2 box sizes plus porta robes.
      Don't label the boxes - label the packing tape instead. This means that when you re-use the boxes they are clear of markings.
      Use a code on the label and keep a detailed entry in a book of the contents of the boxes.
      Also use a code that lets you know which boxes need unpacking first.

      • Sval on 23/11/2023 - 09:10

        How long do you leave to start packing? 2 weeks before the move? Haven't moved in the last 10 years. Will be doing it soon.

        • Benno007 on 23/11/2023 - 09:26
          +1

          I start packing things that we don’t use regularly (linen cupboard, board games, kitchen stuff that’s for parties) up to a month beforehand. It’s always a mad rush anyway the week of the move, so best to just get them out of the way.

          I start tossing stuff out up to 3 months before moving

  • djones145 on 22/11/2023 - 10:16
    +6

    if its still in a box from the last move, bin!

    • AustriaBargain on 22/11/2023 - 10:25

      If that box is full of old N64 games, give it to me! I'll sell it for for some ez cash.

  • kyle on 22/11/2023 - 10:43
    -1

    Don't have a mix of old and new furniture.

  • Ocker on 22/11/2023 - 10:44
    +1

    Clothing - if I haven't worn it for 12 months then out it goes.

  • altomic on 22/11/2023 - 10:49

    anything you don't want then put on the nature strip with a "free" sign.

    people are vultures and will grab it - which saves you a trip to the OP shop or tip

    • try2bhelpful on 22/11/2023 - 10:54

      If it’s decent I would give it to the Op shops. Why have stuff cluttering up your nature strip.

      • altomic on 22/11/2023 - 11:35
        +2

        it seldom stays for any great length of time if you have even moderate traffic.

        at my old house the neighbour asked me for a hand to take his old crappy pine dining table out of the house and load it on to a trailer. I said "let's put it on the nature strip, and see how it goes - saves you a trip". he was dubious but acquiesced. we went back in to his house to grab the matching chairs and a ute pulled up, 2 guys jumped out and put the table in the back and drove off

        gone in 30 seconds.

        • try2bhelpful on 22/11/2023 - 14:51

          Did you give them the chairs?

          • altomic on 22/11/2023 - 15:59

            @try2bhelpful: they'd already left.

            • try2bhelpful on 23/11/2023 - 08:52

              @altomic: Hilarious. Put a sign up saying if they want the chairs to come back. We had a friend who left his 35 year old fridge out the front and that went as well.

              However, we dropped off some stuff for the Op shop and it is nice to wander around and see what they are selling them for. Making a donation without costing us money.

  • Nugs on 22/11/2023 - 10:54

    as someone who likes to eke out every bit of use of objects, I'd take it all
    .

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 22/11/2023 - 11:02
    +4

    Organise electricity for the new place before moving day.

    • Mechz on 22/11/2023 - 13:09
      +1

      And NBN, to be active the day you arrive.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 22/11/2023 - 14:06

        Na, NBN you can get activated within hours. You just need to make sure there is a physical connection otherwise you'll get his with "Unfortunately works are required at your address. Rectification works ETA completion May 2029."

        • Mechz on 22/11/2023 - 14:56

          This is exactly the reason to have it booked in earlier.

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 22/11/2023 - 15:12

            @Mechz: The past 18 months everyone can check online via NBN's website instantly. Don't even need to call a retailer.

  • try2bhelpful on 22/11/2023 - 11:05

    How far are you moving? There is a difference between across town and interstate.
    - as others have said start with the cull. Be honest in assessing if you will ever use it again.
    - take the good stuff to the Op shop and drop the dross at the recycle stations or get a hard rubbish pick up.
    - have a good look at your furniture. If everything is cheap, nasty and damaged then consider new stuff. There is some stunning stuff at the Op shops that might be better than what you have now.
    - keep stuff from each room together, and label it appropriately, so it is easier to unpack at the other end.
    - time to cull the wardrobe to get rid of stuff you might fit into if you lost a couple of kilos.

    If you’ve got stuff that is fragile, like good glasses, then maybe wrap them up well and move them yourself. Stops you stressing about how they will look at the other end.

    Our absolute worst move was when we moved from the back to the front of a half house. The owners went oversees and asked us to move into their half. We didn’t pack we just picked up handfuls of stuff and moved it across. It took forever.

  • Foray on 22/11/2023 - 11:10
    +3

    Three main tips: First, pack for a "holiday" separately from how you pack up the whole house. It's just that this holiday will be to your new place and not to a villa on a tropical beach. Meaning, you should plan to have a week's worth (or even two weeks!) of essential items in suitcases or other handy storage. Do NOT put it in the same kind of boxes all of your other belongings go into.

    The idea here is that on move day your general stuff might go on a truck you've hired, but your essentials will go personally with you and stay in your control at all times. Then when you get to the new place, you can be sure you already have all of the clothes, toiletries, chargers, pet food, kid's most precious toys, etc you need for the first week. You might even throw in some favourite snacks and a few days of your staple foods and most essential cooking utensils.

    By keeping it separate and keeping it in your own vehicle, none of it is vulnerable to a misdirected truck or other moving-day cock-up. By packing it in suitcases rather than boxes, it's easy to keep an eye on be sure anyone helping you doesn't grab these essentials and put them on the moving van with everything else. After your first sleep in the new place you can go straight to your "holiday" stash and get your normal breakfast or coffee items and make them as usual. No muss, no fuss, no spelunking in pile of identical/mislabeled boxes that someone else has hastily piled up in the garage.

    Second, consider packing as much as you can into smaller boxes. E.g. archive boxes from OfficeWorks. https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/keji-stand… It might be a bit of a pain to handle more boxes on the day, but limiting the box size limits how heavy each one is. I guarantee you're not going to de-pack and reorganize a box just because you find out at the end it's impossibly heavy. You're going to be in too much of a rush and you'll just hope someone is around to help you heft it when the time comes. Saving yourself from a muscle strain or a torn box emptying out its contents is a great trade-off against saving yourself a few extra trips in and out of the door.

    Third, if you have pets or young kids, think about putting them somewhere else for moving day. Ask your parents to take the kids to the zoo and then have a sleepover after. Ask a friend to look after your cats and dogs or even think about boarding them in a kennel for the weekend. It will save you a lot of energy not having to deal with the kids' endless questions and/or emotional breakdowns when their routines and familiar places are totally upended. If your pets are indoor-only, boarding them elsewhere means you don't have to worry about them suddenly bolting through the door and into the unknown while you try and pivot a couch through a doorway that's 3cm too tight.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 22/11/2023 - 11:20

    Take your estimated cost of moving then double it to get an accurate figure.

  • boomramada on 22/11/2023 - 11:33

    Tip - Removalist insurence never covers RRP price, only Residual value, so if you have old furniture or 15yo plasma TV. Just get rid of it.

  • sam-1966 on 22/11/2023 - 12:44

    El cheapo paper plates - put between crockery instead of wrapping each item individually.

    If you don't get newspapers, check with your local newsagent - they often have them to give away after the weekend.

  • Euphemistic on 22/11/2023 - 16:56
    +1

    If your new place has a different layout consider packing stuff to boxes for the new room rather than just whatever is in the existing.rooms. Ie two boxes for bathroom if you’re going from a single bathroom to a place with an ensuite.

  • Pumpkin_rrr on 23/11/2023 - 08:47

    I read somewhere that people leave their clothes on the hangers, then transport.
    Sounds like a good idea but am not sure whether it's feasible.
    Maybe they use a huge box, or chuck to the back seat of the car?

    • Benno007 on 24/11/2023 - 08:27

      I do this, just grab all the t shirts and pants separately, the kinda fold them around my arm and put them in a big box, makes it a bit easier unpacking

  • ozboygsl on 23/11/2023 - 08:52
    +1

    Be VERY careful about the removalists. Many will quote a price and then charge try to charge you extra saying " its a bigger load than we thought or that you said". Almost all of these guys are indians { happened to me and 2 friends}

    • ozboygsl on 23/11/2023 - 17:41

      curious why anyone would down vote this.

  • ozboygsl on 23/11/2023 - 08:53

    Milk crates are invaluable. They are super strong, stack VERY well and are not that expensive.

  • jhlook on 23/11/2023 - 09:14

    Another option is that you hire moving crates. This option means they can hold weight and are easily stackable.

    • robberbutton on 24/11/2023 - 14:47

      Another benefit to this, you have a hard deadline to unpack lest you keep paying to hire them. As someone who tends to keep stuff in boxes for months… sometimes years… having that forced motivation was a game-changer.

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