The best moving tips of all time – according to you!

The crowd has spoken and here are some of your favourite moving house tips. 

After putting the question to our realestate.com.au Instagram followers, we’ve narrowed down some of the best moving tips you can use for your next move.

From careful planning to knowing what to keep or cull, here’s some hard-earned moving wisdom from which you can benefit.

Plan ahead – organisation is key!

The main response we received from you was planning really pays off. Here are a few of the best planning and organisation tips you gave:

1. Book your movers ASAP

The majority of our Instagram poll respondents said they preferred to book their removalist ASAP.

Good movers tend to book-up well in advance, meaning you’ve got to get in quick if you want to get the best movers on the right day.

2. Schedule to transfer your utilities

Moving house doesn’t just include the physical moving of your stuff. You also need to arrange the transfer of your utilities – or connection of new utilities – redirecting your mail and changing your address on your official documents.

When it comes to utilities, the process has been made rather easy, with many internet and energy providers allowing you to make your arrangements online. However, transferring internet isn’t always cut and dry, as different residences often have different connection types.

Start by checking which internet options are available at your new home by plugging the address into the Optus service checker. Depending on your address, you can opt for fast plug-and-play options such as 4G or 5G Home Internet to ensure there are no delays in your connectivity.

3. Plan the layout of your new house

Many of us mentally plan how we want our new home laid out, but it pays to have some concrete plans and — most importantly — measurements.

If you want to put your couch here and your dining table there, make sure you measure the space and the items well before moving day. Better yet, go one further and measure your doorways. While most of our poll respondents said this was something they never did, you don’t want to learn the hard way!

Bonus tip: have a clearly marked copy of your floorpan to give to movers. You can then label your boxes so they can put the right boxes in the right room and you can avoid having a pile dumped in your doorway.

4. Cull your belongings

It seems there are a lot of fans of ruthless culling during the moving process. This is one excellent reason to start packing early.

You can start taking stock of your inventory and make proper plans to sell, donate or properly dispose of unwanted items.

You’ll not only save money on moving extra stuff, you could even pocket a few extra dollars.

Don’t do it all in one day

Don’t try and do the whole move in one day. Sometimes timelines can be strict, but if you can start shuttling a few things in early, that can be a big help. It can also help you cut costs on removalists.

For instance, start moving excess kitchen items, garage or storage items, decor – things that don’t have an immediate function. If it can fit in your car, do a few pre-move trips to the new house to alleviate some pressure on the big day.

Deep clean

A lot of you like to remind those moving to deep clean everything in your new home in advance. Even if everything looks spick and span, knowing you’ve cleaned it thoroughly can offer some peace of mind. It will also only get harder to clean once your furniture is in – you definitely don’t want to be cleaning as you go!

Most of you prefer to outsource this job to ensure it’s thorough. You also recommended hiring someone to clean your old home after you’ve moved out, if you can afford to. What it may cost you in cash, it will save you in effort and mental space, allowing you to turn your focus fully to your new home.

If you’re a renter, getting a professional bond cleaner can make the process of claiming your full bond amount back much easier.

Pack a ‘moving day survival kit’

Many people said they like to leave certain items aside – or in a designated box – so they have them handy when they need them.

Your survival kit could include:

• Phone and laptop chargers
• Toilet paper
• Bin bags
• Cleaning wipes
• Tools
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• First Aid
• Supplies for a well-earned tea or coffee break

However you choose to move, just remember it can be a long and often stressful process. Treat yourself however you can.

Take breaks, outsourcing different jobs, call on friends and family for assistance. It’s OK to indulge yourself with some take-away for the first night or two.

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