CHECKLIST FOR MOVING HOUSE - SG Law
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CHECKLIST FOR MOVING HOUSE
MOVING HOUSE
Moving house can be one of the most stressful experiences that anyone will go through in their life, yet it can also be an exciting time. The experience can be exhausting and disruptive and everyone in the household is affected in some way. The best way to alleviate some of that stress is through planning and being well organised. You should start about 8 weeks out from moving in assessing everything that needs to be done. Getting quotes, choosing a removalist and going through a household of goods that may not have been reviewed in some years all takes time. We suggest that you use this guide to assist you in getting off to a good start. Please feel free to amend it to meet your needs and create your own personal checklist for moving house.
8 Weeks to Go:
1. Begin planning your move. Decide whether you will use a removalist or do it yourself.
DIY:
▪ Are you fit enough for the physical work involved?
▪ Do you have access to a truck or how much does it cost to hire one (with the cost of fuel and inconvenience on everyone involved, will you save enough to make it worthwhile)?
▪ Do you have friends or family who are willing to help – remember not to impose?
▪ Do you have the time?
▪ Do you want to undertake the move yourself?
Removalist:
▪ Do you want the full service where the removalists pack, transport and unpack your entire household contents or do you want to pack and unpack yourself?
▪ Obtain quotes from several companies and ask friends and family for recommendations – we can offer some suggestions from our clients who have been happy with the service provided by removalists.
▪ Ask the removalist for testimonies of satisfied customers if necessary, and choose the company you believe will offer the best service.
▪ If the removalists seems expensive, then ask others and ask them to match their nearest competitor.
▪ Find out what is included in their quote and whether there are any extras – make sure that insurance is included.
2. Set the Date:
Your settlement date should be at least approximate in the contract. Check with us and if hiring a removalist or a trailer/truck, book as early as possible. You may need to arrange a day off work for the move so sort this out early.
3. The kitchen cupboards should be reviewed together with the pantry and freezer to see what is hiding there and hasn’t been used in months or years. Throw out old and expired items and use up everything you can to reduce the amount of items that require to be removed.
4. Draw up a list of people, companies and services that will need to be notified about your change of address. A list of family and friends should also be prepared. These will include:-
▪ Tax Office;
▪ The Roads & Traffic Authority;
▪ Phone companies and mobile phone providers;
▪ Internet service provider;
▪ Cable television providers;
▪ Gas company;
▪ Electricity company;
▪ Water company;
▪ Landlord/real estate agent;
▪ Doctors;
▪ Dentists;
▪ Solicitors – although hopefully it is us and we would know about your move;
▪ Local council;
▪ Insurance companies – cars, house, life etc;
▪ Superannuation fund;
▪ Employers;
▪ Social security;
▪ Schools;
▪ Banks, building societies and stock brokers;
▪ Medicare;
▪ Magazine and publications;
▪ Club memberships;
▪ Library;
▪ Loyalty memberships;
▪ Electoral office.
Six Weeks to Go:
1. If you are renting, you should contact your landlord/real estate agent. We suggest that you confirm the date that you will be leaving the property and arrange for the refund of your bond upon the final inspection. If you are buying the property, the date may change a little but it will be usually 6 weeks after the exchange date of the contracts.
2. Clear out your junk:be ruthless and get rid of everything you haven’t used or worn in the last year. If you haven’t used it – you probably never will – forget trying to fit into those size 10 clothes – just buy new ones when you get to that size again! Think about holding a garage sale to sell items of value or take them out to a car boot/flea market. Donate everything of worth that doesn’t sell to charity shops or give items away to friends. Make a trip to the tip for everything else.
3. Don’t forget to confirm arrangements with your removalist/hire truck company/storage facility. Make sure you have received written confirmation of all bookings so that you are clear on the prices quoted and can review the small print details – be sure there is a bit of flexibility at this stage just in case the dates for settlement change.
4. Insuring your goods during transit is a good idea and this should be arranged now. The insurance company who currently insures your home contents may give you a temporary “transit” cover so make sure you check with them first. The policy should cover items broken or damaged during the move and may include temporary storage. Compare this with insurance offered by removal companies and other insurance brokers. You may wish to obtain “top up” for valuable items that the standard policy does not cover.
5. A list of all valuables including furniture, appliances, tools, jewellery, electronics, collections, antiques and paintings should be drawn. This is useful for assessing the value of your home contents and transit insurance and will be handy later for checking whether anything has gone missing in the move.
6. It is important to start packing in a methodical way (see below for details – but you may wish to start early). Collect packing boxes and materials from supermarkets and shops. If you are moving yourself, then organise to buy or hire packing cartons from a removalist. Make sure boxes will be strong enough for the contents you intend to pack in them.
4 Weeks to Go:
Mail Redirection
1. Complete the mail redirection documents with the post office to ensure all mail is redirected to your new address when the settlement time comes. It often takes a long time for sender's mailing lists to be updated so we suggest you get started on this early.
Notifying People
2. Draw up a standard letter outlining your new details which can be printed off several times or photocopied to send out to relevant authorities and friends. Print or write out labels/envelopes at the same time to save looking them up a second time later. Draw up a business card size notice to hand out to your friends. Some of your list may be contactable by email which may make the task a lot easier. Whichever you choose, include any customer or account numbers where relevant so that you can be easily identified. It is worthwhile keeping a list of all those you have notified.
What about Mutley?
3. You should consider the arrangements for the moving of your pets. Do you need to buy or hire a special carrier box or would you prefer to use the services of a company who specialises in the transporting of animals. Think about this now and make the arrangements if necessary. It is often over looked and making arrangements on the day of the move is often all too late.
The tiresome jobs
4. Start doing those jobs which can be done over time such as cleaning out cupboards, the fridge and the garden shed as soon as possible because they are time consuming and tiring. They are more often than not left as the last jobs as you are saying goodbye to your old house. It really is the worst part of the move. Even if items have to be put back in their place, get onto them now so that when you do clear them out shortly before the move, it will be a quick job.
Laundry
5. If you’ve got children, then you know how washing and ironing tend to pile up it you don’t keep on top of it, you will be busier than ever in the couple of weeks prior to the move. It is worthwhile sorting all laundry including hand washing and linen. It is worthwhile sorting this out now rather than on the eve of your move.
Accommodation
6. If there is going to be a short gap between moving out of your old home and your new one, then it is worthwhile arranging for any accommodation now.
2 Weeks to Go:
1. If you are doing your own move, then start packing your boxes sooner rather than later. Don’t forget to number the cartons or place a name of the room where the contents are to be unpacked in the house.
2. Pack appliances in the original boxes if you have kept them and take care to put fragile items in bubble wrap or newspaper. Clearly mark the fragile items with “Handle With Care”.
3. Contact services, including electricity, water, and gas to arrange for the final readings just before you move out and ensure their supplies will be available at your new property. Ask your phone company and internet service providers to arrange connection at your new address so that you are contactable upon arrival.
4. Arrange for your valuable items including jewellery and important documents to be kept with a bank or a reliable friend during the move and the transition period.
5. Arrange for a family friend or family member to babysit your children for a few hours during the move to enable you to concentrate better on the day of the move.
1 Week to Go:
1. Complete packing and labelling the boxes.
2. Draw up a large floor plan of your new property and mark where each of the boxes should go for your purposes and/or the removalists.
3. Ensure each person in your household has packed a bag containing clothes, toiletries and other personal items to see them through the first couple of days whilst the boxes are being unpacked.
4. Return all borrowed items to friends. Return library books and rented DVDs and notify any delivery people to cancel deliveries such as newspapers.
5. Arrange for any new locks to be fitted to the new property.
The Day Before:
1. Disconnect the washing machine and dishwasher and allow to drain, if necessary. The removalist will not usually do this for you so if you cannot do it, arrange for help or hire a handyman.
2. Arrange access to your new house before the moving day so that you can tidy it up before everything arrives and inspect the property to ensure that it is as you had seen it prior to the exchange of contracts.
3. Arrange for a steam clean of the carpet and minor repairs prior to moving all of your boxes in the move.
4. Prepare packed lunches and snacks and drinks for the day of the move. Keep an electric kettle out along with tea, coffee, milk etc along with a few mugs for the workers during any break on the moving day.
5. Pack a box of useful items which may include, packing tape, marker pen, knife, scissors, first aid equipment, paper and pen, soap etc for the move.
6. Defrost the freezer.
Moving Day:
1. Check every area of the house to make sure you have not left anything behind. Check all the cupboards, highest shelves, draws, under the house, in the garage and around the garden to ensure that nothing has been left behind.
2. Clean the house once everything has been moved out of the house. Go over the kitchen and bathrooms and take out the garbage.
3. Lock all windows and doors and turn the main power supply and taps off.
4. Give the keys to the real estate agent or solicitor for the new owners.
5. Check all boxes and items of furniture being moved so that they arrive at the new property.
After the Move:
1. Give yourself time to unpack furniture and boxes in an organised way.
2. Enjoy your new property and your new life.
3. Don’t forget to send out all of your change of address forms/letters.
4. Try and give yourself a well earned time of relaxation.
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