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Tips & Tricks to Organise Your Move

organize moving

Moving to a new home is stressful, but with a bit of organisation and planning ahead, it can become far less of a headache. Discover tips and tricks for organising your move, including relocating services, budgeting for your move, and packing smart, by reading more below.

The cost of moving house

Asking about the cost of moving to a new home is like asking about the length of a piece of string. If you have some good friends with big trucks, moving might not cost you more than some beer and pizza after, while a family moving interstate might want to hire removalists, a cleaning service, and a month of storage space to make their move a little easier. When budgeting the costs of moving home it’s important to consider:

 Removalists: Removalists are one of the biggest expenses when it comes to moving home. Factors such as day and time, size of the house, number of movers needed, and transportation all affect how much it costs to hire a removalist service. Smaller homes might cost anywhere from $300-$500 for a removalist to bring your things across town, while a large home could cost upwards of $3000.

For a more accurate pricing on moving companies near you, you can check comparison platform Find a Mover Australia.

 Professional cleaners: Particularly for renters who want their deposit back, hiring a cleaner can be a good way to ensure your former home is ready for the next resident, and your new home is ready for you. Professional cleaning costs depend on the size of your house and the cleaning needed, but expect to pay over $150 for a three-bedroom home.

 Hidden costs: Everything from buying boxes rather than borrowing from a friend, to any additional repair your home might need (especially for tenants), to ordering out food rather than preparing some snacks and meals for the week, can all add up to costing more for your move.

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Packing for your move

Ask a dozen people about their moving house tips and tricks, and you might get a dozen different lists. It can be just as overwhelming to figure out how to make packing easier, as it is to actually pack up your home and move. Here is a (concise) list of five packing tips, to help make the process leading up to your move a little easier.

 Packing is the perfect time to get rid of things you don’t need anymore. A month or two before your move, throw out, donate, or sell things you haven’t used in a while. By going through your clothes, appliances, and things in storage, you’ll have less to pack and move later.

 Pack up your decorations with out-of-season clothes in advance. These two categories can be packed up earlier than other, more necessary things in your house and you can use your extra scarves, sundresses, or sweaters, to keep fragile decorations safe.

 Make sure to label your boxes, and label them well. Label boxes on the top and sides, and not only by room but also by category (for example: Appliances, Kitchen, and Appliances, Bathroom). You can also upgrade your labelling by using color-coded tape or even number each box. You can then create a spreadsheet of each numbered box, with a list of the items in each one.

 Pack important papers separately, and take them with you separately. This ensures they are on your person, and are less likely to get lost or damaged in the move. If you really want to get on top of things, make copies of your important documents beforehand, so you have a backup document if necessary.

 Have an overnight bag or box, with things you will need immediately and don’t want to search for in multiple places. This includes some fresh clothes, toothbrush and toiletries (don’t forget a towel to shower after a long day of moving!), electronics and their corresponding chargers, and something to open a bottle of wine after your long day.

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Utility relocation

No one wants to move into their new home, only to find they don’t have their utilities sorted. Whether it’s electricity and gas, internet, or water, find out what you need to do to make sure the lights are on and you’re connected from day one in your new home.

Electricity & gas connection relocation

It’s best to organise your electricity and connnection at your new address as soon as possible to make sure you have the lights on when you move in. Regardless of whether you’re keeping your current energy provider or want to switch to a new one, contacting your energy provider as soon as possible to get the process started will ensure you won't have another added stress the day you move.

 To keep your current energy retailer: Organise your move online or by calling your energy provider. Some energy providers can do 1-day rush connections, while others can take a couple days or weeks to relocate your service so it’s best to get it organised as soon as possible.

 To switch energy retailers: You will need to contact your current energy provider and let them know when you want to disconnect your electricity and/or gas from your old home. Then, simply find a new energy provider by comparing different energy plans and rates and during signup, indicate your home is a new address and the date you’re moving.

Internet connection relocation

With the National Broadband Network rolled out across Australia, it’s easier than ever to relocate your broadband services, since most homes are now connected to the NBN. When you move house, you can choose to keep your current broadband provider, or switch to a new one.

 To keep your current broadband provider: Contact your internet provider directly to organise your relocation, which can usually be done online or over the phone. You should contact your ISP a couple weeks before the move to ensure you have an internet connection the day you move in.

 To switch your broadband provider: You’ll need to contact your previous provider and cancel your service with them. When you sign up for a new ISP, you can indicate if you’re moving to a new home or not, and provide your move-in date during the sign up process.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you have a contracted internet service, for 6 months, 12 months, or longer, breaking your contract to switch to a new provider might cost an additional fee. Often, your current internet provider will help you relocate, free of charge, so it’s important to read through the fine print before cancelling a service. If you have a month-to-month or no lock-in contract, you probably don’t need to worry about additional fees.

Not sure which broadband plan is best? Compare internet providers and sign up for a new service for your new home

Water connection

The good news with water services, the entire process is usually done automatically, regardless of whether you’re moving into a new home you’re renting or buying. Water supply isn’t disconnected between residents, so when you move in your water service will already be set up.

If you’re a tenant moving into your new home, your landlord or property manager will be the one to make sure the water utility company knows you’ve moved in. If you’re moving into a new house you’ve bought, the water company should be notified by your settlement agent or solicitor.

Mail redirection with AusPost

Mail Redirection is a service that allows you to have your mail forwarded to you, at your new address, for up to 12 months. You can add up to six different names onto the Mail Redirection application (people who are moving with you, legal name before marriage, chosen name etc) and you can opt-in to automatically notify selected banks, insurance providers, energy providers, and telcos of your new address.

Mail Redirection services start at $33 for one month of national mail redirection ($19.80 for concession card holders), and up to $330 for 12 months of mail redirection overseas ($198 if you have a concession card). You can organise your Mail Redirection online, simply provide your current and new address, verify your ID, add up to six names, and review and pay.