A well-researched moving house checklist could be the difference between a smooth, hassle-free move and pandemonium and melt downs on moving day.
This moving out checklist guide has been created to provide you with checkpoints from 6 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 weeks, 1 week, and 1 day ahead of the move – all the way down to the big day. Carefully prepared by our moving specialists, we have left no stone unturned in creating the definitive moving out checklist to ensure that the big day goes off without a hitch.
Moving Out Checklist – 6 Weeks
1. Confirm Your Move In Date
First things first, It’s important to confirm your move-in date with your new landlord or property management company. This way, you can be sure that everything is set for your big move. If you have any questions about your move-in date, be sure to ask your landlord or property manager. They will be able to help you out and make sure that everything is set for your big day.
2. Call Removalists to Book the Day
When it comes to booking removalists ahead of your move, the more notice that you can provide – the better. Many people leave it until a few days before their move to book a removalist company to help them move. By this time, many of the best moving companies have usually been booked out for weeks in advance. As a result, they will often be stuck with the dregs of the moving industry which can lead to an expensive and unpleasant moving day experience.
3. Organise Transport for Your Furry Friends
If you’re moving out, don’t forget about your furry friends! Make sure to arrange transportation for them in advance so that they can come with you to your new home. It’s a good idea to book transportation as far in advance as possible, especially if you’re moving interstate. This will give you time to make sure everything is in order and that your pet is properly prepared for the journey.
4. Organise Babysitting for the Young Ones
It’s no secret that moving house is a stressful experience. There’s so much to think about and organise, and it can be tough to keep everyone happy – including the kids. One of the best things you can do to help ease the stress on moving day is to arrange for a babysitter to take care of the kids. This way, you can focus on the task at hand and not worry about keeping them entertained or out of harm’s way.
Not only will this give you some much-needed peace of mind, but it will also give your kids a chance to have some fun while you’re busy with the move.
5. Organise Secure Storage if Required
There are a few reasons why it is important to have a secure storage solution for items that will not be making the move with you. First, it ensures that your belongings are protected from theft or damage. Second, it allows you to keep your belongings organised and safe from harm. And third, it gives you peace of mind knowing that your belongings are out of the way and securely stored.
Many removalists will help you to move these items, so it’s a good idea to have a chat with a removal company when you are booking in your big move.
6. Audit Your Furniture & White Goods
When you’re getting ready to move house, it’s important to audit your furniture and white goods. This means taking a close look at each piece and deciding whether or not it’s worth keeping.
If you plan on remodelling or refurnishing your new home or buying new appliances, it will end up being significantly cheaper to leave behind any unwanted items.
7. Arrange End of Lease/Move Cleaning
Moving house is a huge task, and there’s a lot to remember. One of the most important things to add to your moving house checklist is arranging end of lease/move cleaning well before your moving day.
If you don’t have your home professionally cleaned before you move out, you may not get your bond back. And even if you’re not worried about the money, it’s still nice to leave your old place in tip-top shape for the next tenants.
8. Start Moving Large/Rarely Used Items Into Boxes
One important detail on our moving houses checklist that’s often overlooked is packing up large or rarely used items well in advance of the move.
While it may seem like a pain to have to pack these items up now, it will make your life a lot easier on moving day. Trust us – you don’t want to be scrambling to find boxes for those big items at the last minute! Plus, if you pack them up early, you can label the boxes, so you know exactly where everything goes in your new home.
9. Organise any Repairs for your Current House/Apartment
One of the most important things to do before you move is to make sure any repairs are carried out on your current property. Remember, it’s always better to get a handyman in to fix these items rather than forfeiting your bond.
Moving Out Checklist – 4 Weeks Ahead of Move
1. Confirm Moving Date With Removalists
Make sure you confirm the date of your move with the removalists well in advance. This will ensure that they are able to accommodate your schedule and avoid any potential mix-ups on the day of the move.
2. Ensure That Any Fixes Required Are Booked In
If you’re renting, it’s important to fix any damage before you move out, otherwise you could be facing some hefty repair bills.
3. Collect Packing Boxes and Essentials
Moving house is stressful enough without having to worry about finding packing boxes and essentials at the last minute. Collecting these items 4-weeks in advance will help make the move much smoother.
4. Arrange Home and Contents Insurance for New Residence
One of the most important things on your moving house checklist is to arrange Home and Contents Insurance for your new residence before you move in. Don’t risk a thing – make sure that you are covered from day one.
5. Collect Keys for Your New Residence (Where Allowed)
Once you get the green light from the real estate agent, we recommend picking up your keys and signing final documents as far in advance as possible. One less thing to worry about on moving out day is always a positive.
6. Update Your Licence Address
If you’re moving to a new home, it’s important to update your driver’s licence address. This ensures that if you’re ever pulled over, the police will have your correct information on file. It also helps to prevent identity theft and fraud.
7. Update Electoral Role Details
Before you move, make sure that your electoral role details are up to date.
8. Draft Moving Day Checklist for Removalists
If you’re hiring removalists to help you move, it’s a good idea to have a checklist for moving house handy so that they know what items are being moved where.
9. Apply for Leave from Work
If you’re moving house, you’ll need to take some time off work. Fortunately, most employers are understanding of this and will let you take a few days off. However, it’s always best to check with your boss in advance and make sure they’re okay with it.
10. Throw Out Old Food
When you’re packing up your kitchen move, it can be tempting to just throw everything into boxes and call it a day. But if you want to avoid attracting pests to your new place, it’s important to get rid of any old food before you go. Otherwise, you might find yourself with some unwanted houseguests!
Moving Out Checklist – 2 Weeks Ahead of Move
1. Confirm Moving in Regulations With Strata (Where Applicable)
Before you move into your new place, it’s important to check with the strata if there are any moving in regulations that you need to be aware of. This is especially important as some buildings have ‘black out periods’ where tenants cannot move items into their apartment.
2. Confirm Babysitters for the Little Ones
Just two weeks to go – time to make sure that your babysitter is still available on the day of your move.
3. Purge Everything That You Do Not Need
If you’re like most people, your home is probably full of things that you don’t really need. From clothes to knick-knacks, it’s easy to accumulate things that haven’t quite made it to the bin over the years. But one of the best tips on our checklist is that now is the perfect time to purge everything that you don’t need to move into a new place fresh.
4. Draft Instructions for Removalists
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail as the old saying goes. Make sure that you have drafted clear moving instructions for your removalists on the day. Doing so will allow your checklist for moving house to be completed smoothly, ensuring no time is wasted. Sticking to a plan on the day will be especially important if the weather is not in your favour, and your belongings will not be left to the elements.
5. Plan Furniture/Room Layout for New House
If you have a penchant for interior decorating, this will be the most exciting step on the moving house checklist. Your new home is a great opportunity to try a new style, or see how your existing furniture looks in a new space. You should go through each room, and find out what furniture you already have, and what you need to get, before working out individual layouts. This is a good opportunity to use the audit for the furniture and white goods you made earlier, to start planning how your new rooms will look.
6. Ensure Electricity and Gas Are Connected at New Home
Gas and electrical companies are notoriously slow at updating details and switching across power. You do not want to find yourself out of power on the first night in your new home, so make sure you are well prepared for switching over the bills and connection to land the day you move in. Getting onto this early will save you the headache down the line, and gives your utility company plenty of time to get things sorted. Alternatively, you might want to switch companies altogether, and in that instance you will need to alert your current provider about your intent to terminate.
Moving Out Checklist – 1 Week Ahead of Move
1. Clean Out Your Fridge and Pantry
Moving food is a hassle you do not want to be left with on the day. In the week leading up to the move you should be either eating or throwing away as much food as you can. Focus on the perishables before the longer lasting food. The last thing you want is food moving about in your fridge when you try to move it.
2. Pack Away Everything Except Essentials
Everything you can survive without for the week leading up to the move should now be away in boxes. Think extra sheets, towels, seasonal appliances etc. Make sure your boxes are packed neatly and won’t get in the way of your day-to-day activities. A spare room is a great place to pack moving goods if you have one available. Otherwise, keep the boxes to the walls in common areas.
3. Throw Away Everything You Will Not Take
If it’s not making the cut, get it out of the way. Here you can plan on your checklist for moving house where you will store excess furniture or appliances, or look to organise a rubbish collection service to take your unwanted belongings to be recycled.
4. Confirm Date With Removalists
It never hurst to check again! Send a friendly reminder to your removalist company confirming the date and time of your move. If you have made any changes to the move, make sure to let them and allow extra time for the change in plans.
5. Finalise All Packing
By the end of the week, you’ll want to be almost fully packed. If you can get away with it, wrap your essential items of furniture and appliances ready for removal day. TV’s, white goods, and other appliances should now be ready to be loaded into the truck on the day.
6. Create A Draft Timetable – But be Flexible
After packing has been completed, draft a timetable for the move. Ensure you have given yourself time for delays. Plan out what is going to be moved first and try get your timing right with arrivals of removalists, and any extra help you might have organised.
Moving Houses Checklist – 1 Day Before Move
1. Organise Your Meals For The Day
Moving is tough work, if you’re planning on helping on the day, make sure you have food ready and packed. Stopping to buy food will chew up valuable moving time, so any pre-made meals for lunch or breakfast will let you get back to work and in your new house faster.
2. Drain the Fridge & Freezer
Never overlook the fridge on your moving house checklist. Get into the crevices of your fridge and freezer and make sure it’s completely empty. Extra ice or food will not only make things heavier, but they will also roll around inside the fridge and damage the plastic shelving.
3. Unplug All Electrical Items
Get all your appliances out from their sockets and make sure they are wrapped safely for the move. Don’t forget to switch off the power at the wall.
4. Keep Essentials in Special Spots (Phone Chargers, Car Keys)
Anything that you will need on the day should be laid out separately to what’s going in the truck. A tip is to pack everything that you will need early on in a separate box that might come along with you in the car, rather than in the back of the removalist truck.
5. Visit New Home, Make Sure Everything is Good to Go
Got the keys for the new house already? Now could be a good time to go take a look at the place and plan out where you are going to put everything. It’s not going to look perfect right away, but visualising early on will help with your organisation.
Moving House Checklist – Moving Day
1. Drop Kids at Babysitter
Drop the kids off nice and early with your babysitter, the sooner they are out of the way, the less stress you’ll be dealing with.
2. Drop Pets at Pet Sitter
Make sure your loveable pet has enough food for the day, and then drop them off with their carer for the day.
3. Eat a Big Breakfast
Moving day is stressful, you’ll spend so much time thinking about everything else, you’ll forget about the most important person – yourself! Eat a big breakfast nice and early to support yourself throughout the day.
4. Ensure Access Points are Clear for Removalists
Clear out the front doorway, and make sure you have a direct path from your home to where the truck is going to be loaded on. Keep small boxes and oversized goods out of the way and start thinking about the order of what will be loaded on first.
5. Reserve Car Spot for Removalists
If you’re lucky enough to have a back lane, or a garage space, make sure it’s clear for the truck to park. Otherwise, try and reserve yourself some street parking on the day. There is always some give and take with neighbourhood living, ask your neighbours politely if they could move their cars for the morning to give the truck more space if needed.
6. Disassemble Any Remaining Items
Any of the last items of furniture still together need to be disassembled on the morning, more than likely it will just be your beds. Get these last items of furniture or appliances disassembled and laid out neatly for the builders.
7. Stay Calm
Deep breaths! Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed, if you’ve stuck to our moving house checklist, you will be absolutely fine on the day. Leave your removalist work to the professionals, and make sure you’re on hand to provide assistance where needed.
Conclusion
Phew – there you have it!
Moving house is already stressful enough, so why not make things as easy as possible for yourself? Outer Space’s moving houses checklist can help take some of the guesswork and stress out of the process, featuring everything you need to do before, during, and after your move. Our checklist can help you stay organised, and on track, so you don’t forget anything important.
However, your moving checklist won’t be useful if you don’t have quality removalists to help carry it out (literally!) Outer Space removalists are your leading Sydney removal company, and will provide a stress-free move anywhere across Sydney. Get in touch with our team today, and we’ll help complete your checklist down to the last detail.
