If you are not moving yourself, book a professional removalist for your preferred moving day.  Consider access from your house and at the new house.  Do you have items that won't fit?

 4-6 weeks before the move

Redirect your mail & change your address.  Possible contacts for new address:

• Taxation Office
• Road Traffic Authority
• Phone company
• Mobile phone service provider
• Internet service provider
• Satellite/cable television company
• Electricity company
• Gas company
• Landlord / Old real estate agent
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Solicitors
• Local council
• Insurance companies - life, car and house
• Superannuation fund
• Employers
• Dept of Social Security
• Schools/child carers
• Banks and building societies
• Medicare
• Magazine/Newspapers subscription
• Interested charities
• Club memberships
• Libraries
• Valued customer/loyalty memberships
• Catalogues
• Electoral Office

Start packing

If you are into photos, take some now, inside & out, before you start packing up.  If you have had a long running height chart of the kids over the years drawn on a wall -  take a photo of it.

• Get rid of as much junk as possible through charity bins & pickups * garage sales * council pickups.
• Use the food in your freezer and cupboards.
• Start cleaning out cupboards and packing up things you will not need.
• Does your insurance policy cover you for the move?
• Make a list of items you'll need available for the moving day, so that you don't pack something essential
• Collect packing boxes or buy or hire cartons from removalist.

How to Label cartons:

If you are doing your own packing:

·       Label & number cartons on the SIDES of the box (not on the top as boxes get stacked and you cannot read).  Label them with the room they are going to eg. Kitchen, master bedroom, garage.

·       Pack a box with your bedding for each bed eg. Sheets, protectors, doonas. (When you move, make up your beds asap, you won't have the energy at the end of the day.)

·       Keep an inventory of how many boxes you have (and what is in each box) for each room and a grand total as you want to know they have all been delivered.  See Carton Inventory form attached.

Renting: 

·         Contact your landlord/real estate agent if you are renting.

·         Confirm the date you will be leaving the property and arrange for key return and the refund of your bond upon final inspection.

Pets:

·         Can you transport your animals yourself? 

·         Does it have a micro-chip?  Contact vet to update details or make a new tag with new details.

·         Is your new yard secure?

·         Think about boarding your pets for a day or two over the move day.  Settle yourself, then get the pets.

2 weeks before the move

Confirm with your removalist / truck hire company / storage facility / family and friends. Make sure you have received written confirmation of all bookings.

Disconnect and connect services:

• Arrange for disconnection and reconnection of electricity, telephone, internet provider.
• Remember some service providers require 5 working days to connect or disconnect a utility, so make sure you leave time.
• Cancel newspapers, cleaning, gardening, pet grooming and other local services.
• Return things like library books and be sure you've picked up any dry-cleaning, shoe repairs etc

Cleaning up:

• If renting, arrange for carpet cleaners to come in after you have moved your furniture.
• Defrost and clean your fridge and freezer the day before you move.
• Arrange for new locks to be fitted to the new house

 The day of the move

• Confirm key collection arrangements.
• Pack a small box of items you'll need for immediate use in your new home, including some toiletries, a change of clothes, medicines, toilet paper, soap and towels, pen and paper and scissors.
• Pack another box with kitchen essentials for the move day such as a kettle, cutlery, mugs, tea, coffee and snacks.
• Do a final check of all storage areas.
• Check off all furniture and cartons against your inventory as they go into the van or truck.
• Turn off electricity at the meter.
• Disconnect the washing machine and dishwasher and allow to drain if necessary.
• Check that all doors and windows are securely locked as you leave your old house.
• Be sure to keep your valuables, personal effects and important papers with you.
• Ensure each person in your household has packed a bag containing clothes, toiletries and other personal items to take with them to see them through the first couple of days when boxes are still being unpacked. Children may like to include favourite toys and games to keep them occupied.
• Check every nook and cranny to make sure you haven't left anything behind. Look through the attic, cupboards (especially the highest shelves), drawers, under the house, in the garage and around the garden.

 Carton Inventory

 ROOM: _________________________

Carton No.	Whats Inside?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

 Label your cartons on all sides with:  Carton No. and Room

(To copy this to a word document:  highlight all text and click Control + C, move to a new word document and press Control + V)