5 tips to make moving house easier

Moving house can be tiring and stressful and many people dread just the thought of it.

However, there are some clever ways to make moving a little – or even a lot – easier.

Here are 5 tips to make moving house easier.

1. Get as organised as possible, early

As soon as you know that you are moving house, you need to start getting organised. Making a moving checklist can be a great way to do this, ensuring that you don’t forget any important tasks. Some key things at the top of your checklist should include making an inventory of your possessions, furniture and appliances which you plan to move with you, booking a trusted removalist to do the heavy lifting and sourcing some packing materials like boxes, wrapping paper and bubble-wrap. Aside from packing duties, you will also need to change your details with insurance, utility and service providers, organise care for kids or pets on moving day and ensure your current house is thoroughly cleaned before you leave it. Being organised and ticking off items from your checklist as early as possible is the key to an easier move – with less stress in the final week before moving day.

2. Declutter

There is no point taking items with you which you no longer need, use or want. Not only will you have to pack these items up and pay for them to be transported by a removalist, but you will also then have to unpack them and find a place for them at your new house. Moving house is a prime opportunity to declutter and get rid of these items. If you haven’t used that foot spa in the back of the cupboard for 10 years, don’t take it with you. The same goes for any clothes which you no longer wear or any books which you don’t plan to read again. Consider donating unwanted items to charity or giving them away to family and friends. For items that cannot be reused, check the appropriate council or waste-provider disposal route and acceptance requirements.

3. Sort and label your items

Unpacking at your new house is a lot easier if you are smart about your packing and properly label your boxes. Don’t just throw all your household items into any spare box that they’ll fit in. Be sure to group items together and label your boxes with what they contain and which room they are for at your new house. Your removalists can then leave all the ‘Kitchen’ boxes in the kitchen, and all the ‘Bathroom’ boxes in the bathroom on arrival to your new house, making your job of unpacking a lot easier. It’s also handy to know what is in the boxes, so you don’t need to open six different ‘Kitchen’ boxes to find a spoon the morning after your move.

4. Use up the food you have

The less perishable food items you have on hand before you move house, the better. Your fridge and freezer are going to need to be empty for moving day and even some pantry items will not fare well with being moved. Look to your fridge, freezer or pantry for snack and meal ideas in the weeks leading up to your move and buy as little new food as possible.

5. Use quality removalists

Using a removalist can make moving house a lot easier. However, be sure to pick a quality one because not all removalist companies are as professional or reliable as others. As a member of the Australian Furniture Removers Association, you can trust Fragile Removals & Storage to get the job done in a timely and professional manner. We have moved thousands of people across Australia for more than 15 years and promise top-notch service for a competitive price.

For a quote, give us a call today on 1800 500 584.

Make the easier option explicit for each task

For each part of the move, decide whether you will do it yourself, ask a confirmed helper or book a service. Put the decision beside the task. A vague intention to find help later can leave packing, cleaning or care arrangements unfinished at the same time.

Use the moving house checklist to record the dates and who is responsible. Start with access and key handover, then add the removal booking and tasks that depend on it. Keep written confirmations accessible rather than packed away with other paperwork.

Use decluttering to simplify the actual load

Separate items leaving by sale, donation or disposal from those travelling to the new home. Label the groups clearly so helpers do not pack them together. For large items, confirm the recipient and collection time before removing them from the inventory used for the moving quote.

Check whether furniture fits the intended new room and access route before deciding to keep it. Use furniture volume and measurements to document dimensions and ask the mover about awkward access. A familiar piece is not automatically straightforward to move into a different property.

If you are uncertain about a sentimental item, give it a separate decision rather than allowing it to stop all packing. Confirm storage arrangements when needed, including retrieval and any special conditions. Do not use an unlabelled storage pile as a substitute for an inventory.

Give every packed box a useful destination

Use the new property's room names consistently. If there are several bedrooms or work areas, distinguish them in the labels and explain the names to the person meeting delivery. A label that made sense in the old house may be ambiguous in the new one.

Add a brief contents description and mark first-needed boxes. Keep a simple list if many similar boxes are being packed. Fragile contents still need suitable protection and loading; the label is communication rather than a packing method. Compare box sizes before filling every container with mixed goods.

Store completed boxes where they do not obstruct the handling route. If a box cannot close properly or seems unsuitable for its contents, repack before collection. Identifying the problem while packing is easier than resolving it when the crew is ready to load.

Plan food and appliances as their own task

Review what is in the fridge, freezer and pantry before buying more for the final period at the old home. Plan meals around what you can use appropriately, and arrange what will happen to anything remaining. Do not assume a removal truck provides food-temperature control or accepts every pantry item on an interstate route.

Prepare appliances according to their maker's instructions and confirm the mover's requirements. Arrange qualified help for work that needs it. This guide does not set a universal defrosting, disconnection or restart interval for every appliance.

Keep food and other essentials needed during the journey with the household under suitable arrangements. If collection is delayed, revisit the plan rather than treating the original packing date as a guarantee of how long something can remain packed.

Choose a service against the work you need

Discuss packing, transport, dismantling, reassembly and storage separately, then check what the quote includes. Ask how the company handles changes and who to contact during the move. Use choosing a good removalist to organise the comparison.

At delivery, have a responsible person available to direct placement and check concerns. Keep the essentials bag accessible while the remaining boxes are unpacked. If the new home is not ready, contact the mover promptly so the next step is agreed rather than improvised.