Moving is already a chaotic and hectic process without having to worry about the safety of your family and new home. At Shine Movers, we want to help the moving process move swiftly and easily. Check out our moving tips to help create a less stressful move and help you feel safer in your new home.

MOVING TIPS

Six to Four Weeks Before You Move

• Create a floor plan of your new home and think about where you’ll want your furniture, appliances, etc. Remember to consider furniture dimensions, electrical sockets, and phone jacks. This plan will serve as a reference on moving day for you and the movers.
• Take the time to look at what you own and decide what doesn’t need to move with you. If you have a lot of things that can be sold, you might want to organize a yard sale.
• Clothes that you never wear can be donated to a local shelter or charity. This good deed will make your move less cluttered.
• When packing your possessions into boxes, make sure that all the contents are labeled on the box. An easy reference tool is to assign each room in your new house a colour and place a sticker of the corresponding colour on the box.
• Avoid crushing your possessions by packing heavy items together and light items together. Pack heavy items in smaller boxes and lighter items in larger boxes.
• Prior to moving day, store the packed boxes in one location in your house. Make sure that the boxes are safe from the elements, flooding, and pets.
• Start to use up all frozen items to avoid waste and buy only what you’ll eat before moving day. Also use up or give away unopened pantry items. These items can be difficult and heavy to transport.
• Purchase cleaning supplies for your new home and current residence. Ask the current residents of your new home if they are vacating before your moving date. This way you can start to clean the house before it is filled with boxes and furniture.
• Contact your children’s schools to arrange for records to be forwarded to your new school district. Ask the school system to make a copy that you can take with you for safe keeping.

Four to Two Weeks Before You Move

• Contact Shine Movers Melbourne of your move and make your bookings in advance. Make sure you secure your desired relocation date and time.
• Two weeks before the move, contact your current utilities (gas, water, and electricity, Internet connection) to schedule disconnection of services on the day following your move (you’ll want to have your utilities on while you’re still at the house). If necessary, arrange for an expert to install fixtures upon their arrival at your new home.
• Notify the post office, newspapers/magazines, credit card companies, job, and friends and family of your new address.
• Return any lingering library books, rental videos, or items you borrowed from friends or neighbours. Retrieve items that you loaned out to your friends or neighbours.
• Check with the dry cleaner for anything you still need to collect.

The Day Prior and Moving Day

• If you have young children, arrange for a sitter to watch them on moving day. You’ll already have your hands full with the move and a sitter will distract your children from the hectic move.
• Leave your forwarding address and phone number for your home’s new occupants so they can contact you with any questions or if you leave anything behind.
• On the day prior to moving, transfer your bank accounts, close and empty your safety deposit boxes, drain the power equipment in your current house of oil and gas, and defrost the refrigerator and freezer.
• On moving day, find a safe and quiet place for pets so that they aren’t in the way of the movers or in a position to get hurt. Consider a kennel or asking a friend or relative to take them overnight.
• As you’re moving, one person should monitor the unloading of the truck while the other directs the movers to where everything goes.
• Once everything is unloaded, plan on unpacking the essentials along with items that will give your new house a sense of home for the first week. Be patient, the unpacking can’t be done all at once.