If you’re about to move home, chances are you’re probably feeling a little stressed. Don’t worry; it’s perfectly understandable. Moving house is a huge job, and it’s usually associated with emotional upheaval. During such a stressful time, you need to ensure that you’re managing your time effectively.

So, if you need some help, take a look at the tips in this Ultimate Moving Checklist.

What’s The Same About Every Move?

Three things are the same with every move, whether you’re moving locally, around the corner or moving internationally.

1. A Small Move is a Good Move

It goes without saying that the less you have to move, the easier your move will be. So, when you’re going through your things and deciding on what you want to take with you, you need to be quite ruthless. There’s simply no point in packing, moving and then unpacking inessential items. If you haven’t used something in five years, or don’t love it anymore, get rid of it. Moving house is the perfect opportunity for a clean out, followed by a garage sale.

2. An Early Start Is a Good Start

If you start early you can do a little bit each week instead of having to cram the entire process into a couple of days. Leaving everything until the last minute puts you and your family under unnecessary pressure. There are lots of things you can get started on early, such as:

a) Getting a volume estimate and a quote on the move so you can start creating an itemized budget of your moving expenses

b) Deciding if you require storage and getting it booked in

c) Packing rarely used items like unseasonal clothing, photos, books and CDs

d) Considering whether you need to organize pet or car This can be particularly important to organize if you’re moving interstate or overseas

e) Hire a handyman if you need to complete any property maintenance tasks prior to house settlement or final inspection on your rental property.

A Month Before Moving Day

Once you’ve taken into account the two truths of every move you can start making your way through the checklist, with a month to go before move day you can:

• Start taking stock of all of your fragile and precious items so they get special attention during the move
• If you’re renting, give your landlord at least 30 days notice
• Consult the manufacturer instructions to figure out how to move whitegoods properly. For instance, when it comes to moving washing machines, you need to install their transit bolts to prevent the internal drum bumping and breaking while in transit
• Organise an insurance policy through your moving company and check that it covers you and your belongings in all necessary circumstances
• Dispose of any items that are prohibited from being moved and empty any gas and air bottles
• Collect any spare keys that you have given to family, friends and service providers so they are ready for handover
• Contact your employer and organise time off. Depending on the size of your move you may need the day before and the day after your move off
• Notify important service providers of your change of address. This might include contacting your bank, doctor, insurance providers, and state road authority
• Take an inventory of the food in your freezer and your pantry. Then create a meal plan designed to use as much of these foods as possible