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Moving is demanding enough without the extra pressure created by transporting your possessions to another state. Following these tips will help to reduce the stress of moving interstate.
The logistics
Consider your move in two parts – moving people and moving your belongings.
Decide whether you and your family will be driving or flying to your new home. If you decide to drive, book your car in for a service ahead of time. If you decide to fly, start looking at dates with the best flight times and prices.
With this in mind, start thoroughly researching interstate removal companies. Start by taking an inventory of large items and an educated guess at box numbers because you will need this information to gather moving quotes. Search for cheap moving boxes and packing supplies. And remember, if you’re moving a fridge it will need to be standing up while it is being transported.
Sorting and selling
Start by looking at the larger pieces in your home. If you’re downsizing, this will have a significant impact on what you take with you, and what you might want to sell. Similarly, upsizing can mean smaller pieces of furniture look slightly out of place. Find out where you can sell your furniture online; donate what you can’t sell to a charity store, or offer it to friends and family.
When it comes to clothing and personal items, the less you have to take the better, so now is not the time to get overly sentimental. Use this opportunity to start afresh with a pre-move cleanout.
Get packing
With your belongings pared back, it’s time to start packing anything you don’t use day-to-day. Visibly label moving boxes with room and contents, carefully pack any fragile articles and clearly mark them to ensure they survive the trip.
Don’t underestimate the time all this will take – and, as a rule of thumb, the longer you’ve been living in a place, the longer it will take to pack.
It’s in the details
Often it’s the little details that trip people up during a move, so making a moving house checklist early on will help eliminate any hiccups when you’re in the midst of it all and too frantic to think clearly.
Make sure you’ve contacted your current utility providers, alerting them to the fact that you’re moving, settle any outstanding bills, and arrange for your gas, electricity, water, phone and internet to be connected in your new home. You might want to take advantage of our Move-In Lights On Guarantee – it takes less than five minutes.
Create a change of address checklist. Contact Australia Post to have your mail redirected so you don’t miss anything important. There is a fee for this, but it’s worth it to buy extra time to ensure you haven’t forgotten to let anyone know that you are moving.
If you bank with a smaller state-based bank you will need to look into where you can bank and which ATMs to use to avoid fees. It’s also a good idea to advise Medicare, the ATO, Centrelink, the Australian Electoral Commission, your state motor vehicle authority, the pet microchip registry and your insurance company. You’ll be able to do a lot of your change of addresses online, which will save precious time.
When it comes to moving interstate, the more organised you are and the more time you allow yourself, the better off you’ll be come moving day.
And if you’re moving to Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, or South Australia, we’ve got you covered! Check out our guides, below:
Moving interstate: all you need to know about moving to Victoria
Moving interstate: all you need to know about moving to New South Wales
Moving interstate: all you need to know about moving to Queensland
Moving interstate: all you need to know about moving to South Australia
