There are many life changes that people look forward to.
The arrival of a much-anticipated child or grandchild, for instance, or perhaps a change in career or academic achievement which sees a long-held ambition finally realised.
Yet sadly the idea of moving house rarely rates a mention alongside such auspicious occasions. In fact moving into or out of a strata residence can be so traumatic that the Australian Institute of Family Studies rates moving among the most stressful experiences a person can experience in their lifetime, alongside events such as separating from a long term partner or the death of a loved one.
And research from Roy Morgan clearly demonstrates this aversion with a 2016 survey showing more than 60 percent of Australians over the age of 14 have lived at their current address for at least five years, with the vast majority (40.7%) of these being having lived there for a decade or more.
However, Hunt Removals and Storage, a family-owned business which has more 40 years’ experience in the removal industry, says its experience has shown that often there are a number of things people can do in the lead up to moving day to ensure a smoother transition.
When moving in or out of strata, you should always first check with the building manager, or if there isn’t a building manager check with the strata manager for the building’s moving in and out procedures. For larger blocks this will include details for lift and loading dock usage.
Director Alicia Roberts says finding ways to share the physical workload and spreading the shift over several days can help make for a much more pleasurable experience.
She suggests that doing things such as making sure all valuables that you have all your valuables with you prior to removal and keeping them with you throughout your removal helps to eliminate the concern they may get misplaced during the shift.
Planning the layout of key furniture in your new abode ahead of time and pulling down any pre-fabricated furniture – such as Ikea-type tables, children’s furniture and office furniture – in the days prior can also ensure you have less items on your to-do list on moving day.
Taking the opportunity to de-clutter and purge unnecessary possessions before packing can not only save on time but can also help reduce costs with most removalists basing their price on the weight of your load. Colour-coding each box to correspond with the rooms in your new home is also a smart move, she says.
Roberts says one of the best things to do to ensure nerves don’t get too frazzled when shifting home is to arrange for a cleaner to clean your current home the day after your removal and to clean your new home before you move in.
Removing batteries from devices, disposing of all flammable items and draining all fuels and oils out of items to be moved also makes sense, she says.
“Also make sure that you have disconnected and packed all electrical cords. Clearly mark on the carton its contents to eliminate the need to search through all boxes further down the track.”
Roberts says defrosting the refrigerator at least 24 hours prior to your removal allows time for it to dry while discarding any food will ensure you don’t put your health at risk as there is every chance your refrigerator may be unplugged for some time.
She also recommends arranging professional packing by a qualified removalist to minimise damage that may occur from incorrect packing and ensuring your insurance is up to date to cost goods in transit.
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