It's said that moving house is one of the most stressful life events (no. 3 behind death and divorce apparently). There is a group of people who, whether for work, adventure or other circumstances, find themselves relocating regularly, sometimes internationally. On The Move had a chat with some of these serial shifters to find out their secrets behind a stress-free move.
1. THROW A DINNER PARTY
Yes, really. Besides saying goodbye to family and friends, it's a great way to get through the contents of your pantry and freezer, use up those half opened bottles of sauce. It also gives you the opportunity to get really creative with your menu and have your own Masterchef Mystery Box challenge. At the same time trundle out the boxes marked for donation, and give your friends first crack at the items. Just make sure you take out anything they might have given you!
2. PLASTIC TUBS
A common suggestion, especially if you end up having to go into temporary accommodation in transit or are moving for a short time and don't want to have to unpack and repack. Those large plastic storage boxes are a fantastic idea because : • You can start putting things away in the tubs in advance. • The clear nature means you can see where you've put everything. • You can keep the items in the tubs at the other end while you wait for the furniture to arrive, and some things can stay in there permanently without worrying about items getting wet or boxes being damaged.
3. ZIPLOCK BAGS
Most of our frequent moving customers are fans of ziplock bags. Particularly for: cables, chargers and remotes. When you unplug your tv, coil up the cables and shove them in a ziplock together with the remote. We've all experienced the time when the TV remote got separated somehow and you don't find it for months. Call it a first-world problem, but it's really hard to channel surf when you have to get up and walk to the TV! It may sound strange, but you can store your shoes in ziplock bags. It means that at the other end you can find both sides quickly, and if you pack them together in a storage tub then you've got an instant shoe cupboard!
4. PACK FOR A WEEKEND AWAY
By the time you get to moving day, and everything has arrived, you are probably an emotionally drained exhausted wreck who just wants to lie down. The smart movers have learnt to pack a small case of clothes, toiletries etc that would keep you going for 2-3 days. It just means that you don't have to worry about tackling your boxes for a couple of days while you get settled. And also if your truck is late there's less of a panic.
5. GO DIGITAL
This one is controversial and not everyone agrees, but everyone knows those books and DVDs wear a ton and take up a lot of room. You can digitise everything, storing music and movies in a hard drive, and even moving to ebooks (just keeping a few favourite dog-eared tomes) It's a great space saver - especially for international moves where they charge by the volume - and you'll be able to find everything easily. Plus you can bring 6 books on the journey without sacrificing any luggage space. Just make sure you back up regularly!
6. GET HELP WITH CONNECTIONS
And of course the last thing you want to deal with are your connections – especially if you end up rocking up late in the evening, you need to be able to get lights on and you'll want a hot shower. Take advantage of connections services like On The Move. Firstly the service is free, and also they can do multiple services, so that's one phone call and it's all sorted. Plus these days there are no lock-in contracts so you've really got nothing to lose.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
On the Move is Australia's leading service connections specialist providing a one-stop service for electricity, gas, phone, internet, pay TV and insurance. Since 2004 On The Move has partnered with Real Estate agencies and other organisations to give their customers a convenient and seamless move-in, lights-on experience. https://www.onthemove.com.au/