To ease the burden, and remove some of that stress, here are a few last-minute jobs you may have overlooked that are critical to make your move easy and stress-free as possible.
Confirm the details with your movers
If your movers don’t show up on the day you need them, or they are late, that can make for a crazy situation. You do not want to be in a position waiting for the remover van, for it to never show up. Whether you are relying on friends and family, or a professional, check in with them just to reconfirm the time and date of your move.
Sorting last-minute logistics
Before you close the front door of your old home for the last time, here are some tasks you should do.
- Contact NZ Post and arrange for your mail to be redirected
- Contact your home and car insurance company and advise your change of address
- Cancel or rearrange any regular services, such as gardener or cleaner
- Give your old home a thorough clean, you may want to get in a professional, this is good manners towards the new owners
- Make sure all necessary repairs and touchups agreed to before moving day are going to be completed in time
- If there is a chance you are going to create a disturbance on moving day, more likely if you live in an apartment, let your neighbours know and apologise for the inconvenience. It’s always good to part on good terms
- For those moving out of an apartment building, check with your body corporate about what you need to do – you might be required to cover the inside of lifts when moving in or out
- Update or cancel any subscriptions, like newspaper or those surprise Good Wine Company deliveries
- Back up your computer – you don’t know what could happen during the move and it would be unfortunate is you lost all your data without a backup
- Put together a survival kit, more details to come
An extra special thing you could do
Many look forward to a ‘house warming’ party, but why not leave in style too with a ‘house cooling’ party to say goodbye to all your neighbours. This is also a great way to clear out any food left in the pantry and freezer.
How to survive moving day
There is a good chance you have put most of your attention into clearing out your old home. But you need to consider what you need to do when you arrive at your new home. Moving day is exhausting, and do you really want to spend the second part of the day ripping open boxes to try and find items?
Here’s a few items to keep close to hand
- Documentation
Any papers you have relating to your new or old should be kept handy, ideally in a bright folder next to your wallet or keys – somewhere you will easily find them. During this transition, time is a commodity you do not have a lot of, so you do not want to be searching through boxes for your moving contract or any other essential paperwork.
- Have a small overnight bag packed
There is a chance that you have mastered the labelling of boxes process and you know where all your belongings are. But having a separate overnight bag packed means you have a fresh set of clothes handy. If you want to call it a night early, you at least know you do not need to start unpacking boxes to get what you need to turn in.
In this bag, make sure you pack your basic toiletries, such as toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo or soap and extra towels so you can enjoy a hot shower at the end of the day.
- Hang tight onto valuables
Whether it be your keepsakes, like precious jewellery, or important documents such as passports, keep these items with you when you move so there is no chance they can go missing during the process.
- Toilet paper
We all know how important toilet paper is, that is why it disappears from the shelves so quickly during uncertain times. So keep a few rolls handy in the car, you just never know when you will need it, and then you have it handy to put in your new bathroom.
- Tool kit
You never know when you will need scissors, a screwdriver or a hammer, so keep a small toolkit handy so you have everything you need when reassembling furniture. Also, it could be useful to video yourself of take photos dismantling item to help you remember how to put them back together.
- Spray and wipe
The previous owners may have done a terrific job cleaning your new home before they left, but no matter how great the job, you will want to clean it again to make it yours. Having spray and wipe, paper towels and your vacuum cleaner handy can make that process easier.
- What and how are you going to eat?
It is great to have water and snacks available through the move to keep you going, but have you thought about what will happen once the movers have gone? A few extra bottles of water could be handy, but also keep plates, forks, spoons and a few cups and an electric jug accessible. If you need to cook something fast, having eggs, cereal, milk and bread available can be all you need to keep going, or keep the kids quiet at the end of a long day.
- Where’s your phone charger?
Just like you, at the end of the day, your mobile phone and other devices could be low on power at the end of moving day. Make sure you keep your chargers close by because you never know when you will need your phone.
- First night box
You do not want to be hunting around for pillows, blankets and sheet for your bed, so have ‘first night’ boxes to make the search easier.
- Kids entertainment
If you have little ones, it is likely they are not going to be very excited or helpful during moving day. To keep them entertained, make sure their toys are charged, there are movies on the iPad, or give them the job of cleaning up bubble wrap – kids of all ages have fun popping bubble wrap (even adults too).
If you have crayons or sticky tape, you can let their imagination run wild with the discarded packaging. Or the older ones might be able to help with a few unpacking jobs.
Better yet, for older family members, whether it be teens of grandparents, who are unable to help during the move, see if they would be happy to babysitting.
- First aid kit
You do not know what is going to happen on moving day, so making sure you have band aids and any prescription medication handy is wise.
It’s moving day
- Saying goodbye
Your home is a big part of your life, there are many memories made there, so take time to farewell your old home before things get too busy. Children, in particular, need closure. Take your family, walk through the property, remember those fun memories, and talk about the fun you will have in your new place.
- Prepare your movers
If you are using professional movers, make sure you are there to help. You can help by identifying large or fragile items right away, so they can strategise. Be mindful not to be intrusive while they do their job, but you need to be aware of what they have packed so you can sign off to confirm everything has been completed.
- The final check
Before the movers take off, take a moment to do one last check through your property – you do not want to miss anything before you walk out the door for the last time. It is normal to feel emotional about moving house, so take a moment. Then switch your thoughts to your new property as you are about to start the next chapter of your life.