Moving Tips and Advice
PROFESSIONAL REMOVALISTS
A well prepared removal is a removal that will cause the least confusion and stress on the day of uplift and delivery. Regardless of whether your furniture and personal effects are being relocated to the other side of town or interstate, the more carefully that your belongings are prepared, the better they will travel.
Furniture, in most cases, is built for one purpose, to take pride of position in your home, and NOT MOVE from that position. However, at some stage of all of our lives we are required to uproot and relocate and this is when the services of professional removalists are required to ensure that ALL of your belongings arrive at their destination in exactly the same condition as when they left your uplift address.
There are a number of things that you can do to prepare for your relocation and help ensure:
- no damage is caused when moving your furniture and personal effects;
- ease and time efficiency of loading and unloading (often saving you money); and
- the safe transit of all items packed by both yourself and our qualified pre-packers.
Furniture such as wardrobes, desk, wall units and dressers must be emptied as the structural integrity of these items will be compromised if the furniture is moved with loose weight inside.
Chests of drawers need to have breakables, loose and heavy items removed. Light clothing may remain. Never tape drawers shut.
The type and quality of cartons that you use to pack your belongings will reflect directly as to how well your goods will travel. The use of cartons sourced from your local supermarket, or small open cartons which cannot be stacked for transit, take a lot longer to load and unload than purpose built cartons, thus costing you more as most removals are paid on an hourly rate.
Remember, there is a maximum weight that one or two men can be reasonably expected to lift or move - cartons which are 'oversized' will only dramatically slow the moving process due to the awkwardness, and weight.
The use of purpose built removal cartons will speed the removal process and ensure the safe transit of breakables packed inside.
You can shorten the time it takes the removals team to load your possessions (and therefore save money) by ensuring accesses are cleared prior to the arrival of our removalists. You can make further savings by having all items packed the day before the move. Each trip to the truck takes time, so if you put all your cartons and smaller items close to where the vehicle will park, it will take less time for our team to load. Please ensure that small children and any pets are controlled at the time of uplift and/or delivery. During any move these distractions can present a risk to all involved, and the last thing we would want to see is injury to your loved ones, your pets and/or our removalists (let alone your treasured possessions).
Where possible reduce the number of items to be moved (and therefore the number of trips to be made) by bundling items such as mops and brooms together, and placing all smaller items into cartons. They not only travel better in this state, but also reduce the time required to complete your relocation.
You should dismantle all items like beds, swing sets, mirrors off dressers, and items of furniture which were assembled after purchase, such as flat pack desks. These are not designed to be moved when assembled, and if they are not prepared for moving they will most likely be damaged. We can dismantle items for you, but you will save time (and costs) if you can do it yourself.
When dismantling furniture, ensure that you keep all of your bolts, screws and keys in an easily identifiable place, and remember where you placed them. They are going to be required almost immediately when you arrive at your destination.
Ensure the hoses on your washing machine are disconnected and removed, and placed inside the machine, and all water is drained from them so this water doesn't leak onto your other furniture or cartons during transit.
Do not defrost your fridges or freezers less than one week before moving. The water that gathers in the 'drip trays' creates problems when it comes to moving those items of furniture. Have sufficient esky's for your cold perishables and freezer contents ready for the day of moving, and we will load these items onto the truck last of all, and unload them first thing. This will ensure that you food spends as little time as possible out of the fridge, and the fridge/freezers will spend as little time as possible unplugged.
Speak with your neighbours and make sure there is sufficient parking space at the front of your property for the removal truck on the day of uplift. Ensure there are no items belonging to your neighbours that may impede access for the removalists (or that may be taken by mistake)! Most neighbours are understanding and are happy to assist in moving their cars, boats etc.
Dispose of any unwanted goods before Moving Day! This will ensure that minimal time is spent completing your removal, as the removalists will not be wasting time carrying boxes of rubbish. This will also assist with the positioning of furniture and cartons in your new home without the clutter of unnecessary items/cartons.
Ensure that all of your important items - such as keys, remote controls, wallets, sunglasses, and any other important items that you may require on your person - are placed in a safe place to ensure you know their whereabouts at the delivery location. Another good idea is to create one carton which will be the last to be loaded, and first unloaded – this should contain the kettle, coffee/tea and other items which may be required before any of the other cartons are unpacked. Items such as bags of screws, nuts and bolts from the dismantled furniture can easily be located if they are all placed in this one central location.
Have an advanced plan for the placement of furniture at your new address and ensure that you have a representative onsite at the destination to direct the delivery of the furniture to ensure that it is placed correctly the first time. This will expedite the delivery process, and ensure a stress free completion to your removal, while also assisting in your unpacking.
Ensure that you have cleaned the BBQ, and items such as wheelbarrows, rubbish bins, wheelie bins, and garden furniture. This will ensure that your other furniture being loaded with these items does not become soiled as a result of contact with dirty items. It also ensures that dirt, mud and grease from your items is not spread throughout the removal truck, and then perhaps transferred from boots into your new home.
When moving into a property that has recently had building work completed, there is often a chance that the site has dirt, mud and debris in the yard, which may present a problem if close to the access to the property. Ensure that if dirt is prevalent on site, you have access to, or know where to source, sheets of plywood just in case of rain on the day of your removal. This will ensure that mud will not be walked through your new home. Workplace Health & Safety regulations prohibit the removal of shoes/boots by our removalists because this would increase the likelihood for foot injuries (and possible damage to goods being carried if someone stubs their toe and falls).
Some States prohibit the transportation of plants and fruits. If you have household plants and cannot take them with you, you need to dispose of them. Give them to a friend or relative before the day you are scheduled to move. If you can take plants with you, do not water them just prior to removal day. You may need to contact the DPI (Department of Primary Industries) to check on the area you are moving from, and whether any special requirements are in force such as those for 'Red Fire Ants' in South East Queensland or fruit from fruit fly areas.
To prepare your washing machine for removal, disconnect from the water supply, drain hoses and check with the manufacturer (or your removalist) for advice on traveling brackets etc.
Finally
Should you have any questions, please contact our office - friendly advice regarding any part of the removal process is only a phone call away. Chances are some of our clients have already experienced similar circumstances to your situation and we are happy to share with you how they resolved the situation.
Our advice is FREE, and without obligation, which simply reflects our commitment to customer service. All of our staff care for your move, and want nothing more than for you to recommend our service to everyone that you speak with. We can only be sure of this by exceeding your expectations and making this move, your best move.