Boffo's Guide to Moving Day

Moving day can be a very exciting, but sometimes stressful day.

As well as the emotion of leaving one home and starting afresh in another, there's so many things to remember and do. With that in mind, we’ve put together a moving day checklist to help you keep things moving without a hitch.

Have a cull. A new home is an opportunity to start with a clean slate, so get your Marie Kondo on, be ruthless and throw out or give away anything that doesn't spark joy.

Start collecting boxes. You can never have too much storage during a move. Don’t throw boxes away when you’ve unpacked either - there will always be a friend who needs them.

Start packing. The items you don’t use often can be packed well in advance, with your ‘everyday’ items closer to the day of the move.

Label each box. Write clear instructions about where each box needs to go in the new house. You can even colour code each room to make it easier. Post-it notes can fall off while being handled so it’s better to write directly on the box.

Clear the way. If you’ve hired removalists, make sure their truck will have easy access to your home. Park your cars on the street and make sure there’s nothing to trip over between the home and truck.

Be available. Removalists will need guidance, so make sure someone stays in the house while removalists are there. Let them know which boxes contain fragile items.

Carry valuable items yourself. Consider this your ‘carry on luggage’ - the items you consider too valuable or precious to let out of your sight.

Keep your pets safe. A move can be stressful for pets, so see if you can have them stay with a friend or family on moving day.

Pack an overnight bag. There are some things you’ll need to access quickly in your new home, like soap, towels, pyjamas, toothpaste, sheets, pillows, dog food and the like, so take these yourself in a bag for easy access.

Have a last look and clean. Check all your built in cupboards and drawers to ensure you haven’t left anything important. Make sure the home is left as you’d like to find it if you were moving in.

Leave a note. Make sure the new resident has your forwarding address.

Clean, clean clean. Before everything goes in, you may want to give your home a top to bottom clean while there's nothing in it.

Complete larger jobs that are best done with no furniture in the house. If you're in the position to do before moving in, you might want to do larger scale jobs on your new home such as painting or flooring upgrades. These can be easier jobs to manage before your house is filled with furniture, so consider completing this work before moving day.

Make sure your utilities are connected. You’ll need water, gas, electricity and Wi-Fi from the moment you move in. Make sure you organise connection well in advance as it can take a few days.

Be there when removalists arrive. They’ll need to know what’s going where so give them a quick tour or give them a house plan.

Get appliances in place. Your fridge will need to settle in its place for a few hours before being switched on to allow the coolant gas to settle.

Assemble the beds. Kids and often adults will be tired early on moving day, so make sure there’s a place for everyone to crash.

Unpack the kitchen and bathrooms. Plan your unpacking around the commonly used areas first. Studies and spare bedrooms can be done last.

A safe house. Before you unleash the kids or pets in the new house, make sure it’s a safe place for them to play.