How to move house in Australia?

OUR GUIDE TO MOVING HOUSE

Moving house can be hard work, but there are ways to make it easier. To prove this, we’ve put together the ultimate guide for moving home in Australia, which will get you and your family from A to B as seamlessly as possible.

1- Take inventory before packing

To get an idea of the expected effort of your move, it’s best to take inventory of all items that you plan on bringing with you. Not only will this allow you to estimate the size of truck you will need, it’s also an amazing way to de-clutter your home ahead of time.

When accounting for large appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, be sure to carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions for moving these items. This can avoid hold-ups on moving day by giving you plenty of time to arrange any extra help needed to load your rental truck.

If you’re downsizing and aren’t ready to part with your larger pieces of furniture, self-storage is a cost-effective way to keep your belongings safe. For a better idea of how much storage space you would need to fit your belongings, try Storage King’s online Space Estimator which allows you to calculate your storage needs in a matter of seconds.

2- Find cheap moving truck hire

Once you know what you’re moving, it’s important to then plan on how you’re going to go about it. By organising your own removal truck hire, you can save money, stay on schedule and have complete control throughout the entire moving process. Europcar’s one-way truck hire is a great option for relocations, as it allows you to drop your hire truck off at the Europcar station closest to your new home.

Hire a truck today and secure a great rate.

3- Changing your mailing address and utility provider

It’s important to stay on-top of all of the administrative tasks that come along with changing address. While it may seem overwhelming, most of these tasks can be taken care of online or over the phone.

The first and most important task is to contact your utility companies and notify them of when you are moving. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to give your utility providers at least two weeks’ notice before you’re scheduled to move.

Be sure to request that your existing utility company leave their services on for 48 hours after you move and for your new company to turn them on 48 hours prior to arrival. This allows time for any issues or complications to be resolved and provides you with extra cover should your schedule change.

Once your utilities are dealt with, use this list of quick links to help you easily change address details with government departments and services:

• Notify the Australian Electoral Commission of your new address.

To update your address for government services such as your local transport department, please find your state below:

• Australian Capital Territory

• New South Wales

• Northern Territory

• Queensland

• South Australia

• Tasmania

• Victoria

• Western Australia

4- Packing tips for moving house

Packing can be the most daunting part of moving – but only if you let it be. Organisation is key when it comes to easing the stress of packing as it allows you to save time and energy throughout the entire process.

-Pick the right packing boxes for your move: One box does not fit all. Be sure to explore the different types of packing boxes available to ensure your belongings can be comfortably transported to their new home.

-Wrap delicate items carefully: Be sure to carefully wrap all fragile items with the most suitable material before packing them for transportation. For very delicate items, we suggest a tight layer of bubble wrap, whereas larger pieces of furniture are best protected by heavy duty pads made from polycotton, which provide ideal protection for both transit and storage.

-Pack each room separately: As moving day approaches, place boxes inside each room of the house, carefully labelling each one with the room that it’s in. For example, every box in the kitchen should be labelled kitchen and so forth. Working up to moving day, take opportunity of the time you have by packing each room’s boxes with items that aren’t being used frequently. By the time you reach your final few days at your current home, you should only have the bare necessities left to box-up.

5- Packing your moving truck

Now that your belongings are packed and ready to go, you’re nearly ready to hit the road to your new home. For an in-depth guide on how to load your belongings onto your truck hire, check out our ultimate guide to optimising space, ultimate guide to optimising space.

If you’re looking to take the stress out of moving, you can’t go past one-way truck hire from Europcar Australia. Explore our extensive truck rental range online today and enjoy the freedom of one-way truck hire for your next move.