Not to be dramatic, but moving house is horrific.
It’s been about a month since I last moved and I am still unpacking, chucking stuff out and generally trying to get my life back in order.
If you too are a frenzied mess when moving, you’ve come to the right place. Given my botched last attempt, I am on a mission to make it as seamless as possible next time, so have mined everyone I know for their best moving tips.
When you don’t have removalists around (I’m not made of money!), to do the hard yakka for you, it all comes down to you, my friend. No room to stuff it up!
So, here’s what to keep in mind next time you’re moving.
Hire a van
The most intimidating part of moving without help is the vehicle. For starters, I’ve never driven anything bigger than a Toyota Yaris but I also don’t drive manual. If you’re in the same boat, you can borrow a local van or ute from someone else in your suburb with Uber Carshare. You can filter to find something smaller, automatic and skip the rental queues in the process. Plus, you can do everything in the app and can select Instant Key for contactless pick-up so all my fellow anxious girlies can do the whole shebang without having to speak to anyone IRL. We love to see it.
Pack by weight
You don’t want any surprises when lifting so organise your boxes by weight. Chuck heavier boxes into your van first and stack the lighter boxes on top as high as you can go before starting a new layer. Then shove loose and lightweight stuff (think rugs and blankets) into the gaps. You might also need rope or moving straps to tie groups of stuff together so it doesn’t shimmy loose on the drive over.
Use what you have
Rather than maxing out that box budget, mine your current place for items that can carry stuff for you. Pillowcases? Perfect for carrying clothing, towels and linen. Socks? Wrap ’em around your glasses. Suitcase? Fill it with heavy books. You’ll be surprised how much you can shove into bags you already own.
Get a trolley
Unless you want to do a hundred trips to the curb and hurt that back in the process, make sure you have a trolley (and dolly), to take things to and from your truck. You can hire one from your local Bunnings for just $20 a day and make your life so much easier.
Parch those plants
Your plants get unbelievably heavy when they have water in the soil. So, considering you’re the one doing all the lifting, give them a break from the water (just until you’re done lugging them to and fro), to save those jelly arms.
Take pics
The beauty of moving in the ~modern age~ is being able to take pics of everything. Literally, from the contents of your boxes to the wires in the back of your TV and computer, it can save you tonnes of time and stress on the other side of the move.
Do you feel prepared now? I sure do. The above certainly put my shove-anything-in-a-box style to shame. Anyway, good luck and remember to lift with the knees!
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