Moving Advice

Advanced Planning

The key to a smooth move is to think about all the aspects well in advance of having to actually do them. There may well be the odd on the day disaster, but a well-managed plan will help keep everything in check and help you keep your cool if something does go wrong.

Arrange your move date as far ahead as possible. The more time you have, the easier it will be to actually get everything done in time. Another good reason for having everything prepared in advance is because if you have to postpone your move for some reason it can be costly and rescheduling everything at the last minute we not be easy.

Take the opportunity to save a huge amount of money by hunting around for better deals and cancelling anything you don't want. Moving house is also a good time to turn over a new leaf. The more organised you are, the quicker you can start afresh after your move.

You shouldn't move everything you own. It not only costs more money, it takes extra time. Make things easier by eliminating unnecessary items. No matter what it is - that big jar of pennies, the rowing machine you stopped using, the toys your kids have outgrown. Don't move it if you don't use it!

So how does it all go? Well, ideally you will have at least a month to your move date. Here's a typical plan.

4 Weeks before you move Home

• File a change of address form with the Post Office for each person receiving mail at your home.

• Notify creditors, magazines, and book and record clubs of your new address.

• Contact doctors and dentists for your family's medical records. Ask your doctors for colleague recommendations in your new area. Get copies of renewable prescriptions.

• Decide which items should be discarded or donated to charity. (Consider having a garage sale.)

• Complete a home inventory listing each possession, date purchased and value.

• Notify your local authorities (water, gas, electricity) to have your service turned off after your departure. Contact utilities at your new home for connections.

• Notify your children's schools, your church, clubs and any other organisations of your impending move.

3 Weeks before you move

• Decide which items you will pack, and request delivery of packing materials from Diamond Removals, sketch out the floor plan of your new home to determine placement of furnishings.

• Make a list of names, addresses and numbers you will need or want to remember.

• Pack your local phone book and Yellow Pages so you can contact businesses after your move.

• Notify Diamond Removals if you have changed anything about your move; household goods, destination, dates of the move, etc.

• Transfer contents of safety deposit box.

• Check home owners insurance policies to see if moving is covered.

• Transfer insurance to cover fire, theft and personal property at your new home.

• When packing dispose of items you do not require in your new home. (A car boot sale can be a good idea).
  

2 Weeks before you move

• Plan your trip to your new destination. (Make travel accommodations, and if driving, have your car serviced.)

• Return borrowed things, and collect things you've loaned.

• Make arrangements for servicing your appliances both at your current home and your new home.

• Dispose of flammables such as petrol, matches, cleaning fluids, bleach, pressurised or aerosol cans.

• Discontinue regular services such as newspaper, window cleaning, etc.

• If moving your TV antenna or satellite dish, make arrangements to have it taken down.

• Arrange parking at your old and new addresses, if necessary. (Your local council should be able to assist. You will be responsible for any packing fines that we incur during your move.)

1 Week before your move

• Transfer bank and savings accounts so you do not lose interest.

• Make arrangements to discontinue your local telephone service. (Your local telephone company can help you establish phone service at your new home.)

• Determine which items you're taking with you. If doing your own packing, pack these items and set aside in a designated area.

• Have rugs and curtains cleaned. (Keep in protective bags.)

• Use up your frozen food supply or give it away.

• Drain the fuel from lawnmowers and other power equipment.

• Pack and empty your loft/sheds.

1 Day before your move

• Pack a box of things you'll need as soon as you arrive at your new home. (This might include disposable plates and cups, cold drinks, snacks, T-bags, coffee, dried milk powder, electric kettle, non-aerosol cleaning supplies, light tools, bathroom items, bin bags, light bulbs). Take this box with you or have the driver load it last and unload first.

• This is usually the day packing is done.

• Defrost, thoroughly clean and dry refrigerator.

• Take pictures and mirrors down and put all in one place.

• Disconnect your cooker, washing machine, dishwasher.
  

On the day of your move

• Disconnect your cooker, washing machine, dishwasher, Disconnect any light fittings.

• Make sure plants are drained of excess water.

• Be on hand when the Diamond Removals driver arrives and throughout the loading process.

• Check on the condition of your goods as they are loaded.

• Make a final tour of your home. See that nothing is overlooked. Lock all windows and doors, and turn off all switches.

• It is a good idea to arrange for a friend to have the children if possible.

• Either take your pets to kennels, a friend's, or ensure they are in a locked room during the removal.

• Jewellery and cash should be moved by you and is your responsibility.

Not find what you are looking for? You can ask through our contact page.

The Kitchen

Since this is the busiest room in the house, it is usually left until last. That can lead to hazardous packing, so start with all those things you rarely use - special china, the Christmas platter, that big coffee pot. Get them out of the way early and you'll cut down on the size of the job later. Get together all your dishtowels and pot holders; use them for extra padding. Pack plates standing on their edges- never flat. "Nest" bowls, cups and glasses inside each other after wrapping. Be sure to fill any empty spaces with appropriate packing material.

Think twice before you move any opened food containers. With spices and grains, first consider their age. If you've had them for a year or more, don't take them. If you must take opened containers, tape them shut securely and enclose in plastic bags before packing. Appliances should be clean, dry and disconnected for moving day. This means defrosting and airing freezers and refrigerators, and contacting the gas company to disconnect any gas appliances. Internal motors must also be secured.

Your removal crew can prepare your washing machine for moving, and then reconnect it. If you come upon appliance operating instructions while packing, tape them to the inside of the appliance. Otherwise, they could easily be misplaced.

The Dining Room

Delicate crystal, china and bric-a-brac need extra protection. Consider boxing some things up before putting in packing containers. If you seal napkins and tablecloths in plastic bags, you can use them for additional padding. Make sure everything is snug and mark the boxes "FRAGILE."

If you have fine silver, avoid discoloration by making sure it's clean, and don't wrap using rubber bands. If you have a case for it, fill in all the empty spaces with soft cloth or tissue, seal shut with wrapping paper and tape and then wrap in towelling. Otherwise, wrap each piece in soft cloth or special silver paper before packing. This will protect it from tarnish and scratches.

The Living Room/Family Room

Mirrors and framed pictures need to be packed in cardboard that you can obtain from your mover. Lamps should be taken apart, bulbs removed, and the shade wrapped carefully and boxed. Use the right size box and DON'T USE NEWSPAPER for packing. Use as little paper as possible to avoid denting.
Dried flower arrangements should get the same treatment as lampshades, and make sure to label the boxes with "THIS END UP." Electronic equipment should be moved in original packing cartons when available. Secure all parts prior to packing. If you are moving in the summer, the heat can damage certain items. Candles, CDs, records, tapes and floppy disks are all at risk. Consider taking them yourself, or shipping in a way that will reduce transit time.

The Bedroom

Clothing can either be folded and packed or hung in wardrobe cartons (these will be available on the day). Try to keep out-of-season or special occasion clothes together. When unpacking, you'll be able to leave those for last. Dresser drawers may be packed with lightweight clothing, but be sure to remove any liquids or breakables first.

For conventional beds, strip beds completely, but leave them assembled. They will be dismantled by the moving crews and reassembled at your new home. If you have a waterbed, empty it the day before the move. For canopy or "four poster" beds there may be an additional charge for dismantling and assembling. Toiletries that are flammable or aerosol cannot be moved in the van, so you should throw them out or take them with you.