While the entire world waits to see if Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton gets to call the White House home, spare a thought for Barack & Michelle Obama who are about to be evicted after 8 long years and have to go through the stresses of moving house.
Now whether you’re moving out of the White House or a one bedroom apartment in Melbourne, it’s important to have a good strategy for moving day. The better prepared you are, the less stressful the day will be. So Barack and Michelle, as your unofficial Real Estate advisor here are 7 tips to ensure that your moving day runs smoother than your Presidency.
1. Get organised
Unlike the Obama’s who’ve had 4 years notice that they’ll be moving, most of you reading this would have received 30 – 60 days notice, so I assume that you haven’t left packing to the last minute. Hopefully all your boxes are easily accessible and you’ve cleared out the driveway so the moving trucks can get easy access to your house.
If you’re using removalists, make sure you’re ready to start moving things as soon as they arrive. They charge by the hour and it can get quite expensive.
2. Planning
If you don’t have a private driveway, you may need to make some space for the trucks to park when they arrive in the morning. To secure an easily accessible parking spot for the moving trucks, either park in the space you want yourself and move your car when the trucks arrive or put out some cones the night before.
You’ll also want to plan the order of how things are packed. Consider what you’d like unpacked first (fridges, white goods, bed frames etc) and pack those into the truck last.
When you book your removalists, or friends, make sure you’ve explained what needs to be moved so you have enough muscle around to move the big items.
You’ll also want to ensure that the right type of transport is booked. A van might be cheaper but you’ll need to do more trips. Hiring a larger truck might get all of your possessions over in one go, but you can’t start unpacking until everything has been transported across.
3. Throw out and donate things you don’t need
You probably don’t know how much stuff you’ve accumulated till you have to start packing. Moving is the best time to declutter and get rid of old clothes and furniture you no longer use or need. Consider donating to the Salvation Army or having a pre-move Garage Sale (probably not an option for the Obama’s).
4. Create an inventory and label everything!
To avoid things going missing during your move, a good strategy is to number each box and create a list of whats been packed inside. This will save you time when you get to your new house and can have boxes placed into the rooms where they belong. It also helps to keep track of your belongings during the move. You’ll also want to keep track of what box has the more valuable items and mark them clearly so that friends or removalists treat them a little more carefully.
5. Moving Day Kit
There will be things you need easy access to on moving day, which you won’t want to have to go through lots of boxes to find. Make sure you set aside some cleaning supplies, spare light bulbs, toilet paper, toiletries and even a spare set of clothes. With all the craziness of moving, you’ll be glad you have those necessities set aside.
6. Have your utilities connected
You don’t want to move into your new house and realise you forgot to connect your electricity or water. Speak to your utility providers well in advance and make sure that everything will be connected on or before the day of your move.
7. Take care of your removalists
If you’ve called in favours from your friends and family, it’s a nice gesture to make sure you have some food and cold drinks available. Beer and pizza is a great Aussie way to say “Thanks for you help, mate”.
