Six Little Hearts: Tips For Moving Home...

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Tips For Moving Home...

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with SQUAREpeg Movers.

We've been living in our home on the outskirts of Melbourne for around four years now.

It's been an interesting journey living here too.

We've had our sixth child in this home, who's now a bubbly two year old; we've experienced home ownership, with all of its delightful freedoms and hideous financial burdens. Our children have grown and some have even branched too quickly into secondary school.

...And we've ultimately learnt that our true pleasure is derived from living in the very inner suburbs of Melbourne instead.

It's been a bit of a love / hate relationship being here. On the one hand we've everything to be thankful for: Our home is a beautiful one - a two storey, modern, perfectly kitted-out, quite lovable home: It represents our first true personal space in life and our future financial security (with the amazing views a gorgeous bonus).

On the other hand, (doesn't there just always have to be one?), our home is just situated in the wrong place for us, this sense beginning as a weak and fleeting gut feeling that has grown stronger with time and hits us all hard as soon as we step outside our front door.

First World problems.

Yes, the time has come to move on and I am both excited by the prospect and terrified at the same time. A new beginning is thrilling, but the preparation is a nightmare. Moving house is well recognised as one of life's greatest stressors and fearing it most, is me at the helm of it all.

So, how do you make a fledgling attempt at moving house? Where do you start? I've got to say this is one of the biggest problems of all. It's a huge undertaking and finding the precise place to begin is one of the biggest hurdles to climb in an effort to get the process rolling.

Here are some of my tips that we're both discovering as we go and applying at this very early stage in our effort to relocate...

Start outside: This may sound like a strange place to begin but in theory it makes complete sense. Chances are there's loads of clutter lying about your home: From broken items to dead potted plants, old outdoor tables and chairs, faded and broken children's toys and so on. Make a pile and begin sorting.

Council garbage collections: Knowing when your next scheduled, mammoth collection of household waste is happening can potentially save you a packet. It's difficult to rid your home of excess waste without this service in place (if you're looking to throw it all for free that is).

Old sofas, washing machines, clutter and broken items can all go out for collection. Council collections usually recycle metals and parts too, so in theory you're helping to preserve the environment with these responsible disposal programs in place.

Hire a dumpster: Not all collections will coincide with your move and you may have no other choice but to do this. Or, visit a tip and drop off your waste. Either way, you will pay a charge to do this.

Clear your garage and garden sheds first: These areas are notorious for collecting clutter. It's the first place we dump our excess household gear - things that are unwanted in our homes but too good to throw away, children's toys and clothing and so on usually wind up in here.

Clearing this space is a priority because there will definitely be items which you will not wish to hold onto anymore, let alone pay a removalist to move. Be brutal in your culling efforts. (We've just disposed of 50% of our garage clutter and it feels so good!)

Having these spaces cleared means that you will be able to begin packing up your goods within your home and storing them neatly in boxes and packing them back into your garage ready for moving day.

Resell, recycle, repurpose or donate: Some items are just too good to dispose of. Baby goods, bikes and so on are all items you might like to recoup some of your cash on and this is where online auction sites and local classifieds come in. Take photos as you de-clutter and when you've got a moment, upload an ad to sell your unwanted stuff. You could then set this cash aside to help fund your relocation costs.

If you're truly short on time and can't be bothered with the whole selling thing (because it is time-consuming), ask friends and family if they know of anyone in need of whatever it is you are trying to re-home or simply drop it off to a local charity store so that they can benefit from a resale.

Begin collecting boxes: There are a number of ways you can come by your boxes. Start by collecting them on shopping outings. (Many retailers are only too willing to pass some over the counter to you.) Check local classifieds and notice boards for people hoping to offload their supply of cartons from a recent move or approach a removalist company like SQUAREpeg Movers, where you can purchase a brand new set in a range of sizes to suit your requirements.

Get the whole family involved in the move: As I write this, my kids are upstairs helping to pack their own gear - golden! If you've friends or extended family nearby, ask them if they can help in some way too, either with the packing itself or babysitting - whatever it is that will help to smooth out the whole transition process for you.

Designate a permanent box for clutter to be donated: Before you've even settled on a room to begin your packing, set aside a big box for donations. As you go about your day to day living and cleaning, drop random items as you come across them into the box. This could be clothing that turns up in your wash basket that the kids have outgrown, old toys no longer getting attention, pots in the kitchen cupboard etc. If it's no longer needed, you can deal with it as you come to it with this system in place.

Start eating: Get stuck into your pantry and freezer early and begin eating all of your opened packets instead of visiting the supermarket for more supplies. Chances are you've loads of meals already stocked in there and you won't want to be juggling these perishables on moving day.

Once you've got some serious headway underway with your excess possessions sorted, you can then call in a removalist for some quotes on your relocation. If you're a resident of Melbourne, SQUAREpeg Movers can relocate your home or business and can take care of all your packing needs - from cartons to the actual packing.

Have you recently moved home? Are you planning on moving home?

Have you any tips to add?

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